World Religions, Secularism, and Modernity Lecture Review

A comprehensive vocabulary review covering creation cosmology, public policy, secular models, inter-religious dialogue, modernism, and fundamentalism.

Archē

The philosophical and Christian concept of the uncreated source outside and above all reality, distinct from pagan gods who were created inside the universe.

Myth (Academic and Theological Definition)

A sacred story using symbolic language to explain deep, timeless truths about life and God, rather than a fake story.

Genesis Creation Account

The biblical account wherein creation comes peacefully from God speaking (Fiat) out of nothing, contrasting pagan accounts of violence, war, and chaos.

Primary Vocation of Humanity (Catholic Teaching)

To know, love, and serve God in order to share eternal life with Him in heaven, transcending purely social or material progress.

Canada's 1988 Multiculturalism Act

A policy rooted in 'Liberal Universalism' stating that everyone has equal rights, allowing individuals to preserve their distinct cultural identity while having equal opportunities.

1997 Revision of the Multiculturalism Act

A Canadian policy update that shifted focus from merely celebrating cultures to active participation, anti-racism, social inclusion, civic integration, and shared citizenship.

Secularism

A way of thinking and structuring public life by separating government, law, and public life from religious authority or influence.

Secularization

The historical and social process of society becoming less controlled by religion.

Healthy Secularity

A model accepted by the Catholic Church where Church and State are separate and the State remains neutral, yet religious values and faith are permitted and welcome in public discussions.

Aggressive Secularism

A model of governance where the State actively tries to remove and banish religion completely from public life.

Modernity

A historical era and set of ideas emerging around the 17th century characterized by a shift toward human reason, science, individual freedom, and skepticism of religious authority.

Human Secularism

The worldview that human beings can find meaning, ethics, and morality strictly through science and reason, without God.

Agnosticism

The philosophical belief that the existence of God or the divine is unknown or impossible for human minds to prove.

Faith and Reason ('Two Wings')

The Catholic understanding that faith and reason work together harmoniously without contradiction because both originate from God.

Imago Dei

The belief that every single person is made in the image and likeness of God, endowing all human beings with inherent dignity and value regardless of their personal beliefs.

Indifferentism

The theological error of asserting that all religions are equally valid and that what one believes does not matter.

Mountain Metaphor

The claim that all religions are simply different and equal paths up the same mountain to God, which is logically flawed due to the contradictory truth claims made by different religions.

No Neutral Stance

A foundational concept in inter-religious dialogue acknowledging that every participant inherently brings their own hidden biases and assumptions to discussions.

Seeds of the Word (semina verbi)

The Catholic doctrine that small 'seeds' of God's truth are present in non-Christian religions to prepare them for Christ.

Two Pillars of Modernism

The theological tenets that 1) faith is purely an internal, subjective feeling or personal experience, and 2) truth changes and evolves over time.

Fundamentalist Sects

Religious groups marked by rigid rules, top-down control, literalist textual interpretation without context, and strict 'us vs. them' separation from the modern world.

Secular Dualism

An 'us vs. them' manifestation within secular fundamentalism, exemplified by cancel culture and extreme political polarization where opponents are treated as enemies.

Cult (Distinguishing Factor)

A group differentiated from authentic religion primarily through coercive control, manipulation, and physical or financial exploitation of its members.