Living Religions Chapter 1

spirituality

the inner dimensions of religion, such as experiences, beliefs, and values

scientific materialism

a theory to explain the fact that religion can be found in some form in every culture around the world

dogma

system of doctrines proclaimed as absolutely true and accepted as such

mysticism

to perceive truth directly, beyond the senses, beyond the limits of human reason, beyond blind belief

enlightenment

encounters with the Unseen Reality

realization

encounters with the Unseen Reality

illumination

encounters with the Unseen Reality

kensho

encounters with the Unseen Reality

awakening

encounters with the Unseen Reality

self-knowledge

encounters with the Unseen Reality

gnosis

encounters with the Unseen Reality

ecstatic communion

encounters with the Unseen Reality

"coming home"

encounters with the Unseen Reality

dualistic

our ordinary experience of the world is that our self is separate from the world of objects that we perceive

numinous

a nonrational, non-sensory experience of that which is totally outside the self and cannot be described

comparative religion

attempts to understand and compare religious patterns found around the world

profane

the everyday world of seemingly random, ordinary, and unimportant occurances

sacred

the realm of the extraordinary, beyond everyday perceptions, the supernatural, holy

immanent

present in the world

transcendent

existing above and outside of the material universe

theistic

religions based on one's relationship to a divine being

monotheistic

the being worshiped in a singular form

polytheistic

many attributes and forms of the divine are emphasized

monistic

beneath the multiplicity of apparent forms there is one underlying substance

incartnations

the sacred reality is usually invisible, but occasionally appears visibly in human form

exclusivist

religious authorities that claim they worship the only true deity and label all others as pagans or nonbelievers

universalism

all are talking about the same indescribable thing in different languages or referring to different aspects of the same unknowable Whole

Atheism

Belief that there is no god

agnosticism

not the denial of the divine, but feeling as if you don't know if it exists or not

rituals

actions are predictable and repeated rather than spontaneous

symbols

images from material world that are similar to spiritual experiences

myths

symbolic stories that communities use to explain the universe and their place within it

orthodox

stand by historical form of their religion, strictly following practices, laws and creeds

absolutists

those who resist contemporary influences and affirm what they perceive as the historical core of their religion

fundamentalism

often applied to this selective insistence on parts of a religious traditions an violence against people of other religions

historical-critical

Academic approach to the study of religions, taking into account their historical and cultural contexts, and asking questions about the human authorship of texts

redaction

editing and organization of a religion's scriptures

secularized

less influenced by religion

metaphysics

philosophy based on theories of subtle realities that transcend the physical world

Gaia theory

the hypothesis that the earth is a self-regulating system

Creationism

The concept that God created everything as it is today, in 6 days. Creation is the opposite of the concept of evolution.

Intelligent design

theory that has been cited to support the religious concept of creationism

patrical

meaning that men lead like father figures

charisma

rare quality of personal magnetism often ascribed to founders of religion

phenomenology

a special field devoted specifically to the study of religions