Religious Studies - Key Topics

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on key topics such as Stewardship, Environment, Origins of the Universe, Evolution, and Animals for food.

Stewardship

The responsibility that humans have to care for, manage, and protect the world and its environment.

Use and abuse of the environment

The topic exploring how natural resources are utilized by humans and the negative consequences when the environment is exploited or mistreated.

Origins of the Universe

The various religious and scientific explanations concerning how the universe was created and brought into existence.

Evolution

The scientific process describing how living organisms develop and adapt over successive generations.

Animals for food

The ethical, religious, and practical considerations surrounding human consumption and farming of animals.

Stewardship

The theological and ethical duty of human beings to care for, protect, and responsibly manage the Earth and all living creatures on behalf of God.

Khalifah

The Islamic concept of vicegerency or trusteeship, affirming that humans are appointed by Allah as custodians of the Earth.

Imago Dei

A Christian belief that humans are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), giving them a unique moral status and responsibility towards creation.

Ex Nihilo

A Latin term meaning 'out of nothing', describing the traditional religious belief that God created the universe from non-existence.

The Big Bang Theory

The scientific cosmological explanation that the universe expanded rapidly from an extremely hot, dense singularity approximately $13.8\,\text{billion}$ years ago.

Natural Selection

The core mechanism of biological evolution where organisms with advantageous survival traits are more likely to reproduce and pass on those traits.

Halal and Dhabihah

Islamic dietary rules requiring meat to be permissible and obtained through swift, humane slaughter while reciting the name of Allah.

Stewardship - Christian Quote & Belief

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it" (Genesis 2:15). Christian belief teaches that humanity holds a God-given responsibility as custodians of creation.

Stewardship - Muslim Quote & Belief

"I am going to place a successive authority [khalifah] upon the earth" (Surah 2:30). Islam teaches that humans are Allah's trustees (khalifah) on Earth and will be held accountable on Judgment Day.

Use and Abuse of the Environment - Christian Quote & Belief

"Love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12:31). Christians infer that polluting or abusing natural resources harms human neighbours and future generations, violating divine commands.

Use and Abuse of the Environment - Muslim Quote & Belief

"Eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess" (Surah 7:31). Islam explicitly forbids wastefulness (israf) and ecological destruction.

Origins of the Universe - Christian Quote & Belief

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Christians believe God is the sole creator of the cosmos out of nothing (ex nihilo).

Origins of the Universe - Muslim Quote & Belief

"His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, 'Be,' and it is" (Surah 36:82). Muslims believe Allah created the universe by divine decree (Kun fe-yakun) across six periods (ayyam).

Animals for Food - Christian Quote & Belief

"The righteous care for the needs of their animals" (Proverbs 12:10). Although Genesis 9:3 permits eating meat, Christians are called to ensure animal welfare.

Animals for Food - Muslim Quote & Belief

Meat is permissible (halal) provided the animal is slaughtered humanely (dhabihah) while invoking Allah's name (Bismillah), fulfilling duties of compassion toward living creatures.