APHG unit 3 Religion

agnosticism

the belief that the existence of God can't be proven empirically

animism

the belief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life

atheism

the belief that God does not exist

autonomous religion

a religion that does not have a central authority but shares ideas and cooperates informally

branch

a large and fundamental division within a religion

caste

the class or distinct hereditary order into which a Hindu is assigned according to religious law

congregation

a local assembly of persons brought together for common religious worship

cosmogony

a set of religious beliefs concerning the origin of the universe

denomination

a division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations in a single legal and administrative body

ethnic religion

a religion with a relatively concentrated spatial distribution whose principles are likely to be based on the physical characteristics of the particular location in which its adherents are concentrated

fundamentalism

literal interpretation and strict adherence to basic principles of a religion (or a religious branch, denomination, or sect)

ghetto

during the Middle Ages, a neighborhood in a city set up by law to be inhabited only by Jews; now used to denote a section of a city in which members of any minority group live because of social, legal, or economic pressure

hierarchical religion

a religion in which a central authority exercises a high degree of control

missionary

an individual who helps to diffuse a universalizing religion

pilgrimage

a journey to a place considered sacred for religious purposes

solstice

an astronomical event that happens twice each year, when the tilt of Earth's axis is most inclined toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun's apparent position in the sky to reach it most northernmost or southernmost extreme, and resulting in the shortest and longest days of the year

syncretic

combining several religious traditions

universalizing religion

a religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just those living in a particular location

monotheism

the doctrine of or belief in the existence of only one God

polytheism

Belief in or worship of more than one god.