Key Terms for Spring Half Term 1

Catholic

A branch of Christianity based in Rome and led by the Pope.

Orthodox

A branch of Christianity mainly, but not entirely, practised in Eastern Europe.

Protestant

A branch of Christianity, originally Protestants were called by that name because they protested against some of the practices of the Catholic Church; there are many Protestant denominations, but they agree on the central belief that the Bible is the only authority for Christians.

Denomination

A distinct group within the Christian faith, with its own organisation and traditions.

God

The Supreme Being.

Monotheistic

A religion that believes there is only one God.

Holy

Separate and set apart for a special purpose by God.

Omnipotent

Almighty, having unlimited power; a quality of God.

Benevolent

All-loving, all-good; a quality of God.

Justice

Bringing about what is right and fair, according to the law, or making up for a wrong that has been committed.

Trinity

The belief that there are three persons in the One God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are separate, but are also one being.

Holy Spirit

The third person of the Trinity whom Christians believe is the inspiring presence of God in the world.

Son of God

A title used for Jesus, the second person of the Trinity; denotes the special relationship between Jesus and God the Father.

Creation

The act by which God brought the universe into being.

The Word

Term used at the beginning of John's gospel to refer to the Son of God.

Incarnation

Becoming flesh, taking a human form.

Resurrection

1.Rising from the dead; 2. Jesus rising from the dead on Easter day. An event recorded in all four gospels and the central belief of Christianity.

Blasphemy

A religious offence which includes claiming to be God.

Crucifixion

1.Roman method of execution by which criminals were fixed to a cross; 2.the execution and death of Jesus on Good Friday.

Ascension

The event, 40 days after the resurrection, when Jesus returned to God, the Father, in Heaven.

Heaven

A state of eternal happiness in the presence of God; the place of eternal peace ruled over by God.

Afterlife

What Christians believe follows life on earth.

Day of Judgement

A time when the world will end and every soul will be judged by God and rewarded or punished.

Hell

The place of eternal suffering or the state of being without God.

Purgatory

The intermediate state where souls are cleansed in order to enter heaven.

Satan

Name for the Devil - the power and source of evil.

Sin

1.Any action or thought that separates humans from God; 2. Behaviour which is against God's laws and wishes or against principles of morality.

Original Sin

An Augustine Christian Doctrine that says that everyone is born with a built-in urge to do bad things and disobey God; an important doctrine within the Catholic Church.

Salvation

Saving the soul, deliverance from sin and admission to heaven brought about by Jesus.

Grace

A quality of god which God shows to humans by providing love and support which they do not need to earn.

Forgiveness

Showing grace and mercy and pardoning someone for what they have done wrong.

Atonement

Restoring the relationship between people and God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Mass

Ceremony, also called Eucharist, in which the sacrificial death & resurrection of Jesus is celebrated using bread and wine.

Universe

All of time and space and its contents; includes planets, stars, galaxies, the contents of intergalactic space, the smallest subatomic particles, and all matter and energy.

Fundamentalist Christians

Christians who believe that the statements in the Bible are literally true and believe there are certain basic beliefs that are essential to the Christian faith.

Liberals

Christians who believe that the Bible's authors were guided by God, but that not everything they wrote is a literal account of what actually happened.

Big Bang

A massive explosion of space which set in motion the creation of the universe.

Responsibility

A duty to care for, or having control over, something or someone.

Stewardship (khalifah)

The idea that believers have a duty to look after the environment on behalf of God.

Environment

The natural world; the surroundings in which someone lives.

Dominion

Dominance or power over something; having charge of something or ruling over it.

Awe

A feeling of devout respect; mixed feelings of fear and wonder.

Wonder

Marvelling at the complexity and beauty of something.

Pollution

Making something dirty and contaminated, especially the environment.

Natural resources

Materials found in nature - such as oil and trees - that can be used by people.

Abuse

Misuse; if the world and the environment.

Sustainable development

Building and progress that try to reduce the impact on the natural world for future generations.

Non-renewable resources

Things the earth provides that will eventually run out as there is a limited amount of them; examples include oil, coal, gas and other minerals.

Deforestation

The cutting down of large amounts of forest, usually because of business needs.

Renewable energy

Energy that comes from a source that does not run out, such as the wind or sun.

Recycling

Reusing old products to make new ones.

Vegetarian

A person who does not eat meat or fish.

Vegan

A person who does not eat animals or food produced by animals (such as eggs); a vegan tries not to use any products that have caused harm to animals (such as leather).

Evolution

The process by which living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms of life during the history of the earth.

Adaptation

A process of change where an organism or species become better suited to its environment.

Sanctity of life

The theory that all life is holy and given by God, therefore only God can take it away.

Quality of life

The general well-being of a person, in relation to their health and happiness; also, the theory that the value of life depends upon how good or satisfying it is.

Abortion

The removal of a foetus from the womb to end a pregnancy before the child is born, usually before the foetus is 24 weeks old.

Ensoulment

The period from when Muslims believe the foetus is given a soul.

Euthanasia

The painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable disease or in an irreversible coma.

Active euthanasia

Ending a life by deliberate action, such as by giving a patient a lethal injection.

Passive euthanasia

Allowing a terminally ill or incurably ill person to die by withdrawing or withholding medical treatment.

Eternity

A state that comes after death and never ends.

Barzakh

An Arabic word meaning 'obstacle', 'hindrance', 'separation' or 'barrier'.

Heaven (Jannah)

A state of eternal happiness in the presence of God; the place of eternal peace ruled over by God; in Islam, also called paradise.

Hell (Jahannam)

Eternal separation from God.

Akhirah

Everlasting life after death.