AP HuGe - Chapter 6 Vocab

adherents

describes a person who supports or believes in a specific religion

folk religion

a localized belief system for a community

atheism

the belief that God does not exist

agnosticism

the belief that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven empirically

universalizing religion

a religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just those living in a specific place

ethnic religion

a religion that is appealing to one cultural or ethnic group, or a specific location

unaffiliated

people who do not identity with any religion

congregation

a local assembly of people brought together for a common religious worship

denomination

a single legal and administrative body unites a number of local congregation

branch

a large and fundamental division without religion

syncretic

a combination of several traditions

animism

the act of following a folk religion

monotheism

the belief that there is only one God

polytheism

the belief and worshipping of multiple Gods

missionary

individuals who help to transmit a universalizing religion through relocation diffusion

hierarchical diffusion

the spread of a feature or trends from one key person or node of authority or power to other persons or places

contagious diffusion

the rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout the population

stimulus diffusion

the spread of an underlying principle

relocation diffusion

the spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of person from one place to another

ghetto

city neighborhoods set up by law to be inhabited only by Jews

pilgrimage

a journey for religious purposes to a place considered scared

utopian settlement

a community built to reflect the ideals of a particular religious or social group

autonomous religion

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

cosmogony

a set of beliefs concerning the origin of the universe

cremation

the act of burning a dead body

solar calendar

a calendar that relates to the season or the apparent position of the sun in relation to the stars

lunar calendar

a calendar with months that corresponds to cycles of moon phases

lunisolar calendar

a calendar with lunar months that are brought into alignment with the solar year through some process

solstice

an astronomical event that happens twice a year, where the tilt of the Earth’s axis is most inclined toward or away from the sun and resulting in the longest and shortest days of the year

fundamentalism

a literal interpretation and a strict and intense adherent to what the fundamentalists define as the basic principles of a religion for a religious branch, denomination, or sect

caste

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

dispora

the dispersion or spread of people from their orgin