Animism
Belief that objects and natural events have a discrete spirit and conscious life
Al-Kabah Mosque in Mecca
Cube like structure encased in silk which stands in the center of the Great Mosque
Autonomous Religion
Region that does not have a central authority but shares ideas and cooperates informally
Baha'i
One of the two other universalizing religions other than Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity, came to be in 1844
Bible
Christian book of faith
Branch
Large and fundamental division in a religion
Buddhism
One of the three biggest religions, originated in India
Caste System
Class or distinctive hereditary order in which a Hindu is assigned according to religious law
Catholic
Branch of Christianity prominent in Latin America
Christianity
Universalizing religion that revolves around the Bible and teachings of Jesus
Churches/Cathedrals/Basilicas
Houses of worship for Christians
Confucianism
Ethnic religion based on traditional values of Chinese people
Cosmogony
Set of religious beliefs concerning the origin of the universe
Crusades
Military campaigns put on by Christians to recapture their holy land form the Muslims
Dalai Lama
The spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhist
Daoism/Taoism
Religion based on Confucius's teachings, created by Lao-Zi
Denomination
Division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations into a single legal and administrative body
Diaspora
To force to disperse (Romans and Jews)
Diocese
Base unit of geographic organization for Roman Catholics
Dome of the Rock
Building above the rock from which the Muslims believed Muhammed ascended to heaven
Ethnic Religion
Religion with a relatively concentrated spatial due to its principles being based on the physical characteristics pf the place it originated from
Five Pillars of Faith
The five rules Muslim faith is based on
Four Noble Truths
The four rules Buddhist faith is based on
Fundamentalism
Literal interpretation and strict adherence to basic principles of religion
Ghetto
During the Middle Ages - part of the city only inhabited by Jews. Modern day a place where any minority lives
Hierarchical Religion
Religion where central authority exercises a high degree of control
Hinduism
World's third largest religion, mostly concentrated in India and Nepal
House of Worship
Where the Baha'i people go to practice their religion
Interfaith Boundary
Boundaries between one faith and another
Intrafaith Boundary
Boundary within the same religion (like Catholic and Protestant)
Islam
Second largest religion in the world, originated in the Middle East
Jesus
Man whose teaching's Christianity was based on, "Son of God", died on the cross
Judaism
14 million followers, followers of this religion are called Jews, originated in Israel
Koran/Quran
Holiest book in Islam, written in Arabic
Mecca/Makkah
City that Muslims pray towards five times a day, where Muhammad the Prophet was born
Minarets
Distinctive feature of a Mosque, a tower where a muzzan summons people to worship
Muhammed the Prophet
Man who founded Islam and wrote the Quran after receiving a message from the angel Gabriel
Monotheism
The belief that there is only one God
Mormons
Branch of Christianity that is centralized in Utah and considers themselves as a separate branch from the rest of Christianity (Latter-day Saints)
Mosque
Place for Muslim people worship
Muslims
Followers of Islam
Pagoda/Stupa
Prominent and visually attractive element of Buddhist and Shintoist landscapes. Contains relics Buddhists believe belonged to or were part of Buddha
Pilgrimage
Journey to a place considered sacred for religious reasons
Polytheistic Religion
Religion that worships multiple gods
Protestant
Branch of Christianity with about 82 million members. Consists of Baptists and Lutherans
Religion
A particular system of faith and worship
Sect
Relatively small group that has broken away from an established denomination
Secularism
Principle of the separation of government institutions and persons mandated to represent the state from religious institutions and religious dignitaries
Shamanism
Practice that involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with a spirit world and channel these transcendental energies into this world
Shintoism
Distinctive ethnic religion of Japan since ancient times
Siddhartha Gautama
Founder of Buddhism
Sikh
Fourth largest religion in the world with 23 million followers
Syncretism
The amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions
Synagogue
Place where Jews go to worship God
Temple/Shrine
Sacred structures for Hindi people to worship in
Torah
Holy book of the Jewish people - written in Hebrew
Traditional Religion
Religion traditional to a region
Tribal Religion
Religion customary to a tribal community
Universalizing Religion
Religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just the ones in one area
Vishnu/Krishna/Siva
The three main gods of the Hindu religion
Wailing Wall/Western Wall
Part of the western retaining wall of the Second Jewish Temple on top of the hill known as Temple Mount. Temple Mount is holiest place to Jews and so this place is sacred due to its connection to it
Zionism
Jewish nationalist movement that has had as its goal the creation and support of a Jewish national state in Palestine, the ancient homeland of the Jews