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Analogy
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The direct comparison of the sacred with something that is familiar.
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Apocrypha
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Books that are not part of the official canon of scripture, but which are still considered sacred.
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Canon
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An official list of sacred scriptures.
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Deity
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God or object of worship
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Exegesis
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The interpretation of a specific passage of scripture.
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Fundamentalism
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Describes a group of people who try to live by a strict and literal interpretation of scripture. Used in the 20th century to describe some conservative forms of Christianity.
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Heretic
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A person (or idea) that publically asserts a controversial postion or disagreement with orthodox forms of worship, practice or belief.
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Hermeneutics
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The bias or method of interpretation that we bring to the interpretation of scriptures.
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Liberal
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Take a flexible approach to religion. Liberals do not feel that people oday are required to act like people in the past, but instead believe that scripture is only a guide.
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Metaphor
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A figure of speech, a symbolic expression. Frequently based on comparison, metaphor is the use of something familiar to help people understand something that is unfamiliar.
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Mystic/Mysticism
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People who use their own spiritual experiences to interpret scripture. They seek a personal encounter with the supernational to guide them.
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Oral Scripture
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Sacred stories of of primal religions.
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Orthodox
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People who try to follow an established religious tradition through reading scripture literally.
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Religion
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A system of belief that includes sacred stories, doctrines, rituals, ethics and a moral code and that attempts to connect people with the sacred
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Religious Studies
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The study of of a relgion including it's basic concepts and terms.
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Scripture
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The sacred writings of a religion that are considered authoritative, because people read scripture to learn what is right and wrong.
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Story
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Stories that are considered sacred. They are the staries that are the basis of the beliefs and the practices of each religion.
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Apologetics
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The use of theology to defend a religion.
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Cosmogony
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The story about the creation of the world. Aquinas thought that the universe must have a cause and that everything in the universe could be traced back to this origin.
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Cosmological proof
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Thomas Aquinas - God's existance deals with cosmogony.
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Creed
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A short simple statement of faith that people can recite as a way to profess their faith. Most commonly recited the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed
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Doctrine
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A statement or teaching about the beliefs of a religion. It is based on sacred scripture and cannont be proven.
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Dogma
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An authoritative opinion based on sacred scriptures or the teachings of a relgious group that is considered authoratative.
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Ethics
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The moral codes that help people to to distinguish between what is right and wrong.
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Faith
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Religious doctrines that must be accepted without scientific proof.
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First Cause
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The first cause - the power that created the universe is God. (Thomas Aquinas)
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Moral Argument
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Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) Kant is a philosopher - he wanted to know why people wanted to be good. Kant ultimately decided that people want to be good bause they wanted to be rewarded. They believe in the presense of a divine being who will reward them for living a moral life.
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Norms
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The standards of behavior for a religion.
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Ontological proof
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Christian theologian, Anselm (1033-1109). Anselm questioned what God is like and he decided that God is a "being than which nothing greater can be conceived"
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Philosophy
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The study of wisdom and knowledge to defend the truths of a religion
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Teleological proof
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The argument from design. English philosopher William Paley (1743 - 1805) - Universe is like a watch - so complicated that it had to be designed by an intelligent mind.
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Theodicy
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The theological speculation about the problem of evil.
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Theology
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The study of the divine
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Theologian
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A person who studies the divine.
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Agnosticism
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The belief that we do not have sufficient proof either to doubt or affirm God's existence
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Angel
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The belief in the existance of lesser beings. They were created by God, but they are not gods.
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Animism
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The belief that the entire world is alive with spirits.
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Atheism
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Skeptics who do not believe in the existance of any supernatual power.
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Belief
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The acceptance of factual statements. Religion is based upon faith, not belief
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Dualism
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Concept to explain evil - the existence of lesser beings wh are responsible in part for evil
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Goddess
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A female god
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Henotheism
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The belief that some gods are more important that others, therefore they are more worthy of worship.
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Humanism
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The belief that people are basically good and can save themselves.
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Immanence
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The doctrine of immanence holds that the diety is in everything and is everything.
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Materialism
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The belief that nothing exists apart from matter.
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Monism
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There is one unified sacred reality beyond the many forms of gods & goddesses. All reality is the same.
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Monotheism
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Is the belief in the existance of a single God
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Nontheistic or Nontheism
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Religions that believe in a spiritual reality byt not in the existence of a personal god or gods. Buddhism & Confucianism are examples of such religions.
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Omnipotent
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God has total power over the universe.
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Pantheism
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The view that everything is God. Nothing exists apart from the deity.
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