Vocabulary for introduction to Comparative Religion
1. Animism – Animism is the belief in the existence of spirits, demons, or gods
that inhabit animals and other natural phenomena. Animists believe that
even geographic features like a mountain, a tree, a river, or an idol made of
wood or stone might be inhabited by a god.
2. Anthropomorphism – Assigning human qualities or characteristics to
something that is not human. For example, the statement “God’s hands”
gives the impression that God has real hands, while in reality God does not
have hands.
3. Comparative religion – the study of religions by looking at comparisons and
contrasts between the religions, looking for similarities and distinctions.
4. Dualism – The belief that reality consists of two basic elements or principles.
In religion these elements are sometimes believed to be mind (consciousness)
and matter. Sometimes it is believed to be a dualism between a good god
and an evil god.
5. Empiricism – the belief that knowledge is primarily learned from experience,
especially by uses of the five senses and scientific method. Famous
empiricists include: John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume.
6. Epistemology – the study of how to know. There are four ways to know
something. We know through: experience (empiricism), reason
(rationalism), subjective feelings (intuition), or God’s revelation.
7. esoteric – secret knowledge known only to those who are members of a
group.
8. God – Any supernatural being who is worshipped or feared.
9. Henotheism – Belief and worship of one god without denying the existence
of other gods.
10. Intuition – an impression or thought based on subjective feelings or instinct.
11. Magic – magic deals with the belief that certain spells, rituals, chants, and
incantations can produce an effect.
12. Metaphysics – The study of being and knowing. Metaphysics attempts to
answer the questions: what really exists and what is the nature of the
universe.
13. Miracle – An event that goes against the laws of nature and by definition is
supernatural or an act of a supernatural being.
14. Monism – the belief that reality consists of a single basic substance or
element.
15. Monotheism – the belief in one god.
16. Natural phenomena – naturally occurring events. Any perceptible object
and/or events that takes place in nature.
17. Pantheism – belief that god is the universe and its phenomena (they are
one and the same) or the believe that the universe is a manifestation of
god.
18. Polytheism – belief in many gods.
19. Prophecy – A prediction about the future given by a god or spirit.
20. Rationalism – the belief that knowledge comes by reason and logic and
not through experience or perception. Famous rationalists include:
Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz.
21. Religion – Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers.
Most religions have a theology (belief about god or gods), cosmology
(belief about the origin and nature of the universe), morality (belief in
good and evil based on revelation from god), and soteriology (belief about
how to overcome man’s spiritual problems).
22. Revelation – Communication of knowledge to man by a divine or
supernatural agency
23. Theism – Belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in a
personal God as creator and ruler of the world.