Ahura the title of the gods worshipped by Zoroastrians
Apocalypse also known as Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, which describes a vision of the last days
atman in Hinduism the sacred power of Brahman (q.v.), which each individual experiences within him or herself
Axial Age the term used by historians to denote the period 800–300 BCE, a time of transition during which many of the world’s major religions emerged
Brahman the sacred power that sustains all existing things in Hinduism; the inner meaning of existence
Brahmin a member of the priestly class in Hinduism
chi the basic energy and spirit of life in Chinese religions
dharma the truth, the way of salvation in Buddhism
diaspora the communities of Jews dispersed outside Palestine
eschatology doctrines concerning the end of history, including the coming of the Messiah, the Last Judgment and the final triumph of the faithful
fatwa a formal legal opinion or decision of a religious scholar on a matter of Islamic law
Gathas Zoroastrian scriptures
Hadith the traditions or collected maxims of the Prophet Muhammad
Hasidism a mystical movement in Judaism founded in the eighteenth century
hajj the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca
hijrah the migration of the first Muslims from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, an event that marks the beginning of Islam
Holy Spirit the third person of the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Christianity
imam in mainstream Islam, the one who leads the prayers of the Muslim congregation; in Shi’a Islam it describes those descendants of the Prophet thought to enshrine divine wisdom
incarnation the embodiment of God in human form
jihad an internal effort to reform bad habits; used of late to denote a war waged in the service of religion
jina one who has achieved enlightenment, a spirit, in Jainism
junzi a fully developed, wise person in Confucianism
Kabah the cube-shaped granite shrine dedicated to Allah in Mecca
Kabbalah the Jewish mystical tradition
karma action, in Buddhism, encapsulating all deeds, fears, desires and dislikes
kenosis a Greek term used in Christianity to refer to self-emptying
Li the belief system of a junzi (q.v.)
mandala a symbolic, pictoral representation of the universe in Buddhism
mantra a short prose formula or chant, originally from Vedic religions
millennium the 1,000-year period of peace and justice that some Christians believe will follow on from the end of human history, ending with the Last Judgment
moksha liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth known as samsara (q.v.)
Nirvana denotes in Buddhism the ultimate reality, the goal and fulfillment of human life and the end of pain
Orthodox literally “right teaching,” used by Eastern Christians to distinguish themselves from Western Christians
patriarchs term originally used of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the ancestors of the Israelites; later of Christian leaders, especially in the Orthodox tradition
prophet one who speaks on God’s behalf
rapture a Christian fundamentalist doctrine that says that the elect will be spared the “Last Days” of Earth by being taken up to heaven to await the millennium (q.v.)
ren humanity, compassion, benevolence; the chief virtue in Confucianism
Rig Veda literally “knowledge in verse,” the most sacred of the Vedic scriptures, consisting of over 1,000 hymns
samsara the cycle of birth, death and rebirth
Shahadah the Muslim proclamation of faith: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger”
Shar’iah “the Path to the Watering Hole,” Islamic holy law
shu the Confucian virtue of consideration, linked with the Golden Rule
Sky god the supreme deity worshipped by many people as creator of the world, eventually superseded by more immediate gods and goddesses
Sufism the mystical spirituality of Islam
Sunnah those customs sanctioned by tradition and said to imitate the behavior and practice of the Prophet Muhammad
Talmud the classical rabbinic discussions of the ancient code of Jewish law
Tao the way, the correct course or path, in Taoism
Torah generally used to describe the first five books of the Jewish scriptures but also used to describe laws given to Moses on Mount Sinai
yoga meditative practice to eliminate egotism and achieve enlightenment