Religion: English Vocabulary List

the study of religions and faiths

"He studies theology."

"Her doctoral research focused on comparative theology, examining the doctrines of major world religions."

the quality of relating to the human spirit or religious matters rather than material things

"Personal spirituality helps."

"She finds great comfort in her personal spirituality and meditation practice every morning."

a religious group with beliefs or practices, especially extreme or unusual ones, that separate them from the rest of the people with the religion

"Religious sect follows."

"The small religious sect follows unique beliefs and practices different from mainstream religion."

a member of the clergy or a religious leader, often in charge of religious duties

"Religious cleric preached."

"The respected religious cleric gave an inspiring sermon to the congregation last Sunday morning."

people who are officially chosen to lead religious services in a church or other religious institution

"The clergy wore robes."

"The local clergy organized a community outreach program to assist those in need."

a religious leader or teacher in Buddhism, Hinduism, or Sikhism

"Spiritual guru taught."

"The spiritual guru taught meditation and inner peace to his many followers every week."

a religious teacher, scholar, or leader of Judaism

"The rabbi delivered a wise and thought-provoking sermon."

"A rabbi is a Jewish religious teacher and spiritual leader"

a place of worship and religious study for Jews

"The Jewish family went to the synagogue."

"A synagogue is a consecrated Jewish house of worship"

a Mongolian or Tibetan Buddhist monk

"Tibetan lama visited."

"The Tibetan lama visited the monastery and gave blessings to the visitors last month."

a priest or minister who is in charge of a church

"The pastor welcomed everyone warmly today"

"The pastor delivered a moving sermon about forgiveness and compassion to the congregation."

someone with beliefs against the doctrines of a particular religion

"The heretic rejected church teachings."

"The heretic was excommunicated from the church for teaching ideas that contradicted its official doctrine."

a member of the Christian clergy who serves as a spiritual leader

"Reverend preached sermon."

"The Reverend preached an inspiring sermon about love and forgiveness last Sunday morning."

a member of an Islamic sect that tries to become united with God through prayer, meditation, and living a simple and strict life

"Sufi mystic taught."

"The Sufi mystic taught about love and spiritual connection with God through poetry and music."

a person who delivers religious messages or sermons to a congregation

"The preacher’s thunderous voice filled the small chapel."

"A lay preacher is a non-ordained person who is authorized to lead worship and deliver a sermon"

a short moral lecture, offering advice on behavior

"Inspiring homily delivered."

"The priest delivered an inspiring homily about kindness during the Sunday service yesterday."

a person in some religions and cultures believed to be capable of contacting good and evil spirits and curing people of illnesses, especially in some cultures in northern Asia and North America

"Tribal shaman performed."

"The tribal shaman performed a healing ritual for the sick child in the village."

a follower of Sikhism

"Devout Sikh visited."

"The devout Sikh visited the temple every week to pray and serve the community."

a person belonging to an English religious group of the 16th and 17th centuries who wanted church rituals made simpler and who believed it was important to work hard and control oneself, while pleasure was unnecessary or even wrong

"Strict puritan believed."

"The strict puritan believed in simple living and hard work without any luxury."

a religious person who travels to a sacred place for a holy cause

"The pilgrim walked to Mecca."

"Many a devout pilgrim undertakes the arduous journey to Jerusalem each year."

(in Judaism) divinely sent king who will save the Jewish people

"Expected messiah waited."

"Many people waited for the expected messiah to bring peace and justice to the world."

a person who lives a very simple life in solitude as a religious practice

"The hermit lived alone in the woods."

"The old hermit lived alone in a remote cabin far away from any town or village."

someone who is killed because of their beliefs

"The martyr died for his beliefs."

"The religious martyr died for his beliefs many centuries ago."

any one of the twelve disciples of Jesus

"Jesus chose his apostles."

"The early church was spread by the teachings of Jesus's twelve apostles."

any of the letters in the New Testament, written by the apostles

"Apostle epistle wrote."

"The apostle wrote an important epistle to guide the early Christian communities long ago."

someone who does not believe in the existence of God or gods

"An atheist does not believe in God."

"The atheist argued that morality can exist without religion based on reason empathy and human values."

a school of Mahayana Buddhism, originally formed in Japan, emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition rather than reading religious scripts or ritual worship

"Zen meditation practiced."

"She practices Zen meditation every morning to find inner peace and clarity."

a religious cult involving witchcraft and the worship of spirits, especially common in parts of the Caribbean

"Voodoo ritual performed."

"The voodoo ritual was performed by the priest in the village according to local tradition."

(in Christianity) the concept of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

"The Trinity is the Christian concept of one God in three persons."

"Many Christians pray to the Trinity, believing in one God who exists as three persons."

the return to life of Christ on the third day after his death on the cross, according to the New Testament

"Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday."

"The New Testament recounts the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion."

the act of disrespectfully treating a sacred item or place

"Tearing the holy book was sacrilege."

"Desecrating the ancient temple was considered a grave sacrilege by the local inhabitants."

the belief that after someone’s death, their spirit comes back to life in the form of a new body, especially in Buddhism and Hinduism

"Believe in reincarnation."

"Many people in Asia believe in reincarnation and karma across multiple lifetimes."

a priest or priestess serving as a mediator through whom the gods were thought to give their message in classical antiquity

"Ancient oracle consulted."

"People consulted the ancient oracle for advice about important decisions many centuries ago."

someone who is sent to a foreign country to teach and talk about religion, particularly to persuade others to become a member of the Christian Church

"The missionary traveled abroad."

"The missionary traveled to a remote village to provide medical care and share his religious beliefs."

a person believing in a religion that worships many deities, especially one that existed before the major world religions

"The pagan festival was lively."

"The pagan festival celebrated the summer solstice with dancing around a bonfire and rituals meant to honor the earth and the changing seasons."

a moral or religious speech, usually given during a church service

"The vicar delivered a brief sermon about the virtue of kindness."

"A fiery sermon from a traveling preacher could once draw a massive crowd to a town square"

any of the four books of the New Testament that is about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ

"Read the gospel."

"The sermon focused on the teachings found within the gospel of John."

someone who believes it is impossible to know whether God exists or not

"He is an agnostic and believes we cannot know if God exists."

"He declared himself an agnostic who doubts the existence of God but remains open to evidence."

(Christian theology) the deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed to be brought about by faith in Christ

"Faith brings salvation."

"Through unwavering faith in Christ, believers seek spiritual salvation from their sins and their eternal consequences."

a mass at which people honor and pray for the soul of a dead person, especially in the Roman Catholic Church

"They sang a requiem."

"The choir performed a solemn requiem to commemorate the departed souls at the memorial service."

a statement about events that have not yet occurred but are believed to be inevitable or possible, especially one made by a divine person

"Ancient prophecy predicted."

"The ancient prophecy predicted important events that happened many centuries later."