Judaism & Islam
(Arabic) “struggle”; sometimes counted as the sixth pillar of Islam, the general spiritual struggle to be a devout Muslim
jihad
an incarnation, or living embodiment of a deity, usually Vishnu, who is sent to earth to accomplish a divine purpose
avatar
(Pali) “pride”; the human inclination toward being self-centered rather than God-centered, an inclination that increases the distance between the individual and God
haumai
the minister(s) of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony
the couple getting married (the lay people)
the doctrine that reality is ultimately made up of only one essence
monism
(Arabic) “recitation”; Islam’s primary sacred text, regarded by Muslims as the direct words of Allah, revealed to Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel
Qur'an
liberation or release of the individual self, atman,from the bondage of samsara; salvation; one of the four goals of life
moksha
the divine order of the universe (in Sikhism)
hukam
name the five (5) approaches to sacramental theology presented in Introduction to Systematic Theology
Humanist, Symbolic, Trinitarian, Christological, Ecclesiological
the Preserver god of Hinduism; one of an important triad of gods among the 330 million gods and goddesses of Hinduism
Vishnu
(Hebrew) “study” or “knowledge”; the vast depository of the oral Torah, based on the Mishnah with extensive rabbinic commentary on each chapter; there are two versions, the Palestinian and the Babylonian
Talmud
(Sanskrit) “blowing out”; the ultimate goal of all Buddhists, the extinction of desire and any sense of individual selfhood, resulting in liberation from samsaraand its limiting conditions
nirvana
the chief deity in Shinto; Japan’s emperors (considered kami) recognize themselves as descendants of this deity
Amaterasu
the four (4) accounts in Scripture of Jesus instituting the Sacrament of Eucharist (Book only)
uncut hair; one of the five Ks of Sikhism
kes (or kesh)
written down in about AD 200; contains collected teachings of the rabbis of the preceding four centuries; along with the Talmud, is the most important text of the oral Torah
Mishnah
(Pali) “no-self”; one of the Three Marks of Existence; the Buddhist doctrine denying a permanent self
anatta
the primal female figure in the Shinto creation myth
Izanami
the matter of the Sacrament of Baptism
triple immersion in (or pouring of) water
(Arabic) “witnessing”; the confession of faith, the first of the Five Pillars and central creedal statement of Islam: “There is no god except God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
shahada
“extinction”; the extinction of one’s sense of separate existence before achieving union with Allah; the aim of Sufi mystics
al-fana
future Buddhas; as the ideal types for Mahayana Buddhism, beings who have experienced enlightenment but, motivated by compassion, stop short of entering nirvanaso as to help others achieve it
bodhisattvas
the founder of Sikhism; the first Guru of Sikhism
Guru Nanak
the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick can be received this many times
(unlimited)
(Sanskrit) “the Great Vehicle”; the largest of Buddhism’s three divisions, prevalent in China, Japan, and Korea; encompasses a variety of forms, including those that emphasize devotion and prayer to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas
Mahayana (Buddhism)