Subject specific vocabulary – Component 2: perspectives on faith: themes

The following subject specific vocabulary provides definitions of thematic terms used in our GCSE Religious Studies B specification (8063), Component 2: Perspectives on faith.

Your students should be familiar with and gain an understanding of all these terms.

Theme A: religion, relationships and families

Adultery

A married person having a sexual relationship with someone other than their spouse.

Artificial Contraception

Precautions taken to prevent pregnancy and to protect against contracting or transmitting STIs (sexually transmitted infections), eg condoms, contraceptive pill.

Annulment

The declaration by the Catholic Church that there was no valid marriage in the first place, so it becomes null and void.

Cohabitation

A couple living together without being married/in civil partnership.

Compassion

Sympathy and concern for the suffering of others.

Discrimination

Actions that come from prejudice attitudes.

Divorce

The legal ending of a marriage.

Equality

Belief that everyone is equal in value and worth.

Gender discrimination

Acting on prejudices against someone because of their gender.

Gender prejudice

Negative thoughts, feelings or beliefs about a person or group based on their gender.

Homosexuality

Being physically/sexually attracted to persons of the same gender.

Marriage

The sacrament in which a couple pledge their love to each other for life by making vows.

Prejudice

Negative thoughts, feelings or beliefs about a person (prejudging them) based on a characteristic they have, eg their sexuality or ethnicity.

Procreation

Having a child; seen as a duty in many religions.

Sanctity

The belief that something is blessed by God and is holy/sacred.

Vows

Promises made during a marriage ceremony.

Theme B: religion, peace and conflict

Bullying

Seeking to repeatedly harm or intimidate someone using actions, words, threats.

Civilian casualties

People who are not part of fighting in a war (i.e. not part of the armed forces) who are killed during the conflict.

Conflict

Dispute between sides, can be between individuals, groups or nations.

Conflict resolution

Two or more parties working to find peaceful solutions to their conflicts.

Forgiveness

Letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done; moving on.

Holy war

Fighting for a religious cause or God, to defend the religion and belief. Believed to be sanctioned by God.

Human dignity

Being worthy of respect and honour; belief that all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity because they are part of God’s creation in his image.

Injustice

A lack of fairness or justice.

Just War theory

The Christian set of conditions that a war needs to meet before it can be justified.

Justice

Bringing fairness back to a situation.

Martyrdom

A person who is killed for their religious beliefs (martyr), and accepts death rather than renouncing their faith.

Nonviolent resistance

Working to achieve social change/public goals such as the end of conflict without using violence, e.g. protests.

Nuclear deterrence

Having nuclear weapons with the aim of deterring/preventing other states attacking for fear of retaliation and nuclear war (possibly leading to Mutually Assured Destruction).

Nuclear weapons/war

A weapon of mass destruction which causes widespread damage and loss of life. Nuclear war would be a war fought using these weapons.

Pacifism

The belief of people who refuse to take part in war and any other form of violence.

Peace making

Trying to get rid of the causes of tension that lead to conflict; working to bring about peace and reconciliation.

Radicalisation

Adopting extreme views on religious, social or political issues.

Reconciliation

Restoring harmony after relationships have broken down.

Refugee

A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

Righteous anger

Anger that is justified/motivated by worthy cause such as injustice or mistreatment.

Terrorism

Use of violence and threats to intimidate others; used for political purposes to build fear in the ordinary population and to secure demands from Government.

Torture

The action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something.

Violent Protest

A statement or action to express disagreement; can be an organised event to demonstrate disagreement with a policy or political action.

War

Armed conflict between two or more sides.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Weapons which cause widespread, indiscriminate damage (eg nuclear, chemical, biological).

Theme C: Religion, human rights and social justice

Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)

A Christian charity that provides emergency and long-term aid to the developing world.

Christian Aid

A Christian charity that provides emergency and long-term aid to the developing world.

Dignity of all people/Human dignity

Being worthy of respect and honour; belief that all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity because they are part of God’s creation in his image.

Duty

Duty, eg the responsibility to work; to earn money for oneself.

Equality

Belief that everyone is equal in value and worth.

Exploitation

Treating and paying people unfairly; benefitting disproportionately from the work they’ve done.

Freedom of religion

The acceptance that all people should be allowed to worship whichever God, or no god, they want and to live by the teachings of their religion.

Greed

Wanting/desiring something or more of something.

Human rights

The basic rights and freedoms to which all people should be entitled because they are human beings.

Human trafficking

Illegal transport of people from one country or area to another, often resulting in forced labour or sexual exploitation.

Image of God/imago dei

The belief that humans share some of the qualities of God; it is stated in Genesis 1:27 “so God created humankind in his image.”

Justice

Fairness in the way people are treated.

Materialism

The belief that money and possessions are more important than other things, so they become a focus in life.

Poverty

The state of being without the things needed for a reasonable quality of life, so that day-to-day living is a struggle.

Racial discrimination

Acting on prejudices against someone because of their ethnicity/skin colour.

Racial prejudice

Negative thoughts, feelings or beliefs about a person or group based on their ethnicity/skin colour.

Responsibility

Having a duty, eg the duties of stewardship and to act against poverty.

Stewardship

Belief that humans have a duty to look after the environment on behalf of God.

Tolerance

The willingness to accept and respect people whose beliefs, cultures etc are different.

Wealth

Money and possessions a person has.

Theme D: St Mark's Gospel - the life of Jesus

Christ

Means ‘the anointed one’/Messiah. The belief that Jesus was the promised saviour.

Crucifixion

The death of Jesus; a form of the death penalty used by the Romans.

Historicity

Whether something (eg a gospel text) is considered to be historically authentic.

Miracle

An event that contradicts the laws of nature, and is usually thought to be impossible, (eg being raised from the dead).

Passion

The suffering of Jesus in his final days (which he foretold several times).

Resurrection

Being raised from the dead; the event three days after the crucifixion when it is believed that God raised Jesus from the dead.

Secular

Non-religious beliefs, practices and sources of authority.

Son of David

A title for Jesus used in Mark’s Gospel, showing his descent from a Jewish king.

Son of God

A title for Jesus used in Mark’s Gospel, emphasising his divinity.

Son of Man

A title that Jesus used for himself, which refers to both his suffering as a human and to the authority given to him by God.

Transfiguration

When Jesus’ appearance was changed into a more spiritual form; Peter, James and John saw his transfigured form talking to Moses and Elijah.

Trial

A criminal proceeding that takes place before a judge, involving questioning and evidence relating to the crime committed; Jesus faced trials before Pilate and the Jewish authorities during his Passion.

Theme E: St Mark's Gospel as a source of spiritual truth

Anointing

Religious ritual action which involves being touched or marked with oil / other sacred substance; the event in Mark 14 when a woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ head.

Ascension

Going or being taken up; the event in Mark 16 forty days after the resurrection when Jesus returned to glory in heaven.

Commandment

A law or rule that must be followed.

Commission

Being given a job or duty; the event in Mark 16 when the risen Jesus told his disciples to preach the good news throughout the world.

Denial

To state or claim that something is not true; the event in Mark 16 when Peter stated three times that he did not know Jesus.

Discipleship

Following Jesus.

Disregarded

To be ignored or excluded.

Faith

Having complete belief, trust and confidence in something; having belief in God and Jesus.

Haemorrhage

The escape of a large amount of blood, often the result of an injury or illness.

Kingdom of God

The reign of God over the earth.

Leprosy

Infectious skin disease; in biblical times people with leprosy were made to live outside the towns and cities.

Parable

A story about everyday life that Jesus told to teach a religious truth.

Secular

Non-religious beliefs, practices and sources of authority.

Widow

Woman whose spouse has died.