More Word Smart: How to Build an Impressive Vocabulary (2012)

Chapter 9. RELIGION

As the world shrinks due to the advent of the Internet and other means of rapid communication, we’re hearing and seeing more and more words from the many religions of the world. Here’s a short guide to the ones we encounter most often—including, where applicable, the new connotations they have taken on in secular speech. We’ve also thrown in some words about religion in general that are worth knowing.

AGNOSTIC (ag NAH stik) adj someone who believes that the existence or nature of a deity is unknown or not knowable

ASALAMU ’ALAYKUM (ah sah LAHM ah LAY kem) phrase a Muslim greeting that is generally translated as “peace be upon you”

To return the sentiment, just say wa alaykum assalam, which means “and on you be peace.”

AVATAR (AV uh tar) n in Hinduism, the manifestation of a deity in bodily form

BAPTISM (BAP tizm) n a ceremony of admission into a specific Christian church, often signified with immersion or sprinkling of water

CANONIZE (CAN un yz) v in Roman Catholicism, to admit a dead person to the list of recognized saints

CASTE (cast) n a form of class distinction in Hindu society, based on relative degrees of hereditary purity and/or social status

CHUPPAH (HUP ah) n canopy beneath which the wedding party stands while a Jewish marriage ceremony is performed

COVENANT (KUV uh nant) n in Judaism, the Biblical covenants made with Abraham, Moses, and David

In Moses’s case, covenant refers specifically to the Ten Commandments contained in the Ark of the Covenant, which was carried by the Israelites on their wanderings in the wilderness.

DHARMA (DAR muh) n in Buddhism, the teachings of the Buddha; in Hinduism, the principle of order and righteousness in the cosmos

ECUMENICAL (ek yoo MEN uh kul) adj pertaining to ideas held in common by different Christian churches

ENLIGHTENMENT (en LYT un ment) n in Buddhism, the state of having attained insight or knowledge that frees an individual from the cycle of reincarnation

EUCHARIST (YOO kuh rist) n a Christian ceremony that commemorates the Last Supper

The eucharist involves the consecration and consumption of bread and wine, which are referred to as the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

EVANGELIZE (ee VAN juh lyz) v to preach the Christian gospel in order to convert someone to Christianity

Individuals who participate in this practice are generally known as evangelicals or evangelical Christians.

EXCOMMUNICATE (ex kum YOO nik ayt) v the official exclusion of a person from participating in the sacraments and services of a Christian faith

GURDWARA (gur DWAR uh) n a Sikh place of worship

HAJJ (hahzh) n the pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are expected to make at least once in their lifetime

HALAL (huh LAHL) adj something that is religiously acceptable according to Muslim law

This term is often heard in reference to dietary laws. For example, meat that is butchered according to Muslim law is described as halal.

HIJAB (hi JAHB) n a head covering worn in public by many Muslim women in following religious codes

KOSHER (KOH shur) adj pertaining to food that satisfies the requirements of Jewish law

In secular usage, kosher describes something that is acceptable or legitimate, which is close to the original definition of the word, which is “proper.”

LITURGY (LIT ur jee) n In the Christian church, the form(s) in which public religious services are conducted

MANNA (MAN uh) n In the Bible, the miraculous food supplied to the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness

Modern usage denotes something that is unexpectedly supplied, generally to the relief of the speaker or author.

MANTRA (MAHN truh) n in Buddhism and Hinduism, a word, sound, or phrase repeated as an element of practice in meditation

In everyday usage, a mantra is a word or phrase repeated for a reminder, increased self confidence, or luck.

MENORAH (men OR uh) n a sacred candelabra most commonly associated with the Jewish celebration of Chanukah

A Chanukah menorah has eight branches and a central socket, whereas you may see other menorahs with only seven branches.

MUEZZIN (myoo EH zun) n a man who proclaims Muslim prayer time from the minaret tower of a mosque

MULLAH (MUH luh) n a Muslim person who has extensively studied Islamic theology and sacred law

OLIVE BRANCH (AH liv branch) n a widely regarded symbol of peace

This term comes from the Biblical story of Noah, in which a dove returns with an olive branch—a sign that the great flood sent by God was receding.

PHILISTINE (FIL uh styn) n a non-Semitic people of southern Palestine who came into conflict with the Israelites in the 12th century B.C.

Modern usage generally refers to those with a distaste or indifference to arts and culture.

PROSELYTIZE (PRAH sel eh tyz) v to attempt to convert a person from one religion to another

SACRAMENT (SAK ruh mint) n an act or ceremony of the Christian church that visibly demonstrates a spiritual belief

Baptism and marriage are examples of sacraments.

SAMSARA (sam SAH ruh) n in Hinduism and Buddhism, the cycle of reincarnation that is broken when one attains enlightenment

SECTARIAN (sek TAR ee un) n a person who rigidly follows the very specific beliefs of a particular religious group or sect

SUTRA (SOO truh) n in Buddhism, canonical scriptures considered to be direct records of Gautama Buddha’s oral teachings

TALMUD (TAL mud) n in Judaism, a collection of rabbinical writings containing the entirety of Jewish civil and religious ethics, customs, and legend

TITHE (tythe) n an individual’s voluntary giving to a church

Historically, a tythe was a ten percent earnings tax for the support of Christian clergy and churches.

TRANSFIGURATION (tranz fig yoor AY shun) n a total change of appearance into an elevated spiritual state

TRANSUBSTANTIATION (tran sub stan shee AY shun) n primarily in Roman Catholicism, the actual conversion of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ

YARMULKE (YAH mulk uh) n a skullcap that is worn by Jewish men (and sometimes women) in prayer, or at all times by Orthodox Jewish men