QCAA Study of Religion key terms

A written work that a religious community treats as authoritative, believing it conveys divine revelation, foundational teaching or inspired wisdom that shapes belief and practice.

The belief that knowledge of the divine is disclosed to humanity, either through inspired writings, prophets, or events, rather than discovered by human reasoning alone.

The officially accepted list of books or writings a religious community regards as authoritative scripture, distinguishing them from other texts that are valued but not binding.

The disciplined interpretation of a sacred text, drawing on language, historical setting and literary form to explain what the passage meant and means.

The theory and method of interpretation, concerned with the principles a community uses to read texts and apply them to new situations and questions.

Teachings, stories and laws passed down by speech and memory before or alongside writing, often preserving the community's identity and founding narratives.

In religious studies, a sacred story conveying deep truths about origins, meaning and values, not a claim that the story is false or merely fictional.

A community's account of how the universe came to be, how it is ordered, and what place humanity holds within that order.

A prescribed sequence of symbolic actions performed with intention, often repeated, that expresses and reinforces a community's beliefs and relationships.

The formal public worship of a religious community, usually following set words, gestures and structures that connect participants to a shared tradition.

A sacred rite understood as a channel of divine grace, instituted by a religious founder, such as baptism or the eucharist in Christian traditions.

A ceremony marking a significant transition in a person's life, such as birth, coming of age, marriage or death, often involving separation, transition and reintegration.

A ritual process through which a person is admitted into a religious community or a new stage of membership, often involving instruction, testing or symbolic transformation.

A visible object, action or word that points beyond itself to a deeper meaning, carrying multiple layers of significance recognised within a tradition.

The visual imagery and symbolic conventions used in religious art, including how figures, colours and gestures convey theological meaning.

A journey to a place of special religious significance, undertaken as devotion, penance or seeking, and often involving shared rituals along the way.

A location set apart as holy through association with the divine, a founder or a community's history, shaping how people behave and gather there.

A comprehensive framework of assumptions and values through which a person or group interprets reality, purpose and moral obligation.

The belief in one or more personal divine beings who are involved with the world; contrasted with atheism, agnosticism and non-theistic traditions.

The belief that there is only one God, who is typically regarded as creator, sustainer and ultimate authority over all things.

The belief in and worship of multiple deities, often understood as having distinct roles, personalities and spheres of influence over life and nature.

Existing beyond the ordinary material world and human comprehension, a quality often attributed to the divine in contrast with what is immanent.

Present and active within the world and human experience, a quality describing the divine as close, involved and accessible rather than wholly beyond.

The study of moral right and wrong, and the principles a tradition uses to guide conduct, judge character and resolve moral dilemmas.

The view that moral truths are built into human nature and reason, discoverable by reflection and binding on all people regardless of religious affiliation.

An inner capacity to judge the moral quality of one's own actions, understood by many traditions as a guide that must be educated and formed.

The belief that human life possesses inherent sacred worth from its beginning to its end, grounding arguments about abortion, euthanasia and medical care.

The field examining moral questions raised by medicine and biotechnology, such as genetic testing, organ donation, fertility treatment and end-of-life care.

A framework setting moral conditions for when war may be entered and how it must be fought, addressing cause, authority, proportionality and civilian protection.

The conviction that war and violence are morally unacceptable, so adherents refuse to participate in armed conflict and pursue nonviolent alternatives.

The belief that humans are entrusted with responsibility for the natural world and must care for it on behalf of the divine or future generations.

A distinct branch within a broader religious tradition, sharing core beliefs while differing in governance, worship style or interpretation of teachings.

A smaller religious grouping that has separated from a larger body over doctrinal or organisational disagreements, often holding stricter or distinctive positions.

A formal split within a religious community over doctrine, authority or practice, resulting in separate organisations that each claim continuity with the original.

The accumulated beliefs, practices and interpretations handed down across generations, which shape how a community understands its identity and texts.

The process by which a religious tradition adapts its expression to a particular culture, era or society while seeking to remain faithful to core teachings.

The declining social influence of religion in public life, as institutions and decision-making become less tied to religious authority and belief.

The coexistence of diverse religious and non-religious viewpoints in one society, raising questions about tolerance, truth claims and shared public life.

Structured conversation between members of different religious traditions, aimed at mutual understanding, cooperation and reducing conflict without requiring agreement on doctrine.