Religious Terms. There Are Nine

¶ … religious terms. There are nine references used for this paper.

Every religion has terms which are used in their religious traditions. It is interesting to look at Judaism, Christianity and Islam and identify terms which are specific to each religion.

Judaism

Three terms in Judaism which can be explored are Halakhah, Holdheim, and Hanakah. Halakhah is the Hebrew term for 'the way'. "In Judaism, it is the oral tradition embodied in the Talmud (a compilation of Jewish law and tradition). Based on the Torah, it comprises rules, discussion, and commentary passed down by word of mouth. The Halakhah regulates all aspects of conduct by describing the proper path through life, and it strictly observed by Orthodox Jews (unknown, Hutchinson)."

Samuel Holdheim was a "German rabbi and author, as well as the leader of the extreme wing of the early Reform Judaism movement. He pled for the abolition of antiquated Jewish marriage and divorce regulations mainly on the grounds that the Jews do not constitute a political nation. He believed the Jewish religious institutions must be rigidly kept distinct from the Jewish national ones, to which latter belong the laws of marriage and divorce (www.knowallabout.com)."

Hanakah, or Hanukah, is known as "the Festival of Lights. It is celebrated with eight days of presents, games, songs and feasting. While Hanukah's origins are of a minor festival, it has become a major celebration, especially for Jews in North America (Unknown, the Family Room)."

Christianity

In Christianity, three aspects of the religion which can be explored are Pentecost, John Calvin and John the Baptist. Pentecost is an important feast in both the Christian and Jewish faiths. Christians believe that "on the Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus (50 days from the Passover in which He was crucified), the Holy Spirit, according to the Acts of the Apostles, descended on the disciples in the form of tongues of fire accompanied by the sound of a rush of wind, and gave them the power of speaking in such a way that people of different languages could understand them. The Christian feast of Pentecost is an annual commemoration of this event, and it is solemnly observed as the birthday of the church and the feast of the Holy Spirit (unknown, Columbia)."

John Calvin was a reformist during the 16th and 17th centuries. He formulated the theological position of the "doctrine of predestination, which he built his reformed church upon. This concept stated that salvation was not a choice, but was rather pre-decided by God from the beginning of time. This meant that individuals were 'elected' for salvation by God, and this view of human salvation is called either the 'doctrine of the elect' or the doctrine of living saints' (www.wsu.edu/~dee/REFORM/CALVIN.HTM)."

John the Baptist was a prophet who "preached a message of repentance to the people of Jerusalem. He converted many, and prepared the way for the coming of Jesus. He baptized Christ, after which he stepped away and told his disciples to follow Jesus (www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintj02.htm)."

Islam

Three terms in Islam that should be explored are Quraysh, Hijra, and Saum. Quraysh is "the ancient Bedouin tribe near Mecca to which Muhammad belonged. At one time camel drivers and caravan guides, they became, after acquiring custody of the Kaaba, one of the most powerful tribes in central Arabia and the chief family of Mecca. They were at first bitter opponents of Muhammad but became his devoted followers when Muhammad retained the Kaaba, a source of pilgrim revenue, as a sanctuary of Islam (unknown, Columbia)."