Plain words
What do these words mean?
The words people hear and don't ask about. If one is missing, write to us and we'll add it.
A
- Agnostic
- Someone who isn’t sure whether God exists, or thinks we can’t know. No religion
- Allah
- The Arabic word for God. Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use it too. Muslim
- Amrit
- The Sikh initiation ceremony, when someone formally joins the Khalsa. Sikh
- Atheist
- Someone who doesn’t believe in God or gods. No religion
B
- Baptism
- A washing with water that marks becoming part of the Christian church. Some churches baptize babies; others baptize people old enough to choose. Christian
- Book of Mormon
- Scripture that Latter-day Saints read alongside the Bible, first published in 1830. Latter-day Saint
- Brahman
- In Hinduism, the one ultimate reality behind everything. Hindu
C
- Catechism
- A summary of a church’s teaching, often written as questions and answers. Christian
- Catholic
- The largest Christian church in the world, led by the Pope in Rome. Christian
- Communion
- A shared meal of bread and wine (or juice) that Christians eat to remember Jesus’ last supper. Also called the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper. Christian
- Convert
- To change from one religion to another, or a person who has.
- Covenant
- A sacred promise between God and people, like the promises the Bible describes with Abraham and Moses. JewishChristian
- Creed
- A short statement of what a faith community believes, like the Apostles’ Creed. Christian
D
- Dastar
- The Sikh turban, worn as an article of faith. Sikh
E
- Evangelical
- Protestant Christians who stress a personal faith in Jesus, the Bible’s authority, and sharing the faith. Christian
G
- Gospel
- “Good news.” The message about Jesus. The Gospels are the four books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) that tell his life. Christian
- Grace
- A gift you didn’t earn. Christians use it for God’s love and forgiveness, given freely, not as a reward. Christian
- Gurdwara
- A Sikh house of worship. The name means “door to the Guru.” Sikh
- Guru
- A spiritual teacher. Sikhs follow ten human Gurus and honor their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, as the living Guru. SikhHindu
- Guru Granth Sahib
- The Sikh scripture, honored as the living Guru. Sikh
H
- Hadith
- A report of something the Prophet Muhammad said or did. Muslims use collections of hadith alongside the Qur’an. Muslim
- Hajj
- The pilgrimage to Mecca. Every Muslim who is able is asked to make it once in their life. Muslim
- Halal
- “Allowed” in Islam. Most often used for food that follows Islamic rules, like no pork and meat prepared a certain way. Muslim
- Haram
- “Forbidden” in Islam. The opposite of halal. Muslim
- Hijab
- A headscarf many Muslim women wear. The word also means modest dress and behavior in general. Muslim
I
- Imam
- The person who leads prayer at a mosque. Often also a teacher and community leader. Muslim
- Interfaith
- Between people of different religions, like an interfaith family or an interfaith dinner.
K
- Karma
- The idea that what you do, good or bad, comes back to shape your future, in this life or the next. HinduBuddhistSikh
- Kesh
- Uncut hair, one of the five Sikh articles of faith. Sikh
- Khalsa
- The community of initiated Sikhs, founded by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. Sikh
- Kosher
- Food that follows Jewish dietary laws. For example: no pork or shellfish, and meat and dairy kept apart. Jewish
L
M
- Mandir
- A Hindu temple. Hindu
- Mass
- The main worship service of the Catholic Church, centered on communion. Christian
- Meditation
- Quiet practice to focus or calm the mind. Central to Buddhism, and found in many faiths. BuddhistHindu
- Messiah
- “Anointed one.” In Jewish hope, a coming king from David’s family. Christians believe Jesus is the Messiah. JewishChristian
- Moksha
- In Hinduism, freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Hindu
- Mosque
- A Muslim place of prayer. In Arabic, a masjid. Muslim
N
- Nirvana
- In Buddhism, the end of suffering and of the cycle of rebirth. Buddhist
O
P
- Pastor
- A minister who leads a Protestant church, preaches and cares for its people. The word comes from the Latin for “shepherd.” Christian
- Pilgrimage
- A journey to a holy place, like the Hajj to Mecca.
- Powwow
- A Native American gathering of dance, song, drum and community. Many are open to visitors. Native
- Priest
- A religious leader who leads worship and prayer. Catholic and Orthodox churches have priests; so did ancient Israel’s Temple; Hindu temples have priests too. ChristianHinduJewish
- Prophet
- Someone believed to speak a message from God.
- Protestant
- Christian churches that came from the Reformation in the 1500s, like Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist and many others. Christian
- Puja
- Worship in Hinduism, often with offerings of flowers, food, light and prayer. Hindu
Q
- Qur’an
- The holy book of Islam. Muslims believe God revealed it to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. Muslim
R
- Rabbi
- A Jewish teacher and leader who has studied Jewish law and tradition. Many lead synagogues. Jewish
- Reservation
- Land set aside for a Native American tribe, where the tribe has its own government. Native
- Revelation
- Something people believe God has shown or told them. Also the last book of the Bible.
S
- Sacrament
- A sacred act or ceremony, like communion or baptism. Latter-day Saints use the word for the bread and water shared each Sunday. ChristianLatter-day Saint
- Salah
- The five daily prayers in Islam. Also spelled salat. Muslim
- Secular
- Not religious, or not tied to any religion. A secular government doesn’t take a side on faith. No religion
- Sermon
- A talk during a worship service that explains a passage of scripture and what it means for life. Catholics call it a homily; Muslims call the Friday sermon a khutbah. ChristianMuslim
- Seva
- Selfless service in Sikh teaching, like cooking or cleaning at the gurdwara. Sikh
- Shabbat
- The Jewish Sabbath, a day of rest from Friday at sundown to Saturday night. Jewish
- Shia
- The second-largest branch of Islam. Shia Muslims honor Ali, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, as his rightful successor. Muslim
- Sovereignty
- The right to govern yourself. Federally recognized tribes are sovereign nations with their own governments. Native
- Stake
- A group of Latter-day Saint congregations (called wards) in one area, something like a diocese. Latter-day Saint
- Sunni
- The largest branch of Islam, about 85 to 90 percent of Muslims worldwide. Muslim
- Synagogue
- A Jewish house of prayer, study and gathering. Also called a shul or a temple. Jewish
T
- Talmud
- A huge collection of rabbis’ discussions about Jewish law and life, finished around AD 500. Jews still study it together today. Jewish
- Testimony
- A personal story of faith: what someone believes and why. In court, it means a witness’s account. ChristianLatter-day Saint
- Torah
- The first five books of the Hebrew Bible, Genesis to Deuteronomy. Jews read from a Torah scroll in the synagogue. The word also means “teaching.” Jewish
- Trinity
- The Christian belief that there is one God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Not three gods. Christian
V
- Vedas
- The oldest Hindu scriptures, first composed about 3,500 years ago. Hindu
Z
- Zakat
- Giving a set share of one’s savings to people in need each year, one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslim