religious studies
Academic faith analysis
Religious studies is the academic examination of religions—their beliefs, practices, histories, and cultural impacts.
Unlike theology, which typically operates within a faith tradition, religious studies approaches religion as a human phenomenon to be analyzed from the outside: She majored in religious studies with a focus on Buddhism.
The field draws on history, anthropology, sociology, and philosophy.
Established body of teachings
- dogmaUnchallengeable official beliefs
- eschatologyStudy of ultimate destiny
- exegesisCritical textual interpretation
- hermeneuticsStudy of interpretation methods
ecclesiology · apologetics · canon · theodicy · revelation · scripture · prophecy · covenant
Philosophy of existence's nature
- ontologyStudy of existence's nature
- epistemologyTheory of knowledge
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
- existentialismPhilosophy stressing self-created meaning
hermeneutics · cosmology · teleology · dualism · monism · idealism · materialism · skepticism
Belief in deity
- deismNon-intervening creator belief
- monotheismBelief in one god
- polytheismBelief in multiple deities
- pantheismReality itself is holy
atheism · agnosticism · animism · spirituality · faith · devotion · piety · conversion
Right and wrong principles
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- conscienceInternal moral sense
- righteousnessMoral correctness or virtue
- dutyRequired moral task
charity · compassion · justice · sin · karma · dharma · sharia · natural law
Formal event marking occasions
- liturgyFormal worship structure
- ritesFormal ceremonial acts
- sacramentSacred ritual conveying grace
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
ordination · communion · baptism · pilgrimage · fasting · prayer · chanting · incantation
Quality of being inviolable
- holinessSacred spiritual purity
- consecrationDedicating to sacred purpose
- venerationProfound admiring respect
- reverenceProfound admiring respect
shrine · temple · mosque · synagogue · sanctuary · relic · iconography · taboo
Sustained reflective attention
- meditationFocused attention practice
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
- transcendenceSurpassing usual limits
- gnosisExperiential sacred understanding
satori · nirvana · kabbalah · zen · esotericism · asceticism · shamanism · visionary
doctrine
Established body of teachings
- dogmaUnchallengeable official beliefs
- eschatologyStudy of ultimate destiny
- exegesisCritical textual interpretation
hermeneutics · ecclesiology · apologetics · canon · theodicy · revelation · scripture · prophecy · covenant · salvation
metaphysics
Philosophy of existence's nature
- ontologyStudy of existence's nature
- epistemologyTheory of knowledge
- phenomenologyStudy of subjective experience
existentialism · hermeneutics · cosmology · teleology · dualism · monism · idealism · materialism · skepticism · rationalism
theism
Belief in deity
- deismNon-intervening creator belief
- monotheismBelief in one god
- polytheismBelief in multiple deities
pantheism · atheism · agnosticism · animism · spirituality · faith · devotion · piety · conversion · evangelism
morality
Right and wrong principles
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- conscienceInternal moral sense
- righteousnessMoral correctness or virtue
duty · charity · compassion · justice · sin · karma · dharma · sharia · natural law · divine command
ceremony
Formal event marking occasions
sacrifice · ordination · communion · baptism · pilgrimage · fasting · prayer · chanting · incantation · ablution
sanctity
Quality of being inviolable
- holinessSacred spiritual purity
- consecrationDedicating to sacred purpose
- venerationProfound admiring respect
reverence · shrine · temple · mosque · synagogue · sanctuary · relic · iconography · taboo · totem
contemplation
Sustained reflective attention
- meditationFocused attention practice
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
- transcendenceSurpassing usual limits
gnosis · satori · nirvana · kabbalah · zen · esotericism · asceticism · shamanism · visionary · ecstasy
- religious educationBible college, Bible stories, Sunday school, church teachings, Sunday school teachers
- school religionschool prayer, prayer in schools, church-state separation, establishment clause, moment of silence
- academic fieldsmathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, history
- disciplinesbiology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, psychology
- humanitiesphilosophy, history, literature, philosophy class, novels
- social sciencessociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, political science
religious studiesnatural sciences
Empirical study of matter and life
physics · chemistry · materials science · engineering · hard sciences
religious studiesworship
Religious reverence and praise
religious practice · prayer · religious observance · seminary training · discipleship
religious studiessecular humanism
Nonreligious ethical philosophy
naturalism · physicalism · positivism · anti-theism · rationalism
religion, religious, studies, religions, religiously, nonreligious, irreligion, irreligious, religiousness