Theme A: Relationships and Families

Cohabitation — A couple living together without being married/in civil partnership. (⇦ Go Back)

Compassion — Sympathy and concern for the suffering of others. (⇦ Go Back)

Contraception — Precautions taken to prevent pregnancy and to protect against contracting or transmitting STIs (sexually transmitted infections). (⇦ Go Back)

Divorce — Legal ending of a marriage. (⇦ Go Back)

Extended family — Family unit comprising two parents and their children, but also grandparents, cousins etc. (⇦ Go Back)

Family planning — Planning when to have a family and how big a family to have by use of birth control practices and/or contraception. (⇦ Go Back)

Gender discrimination — Acting on prejudices against someone because of their gender. (⇦ Go Back)

Gender equality — Belief that all genders have equal status and value, so discrimination against any is wrong. (⇦ Go Back)

Gender prejudice — Negative thoughts, feelings or beliefs about a person or group based on their gender. (⇦ Go Back)

Heterosexuality — Being physically/sexually attracted to persons of the opposite gender. (⇦ Go Back)

Homosexuality — Being physically/sexually attracted to persons of the same gender. (⇦ Go Back)

Nuclear family — Family unit made up of two parents and their child(ren). (⇦ Go Back)

Polygamy — The practice of having multiple spouses (wives and/or husbands). (⇦ Go Back)

Procreation — Having a child; seen as a duty in many religions. (⇦ Go Back)

Remarriage — Marriage for the second time, after divorce ending an earlier marriage. (⇦ Go Back)

Vows — Promises made during a marriage ceremony. (⇦ Go Back)

Theme B: religion and life

Abortion — The deliberate ending of a pregnancy. (⇦ Go Back)

Afterlife — Beliefs about what happens to ‘us’ after our body has died; in many religions this relates to life after death or immortality in some form. (⇦ Go Back)

Animal experimentation — The use of animals for medical research and product testing. (⇦ Go Back)

Awe and Wonder — Sense of wonderment at nature; often linked to the feeling that God is involved/revealed through it. (⇦ Go Back)

Big Bang Theory — Scientific theory about the origins of the universe; belief that the universe began almost 14 billion years ago with a reaction of particles from a singularity followed by a process of inflation and expansion. (⇦ Go Back)

Death — The end of the physical, bodily life. (⇦ Go Back)

Dominion — Belief that humans have been given control/charge of the world. (⇦ Go Back)

Environment — The world around us; this can be made up natural or artificial surroundings. (⇦ Go Back)

Euthanasia — Assisting with the ending of life for a person who is terminally ill or has degenerative illness; often known as assisted suicide. (⇦ Go Back)

Evolution — Scientific theory of the development of species which involves a process of natural selection and survival of the fittest. (⇦ Go Back)

Natural resources — Resources which are found in nature – fossil fuels (eg coal, oil, natural gas), plants etc. (⇦ Go Back)

Pollution — Contamination of an environment with harmful substances. (⇦ Go Back)

Quality of life — The standard of health, comfort and happiness/fulfillment experienced by a person or group. (⇦ Go Back)

Responsibility — Having a duty or obligation to act in a certain way. (⇦ Go Back)

Sanctity of life — Belief that life is sacred/special because it was created by God, or because we are each unique individuals. (⇦ Go Back)

Scientific — Knowledge based on what can be observed (eg regularities in nature) and experimentation. (⇦ Go Back)

Stewardship — Duty given by God to humankind to look after the created world, and all life within it. (⇦ Go Back)

Theme C: the existence of God and revelation

Design argument — An argument suggesting that proof of God’s existence can be seen through the evidence of ‘design’ in the world; also known as the teleological argument. (⇦ Go Back)

Enlightenment — A state of spiritual awakening and the gaining of a deeper understanding of reality. (⇦ Go Back)

Evil — A cause of suffering; the moral opposite of good. Believed by some to be contrary to the will of God. (⇦ Go Back)

First cause argument — An argument suggesting that God’s existence can be proved by logical argument and the evidence of a universal chain of causes and effects. Therefore, the universe requires an uncaused cause at the start, which must be God. (⇦ Go Back)

General revelation — Indirect revelation; the idea of being able to see something of God through nature and scriptures which are readily available in everyday experience. (⇦ Go Back)

Immanent — A characteristic of God; the belief that God is present and involved in the world, (eg through special revelations/miracles). (⇦ Go Back)

Impersonal — A characteristic of God; the belief that God is beyond human understanding. (⇦ Go Back)

Miracle — An event that contradicts the laws of nature, and is usually thought to be impossible, (eg being raised from the dead). (⇦ Go Back)

Omniscient — All-knowing; believed by theists to be an attribute of God. (⇦ Go Back)

Omnipotent — All-powerful; believed by theists to be an attribute of God. (⇦ Go Back)

Personal — A characteristic of God; belief that humans can build relationships with God. (⇦ Go Back)

Revelation — When God is revealed to humans; can be special or general. (⇦ Go Back)

Science — The collection of knowledge from observation and testing. (⇦ Go Back)

Special revelation — Direct revelation; God being revealed directly to an individual or group through experiences such as visions. (⇦ Go Back)

Suffering — An effect of evil; undergoing pain and hardship. (⇦ Go Back)

Transcendent — A characteristic of God; belief that God is outside space and time. (⇦ Go Back)

Ultimate reality — Belief in a supreme and fundamental power in the universe. In Hinduism, Brahman is often referred to as the ultimate reality and supreme cosmic power. (⇦ Go Back)

Vision — An experience of seeing/experiencing something in the imagination or through a dream. (⇦ Go Back)

Theme D: religion, peace and conflict

Conflict — Dispute between sides, can be between individuals, groups or nations. (⇦ Go Back)

Forgiveness — Letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done; moving on. (⇦ Go Back)

Holy War — War that is believed to be sanctioned by God. (⇦ Go Back)

Justice — Bringing fairness back to a situation. (⇦ Go Back)

Just War — Set of rules for fighting a war in a way believed to be justified and acceptable to God. (⇦ Go Back)

Nuclear deterrence — Having nuclear weapons with the aim of deterring/preventing other states attacking for fear of retaliation and nuclear war (possibly leading to Mutually Assured Destruction). (⇦ Go Back)

Nuclear weapons/war — A weapon of mass destruction which causes widespread damage and loss of life. Nuclear war would be a war fought using these weapons. (⇦ Go Back)

Pacifism — Belief that all violence is wrong, which then affects all behaviours. (⇦ Go Back)

Peace — The opposite of war; harmony between all in society. (⇦ Go Back)

Peace-making — Working to bring about peace and reconciliation. (⇦ Go Back)

Protest — A statement or action to express disagreement; can be an organised event to demonstrate disagreement with a policy or political action. (⇦ Go Back)

Reconciliation — Making up and rebuilding relationships between two groups/sides after disagreement. (⇦ Go Back)

Retaliation — To pay someone back for their harmful actions. (⇦ Go Back)

Terrorism — Use of violence and threats to intimidate others; used for political purposes to build fear in the ordinary population and to secure demands from Government. (⇦ Go Back)

Victims of war — Those who are harmed during a war, for example those killed, injured or left homeless. (⇦ Go Back)

Violence — Behaviour involving physical force which intends to hurt, kill or cause damage. (⇦ Go Back)

War — Armed conflict between two or more sides. (⇦ Go Back)

Weapons of Mass Destruction — Weapons which cause widespread, indiscriminate damage (eg nuclear, chemical, biological). (⇦ Go Back)

Theme E: religion, crime and punishment

Addiction — Being addicted to/dependent on a particular substance; can be a cause of crime (eg stealing money to pay for illegal drugs). (⇦ Go Back)

Community service — Punishment involving the criminal doing a set number of hours of physical labour/work in their local community. (⇦ Go Back)

Corporal punishment — Punishment in which physical pain is inflicted on the criminal. (⇦ Go Back)

Crime — Action which breaks the law; can be against the person (eg murder), against property (eg vandalism), or against the state (eg treason). (⇦ Go Back)

Death penalty — Capital punishment; the execution of a criminal which is sanctioned by the state. (⇦ Go Back)

Deterrence — Aim of punishment; the threat of punishment as a way to put a person off committing crime (eg knowing they could go to prison if they steal). (⇦ Go Back)

Evil intentions — Having the desire to deliberately cause suffering or harm to another. (⇦ Go Back)

Forgiveness — Letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done; moving on. (⇦ Go Back)

Greed — Reason for committing crime – wanting or desiring something or more of something. (⇦ Go Back)

Hate crime — A crime committed because of prejudice views about a person or group. (⇦ Go Back)

Prison — Imprisonment is a form of punishment where a criminal is locked in a secure guarded building (prison) for a period of time. (⇦ Go Back)

Law — The rules a country demands its citizens follow, the breaking of which leads to punishment. (⇦ Go Back)

Mental illness — A medical condition that can cause changes to a person’s behaviour; can be a cause of crime. (⇦ Go Back)

Murder — Unlawfully killing another person. (⇦ Go Back)

Poverty — The state of being without the things needed for a reasonable quality of life; can be a cause of crime. (⇦ Go Back)

Principle of utility — The concept of acting out of the greater good for the most people. (eg removing a dangerous criminal from society in order to protect others). (⇦ Go Back)

Reformation — Aim of punishment; helping the criminal see how and why their behaviour was wrong, so that their mindset changes for the better. (⇦ Go Back)

Retribution — Aim of punishment; getting the criminal back for their crimes. (⇦ Go Back)

Sanctity of life — Belief that life is sacred/special because it was created by God, or because we are each unique individuals. (⇦ Go Back)

Theft — Taking something without the owner’s consent. (⇦ Go Back)

Unjust law — A legal requirement within a society that is believed to be unfair; a cause of crime if a person believes they cannot follow (or must act against) a law they believe is unjust. (⇦ Go Back)

Upbringing — The environment a child lives in, and the instructions they receive, while they are growing up; can be a cause of crime. (⇦ Go Back)

Theme F: religion, human rights and social justice

Charity — Voluntarily giving time or money to help people in need. (⇦ Go Back)

Discrimination — Actions that come from prejudice attitudes. (⇦ Go Back)

Equality — Belief that everyone is equal in value and worth. (⇦ Go Back)

Exploitation — Treating and paying people unfairly; benefitting disproportionately from the work they’ve done. (⇦ Go Back)

Fair pay — Payment that is appropriate for the work done. (⇦ Go Back)

Freedom of religious expression — The right to freely practice religion without discrimination or punishment; e.g. being able to freely attend your place of worship or being allowed space / time to pray in the workplace. (⇦ Go Back)

Homosexuality — Being physically/sexually attracted to persons of the same gender. (⇦ Go Back)

Human rights — The rights a person should be entitled to simply because they are a human being, eg education, fair treatment etc. (⇦ Go Back)

Interest — Money paid back on loans in addition to the original amount borrowed. (⇦ Go Back)

Justice — Fairness; working to fix an unfair situation. (⇦ Go Back)

Loan — Amount of money borrowed from a lender, usually paid back in installments with interest. (⇦ Go Back)

People trafficking — Illegal transport of people from one country or area to another, often resulting in forced labour or sexual exploitation. (⇦ Go Back)

Positive discrimination/action — Positive discrimination is favouring a person or group to try and rectify negative treatment in the past; it is unlawful in the UK according to the Equality Act 2010. Positive action is putting things in place to help overcome disadvantage, or to meet the needs of protected groups / people with protected characteristics, in order to help them fully participate in an activity or workplace. (⇦ Go Back)

Poverty — The state of being without the things needed for a reasonable quality of life, so that day-to-day living is a struggle. (⇦ Go Back)

Prejudice — Negative thoughts, feelings or beliefs about a person (prejudging them) based on a characteristic they have, eg their sexuality or ethnicity. (⇦ Go Back)

Racial discrimination — Acting on prejudices against someone because of their ethnicity/skin colour. (⇦ Go Back)

Racial prejudice — Negative thoughts, feelings or beliefs about a person or group based on their ethnicity/skin colour. (⇦ Go Back)

Responsibility — Duty, eg.the responsibility to work; to earn money for oneself. (⇦ Go Back)

Social justice — Bringing justice to society so that all people have the same opportunities, and can take advantage of them; includes projects to improve the life situation of those who may be disadvantaged, eg by educational support. (⇦ Go Back)

Wealth — Money and possessions a person has. (⇦ Go Back)

Theme G: St Mark's Gospel - the life of Jesus

Christ — Means ‘the anointed one’/Messiah. The belief that Jesus was the promised saviour. (⇦ Go Back)

Crucifixion — The death of Jesus; a form of the death penalty used by the Romans. (⇦ Go Back)

Historicity — Whether something (eg a gospel text) is considered to be historically authentic. (⇦ Go Back)

Miracle — An event that contradicts the laws of nature, and is usually thought to be impossible, (eg being raised from the dead). (⇦ Go Back)

Passion — The suffering of Jesus in his final days (which he foretold several times). (⇦ Go Back)

Resurrection — Being raised from the dead; the event three days after the crucifixion when it is believed that God raised Jesus from the dead. (⇦ Go Back)

Secular — Non-religious beliefs, practices and sources of authority. (⇦ Go Back)

Son of David — A title for Jesus used in Mark’s Gospel, showing his descent from a Jewish king. (⇦ Go Back)

Son of God — A title for Jesus used in Mark’s Gospel, emphasising his divinity. (⇦ Go Back)

Son of Man — A title that Jesus used for himself, which refers to both his suffering as a human and to the authority given to him by God. (⇦ Go Back)

Transfiguration — When Jesus’ appearance was changed into a more spiritual form; Peter, James and John saw his transfigured form talking to Moses and Elijah. (⇦ Go Back)

Trial — A criminal proceeding that takes place before a judge, involving questioning and evidence relating to the crime committed; Jesus faced trials before Pilate and the Jewish authorities during his Passion. (⇦ Go Back)

Theme H: St Mark's Gospel as a source of spiritual truth

Anointing — Religious ritual action which involves being touched or marked with oil/other sacred substance; the event in Mark 14 when a woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ head. (⇦ Go Back)

Ascension — Going or being taken up; the event in Mark 16 forty days after the resurrection when Jesus returned to glory in heaven. (⇦ Go Back)

Commandment — A law or rule that must be followed. (⇦ Go Back)

Commission — Being given a job or duty; the event in Mark 16 when the risen Jesus told his disciples to preach the good news throughout the world. (⇦ Go Back)

Denial — To state or claim that something is not true; the event in Mark 16 when Peter stated three times that he did not know Jesus. (⇦ Go Back)

Discipleship — Following Jesus. (⇦ Go Back)

Disregarded — To be ignored or excluded. (⇦ Go Back)

Faith — Having complete belief, trust and confidence in something; having belief in God and Jesus. (⇦ Go Back)

Haemorrhage — The escape of a large amount of blood, often the result of an injury or illness. (⇦ Go Back)

Kingdom of God — The reign of God over the earth. (⇦ Go Back)

Leprosy — Infectious skin disease; in biblical times people with leprosy were made to live outside the towns and cities. (⇦ Go Back)

Parable — A story about everyday life that Jesus told to teach a religious truth. (⇦ Go Back)