From Longman Dictionary Zor‧o‧as‧tri‧a‧nis‧m /ˌzɒrəʊˈæstriənɪzəm $ ˌzɔːrəʊ-/ noun [uncountable] an ancient religion from Persia (=modern Iran), whose followers believe that there is a continual battle between the forces of good (or light) and the forces of evil (or darkness), but that good will win in the end and humans must help this to…
From Longman Dictionary Zen /zen/ (also Zen Buddhism) noun [uncountable] a kind of Buddhism from Japan that emphasizes meditation Example There’s always a Zen part of my personality that wings it through life Some movies have a Zen of shelf life — they grow on you after repeated viewings She had big blue eyes but…
From Longman Dictionary voo‧doo /ˈvuːduː/ noun [uncountable] magical beliefs and practices used as a form of religion, especially by people in Haiti Example a voodoo priest He taught me about voodoo, about the spirit of the rain and the spirit of the wind On the whole, lawyers look…
From Longman Dictionary tran‧sub‧stan‧ti‧a‧tion /ˌtrænsəbstænʃiˈeɪʃən/ noun [uncountable] the belief of some Christians that the bread and wine taken in Holy Communion become the actual body and blood of Christ Example They, however, have a wholly different outlook because of transubstantiation, which sounds like a disease but is a doctrine Some…
From Longman Dictionary Ther·a·va·da /ˌθerəˈvɑːdə/ adjective relating to the form of Buddhism practised in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It is based on the teachings of the Buddha as recorded in the Pali Canon
From Longman Dictionary
From Longman Dictionary the‧ol‧o‧gy /θiˈɒlədʒi $ θiˈɑː-/ noun (plural theologies) the study of religion and religious ideas and beliefs Example a particular system of religious beliefs and ideas At the outset we may note the following about the practice and theology of the early church Instead they are crafting theologies and liturgies that draw on their own indigenous cultures…
From Longman Dictionary Sun‧ni /ˈsʊni, ˈsʌni/ noun [countable] a Muslim who follows one of the two main branches of the Muslim religion
From Longman Dictionary spir‧i‧tu‧al‧i‧ty /ˌspɪrətʃuˈæləti/ noun [uncountable] the quality of being interested in religion or religious matters Example The first two chapters offer a definition of spirituality and a way of identifying spiritual need This public display of spirituality throws a lot of people off their game It is a large cathedral and…
From Longman Dictionary spir‧i‧tual‧is‧m /ˈspɪrətʃʊlɪzəm/ noun [uncountable] the belief that dead people are able to send messages to living people Example Poor Ivy alone in the house with her and sudden strange conversations about spiritualism and the stars This cooperation is not a new age spiritualism…
