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Concise Dictionary of Religion


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A
 
A PRIORI:
 
AARON:
 
ABBÉ:
 
ABBOT:
 
'ABD AL-BAHĀ, 'Abbas Effendi (1844-1821):
 
ABEL:
 
ABELARD, Peter (1079-1142):
 
ABHAYA-HASTA:
 
ABLUTION:
 
ABORTION:
 
ABRAMIC RELIGIONS:
 
ABSOLUTE:
 
ABSOLUTE IDEALISM:
 
ABSTINENCE:
 
ABSTRACT:
 
ABSTRACTION:
 
ABSURD:
 
ABŪ BAKR, (d. 634):
 
ABU DAWUD, Al Sijistani (817-889):
 
ABU HANIFA (699-767):
 
ABŪ HURAIRA (d. 678):
 
ACADEMY:
 
ĀCĀRYA:
 
ACCIDENT:
 
ACQUISITION:
 
ACTON, Lord (Dalberg-Acton, John 1834-1902):
 
ACUPUNCTURE:
 
AD HOC HYPOTHESIS:
 
AD HOMINEM:
 
AD INFINITUM:
 
ADAM:
 
ADAMSKI, George (1891-1965):
 
ADHĀN:
 
ADHARMA:
 
ĀDI-BUDDHA:
 
ADLER, Alfred (1870-1937):
 
ADONAI:
 
ADOPTION:
 
ADOPTIONISM:
 
ADVENT:
 
ADVENTISM:
 
AELFRIC (955-1020):
 
AESTHETICS:
 
AFRICAN INDEPENDENT CHURCH:
 
AFRICAN RELIGIONS:
 
AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS:
 
AGA KHAN:
 
ĀGAMA:
 
AGAPĒ:
 
AGE OF AQUARIUS:
 
AGNI:
 
AGNOSTICISM:
 
AHIMSĀ:
 
AHMED, Al-Badawi (1199-1200):
 
AHMED, ibn Hanbal, (780-855):
 
AHMADIYA:
 
AHMED, Khan (1817-1898):
 
AHMED, Mirz Ghulam (1855-1908):
 
AHRIMAN:
 
AHURA MAZDĀH:
 
AKHENATEN, [Amenhotep IV] 1372-1354 B.C.):
 
AKIVA, (AQIBA) ben Joseph (50-135):
 
AL-GHAZALI, (1058-1111):
 
ALBERTUS, Magnus (1200-1280):
 
ALBIGENSES:
 
ALCHEMY:
 
ALCUIN, (735-804):
 
ALDURA, THE CHURCH OF THE LORD:
 
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE:
 
ALEXANDRIAN THEOLOGY:
 
'ALĪ 'Abd al-Rāziq (1888-1935):
 
ALIENATION:
 
ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION:
 
ALLEGORY:
 
ALTAR:
 
ALTRUISM:
 
AMA-NAZARETHA:
 
AMALEKITES:
 
AMBROSE (339-397 A.D.):
 
AMISH:
 
AMORC:
 
AMULETS:
 
ANABAPTISTS:
 
ANALOGY:
 
ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY:
 
ANALYTIC-SYNTHETIC DISTINCTION:
 
ĀNANDA, (?):
 
ĀNANDA COMMUNITY:
 
ANARCHISM:
 
ANATHEMA:
 
ANAXAGORAS (499-422 B.C.):
 
ANAXIMANDER (610-547 B.C.):
 
ANAXIMENES (588-524 B.C.):
 
ANDERSON, Rufus (1796-1880):
 
ANDROGYNY:
 
ANGELS:
 
ANGLO-CATHOLICISM:
 
ANICCA:
 
ANIMISM:
 
ANKH:
 
ANSELM, (1033-1109):
 
ANTECEDENT:
 
ANTHONY, SAINT (251?-356):
 
ANTHROPOCENTRISM:
 
ANTHROPOLOGY:
 
ANTHROPOMORPHISM:
 
ANTI-CHRIST:
 
ANTI-CULT MOVEMENT:
 
ANTI-SEMITISM:
 
ANTINOMIANISM:
 
ANTINOMY:
 
ANTIOCH THEOLOGY:
 
ANTI-THESIS:
 
ANUSSATI:
 
APOCALYPSE:
 
APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE:
 
APOCALYPTISM:
 
APOCRYPHA:
 
APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT:
 
APOLLONIAN:
 
APOLOGETICS:
 
APOSTASY:
 
APOSTLE:
 
APOSTLE'S CREED:
 
APOSTOLIC FATHERS:
 
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION:
 
APOTHEOSIS:
 
APPEARANCE:
 
APPOLO:
 
AQUINAS, Thomas (1224/27-1274):
 
ARAHANT:
 
ARCANE SCHOOL:
 
ARCHETYPE:
 
ARCHIMEDES (287-212 B.C.):
 
ARIANISM:
 
ARISTOBULUS OF PANEAS (3rd-2nd Century B.C.):
 
ARISTOTLE (384-322 B.C.):
 
ARIUS, (250-336):
 
ARJUN, (?):
 
ARMAGEDDON:
 
ARMENIANS:
 
ARMINIANISM:
 
ARMINIUS, Jacob (1560-1609):
 
ARMSTRONG, Garner Ted (1930-):
 
ARMSTRONG, Herbert W. (1909-):
 
ARNOLD, Matthew (1822-1888):
 
ARNOLD, Thomas (1795-1842):
 
ARYANS:
 
ĀSANA:
 
ASANGA:
 
ĀSAVA:
 
ASBURY, Francis (1745-1816):
 
ASCENDED MASTERS:
 
ASCENSION OF CHRIST:
 
ASCETICISM:
 
ASH'ARĪ, Ali b. Ismail (873-935 A.D.):
 
ĀSHRAM:
 
AŚOKA (3rd century B.C.):
 
ĀŚRAMAS:
 
ASSASSINS:
 
ASSUMPTION:
 
ASSUMPTION OF MARY:
 
ĀSTIKA:
 
ASTROLOGY:
 
AŚVAGHOSA (1st-2nd century A.D.):
 
ATHANASIUS [1], (296-373):
 
ATHANASIUS [2], (10th century):
 
ATHANASIAN CREED:
 
ATHEISM:
 
ATHOS:
 
ATLANTIS:
 
ĀTMAN:
 
ATOMISM:
 
ATONEMENT:
 
ATTRIBUTE:
 
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD:
 
AUGSBURG CONFESSION:
 
AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY (died 604):
 
AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO (354-430):
 
AUGUSTINE, RULE OF:
 
AUROBINDO, Sri (1872-1950):
 
AUROVILLE:
 
AUTHENTICITY:
 
AUTHORITY:
 
AVATĀR:
 
AVERROES, (1126-1198 A.D.):
 
AVICENNA (930-1037):
 
AVIDYĀ:
 
AXIOM:
 
AYER, Sir Alfred Jules (1910-1989):
 
AYUR-VEDA:
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ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION:

a means of interpreting the BIBLE by means of ALLEGORIES which are said to reveal the SPIRITUAL meaning of the text. It was very popular in the EARLY CHURCH and survives today in EVANGELICAL and FUNDAMENTALIST circles. The method reads a text presupposing that its apparent meaning conceals another "deeper" meaning or "true" meaning; e.g. instead of treating the story DAVID in HISTORICAL terms, allegorical interpretation sees his life story in terms of the PILGRIMAGE of the SOUL towards final SALVATION.

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