Both religion and philosophy are filled with jargon - words which have specialized meanings in those disciplines and which may not be immediately understandable to the average person. Sometimes, the specialized meaning of a word can be very different from how that word is used generally, leading to real confusion.

It is not always possible to avoid using jargon in the articles on this site, and it is my hope that by defining the words here they will be made clearer. In addition, you may well find some of these terms in various books or journals and, so, this site should serve as a resource when you come across terminology which is unclear.

In depth and breadth, this glossary stands somewhere between a dictionary and an encyclopedia. Some terms are explained in just a couple of sentences whereas others are explained in many paragraphs. In addition, there are often links to more detailed articles elsewhere on the site, providing even more information. Finally, with each definition there are links to the definitions of related terms, allowing you to explore the glossary through linked concepts.

New terms are added regularly, and current terms are expanded upon as I come across information. This is all dependent upon what I am reading at the time and what topics I am currently researching. If you would like to see any terms have new information added, or if there are terms you would like to see included, you should email me to let me know.

This is the main index for the agnosticism / atheism site's glossary on religion and philosophy. There are nearly 2500 words so far in this glossary, so it has been organized in a variety of different ways - hopefully one will be most convenient and useful for you.

Full Listing
This is the entire list, on one page. This is the place to look if you have no idea what you want because every word is on this page. But with so many words, it's a huge page - about 200K - so click with caution! (nearly 2500 entries)

Religion & Philosophy: General
This is the list of words dealing with general philosophical and religious concepts, from abandonment to Zeno of Elea! (over 650 entries)

Judaism
Here is the list of terms which are specific to Judaism and Jewish traditions, from Aaron to Zohar! (over 150 entries)

Christianity and the Bible
Here is the list of terms which are specific to the Christianity, Christians and the Bible, from abbess to Ulrich Zwingli! (nearly 800 entries)

Islam
Because most of the terminology in Islam is based upon Arabic, it can be difficult for non-Arabic speakers to fully understand. This listing should help in that. (nearly 250 entries)

Eastern Religions
Words related to Hindusim, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and more - from abhiseka to Zen (over 150 entries)

Aesthetics & Art
Here are all of the words dealing with the history of art and the philosophy of aesthetics - from Art Deco to the uncanny! (over 60 entries)

Logic
Terms and concepts relating to logic and logical arguments - from Accent Fallacy to the verifiability! (over 100 entries)

Political Philosophy
A variety of terms dealing with politics and the law, from Anarchism to Utopia! (over 100 entries)

Evolution & Creationism
Learn more about the terminology used in biological evolution, as well as in debates over creationism and evolution - from abiogenesis to Young Earth Creationism! (over 50 entries)

Skepticism & the Paranormal
Learn more about the terminology dealing with paranormal beliefs like astrology, alternative medicine, spiritualism and more. acupressure to the Zodiac! (over 180 entries)

Bibliography
A list of sources