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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Worship and Ritual

Worship

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈwɜːʃɪp/nounCore term

In religious studies & theology, worship means: The acts of honour, prayer and devotion that believers direct towards God or the divine, either privately or together with others.

In Turkish: ibadet, tapınma

How it is used

Used as a noun (communal worship, a place of worship) and as a verb (Muslims worship in a mosque, Hindus worship many forms of the divine). Place of worship is the neutral umbrella term for mosques, churches, synagogues, temples and gurdwaras.

Example sentences

  1. The new law protects all places of worship, regardless of the community that uses them.

  2. Friday worship brings the whole congregation together in the main mosque.

Common collocations

  • place of worship
  • communal worship
  • public worship
  • freedom of worship
  • worship God
  • prayerCommunication addressed to God or the divine, either in one's own words or in a fixed ritual form, such as the five daily prayers in Islam.
  • ritualA set of actions, words or gestures performed in a fixed, repeated way, often with symbolic or religious meaning, such as a prayer service, a wedding or a funeral.
  • liturgyThe fixed order of words, prayers and actions used in public worship, especially in Christian churches; also a particular service, such as the Divine Liturgy.
  • observeTo follow the rules and practices of a religion, or to keep a religious holiday or custom in the expected way.

More terms: Worship and Ritual

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