Habit An acquired pattern of behavior as a result of frequent repetition.
Hadith Tradition of Muhammad's words and action which act as complementary to the Qu'ran.
Haggadah Jewish liturgical text used during seder service; retelling of the Exodus events; not concerned with law, but contains parables, fables, sagas, tales, poems and prayers.
Hagim Jewish calendar festivals of Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Hannukah, and Purim.
Halakkah Complete body of written Jewish legal and ethical codes moral, or devotional teaching derived from midrashic exposition of the Tanakh.
Hannukah ('Dedication') Feast of Lights - Eight day Jewish festival consisting of lighting candles which commemorates the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 BC.
Hanuman Monkey god of Hinduism; can fly over large distances at great speed in support of Rama.
Hara Kiri ('belly cutting') Practice of ritual suicide among Japanese warrior classes.
Harae Shinto water purification prior to worship or ritual by washing.
Haramain Islamic sacred sites (Mecca /Medina; non-Muslims are forbidden to enter this sacred zones.
Hare Krishna Mantra used by devotees of Krishna to induce ecstatic union with the divine.
Harem Islamic term for a private quarter restricted to women, secluded from the gaze of men.
Harijan ('god's children') Gandhi termed this coin to refer to the untouchables in Hindu society.
Haumai ('selfishness') Sikhism term referring to human nature.
Health physical state of day to day soundness and well being.
Heaven (s) Generally referring to the dwelling place of YHWH; Also refers to place where birds fly beneath the clouds or the visible universe where stars are located.
Hell Habitation of the unrighteous dead after final judgment in Zoroastrianism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity; Purpose and duration are subject to theological debate.
Herd instinct for association, dependence, and hierarchy in a social context.
Heredity Physical characteristics, traits, and qualities transmitted genetically.
Heresy A deviation or denial of Scriptural doctrine; a false doctrine.
Hierophany Sacred thing, time, rite, place, relic, or people as windows of reality through which one perceives or experiences the Holy.
Hijra / Hegira ('going forth') The migration of Muhammad, from Meccas to Medina. Crucial in formation of Islam, as Muhammad became social and political leader in Medina.
Hinayana Buddhism (small vehicle) Salvation dependent on oneself; (Southern or Theravada)
Hinduism Polytheistic Indian religion developed over thousands of years.
Holi Hindu spring festival celebrates love of Krishna and Radha; emphasizes playfulness.
Holiness Sacred power and otherness of the Divine; People are called to this moral standard as a way of life. Christianity offers the Holy Spirit as an aid to this endeavor.
Holistic Health (New Age) Wellness to 'whole self" through natural remedies.
Holy Land Pentecostal legalistic group; Salavation is performance based; mendicant pan handling.
Holy Spirit IN Christianity, the instrument of God's actions in the world; The source of faith and the new life in the believer and the church; the presence of God.
Hope General positive attitude, feeling, or sense of high expectation of positive results that present circumstances and current events will produce health, wealth, reward, and/or success.
Human Potential movement Modern movement attempting to enable people to attain self-awareness, self-development, and self-mastery. (EST, Zen, Dyanetics, etc.)
Humanism Deistic or atheistic belief stressing humanity as the highest ethical standard and goal.
Humility The state of having a continual modest opinion of one's own importance; being teachable.
Hymn Sacred song sung in the context of communal worship.