disciple - close follower of Jesus

 

resurrection - the act of rising from the dead

 

apostle - early Christian leader who helped set up churches and spread the message of Jesus

 

salvation - the act of being saved from sin and allowed to enter heaven

 

persecute - to mistreat a person because of her or her beliefs

 

martyrs - person willing to die rather than give up his or her own beliefs

 

hierarchy - organization with different levels of authority

 

excommunicate - to declare that a person or group no longer belongs to the church

 

schism - seperation

 

 

Islam

 

Makkah (Mecca) - Holy city of Muslims located in western Saudi Arabia

 

Quran - holy book of Islam

 

caliph - important Muslim political and religious leader

 

Sunni - Muslim group that accepts descendants of the Umayyads as rightful rulers of Muslims

 

Shiite - Muslim group that accepts only the descendants of Muhammad's son-in-law Ali as the rightful rulers of Muslims

 

sultan - military and political leader with absolute authority over a Muslim country