The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions by John Bowker Page A

language.
     
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G .
    Jap. for karma .
     
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God, names of in Islam :
    see NINETY-NINE BEAUTIFUL NAMES OF GOD .
     
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Goddess .
    The source of life and being, once prevalent in religious imagination, but much suppressed during the millennia of male control of religions. The same observations about the provisionality of language and symbol apply here as in the case of God: they are compounded in the case of feminine imagery of the divine by the insistence on their inadequacies in the major monotheistic religions: see FEMININE SYMBOLS .
     
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Godianism .
    A Nigerian remodelling of African religions as a new modern faith, formed by amalgamation in 1963 between the Cult of Aruosa (‘holy place’ or ‘altar’) or Edo National Church and the National Church of Nigeria. Despite borrowing many external Christian forms, the movement repudiates Christianity as a foreign religion. It represents pride in Africa, rather than a dynamic religious development.
     
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God
    (Jap., ‘back hall’). Part of the meditation hall in a Zen monastery, and thus also the senior monk who has charge of the god.
     
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Godparents .
    The sponsors of a child to be baptized . They undertake responsibility for the child's Christian upbringing.
     
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Goel ha-dam (in Judaism liability for punishment of those who have shed blood) :
    see BLOODGUILT .
     
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Gog and Magog .
    Apocalyptic character and territory in the vision of Ezekiel . According to Ezekiel 36–8, God would wage war against ‘Gog of the land of Magog’ at the end of time. In the New Testament (Revelation 20) the war of Gog and Magog takes place one thousand years after the first resurrection. They are represented in giant statues at the Guildhall in London, as porters of the royal palace and descendants of giants.
     
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Gohei
    (Jap.), a wand-like implement used in Shinto observances to signal purification, or may be used to indicate the presence of a deity ( kami ).
     
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Gohonzon (tablet bearing Buddhist mantra) :
    see DAIMOKU .
     
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Goi (non-Jewish person) :
    see GENTILE .
     
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Go-i-kan (form of kan in Rinzai) :
    see KAN .
     
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Gökalp, Ziya
    (1875–1924).
A Turkish liberal reformer who prepared his country's orientation towards the establishment of a modern secular state. Turkish authorities have on occasion revived the cult of Ziya Gökalp to check the rising tide of conservative Islam in universities.
     
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Gokhalé, GopKrishna
    (1863–1915).
An Indian political leader, born near Chipooin the W. Indian region of Konka. His influence on religious matters (via politics) was great, because he was a staunch advocate of constitutional methods and reforms for Indian Home Rule, and was of importance for Gndh .
     
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Gokuraku .
    Jap. for Sukhvat .
     
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Golden Book (mythology of Buddhist-influenced millennial movement) :
    see TELAKHON .
     
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Golden Calf .
    The golden statue made by Aaron in Exodus 32.
     
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Golden Lotus (form of religious Taoism) :
    see CH’ÜAN-CHEN TAO .
     
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Golden Rule .
    Epitome of ethical action, occurring, at least proverbially, in most religions, but associated particularly with Judaism and Christianity. In Judaism, it occurs most often in negative form: ‘Whatever is hateful to you, do not do to another’. In the New Testament, it appears, unpacking Leviticus 19. 18, in the form: ‘As you would that people should do to you, do likewise to them’ (Matthew 7. 12; Luke 6. 31).
     
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Golem
    (Heb., ‘shapeless