Home › Glossary › Letter D

Dogma

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true, often with a more rigid connotation than doctrine.

Detailed Definition
Dogma represents the fixed, non-negotiable core of religious authority. In literature, dogma often appears as a force to be contended with. It can be a source of comfort and certainty, or it can be portrayed as a constraint on spiritual freedom and intellectual inquiry. Poets may submit to dogma, rebel against it, or explore the inner conflict it generates. The tension between dogmatic belief and personal revelation is a fertile ground for poetic drama and introspection.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Reformation poetry, Dogma is challenged: “Faith alone—no indulgences, no chains”; In contemporary verse, Dogma stifles inquiry: “They handed me Dogma like a stone—said, ‘Worship this’”; In mystical poetry, Dogma dissolves in experience: “I met God—Dogma fell like dead leaves”; Some poets defend Dogma as anchor: “In stormy seas, Dogma is the mast that holds the sail.”
Additional Notes
Dogma implies authoritative, non-negotiable teaching (e.g., Trinity, Papal Infallibility); while stabilizing faith communities, it can stifle inquiry; in poetry, dogma may appear as inherited truth, a boundary to transcend, or a foundation for deeper exploration—inviting reflection on authority, freedom, and belief.
Also Known As
Creed Orthodoxy
Skip to main content