Christianity Terms and Concepts: A Comprehensive Glossary - Prof. Mark A. Gstohl, Study notes of World Religions

Download Christianity Terms and Concepts: A Comprehensive Glossary - Prof. Mark A. Gstohl and more Study notes World Religions in PDF only on Docsity! Christianity Vocabulary: 1.catacombs-underground cemeteries 2.Kingdom of God-the reign or rule of God , where God’s will is done and his power id evident 3.parables-allegorical stories, which are used to convey an idea 4.crucifixion-the common method for executing lower class rebels and criminals in Rome 5.Logos-literally “Word”. Divine expression or action. 6.apostle-from the Greek for “a person sent forth,” one of the first disciples of Jesus 7.Pentecost-the celebration on the seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles 8.Gentiles-the name given to people who were not Jewish 9.resurrection-a raising from the dead 10.diaspora-literally “dispersion” 11.Gnosticism-ancient spiritual movement that emphasized that the human soul is divine, but entrapped in the material world, which was created by a lower god 12.Synoptic Gospels-the first three gospels of the New Testament 13.Epistles-formal letters 14.Eucharist-the sacred communal meal representing the Last Supper 15.Holy Communion-the rite of consecrating and consuming bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples before his crucifixion 16.pagan-originally referred to all no Christian religions of the Roman Empire; now refers to all non mainstream religions 17.martyrs-from Greek for “witness,” one who dies for a faith or cause 18.saints- a person recognized by a church as possessing exceptional holiness 19.Edict of Milan-edict of Constantine which declared that it was no longer legal to persecute Christians 20.Nicene Creed-the standard doctrine of Christianity 21.canon-the proper selection and order of books to make up a spiritual authority; in Christianity the books of the Old and New Testament 22.incarnation-becoming flesh; the doctrine that in Jesus Christ, God (the second person of the Trinity) took on flesh and became a human being 23.General Councils-a meeting of bishops recognized as authoritative by the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches 24.heresy-from Greek meaning “choice”; doctrines or opinions at odds with orthodoxy 25.orthodox-correct in doctrine 26.Council of Nicaea-1st ecumenical council; called to settle the exact nature of Jesus’ relation to God 27.Council of Ephesus-3rd ecumenical council; affirmed that Jesus was both human and Divine from conception to birth 28.Council of Chalcedon-4th ecumenical council; taught that Jesus had two natures: divine and human, coexisting in one person and one substance in Christ 29.Trinity-the doctrine that there are 3 persons in the one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 30.Augustine-early Christian convert and bishop, known for his many writings 31.grace-strengthening and saving power, above all the power to believe or have faith 32.original sin-the Christian doctrine that human beings are inherently sinners because they are descendants of Adam, who failed to obey God 33.patriarchs-title given to the bishop of certain ancient and important cities 34.pope-the Bishop of Rome who, as a successor of St. Peter, is believed by Roman Catholics to be head of the Church on earth and the representative of Christ 35.sacraments-certain rights believed to be convey God’s grace directly and to be generally necessary to Christian salvation 36.Eastern Orthodox-family of ancient Christian churches centered in Eastern Europe and the Middle East; descended from the church of the Byzantine Empire, they are characterized by ornate ritual, rich spirituality, and doctrinal conservation 37.Thomas Aquinas-Dominican and greatest Western religious philosopher of the Middle Ages 38.indulgences-certificates issued by the pope, the effect of which is to transfer to the penitent some of the grace or merit attained by Christ and the saints and stored by the Catholic church 39.purgatory-in Roman Catholic teaching, an after death state in which sins insufficient to warrant eternal punishment in hell are purged away, so that the soul can eventually enter heaven 40.Lutheranism-the teaching and practice of Martin Luther, who emphasized the sole authority of scripture and “justification by faith” 41.humanist-in the Renaissance, one who engaged in the recovery of classical learning and values 42.predestination-the Christian doctrine that all that happens is due solely to God’s will, from life and death, including the smallest seemingly accidental events 43.presbyters-“Elders”; in the Presbyterian Church, ordained or lay leaders 44.Word of God-the Scripture understood as directly revealed by God 45.Anglicanism-the post Reformation term for the Church of England and its daughter churches throughout the world 46.Quakers-religious sect, known formally as the “Society of Friends,” founded in the 1650’s in England by George Fox and others 47.Arminianism-belief that one has free will to decide for or against faith in Christ 48.evangelical-term used widely to refer to those forms of Protestanism that emphasize the supreme authority of Scripture and salvation by faith 49.Council of Trent-Roman Catholic council held to address issues raised by Protestantism and to institute reform in the Church 50.mysticism-experience or teaching about direct inward experience of divine reality 51.Neoplatonic-stressing that all reality emanates from the One, which can be known through mystical experience 52.stigmata-marks of the nails on the hands and feet, of the crown of thorns, and of the stab-wounded side of Christ on the cross 53.Second Vatican Council-ecumenical council held by the Catholic church with the purpose renewing the Catholic Church for the modern era by implementing significant developments in liturgy, in theology, in the role of the bishops, and in the relationship of the Catholic Church with the modern world 54.canonization-in the Roman Catholic Church, the procedure by which the pope officially recognizes a person as a saint 55.numinous-spiritual or supernatural 56.rosary-in the Roman Catholic Church, a string of beads with a crucifix hanging on it, which one uses to count successive “Hail Mary’s,” or novenas, special sets of prayers on successive days 57.Protestantism-Christian sects that developed in “protest” to the practices of the medieval church during the sixteenth century 58.denominations-in Protestant Christianity, a church organization composed of a number of local churches, having a distinctive and autonomous structure and probably some distinctive doctrines and forms of worship 59.Pentecostalism-form of Christianity that emphasizes practices such as “speaking in tongues,” as evidence of the Holy Spirit 60.state church-the officially recognized church of the governing authority of a nation 61.sectarian-characterized by sects