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| Central figure of Christianity |
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| Jesus' mother and (earthly) father |
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| An itinerant preacher and a major religious figure who led a movement of repentance and 'baptism' at the Jordan River around the time when Jesus was beginning his mission/teaching; 'prepares the way' for Jesus and baptizes him |
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| One of Jesus' main themes in his teachings as represented in the (Synoptic) Gospels: presently it is 'nowhere' though it is beginning to 'break through' and will fully manifest in the future; Jesus himself represents it and brings it; it is a new covenant to fulfill which does not abolish the old covenant; represents a new era in history; represents God's rule, which is focused on a higher ethic of loving service and social justice |
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| Lit. 'annointed one'; a descendent of David, who establishes, brings freedom from oppression, rule of justice and liberation |
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| Powerful acts (e.g. healings, storm stilling, food production) described in the Gospel which serve as signs/proof/evidence that the rule of God, the messianic reign, is manifesting in the figure of Jesus (he is the bringer/in breaker of the kingdom) |
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| Early Christian theologizing of Hebrew scripture that all what the Torah was about is somehow finding its fulfillment now in this messianic kingdom; a new age of the "Gospel," good-news of the liberation of God's messianic kingdom. |
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| Twelve closest followers of (and chosen by) Jesus |
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| One of Jesus' main discourses which emphasizes living according to a higher ethic of a pure heart and loving service |
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| Introductory material of the Sermon on the Mount; rooted on the theme of love: essence of the teaching of the messianic kingdom of God, a radical sense of equality amongst people, attack of social hierarchy; the ethics of reversal: those who are high/mighty now will be on the bottom in the end... |
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| Common compositional form of Jesus' teachings; short allegorical narratives; potential for ambiguity: those with ears, let them hear... |
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| common names used to identify Jesus |
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| Messiah, Son of Man, Suffering Servant, Son of God, Lord and Savior |
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| Passover meal celebrated by Jesus and his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion; forms the basis for the Eucharist meal; "body" and "blood" in the "bread" and the "wine"; 'Do it in remembrance' of sacrifice that Jesus is making: a new covenant |
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| Term used to describe the events leading up to and including the crucifixion of Jesus |
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| Equestrian procurator of the Roman province of Judaea at the time of the death of Jesus; best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized his crucifixion |
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| Ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross (of various shapes) and left to hang until dead |
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| Christian name given to the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early 1st century walls, ascribed to the crucifixion of Jesus |
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| Central doctrine of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, used to describe the (bodily) life of the believer after death; in Christianity, refers specfically to the resurrection of Jesus at Easter |
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| Christian doctrine which holds that Jesus ascended to heaven in the presence of his Eleven Apostles following his resurrection, and that in heaven he sits at the right hand of God the Father |
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| In Judaism a harvest festival fifty days after Passover; in Christian calendars, the seventh Sunday after Easter, celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit upon assembled believers (Acts 2.1) and considered to be the event which marks the 'birth' of the Christian Church |
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| The Spirit of God sent to believers at Pentecost; in mainstream (Trinitarian) Christian beliefs the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity; as part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son |
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| Figure in early Christianity known for his conversion, missionary activity, and theological formulations (in the form of many NT writings/letters) |
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| One sent by God with a mission/purpose of taking God's message to the world |
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| Metaphor frequently used to describe the 'parting' of Jews and Christians in antiquity (and beyond) |
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| Christians of Jewish background who maintained some orientation to observance of the Law (circumcision, dietary laws, etc.) |
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| Roman emperor who first persecuted Christians in 64 CE |
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| Roman emperor who first legalized Christianity |
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| Constantine's decree in 313 CE which makes Christianity first a tolerated religion and then, in effect, the civil religion of the Roman Empire; Constantine set precedents for very close ties between state and church |
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| Post-Constantine push to have an imperially unified set of beliefs and practices (the impetus for the 'Ecumenical'/worldwide councils) |
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| 'Right belief' vs. 'wrong belief' |
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| Apostolic Succession of the Episcopate (Bishopric) |
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| Doctrine which specifies who has legitimate authority: bishop has inherited this position by appointment who was originally appointed by one of the original apostles of Christ; an unbroken line back to Christ who had transmitted what Christ had taught (i.e. the Bishop of Rome, goes back to appointment of Peter) |
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| Sacred Christian scripture consisting of four gospels, 21 letters/epistles, and some 'other' books |
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| Synoptics (Matt, Mark, Luke) and John; cover the life and teaching of Jesus; Q |
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| Story of what the Apostles did after Jesus’ ascension. Written by 'Luke,' the same author as the gospel-writer, an MD in the Roman empire, co-traveler with Paul |
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| Written by John, living on an island in exile receives revelations, apocalyptic, prophetic; difficult to understand, visions of judgment, future destruction, Satan (anti-Christ), 666, etc |
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| substitutionary atonement |
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| Key (Western) Christian doctrine regarding the nature of Christ's salvific 'work': Christ saves the believer from sin/guilt, death, and separation from God through his justifying act of sacrifice on the cross; his death 'atones' for the sins of the believer |
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| Conference of the bishops of the whole Christian Church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice; first four deal precisely with Christology |
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| Two natures and unipersonality of Christ |
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| Some of the results of the Ecumenical councils: Jesus is both divine and human without separation or confusion; when Christ was crucified, all of Jesus as human and divine was crucified. |
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| Some of the results of the Ecumenical councils: Godhead is three-in-one (3 persons in 1 divine nature, one being = 3 who's in 1 what); three persons who coexist as one divine being, divinity. Distinction within the Godhead of three persons: God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. One divine being has within it plurality, relationality |
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| Augustine and Original Sin |
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| Later theological development: When Adam/eve disobeyed God and committed first act of sin there was a kind of genetic transformation; sin is inherited through conception, linking/association of sexual intercourse and sin. You cannot help but sin; sin has such a power over your nature, incapacitates your ability to do good (works); not until the saving grace of God can break power of sin over being, empowers one to not sin. |
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| Distinctive doctrine of Roman Catholicism: Pope is the person who represents Christ on earth (Vicar of Christ); has full spiritual authority on the matters of faith |
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| Distinctive doctrine of Roman Catholicism: the saving grace of Christ, salvation itself, cannot be accessed by an individual on their own, it has to be through the church and its rituals; there can be no salvation outside of the church (further developments in Vatican II); there were 7 sacraments that were instituted; a sacrament is a religious ritual that was instituted by Christ |
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| Roman Catholic doctrine concerning the nature of the Eucharist: wine and bread are changed in substance to Christ's body and blood; Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches (not committed to a substance philosophy) use more mystical and metaphoric language to describe the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist |
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baptism
eucharist
confirmation
penance
anointing of the sick
marriage
ordination |
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| Distinctive Roman Catholic doctrine: full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven; granted by the church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution draw on the Treasure House of Merit accumulated by Jesus' sacrifice and the virtues and penances of the saints |
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| Key Roman Catholic doctrines include: theotokos, co-redemptrix, co-mediatrix, perpetual virginity, queen of heaven, immaculate conception, assumption/ascension |
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| The 'final' break between Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Roman Catholic) Christianity, occuring in 1054 CE |
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| Distinctive Eastern Orthodox doctrine: which rejects idea that ultimate authority lies with the church councils (rather than the papacy); when the community comes together at the church councils they are guided by the Holy Spirit to come up with the right ideas |
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| Apophatic theology (via negativa) |
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| Distinctive Eastern Orthodox emphasis on what God is not; response to Roman Catholic doctrine and practice who emphasize saying what God is (via positiva), creating boundaries and therefore restricting/limiting God |
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| Distinctive Eastern Orthodox form of worship: never worshipped literally, but provide concrete tools with which to perceive and relate to the transcendent reality, spiritual realm which is ultimately non physical in nature; function as a window that can help us look through the image to help us relate to them but these images are always two-dimension and abstract; never realistic |
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| Key figure in the Protestant Reformation |
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| Key Protestant principle: believers are made 'just' in the eyes of God, no more condemnation, through the atonement of Christ, through faith alone, no need to earn it; cannot do anything to require it; not by works (of penance/purgatory), but through faith |
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| priesthood of all believers |
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| Key Protestant principle: in the eyes of God all are equal, no one has any special spiritual privileges over or above another; no one has the right to act as a mediator between humanity and God (no priests), all have direct access to God through faith; serious challenge of the authority of the church |
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| Key Protestant principle: Bible alone is seen as the source of ultimate authority (rather than the pope or church councils/tradition); and furthermore, because of the priesthood of all believers, everyone should be able to read the Bible for themselves, determine and think for themselves how they should live and what they should believe |
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| Roman Catholic response to reformation (so-called 'Counter-Reformation) in 1545-63, which solidly defines identity and practice; Catholics became more rigid, more entrenched in theology (concretized theology that was merely assumed before) |
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| Church reformers who felt Luther was not radical enough (he only sought to reject that definitely contracted the bible), positing that only that which is blatantly taught in the Bible is what would be accepted as Catholic tradition (much stricter criteria) |
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| Author of Institutes of the Christian Religion and key Reformed figure; emphasizes state church/ties, creates in Geneva the ideal Christian society, state enforces Church, by law; develops a certain theology known as Calvinism |
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| Key Calvinist doctrine: cannot choose to become a Christian; God alone has all the power and is the sovereign one; God alone is the one who chooses who gets saved and who doesn’t |
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| Key Calvinist doctrine: your destiny has been pre-ordained by God |
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| Key Calvinist doctrine: when God chooses you, you have to be taken by him |
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| Key Calvinist doctrine: there are signs that you are amongst the chosen: blessing (back to Jewish traditions; God will bless…), the blessing of God will be upon the prosperous… |
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| Develops out of need for (Calvinist) assurance of one’s election/predestination |
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| Reformed/Calvinist tradition as expressed in Scotland (and beyond) |
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| Distinctive Protestant emphases: believer’s baptism; separation of church/state; decidedly pacifist |
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| Modern-day expression of the Anabaptist movement |
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| By an act of supremacy declares the monarch of England as the head of the Church of England; excommunicated and kicked out of the RC church |
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| Protestants who don't represent a particular denomination, but a certain orientation, identifying with Calvinist theology and approach to life; attempt to 'purify' the Anglican church (deemed that Anglican church was still too Catholic) |
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| Protestant movement which traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement in the Anglican Church |
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| Protestant movement which arises out of revivalism; cuts across denominations; focuses on conversion |
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| Distinctive Protestant emphases: science/reason inform and shape interpretation of the Bible; adapt Christian faith to modern though; reject classical doctrines (deity of Christ, Virgin Birth, hell, sin); Jesus as a human filled with divine presence; people are good; God loves (vs. judges). |
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| Divinization, deification |
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| Theological emphasis in Eastern Orthodoxy; 'God became man, so that man could become God' |
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| The Protestant Reformation in England; Protestant in a rejection of the authority of the Pope and moderate theology; though retaining much Catholic liturgy and worship service, as well as how it operates as a church (polity) |
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