Term
|
Definition
| Title attributed to Jesus by his followers and all Christians since, identifying him as the promised Jewish Messiah, who would bring redemption not only to those faithful to God under the Old Covenant but for all persons who would place their faith in him. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A major Christian doctrine formulated in the 4th and 5th centuries CE within two of the Ecumenical Councils, specifically affirming that the revelation of God in and through Jesus Christ has disclosed three distinctive ways that the one God reveals or manifests himself from before the beginning of time: God as Father--creator of all things and revealer of the Torah; God as Son--incarnate as Jesus but also the creative Word of God at work in creation and through the Prophets; and God as Holy Spirit--providential guide and supernatural power in the life of the Church and in the lives of individual Christians. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The Christian doctrine that Jesus was at once both a human being and God; that God was in Jesus reconciling the world to himself; and that in Jesus God came to know and enter intimately into relationship to the full extent of the common human condition, so that there is nothing about human life that God has not become acquainted with. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The condition of life redeemed by, and reconciled with, God that Jesus is believed to have inaugurated and made accessible to people who respond to him in faith. |
|
|
Term
| the new covenant/new testament |
|
Definition
| The special covenantal relationship with God which Christians understand themselves to stand in through their faith in Jesus Christ., a covenant understood to supplant or take the place of the Old Covenant/Old Testament relationship that the Jewish people were believed to have had with God. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a postulated lost textual source for the Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke. It is a theoretical collection of Jesus' sayings, written in Koine Greek. Although many scholars believe that "Q" was a real document, no actual document or fragment has been found. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The Greek word ecclesia means "those who are called out," which here is used to refer to members of the New Covenant with God in and through Jesus Christ. The Church, then, is the people of the New Covenant, all of them. Later, after divisions within the Church arose, it came also to be used to one or the other of the separated divisions (e.g., the Roman Catholic Church, or the Presbyterian Church), to a local Christian congregation, and sometimes to the building where a local Christian congregation met for worship. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The Christian doctrine that, apart from the grace of God in Jesus, no one is able to get right with God but will inevitably lead a sinful life. This condition is believed to be the result of the fall from grace of the first human beings, Adam and Eve. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A gift from God of divine help, aid, assistance, reassurance, guidance, healing, transformation, etc. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The Central Story of Christianity, telling of how God has come in the person of Jesus to reconcile his fallen creation to himself and to redeem it in accordance with his purposes, to the effect that responding in faith to the Gospel, appropriately proclaimed, is believed to bring about a process of redemptive transformation of the person so responding. |
|
|
Term
| preaching of the gospel (kerygma) |
|
Definition
| The appropriate telling or proclamation of the Gospel (also called the kerygma), in such a way that the hearer who responds in faith is understood to have a transformative encounter with God in Christ. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The promised return to the earth of Jesus Christ to bring to completion the intended redemption of God for his fallen creation. Different Christians differ in opinion about what exactly it means, what it will bring about, how much one can figure out from the Scriptures about when it will happen, and what will happen when it finally happens. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the Upper Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945. That year, twelve leather-bound papyrus codices buried in a sealed jar were found by a local peasant named Mohammed Ali Samman. The writings in these codices comprised fifty-two mostly Gnostic tractates (treatises), but they also include three works belonging to the Corpus Hermeticum and a partial translation / alteration of Plato's Republic. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| It is the oldest of several ancient translations of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, also the basis for the Slavonic, the Syriac, Old Armenian, Old Georgian and Coptic versions of the Old Testament.[4] Of significance for all Christians and for Bible scholars, the LXX is quoted by the Christian New Testament and by the Apostolic Fathers. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| is a book in the format used for modern books, with separate pages normally bound together and given a cover. It was a Roman invention that replaced the scroll, which was the first form of book in all Eurasian cultures. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| are three Gospels in the New Testament the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, and the Gospel of Luke, that display a high degree of similarity in content, narrative arrangement, language, and sentence and paragraph structures. These gospels are also considered by Biblical scholars to share the same point of view. [1] The fourth canonical Gospel, John, differs greatly from these three, as do the Apocryphal gospels. The synoptic gospels are the first three books of the canonical New Testament. The synoptic problem concerns the nature and origin of the literary relationship among these three accounts. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The rarity of information about the childhood of Jesus in the canonical Gospels led to a hunger of early Christians for more detail about the early life of Jesus. This was supplied by a number of 2nd century and later texts, known as infancy gospels, none of which was accepted into the biblical canon, but the very number of their surviving manuscripts attests to their continued popularity. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The most widespread creedal statement of basic or core Christian beliefs (shared by Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and in principle most Protestants), which was worked out in the 4th century CE; it has three parts, corresponding to beliefs about each of the 3 persons (or "faces") of the Christian conception of the Trinity. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Pertaining to the work or commission of an apostle (lit., "one sent on behalf of another) of Jesus Christ. The twelve men which Jesus gathered around himself were called apostles. Later, bishops in the early church were regarded as successors to the apostles, generation after generation, and carrying that title. The work of bishops and priests and, by extension, the work of a humble lay person done on behalf of Jesus and what is understood to be his ongoing ministry (e.g., in proclaiming the Gospel), is called "apostolic." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| n origin it refers to the quality of the Christian Church as universal, comprehensive, and inclusive of all parts. Historically, it has come to differentiate those Christian traditions that assign special importance to the rulings of the Seven Ecumenical Councils (4th through 8th century) as sources of doctrine, the Sacraments as necessary means of grace, and the Apostolic Succession of bishops (from the original Apostles to the present) as authorized agents of Christ |
|
|
Term
| the Seven Ecumenical Councils |
|
Definition
| A series of councils of bishops representing the whole of the Church between the 4th and 8th centuries which laid out basic Christian doctrines; condemned heretical teachings; established the laws of governance of the Church, and clarified the nature and structure of appropriate worship. The decisions of these seven councils have been determinative of what is orthodox teaching for all major expressions of Christianity, at least until the emergence of Liberal Protestantism in the modern world. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the rite of initiation into the New Covenant of Christianity by way of a ritual bath or washing done in the name of the Trinity. Non-sacramental traditions view it as an outward symbol of a person’s inward faith in and self-conscious commitment to Jesus Christ. Sacramental traditions view it as a rite whereby the person is adopted by God into the New Covenant, brought into permanent relation to the grace of God in Jesus Christ and thus freeing the person from the condition of Original Sin--and so they do not hesitate ot baptise infants. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An orientation among Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Episcopalians/Anglicans, and Lutherans that gives central emphasis to the Way of Sacred Rite (and particularly the Sacrament of the Eucharist) as a way of drawing near to, and coming into right relationship with, God in Jesus Christ |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An orientation among most Protestant groups (excepting Episcopal or Anglican and Lutheran) that reduces to a minimum the recognition of presentational symbols, out of fear of committing idolatry, among other concerns. It does not centrally emphasize, if it gives place at all to, the Way of Sacred Rite. It generally views all symbols in the Christian tradition as "merely symbolic," including whatever "Sacraments" it may recognize, with the exception of Holy Scripture and the kerygma. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, said to be given by Christ himself and understood by sacramental Christian traditions to be a sure and certain means of that grace. Most Christians identify two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox (whose name for Sacraments is "Mysteries"), and Episcopalians/Anglicans identify the seven Sacraments |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation (also called Chrismation), Confession (also called Reconciliation or Penance), Healing (also called Unction), Marriage, and Ordination. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The theological name often used by sacramental Christians to refer to bread and wine consecrated in the Eucharist as presentational (or sacramental) symbols of the broken body and shed blood of Jesus, the sacrificial gift of his life unto death for the sins of the world. Insofar as he is understood sacramentally to be present, claiming them as his own body and blood, they are thus sacramentally understood to be his body and blood, his real presence. |
|
|
Term
| sin/sinfulness/state of sin |
|
Definition
| Falling short of God’s expectation; doing wrong in God’s eyes; "aborting," as it were, the creation under way that God is intending one to become. To be in sin or a "state of sin" is to be turned away from God and his divine assistance |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Early Christian teachers and theologians whose writings came to exercise a great influence over subsequent Christianity, by way of explaining basic Christian teachings and doctrines, refuting heresies, interpreting scripture, providing pastoral guidance, etc |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome, chief bishop and thus head of the Roman Catholic Church, successor to the office of St. Peter, who according to Roman Catholic teaching was the chief among the Apostles. The office of the Pope is similar in authority to the U. S. Supreme Court, which has the final say in interpreting the Constitution and federal laws. In controversies surrounding matters of Roman Catholic faith and morals, the Pope has the final say in resolving them and, in so doing, is believed to be protected from error by the Holy Spirit |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The mother of Jesus, and thus the mother of God in human form, having conceived him miraculously by power of the Holy Spirit, according to Christian teaching; highly venerated by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox as the first of Christians, model of Christian faith and piety, chief among the "saints" (see definition), and the closest human being to Jesus (thus one whom one might ask to pray for one’s own special concerns as one might ask an living elder Christian). Theotokos means "bearer of God." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Persons who are advanced in the process of transformation consequent upon placing faith in Jesus Christ as the means of being reconciled with God. In the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Episcopal/Anglican traditions, they officially recognize or "canonize" persons after their death based on careful documentation, especially persons believed to have been specially empowered by the Holy Spirit to do miraculous things. Once recognized as a "saint," it is believed in these traditions that death is no fundamental barrier to communication between the living and these dead in prayer, in which a living person may ask a saint to pray for them or intercede for them just as the person might ask another living elder to pray for them |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A movement, begun in the 4th century CE by Christians, who were dissatisfied with "culture Christianity," to live a radically simplified, ascetic (usually celibate), either hermitic or communal lifestyle following Jesus’ teachings and seeking to draw near to God with one’s whole heart, mind, and strength. It was and largely still is a Christian expression of the Way of Mystical Quest, though it rarely sought, or resulted in, dramatic "mystical experiences." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| specific Christian teaching, found particularly in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, that holds that a Christian is destined to be transformed in his or her very nature, from mortality to immortality, so that he or she comes to participate directly in the life and being of God. It is strongly connected with the Way of Mystical Quest as encouraged and practiced in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. In the radical sounding words of the early Church Father Athanasius, "God became man, that man might become God." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Icons are two dimensional pictures, made of paint and wood, used throughout Eastern Orthodox worship and for meditation. They are said to be "sacramentals" -- presentational symbols, whereby what is depicted is said to become sacramentally present to the persons who "venerates" (never "worships") the icon, or more strictly, to whomever venerates what is depicted. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| One of two major expressions of the Way of Reasoned Inquiry in the Medieval Period, particularly noted for systematically working out a reconciliation between ancient Greek pagan philosophy (particularly the views of Aristotle) and the Christian faith. It is particularly noted for recognition of the autonomy of reason within its own sphere and of the need for revealed truth received by faith to complement and fill out what cannot be known by reason unaided. Its foremost expositor was Thomas Aquinas |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| One of the three major divisions of Christianity, claiming to be historically continuous with the early Church and to be the truest and most faithful to original Christianity. It is the major expression of Christianity in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Among the three divisions, it is the most sacramental, making use of all of the senses in worship (particularly distinguished by the pervasive use of icons), and the most mystical in its worship and spirituality. It understands "orthodox" to mean "right praise" or "right worship" or even "right glory," more than "right or correct belief." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| One of the three major divisions of Christianity, claiming (similar to Eastern Orthodox) to be historically continuous with the early Church and to be the truest and most faithful to original Christianity. It is centered in Rome, with the Bishop of Rome serving as its head or Pope |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The mainstream, right wing of the 16th century Protestant Reformation, identified in terms of its rejection of the Roman Catholic Magisterium (the Roman Catholic conception of Sacred Tradition as something alongside of Scripture having been passed down from Jesus and the first Apostles). In contrast with the Radical Reformation Protestants, Magisterial Reformation Protestants did not reject the Constantinian heritage of the marriage of church and state, but took advantage of state power to forward their Reformation goals. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The doctrine held by most Protestants (a key theme of the Protestant Reformation), and based on the teachings of the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, that salvation comes soley by God’s grace received in faith and not at all from things that one does or can do to earn it. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The more radical, left wing of the 16th century Protestant Reformation, identified in terms of its rejection of the Constantinian heritage of the marriage of church and state in addition to its rejection of the Roman Catholic Magisterium. They insisted that only persons making a self-conscious choice for themselves to depart from "the kingdoms of this world" and embrace "the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ" were truly Christians. They held that Christians were called to live a lifestyle distinct from that of the common culture and that a Christian should have nothing to do with the coercive power of the state. Hence the Protestant traditions steming from the Radical Reformation have been pacificists, for the most part, and have practiced an alternative lifestyle from the surrounding culture in which they have been located. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| One or another of several groups making up the radical wing of the Protestant Reformation, which rejected the validity of infant baptism and insisted that only persons making a self-conscious choice for themselves to depart from "the kingdoms of this world" and embrace "the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ" were truly Christians, for whom baptism by immersion was the appropriate outward testimony. They insisted that Christians were called to live a lifestyle distinct from that of the common culture and that the Constantinian heritage of a state church was an abomination. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The movement in the latter half of the 16th century within the Roman Catholic Church, in response to the Protestant Reformation, to reform and rectify itself (in response to many of the Protestant criticisms) but also to consolidate its own understandings and position in order to counteract the erosion of members to the new Protestant sects. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The doctrine held by Roman Catholics that the Pope, when making rulings "ex cathedra" on matters pertaining to faith and morals, will be protected from error by the Holy Spirit. Also a doctrine held by Eastern Orthodox that the Church as a whole (but no one person or cleric such as a bishop), as manifest in an ecumenical council of bishops from the entire Church, will be protected from error by the Holy Spirit. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A secular, humanistic, sometimes anti-religious (certainly anti-traditional) movement centered originally among European intellectuals of the 18th century, which provoked sometimes hostile reaction among persons who continued to identify with traditional beliefs and practices. It has had a large impact upon Western Christianity, especially Protestantism, but in the latter half of the 20th century upon Roman Catholicism as well. It has produced various expressions of "Modern" or "Liberal Protestantism" and similar expressions in Roman Catholicism. So also it has provoked traditional reactions of a defiant or hard-line nature known as "Fundamentalism." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A movement within mainstream Protestant traditions to modernize their teaching and practice, to reinterpret or drop traditional teachings that seem out of date and incompatible with modern enlightened thinking, to subject the Scriptures to modern critical historical scholarship, and to adapt Christian teaching to be consistent with modern natural science. Often it has involved a shift to the Way of Right Action as the primary way of being religious, with a special emphasis on social action projects on behalf of persons suffering from injustice or oppression |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| as a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to begin the Brethren movement. The Pietist movement combined the Lutheranism of the time with the Reformed, and especially Puritan, emphasis on individual piety, and a vigorous Christian life |
|
|
Term
| Evangelical Protestantism |
|
Definition
| A movement of renewal within Protestantism in the last two centuries, growing out of the Pietist movement of the 18th century in Europe and the Great Awakening in the American Colonies. It stresses the proclamation of the Gospel, especially to those persons who have never heard it or heard it truly (and thus evangelizing and missionary work), a personal conversion experience in which one is said to be "born again" into an inward relationship to Jesus as one’s "personal Lord and Savior," and a devotional study of Scripture as a means of communication between God and the individual believer |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A movement within Evangelical Protestantism of militant reaction to, and committed opposition to, the eroding effects of modern culture upon traditional (pre-modern) Christianity and especially to the influence of the secular humanism associated with the Enlightenment--above all to (a) the application of critical historical scholarship to the understanding and interpretation of Scripture (and all suggestions that the words of Scripture are merely human and subject to error) and (b) acceptance of modern natural science (and especially the theory of evolution) to be a more reliable account of origins than the first chapters of the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. It is concerned sociologically to differentiate itself from other expressions of Christianity as not truly Christian to the extent that they do not adhere to the touchstones of doctrine that it identifies as "fundamentals. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A movement within Liberal Protestantism in the early part of the 20th century which focused on the social and economic implications of the Gospel, which was interpreted to mean liberation from injustice, oppression, and inequity. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A recent expression of Liberal theology, but particularly found in certain manifestations of the Roman Catholic tradition, which interprets the Scriptures, and the Gospel in particular, to be concerned with the liberation of victims of injustice and oppression |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A Protestant movement, beginning at the turn of the 20th century and growing out of what is called the Holiness Movement among Protestant Evangelicals, which sought the supernatural manifestations of, and empowerment by, the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the life of the individual Christian or the sort referred to in the 2nd chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament. It represented a new expression of the Way of Shamanic Mediation within Christianity. In most cases it led to the founding of new Protestant denominations often with the word "Pentecostal" in their names. It is particularly noted for the so called "gift of the Holy Spirit" known as "speaking in tongues." |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A movement (eventually world-wide) among members of mainstream Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations, beginning in the early 1960s, to experience for themselves the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit (called "Baptism in the Holy Spirit") referred to in the 2nd chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament. It represents a new expression of the Way of Shamanic Mediation within Christianity, and to some extent an offspring of the Pentecostal Movement. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A special council of the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church held in the mid 1960s, resulting in many significant changes: e.g., changing the language of worship from Latin to the vernacular, emphasizing Bible study and literacy, simplifying and revising the Sacraments, becoming much more ecumenical toward other Christian traditions, etc. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
was a Hellenistic Jew[3] who called himself the "Apostle to the Gentiles" and was, together with Saint Peter and James the Just, the most notable of early Christian missionaries.[4]
According to the Acts of the Apostles, his conversion took place on the road to Damascus. Thirteen epistles in the New Testament are attributed to Paul, though authorship of six of the thirteen has been questioned.[5] Paul's influence on Christian thinking arguably has been more significant than that of any other New Testament author. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| One of the very greatest of Christian philosophers and theologians, as well as a bishop and founder of a monastic order, who lived, taught, and wrote in the latter fourth and early fifth century in North Africa, as Rome was being overrun by the barbarians. He is widely recognized as having shown how the Christian faith and much of pagan Greek philosophy as found in the writings of Plato and Plotinus could be reconciled without compromise to either faith or philosophy. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| One of the very greatest of Christian philosophers and theologians, who lived, taught, and wrote in the 13th century in central Europe. He is widely recognized as having shown how the Christian faith and pagan Greek philosophy in its most challenging form, the systematic thought of Aristotle, could be reconciled without compromise to either faith or philosophy |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Founder of Western Christian monasticism and composer of the Rule of St. Benedict, which most all monastic groups in Western Christianity follow |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The most important leader and theologian of the Protestant Reformation, founder of the Lutheran tradition of Protestantism, and translator of the Bible into vernacular German. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| One of the principal leaders (French Swiss) of the Protestant Reformation, founder of the Reformed Church, particularly noted for the systematic and rational way he explained basic Christian beliefs and for stressing the sovereignty of God’s providence over all things. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
was elected as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958.
He called the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) but did not live to see it to completion, dying on 3 June, 1963, two months after the completion of his final encyclical, Pacem in Terris. He was beatified on 3 September, 2000, along with Pope Pius IX. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
was a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada. He became the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador, succeeding Luis Chávez. He was assassinated on March 24, 1980.
As archbishop and witnessing ongoing violations of human rights, Romero initiated and gave his status to a group which spoke out on behalf of the poor and the victims of the Salvadoran civil war. In many ways Romero was closely associated with Liberation Theology and openly condemned both Marxism and Capitalism |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Christian holiday celebrating the birthday of Jesus and therewith the Incarnation of God; normally observed on December 25 |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A 40 day penitential period before Holy Week each year that is observed by sacramental Christians, to seriously consider how far they fall from God’s expectations and to repent with God’s help. Often special prayer and fasting is practiced. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A sequence of 8 days in the Christian liturgical calendar observed by sacramental Christians, for sacramentally participating along with Jesus in the great events of the Gospel, culminating in Jesus’ Crucifixion on Good Friday, his death and burial, and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Christian holiday celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus after his death and burial, in which he is understood to have broken the power of death and sin over the lives of human beings; the most important holiday of the year for most Christians, especially sacramental Christians; always occuring in the Spring |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Birthday of the Christian Church in 30 CE, when, according to the New Testament account, the Holy Spirit supernaturally empowered the disciples of Jesus to become "the Body of Christ," to appropriately proclaim the Gospel in all of its power; and to live the kind of life to which Jesus had introduced them. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an Early Christian dualist belief system that originates in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope at Rome around the year 144.[1] Marcion believed Jesus Christ was the savior sent by God and Paul of Tarsus was his chief apostle, but he rejected the Hebrew Bible and Yahweh. Marcionists believed that the wrathful Hebrew God was a separate and lower entity than the all-forgiving God of the New Testament. This belief was in some ways similar to Gnostic Christian theology (both are dualistic). |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
a second century bishop of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr when he was stabbed after an attempt to burn him at the stake failed. Polycarp is regarded as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches.
He is identified as a disciple of the apostles, or in particular of John the Apostl or John the Evangelist. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a third century christian martyr who was imprisoned and killed by Romans for being a christian |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, also known as Mormonism, and an important religious and political figure during the 1830s and 1840s. In 1827, Smith began to gather a religious following after announcing that an angel had shown him a set of golden plates describing a visit of Jesus to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. In 1830, Smith published what he said was a translation of these plates as the Book of Mormon, and the same year he organized the Church of Christ. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a form of Restorationism that shares a common set of beliefs with the rest of the Latter Day Saint movement, including use of the Bible, as well as other religious texts including the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. It differs from other Latter Day Saint movement traditions in that it also accepts the Pearl of Great Price as part of its canon, and it has a history of teaching plural marriage (although the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had totally abandoned the practice by 1904), eternal marriage, and eternal progression. Cultural Mormonism includes a lifestyle promoted by the Mormon institutions, and includes cultural Mormons who identify with the culture, but not necessarily the theology. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| founded the Christian Science movement. She advocated Christian Science as a spiritual practical solution to health and moral issues |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a religious belief system founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1866 and is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. Christian Science asserts that humanity and the universe as a whole are spiritual rather than material in nature and that truth and good are real tangible things, whereas evil and error are unreal. Christian Scientists believe that only through prayer and fully knowing and understanding God will this be demonstrated. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
is the whole of the consensus of the views of those who defend a position in an argument of long standing. The term comes from the Greek word apologia (απολογία), meaning a speaking in defense.
Early Christian writers (c 120-220) who defended their faith against critics and recommended their faith to outsiders were called apologists |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| missionaries among the leaders in the Early Church and, in the Epistle to the Hebrews,[3:1] Jesus Christ himself. The term was also used, especially by the Gospel of Luke, for "the Twelve," Jesus' inner circle of disciples (students). They were, according to the Acts of the Apostles and Christian tradition, disciples whom Jesus of Nazareth had chosen, named, and trained in order to send them on a specific mission: the establishment of the Christian Church by evangelism and the spreading of the "good news", after being sent the Holy Spirit as "helper" (paraclete) in this task at Pentecost |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the act by which a particular Christian church or group declares a deceased person to be a saint and is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with the nature of Jesus the Christ, particularly with how the divine and human are related in his person. Christology is generally less concerned with the details of Jesus' life than with how the human and divine co-exist in one person. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a statement of belief—usually religious belief—or faith often recited as part of a religious service. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| In its broadest sense, this unity or cooperation may refer to a worldwide religious unity; by the advocation of a greater sense of shared spirituality across the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Most commonly, however, ecumenism is used in a more narrow meaning; referring to a greater cooperation among different religious denominations of a single one of these faiths. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an umbrella term used in the western church to refer to the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. The ecumenical creeds are also known as the universal creeds. These creeds are accepted by almost all mainstream Christian denominations in the western church, including the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican churches and Lutheran churches |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a part of theology and philosophy concerned with what are believed to be the final events in the history of the world, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world. While in mysticism the phrase refers metaphorically to the end of ordinary reality and reunion with the Divine, in many traditional religions it is taught as an actual future event prophesied in sacred texts or folklore. More broadly, eschatology may encompass related concepts such as the Messiah or Messianic Age, the end time, and the end of days |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| refers to diverse, syncretistic religious movements in antiquity consisting of various belief systems generally united in the teaching that humans are divine souls trapped in a material world created by an imperfect god |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| divided medieval Christianity into Eastern (Greek) and Western (Latin) branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively. Relations between East and West had long been embittered by political and ecclesiastical differences and theological disputes |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Based on Christ's injunction in the Gospel of Matthew to "go into your closet to pray",[2] Hesychasm in tradition has been the process of retiring inward by ceasing to register the senses, in order to achieve an experiential knowledge of God |
|
|
