religion

Adoptionist Heresy

is claiming that Jesus was born a normal, sinless human being and was later adopted as the Son of God. This is significant because it forced early Christianity to formally define the nature of Jesus Christ, the Trinity, and the Incarnation.

Apostolic Succession:

the Christian belief that the spiritual authority, office, and mission of Jesus Christ's original apostles are passed down in a continuous, unbroken line of bishops through the physical laying on of hands in ordination. This is significant because it means that we are safeguarding the Truth and what we are learning is the Truth.

Arian Heresy:

claimed Jesus Christ was a created being, subordinate to God the Father, and not co-eternal or of the same divine substance. This was significant because it refuted the idea that Jesus was consubstantial with the Father, and it goes against the teachings of the Church.

Catechesis

the formal or systematic religious instruction and formation of children and adults in the Christian faith. (Teaching someone about the Christian faith)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church:

an official reference book that summarizes the essential teachings, beliefs, and moral standards of the Catholic Church. It is significant because it safeguards the message of the church and it prevents heresy.

Collect Prayers:

a short, concise, and structured Christian liturgical prayer that "collects" or gathers the individual prayers and intentions of a congregation into a single, unified prayer. They are significant because they unify a congregation's individual intentions into a single, shared voice during Christian worship and anchor the community in historic theology.

Communion of Saints

the spiritual fellowship and union that unites all Christians—past, present, and future—as one single body in Christ. This is significant because it establishes an eternal, spiritual fellowship connecting all Christians across time and space.

Deposit of Faith:

the body of saving truths and divine revelation entrusted by Jesus Christ to the Apostles. It is significant because it represents the complete body of saving truth revealed by Jesus Christ and entrusted to the Apostles, serving as the unchanging foundation of Catholic belief.

Divine Revelation:

the act by which God (or a supernatural deity) discloses truth, personal knowledge, or His will to humanity. It is significant because it is necessary to bridge the gap between Creator and creation.

Docetist Heresy:

an early Christian heresy that claimed Jesus Christ was purely a divine spirit who only seemed to have a physical human body. It was significant because it invalidated the incarnation, so the Church had to clarify its beliefs.

Efficacious

having the power to successfully produce a desired or intended effect, specifically referring to God's sovereign ability to accomplish His divine will, transform hearts, and bring about salvation without failing

Examen

The Daily Examen (often connected to a biblical or scriptural framework) is a 15-to-20-minute daily prayer practice of self-reflection where you review your day in conversation with God. This is significant because it helps individuals recognize God's presence, review their day, and align their lives with divine grace.

Heresy

a self-chosen belief or teaching that openly contradicts core Christian doctrines, causing division and departing from the foundational truth of the gospel. This is significant because it can lead to misleading teachings in the church and it led to the writing of the creeds and the catechism.

Homoousious

Means of the same material, consubstantial. Says that Jesus is consubstantial with the Father, and Jesus and the Father are one. It is most famously used in the Nicene Creed (325 AD) to affirm that Jesus Christ (God the Son) is fully divine and shares the exact same divine nature as God the Father.

Hypostatic Union

the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is one single person who possesses two complete and distinct natures: fully divine and fully human. Jesus Christ is one single person who possesses two complete, distinct natures: 100% divine and 100% human, united without mixture, change, division, or separation. Allows Him to fully understand us and help us divinely. Without one he wouldn’t be able to understand our struggles and without the other he would not be able to free us from sin.

Immanence

immanence refers to God’s nearness, omnipresence, and active involvement within His creation. It is significant because it shows how we are always connected to God and he is always there. He is everywhere at all times and he is both there with you and everywhere else at the same time. the absolute, sovereign Creator of the universe is not distant or detached, but intimately present within His creation and eternally united with His people

Incarnation

the doctrine that God the Son (the second person of the Trinity) took on human flesh and became a human being in Jesus Christ. This is important because it is the cornerstone of Christian theology and salvation. It is also significant because it makes salvation possible.

Lectio Divina

a traditional Christian monastic practice of slow, prayerful reading of Scripture intended to promote communion with God rather than intellectual analysis. It is significant because it allows people to become more personally connected to God, rather than reading a prayer from a book.

Magisterium

the official teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church, exercised by the Pope and the bishops in communion with him. It is important because it serves as the official guide for preserving, interpreting, and communicating Christian faith and morals.

Marks of the Church

1. the defining characteristics or criteria used to identify the true Christian Church. One Christ Holy Apostolic. 

   1. • One: The Church is a single, unified body with one faith, one baptism, and one head in Christ, rather than a fragmented collection of competing groups.

   2. • Holy: The Church is set apart by God and sanctified by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, despite consisting of fallible human members.

   3. • Catholic: The word means "universal." The Church is meant for all people, all nations, and all times without geographical or cultural limits.

   4. • Apostolic: The Church is built upon the foundation of the original Apostles, preserving their teachings and—in traditions like the Roman Catholic Church—continuing through an unbroken line of apostolic succession via bishops.

Models of the Church

Because the Church is a spiritual mystery that cannot be fully captured by a single definition, models are used—akin to facets of a diamond—to explain its complex nature, functions, and mission by comparing them to familiar concepts.

1. • Institution: Views the Church as a formal, visible society with a clear hierarchy, structured laws, official doctrine, and designated leadership (similar to a government or organized body).

2. • Community: Focuses on interpersonal relationships, fellowship (koinonia), and the spiritual union of believers as the Body of Christ energized by the Holy Spirit.

3. • Sacrament: Sees the Church as a visible, tangible sign and instrument of God's invisible grace, actively making Christ present in the world.

4. • Herald: Emphasizes the proclamation of the Gospel and the Word of God, viewing the Church's primary mission as hearing, believing, and preaching the message of Christ to the ends of the earth.

5. • Servant: Positions the Church as actively engaged in the service of the world, focused on social justice, peace, charity, and transformation of society rather than acting as a self-contained refuge.

6. • School of Discipleship: Acts as an integrative model that unites the strengths of the others around the central call to follow and imitate Jesus in both word and action.

They are significant because they balance each other out to form the Church.

Orthodoxy

1. adherence to accepted, traditional, or right beliefs and practices. It is significant because it is the bedrock for preserving the deposit of faith, safeguarding moral guidance, and maintaining unity with the Pope.

Paschal Mystery:

1. the central doctrine of the Christian faith that describes God's plan of salvation through the Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ. Is significant because it is the belief that the faith is built on, and it describes the vast impact of Jesus. It is the core event of the Christian faith where Jesus Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection saved humanity from sin and opened the way to eternal life

Provident Creator:

"provident creator" refers to God not only as the origin of the universe, but as an actively involved Father who continuously sustains, governs, and guides His creation toward an ultimate, destined perfection. It is important because it defines the continuous, loving relationship between God and His creation.

Sacrament

a sacrament is an efficacious sign of grace—meaning it is a sacred, visible rite that not only points to God's love, but actually brings about the spiritual grace it signifies. It is important because it is one of the ways that believers can receive God’s grace.

Sacramentality

the theological principle that God is present and active through the ordinary, material world, making everyday life, nature, and human experiences visible signs of invisible grace. It is significant because it is the core belief that God makes Himself visible, tangible, and active through the physical and ordinary things of the world. It also connects to the incarnation.

Sacred Tradition:

a theological concept in Christian traditions referring to the living transmission of the Gospel message and divine revelation from Jesus Christ and the Apostles. Sacred Tradition is important because it preserves, transmits, and clarifies God’s revealed truth across generations, working alongside Sacred Scripture to form a single deposit of faith.

Sensus Fidei:

a supernatural instinct or appreciation of the faith given to believers by the Holy Spirit at baptism. Sensus fidei is a Catholic term that basically means believers have a built-in "BS detector" or spiritual instinct for what is true about God. It enables the entire body of the Catholic Church—from bishops down to the laity—to recognize, embrace, and preserve Gospel truth without error.

Sign

something tangible, perceptible, or recognizable that points beyond itself to a deeper spiritual reality, mystery, or action of God. It is significant because human beings are composed of both body and soul, and God communicates spiritual realities through the physical, material world so we can better understand Him. 

Theotokos

Theotokos is a title for the Virgin Mary, translating literally to "God-bearer" or "Birth-giver to God". This title is significant because it protects the core doctrine of the Incarnation—the belief that Jesus Christ is simultaneously fully God and fully human in one single person.

Transcendence

Transcendence means the act of rising above or surpassing ordinary limits, boundaries, or material conditions to reach a superior or higher state. This is significant because God is transcendent, meaning that we can never fully understand Him. God exists completely above, beyond, and independent of the physical universe, time, space, and human limitation. If He was not transcendent, He would not be God.

Visio Divinia:

1. It's the practice of praying with a sacred image or work of art. It is important because it is another form of prayer that can help individuals feel closer to God.