Judeo-Christian Traditions

Abraham

called by God to move from Ur to Canaan; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam trace their roots to him

Moses

led the Hebrew escape from slavery in Egypt. God gave him the Ten Commandments atop Mount Sinai.

Exodus

Hebrew escape from slavery in Egypt

Covenant

agreement made between Abraham and God, and later, renewed between Moses and God.

Ten Commandments

set of principles for responsible ethical behavior and worship in the Abrahamic religions, which, according to the Bible, were given to Moses by God

Torah

scroll of parchment on which the first five books of the Hebrew Scripture is written.

Jerusalem

city holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims founded by the Jewish King David

Second Temple

Jewish Temple in Jerusalem built 516 BCE; destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE

Jewish Diaspora

scattering of the Jewish people from their homeland in ancient Israel following the Roman destruction of much of Jerusalem in 70 CE

pogroms

mob violence directed against Jews; characterized by murder and destruction of religious centers and personal property

messiah

a savior in Judaism and Christianity

Jesus of Nazareth

Jewish teacher and prophet whose life and teachings form the basis of Christianity; believed by Christians to be the Messiah; executed c. 30 CE

Bible

a collection of books accepted by the Church as the inspired, authentic account of God's revelation

Great Schism

official split of the Eastern Orthodox and Western Roman Catholic churches in 1054

Eastern Orthodoxy

branch of Christianity following the leadership of the patriarch in Constantinople

Roman Catholic Church

branch of Christianity following the leadership of the pope in Rome

Latin Christendom

parts of medieval Europe, including all of western Europe, united by Christianity and the use of Latin in worship and intellectual life

clergy

officials who perform religious services

pope

bishop of Rome; head of the Roman Catholic Church

patriarch

bishop of Constantinople; head of the Eastern Orthodox Church

bishop

high-ranking Church official with authority over a local area, or diocese

priest

an ordained minister with the authority to perform certain religious rites and administer certain sacraments.

lay investiture

practice of secular state appointment of church bishops

heresy

belief held in opposition to the official teachings of a religion

Inquisition

church court established in 1232 CE to prosecute heretics; notorious for torture

secular

concerns worldly rather than spiritual matters

excommunication

banishment of a member of the Roman Catholic Church from the communion of believers and the privileges of the Church

interdict

Roman Catholic excommunication of an entire region, town, or kingdom

Gothic cathedrals

architectural style in medieval western Europe featuring pointed arches and flying buttresses as external supports on main walls

missionary

a person who spreads his or her religious beliefs to others

monasticism

a way of life in which a male monk or female nun withdraws from the rest of the world in order to devote themselves to their faith

Dominicans

Catholic religious order founded in 1216 to preach the Gospel and oppose heresy; famed for its intellectual tradition, having produced many leading theologians and philosophers

Franciscans

Catholic religious order founded in 1209 to preach and minister to the poor; required members to beg for food while preaching in imitation of the life and ministry of Jesus

sacrament

sacred ceremonial ritual administered by priests

university

medieval educational institutions dedicated to the study of Theology, Medicine, and Law; some of the earliest were at Bologna, Italy (1088); Paris, France (1150); and Oxford, England (1167)