Christianity Vocab 2

Church

“assembly”

The Christian Community, and thus also the building in which it meets

• The main day for church services is Sunday to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus

• Christians consider the church (both locally and globally) to be the Body of Christ and the People of God. Every baptized Christian belongs Christ and is part of his Body

• Churches played a central role in medieval European life (education, politics, and culture)

• Catholic Church as an institution played a major role in shaping Western Society

Grace

“favor”

• sinners are granted salvation by God, although it is undeserved

• Grace is given by God as a free gift

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you, it is the gift of God..” Ephesians 2:8-9

Sacrament

“sacred thing”

A Christian rite believed to be instituted by Christ as a sign of divine grace

• has been both visible ,outward sign (like bread) and an inward, invisible grace (like the presence of Christ’s flesh and blood)

• Baptists, Pentecostals, and non-denominational Christians do NOT believe in sacraments

Catholic and Orthodox had 7 sacraments:

• baptism, eucharist, confession, confirmation, marriage, holy orders, anointing the sick

Most Protestants have 2 sacraments

• baptism, eucharists (also called Lord’s supper)

Through faith and sacraments, God shares his holiness with his people

baptism

“to immerse”

A Christian sacrament using water, which symbolizes purification and rebirth

• through baptism, a person becomes a Christian and member of the church

• most Christians believe it washes away original sin (and personal sin) and thus baptize newborns

• Baptists and Pentecostals and Nondenominational Christians believe it is only a symbol of faith and thus should not be given to children who do not believe (adults get baptized when they can express their faith)

• it is performed by pouring, sprinkling, or immersing in water, usually with the words “in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit”

Eucharist

“Thanksgiving”

Sacrament in which Christians receive the body and blood of Jesus in the form of bread and wine

• it commemorates the last supper, when Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples around Passover

• A Christian minister blesses the bread and wine before distributing it to the people

• Most Christians believe Christ is really present in the bread and wine in some way

• Baptists, Pentecostals, and Nondenominational Christians believe the Lord’s supper is a symbol not but a sacrament of Christ’s body in heaven

Repentance

“change one’s mind”

Heartfelt sorrow for one’s sins and turning back toward God

• Through repentance God renews our hearts

• repentance is a fundamental aspect of being Christian and is necessary for salvation

  • Catholic Catechism says it is “a radical reorientation of our lives”

Reconciliation

The reunion of humanity and God through God’s gracious forgiveness, principally brought about by Christ’s death and resurrection

• Can specifically refer to the sacrament of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in which a person confesses their sins to a priest to receive forgiveness

• in this sacrament a person will confess their sins, express their sorrow, and then be granted forgiveness by the priest, and give a penance, such as saying certain prayers

  • shows God’s mercy and willingness to forgive sinners who repent

Tradition

“handling over”

The passing down of teachings, practices and believes from the Apostles through the Church

• in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, tradition has equal authority to the bible

  • including liturgical practices, rituals, sacraments, creeds, early Church teachings

  • Catholic Church teaches the scripture and tradition together

• Can be oral- spoken teachings- or written- early Christian writings

Nicene and Apostles Creed

creed= “ I believe”

Apostles’ Creed: Early, short, simple statement of faith, which was supposedly created by the Apostles, but was actually not

Nicene Creed: Longer, more detailed statement of faith created by bishops at the Council of Nicaea to explain key beliefs, especially about Jesus and the Trinity

• Nicene Creed was made in 325 AD to explain that Jesus in truly God”consubstantial with the Father”

• Apostles Creed is older and often used in baptisms in the Western churches

• both creeds are still used in many Christian churches today

Heresy

“Choice” or “sect”

beliefs or opinions that oppose established, core, orthodox doctrines

A heretic in Christianity is a Christian whose beliefs or opinions deviate from the core beliefs that have been established as orthodox in their church

• a person must choose to be a heretic: if they are merely confused or don’t even realize that their belief is against orthodox teaching, they are not truly a heretic

• disagreement about less-important issues is NOT heresy

• people found guilty of heresy can be punished, such as through excommunication

Orthodoxy

“correct belief”

Generally, the established, traditional teachings of a religion. Specifically the Eastern branch of Christianity

• split from the Western Catholic Church during the Great Schism in 1054 over issue of the authority of the pope

• each orthodox church is “autocephalous” meaning self-governing, under its own patriarch NOT a pope

• common in eastern Europe and parts of the Middle East

• Traditional, formal and lengthy church services

Catholic

“universal”

The largest branch of Christianity led by the Bishop of Rome, the pope, who has supreme authority

• follows both the Bible and Church traditions

• believes in 7 sacraments

• priests and the pope have authority in guiding Catholics

• Early creeds refers to “the Catholic church” meaning the universal church

  • many Protestants maintain this language of lowercase ‘c’ distinguishing it from the Roman Catholic Church

Presbyter/priest

“elder”

An ordained minister who leads worship, administers sacraments, and provides spiritual guidance to the church community

• Only Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Churches call ministers “priests”

• other Protestant churches say “minister,” “pastor” “elder” or “presbyter”

• A priest is an intermediary between God and God’s people

• Priests are ordained by a bishop and usually serve a local church (parish)

bishop

“overseer”

the chief pastor and overseer of a diocese, who has authority over priests/presbyters and deacons.

● Bishops are responsible for teaching doctrine, maintaining church unity, and supervising the clergy (priests/ministers).

● They have the authority to ordain priests and deacons

● In Catholic and Orthodox Churches, bishops are part of a leadership hierarchy and their roles are very authoritative.

● Some Protestant churches (e.g., Baptist, Pentecostal, non-denominational) do not have bishops at all

Pope

“father”

● The papacy is the office of the pope,

leader of the Catholic Church

● The pope is believed to be the

successor of St. Peter

● Has authority over Catholic church

teachings, leadership, and organization

● The papacy has played a major role in

both religious and political history

Protestant Reformation

A movement to reform problems in the Catholic Church in the 1500s

● Started by Martin Luther in 1517

● He wrote the 95 Theses criticizing Church

practices, especially indulgences

● Eventually led to the creation of Protestant

churches as his reforms were opposed by the pope

● Emphasized personal faith and the Bible alone over

Church authority and traditions

Monasticism

“solitary”

A Christian vocation in which one withdraws

from ordinary society to focus on spirituality,

prayer, voluntary poverty, and communal life

● They vow celibacy, obedience to their

community, and voluntary poverty.

● Whatever property and money they have is

shared as a community.

● Monks/nuns rarely live alone (as hermits),

much more commonly in communities called

monasteries

● Monasticism is also important in Buddhism

Ecumenism

“the inhabited world”

A movement promoting unity among

Christian churches

● Encourages cooperation, dialogue,

and shared beliefs and practices

● The ecumenical movement began

in the early 20th century

● World Council of Churches is an

important ecumenical group

● Sometimes is expanded to also

include inter-religious dialogue and

global issues like peace and justice

Advent

“coming”

Season of waiting and preparing for the two comings of Jesus

• His birth in Bethlehem and His return one day in the future marks the start of the liturgical year in many Christian traditions

• Usually starts 4 Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve

• Important symbols: Advent wreath and 4 candles, one lit each Sunday.

Christmas

“Christ’s mass”

Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus

Christ. It marks when God became human in the person of Jesus Christ (the Incarnation).

• The Bible has two different infancy

narratives about Jesus’ birth, with stories

about angels, shepherds, Magi (“wise men”),

and the baby placed in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn

• The date December 25th was decided by Christians in the 4th century

Lent

“ Springtime”

An approximately 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and repentance leading up to Easter

● Commemorates the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the wilderness before his public ministry

● A time for Christians to reflect, repent, and prepare spiritually for Easter

● Many Christians practice fasting, giving something up, extra prayer, and acts of almsgiving (charity)

● Encourages Christians to identify with the Passion (suffering) and sacrifice of Jesus Christ

Easter

The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, observed on a Sunday in March or April

● The most important Christian holiday

● Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is central to Christian faith

● Represents victory over sin and death, and the promise of eternal life

● Marks the end of Lent and Holy Week (including Good Friday, the day of crucifixion)

pentecost

“Fiftieth”

A major Christian feast celebrated 50 days after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles

• often called the “birthday of the Church” because it marks the beginning of the apostles’ public ministry

• celebrates God’s presence guiding believers from within through the holy spirit

• highlights the empowerment of Christians to spread the Gospel: the holy spirit in them gives them courage and unites them