Theology 1 Vocabulary

Theology

The study of the nature of God and religious belief.

Transcendent

Beyond or above the range of normal or merely physical human experience; surpassing the ordinary.

a) surpassing the ordinary; exceptional.
b) (of God) existing apart from and not subject to the limitations of the
material universe.

Paradox

A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that may prove to be well founded or true upon investigation.

a) a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound)
reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems
senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory.
b) a situation, person, or thing that combines contradictory features or
qualities.

Sacred

Connected with God or dedicated to a religious purpose and deserving veneration.

a) religious rather than secular.
b) (of writing or text) embodying the laws or doctrines of a religion.

Revelation

A surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way.

a) the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating
to human existence or the world.

Rituals

A religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.

a) the prescribed order of performing a ceremony, especially one
characteristic of a particular religion or church.
b) a series of actions or type of behavior regularly and invariably followed
by someone.

Relics

An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest.

a) a part of a deceased holy person's body or belongings kept as an
object of reverence.
b) an object, custom, or belief that has survived from an earlier time but
may now be outdated

Myth

A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon involving supernatural beings or events.

a) a widely held but false belief or idea.

Canon

A general law, rule, principle, or criterion by which something is judged; a collection of sacred books accepted as genuine.

a) a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine.

Doctrine

A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church or other group.

a) a stated principle of government policy, mainly in foreign or military
affairs

Dogma

A principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.

Faith

Complete trust or confidence in someone or something; strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

a) strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual
apprehension rather than proof.

Monotheism

The doctrine or belief that there is only one God.

Polytheism

The belief in or worship of more than one god.

Inspiration

A spiritual influence that occurs spontaneously and renders a person capable of thinking, speaking, or acting in ways that transcend ordinary human capacities.

Sin

Moral evil as considered from a religious standpoint; regarded as the deliberate violation of the will of God.

Christology

The branch of Christian theology relating to the person, nature, and role of Christ.

Spirituality

The quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

Religion

The belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.

a) a particular system of faith and worship.
b) a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.

Reflection

Serious thought or consideration.

Ecumenism

The principle or aim of promoting unity among the world's Christian Churches; a movement toward worldwide Christian unity.

a) movement or tendency toward worldwide Christian unity or
cooperation. The term, of recent origin, emphasizes what is viewed as
the universality of the Christian faith and unity among churches. The
ecumenical movement seeks to recover the apostolic sense of the
early church for unity in diversity, and it confronts the frustrations,
difficulties, and ironies of the modern pluralistic world. It is a lively
reassessment of the historical sources and destiny of what followers
perceive to be the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church of Jesus

Denomination

A recognized autonomous or independent branch of the Christian Church.

Moral

Concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character.

a) holding or manifesting high principles for proper conduct.
b) a lesson, especially one concerning what is right or prudent, that can
be derived from a story, a piece of information, or an experience.
c) a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is
not acceptable for them to do

Symbol

A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

Salvation History

The Bible tells the story of God’s plan to save human beings from sin and bring them to eternal life.