IB World Religions - Christianity Terms

Advent

Christian season of preparation for Christmas

Agape

fatherly love of God for humans as well as the human reciprocal love for God

All Saints Day

Nov. 1st; day in which all churches celebrate the saints, known and unknown

Amish

Protestant Christians of Anabaptist origin; have a strong sense of community and continue to insist on simplicity, rejecting the use of modern technology

Anabaptist

general term for several Reformation movements that insisted on the baptism of adult believers, as opposed to infant baptism and to pacifism

Angel

a class of supernatural or spiritual beings, understood to perform various functions on God’s behalf

Apostle

disciples of Jesus recognized as leaders of the early church

Archbishop

a bishop with authority over a particularly large or important diocese

Archdiocese

particularly large or important diocese over which the archbishop has jurisdiction

Ash Wednesday

first day of the season of fasting, penitence, and spiritual discipline and study called Lent, the six and a half weeks preceding Easter

Atonement

forgiving or pardoning of sin through the death by crucifixion of Jesus Christ

Baptism

sacrament of initiation

Bible

“books”; the book which gathers together the sacred writing of Jewish and Christian traditions

Bishop

ordained minister who supervises life in a diocese, synod, or other broad region and possesses the authority to ordain clergy to the ministry and church

Calvary

the hill on the outskirts of ancient Jerusalem on which Jesus was crucified

Cardinal

a high-ranking office in the Roman Catholic Church, conferred by the Pope and involving both ecclesiastical and administrative duties on behalf of the church

Catechism

manuel or lesson book of Christian instruction, containing essential Christian teachings

Chancel

part of the church, elevated by a few steps, where the altar and pulpit are located

Chaplain

a member of the clergy who serves in a prison, hospital, or college outside of the normal congregational life of a religious community

Christianity

religious tradition of Christians; those who confess faith in Jesus Christ, follow the path Christ taught, and gather together in the community of the church

Christmas

celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ

Church

organized and gathered religious community

Clergy

the body of ordained men and some women who are authorized to perform the priestly, pastoral, or rabbinical duties of the community

Communion

Eucharist; Lords Supper; the faithful partake as a community of the sanctified bread and wine

Confession

public or private acknowledgement of sin

Convent

a religious association and residential home of a religious order, particularly an order of women or nuns

Covenant

mutual promise or compact between two parties

Cross

central symbol of the Christian faith, pointing to the significance for the church of the whole Christ event

Deacon

minister of the church a preliminary rank of clergy below a fully ordained minister or priest

Deism

belief system that upholds the existence of a God using rational grounds

Diocese

administrative unit of the church, presided over by a bishop

Easter

festive holy day on which the church celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and victory of life over death

Episcopal

any church in which authority is vested in a bishop

Eucharist

Thanksgiving; Christians share the sanctified bread and wine, giving thanks to God, as Jesus did in sharing a meal with his disciples

Excommunication

a form of church censure, barring a person from the fellowship of the church

Friar

“brother” of a monastic order

Good Friday

the Friday before Easter; observed as the day of Christ’s crucifixion

Gospel

“good news” and the message of redemption

Grace

God’s love from humanity and the means to salvation through faith in Jesus

Holy Spirit

dynamic presence of God

Holy Thursday

the Thursday of Holy Week, the week before Easter; the day Jesus us said to have shared his final meal with his disciples before he was betrayed to the Roman authorities

Holy Week

the week preceding Easter in which the whole drama of the Christian story is recalled

Hutterites

Anabaptists who acknowledge only the baptism of believers, not infants

Icon

painted mosaic image of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the Trinity, or the saints

Incarnation

doctrine that God became flesh, assumed human nature, and became a man in the form of Jesus Christ

Jesus

historical figure considered to be the Christ, the Messiah, whose life and teachings, death and resurrection give clear evidence of Hod’s love for humankind

Joseph

earthly father of Jesus and husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus

Kingdom Hall

the name the Jehovah’s Witnesses give to their place of worship

Lent

period of forty days of preparation, study, and penitence preceding Easter

Logos

the word of God incarnate as Jesus

Lord’s Prayer

the prayer of praise, Thanksgiving, and repentance that Jesus taught his disciples

Lutheran

Protestant tradition following the theology of Martin Luther, the reformer who was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church and launched the German reformation

Mary

the mother of Jesus

Mass

the ritual the culminates the celebration of the Eucharist

Metropolitan

title given to a bishop, used in the Orthodox family of churches today

Monastery

residence of monks, or monastics

Monk

a man who renounces worldly life and is ordinarily a member of a monastic order of community

New Testament

collection of a body of writings the early Christian community came to accept as authoritative

Nicene Creed

universal creed of the Christian community worldwide, affirms the understanding of one God - as creator, Christ, and as Holy Spirit

Nun

woman who renounces worldly life and is ordinarily a member of monastic order or community

Ordination

consecration to a priestly or monastic life

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mary who is said to have appeared as an Indian woman to an Indian peasant names Juan Diego

Palm Sunday

Sunday preceding Easter when Christians commemorate Jesus’s triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem to crows cheering and waving palms of victory before him

Parish

the geographical neighborhood or area served by a church or pastor

Pastor

(from the Latin word shepherd) member of the clergy with responsibility for a particular congregation

Paul

early Jewish convert to the way of Christ, became the apostle to the Gentiles preaching the Gospel and establishing churches in Greece, Asia Minor, and Rome

Pentecost

fiftieth day after Easter and celebrated as the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the followers of Christ gathered in Jerusalem

Peter

one of the disciples of Christ, called to follow Jesus during his earthly ministry

Pope

Bishop of the Church of Rome, leader of the Roman Catholic worldwide

Protestant

range of reform movements that broke with the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation

Psalms

the Book of Psalms is cherished by both Jews and Christians as a song-book and prayer-book

Reconcilliation

uniting of believers with God through the sacrifice of Jesus

Redemption

Jesus Christ as the redeemer through his death on the cross

Repentance

recognition of the need to be saved from sin by God’s love

Resurrection

rising to life from the dead

Sacrament

the sacred rites of the Christian church

Salvation

deliverance or redemption; saving of human beings from sin and its consequences including death and separation from God

Sin

evil human act

Trinity

three natures of the One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Vatican

residence and administrative headquarters of the Pope