Church History Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from church history, including the Pilgrim Church, Reformation, Great Schism, Hypostatic Union, and various heresies.

Pilgrim Church

Refers to the transitory, changeable, and imperfect phase of the Church’s life on earth as it moves through history toward the final kingdom of God.

Mission of the Church

To proclaim and spread among all peoples the Kingdom of Christ and of God to be the initial start of the Kingdom on earth.

Sign of the Times

A phrase associated with the Catholic Church during the Second Vatican Council, urging the Church to listen to and learn from the world around it.

The Great Schism

The formal and willful separation from the unity of the Church, also known as the East-West Schism.

Indulgence

An action, prayer, or sacrifice that can take away all or part of Purgatory for oneself or for another person.

Heresy

Any implicit denial of the teaching authority of the Church.

The Reformation

A major religious movement in 16th-century Europe that led to significant changes in the Christian Church.

Sola Fide

The belief that salvation could be gained through faith alone.

Sola Scriptura

The belief that the Holy Bible alone is the final and only source for matters of practices within the Church.

Council of Trent

A meeting of Bishops and other leaders to consider and rule on questions of doctrine, discipline, and other matters in response to the Reformation.

Hypostatic Union

The Christian belief that in Jesus Christ, there are two complete natures—divine and human—united in one person.

The Incarnation

The Son of God entering into time and assuming a complete human nature to himself, thus truly becoming a man for us and our salvation.

Doctrine

Any teaching of the Church, who have the authority over the disciplines and learning and understanding when it comes to God.

Arianism

The heretical belief that Jesus, as the Son of God, was created by God, thus making him subordinate to the Father.

Icon

A representation of Jesus Christ or other sacred figure, historically used in Eastern Churches to connect worshippers to God.

Docetism

The heretical belief that Jesus' body was not human but either an illusion or of celestial substance, and that therefore Jesus' suffering on the cross was only apparent.

Nestorianism

The heretical belief that Jesus Christ was two distinct persons, one human and one divine, rather than one single person.