Malankara Orthodox Church – History, Worship & Biblical Studies

Seventy vocabulary flashcards covering biblical studies, liturgy, and history from Malankara Orthodox lecture notes.

Book of Kings

Old Testament historical book that narrates the division of the united monarchy into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and Southern Kingdom (Judah).

Orthodox Liturgical Day

In the Orthodox tradition, each prayer day begins on the evening of the previous calendar day.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem’s Canon

Early Christian list of biblical books that notably excludes the Book of Revelation.

King Darius I

Persian ruler during whose reign the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Jerusalem was initiated.

Mavelikkara Padiyola (1876)

Declaration issued on 17 August 1876 affirming the autonomy of the Malankara Church under the Patriarch of Antioch.

Good Friday Benediction

A liturgical blessing that is intentionally omitted from all services held on Good Friday.

Chancel Veiling in Passion Week

The curtain before the Holy of Holies remains drawn throughout Passion Week except on Maundy Thursday and Easter.

Feast of the Holy Cross

Orthodox feast celebrated on September 14, not on Good Friday.

Bodily Worship

Orthodox teaching that authentic worship involves the full participation of the human body as well as the soul.

Patriarch Ignatius Abdul Messiah II

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch who consecrated the first Catholicos of India at Niranam in 1912.

Purim

Jewish festival commemorating the deliverance described in the Book of Esther; distinct from the Festival of Lights.

Yom Kippur

The Day of Atonement, the holiest day in Judaism; it is not called the Day of Mordechai.

Synod of Mulanthuruthy (1876)

Church assembly convened by Patriarch Peter III that reorganized the Malankara Church and upheld Syriac liturgical traditions.

Malankara Church Constitution (1934)

Document formally adopting administrative rules and defining the governance of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

Second Temple Completion (515 BC)

Year in which the reconstruction of Jerusalem’s Second Temple was finished following the Babylonian Exile.

Eniyono

Short, repetitive Syriac hymns inserted in services to regulate length and enhance beauty.

Shekinah

Hebrew term meaning the indwelling or ‘encamping’ presence of God among His people.

Catholicate Headquarters

Official seat of the Catholicos of the East, located at Devalokam, Kottayam, Kerala.

Coonan Cross Oath (1653)

Mass oath at Mattancherry where St. Thomas Christians vowed to resist Portuguese domination.

Establishment of the Catholicate (15 Sept 1912)

Date on which the Catholicate of the East was re-established in India at Kottayam.

First Malayalam Peshitta (1811)

Initial translation of the Syriac Peshitta Bible into Malayalam undertaken by Kayamkulam Philipose Ramban.

Sugeeso

Syriac word meaning ‘Resurrection,’ commonly used in liturgical texts.

Old Testament Canon (46 Books)

Number of Old Testament books recognized by the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.

Ark at Shiloh

Location in Canaan where the Israelites first placed the Ark of the Covenant after conquest.

Peshitta Bible

Authoritative Syriac version of the Scriptures recommended for use by the Malankara Orthodox Church.

Mosaic Authorship of the Pentateuch

Traditional belief that Moses wrote Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Book of Revelation

New Testament apocalyptic work depicting visions of the end times and the heavenly liturgy.

Scope of the Gospels

The four Gospels recount events from the birth of Jesus Christ up to His Ascension.

Zerubbabel

Governor of Judah who helped lead the rebuilding of the Second Temple alongside Jeshua the priest.

Judas Maccabeus

Hasmonean leader nicknamed ‘the Hammer’ who liberated Jerusalem in 164 BC.

Herod’s Temple (46 Years)

Refers to the 46-year enlargement of the Second Temple begun by King Herod the Great in 20 BC.

Synagogue Worship

Form of communal prayer and Torah study that developed among Jews during the Babylonian Exile.

Cyrus the Great

Persian king whose decree allowed exiled Jews to return and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

Melchizedek

Mysterious priest–king of Salem mentioned in Genesis, prototype of eternal priesthood.

High-Priestly Vestments

Special garments worn by the Jewish High Priest except on Yom Kippur, when simpler linen attire is used.

Month of Nisan

First month of the Hebrew religious calendar in which Passover is celebrated.

Unleavened Bread

Bread made without yeast, symbolizing haste and affliction during the Exodus.

Jubilee Year

Year following seven cycles of sabbatical years (every 50th year) that mandated liberation and land restoration.

Syrian Church Relations

Historic ecclesial and liturgical ties maintained by the Malankara Church with the Syriac Orthodox Church.

Mar Thoma I

Title taken by Archdeacon Thomas when ordained bishop after the Coonan Cross Oath.

Pulikottil Mar Dionysius I

Metropolitan who, via Royal Proclamation in 1815, assumed the throne as Malankara Metropolitan.

Baselios Marthoma Mathews III

Current Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

Constantine the Great

Roman emperor who converted to Christianity after witnessing a cross in the sky before battle.

Sixth-Hour Canonical Prayer

Noonday office of the divine hours; the Holy Eucharist on Sundays begins after it.

Commemoration of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus

Observed on Good Friday evening, recalling Christ’s burial by these righteous men.

Hanukkah

Eight-day Jewish festival celebrating the rededication of the Second Temple and the miracle of the oil.

Purohitan

Malayalam/Sanskrit term for ‘priest,’ literally ‘one who stands in front to offer sacrifice.’

Sleeba Season

Liturgical period focusing on meditation upon the Cross and its salvific significance.

Holy Saturday

Day between Good Friday and Easter, also called Joyous Saturday or Gospel Saturday.

TaNaK

Acronym for the Hebrew Bible’s three sections: Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim.

Canonical Prayer Seasons

Nine liturgical cycles: Annunciation, Nativity, Epiphany, Lent, Resurrection, Apostles, Transfiguration, Sleeba, Dedication.

Annunciation Qurbana on Good Friday

Only instance when Holy Qurbana may be celebrated on Good Friday, if the Feast of Annunciation coincides.

Booths of the Feast of Tabernacles

Temporary shelters Jews dwell in for a week to recall the wilderness journey of the Exodus.

Chancel Unveiling Moments

During Passion Week, the veil is opened only on Maundy Thursday and Easter.

Eniyono (Meaning)

Syriac hymn characterized by melodious repetition that beautifies and elongates services.

Promeon

Introductory prayer in Syriac liturgy praising the Holy Trinity and introducing the day’s theme.

Sedro

Main prayer following the Promeon, elaborating on the feast or mystery being celebrated.

Vattipanam

Fixed deposit of 3,000 gold coins placed in 1808 whose interest supports the Malankara Metropolitan.

Royal Court Verdict (1889)

Travancore Court decision confirming the authority of the Patriarch of Antioch over Malankara Church assets.

Arrival of St. Thomas in India

Traditionally dated to AD 52; the Apostle founded seven and a half Christian communities in Kerala.

Council of Jamnia

Late 1st-century gathering of Jewish scholars aiming to finalize the Hebrew biblical canon.

Yobel Year

Hebrew term for Jubilee, the 50th year of emancipation and restoration in ancient Israel.

Septuagint

Ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures produced in Alexandria during the 3rd–2nd centuries BC.

Kauma Prayer

Short office consisting of the Trisagion, the Lord’s Prayer, and a concluding peace invocation.

Biblical Canon

Authoritative list of books accepted as inspired Scripture by a religious community.

Good Friday Processions

First procession recalls Christ bearing the Cross; second symbolizes His burial in the tomb.

Jewish Feast of Pentecost

Festival 50 days after Passover marking the giving of the Law and the first-fruits harvest.

Pentateuch / Torah

First five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Synod of Diamper (1599)

Church council at Udayamperoor that sought to bring St. Thomas Christians under Latin Catholic authority.

Throne of St. Thomas

Symbol of apostolic authority and ecclesiastical succession in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.