Religion Final Review

True Self

The core of who we are as created by God; reflects our authentic identity and vocation.

False Self

The part of us shaped by ego, fear, or societal expectations; not our true identity in God.

Double Journey

The process of becoming our true selves while deepening our relationship with God.

Vocation

A calling from God to live a life of holiness and service according to our gifts.

Universal Call to Holiness

The belief that every person is called to be holy and live in union with God.

Thomas Merton

A Trappist monk and author who wrote about contemplation and the search for the True Self.

Henri Nouwen

A Catholic priest and writer who focused on vulnerability, spirituality, and community.

The Examen

A reflective prayer practice from St. Ignatius that helps us see God in daily life.

Lectio Divina

A meditative way of reading Scripture to listen for God's voice.

Ignatian Contemplation

Praying with imagination by placing oneself in Gospel stories.

Discernment

A spiritual decision-making process to understand God's will in our lives.

Consolation

A feeling of closeness to God and peace in discernment.

Desolation

A feeling of distance from God and unrest in discernment.

Church (Ekklesia)

The community of believers called together by God; not just a building.

Apostolic Succession

The passing of leadership from the apostles through generations of bishops.

The Jesus Movement

The early group of Jesus' followers who shared his teachings and formed Christian community.

Peter (Case Study)

One of Jesus' apostles who became a key leader in the early Church.

Paul (Case Study)

A former persecutor turned apostle who spread Christianity across the Roman world.

Acts of the Apostles

A New Testament book that details the formation and spread of the early Church.

Parables

Simple stories Jesus used to teach spiritual truths.

Church Fathers

Early Christian theologians and leaders who shaped Church doctrine and identity.

Augustine

Influential theologian who wrote about grace, sin, and the City of God.

Council of Nicaea (325)

Defined Jesus as truly divine and human; created the Nicene Creed.

Council of Chalcedon (451)

Confirmed Christ's dual nature—fully human and fully divine.

Edict of Milan (313)

Legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine.

Perpetua & Felicity

Early Christian martyrs known for their faith and courage in persecution.

Monasticism

A way of life focused on prayer, work, and community apart from society.

Rule of St. Benedict

A guide for monastic life emphasizing balance, obedience, and hospitality.

Mendicants

Religious orders that lived by begging and served the poor through preaching and charity.

St. Francis of Assisi

Founder of the Franciscans who lived in poverty and embraced all creation.

St. Dominic Guzman

Founder of the Dominicans, a preaching order focused on education and truth.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Dominican theologian who united faith and reason through Scholasticism.

Martin Luther

A German monk who started the Protestant Reformation by criticizing Church abuses.

Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church's response to the Reformation, including reforms and new orders.

Society of Jesus (Jesuits)

A Catholic order founded by Ignatius Loyola focused on education and missionary work.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Founder of the Jesuits; emphasized discernment and finding God in all things.

The Spiritual Exercises

A set of meditations and prayers developed by Ignatius for spiritual growth.

Rerum Novarum

An 1891 encyclical by Pope Leo XIII addressing workers' rights and social justice.

Dorothy Day

Co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement and advocate for the poor and peace.

Liberation Theology

A movement focusing on God as a liberator of the oppressed and prioritizing the poor.

Gustavo Gutierrez

Founder of Latin American Liberation Theology; emphasized God's love for the poor.

James H. Cone

Theologian who founded Black Liberation Theology, connecting faith to racial justice.

See-Judge-Act

A method of reflection used to respond to injustice through awareness, analysis, and action.

Vatican II

A major Church council (1962-1965) that modernized Catholicism and promoted renewal.

Gaudium et Spes

Vatican II document on the Church's role in the modern world.

Lumen Gentium

Vatican II document describing the Church as the People of God.

Nostra Aetate

Vatican II document promoting respect and dialogue with non-Christian religions.

Six Models of the Church

Framework by Avery Dulles describing different roles the Church plays—Institution, Mystical Communion, Sacrament, Herald, Servant, and Community of Disciples.

Major Church Councils

Key gatherings of Church leaders to define doctrine; includes Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), and Vatican II (1962-1965).

Conversion Experience

A profound transformation of heart or perspective, often leading a person to live more in line with God's call.

Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

Dignity of the human person, common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, option for the poor, rights and responsibilities, care for creation.

Jesus Movement/Early Church

The origin of Christianity, rooted in Jesus' teachings and the first Christian communities.

Church Fathers (Patristics)

Theologians and leaders in early Christianity who defined doctrine and responded to heresies.

Age of the Martyrs

Time when Christians were persecuted and many gave their lives for their faith.

Beginning of Monasticism

Movement of Christians seeking spiritual growth through solitude, prayer, and community.

Mendicant Movement

Reform movement in the Church led by orders like the Franciscans and Dominicans, emphasizing poverty and preaching.

Apostolic Missionaries (Jesuits)

Missionaries from the Society of Jesus who spread the Gospel globally with emphasis on education and inculturation.

Catholic Social Teaching

Church's body of doctrine on social justice, human dignity, and the common good.

Second Vatican Council

A Church council (1962-1965) that aimed to renew the Church for the modern world with documents like Gaudium et Spes and Lumen Gentium.

James Martin, SJ

Jesuit priest and author of Becoming Who You Are, which explores spiritual identity through the True Self and writings of saints.

Becoming Who You Are (Book)

James Martin's book that explores vocation, True Self, and spiritual growth inspired by Merton and Nouwen.