Theology Final Vocab

Concupiscence

The tendency of all human beings toward sin, as a result of Original Sin.

Polytheism

Belief in many gods

Ark of the Covenant

A sacred chest that housed the tablets of the Ten Commandments. It was placed within the sanctuary where God would come and dwell.

Sacred Tradition

The living transmission of the Church's Gospel message found in the Church's teaching, life, and worship

Original Justice

The state of complete harmony of our first parents with themselves, with each other, and with all of creation.

Paschal Mystery

The work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ mainly through his Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension.

Spiritual Sense

A form of biblical interpretation that goes beyond the literal sense to consider what the realities and events of the Scriptures signify and mean for salvation.

The Fall

Also called the Fall from grace, the biblical Revelation about the origins of sin and evil in the world, expressed figuratively in the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis.

Sacred Scripture

The inspired Word of God; the written record of God's Revelation.

Original Holiness

The original state of human beings in their relationship with God, sharing in the divine life in full communion with him.

Theophany

An appearance or manifestation of God to humans

Confederation

an organization that consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league.

Patriarch

the male head of a family or tribe

Torah

The first five books of Jewish Scripture, which they believe are by Moses, are called this

Literary Genres

Styles of writing found in the Bible; these help us discover the message the author intended

Parousia

The Second Coming of Christ when the Lord will judge the living and the dead.

Original Sin

The fallen state of human nature into which all generations of people are born

Holy Spirit

3rd person of the Trinity who guides the Church; Advocate

Etiology

A story that explains something's cause or origin.

Primeval History

the time before the invention of writing and recording of historical data

Soul

Our spiritual principle, it is immortal, and it is what makes us most like God. Our soul is created by God. It is the seat of human consciousness and freedom.

Circumcision

The surgical removal of the male foreskin; it was the physical sign of the covenant between God and Abraham.

Satan

The fallen angel or spirit of evil who is the enemy of God and a continuing instigator of temptation and sin in the world.

Temptation

An invitation or enticement to commit an unwise or immoral act that often includes a promise of reward to make the immoral act seem more appealing.

Literal Sense

the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation

New Covenant

The climax of Salvation History, the coming of Jesus Christ, the fullness of God's Revelation.

Angel

A spiritual, personal, and immortal creature, with intelligence and free will, who glorifies God without ceasing and who serves God as a messenger of his saving plan.

Trinity

The truth that God, although one, is three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Monarchy

A government ruled by a king or queen

Analogy of Faith

The coherence of individual doctrines with the whole of Revelation. In other words, as each doctrine is connected with Revelation, each doctrine is also connected with all other doctrines.

Fiat

Mary's response of consent at the Annunciation; a Latin word meaning "let it be done."

Poverty of Heart

The recognition of our deep need for God and the commitment to put God above everything else in life, particularly above the accumulation of material wealth.

Christology

The branch of Christian theology that studies the nature, Person, and works of Jesus Christ.

Synoptic Gospels

From the Greek for "seeing the whole together," the name given to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, because they are similar in style and content.

Exorcism

the act of freeing someone from demonic possession

Expiation

the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing

Passover

The night the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites marked by the blood of the lamb, and spared the firstborn sons from death. It also is the feast that celebrates the deliverance of the Chosen People from bondage in Egypt and the Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Chastity

The virtue by which people are able to successfully and healthfully integrate their sexuality into their total person; recognized as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Also one of the vows of religious life.

Son of Man

A title Jesus used to refer to himself. It emphasizes both Jesus' humanity and divinity.

Eucharist

A Christian sacrament commemorating the Last Supper by consecrating bread and wine.

Paschal Lamb

In the Old Testament, the sacrificial lamb shared at the seder meal of the Passover on the night the Israelites escaped from Egypt; in the New Testament, the \____________________ is Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God who dies on a cross to take away "the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

Passion

Jesus' suffering and death

Chaplain

A person chosen to conduct religious exercises for the military, the chapel of an institution or a fraternal organization.

Incarnation

From the Latin, meaning "to become flesh," referring to the mystery of Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, becoming man. In the \_______________, Jesus Christ became truly man while remaining truly God.

Conscience

An inner feeling of the rightness or wrongness of an action

Lord

A title for Jesus which translates the Greek word Kurios, which rendered the Hebrew word for God. To call Jesus "\______" is to call him God.

Immaculate Conception

Mary was conceived without original sin

Annunciation

The announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that God wanted her to be the Mother of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Foreshadowed

indicated a future event

Redeem

to turn in and receive something in exchange; to make up for

Kingdom of God

The culmination or goal of God's plan of salvation, the \____________________ is announced by the Gospel and present in Jesus Christ. The Kingdom is the reign or rule of God over the hearts of people and, as a consequence of that, the development of a new social order based on unconditional love. The fullness of God's Kingdom will not be realized until the end of time. Also called the Reign of God or the Kingdom of Heaven.

Theotokos

A Greek title for Mary meaning "God bearer"

Apostles

12 men Jesus had chosen to help Him in his teaching

Procurator

A word used to describe Roman governors. These men had administrative and legal authority over a province or region of the Roman Empire.

Corruptible

able to be influenced into doing something that breaks away from the rules; able to become bad

Ascension

The "going up" into Heaven of the Risen Christ forty days after his Resurrection.

Beatific Vision

Directly encountering and seeing God in the glory of Heaven.

Heaven

A state of eternal life and union with God, in which one experiences full happiness and the satisfaction of the deepest human longings.

Chief Priests

These were Jewish priests of high rank in the Temple. They had administrative authority and presided over important Temple functions and were probably leaders in the Sanhedrin.

Doctor of the Church

A title officially bestowed by the Church on those saints who are highly esteemed for their theological writings, as well as their personal holiness.

Resurrection of the Dead

The raising of the righteous on the last day, to live forever with the Risen Christ. The resurrection of the dead means that not only our immortal souls will live on after death, but also our transformed bodies.

Paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Sanctifying Grace

The grace that heals our human nature wounded by sin and restores us to friendship with God by giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity. It is a supernatural gift of God, infused into our souls by the Holy Spirit, that continues the work of making us holy.

Hell

The state of permanent separation from God, reserved for those who freely and consciously choose to reject God to the very end of their lives.

Sanhedrin

The seventy-one member supreme legislative and judicial body of the Jewish people. Many of its members were Sadducees.

Resurrection

The act of rising from the dead

Biblical Exegesis

The explanation or critical interpretation of a passage of sacred scripture

Venial Sin

A less serious offense against the will of God that diminishes one's personal character and weakens but does not rupture one's relationship with God.

Theological Virtues

The name for the God-given virtues of faith, hope, and love. These virtues enable us to know God as God and lead us to union with him in mind and heart.

Purgatory

A state of final purification or cleansing, which one may need to enter following death and before entering Heaven

Blasphemy

the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.

Gnosticism

A group of heretical religious movements that claimed salvation comes from secret knowledge available only to the elite initiated in that religion

Righteous

morally right or justifiable

Mortal Sin

very serious sin that breaks a person's friendship with God

Particular Judgement

The individual's judgement immediately after death, when Christ will,rule on one's eternal destiny to be spent in Heaven (after purification in Purgatory, if needed) or in Hell.

Holiness

a participation in God's goodness and a response to God's love by the way that we live

Hermit

A person who lives a solitary life in order to commit himself or herself more fully to prayer and in some cases to be completely free for service to others.

Virtue

behavior showing high moral standards

Consecrate

to make sacred, hallow; to set apart for a special purpose

Catechesis

the process by which Christians of all ages are taught the essentials of Christian doctrine and are formed as disciples of Christ

Vice

immoral or wicked behavior

Grace

God's gift of friendship and life that enables us to share his life and love

Catechists

Teachers of the faith. They are ordained ministers and laypeople who help make Christian disciples.

Interiority

The practice of developing a life of self-reflection and self-examination to attend to your spiritual life and your call to holiness.

Leprosy

A skin and nerve disease that causes open sores on the body and can lead to serious complications and death

Laity

Baptized Catholics who share in Jesus' mission and continue his work on earth but are not ordained

Fortitude

courage in pain or adversity

Prayer

Lifting up one's mind and heart to God in praise, petition, thanksgiving, and intercession; communication with God in a relationship of love.

Blessing

A prayer asking that God care for a particular person, place, or activity. A simple blessing is usually made with the Sign of the Cross.

Adoration

The prayerful acknowledgment that God is God and Creator of all that is.

Petition

A formal message requesting something that is submitted to an authority

Intercession

A prayer on behalf of another person or group

Thanksgiving

A prayer of gratitude for the gift of life and the gifts of life.

Praise

A prayer of acknowledgment that God is God, giving God glory not for what he does, but simply because he is.

Doxology

A prayer of praise to the Blessed Trinity

Vocal Prayer

A prayer that is spoken aloud or silently, such as the Lord's Prayer.

Meditation

Engages the mind with the use of thoughts and imagination, such as Lectio

Contemplation

Wordless prayer whereby a person's mind and heart rest in God's goodness and majesty, such as mystics

Mysticism

A form of religious belief and practice involving sudden insight and intense experiences of God

Spirituality

anything that pertains to a person's relationship with a nonmaterial life force or higher power