Church History Vocab 4

Christendom

A time of great achievement in the Middle Ages when the Church and Western society were one. In a wider sense, the term refers to a larger territory where most people are Christian.

Crusades

A series of military expeditions made according to a solemn vow to return holy places from the possession of the Church from the Muslims.

Feudalism

The governing system that prevailed in Europe in the Middle Ages in which a superior or lord granted land to a vassal in return for military services of that vassal.

Purgatory

The final purification of all who die in God’s grace and friendship but remain imperfectly purified. Purgatory is the final cleansing of all sin and of all consequences of sin.

Thomism

Teachings that follow the theology and philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, especially from the Summa Theologiae. St. Thomas held that humans can observe the universe to reason the existence of God and that divine truths beyond what can be observed must be revealed by God.

Lay Investiture

A practice in the Middle Ages whereby secular rulers chose the bishops for their territories, thus usurping the right of the pope to choose bishops.

Muhammad

The founder of Islam, regarded as a prophet by Muslims.

Papal States

The territory in modern-day central Italy that was overseen by the pope from the eighth century until 1870.

Simony

The controversial practice of selling and buying positions within the Church. The Church condemns this practice.

Nepotism

A practice of preferential treatment for reception of Church positions based on blood relations rather than merit. Pope Innocent XII ruled against this practice in the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem in 1692

Albigensianism

A heresy that falsely taught that all matter is evil and the spirit is inherently good (with the two being therefore opposed to each other). Albigensianism spread throughout much of France in the thirteenth century.

Transubstantiation

Church teaching that holds that the substance of the bread and wine is changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ at the consecration at Mass.

Papal Inquisition

A Church tribunal established in the thirteenth century that was first designed to curb the Albigensian heresy. In collaboration with secular authorities, papal representatives employed the Inquisition to judge the guilt of suspected heretics with the aim of getting them to repent. Unfortunately, before long, many abuses crept into the process.

Conciliarism

An erroneous idea, popular in the Middle Ages, that an ecumenical council of the Church had more authority than the pope and could depose him if they so desired.

scholasticism

The theological system that arose during the Middle Ages, developed notably by St. Thomas Aquinas, balancing faith and reason and relying heavily on classical philosophy and the Church Fathers.