christianity

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Advent

a denomination of Protestant Christian's who believe in an imminent return of Jesus Christ

Annulment

The declaration by the Church that a marriage is null and void, that is, it never existed as a sacramental union. Catholics who divorce must have the marriage annulled by the Church to be free to marry once again in the Church.

Apostle

a messenger or one who is sent out particularly as a disciple of Jesus , commissioned to spread his teachings

apostolic successions

Term used to describe the lineage of the Catholic bishops and pope through the ages by which each holds office in a direct link to the Twelve Apostles.

Thomas aquinas

argued that the most basic religious truths could be proved by logical argument.

Augustine

(Roman Catholic Church) one of the great fathers of the early Christian church

Baptism

Sacrament by which God cleanses all sin, and one becomes a member of the church.

Benedict

Italian saint and monk, he created a set of rules for monks to follow.

Bishop

One who has received the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders and is a successor to the Apostles.

Byzantine Empire

Eastern half of the Roman Empire that survived the fall of the Western half.

John Calvin

1509-1564. French theologian. Developed the Christian theology known as Calvinism. Attracted Protestant followers with his teachings.

Cathedral

A large and important church

Chi-Rho

A symbol for Christ consisting of the first two letters of Christ in Greek

Christmas

A Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ

Emperor Constantine

Founded Constantinople; best known for being the first Christian Roman Emperor; issued the Edit of Milan in 313, granting religious toleration throughout the empire.

Crucifix

a representation of a cross with a figure of Jesus Christ on it

Crusades

A series of holy wars from 1096-1270 AD undertaken by European Christians to free the Holy Land from Muslim rule.

Church

Christian place of worship

Protestant Christianity

One of the three major traditions in Christianity (along with Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy), Protestantism began in the sixteenth century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices.

Docestism

A first-century heresy that taught that Jesus only seemed to be human

Easter

The day on which Christians celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead

Eastern Orthodox Church

Christian followers in the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire); split from Roman Catholic Church and shaped life in eastern Europe and western Asia

Ecumenical

universal; general; fostering Christian unity throughout the world

Epistles

letters found in the New Testament to the early Christian communities about God's Revelation in Jesus Christ

Eucharist

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

Evangelicalism

stresses the importance of personal conversion and faith as the means of salvation

Filioque

Latin term meaning "and from the Son"

Fundamentalism

Conservative beliefs in the Bible and that it should be literally believed and applied

Gnostic Christianity

It taught that some esoteric knowledge (or Gnosis) was necessary for salvation from the material world, which was created by some intermediary figure (or demiurge) instead of God.

Gospel

The "Good News," the story of the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and the inauguration of God's Kingdom.

Grace

A participation, or a sharing, in God's life and friendship

Great schism

the official split between the Roman Catholic and Byzantine churches that occurred in 1054

Greek cross

a cross in which all four arms are of equal length

Henry VIII

English king who created the Church of England after the Pope refused to annul his marriage (divorce with Church approval)

Heresy

the crime of holding a belief that goes against established doctrine

Jan Hus and the Hussites

Considered first reformer, burned at the stake for heresy by Pope Innocent

Bohemian national church

Ichthys

An acrostic for the Greek phrase "Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter," which is a declaration of the central tenet of the Christian Faith meaning "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior." The acrostic itself spells the word "fish" in Greek.

Icons

religious images used by eastern christians to aid their devotions

Incarnation

a person who embodies in the flesh a deity, spirit, or abstract quality.

Indulgences

Selling of forgiveness by the Catholic Church. It was common practice when the church needed to raise money. The practice led to the Reformation.

Inquisition

A Roman Catholic tribunal for investigating and prosecuting charges of heresy - especially the one active in Spain during the 1400s.

Kingdom of God

The reign of God proclaimed by Jesus and begun in his Life, Death, and Resurrection.

Latin Cross

a cross in which the vertical member is longer than the horizontal member it intersects

Lent

Traditionally, the span of forty days (excepting Sundays) between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. In the official Church calendar, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday evening with the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper. It is followed by the Triduum, the three days of the Lord's Passion, death, and Resurrection. Lent is the season during which believers focus on conversion, turning toward God more completely in their lives.

Liberation Theology

a movement within the Catholic church to understand Christianity from the perspective of the poor and oppressed, with a focus on fighting injustice

Liturgy

the official public worship of the Church

The Lord's Prayer

Our father, which in art, hallowed be thy name

Martin Luther

a German monk who became one of the most famous critics of the Roman Catholic Chruch. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses, or statements of belief attacking the church practices.

Mass

what lindsey goes to

Messiah/Christ

("Anointed One") The promised deliverer of Israel from the line of David who would establish God's rule.

Nicene Creed

The formal statement or profession of faith commonly recited during the Eucharist.

Original Sin

The first sin committed by the first human beings

Papel infallibility

The Pope with the gift by the the Holy Spirit can proclaim a doctrine of faith and morals without error.

Patriarch

Highest church official

Paul

Follower of Jesus who helped spread Christianity throughout the Roman world.

Pentecost

The fiftieth day following Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the early Apostles and disciples.

Pentecostalism

a renewal movement within Protestant Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Pope

the bishop of Rome, head of the Roman Catholic Church

Predestination

Calvin's religious theory that God has already planned out a person's life.

Protestantism

a form of Christianity that was in opposition to the Catholic Church

Protestant Principle

the right of each believer to radically rethink and interpret the ideas and values of Christianity, apart from any church authority

Purgatory

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

Relics

valued holy objects from the past

Righteousness

acting or living in a way that is ethically right and obeys God's laws

Roman Catholic Church

the Christian church headed by the pope in Rome

Sacrament

something considered to have sacred significance

saint

A "holy one" of God who lives in union with God through the grace of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit and whom God rewards with eternal life in Heaven

Transubstantion

The changing of the bread and wine in to the body and blood of jesus christ

Trinity

Father, Son, Holy Spirit (noha siman me)

John Wycliffe and the Lollards

-translated the bible from Latin to English

-believed that the Bible was the supreme authority, not the Catholic Church, and that the Church should not own property

-followers were later absorbed into other Protestant religions.

Ulrich Zwigli

A priest in Zurich. Proposed religious reforms, inspired by Martin Luther. A new church service consisting of scripture reading, prayer, and sermons replaced Catholic Mass.