Christianity - World Religions

apostles

Jesus’ disciples

Apolistic Succession

spiritual authority conferred by Jesus on the apostles has been transmitted through a line of bishops, who are their sucessors

Baptism

sacrament where individual is cleansed of sin and admitted to the church

Bishop

supervises other priests and congregations in a region (called dioceses) in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches

Epiphany

holiday celebrating the “manifestation” of the divinity of baby Jesus, celebrated by Western Christians on Jan 6

Eucharist

last supper of Jesus shared w disciples. bread and wine

Evangelicalism

protestant movement that stresses the importance of conversion and being saved

Fundamentalism

fought for “traditional” values against feminism, gay rights, etc. (they considered these threats by modern culture)

Icons

painted images of Christ and the Saints in the Orthodox church

Inquisition

investigation and suppression of heresy (opinions that go against teachings of the church) by Roman Catholic Church.

John Calvin

One of the leading figures of the Protestant Reformation, notable for his writings and emphasis on the power of God

liturgy

“a work of the people” in honor of God. The basic order of worship in Christian churches consisting of prescribed prayers, readings, and rituals

logos (word)

Gospel of John uses logos in the sense of the “divine reason” through which God created and sustains the universe

Martin Luther

German monk who was the original leader and one of the seminal thinkers of the Protestant Reformation.

messiah

“anointed one” refers to kings and priests, who were anointed with consecrated oil

Nicene creed

A profession of faith formulated by the Councils of Nicea, articulates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.

original sin

states that the sin of Adam and Eve affected all of humanity, so that all human beings are born with a sinful nature.

Orthodox Church

the Eastern branch of Christianity that separated from the Western branch, Also known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Catholic Church

parables

stories that employed vivid images from everyday life to illustrate spiritual truths.

Paul of Tarsus

first-century apostle who founded churches throughout Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece, was also the author of many of the letters, or epistles, found in the New Testament.

Pentecost

holiday celebrated by Christians in commemoration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus as described in the second chapter of the New Testament book of Acts

Pentecostalism

primarily Protestant movement that emphasizes the importance of spiritual renewal and the experience of God through baptism in the Holy Spirit

Protestant Christianity

One of the three major traditions in Christianity, began in the sixteenth century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices.

purgatory

intermediate state between earthly life and heaven in which the debt for unconfessed sin is expiated

roman catholic church

recognizes the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, or the pope, has historically been the dominant church in the West

rosary

a traditional form of Roman Catholic devotion in which practitioners make use of a string of beads in reciting prayers.

sacraments

rituals in which material elements such as bread, wine, water, and oil serve as visible symbols of an invisible grace conveyed to recipients

saints

A “holy person”, belief in their intercession on behalf of the living are important features of Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christianity.

scholasticism

medieval effort to reconcile faith and reason using the philosophy of Aristotle.

transubstantiation

According to this Roman Catholic doctrine, the bread and wine consecrated by a priest in the Eucharist become the body and blood of Christ and retain only the appearance, not the substance, of bread and wine.

trinity

describes God as one in essence but consisting in three “persons”: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit