Christian Theology Vocabulary

Agnosticism – The belief that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable.

Anabaptism – A Christian movement that emerged during the Reformation, emphasizing believer's baptism, nonviolence, and separation from state influence.

Annihilationism – The doctrine that the wicked will ultimately be destroyed rather than suffer eternal torment in hell.

Arianism – A heretical belief that denies the full divinity of Christ, teaching that Jesus was a created being and not co-eternal with the Father.

Arminianism – A theological system emphasizing free will, prevenient grace, and conditional election, in contrast to Calvinism.

Atheism – The rejection of belief in any god or divine being.

Atonement – The doctrine of how Christ's death reconciles sinners to God, encompassing various models like penal substitution and Christus Victor.

Calvinism – A theological system emphasizing God's sovereignty, predestination, and the five points of TULIP (Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, etc.).

Cessationism – The belief that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased after the apostolic age.

Charismatic – A movement within Christianity that emphasizes spiritual gifts, including prophecy, tongues, and healing.

Christology – The study of the person and work of Jesus Christ, particularly His divine and human natures.

Conditionalism – A view that eternal life is granted only to the righteous, and the wicked will ultimately perish (often linked to annihilationism).

Christus Victor – A model of the atonement that sees Christ’s death as defeating sin, death, and the devil.

Deism – The belief that God created the universe but does not intervene in human affairs.

Depravity (Total) – The doctrine that every part of human nature is affected by sin, making humans unable to seek God without divine grace.

Determinism – The belief that all events, including human actions, are predetermined by God or natural laws.

Dispensationalism – A theological system that sees history as divided into distinct periods (dispensations) in which God interacts with humanity differently.

Docetism – A heresy claiming that Christ only appeared to have a human body but was purely divine.

Dogma – Essential doctrines of the Christian faith, held as authoritative by the church.

Ecclesiology – The study of the church, its structure, purpose, and function.

Ecumenical – Efforts or movements toward Christian unity across different denominations.

Election – The doctrine that God chooses certain individuals for salvation.

Eschatology – The study of the end times, including topics like the Second Coming and the final judgment.

Eucharist – The sacrament of Holy Communion, commemorating Christ’s death and resurrection.

Evangelical – A movement within Protestantism emphasizing personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and evangelism.

Ex Nihilo – The doctrine that God created the universe out of nothing.

Expiation – The removal of sin and guilt through Christ’s sacrifice.

Fideism – The belief that faith is independent of reason and that religious beliefs do not require rational justification.

Fundamentalism – A movement emphasizing the inerrancy of Scripture and adherence to core Christian doctrines.

Glorification – The final stage of salvation, in which believers are perfected and enter eternal glory with God.

Gnosticism – An early heresy teaching that salvation comes through secret knowledge (gnosis) and often denying Christ’s true humanity.

Hypostatic Union – The doctrine that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man in one person.

Imago Dei – The belief that humans are created in the image of God, reflecting His attributes.

Immanence – The theological concept that God is actively present in and involved with His creation.

Immutable – The belief that God is unchanging in His nature and promises.

Imputation – The doctrine that Christ’s righteousness is credited to believers, and their sin is placed upon Him.

Incarnation – The doctrine that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ.

Inerrancy – The belief that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is without error.

Infallibility (Biblical) – The belief that the Bible is completely trustworthy in all matters of faith and practice.

Inspiration – The doctrine that the Bible is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Justification – The act by which God declares sinners righteous through faith in Christ.

Kenosis – The idea from Philippians 2:7 that Christ "emptied Himself" in taking on human form.

Liberalism – A theological approach that often emphasizes reason, experience, and moral teachings over doctrinal orthodoxy.

Monergism – The belief that salvation is entirely the work of God, without human cooperation.

Monotheism – The belief in one God.

Monophysitism – The heretical belief that Christ has only one nature, blending the divine and human.

Omnipotence – The attribute of God that He is all-powerful.

Omnipresence – The belief that God is present everywhere at all times.

Omniscience – The doctrine that God knows everything.

Open Theism – The belief that God does not have exhaustive foreknowledge of future free human actions.

Original Sin – The doctrine that all humans inherit a sinful nature from Adam.

Orthodoxy – Right belief or doctrine, often in line with historical Christian creeds.

Paedobaptism – The practice of baptizing infants.

Pantheism (and Panentheism) – Pantheism: God is identical with the universe. Panentheism: God is in all things but also transcendent.

Parousia – The Second Coming of Christ.

Pelagianism – The heresy denying original sin and asserting that humans can achieve salvation without divine grace.

Penal-Substitution – A model of atonement where Christ takes the penalty for human sin.

Eternal Security – The belief that true believers cannot lose their salvation.

Polytheism – The belief in multiple gods.

Postmodernism – A philosophical movement that often challenges absolute truth, impacting theological interpretations.

Predestination – The doctrine that God has foreordained all events, particularly concerning salvation.

Prevenient Grace – The grace that precedes human decision, enabling free will to respond to God.

Priesthood of All Believers – The belief that all Christians have direct access to God without the need for an intermediary priest.

Propitiation – The appeasement of God's wrath through Christ’s sacrifice.

Protestant – A branch of Christianity that broke from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation.

Rapture – The belief that believers will be taken up to be with Christ before or during the tribulation.

Reconciliation – The restoration of a right relationship between God and humanity through Christ.

Regeneration – The act of being born again through the Holy Spirit.

Righteousness – The moral perfection required by God, imputed to believers through Christ.

Sacrament – A sacred rite, such as baptism or communion, instituted by Christ.

Salvation – Deliverance from sin and its consequences through faith in Jesus Christ.

Sanctification – The process of becoming more like Christ.

Sola Scriptura – The Protestant doctrine that Scripture alone is the ultimate authority in faith and practice.

Soteriology – The study of salvation.

Synergism – The belief that human cooperation with divine grace plays a role in salvation.

Theodicy – The defense of God's goodness in light of the existence of evil.

Tribulation – A period of suffering and turmoil preceding Christ’s return.

Trinity – The doctrine that God is one in essence but three in persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Universalism – The belief that all people will ultimately be saved.

Wesleyan Quadrilateral – A theological method emphasizing Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.