key words

will: the part of human nature that makes free choices

sin: disobeying the will and commands of God

Grace: in theological terms, God’s free and undeserved love for humanity, epitomised in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross

The Fall: the Biblical event in which Adam n Eve disobeyed God’s command and ate the fruit from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden; also used to refer to the imperfect state of humanity

neoplatonism: philosophical thinking arising from the ideas of Plato

redeemed: in theological terms, ‘saved’ from sin by the sacrifice of Christ

concordia: human friendship

cupiditas: ‘selfish love’, a love of wordly things and of selfish desires

Caritas: ‘generous love’, a love of others and of the virtues; the Latin equivalent of the Greek work agape

Concupiscence: uncontrollable desire for physical pleasures and material tings

ecclesia: heavenly society, i contrast with earthly society

summum bonum: the highest, most supreme good

lapsarian: related to the english word ‘lapse’; mankind’s fall into sin was a ‘lapse’ in that it was a ‘slip’/’falling’ from original state of innocence

pre-lapsarian: before the Fall

post-lapsarian: after the Fall