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| The view that there is no need for the law of God in the Christian life. It has appeared periodically throught church history. |
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| Opposition to or hatred of Jews. It may take the form of discrimination, arrest, or extermination. |
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| Falling away from or renouncing the Christian faith |
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| The endeavor to provide a reasoned account of the grounds for believing in the Christian faith. |
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| Writings from the intertestamental period included in the Greek translation of the OT (Septuagint) but not included in the Hebrew Bible. The Roman Catholic CHurch has recieved these as canonical scripture; protestant churches have not. |
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| Early Christian books from the 2d century that were not accepted by the church into the canon of scripture. |
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| The early period of the Christian church from apporximately AD 30 to 90 when the apostles of Jesus were still alive. |
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| An argument made without specific evidence on the basis that there is no direct evidence |
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| The chest carried by the nebrews that contained the tablets of the law. It was lost from history after the time of Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem. |
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| A mountain of Megiddo in Palestine protrayed as the place where a final battle between God and the forces of evil occurs. some interpret this as a literal occurence while others see it as a symbol of the ultimate triumph of God over all evil. |
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| The teaching of James Arminius which conflicted with CAlvinism, particularly on issues of human sinfulness, predestination, and whether or not salvation can be lost. It stressed human response to the gospel, conditional election, unlimited atonement, and resistible grace. |
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| Refers to the bodily ascension of someone to heaven. In the biblical tradition, Enoch and Elijah, were said to have left the earth in this way. |
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| Divinely given confidence that one has truly recieved salvation. |
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| Denial of the existence and reality of a god. |
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| Baptism administered only to those who make a conscious profession of Christian faith and who have reached an age of accountability (adulthood). THis practive is found in Baptist and other traditions. |
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| The administration of baptism to infants. In Roman Catholicism it is seen as necessary for salvation. In the Reformed tradition it is a sign of God's covenant of grace. Baptism is usually by sprinkling and/or a Christian congregation present. |
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| A blessing that is spoken at the close of a worship service. In the Roman Catholic tradition, a term for a service of exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It concludes with a blessing of the people with the reserved sacrament. |
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| The use of methods and procedures for studying literary and historical documents applied to the Bible. |
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| THe ways of understanding the scriptures. The methods and practives of biblical interpretaion vary widely and they have taken different forms in the history of the church. |
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| The attempt to arrange biblical teachings or themes in a more systematic way while maintaining biblical images, frameworks, and worldviews. |
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| Often used in the Bible to symbolize life, so that the shedding of blood refers to the giving of one's life. |
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| The death of Jesus Christ on the cross which effects salvation as the reestablishment of the relationship between God and sinners. |
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| Authorized Version of the Bible |
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| The King James Version. English bible translation authorized by King James I of England, which because of its beauty and rhythms has profoundly influenced Western English-speaking Christianity. |
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| God's summons to salvation or to a particular work of service, implying a divine slection. God called Moses and prophets. Jesus called apostles and others. |
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| The developed and systematized teachings of John Calvin which spread throught Europe and internationally from the 16th century to the present day. It is also called the REform tradition. Calvinism embraces both theological beliefs and a way of life. |
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| An ecclesiastical decree from a church council or church body. Also, ecclesiastical legislation; a lit of sacred books (canon of scripture); a list of saints; the central portion of the Mass, and a person with an ecclesiastical office such as a diocesan priest attached to a cathedral or a member of certain religious orders. |
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| Roman Catholic designation for the major sins of pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, enjoy, and sloth. They are "cardinal" in that they are hinges on which lesser sins turn. |
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| Roman Catholics desination for the seven major virtues of faith, hope, love, justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude. They are "cardinal" in that they are "hinges" on which lesser virtues turn. |
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| Underground tunnels used as burial grounds in which early Christians met for worship from the 2d to the early 5th centuries. Most were in Italy, particularly Rome. They developed elaborate systems of galleries, rooms, and corridors. |
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| TO instruct by word of mouth. A means of instruction, often in question-and-answer form, that conveys a summary of Christian beliefs. |
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| Term used since the 2d century to designate the Christian church throughout the world. It is oppsed to "sectarian" which refers to those who have separated from the worldwide church. It is a "mark" of the church along with "one", "holy", and "apostolic". |
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| Old English term for God's love and the love placed by God in human hearts. The term was frequently used in the KJV of the Bible for "love". It is the greatest of the theological virtues. |
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| Hebrew term for supernatural beings associated with sacred contextx in the Bible. |
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| Name given to important theologians of the early Christian church from the end of the New Testament era until approx. the 5th century. The period is also called the patristic period in reference to these theologians. |
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| The blending of general religious values, practices, rites, and symbols with those of a particular nation or political unit. |
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| Reference to the theological positions developed during the first five centuries of the Christian church. |
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| ONe who participates in the Lord's Supper service. More generally, communicants are those who are church members ad are entitled to participate. The term may be used synonymously for "church members". |
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| The practice of inviting all Christian believers, regardless of particular denominational affiliation, to participate in a celebration of the Lord's supper. |
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| In a worship service the corporate and /or private acknowledgement of sin against God or others in the form a prayer. |
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| A proclamation or statment of beliefs held by a group of Christians or individual Christians. Confessions of faith are formal standards that serve as authoritative guides to the doctrinal beliefs of a church today. |
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| The formal personal affirmation of vows of faith taken for one in baptism. In the ROman Catholic tradition it is a sacrament. In protestantism, it is not considered a sacrament. |
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| Theological description of the manifestation and the result of human sin. |
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| A formal agreement or treaty between two parties that established a relationship and in which obligations and mutual responsibilities may be enacted. Many biblical covenants are found, some provideing only divine promises while others entail obligations. |
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| A formal statement of belief. Christian churches from the early church period to the present have often constructed summary statements of Christian beliefs. |
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| The study and the investifation of biblical writings throuh many means to understand elements such as their backgrounds, forms, history, authorship, audience, message, language, circumstances, and relation to other bilcal writings. |
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| A means of bilical criticism that studies texts according to their prehistory, in oral and written stages. It emplys literary forms or genres. This is correlated with it "setting in life" to enhance understanding. |
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| A means of biblical criticism that analyzes biblical texts according to the ways in which they have been edited or "redacted". Key aspects are analysis of points where editors have redacted a text or tradition, assessing the changes, and interpreting them in light of the editor's purposes. |
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| A means of biblical criticism that analyzes biblical texts in relation to their distinctive prperties as human discourse, focusing particularly on their artistry and arguments used by biblical writers to persuade others of the truth of their beliefs. |
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| A means of biblical criticism that studies texts according to their source origins. It is a subdiscipline of historical criticism and focuses on what sources have been used in the composition of biblical texts. Notable are the JEDP( Yahwist, elohist, deuteronomist and preistly) sources identified for the Pentateuch. |
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| The form and practice of worship or the religious rites of a people. Also, a term to designate a "sect". THe term is also used to indicate adoration or devotion. |
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| Documents found in Judean caves that constitued the library in the QUmran community. A number of OT texts, the oldest in existence, were found in addition to those documents which regulated the community's life. |
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| To judge as guilty and to condemn, a prerogative that ultimately blongs only to God according to Christian theology |
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| THe ten commandments which express the will and law of God and deal with relations between humans and God as well as of humans with each other. |
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| An official pronouncement made by an authorized ecclesiastical body. The decree of an ecumenical council would be of the highest order. |
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| A practice, particularly in Baptist churches, of giving thanks in a service of worship for the birth of an infant and praying for the child's future. It functions in many respects in a parallel way with the practice of infant baptism in other churches. |
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| A theological term to indicate the state of sinfulness or wickedness in which humans apart from God exist and which is characteristic of the human state after the fall. |
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| The capacity of an agent to seek its own good. In ethics, a desire may be a perverse or a right desire, depending on whether or not it proceeds from sinful motivations. |
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| A philosophical view that alla humans and events are prescribed by the law of cause and effect so that human "freedom" is denied as a reality. In its extreme form it may be called "fatalism". |
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| Popular term for an official in the ROman Catholic Church who is to bring forth any unfavorable information or ask difficult questions in the process of having a deceased person declared "blessed" (Beautification) or a "saint" (Canonization) |
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| The view that all human life has an intrinsic worth. Theologically, it is grounded in humans as created in God's image the etics of Immanuel Kant dignity means persons are to be treated as ends rather than means. |
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| The view that all human life has an intrinsic worth. Theologically, it is grounded in humans as created in God's image the etics of Immanuel Kant dignity means persons are to be treated as ends rather than means. |
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| The church's regulation of conduct among its clergy and members through counsel, correction, and, at times, censure or excommunication. |
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| That which is taught and believed to be true by a church. IN various ways churches sanction their official teachings or doctrines. |
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| A form of praise to God, such as "glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost (Spirit)". |
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| The study of the church as a biblical and theological topic. The NT presents various images of the church that the early church struggled with as it sought its self-understanding in light of the gospel and controversies. |
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| The desire for unity among churches and believers in Jesus Christ. The concern emerges from Jesus' prayer. Churches attempt to find the visible unity that they confess they have theologically in Christ. |
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| The upbuiilding of Christias in the Christian church and thus the stengthening of their faith and devotion to God in Jesus Christ. |
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| Reading meanings "into" a biblical text as opposed to "out of" a text (Exegesis). |
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| IN early christian churches, a leader with governmental oversight. The reformed tradition distinguishes between "teaching" and "ruling" elders. |
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| The bread and wine used in the Lord's supper. |
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| Frequent Hebrew term for God in the Old Testament. The term is plural but was used to designate the one God of Israel. It has the effect of intensification: "God of gods", "The highest God". It is used in the Psalter and is a synonym for Yahweh, the selfrevealed ame of the God of Israel in other OT writings. |
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| A child in Isaiah's writings, so names as a sign of God's presence and protection. THis is seen in the Godpel of Matthew as a prophecy of the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ, who will be called "God with us". |
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| The desire to possess what belongs to aother. In the Roman Catholic tradition it is considered one of the seven deadly sins and stands as a violation of the Christian attitude of love for others. |
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| Term for one of the group of "letters" found in the NT. Also, a reading from these biblical writings in a worship service. |
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| Study of the "last things" or the end of the world. Theological dimensions include the second coming of Jesus Christ and the last judgement. |
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| The final event in history, considered by many theologians to be the return of Jesus Christ to Earth. |
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| That which is distinct from time and has no beginning or end. It is an attribute that belongs only to God. |
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| A term for the Lord's Supper deriving especially from Jesus' prayer of thanks for the bread and ine, which he related to his body and blood given for those he loved. |
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| A term for "Genetic engineering" in which, through breeding, certain characteristics or traits may be manipulated. A number of ethical issues are involved in both the elimanation of defective genes and attempts to imporve attributes. |
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| An address given at a funeral that celebrates the life of the deceased and offers "good words" on his or her behalf. Christian funeral services often seek to subordinate eulogies to the proclamation of the gospel through a sermon on Christian hope. |
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| The good news or gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. |
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| A term used in Europe for "Protestant". In America it has come to refer to one who stresses the need for a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ by faith. Some who claim the term seek to define it further in terms of theological beliefs about particular issues. |
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| In europe the term refers to Protestant churches. In America the term is generally applied interdenominationally to churches that emphasize evangelism and the need for a personal relationship with God in Jesus CHrist by faith. |
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| The sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ through a variety of means. |
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| That which opposed the will of God. It is both personal and structured oppression that takes shape in societies. It has been defined as "the absence of good" (Augustine). Distinctions are made between physical and moral evil, natural and intrinsic evil. |
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| The act of interpretig or explaining the meanings of verses or passages of scripture. |
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| The act of intepreting Scriptures and, usually, preaching from the scriptures. |
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| Materials not found within the scriptures or biblical writings. |
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