PHIL 1310 CHRISTIANITY

kingdom of God

the liturgy (from Greek, leitourgia, "a work of the people" in honor of God) is the basic order of worship in Christian churches. It consists of prescribed prayers, readings, and rituals.

Sacraments

the sacraments are rituals in which material elements such as bead, wine, water, and oil serve as visible symbols of an invisible grace conveyed to recipients.

Sin

the violation of God's will in thought or action.

Itinerant minister

(also known as an itinerant preacher or evangelist or circuit riders) is a Christian evangelist who preaches the basic Christian redemption message while traveling around to different groups of people within a relatively short period of time.[1] The movement is different than longer term church planting missions and discipleship.

Luther, Martin (1483 - 1536)

A German monk who criticized Roman Catholic doctrines and practices in his Ninety-Five Theses (1517) Luther was the original leader and one of the seminal thinkers of the Protestant Reformation.

Paul of Tarsus

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

Orthodox Church

Also known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Orthodox Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church is the Eastern branch of Christianity that separated from the Western branch (Roman Catholic) in 1054.

Original Sine

Formulated by St. Augustine in the fouth century, the doctrine of Original Sin states that the sin of Adam and Eave affected all of humanity, so that all human beings are born with a sinful nature.

Logos

In its most basic sense, the Greek logos means "words," but also means "rational principle," "reason," "divine reason." The Gospel of John uses logos in the sense of the divine reason" through which God created and sustains the universe when it states that "the Word became flesh" in Jesus Christ (John 1:14).

Messiah

In the old Testament, the Hebrew word "messiah" ("anointed one") refers to one who has been set apart by God for some special purpose and, in particular, the liberation of the Jewish people from oppression. In Christianity, Jesus of Nazareth is recognized as fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah.

Cilicia

Middle Persian: klkyʾy, Parthian: kylkyʾ, Turkish: Kilikya) was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine Empire. Cilicia extends inland from the southeastern coast of modern Turkey, due north and northeast of the island of Cyprus.

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.

bishop

Responsible for supervising other priests and their congregations within specific regions known as dioceses, bishops are regarded by Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians as successors of the apostles.

Kingdom of heaven

The concept of the kingship of God appears in all Abrahamic religions, where in some cases the terms Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are also used. The notion of God's kingship goes back to the Hebrew Bible, which refers to "his kingdom" but does not include the term "Kingdom of God".[1][2] The "Kingdom of God" (Greek: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, Basileia tou Theou) and its equivalent form "Kingdom of Heaven" (Βασιλεία τῶν Ουρανῶν, Basileia tōn Ouranōn) in the Gospel of Matthew is one of the key elements of the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.[3] Drawing on Old Testament teachings, the Christian characterization of the relationship between God and humanity inherently involves the notion of the "Kingship of God".[4][5] The Quran does not include the term "kingdom of God", but refers to Abraham seeing the "Kingdom of the heavens".[6] However, Bahá'í writings do use the term "kingdom of God".[7]

Inquisition

The investigation and suppression of heresy by the Roman Catholic Church, the Inquisition began in the twelfth century and was formally concluded in the middle of the nineteenth century.

evangelicalism

This Protestant movement stress the importance of the conversion experience, the Bible as the only reliable authority in matters of faith, and preaching the gospel. In recent decades, evangelicalism has become a major force in North American Christianity.

Perntecostalism

a movement that emphasizes the importance of spiritual renewal and the experience of God through baptism in the Holy Spirit, Pentecostalism is a primarily Protestant movement that has become extremely popular in recent decades.

Lord's Prayer

a prayer attributed to Jesus, the Lord's Prayer serves as a model of prayer for Christians. Also known as the "Our Father" (since it begins with these words), its most familiar form is found in the Gospel of Matthew (6:9-13).

Nicene Creed

a profession of faith formulated by the Cuncils of Nicca (325) and Constantinople (381), the Nicene Creed articulates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.

saint

a saint is a "holy person" (Latin sanctus). Veneration of the saints and belief in their intercession on behalf of the living is an important feture of Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christianity.

Trinity

according to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, God is a single divine substance or essence consisting in three "persons".

parable

according to the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus made extensive use of parables - short, fictional stories that use the language and imagery of everyday life to illustrate moral and religious truths.

apostolic succession

according to this Roman Catholic and Orthodox doctrine, the spritual authority conferred by Jesus on the apostles has been transmitted through an unbroken line of bishops, who are their successors.

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.

Saint Peter

also known as Simon Peter, was an early Christian leader, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ according to the New Testament, and the first bishop of Rome. Peter is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles and is venerated as a saint and the first Pope by the Catholic Church,[3] the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Oriental Orthodoxy.[4] The son of John (or Jonah or Jona),[5] he was from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee or Gaulanitis. His brother Andrew was also an apostle. Two general epistles are ascribed to Peter, although the majority of Biblical scholarship rejects the Petrine authorship of both.[6][7] The Gospel of Mark was traditionally thought to show the influence of Peter's preaching and eyewitness memories. Several other books bearing his name—the Acts of Peter, Gospel of Peter, Preaching of Peter, Apocalypse of Peter, and Judgment of Peter—are rejected by the Catholic Church as apocryphal.[8][9][10] According to New Testament accounts, Peter was one of twelve apostles chosen by Jesus from his first disciples. Originally a fisherman, he was assigned a leadership role and was with Jesus during events witnessed by only a few apostles, such as the Transfiguration. According to the Gospels, he confessed Jesus as the Messiah,[11] was part of Jesus' inner circle,[12] walked on water,[13] denied Jesus,[14] and preached on the day of Pentecost.[15] According to Christian tradition, Peter is said to have been crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero Augustus Caesar. It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own request, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus Christ. Catholic tradition holds that Saint Peter's site of crucifixion is located in the Clementine Chapel, while his mortal bones and remains are contained in the underground Confessio of St. Peter's Basilica, where Pope Paul VI announced the excavated discovery of a first-century Roman cemetery in 1968. Every June 29 since 1736, a statue of Saint Peter has been crowned in St. Peter's Basilica with a papal tiara, ring of the fisherman, and papal vestments, as part of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.

eucharist

also known as the Lord's supper and Holy Communion, the Eucharist is a sacrament cerebrated with consecrated bread and wine in commemoration of Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples.

Easter

an annual holiday commemoating the resurrection of Christ, Easter is a "movable feast" whose date changes from year to year, though it is always celebrated in spring (as early as March 22 and as late as May 8).

Epiphany

an annual holiday commemorating the "manifestation" of the divinity of the infant Jesus, Epiphany is celebrated by most Western Christians on January 6. Most Eastern Christians observe it on January 19.

Christman

an annual holiday commenorating the birth of Jesus, Christmas is observed by Western Christians on December 25, While many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on this date, others ovbserve the holiday on January 7.

Barnabas

born Joseph, was an early Christian, one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem.[2][3] According to Acts 4:36 Barnabas was a Cypriot Jew. Named an apostle in Acts 14:14, he and Paul the Apostle undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts against the Judaizers.[2] They traveled together making more converts (c 45-47), and participated in the Council of Jerusalem (c 50).[4] Barnabas and Paul successfully evangelized among the "God-fearing" Gentiles who attended synagogues in various Hellenized cities of Anatolia.[5] Barnabas' story appears in the Acts of the Apostles, and Paul mentions him in some of his epistles.[2] Tertullian named him as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews,[2] but this and other attributions are conjecture.[6] Clement of Alexandria ascribed the Epistle of Barnabas to him, but that is highly improbable.[7] Although the date, place, and circumstances of his death are historically unverifiable, Christian tradition holds that Barnabas was martyred at Salamis, Cyprus, in 61 AD.[2] He is traditionally identified as the founder of the Cypriot Orthodox Church. The feast day of Barnabas is celebrated on June 11.[2] Barnabas is usually identified as the cousin of Mark the Evangelist on the basis of Colossians 4.[8] Some traditions hold that Aristobulus of Britannia, one of the Seventy Disciples, was the brother of Barnabas.

Damascus

commonly known in Syria as ash-Sham (Arabic: الشام‎ ash-Shām) and nicknamed as the City of Jasmine (Arabic: مدينة الياسمين‎ Madīnat al-Yāsmīn), is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo. It borders Quneitra, Daraa and As-Suwayda to the south, Jordan to the east, Homs to the north, and Lebanon to the west. It is also the capital city of one of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major cultural and religious center of the Levant. The city has an estimated population of 1,711,000 (2009 est.).[1] Located in southwestern Syria, Damascus is the center of a large metropolitan area of 2.6 million people (2004).[3] Geographically embedded on the eastern foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range 80 kilometres (50 mi) inland from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean on a plateau 680 metres (2,230 ft) above sea-level, Damascus experiences a semi-arid climate due to the rain shadow effect. The Barada River flows through Damascus. First settled in the second millennium BC, it was chosen as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. After the victory of the Abbasid dynasty, the seat of Islamic power was moved to Baghdad. Damascus saw a political decline throughout the Abbasid era, only to regain significant importance in the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. During Ottoman rule, the city decayed completely while maintaining a certain cultural prestige. Today, it is the seat of the central government and all of the government ministries.

grace

derived from the Latin gratia (a "gift" or "love" refers to god's love for humanity, expressed in Jesus Christ and through the sacraments.

purgatory

in Roman Catholicism, purgatory is an intermediate state between earthly life and heaven in which the debt for unconfessed sin is expiated.

Gospel

in its most general sense, "gospel" means the "good news" (from Old English godspel which translates the Greek evangelion) about Jesus Christ. The New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are proclamation of the good news concerning the life, teachings, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Cephas

in the Gospels, Jesus' name for St. Peter. It is a transliteration of the Aramaic word for rock, and identical in meaning with "Peter" in Greek.

apostle

in the New Testament, Jesus' siciples, sent out to preach and baptize, called apostles (Greek apostolos, "one who is sent out"). Paul of Tarsus and some other early Christian leaders also claimed this title. Because of their close association with Jesus, the apostles were accorded a place of honor in the early Church.

church

in the broadest sense, "church" refers to the universal community of Christians, but the term can also refer to a particualr tradition within Christianity (such as the Roman Catholic Church or the Lutheran Church) or to an individual congregation of Christians.

Arabia

is a peninsula of Western Asia situated north-east of Africa. The area is an important part of the Asian continent and plays a critical geopolitical role of the Middle East and Arab World due to its vast reserves of oil and natural gas. The peninsula formed as a result of the rifting of the Red Sea between 56 and 23 million years ago, and is bordered by the Red Sea to the west, the Persian Gulf to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the southeast.

Gospel of Matthew

is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. The narrative tells how the Messiah, Jesus, having been rejected by Israel, finally sends the disciples to preach his Gospel to the whole world, baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.[1] The Gospel of Matthew was composed between 70 and 110, with most scholars preferring the period 80-90.[2] The anonymous author was probably a highly educated Jew, intimately familiar with the technical aspects of Jewish law, and the disciple Matthew was probably honored within his circle as the source of much of the tradition.[3] He drew on three main sources to compose his gospel: the Gospel of Mark; the hypothetical collection of sayings known as the Q source; and material unique to his own community,[4] all of which probably derived ultimately from earlier oral gospel traditions.[5]

New Testament

is the second major part of the Christian biblical canon, the first part being the Old Testament. Although Christians hold different views from Jews about the Old Testament—that is, the Hebrew Scriptures—Christians regard both the Old and New Testaments together as sacred scripture. The contents of the New Testament deal explicitly with first-century Christianity. Therefore, the New Testament (in whole or in part) has frequently accompanied the spread of Christianity around the world. It reflects and serves as a source for Christian theology. Both extended readings and phrases directly from the New Testament are also incorporated (along with readings from the Old Testament) into the various Christian liturgies. The New Testament has influenced not only religious, philosophical, and political movements in Christendom, but also has left an indelible mark on its literature, art, and music. The New Testament is an anthology, a collection of Christian works written in the common Greek language of the first century, at different times by various writers, who were early Jewish disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. In almost all Christian traditions today, the New Testament consists of 27 books. The original texts were written in the first and perhaps the second centuries of the Christian Era, generally believed to be in Koine Greek, which was the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean from the Conquests of Alexander the Great (335-323 BC) until the evolution of Byzantine Greek (c. 600). All of the works which would eventually be incorporated into the New Testament would seem to have been written no later than around AD 150.[1] Collections of related texts such as letters of the Apostle Paul (a major collection of which must have been made already by the early 2nd century)[2] and the Canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (asserted by Irenaeus of Lyon in the late-2nd century as the Four Gospels) gradually were joined to other collections and single works in different combinations to form various Christian canons of Scripture. Over time, some disputed books, such as the Book of Revelation and the Minor Catholic (General) Epistles were introduced into canons in which they were originally absent. Other works earlier held to be Scripture, such as 1 Clement, the Shepherd of Hermas, and the Diatessaron, were excluded from the New Testament. The Old Testament canon is not completely uniform among all major Christian groups including Roman Catholics, Protestants, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Slavic Orthodox Churches, and the Armenian Orthodox Church. However, the twenty-seven-book canon of the New Testament, at least since Late Antiquity, has been almost universally recognized within Christianity (see Development of the New Testament canon). The New Testament consists of four narratives of the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus, called "gospels" (or "good news" accounts); a narrative of the Apostles' ministries in the early church, called the "Acts of the Apostles", and probably written by the same writer as the Gospel of Luke, which it continues; twenty-one letters, often called "epistles" in the biblical context, written by various authors, and consisting of Christian doctrine, counsel, instruction, and conflict resolution; and an Apocalypse, the Book of Revelation, which is a book of prophecy, containing some instructions to seven local congregations of Asia Minor, but mostly containing prophetical symbology, about the end times.

Gintiles

meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe) is used by English translators for the Hebrew גוי (goy) and נכרי (nokhri) in the Hebrew Bible and the Greek word ἔθνη (éthnē) in the New Testament. The term gentiles is derived from Latin, used for contextual translation, and not an original Hebrew or Greek word from the Bible. The original words Goy and Ethnos refer to "peoples" or "nations". Latin and later English translators selectively used the term gentiles when the context for the base term "peoples" or "nations" referred to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible. Following Christianization of the Roman Empire, the general implication of the word gentile became "non-Jew".

Acts of the Apostles

often referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age. Acts tells the story of the Early Christian church, with particular emphasis on the ministry of the apostles Simon Peter and Paul of Tarsus, who are the central figures of the middle and later chapters of the book. The early chapters, set in Jerusalem, discuss Jesus' Resurrection, his Ascension, the Day of Pentecost, and the start of the apostles' ministry. The later chapters discuss Paul's conversion, his ministry, and finally his arrest, imprisonment, and trip to Rome. A major theme of the book is the expansion of the Holy Spirit's work from the Jews, centering in Jerusalem, to the Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire. It is almost universally agreed that the author of Acts also wrote the Gospel of Luke. The author is traditionally identified as Luke the Evangelist; see Authorship of Luke-Acts for details.

Calvin, John (1509 - 1564)

one of the leading figurres of the Protestant Reformation, Calvin is notable for his Instituttes of the Christian Religion and his emphasis on the absolute power of God, the absolute depravity of human nature, and the absolute dependence of human beings on divine grace for salvation.

Roman Catholic Church

one of the three major traditions within Christianity (along with Orthodoxy and Protestantism), the Roman Catholic Church, which recognizes the primacy of the bishop of Roman; or pope, has historically been the dominant church in the West.

fundamentalism

originating in the early 1900's, this movement in American Protestantism was dedicated to defending doctrines it identified as fundamental to Christianity against perceived threads posed by modern culture.

icons

painted images of Christ and the saints, icons are used extensively in the Orthodox Church.

baptism

performed by immersion in water or a sprinkling with water, baptism is a sacrament in which an individual is cleansed of sin and admitted into the Church.

Scholasticism

represents by figures such as Peter Abelard, Thomas Aquinas, and William of Ockham, scholasticism was the medieval effort to reconcile faith and reason using the philosophy of Aristotle.

rosary

taking its name from the Latin rosarium (garland of roses"), the rosary is a traditional form of Roman Catholic devotion in which practitioners make use of a string of beads in reciting prayers.

Paul the Apostle

was an apostle who took the gospel of Christ to the first-century world.[5] He is generally considered one of the most important figures of the Apostolic Age. [6][7] In the mid-30s to the mid-50s, he founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe. Paul used his status as both a Jew and a Roman citizen to advantage in his ministry to both Jewish and Roman audiences.[5] A native of Tarsus, the capital city in the Roman province of Cilicia,[2] Paul wrote that he was "a Hebrew born of Hebrews", a Pharisee,[8] and one who advanced in Judaism beyond many of his peers. He zealously persecuted the early followers of Jesus of Nazareth and violently tried to destroy the newly forming Christian church. Paul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus radically changed the course of his life.[5] After his conversion, Paul began to preach that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.[9] His leadership, influence, and legacy led to the formation of communities dominated by Gentile groups that worshiped Jesus, adhered to the "Judaic moral code", but relaxed or abandoned the ritual and dietary teachings of the Law of Moses. He taught that these laws and rituals had either been fulfilled in the life of Christ or were symbolic precursors of Christ, though the exact relationship between Paul the Apostle and Judaism is still disputed. Paul taught of the life and works of Jesus Christ and his teaching of a new testament,[10] established through Jesus' death and resurrection. Thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament (Romans through Philemon) have been attributed to Paul, and approximately half of the Acts of the Apostles deals with Paul's life and works. However, only seven of the epistles are undisputed by scholars as being authentic, with varying degrees of argument about the remainder. The authorship of Hebrews has the most doubt cast against it. Even in the 2nd century there was doubt in some regions that Paul was the author and since the Protestant Reformation, most scholars have not believed it to have been written by Paul. The other six are believed by some scholars to have come from followers writing in his name, using material from Paul's surviving letters and letters written by him that no longer survive.[5][6][11] More conservative scholars argue that the idea of a pseudonymous author for the disputed epistles itself raises many problems. [12] Today, his epistles continue to be deeply rooted in the theology, worship, and pastoral life in the Roman and Protestant traditions of the West, as well as the Orthodox traditions of the East.[13] Among the many other apostles and missionaries involved in the spread of the Christian faith,[5] his influence on Christian thought and practice has been characterized as being as "profound as it is pervasive".[13] Augustine of Hippo developed Paul's idea that salvation is based on faith and not "works of the law".[14] Martin Luther's interpretation of Paul's writings heavily influenced Luther's doctrine of sola fide. The Bible does not record Paul's death.

John the Baptist

was an itinerant preacher[11] and a major religious figure[12] mentioned in the Canonical gospels and the Qur'an. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus[13] who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River.[14] Some scholars maintain that he was influenced by the semi-ascetic Essenes, who expected an apocalypse and practiced rituals corresponding strongly with baptism,[15] although no direct evidence substantiates this.[16] John is regarded as a prophet in Christianity, Islam,[17] the Bahá'í Faith,[18] and Mandaeism. Most scholars agree that John baptized Jesus.[19][20] John the Baptist is also mentioned by Jewish historian Josephus[21] and in the Qur'an.[22] Accounts of John in the New Testament appear compatible with the account in Josephus.[23] There are no other historical accounts of John the Baptist from around the period of his lifetime. According to the New Testament, John anticipated a messianic figure greater than himself,[24] and Jesus was the one whose coming John foretold. Christians commonly refer to John as the precursor or forerunner of Jesus,[25] since John announces Jesus' coming. John is also identified with the prophet Elijah.[26] Jesus was probably a disciple of John [27][28][29] and some of Jesus's early followers had previously been followers of John.[26]