World Religions Today Ch4: Christianity
evangelical
Christian movements that emphasize the emotional power of conversion as a spiritual transformation
Trinity
God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; God is not many gods but one God in three persons
homoousios
Greek term for the belief that the Word of God through which all things were created is "the same as" God
Second Coming
belief that Jesus will return at the end of time to establish a new heaven and a new earth
Catholic
churches that define their Christian authenticity through apostolic succession
Protestant
churches that emphasize direct personal relationship with God in Christ as necessary for salvation
Pentecostal
churches that emphasize possession by the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues
justification by faith
doctrine that humans are saved by faith as a gift from God rather than through works of obedience
two natures, one person
doctrine that in the one person of Jesus are two natures (divine and human) coexisting in unity but without mixture
deism
enlightenment view that God created the world as a watchmaker does a watch, leaving it to run without interference
syncretistic
identification of the gods of one religion with the gods of another
liberation theology
liberation theology emerged in Latin America in the 20th century; the goal was to show that the Gospel was more radical than Marxism in its promotion of justice for the poor
Gospel
literally "good news"; refers to Jesus' message of salvation in the New Testament
heresy
negative term in Christianity for choosing to believe in doctrines viewed as erroneous by more orthodox believers
Kingdom of God
occurs whenever humans live in accord with the will of God
sacraments
ritual materials and actions, usually through mediation of ordained clergy, said to impart the grace of God to Christians
original sin
sin of Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God when they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This sin was said to weaken the will to do good of all humans born after them
Protestant ethic
sociologist Max Weber's observation that Calvinist beliefs about holiness and work contributed to accumulation of wealth and facilitated the growth of capitalism
grace
the idea of unmerited divine love and assistance given to humans
fundamentalist
the most conservative wing of Evangelical Protestants, who believe modern interpretations threaten certain Gospel truths
Christ
title Christians apply to Jesus of Nazareth; from the Greek translation of the Hebrew word meaning "anointed one" or "messiah"
Son of God
title applied to Jesus of Nazareth
Constantinian
under first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine, the view that the Emperor rules over both the church and the state, and protects the church as the official religion of the Roman Empire
Augustinian
views of St. Augustine emphasizing the separation of church and state, pope and emperor, rather than a Constantinian unity of both in the emperor