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