A Christian Glossary

Deacon Eric Stoltz
St. Brendan Catholic Church
Los Angeles

Advent Preparatory season of four Sundays before Christmas. Also has theological meaning of preparation for the Second Coming.

altar The table central to the celebration of the Eucharist in churches with a strong liturgical tradition. In other Christian traditions its counterpart is the communion table.

ambo A term for the lectern or pulpit where the scriptures are proclaimed in a Christian church.

Anglican The worldwide communion of national churches originating from the tradition of the Church of England. The American branch is called the Episcopal Church.

anointing The act of placing holy oil on a person. Christians are anointed in various rites, including baptism, confirmation and anointing of the sick.

Antioch Ancient city located in modern-day Syria. It was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians.

Apocrypha Literature considered at different times to be scriptural but which were not ultimately included in the commonly accepted canon of scripture. Some writings are considered apocryphal by some Christians but included in the scripture by others.

apostle One of the twelve closest disciples of Jesus. Each apostle was later a head of a local church throughout the known world. Although Paul was not technically one of the Twelve, he is accorded this title, along with Mary Magdalen in some traditions. Fundamentalist Christians use this title to refer to anyone with a strong sense of mission.

apostolic Historic churches with a hierarchical form of governance (bishop, priest, deacon) who place importance on a succession of bishops traceable to early times (called apostolic succession). Examples include Roman, Orthodox, Anglican and some Lutheran churches.

baptism The rite of immersion in water (or in some common variants, pouring of water) that constitutes membership in the Christian church. Originating in the Jewish mikveh, the Christian understanding of baptism is a symbolic death and resurrection to new life.

basilica The ancient form of a Roman administrative building adapted for use as Christian worship space. This is also a title bestowed on historic church buildings as an honor.

Beatitudes From the Latin beatus, “blessed,” the list of characteristics used by Jesus to describe those who are favored by God but ridiculed by the world.

Bible From the Greek biblios, “library.” A collection of Jewish and Christian literary works of varying genres, written by different authors at different times for different purposes, that constitutes the Christian Scripture.

bishop From the Greek episkopos, “overseer,” the person who signifies the unity of a church. The bishop teaches, governs and guides the people toward holiness. Churches with bishops are said to have an episcopal form of governance (examples: Roman, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and others) In some traditions, a bishop of a large or historically important city is called an archbishop. Christians of the East may use the term eparch for a bishop.

Born-again A term used by fundamentalist Christians to describe a life-changing moment of interior conversion. This is a modern concept originating within the past 150 years.

Canterbury The ancient headquarters of the English Church and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who presides over the worldwide Anglican Communion.

cardinal In the Roman Church, an advisor to the Bishop of Rome. Almost always a bishop, cardinals are usually chosen because of the importance of the city they represent.

catechism A book containing a concise explanation of Christian beliefs.

catechumen A person learning the Christian faith with the goal of being baptized.

cathedral The mother-church building of a diocese, or regional church. The identifying mark of a cathedral, from which it gets its name, is that it houses the cathedra, or bishop’s chair, the symbol of the bishop’s authority over a local church.

Catholic Derived from the Greek word for “universal.” Written with “c,” it is the common faith of all Christians as expressed in standard creeds. Written with “C,” it is often considered to indicate the Roman, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran traditions, although in common usage it generally refers to the Roman Catholic tradition, the largest branch of Christianity.

Christ An honorific title used for Jesus, from the Greek christos, “anointed.”

Christmas Celebration of the birth of Jesus, the second most important date in the Christian calendar. The exact date of Jesus’ birth is not known, but in Rome, December 25 was chosen for this feast early in Christian history. In the East, the birth of Christ is celebrated on January 6 and is called Theophany, the feast known as Epiphany in the West.

church A community of Christians. In English, the word is also used to refer to the building where Christians worship.

communion The Christian community united in faith and love. Also means the act of receiving the Eucharist, because of its significance as a sign of unity.

confession To proclaim one’s faith. Also means to admit one’s sins. In some Christian traditions, it is colloquial usage for the sacrament of reconciliation, whereby a penitent is reconciled to the community after admitting sin.

confirmation The ritual completion of the sacrament of baptism, celebrated in many traditions when a Christian becomes a teenager.

Congregationalist A Protestant tradition in which governance is centered in the local congregation. The denomination to which most Congregational churches belong is the United Church of Christ.

Constantinople The historic center of Orthodox Christianity, now called Istanbul. The Patriarch of Constantinople is considered second to the Bishop of Rome in historic honor.

council A gathering of bishops called to settle matters of faith or church governance. See Second Vatican Council.

creed A concise statement of Christian belief, often recited at services. The most common creed in use by most Christian churches is the Nicene Creed.

cross The primary symbol of the Christian faith, representing the way Christ died. Different traditions use varying forms of the cross. When an image of Jesus crucified is on the cross, it is called a crucifix.

deacon from the Greek word diakonos, “servant.” The deacon is one of the three forms of ordained clerical ministry (bishop, priest, deacon) in those churches with a hierarchical tradition. The deacon’s primary role is to remind the people of their duties toward the poor and outcast. In other Christian churches, it is a lay office with duties that vary from charitable functions to an usher to sort of board of directors.

diocese A church of a geographical region presided over by a bishop. In the Churches of the East, the term eparchy may be used.

disciple A follower of Jesus.

Easter The central event of the Christian year, celebrating the rising of Jesus from the dead. Christian teaching relates this event to the Jewish seder held at Passover (or Pesach), and in many languages the word is similar, such as the Orthodox term Pascha. The date of Easter is set according to a lunar calculation.

ecumenism The movement for full, visible unity of all Christians.

Edict of Milan The proclamation in the year 313 by the Roman Emperor Constantine that legalized Christianity, which up to that time had been an underground religion subject to persecution.

Epiphany From the Greek word meaning “manifestation,” the celebration of the birth of Jesus being revealed to all nations through the three Magi, variously believed to be foreign astrologers or Zoroastrian priests, among other theories. The traditional date for this feast is January 6 (The Twelfth Day of Christmas), although some Churches have moved it to a Sunday following Christmas.

Eucharist From the Greek word meaning “to give thanks,” the central act of Christian worship. Also called the Mass or Divine Liturgy in some traditions, the Eucharist derives from the teaching that Jesus held a Jewish Passover Seder with his disciples the night before he died.

evangelist A writer of one of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Fundamentalists often use this term to refer to anyone who preaches.

evangelization The action of sharing the basic premise of the Christian faith with others.

fish An ancient Christian symbol derived from the Greek acronym “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior,” which spells the Greek word ichthys, “fish.”

Golden Rule A teaching of Jesus: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Gospel From an Old English word meaning “Good News.” The central message of Christianity, that humanity can be free from sin, doubt and despair. The word also refers to the four main books of the Christian Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

grace Christian concept of a human’s participation in the life of God, given not through merit, but by God’s abundant love.

heaven The eternal state of union with God

hell The eternal state of separation from God

Holy Family The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

holy orders The process by which one is ordained clergy, considered a sacrament by some traditions.

Holy See The Diocese of Rome (see=diocese)

Holy Week The period leading up to the celebration of Easter, comprising Palm Sunday, Holy (or Maundy) Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The final three days, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, are considered a single liturgical event, called the Triduum (Latin: Three Days).

icon An image commonly used in Churches of the East which depicts a person to be imitated or an event in the life of the church.

iconostasis In Eastern church buildings, a wall of icons separating the main body of the building from the altar area.

IHS A Greek elision of the name Jesus commonly used in the decorative arts. On icons, commonly used with the Greek letters chi-rho, short for Christ.

incarnation The act of God becoming a human to participate in human nature. From Latin: “into flesh.”

incense Used in some Christian services as a sign of respect to God and people.

INRI Initials sometimes used on a cross to represent the sign placed by the Roman official Pontius Pilate on the cross above Jesus, indicating the crime for which the Romans condemned him: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (Latin: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum)

laity Those who have been initiated into the Church (baptized), from the Greek laios, “initiated.”

Latin Term used primarily in the Holy Land to refer to Roman Catholics. Also the ancient language used by all Roman Catholics in worship prior to 1968.

Lent A forty-day season of penitence in preparation for Easter. The three practices of Lent are prayer, almsgiving and fasting.

liturgy The public prayer of the Church. From the Greek leiturgia, “work of the people.”

Lord English interpretation of the Hebrew word Adonai, referring to God. The same English word is used to translate Aramaic honorifics meaning “sir” or “master” referring to Jesus.

Lutheran A follower of the tradition begun by Martin Luther (1483-1540), a famous reformer against abuses in the church of his time.

minister Ordained clergy of the Protestant traditions. The term is also used in hierarchical churches to describe anyone with a role in liturgy or service to others.

mystery A belief which can never be fully understood, but which invites constant reflection and deeper appreciation.

myth A story used to communicate a profound truth.

ordination The ceremony which makes one a leader in the Church

Orthodox The Churches of the East which gradually grew apart from the Church of the West due to cultural and political differences and geography. Orthodox churches are generally organized according to national boundaries, for example Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, etc.

pope Title used by the Bishop of Rome, considered the primary bishop of the world because St. Peter was the first to head the Christian community in that city. Rome is one of the five ancient patriarchal sees, the others being Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. The title of “Pope” is also used by some Orthodox churches, such as the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt.

parable In a Christian context, a story told by Jesus to explain a teaching. Jesus’ parables were not usually allegories, but rather a story drawn from nature or ordinary life to make a religious point. Parables invite reflection as their point can sometimes be misunderstood.

pastor The Latin word for “shepherd,” a member of the clergy entrusted with the care of a parish community.

patristics From the Latin word for “father,” the study of the writings of the Fathers of the Church, ancient Christian writers whose explanation of Christian beliefs are often considered authoritative.

Pentecost The celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Christian Church, observed fifty days after Easter, similar to the Jewish Festival of Shavuot (whose occurrence falls fifty days after Passover begins). After Easter and Christmas, the third most important date in the Christian calendar.

Presbyterian A Protestant tradition where governance is centered on presbyters, or ministers.

priest From the Greek presbyter, meaning “elder.” In the early church, bishops presided at the Eucharist, but as the Church grew bishops delegated this function to priests. Thus priests were added to the ordained ministry of the bishop and deacon, forming the three levels of holy orders. Priests preside at Eucharist and sacramental rites.

Protestant A common term for many Christian Churches arising from the sixteenth-century “protest” against abuses in the Church. Examples include Lutheran, Presbyterian, Congregational, Methodist and Baptist, among others.

rapture Recent concept developed over the past 100 years and held by Fundamentalist Christians of a dramatic selection of the righteous from among the wicked, prior to the end of the world.

redemption God’s saving activity through Christ in delivering humanity from sin and evil.

Reformation The sixteenth-Century movement by Christians protesting abuses and calling for reform in the Church that eventually divided Western Christianity into Protestants and Catholics.

Rome Ancient capital of the Roman Empire that became the primary center of Christianity.

sacrament A ritual celebrating a significant milestone in an individual’s life of faith. The number of sacraments vary between Protestant traditions and Catholic traditions, with some accepting only baptism and Eucharist while others accept seven: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, marriage, reconciliation (also called confession or penance), holy orders and anointing of the sick.

saint From the Latin word sanctus, “holy.” An exemplary Christian whose virtues are worthy of imitation.

Second Coming The return of Jesus at the end of time, when the world as we know it will end and a new realm of reality will be introduced.

Second Vatican Council (Also called Vatican II) The worldwide gathering of bishops of the Roman Catholic Church (1962-1965) called by Pope John XXIII. The Council transformed the life, theology and practices of the world’s largest religion and opened a new era of Catholic relationships with other Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is widely considered the most important religious event of the twentieth century.

sin The willful and deliberate choice of a human to choose his or her own way rather than God’s plan for his or her life.

soul The principle of life in every human being.

stole A strip of cloth that is the symbol of ordained ministry in Christian churches.

tabernacle A container or box in which bread from the Eucharist is reserved to be brought to the sick and homebound, common in Roman, Orthodox and Anglican traditions.

theological virtues Those virtues which bring us closest to God: faith, hope and love.

Trinity The Christian expression of three aspects of the One God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father is the creative aspect of God that intervenes in human history, the Son is the incarnational aspect of God that seeks to redeem us and the Spirit is the aspect of God that is wisdom, creativity and sanctification.

vigil The Christian practice of beginning a major celebration at sundown of the day before, following the Jewish calendrical tradition in which the “day” begins immediately after sundown during the prior evening.