Christianity Glossary Terms
icon
An icon is a painted or mosaic image of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the Trinity, or the saints which is used in the liturgy, prayer, and theology of the Eastern Orthodox churches. The icon is understood to be a window opening upon the divine reality.
Jehovah’s Witness
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian sect or movement founded in America by C.T. Russell (1852-1916) who foresaw the millennium, the return of Christ, and the end of the world and condemned many institutionalized forms of Christianity. The Jehovah’s...
Jerusalem
Jerusalem, the ancient capital of Israel from the time of King David (c. 1000 BCE), was the ritual and spiritual center of the Jewish people for 1,000 years until the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. For Jews, Jerusalem is still the geographical...
Jesuit
Jesuits are members of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1534 and given approval by Pope Paul III in 1540. The Society of Jesus was formed both to counter the influence of the Protestant Reformation and to...
Jesus
(also: Jesus Christ; Christ) Jesus is the historical figure considered by Christians to be the Christ, the Messiah, whose life and teachings, death and resurrection give clear evidence of God’s love for humankind. Jesus was born shortly before the death...
John XXIII
Pope John XXIII (1881-1963) was made cardinal and then patriarch of Venice in 1953. At age 77 he was elected to become Pope after the death of Pius XII in 1958. In 1959, the new Pope announced the convening of the Second Vatican Council to bring the...
Joseph
In the Christian tradition, Joseph is the earthly father of Jesus and husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Joshua
Joshua was the leader Moses appointed to succeed him after his death, laying his hands upon Joshua and committing to him the leadership of the people of Israel. According to biblical history, Joshua led the Israelites, who had been tested for forty years...
Kingdom Hall
A Kingdom Hall is the name the Jehovah’s Witnesses give to their place of worship.
Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is the biblical language for speaking of God’s reign of justice and righteousness that will one day become fully present on earth. For Christians, Jesus made clear that the Kingdom of God is not only a future hope but a present reality...
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of forty days of preparation, study, and penitence preceding Easter.
Leviticus, Book of
The third book of the Humash or Five Books of Moses, Leviticus (or Vayikra, meaning ‘And He Called’) details the priestly obligations the formed the spiritual heart of the forty-year journey in the wilderness, as well as the basis for the later service in...
Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer of praise, thanksgiving, and repentance that Jesus taught his disciples; it has become the most widely known prayer in the Christian world.
Luther, Martin
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was the reformer who broke with the Roman Catholic Church and launched the German reformation. He denied the authority of the Pope and the church of Rome, emphasized the sole authority of the Bible, the priesthood of all...
Lutheran
Lutheranism is a Protestant tradition following the theology of Martin Luther (1483-1546), the reformer who was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church and launched the German reformation. He emphasized the sole authority of the Bible, the...
Mary
(also: Virgin Mary, The Virgin, Madonna) Mary was the mother of Jesus and, as such, has a special place in the affection and devotion of Christians. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew speak of her as a Virgin who conceived Jesus by the grace of the Holy...
mass
Mass is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church for the ritual that culminates in the celebration of the Eucharist, the central rite of sharing the consecrated bread and wine in the church community.
Mennonite
The Mennonite church is one of what are sometimes referred to as the “historic peace churches” because of its radical commitment to the pacifism and non-violence of Jesus’ teachings. It traces its origins to the Dutch reformer Menno Simon (1496-1561) who...
Messiah
Messiah means, literally, the “anointed one.” In Biblical tradition, the term came to mean a redeemer and royal descendant of the dynasty of David who would restore the united kingdom of Israel and Judah and usher in an age of peace, justice and plenty...
Methodist
The Methodist church is a Protestant communion of churches which began in England with John Wesley (1703-91) and has become a worldwide movement. In the U.S., the United Methodist Church—one of the largest Protestant denominations—is known for its strong...
Metropolitan
A Metropolitan is the title given to a bishop, used especially in the Orthodox family of churches today.
minister
Minister is a general term for a member of the clergy in the Christian church. The term has also come to use in other religious traditions to designate a member of the clergy (as in the Jodo Shinshu tradition and the Nation of Islam).
monastery
A monastery is the residence of monks, or monastics; the term is commonly used in both the Christian and Buddhist traditions. Monasticism refers to the life of work, study, and discipline led by monks and nuns.
monk
A monk is a man who renounces worldly life and is ordinarily a member of a monastic order or community, thereby undertaking a special commitment to study, service, asceticism, prayer, or disciplined spiritual practice. In the Buddhist tradition, fully...
Moses; Musa
Moses is a Biblical prophet who is credited with leading the people of Israel out of Egyptian bondage and teaching them the divine laws at Mount Sinai. The story of Moses is told in the book of Exodus in the Bible and is also told in the Qur’an, where...
New Testament
The New Testament is the collection of a body of writings the early Christian community came to accept as authoritative: the four gospels, the Book of Acts, the letters of Paul, several other letters or epistles, and the Book of Revelation.
Nicene Creed
The most universal creed of the Christian community worldwide, the Nicene Creed was formulated by the ecumenical council called by the Emperor Constantine at Nicaea in Asia Minor in 325 CE. The creed affirms a Trinitarian understanding of the One God—as...
Nostra Aetate
Nostra Aetate,”In our time,” are the first words (and thus the title words) of an important document produced by the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) addressing with new openness the relation of the Roman Catholic Church to non-Christian religions.
Numbers, Book of
The fourth book of the Humash or Five Books of Moses, Numbers (or Bamidbar, meaning ‘In the Wilderness’) details the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness, including the formative events of the twelve spies journeying into Canaan, the rebellion of...
nun
A nun is a woman who renounces worldly life and is ordinarily a member of a monastic order or community, thereby undertaking a special commitment to study, service, asceticism, prayer, or disciplined spiritual practice. In the Buddhist tradition, fully...