| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Abbott | head of the monastery, spiritual father |
| Allah | Arabic name for God, Islam |
| Ascension | Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after resurrection (Easter) and 10 days before Pentecost |
| Acts of the Apostles | the book of the bible that contains the stories of the early church. |
| Agape | love feast; meals shared by early Christian community |
| Anabaptist | those who do not believe in infant baptism |
| Antony | Anthony of Egypt, a monk, lives in the desert, is considered the father of monasticism, hermit, first known monk |
| Apologist | one who defends or explains the faith |
| Apostolic Fathers | early Fathers of the Church, knew one of the Apostles or were trained by one of their immediate followers |
| Apostolic Succession | the succession of the pope and bishops follows directly from the Apostles and Jesus. |
| Augustine | African; Father of the Church, struggled with his faith before converting, mother is Monica, one of the greatest theologians |
| Barbarian | uncivilized, name given to those who invaded the Roman Empire from the North, Germanic Tribe, called barbarians by the Romans because they had facial hair |
| Bible of the poor | cathedrals were often called this because of all the details, art and stained glass windows contained within the architecture of the cathedral itself |
| Bishop of Rochester | leader of the Diocese of Rochester, Matthew Clark |
| Bishop of Rome | pope, first bishop of Rome was Peter |
| Body of Christ | a way to think of the Christian community, metaphor appears in I Corinthians in an effort to explain to the Corinthians the way they should, live and work together for the benefit of the whole community; another name for 'Church' or the Christian community |
| Canon Law | Laws of the Church |
| Cathedral | a large Church, the main church of a diocese. Cathedrals are magnificent works of art and architecture. Many took over 100 years to complete. Sometimes called "bible of the poor" "living catechism" or "Sermons in glass" Cathedral comes from 'cathedra'- the bishops chair(throne) |
| Charlemagne | Charles the great Crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo on Christmas Day 800AD, ruler of the Franks. |
| Christiandom | the cultural experience of the Church and the community being one |
| Concordat of Worms | guaranteed the Church's right to choose their own leaders |
| Constantine | first Christian Roman Emperor, made Christianity legal in Roman Empire, moved the capitol of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople |
| Constantinople | capitol of the Eastern Roman Empire |
| Convert | to change (especially to change from one religion to another) |
| Council of Jerusalem | first Council called around 50 AD, determined that Gentiles could convert to Christianity without first becoming Jewish |
| Council of Nicaea | much of the Nicene Creed was written during the council. |
| Council of Trent | Reaffirmed the 7 sacraments, council was held in response to the Protestant Reformation |
| Counter Reformation | response to the Protestant Reformation, Council of Trent was a key accomplishment during this era which corrected abuses, within the Church, strengthened the role of bishops and reaffirmed the 7 Sacraments |
| Creed | a statement of beliefs. |
| Crusade | "holy war" |
| Ecumenical council | meeting of all bishops of the world to address common issues facing the world Church |
| Edict of Milan | issued by Constantine in 313, ended the "great persecution" and legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire |
| Elizabeth Ann Seton | first American saint |
| Epistle | letter – refers to those written by Paul and other Apostles |
| Evangelization | spreading the gospel message |
| Excommunicated | no longer able to participate in the sacraments of the Church |
| Fathers of the Church | early leaders of the Church whose teachings created the Christian doctrine, these writings are still important to the Church today. |
| Friar | brother |
| Gentile | a person of non-Jewish heritage, it was illegal for Jews to enter the home of a Gentile. |
| Gnostic | one claiming special or secret knowledge. Heresy in the early Church |
| Gothic architecture | marked by flying buttresses, high pointed arches and stained glass windows |
| Gutenberg | invented movable type, made it much easier to reproduce printed books. |
| Henry VIII | formed and was the head of the Church of England. |
| Heresy | teaching or belief contrary to the Church's teaching |
| Heretic | one who professes a heresy |
| Hermit | one who lives alone in huts or caves, dedicating their life to prayer |
| Holy Spirit | the Church is always guided by the Holy Spirit |
| Indulgences | Martin Luther objected to the sale of these. They are prayers or good works which reduce the punishments of the soul in purgatory |
| Infidel | anyone who does not believe in Allah |
| Infallibility | declaration from Vatican I that states the teaching of the pope is without error in mattes of faith and morals. |
| Inquisition | the official court of the church charged with the responsibility to examine and investigate heresies. |
| Jerome | translated the bible into Latin, the bible was called the Vulgate |
| Lay investiture | lay people appointing priests, bishops and even the pope |
| Living catechism | another name for cathedral because of the details in the building tell the story of our faith |
| Magesterium | the teaching authority of the Church made up of the pope in communion with the bishops |
| Marks of the Church | One, Holy, catholic, Apostolic |
| Martin Luther | Augustinian Friar and priest from Germany, objected to the selling of indulgences, posted his 95 Theses on the Church door in Whittenburg, Germany on Oct 31, 1513 |
| Martyr | one who dies for their faith |
| Mendicant | Latin word means "to beg" mendicant orders beg for their daily needs and needs of others |
| Minister | a name for a leader of a Christian Church, they are often married |
| Monastic | living alone away from the world |
| Monastery | centers of evangelization during the Middle Ages, played a part in the civilization of the barbarians, strengthened the Church during this time; place where men or woman live in community, motto "work and prayer" |
| Nicene Creed | a statement of beliefs drafted at the Nicene Council, still is used today |
| Papal States | land in Italy, owned by the Church, now only Vatican City where the pope resides |
| Paul | Roman by birth, was a Pharisee, present at the stoning of Stephen, converted after he fell from his horse on the way to Damascus (he was blinded). Became one of the greatest champions of the faith, wrote numerous epistles and made several missionary journeys. Martyred in Rome |
| Pentecost | 50 days after Easter. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit (appearing I wind and flame) onto the Apostles. The Apostles were praying and a bit confused as to what they should be doing after Jesus' Ascension, but the gifts of the Holy Spirit empowered them to go out and preach the good news – gift of tongues. |
| Peter | first bishop of Rome, the leader among the Apostles |
| Peter and Cornelius | scripture passage, Peter visits Cornelius (a Gentile) and realizes that Jesus' kingdom is for all, including Gentiles. |
| Pope | Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome. |
| Predestination | the concept that God chooses some people for heaven, some for hell and that one cannot do anything to change this |
| Presbyter | name for a priest or elder. This title was used in the early Church |
| Protestant Reformation | began when Luther posted his 95 Theses. |
| Renaissance | era of rebirth of the arts, culture and architecture within Europe |
| Road to Emmaus | Cleopas and his companion are walking to Emmaus after Jesus crucifixion. Jesus joins them tells them all about who Jesus was. Jesus is recognized in the breaking of the bread. This story is a scripture account of one of the first appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. |
| Schism | a great split |
| Sermons in glass | cathedral |
| St Theresa of Avila | reformed the Carmelite order |
| St. Willibrod and Boniface | brought Christianity to Germany |
| St. Benedict | wrote the 'Rule of Benedict' as a guide for monks, started a monastery |
| St. Columba | missionary to Scotland |
| St. Dominic | founded the Order of Preachers |
| St. Francis Assisi | born to a wealthy Italian family, he renounced his earthly goods in favor of starting a mendicant community – Franciscans. |
| St. Ignatius Loyola | founder of the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) |
| St. Isaac Jogues | Jesuit; one of the North American Martyrs – worked among the Iroquois people |
| St. Patrick | called the Apostle of Ireland |
| Stephen | first martyr, stoned to death |
| Theocracy | civil power in the hands of the religious |
| Theodosius I | made Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire in 380 AD |
| Tridentine | name given to the popes whose job it was to implement the decrees from the Council of Trent |
| Vatican City | what remains of the Papal States, this is where the pope lives |
| Vatican Council II | Council which met to reform the Church, looked back to its roots, one result was that Mass was to be said in the language of the people. |
| Vulgate | translation of the bible by Jerome. Called the Vulgate because it was in the language of the people (vulgar) |
| Work and prayer | motto for monasteries. |
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