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157 Cards in this Set

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Ishmael
son of Abraham by his wife’s maid Hagar. Genesis story that Abraham felt God was taking too long to fulfill his promise of a son from his wife Sarai so he tried to fulfill the promise himself by having a son with Hagar. God still delivered his promise with Sarai’s birth of Isaac. Ishmael was sent away into the desert but was rescued by God. Claimed by Muslims as the son of Abraham through whom they are descended.
Jeremiah
sixth century BCE prophet who warned Judah of the coming destruction by the Babylonians and told them to depend less on their possession of a Davidic monarch and Solomoic Temple and more on their own adherence to the sacred covenant with YHWH of worship and justice.
John
gospel written in last decade of first century for community persecuted by Jews. Most unique. Focuses on Logos, High Christology, contrasts, conflict between Jesus and Jews, and the role of women. Long speeches and miracle stories. Jesus is God.
Joseph
Genesis story. Founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Justin Martyr
writings in the second century earliest evidence for canonization process.
Luke
gospel written in 80s CE by Greek for Greeks with Virgin Mary source. Emphasizes Jesus’ concern for poor, healing accounts, forgiveness, and care of neighbor.
Mark
Peter’s nephew, teen who was stripped of clothes in garden, writes gospel in 65 CE in Rome. Messianic secret, Jesus public ministry, and Jesus passion. No infancy narrative and little about resurrection. View of messiah: He is one who must suffer.
Matthew
gospel written in 80s CE for Christians in Antioch by rabbi who converted. Imagery associated with Moses, beatitudes, applying old law in new way, stories of Jesus’ birth and childhood.
Messiah
Jewish and Christian term for anointed by God to rescue or save God’s people
Tertullian
The most widely known Montanist. Was the foremost Latin church writer before he converted to Montanism.
Manichees or Manicheans
Mani founder, third century prophet. Two equal kingdoms of good (Light) and evil (Dark). The Light consists of spirit and the Dark consists of matter and dark element. Manichean leaders called the Elect. Taught that people could liberate spirit from matter through asceticism.
Martyrs
someone who, under prosecution, dies rather than give up his or her faith.
Monophysites
one who holds that Jesus did not have two natures, but only one. Dissenters against the two-natures definition of the Council of Chalcedon went into schism as separate Christian churches in Armenia, Syria, Egypt, and Ethiopia, but these still hold that Christ was fully human, while rejecting Chalcedon’s two-natures terminology.
Montanists
early Christian movement of the early 2nd century, named after its founder Montanus. It originated at Hierapolis where Papias was bishop. It spread rapidly to other regions in the Roman Empire at a time before Christianity was generally tolerated or legal. Orthodox Nicene Christianity prevailed against Montanism within a few generations, labeling it a heresy.
Muslims
followers of Islamic faith. Shi’a or Sunni. Qur’an book. Follow Shari’a code of law and 5 pillars.
Pagans
term used especially in Roman times to describe people who are neither Christians nor Jews.
Didache
refers to the title of an early church document, The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. It is a church order, that is, a document describing how the Christian ought to live and how the sacraments ought to be celebrate. Written in Syria in the later first or early second century.
Dogma
doctrines or teachings that have been proclaimed authoritatively by a given religion or church. Dogmas of the Trinity and the incarnation in fourth and fifth centuries.
Dualism
way of looking at reality as divided between two hostile powers, one representing good and the other evil.
Ecumenical council
universal gathering of Christian bishops called to resolve urgent issues affecting the whole church
Nicea (325)
made Nicene Creed of beliefs in opposition to Arius. Says the Son is one in being with the Father
Constantinople (381)
confirmed and expanded the Nicene Creed. Full divinity of Holy Spirit
Ephesus (431)
declared Mary “Mother of God”
Chalcedon (451)
balanced statement that drew on both Antiochene and Alexandrian traditions and phrasing
Episcopacy
government by bishops. Main standard of Christianity
Epistles
writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually a formal letter. The letters in the New Testament from Apostles to Christians are usually referred to as epistles.
Exodus
second book of Bible; the mass departure of the Iraelites from slavery in Egypt through the saving action of God. 1300 – 1250 BCE.
Filioque
refers to a phrase which Western Christians centuries later added to the Nicene Creed without the approval of Eastern Christians. Orthodox Christians opposed the addition because they believe that the Father is the sole source of being in the Trinity, and because the creed was amended without their consent.
Five pillars
most basic obligations of Islam: profession of faith, prayer, fasting, almsgiving (give wealth to sustain those in need), pilgrimage to Mecca.
Heresy
false teaching, or teaching that goes against orthodoxy in the eyes of the church. Gnosticism most important second and third century heretical movement. Gnosticism claimed to possess a special secret.
Gospel
written account of the life of Jesus Christ; proclamation of the Christian message
Grace
free, unmerited assistance given to human beings by God for their salvation. It is participation in the life of God. Paul Justification by faith
Hellenization
in the wake of the conquests of Alexander the Great the Spread of Greek language, cultural ideals, and political institutions throughout the ancient Near East.
Hesychia
term used by Eastern Orthodox Christians to describe this state of deep meditation. Quieting of external noise, body and mind with use of montras (phrase repeated over and over)
Iconoclast
one who is opposed to the veneration of icons. Western church.
Cathedral
a bishop’s church.
Gregorian Chant
repertoire of music consisting of chants used in the city of Rome together with the native chants of the Frankish churches, mandated by Charlemagne to be used as church music throughout the empire
Hagia Sophia
great church in Constantinople where the patriarch of Constantinople held services and the Byzantine emperors were crowned until 1453 AD when Constantinople was conquered by Muslims and the church became a mosque. Justinian rebuilt in 538 AD.
Umayyad Mosqui
– church changed into mosque in Damascus. Prototype for subsequent traditions of mosque designs
Mohammed
(AD 570- 632) First leader and greatest prophet of Islam. According to Muslim
tradition, the one god Allah sent the angel Gabriel to deliver messages to Muhammad to be
recited aloud as guidance to the followers. The revelations were later collected and recorded in
the Islamic scriptures known as the Qur’an.
Monica
(4th cent.) Mother of St. Augustine
Moses
(1300-1250 BCE) The greatest prophet of Israel, who led the Israelites out of slavery in
Egypt and into the promised land of Canaan, and who received from God on Mount Sinai the
Law on which the Israelite covenant with God is based.
Nestorius
(AD 386- 451) Patriarch of Constantinople, who taught that it was inappropriate to
call Mary the Mother of God (Theotokos) on the grounds that God couldn’t be said to have been
born; at best she was only the Mother of Christ, the man. His views were condemned at the
Council of Ephesus in 431, on the grounds that he divided Christ into two separate persons.
Origen of Alexandria
(AD 185- 251) One of the most important early Christian Theologians;
wrote a number of works including Against Celsus, a response to a non-Christian critique of
Christianity, and On First Principles, an exposition of Christian doctrine as it was understood at
that time.
Saul/Paul
(CE 4-64) A Jew who embraced belief in Jesus after a visionary experience on the
way to Damascus. He became a missionary for the Christian way, establishing churches
throughout Asia Minor. Several of his letters are preserved in the New Testament.
Pelagius
(mid 4th- early 5th cent. AD) A Christian monk who introduced the Pelagian notion that
original sin didn’t seriously damage the human capacity to do good, that human nature remained
essentially good, and that human beings could lead holy lives if the exerted sufficient effort;
these notions were opposed by Augustine and eventually condemned as heretical by the Catholic
Church.
People of the Land
In ancient Judaism, the poor and uneducated peasant farmers who comprised
the majority of the Jewish population.
Perpetua
(AD 181- 203) A Christian martyr who suffered at Carthage in the Roman province of
Africa.
Sarah
(mid19th- mid 18th cent. BCE) Matriarch and the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac.
Sarai- Sarah’s original name before God changed it as part of a covenant with Yahweh after
Hagar bore Abraham his son Ishmael.
Torah
(1) The Hebrew scriptures as a whole; (2) The first five books of the Hebrew Bible of Old
Testament, also known as the Pentateuch or the Law; (3) The Jewish Law, or system of laws,
believed to have been revealed by God to Moses and set down in writing in the first five books
of the New Testament.
Patriarchs
(1) Early Fathers of a people of founder of a group; like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
(2) Bishop of one of the leading seats of early Christianity: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria,
Antioch, and Jerusalem, though the title has since been extended to bishops of other important
churches as well.
Penitents
People who are denied communion because of serious sin such as murder, adultery, or
apostasy (going away from the faith) and who are doing penance for a sin.
Pharisees
(2nd cent. BCE- 1st cent. CE) Jewish religious leaders and scholars of the Torah who
were experts on the written Law and its interpretation. Didn’t associate with the
“unclean” (sinners) and believed in a wealthy Messiah. Experts among the Pharisees were known
as Rabbis.
Saducees
(2nd cent. BCE- 1st cent. CE) Members of the Jewish aristocracy; high nobility
property owners. They consisted mostly of the priests who ran the Jerusalem temple. They only
accepted the written traditions of the Law and believed in the ‘literal’ sense of the Law.
Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish council in Jerusalem.
Shiites
The second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. Believe that Muhammad's
family and certain individuals among his descendants, who are known as Imams, have special
spiritual and political authority over the community.
Sunni
Meaning “those who followed the example or custom of Muhammad.” In the dispute
concerning who was qualified to assume the position of leader of the Muslim community, this
group argued that it should be someone who best exemplified Muhammad’s thought and way of
life, rather than someone who was related to Muhammad by blood. Today, it’s the main body of
the Islamic faith, comprising approximately 85% of Muslims worldwide.
Anthropomorphism
Portraying God as very humanlike as shown in the Yahwist (second)
account in the Creation story, focusing on the placement of humans within the world.
Apologies
Word meaning “defender” who tried backing up Christianity from Roman criticism.
The most important accomplishment of the apologists was the development of the Logos
theology, linking pagan philosophy and Christian theology.
Asceticism
The training or discipline of the passions and the appetites. This means abstaining
from food and sexual activity, and denying the body comfort. In the case of hermits and minks,
the practice was designed to foster spiritual development.
Agnostic
Unsure about the existence of God or gods and wanting proof. This includes some
forms of Buddhist religions
Byzantine
Constantine founded the city of Constantinople, which is seen as a symbolic
beginning of the Byzantine Empire, the name that historians give to the continuation of the
Roman Empire in the East. The Byzantine Empire lasted for over a thousand years and served as
a Christian barrier against Muslim expansion until the Ottoman Turks finally captured
Constantinople in 1453. This Christianized Eastern Roman Empire became the center of what we
new call Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
Canon of Scripture
Means “rule” or “standard”. Today it’s used to refer to the collection of
authoritative writings of a particular religious group. For example, the canon for Christianity is
the Bible. The term can also be used in a secular sense to describe the authoritative writings of an
academic discipline of a particular period in history.
Catholic
Means “Universal”. Also used in a restrictive sense to refer to a tradition within
Christianity, manely, the Roman Catholic church or to describe those churches that claim a
continuity of leadership that goes back to the early Christian churches.
City of God
One of the writings of Augustine which describes two cities: one good and the
other evil. Jerusalem is depicted as the good city or the city of peace, while Babylon is depicted
as Anti-Jerusalem, the evil city or the city of the Black Beast. Augustine bases this writing on the
Exile.
Creed
A short summary of belief; the earliest creeds originated as teaching instruments to
prepare catechumens for Baptism; they later became formal instruments by which churches
defined themselves.
Crusades
A series of military campaigns, or holy wars, from Christian Europe between AD 1059
and 1291, aimed at recapturing the Holy Land of Palestine and Syria and protecting the Eastern
Byzantine Empire from Turkish Muslim encroachment. From the 11th-17th centuries, crusades
were also directed against other internal and external enemies of Christendom.
Deuteronomistic historians
Author(s) of a series of books of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible,
whose agenda was to show how Israel’s fortunes were correlated to her obedience to the terms of
the covenant with God.
Diaspora
Meaning “dispersion”, referring to the Jews who were dispersed outside the Jewish
homeland. Differ from the Palestinian Jews in the fact that being so far from the Temple, they
were forced to place more stress on the Torah and the synagogue.
Baptistery
A Christian structure where new Christians were initiated into that faith at Easter.
Instead of a tomb, the focus was on the baptismal font into which the candidate stepped. The
association with a tomb was intentional, since Christian Baptism was understood as an
identification with Christ’s death, and resurrection.
Basilica
From the Greek word for “royal”, an adaptation of the standard rectangular layout of
royal audience halls and public buildings in Roman cities. The Christian version was an audience
hall for Christ.
Cathedra
The bishop’s chair where he sits with his priests in a semicircle around him. Sermons
are given from this chair, the symbol of his teaching authority.
Transept
the area set crosswise to the nave in a cross-shaped building in Roman and Gothic
Christian church architecture. The transept separates the nave from the sanctuary extending to
the north and south and holding decorated windows of stained glass. The word "transept" means
any corridor crossing a larger or main corridor
Gregory I (the great)
540-604, elected pope in 590, served for 14 years and was known for his
missionary outreach. First to style the pope as servus servorum Dei ("servant of the servants of
God"). Most important accomplishment was to direct Augustine of Canterbury to undertake a
missionary tour to the British Isles to preach the Christian message to the pagan Anglo-Saxons
from Germany. Popes after him imitated his missionary initiatives which helped promote a sense
of loyalty between the newly converted people and the papacy in Rome
Gregory Naziansus
329-390, friend of Basil of Caesarea and part of the Cappadocian Fathers.
Distinguished meaning of person and substance applied to the Trinity. (Divine susbstance was
the nature and Father, Son, and Spirit are truly God and can be called a person) All languages of
God are analogy and not a literal description of what God really was. Bible alone is not sufficient
standard for defining the full divinity of the Spirit. Suggested that there was a gradual revelation
of the reality of the Trinity beginning with the Old Testament. Helped clarify the creed of Nicea.
Gregory of Nyssa
331/40-395, brother of Basil of Caesarea and part of the Cappadocian
Fathers. Made theological advances clarified in the creed of Nicea. Distinguished meaning of
person and substance applied to the Trinity. (Divine susbstance was the nature and Father, Son,
and Spirit are truly God and can be called a person) All languages of God are analogy and not a
literal description of what God really was. Bible alone is not sufficient standard for defining the
full divinity of the Spirit.
Gregory Palamas
1296-1359, monk of Mount Athos in Greece. Wrote The Triads which
defended the heyschasts' practice. Distinguished between God's essence (unknowable to humans
in the next life as well as this) and God's energies (God-in-action encountering humanity).
Teachings on energies of God were confirmed in three councils of Constantinople in 1341,1347,
and 1351. Opposite voice would be Barlaam the Calabrian who attacked the hesychast
movement.
Hagar
1800 B.C. , slave girl who had sexual relations with Abraham and gave birth to a son
named Ishmael. Having a son with her showed how Abraham tried to fulfill God's promise by
his own means.
Herod
1st Century B.C. , Jewish king who began a major renovation of the second temple
which reestablished the Temple in Jerusalem as one of the greatest structures in the ancient
world. The temple was completed in 66 C.E. Before the renovation the Temple was very modest.
Hosea
750 B.C., second prophet before the Assyrian conquest. He was a northerner who spoke
to his own people. He believed that YHWH had commanded him to marry a promiscuous wife.
Hosea's broken heart was suppose to parallel YHWH's pain at Israel's abandonment of God for
other gods. Used the image of a marriage relationship and of a parent to a child to pled with
Israel to return to YHWH. Remind Israelites of old memories to convince them to change their
ways. He was unsuccessful in changing their ways.
Irenaeus
180 C.E., bishop of the Christian community in Lyons in southern Gaul. Wrote
Against Heresies in response to gnosticism. First Christian writer to all four canonical gospels as
a set. Provides evidence that people were beginning to distinguish between orthodox and
heretical gospels and he condemns the Gospel of Judas as a fictitious history. His defense of
orthodox teaching focused on canon, creed, episcopate, and liturgy. Stressed oral tradition of
apostolic teaching. Believed bishops should preserve the apostolic traditions and emphasized
unity. (Jesus = one person. Divine and human) - basis for Christian doctrine of the "divinization"
of humanity.
Isaac
1800 B.C. , son of Abraham and Sarai. A gift of God. YHWH asked Abraham to sacrifice
him but the angel of YHWH intervened and provided an animal for sacrifice instead. Shows
Abrahams trust in God. Descendant through whom the mighty nation would be established.
Isaish
742 B.C., prophet who believed that Jerusalem was divinely protected from
conquest because of the presence of the Solomonic Temple and the Davidic dynasty.
Docetists
70 C.E. The belief that Jesus didn't really become flesh but only seemed to have a
body. In reality he was a spiritual being who couldn't suffer or die. Orthodox Christians had a
problem with this.
Donatists
311 C.E., Opponents of Caecilian. A group of Christians in North Africa who split
from the main body of the church in a dispute over whether priests or bishops who collaborated
with Roman persecutors of Christianity could retain their offices or administer the sacraments.
Maintained that clergy needed to be free from any serious sin to administer the sacraments
validly. Opposed by Augustine.
Elect
272 C.E., Refers to the leaders of the Manichees. Their digestive organs were thought to
facilitate the escape of the light from the darkness. Forbidden to engage in sex or eat meat
because it was thought to enslave the spirit in matter. Opposed by Justinian.
Fathers of the Church
as early as 90 C.E., early and influential theologians. Their scholarly
works were used as a precedent for centuries to come. Used for writers and teachers of the
Church who were not necessarily saints.
Gnostics
2nd and 3rd centuries, claimed to have access to a special kind of knowledge known
to them alone and by which they could be saved. they believed that there were two gods: one
who was the supreme godhead of the divine realm and who was unknown until Jesus came to
reveal him; and the other the creator of the physical universe whom equated with the God of the
Old Testament. (Good and evil) They believed that they belonged to the divine realm and their
goal was to return there unharmed by this physical world. Orthodox Christians and Iranaeus
opposed this.
Hermits
280 C.E., people who live in seclusion from society and the model of Christian
perfection. Single or solitary person of monasticism. Men and women who had begun to
withdraw to secluded desert regions to lead lives of prayer and spiritual discipline. Someone who
abandoned life in the everyday world to devote himself or herself completely to religion.
Iconodule
one who supports the veneration of icons
Imam
a leader of an Islamic community; an Islamic scholar; a Muslim religious leader who is
regarded as a direct descendant of Muhammad or Ali.
Imperial cult
in the Roman world, a partly political and partly religious ceremony in honor of
the emperor who was recognized as a superhuman or divine figure.
Infancy narratives
written by Matthew and Luke. Stories about the birth and early childhood of
Jesus.
Jesus Prayer
a brief meditation prayer, usually "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have
mercy on me, a sinner," which a person repeats again and again in order to enter into a state of
deep meditation or stillness.
Jihad
considered by some Muslims to be a sixth pillar of faith, it involves inner striving to
purify oneself of the forces of evil and to follow the way of Allah. Might also consist of
corporate attempts to purify the Islamic community of anti-Islamic features or warfare to defend
Islamic land or spread Islamic territorial jurisdiction
Judge (in OT terms)
in ancient Israel, a military and political leader who was chosen by God to
rescue the Israelites from oppression brought about by their sin. Charismatic leaders who were
endowed with certain gifts that enabled them to lead.
Justification
making straight that which is crooked or ragged. Being set in right relationship
with God. Closely related to the notion of sin as a severing of humanity's relationship with God.
Ka'ba
a pilgrimage site located at Mecca. Muslims are encouraged to take pilgrimages here
once in their lifetime to commemorate the key events from the founding era of Islam and from
the time of Abraham.
Lent
a period of forty weekdays in which Christians fast and do penance in anticipation of the
feast of Easter, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Major Jewish Temple Festivals
Shabbat, the Sabbath day which is
every Saturday. Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish new year and is usually in
September. Yom Kippur is eight days after Rosh Hashanah and is the day of atonement, of
Divine judgement, and of “affliction of souls” so that the individual is cleansed of all sin. Sukkot
is one of three mass pilgrimages to the Temple of Jerusalem and begins 5 days after Yom Kippur.
Hanukkah commemorates the triumph of the Jews under the Maccabees, and the time it took the
Temple to be rededicated and is eight days in December. Passover is in the spring and celebrates
the Exodus from Egypt. Shavuot is the last day of the pilgrimage festivals and falls seven weeks
after Passover.
Martyrologies
listings of names and later of the histories of those who suffered physical death
because they refused to renounce their belief in Christ. Arranged in the calendar order of their
anniversaries or feasts.
Mystery religions
in the Greek and Roman religious world, secret cults that conducted ritual
initiations into the mysteries of a particular god or goddess. Their celebrations usually involved
purification rituals and sacred meals.
House Church
private homes adapted for worship where Christians met for the weekly
Eucharist and for other activities in the first three centuries. Consisted of an assembly hall with a
raised podium and had room for 65 to 75 people. A smaller room was altered into a baptistery.
Iconostasis
meaning "icon screen", a wall bearing icons arranged in a prescribed order, which
divides sanctuary from nave in Orthodox Christian churches.
Icons
painted images of Christ, his mother, angels, or saints. Usually associated with Eastern
Christianity.
Bishops
main catholic standards: agreement of the core books of the new testament and on the necessity
of retaining jewish scriptures, development of short summaries of beliefs called creeds, the
universal acceptance of the office of bishop as the leader of the local Christian community (by
the end of the 2nd century)
• episcopacy- government by bishops
• the word bishops means overseer
• in theory, bishops are equal successors of the apostles
• the bishops of Rome is known as the Pope- successor of Peter
Cappadocian Fathers
Basil of Caesarea (330-379), his brother Gregory of Nyssa (331/40- c.395), and Basil’s friend
Gregory of Nazianzuas (c. 329-390)- these three are often referred to as the cappadocian
fathers because they came from the central region of Asia Minor known as Cappadocia
• they represent the highest point of advance in the long process by which ancient christianity
gradually appropriated greek philosophical ideas and incorporated them into christianity
• the Cappodocians are responsible for: distinguishing the meaning of abstract terms such as
persona and substance as applied to the trinity, recognized clearly recognized that all language
about God could only be an analogy and not a literal description of God really was, and they
admitted that the bible alone might not be sufficient standard for defining the full divinity of
the spirit
Caliphs
in 632 Muhammad died unexpectedly
• sunni muslims believe Muhammad's death left the community uncertain about how to choose a
new leader since he left no specific instructions on the question and the qur’an designated him
as the “seal or last of God’s prophets
• shi’a muslims believe that the prophet was commanded by allah to assign 12 imams to
successively lead the muslims
• the sunni muslims came to power and they adopted the term caliph meaning successor as their
formal title
• the caliph continues to govern in matters of religion as well as war and public affairs, and they
did so on the basis of their interpretations of what allah had revealed through the prophet and
what the prophet had established through his sayings and actions
• the first caliph was Abu Bakr, was an older man, an early convert who had been a prosperous
merchant in Mecca, his daughter A’isha was one of the prophet’s wives and by many sunni
accounts, his favorite - only reigned for two years
• he move quickly to reestablish order by suppressing rivalries and rebellions at this critical
moment , launch a series of dramatic military campaigns into the territories of the
byzantine empire and the persian empire - the rapid success of these invasions proved to be
the start of one of the most sweeping periods of conquest the world has ever seen- within a
decade the muslim denomination spread to incorporate the bulk of mesopotamia, syria,
palestine, persia, and half of north africa
• Abu Bakr’s next two successors as caliph were Umar (634-644) and Uthman (644-656) were
both murdered
• in 655 Ali was chosen as the fourth caliph- the first male convert to islam, was noted for his
devotion and learning- was was the prophets cousin (the son of Abu Talib) and his son-in-law,
since he had married fatima, the only prophets child who survived into adulthood
• the followers of Uthman rebelled because they believed that Ali was in some way
implicated in his death, battle underwent in 657 and ended in a truce when Ali agreed to
accept arbitration
• the Kharigites succeeded in assassinating Ali in 661, Mu’awiyya was declared caliph
• Sunni muslims refer to this as the end of the blessed formative era, the period of the four
rightly guided caliphs
• founded: Dome of the Rock(symbolically placing islam in the line of abraham
surpassing both christian and jewish claims) and the Al-Aqsa mosque(reference to
Muhammad famous night journey) and the holy sites that dominate the Temple Mount
of Jerusalem
Catechumens
in the 4th century baptism for adults was still common, with many people intentionally
deferring their baptism until adulthood, infant baptism did not become the norm until the 5th
century
• most lay people received the eucharist each week unless they were catechumens -candidates
for baptism who were undergoing instruction in the christian religion, or penitents (people who
were denied communion because of serious sin)
Cenobites (cenobitic monks)
cenobitic monasticism, from the greek words for “common life”, organized communities were
governed by a spiritual leader called an abbot, they usually followed a written rule and a
routine of manual labor and public and private prayer
• the rules and routines- along with the separation from society- were designed to help monks
avoid sin
• basil of caesarea formulated a rule for cenobitic monasticism that stressed mutual service and
works of charity
• the monk struggled to subdue human appetites and passions of all kinds for the sake of
restoring the original innocence of humanity before the fall
• in the eyes of these early monks the struggle for perfection required a departure from the
normal life of the world either through enclosure or actual withdrawal into the desert
• the primary model for the monastic life was jesus, who was unmarried, had no permanent
home, and said no human obligation should stand in the way of the kingdom of God - also john
the baptist and paul who was never married and recommend virginity above marriage
Confessors
in 250 AD emperor Decius targeted the christian church for the first truly universal
persecution- his motives is uncertain but probably he wanted to return the empire to traditional
beliefs and customs as way of unifying the empire and pleasing the gods at a time when the
empire was under great stress
• under the emperors orders local examining boards issued certificated to all roman citizens to
verify that they had offered sacrifice to the emperors image
• christian who did for their faith rather than offer sacrifice were called martyrs and those who
were arrested and stood firm but were not put to death were called confessors for having
confessed their faith publicly- the enjoyed great prestige in their churches and sometimes
claimed the right to forgive sins
Mysticism
the spiritual experience in which a person achieves direct communion with the divine
Original sin
God created human beings to do what is right and perfect, God also gave human beings free
will/ capacity to decide whether to do good or evil
• mythical story of Adam and Even: God gives adam and eve everything they need and yet they
do not seem to be satisfied, the only command God gives them is not to eat of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, however they allow themselves to be tempted by the serpent and
decide to disobey, they eat of the tree because they wish to usurp God’s place as creator- their
sin is an act of rebellion against God
• Adam and Eve’s rebellion destroys the proper relationship between God and human beingsresult
is the “fall” from the state of perfection intended for them by God into a state of misery
and fear
Orthodox
the term orthodox is formed from two greek words meaning right praise or right opinion,
orthodox christians consider themselves to be a single church in the sense that they share a
single faith and the same byzantine liturgical, canonical, and spiritual heritage- on a
governmental level orthodoxy is a communion of churches
• historically led by the four ancient patriarchates of Constantinople (first among equals),
Alexandria, Antioch, and jerusalem
• separation- great schism of 1054
• political tensions- pope leo III crowned the frankish king charlemagne as emperor, papacy
severed its historical political allegiance to the roman empire in the east and claimed the
right to transfer the imperial title to the west
• cultural/ language differences- the west was latin speaking while the east was greek
speaking, eastern christianity developed a spiritually and worship style that was more
mystical in orientation than western churches
• doctrine about the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the father and the son- both believed
that the holy spirit was personal in the same way that the father and son are persons of the
trinity and that the spirit is fully divine, orthodox christians believed that the father is the
sole source of beings of the trinity however the western churches declared that the holy
spirit proceeded from the father and the son- orthodox opposed because it denied to the
father what was distinctive to the person of the father- namely that he was the source of the
two persons of the trinity
• papal primacy- the orthodox christians honor the pope as the first and elder brother among
the bishops of the churches through out the world and believe in a council that works
together where as the western churches see the pope has having more power and
jurisdiction and give him spiritual gifts beyond the other bishops
• eastern orthodox churches allow priests to marry although bishops can not, other differences
between the two include: rules of fasting, use of leavened/unleavened bread for eucharist,
circumstances in which divorces/remarriage might be permitted, teachings about purgatory, and
the proper way to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation
Papacy
the bishops of rome came to be called the pope, comes from the latin papa meaning father
• papacy- the government of the pope
• pope leo I ideas that have remained basics of the papacy
• peter was the chief or prince of the apostle, he was divinely commissioned to rule the
church at the center of the empire, the pope is the direct successor of peter, and the popes
authority is grounded not in his persona merit but in the merits of peter
Papal Primacy (also in orthodox)
he orthodox christians honor the pope as the first and elder brother among the bishops of
the churches through out the world and believe in a council that works together where as
the western churches see the pope has having more power and jurisdiction and give him
spiritual gifts beyond the other bishops
Passion narratives
a term used to describe the gospel stories of the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death of jesus
Patristic
an objective describing a period in christian history, roughly the 2nd century to the 5th/6th
century in the west though the east traditionally extends it as far as the 9th century, the period
is so named because the major writers of the time are known as the fathers of the church
• focuses on: development of the canon of scripture, rome becomes center of the christian
community, development of the catechumenate, break with judaism, translation of the
teachings of jesus into a greco roman culture
Penance
for serious sin usually performed in public and was lengthy before the person could be
readmitted to communion
• post-baptismal forgiveness for serious sin was generally extended just one after confession to
the bishop and his clergy- otherwise fasting, works of charity, and prayers such as the our
father were recommended as the normal means of forgiveness for less serious sins
Pentateuch
most Biblical scholars think that the torah, also called the law of pentateuch, meaning five
scrolls, was the first of the three parts of the jewish scriptures (the law)
• writing took place over a relatively long period of time, beginning with stories and traditions
that were passed on orally, some as early as the 12th century BC and only later committed to
writing
• four different authors: yahwist, elohist, deuteronomist, priestly
• eventually the books of the law became the first five books of the bible: genesis, exodus,
leviticus, numbers, and deuteronomy
Pentecost
a jewish harvest festival that came to mark the 50 days separating the Israelites escape from
egypt and gods gift of the law on mt. sinai
• a christian feast celebrated 50 days after easter, commemorating the day on which the holy
spirit came down upon jesus’ disciples when they were in hiding after his death and
resurrection. according to acts of the apostles, this happened during the jewish feats of
pentecost in lukes account the gif of the spirit is thus intended to parallel and transcend the gift
of the law
Pseudonymity
the practice of writing a document with a false name attached to it, pseudonymous writings
were quite common int he ancient world, in part as a way of honoring famous tradition and in
part as a way of increasing the authority of the document
Two-Source theory
a theory that explains the literary relationship among the synoptic gospels by sugesting that the
writers of the gospels of matthew and luke used the gospel of mark and a hypothetical source Q
(a written document or documents mostly containing parables and sayings of jesus) as sources
for their gospels
Mosques
given that islamic public worship requires a large open space facing the empty niche marking
the direction of Ka’ba, basic design tends to emphasize a bold simplicity augmented by a
subtle and open exquisite decor
• at the beginning, many muslim conquerors converted churches, synagogues, and temples into
mosques, absorbing existing aesthetic heritages into the artistic repertory of the new umma
(muslim community)
• two great examples: Ummayyad Mosque in Damascus and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Benedict of Nursia
• 480-547 AD

• founder of the benedictine monastery and author of the rule for monasteries which eventually

became the primary rule of monasticism in the west
Constantine
• reigned from 306-337 AD

• the first christian emperor of rome, he paved the way for the establishment of christianity as the

sole legal religion in the roman empire and began the practice of calling ecumenical councils to

resolve urgent issues affecting the whole church
Creation
• the bible opens with two accounts of creation very different from each other, Genesis

2:4-3:24(2nd) and Genesis 1:1-2:3 (1st)

• primeval story- describe the origin of humanity, its relationship to the creator, and how evil

entered the world

• 1st creation story

• though to come from the Priestly source (6th-5th century B.C)- was put first because it

addressed the ultimate beginnings in the creation of the world and the origins of humanity

• the authors used the theological language that was current in their own place and time to

express their experience of God’s creative work

• emphasizes

• the creation is regarded as good, the priestly writers indicates at the conclusion of each

act of creation that God saw that it was god

• yhwh is the only God and the source of all creation

• the creation must be distinguished from God, the priestly writer insists that God is

completely different and more powerful than the creation

• God created the world by fiat, the divine spoken word

• 2nd creation story

• though to come from the yahwist source- was written first

• describes creation as having taken place in a different sequence and time frame than the

first account, portrays God as very human-like, a concept that is called anthropomorphism

• describes God as fashioning the first humans out of clay, much more human centered,

focused on the placement of humans within the world

• myths- stories that people tell about themselves and their origins in order to teach the most

profound truth that the culture holds. tell why things are the way they are and explain the

worldview of the people. religiously myths are sacred stories that involve god or gods and their

interaction with humanity by using symbolic imagery

• Genesis claims that human beings are created by God and are dependent upon God for their

existence, suggests that human beings are created in the image of God, and asserts the intrinsic

goodness of human beings
David
• reigned from 1000-961 BC

• the greatest of the kings of israel, known for his military genius, musical abilities, love of

yahweh, and his occasional moral failures
Essenes
• a jewish group of first century BC and first century CE whose members withdrew into the

desert, perhaps in protest of the activities of the jerusalem temple leadership, they shares an

apocalyptic worldview, awaiting the end of the world
Exile
• the period during the 6th century BC when the judeans were held captive in babylon by the

babylonians
Ezekiel
• the 6th century BC prophet who counseled the judeans who were in exile in babylon that, with

renewed faithfulness to the covenant, god would allow them to return to their land
Solomon
• reigned 961-922 BC

• successor to his father david as king of isreal, known for his wisdom, excessive wealth, and the

building of the temple in jerusalem
Abraham- (1850-1750?)
• Genesis 12-50 pgs 43-47
• Lived sometime around the end of the 19th century or beginning of the 18th century BCE
• Abram-original name. first encountered YHWH at Haran “…make a great nation…bless those that bless you….curse those that curse you”
• First patriarch of the people
• Covenant
• Many descendants
• Great nation
• Thru him all nations of the earth will be blessed
• Give him the promised land
• Wife was Sarai & son was Isaac (sacrifice of Isaac)
• Hagar & Ishmael
• circumcise
• Abram
• See Abraham
• Ali Ibn Abu Talib (aka “Ali”)
• Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, the fourth caliph of the Islamic people, assianated in 661 AD). Shi’a muslims take their name from him
Ambrose of Milan
• (339-397 AD) was a bishop and former provincial governor whose sermons inspired the young Augustine to Christianity seriously
Anselm of Canterbury
• (1033-1109 AD) Benedictine monk and archbishop of Cantebury, Anselm is known for his “debt satisfaction” theory of atonement and for his ontological argument for the existence of God.
Anthony of Egypt
• (251-356 AD) the father of Christian monasticism. Anthony felt that Christ’s teachings called him to sell all of his possessions and devote himself completely to following the gospel through a life of prayer in isolation from the world.
Arius
• (250/56-336 AD) a fourth century priest in Alexandria who taught that only God the father was God in the true sense; the Son (Jesus) though also divine, was also created by the Father and therefore was less than him. His teaching was rejected at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and the Council of Constantinople (381 AD)
Augustine
• (354-430 AD) theologian and bishop of Hippo; his conversion is described in the autobiographical work Confessions; best known for his opposition to Donatism and Pelagianism, his theological doctrines of grace, original sin, and predestination, and his solutions to the problem of evil
Basil of Caesarea
• (330-379 AD) one of the Cappadocian Fathers; known as the father of Eastern monasticism
Scribes
• In ancient Judaism, the class of people who could read and write and who made their living from these skills. They are portrayed in the gospels as enemies of Jesus and associates of the Pharisees

• In the ancient and medieval world. People whose occupation involved the copying and manuscripts
Abbots
• The spiritual leader who governs an organized community of monks
Apologists
• Meaning “defender.” The apologists of the early church attempted to respond to pagan criticisms of Christianity by explaining what Christians believed and how they lived their lives in terms that made sense to outsiders
Qu’ran
The sacred writings of Islam. The Qu’ran consists of the revelations that the angel of Gabriel delivered o Muhammad from the one God, Allah, for the guidance of the followers
Recapitulation
A doctrine about redemption taught by Irenaeus, a second century AD bishop. He said that the redemption effected by Jesus Christ was a “doing over again” of all that had gone wrong in human history
Relics
The bodily remains of martyrs and other saints
Shar’ia
The Islamic law code that is based upon the Qu’ran and the sunna, or way of the prophet, together with human reason and community consensus
Synoptic problem
The question concerning the literary relationship between the gospels of matthew, mark, and luke, which are so similar that it is almost universally believed that one or more of their authors used another gospel as their source
The Confessions
Augustine’s reflections
The fall
The theological doctrine that holds that human beings were originally created in a state of perfections but lost that state when they sinned against God
The Rule for monastics
Monasticism-from the Greek word monos, meaning “one,” “unique,” or “solitary.” A rule and a way of life for Christians dedicated to holiness by separating from existing society, either by withdrawing into unpopulated areas of by living within a cloister.
The Second Temple Period
The temple in Jerusalem that was built following the destruction of Solomon’s Temple by the Babylonians, destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE
ὃτι
because; that
Torah
The Hebrew scripture as a whole
• The first five books of the Hebrew bible or OT, also known as the Pentateuch or Law
• The Jewish law or system of laws…believed to have been revealed by God to Moses and set down in writing in the first five books of the OT
Trinity
A theological term used to describe the relationship of the three “persons” of Father, Son, and HS in one Godhead: as defined at the fourth century ecumenical councils of Nicaea and Constantinople, the dogma of the Trinity affirms that the three persons are coeternal and share equally in the same divine nature
Apostates
• People who have fallen away from the faith under threat of persecution
Sacramentary
• a book containing the prayers needed by a priest to celebrate the Eucharist and sometimes other sacraments
Sanctuary
• The principle that all who take refuge from civil authority in a church or on the Church and cannot be removed without the permission of the abbot or bishop. A holy place within a church or temple.
Taj Mahal
• 1632 on the banks of Jumna River in Northern India
• Constructed by Shah Juhan, then ruler of Hindustan , as a memorial for his deceased wife.
• Conjures up splendors of A Thousand and One Arabian Nights if not a vision of paradise as evoked in the Qur’an