Questions tagged [terminology]
questions regarding the meaning or usage of Christian terminology
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Why is intellectual work not considered servile work?
Why is intellectual work not considered servile work prohibited by the 3rd Commandment on Sundays and feast days? Doesn't the soul need rest just as much as the body those days?
St. Thomas, defending ...
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What does the term "hearing Mass" mean?
Sometimes people use the term "hearing Mass". For example, it is used in the Six Precepts of the Church where it is a translation of the Latin "Missam audire":
To hear Mass on ...
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Is there a Christian term for the condition of a person who subjectively feels incapable of experiencing a spiritual connection with God?
In the realm of philosophy of religion, I'm acquainted with concepts like divine hiddenness and the idea of a non-resistant non-believer, which refers to someone open to, yet lacking, a genuinely ...
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How does the soul fit in with the existence
My question(s) relates to how the soul fits in with the existence "equation" and I have 2 main questions:
Is the human soul part of your person or your essence, if essence then do humans ...
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Significance of one divine essence/nature
All human beings share a common nature/essence, yet are not one "being", but the 3 persons of the Trinity share a common essence/nature and are one being. I have 3 questions here:
What ...
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Relationship with God vs Fellowship with God, are they synonymous?
Are these synonymous? My question is based on the point of already being a Christian. I’m open to any ideas and eager to hear them. Please note, I’m not looking for definitions of these terms. I’ve ...
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On the English equivalents of κυρικόν and κυριακόν
From ``Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma'' by Ludwig Ott:
According to St. Francis de Sales:
``Church comes from the Greek word meaning to call. Church then signifies an assembly, or company of persons ...
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Why are the gospel writers called the "Four Evangelists" in traditional church commentaries / studies, but not in modern Study Bibles?
In viewing and scanning theological literature and commentaries of the past centuries, the four disciples who wrote the Gospels were called "evangelists", the "Four Evangelists". ...
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Naive question: Origin of the Holy Ghost
I have heard that there is a lot of influence from the Greeks in the development of Christianity, the Stoics and Platonists, and the concept of logos, the Word, and Jesus. You can see this in the ...
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Defintion(s) of Faith in the Bible?
According to Heb. 11:1-5 (D-R):
Now faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.
Does the Bible offer what may be considered to be a definition of faith ...
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Terminology for conversions among 3 major Christian branches
"Crossing the Tiber" / "Swimming the Tiber" have come to be the shorthand term for converting to Roman Catholicism, as well as "Swimming/Crossing the Thames" for ...
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How does Roman Catholicism define "the simplicity that is in Christ" found in 2 Corinthians 11:3?
Having just asked this question of Roman Catholicism, which included a fairly lengthy attempt at defining the "simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3) from a biblical perspective ...
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When a Council Deprives an Archbishop of "Sacerdotal Communion"?
On pg. 13 of the c. 1930 booklet, "Ephesus and Its Great Council," by T. A. Johnston, is found the following (excerpt from a quote by the said Ecumenical Council on the condemnation of ...
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What is meant by "Catholic Truths" in Ott's «Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma»?
Based, in part, on some rather passionate comments regarding theologians made by user Geremia in the post "Who Said: 'God Did Not Become Man in Order for Man to Become a Theologian'?", I ...
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Is Covenantal vs Dispensational just a terminology difference?
How do scholars differentiate between a Covenantal and Dispensational view of Biblical understanding? Covenant people criticize Dispensationalists for cutting up the Bible narrative into distinct ...
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Why do we say "My Jesus" and then "Our Father"?
In the famous Fatima prayer we say "My Jesus". The Decade prayer:
"O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in ...
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Why do so many Christian religions claim The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are not Christian? [duplicate]
What does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lack in Christ oriented teachings or doctrine to be considered a Christian church for those who claim otherwise?
Maybe it's not what they lack ...
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How does Christianity define "character"?
Recently I've been partaking in multiple discussions regarding the concept of free will on this site (for the curious, see here, here, here, here), mainly because of its relevance in the context of ...
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Are there any other agreed-upon definitions of "free will" within mainstream Christianity?
I've frequently engaged in discussions about Christianity that have revolved around free will, particularly with regards to predestination (and recently as of writing this question, sinlessness) and ...
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Are the Terms "Let Him be Anathema" and "Excommunicated" Synonymous?
In the Douay Rheims, Galatians 1:6-8, for example, we read:
6 I wonder that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel. 7 Which is not another, ...
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What is the difference between Soul and Spirit? [duplicate]
My Question was if there is a difference between Soul and Spirit. I ask this question because it seems like your Soul and Spirit are the same thing.
I realized that your spirit and physical body are ...
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Is there a name for the belief that some individuals would always freely reject salvation no matter the world in which they are created?
When God created the world, He had to accept the fact that some of His creatures would sin and ultimately fail to repent and be saved (I'm assuming that universalism is false, to be clear). For ...
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What does "I plead the blood of Jesus Christ" mean?
What does "I plead the blood of Jesus Christ" mean? Is this something Christians say?
Supposedly "I plead the blood" is a legal term.
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What does it mean for the Catholic Church to be inclusive?
What does it mean for the Catholic Church to be inclusive?
Does inclusivity mean that of race?
From one of the links:
The St. Louis Mosaic Project Ambassador School program encourages member schools ...
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What does it mean to say a bible translation is "evangelical?"
In this comparison of ESV/NIV/NET translations, several references are made to how evangelical a translation is:
I am happy to endorse the ESV, with the understanding that the
scholarship, largely ...
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What is the definition of fornication and why? [closed]
In technical terms, that have objective meaning.
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Technical term for a Christology of divine and flesh nature
In the first few centuries, there appears to have been many Christian currents in the Mediterranean and Near East. While Christology was often not a sound basis to delineate between these groups (as ...
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2 Corinthians 5:10 addresses the Judgment Seat of Christ. What is the result of the individuals' judgment?
This judgment is of individual Christians and addresses their actions and attitudes during their human life. The question concerns the result of the judgment.
What will change in the believer’s future ...
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How does Catholicism appropriate Aristotle's notion of the 'transcendent third'?
I was reading Bishop Robert Barron's article Silence and the Meaning of the Mass and came across Aristotle's "transcendent third":
The Mass is the act by which the Son of God, in union with ...
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Does Scripture actually call Jesus' disciples " believers?"
I'm currently working on a Bible Study Titled "from believer to follower" Closer to God through his Word. I actually can't find one Instance where us saints/disciples, etc. are called ...
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What's the difference between apostasy and heresy?
Apostasy
Apostasy (/əˈpɒstəsi/; Greek: ἀποστασία apostasía, 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be ...
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When is the phrase "Word of God" first used to refer to the Scriptures?
The phrase "Word of God" or "Word of the Lord" and variants are commonly used (at least among evangelicals) to refer to the Bible - i.e. the written words of the prophets and ...
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Outside the technical definition, what is the term "Pharisee" synomynous with inside Christian Teachings?
Beyond the technical meaning, what does Pharisee mean or imply within Christian teachings or homiles? What would be its synonymns? It is used quite often, but I am never quite sure what to make of ...
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What are names for different approaches to unintentional sin?
Some (for example, Pat Donahue, the owner of bibledebates.info) contend that unintentional sins separate a person from God just as much as deliberate sins will. By contrast, others (such as Bob Myhan ...
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What is the term in spiritual theology to denote the aspect that increases within a believer as God carries his work to completion (Phil 1:6)?
The background
I grew up in a Reformed church since I was a kid. In my adulthood as I become more concerned with my spiritual health, I increasingly expect theology to provide at least a rich enough ...
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How do Christians define knowledge and faith?
There have been many attempts at defining knowledge in philosophy. One of the most commonly used definitions is justified true belief (JTB), which demands that a claim must be (1) true, (2) believed ...
user50422
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In Catholic liturgy, what is the difference between "liturgy", "rite", "order", "form", "mass", and "missal"?
This question is about proper use of terminology within the Roman Catholic church today. As a non-Catholic I am sometimes bewildered when the 6 terms "liturgy", "rite", "...
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Is there a standard term for all "saved" people?
Is there a standard term within theological literature for the set of people who will receive eternal life?
I've noticed that many Christians use the word "Christians" to refer to this set ...
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Were/are there any other terms for "Christian" which don't mean simply "anointed one"?
I noticed that the etymology of "Christ" is in Greek "kristos" which means "anointed one", which is a Greek rendering of the Jewish word "Messiah", which also ...
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Is there a name for the idea that Jesus takes away the sin of the world by causing those who abide in him to sin less and be more righteous?
1 John 3:5-6 is
5 But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.
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Is there a word for the beliefs of Baptists?
The beliefs of Catholics are Catholicism; the beliefs of Lutherans are Lutheranism; the beliefs of Presbyterians are Presbyterianism; etc. What about the beliefs of Baptists? It "should" be &...
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What is an overview of how different Christian denominations define well-known phrases related to the ministry of the Holy Spirit?
There are many popular concepts and phrases that people have coined in relation to the role and ministry of Holy Spirit. Some examples I'm aware of include:
The baptism of the Holy Spirit
The ...
user50422
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Are there known uses of the title "Theotokos" in the second century?
Do we know of any uses of the title "Theotokos" from the second century? Wikipedia claims that the title has been in use only since the third century.
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Is there a standard definition of what 'heresy' is across Protestant denominations?
Different major branches of Christianity often understand certain terms differently. Is there a standard definition of 'heresy' across major Protestant denominations?
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According to Catholic scholars, are the terms "God's Plan" and "God's Will" one and the same?
The Bible very rarely uses the term God's Plan, for instance:
Ps 107:11 (NIV):
because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
Micah 2:3 (NIV):
Therefore, the ...
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What is the biblical basis for distinguishing between spiritual gifts and church offices?
I've heard Christians claim that someone may have the "gift of apostleship", even though they may lack the "church office" of apostle itself. Same for prophet, evangelist, teacher, ...
user50422
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The priest/preacher's prayer before the sermon/homily -- what is it and why do the ECLA (and others) do it?
Tried to put the gist of this in the subject.
Often in my tradition (ELCA), the preacher will say a quick prayer before preaching; often it's the "May the words of my mouth.." prayer, or ...
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According to Biblical Unitarians, what does it mean for Jesus to be the Son of God?
I am curious to hear what the term “Son of God” means to a Biblical Unitarian when it applies to Jesus.
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What is an overview of Christian beliefs on the essential features and functions of an Apostle?
The following are examples of (possible) essential features and functions of an Apostle I've heard from different sources.
An authentic Apostle ...
Had to be called supernaturally by God Himself in ...
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Why don't Protestants use the Augustinian concept of concupiscence?
Concupiscence, which can be defined as
perversity and lack of order, a turning away from the Creator who is more excellent toward creatures which are inferior to Him (To Simplician, I.2.18)
which is ...
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