| apocalypticism | The belief that the world will soon come to an end; this belief usually includes the notion of a great battle, final judgment, and the reward of the good.  Listen (51.0K)
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| apostle | One of Jesus' twelve disciples; also any early preacher of Christianity. Listen (43.0K)
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| baptism | The Christian rite of initiation, involving immersion in water or sprinkling of water. Listen (46.0K)
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| Bible | The scriptures sacred to Christians, consisting of the books of the Hebrew bible and the New Testament. Listen (44.0K)
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| bishop | "Overseer" (Greek); a priest and church leader who is in charge of a large geographical area called a diocese. Listen (41.0K)
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| canon | "Measure," "rule" (Greek); a list of authoritative books or documents. Listen (43.0K)
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| ecumenism | Dialogue between Christian denominations. Listen (30.0K)
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| Eucharist | "Good Gift" (Greek); the Lord's Supper. Listen (24.0K)
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| evangelical | Emphasizing the authority of the scripture; an adjective used to identify certain Protestant groups. Listen (53.0K)
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| evangelist | "Good news person" (Greek); one of the four "authors" of the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Listen (31.0K)
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| filioque | "And from the Son"; a Latin work added to the creeds in the Western Church to state that the Holy Spirit arises from both the Father and the Son. The notion, which was not accepted by Orthodox Christianity, contributed to the separation between Western and Eastern Churches. Listen (49.0K)
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| Gospel | "Good news" (Middle English); an account of the life of Jesus. Listen (40.0K)
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| icon | "Image" (Greek); religious painting on wood, as used in the Orthodox Church. Listen (40.0K)
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| incarnation | "In flesh" (Latin); a belief that God became visible in Jesus. Listen (51.0K)
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| indulgence | "Kindness-toward" (Latin); remission of time spent in purgatory (a state of temporary punishment in the afterlife); an aspect of Catholic belief and practice. Listen (52.0K)
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| Lent | "Lengthening day," "spring" (Anglo-Saxon); the preparatory period before Easter, lasting forty days. Listen (42.0K)
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| Messiah | "Anointed" (Hebrew); a special messenger sent by God foretold in Hebrew Scriptures, and believed by Christians to be Jesus. Listen (25.0K)
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| original sin | An inclination toward evil, inherited by human beings as a result of Adam's disobedience. Listen (54.0K)
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| orthodox | "Straight opinion" (Greek); correct belief. Listen (26.0K)
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| Orthodoxy | The Eastern branch of Christianity. Listen (28.0K)
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| patriarch | The bishop of one of the major ancient sites of Christianity (Jerusalem, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Moscow). Listen (50.0K)
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| pope | "Father" (Latin); the bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church. Listen (46.0K)
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| predestination | The belief that because God is all-powerful and all-knowing, a human being's ultimate reward or punishment is already decreed by God; a notion emphasized in Calvinism. Listen (55.0K)
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| Protestant Principle | The ability of each believer to radically rethink and interpret the ideas and values of Christianity apart from any church authority. Listen (38.0K)
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| redemption | "Buy again," "buy back" (Latin); the belief that the death of Jesus has paid the price of justice for all human wrongdoing. Listen (47.0K)
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| righteousness | Being sinless in the sight of God; also called "justification." Listen (53.0K)
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| sacrament | "Sacred action" (Latin); one of the essential rituals of Christianity. Listen (48.0K)
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| sin | Wrongdoing, seen as disobedience to God. Listen (47.0K)
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| Testament | A contract; the Old and New Testaments constitute the Christian scriptures. Listen (45.0K)
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| Trinity | The three "persons" in God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Listen (50.0K)
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