Download Ecclesiology Vocabulary

ECCLESIOLOGY VOCABULARY
A.
Accordingly: (748) consequently, therefore
apostle: literally means “one sent”
apostasy: a general falling away from the faith by those who once held it
apostolic: 4th mark of the true Church of Christ; means that the Church is
founded upon the teachings of the 12 apostles about Jesus.
apostolic succession: that principle whereby the authority of Christ has
been passed down from the apostles to the current bishops of the Church.
B.
C.
canonize: an action whereby the Church officially declares a Catholic to be
a model and intercessor for the rest of the faithful.
catechesis: education in the Faith
catholic: 1. universal 2. according to the totality (of Christ) 3. in keeping
with the whole (of Christ’s teaching) refers also to the 3rd mark of the
Church
charism: a gift of the Holy Spirit
charity: love
Church: an assembly/convocation of people who belong to the Lord
collegial: brotherly
consecrate: to make holy
consecrated life: those who publicly profess vows of poverty, chastity and
obedience for the sake of holiness and the kingdom of God
contrition: sorrow for sins (see Sacrament Vocabulary, perfect and
imperfect)
cultural symbol: a symbol with a meaning that is only communicable to a
particular culture or people.
D.
E.
ecclesiology: the study of the Church
ekkalein: to call out of
episkopoi- Greek for “overseer”, the word from which our word “bishop” is
derived
essence: the “what-ness” of something, how we know what it is
evangelical counsels: vows that proclaim the Gospel. The three
evangelical counsels are poverty, chastity and obedience. They counteract
the world’s values of money, sex, and power.
Extra ecclesiam nulla salus: “outside the Church is no salvation”
F.
G.
grace: the gift of God’s life, God’s loving presence
H.
heresy: a false teaching. a heresy contains some elements of the faith but
some elements have been distorted or even denied.
hierarchy: those baptized Catholics who have received the sacrament of
Holy Orders and participate in the ministry to the body of Christ by
standing for the faithful in the place of Christ (in persona Christi)
holy: literally means “set apart”; refers to anything or anyone that is drawn
apart from the world and drawn into union with Christ. refers also to the
2nd mark of the Church, means that the true Church of Christ must be
united with Christ and His will.
I.
Incarnare: (literal, root of incarnation) “to make flesh”
Incarnation: refers to Jesse’s becoming flesh, (becoming man) See John
1:1-14
J.
K.
kyriake: (Greek) what belongs to the Lord
L.
laity: those members of the Church that are not a part of the hierarchy or
consecrated life. those people who have been baptized into the Church
and are called to be a part of the mission of Christ in the Church
Lumen Gentium: (literal) “light of humanity” refers to a document of the
Second Vatican Council which is the first of Church documents specifically
meant as the Church’s reflection upon herself. refers to the first line in the
Vatican II document which is “Christ is the light of humanity.”
M.
magister: Latin for “teacher” The Church is often entitled “mater et
magistra” by the Church Fathers.
Magisterium: refers to the teaching authority of the Catholic Church
mater: Latin for “mother”
mission: comes from a word which means sending forth.
mysterion: Greek for mystery, emphasizes the hidden reality of God that is
signified in every sacrament.
N.
O.
one: refers to the 1st mark of the Church of Christ; that it must be united as
one Church. (As Jesus prayed “that they may all be one…”)
origin: that which is the cause for something else to exist.
P.
Q.
R.
ritual: a symbolic action
S.
sacrament: (formal/specific) an outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give
grace
sacrament: (general) a sign of God’s love
sacrament: (CS) God’s loving presence made visible in our lives here and
now
sacred: holy
saint: comes from the Latin word for holy (sanctus), a holy person,
someone who has been declared for the Church to be model (of a holy life)
and intercessor.
sanctify: to make holy
schism: a split or break in Church unity
sensus fidei: sense of the faith (supernatural gift given to God’s people)
sign: (compare to symbol) an object that has only one meaning,
(sacraments are signs that effect that which they signify—“power signs”
supplication: refers to a praying of asking for God’s help/ blessing
symbol: an object that can have more than one meaning, what they are is
connected to what they stand for, they can evoke more than one kind of
response from us. (CS) see universal symbol, cultural symbol
T.
Teleological: directed toward some end or purpose. ex. Man’s life is
teleological.
Telos: (literal) “purpose/ end”
temporal: of the world, of the earth, not of the spiritual order but of the
human, worldly order
Theology: (literal) “study of God”
“This Sacred Council”:(748) refers to Vatican II
transcend: to go beyond the limits of…
U.
unity: oneness, the quality of being united as one (in the case of the
Church we are united in faith, worship, government and charity)
universal symbol: a symbol that can have the same meaning for people all
over the world. ex. water. See cultural symbol
V.
vocation: a calling by God to serve the Body of Christ in some way.