Christianity key words

• Ascension


  Going or being taken up; the event forty days after the resurrection when Jesus returned to glory in heaven
• Atonement


  Making amends or payment for a wrong. The belief that reconciliation between God and humanity that was brought about by the death of Jesus as a sacrifice
• Baptism


  The sacrament through which people become members of the Church. It involves the use of water as a symbol of the washing away of sin
• Believers' baptism


  Initiation into the Church, by immersion in water, of people old enough to understand the ceremony/rite and who have made the decision to live a Christian life
• Bible


  Source of wisdom and authority; a holy book containing both the Old and New Testaments
• Catholic


  The tradition within the Christian Church which is led by the Pope; also called the Roman Catholic Church
• Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)


  • A Christian charity that provides emergency and long-term aid to the developing world
• Christ

  Literally means 'Anointed One' in Greek; the Hebrew equivalent is Messiah. The leader promised by God to the Jews; Christians believe Jesus to be the Christ
• Christian Aid


  • A Christian charity that provides emergency and long-term aid to the developing world
• Christmas


  The festival/celebration to remember the birth of Jesus
• Church


  • The People of God/Body of Christ, among whom Christ is beloved to be present and active
  • Members of a particular Christian denomination/tradition, eg Roman Catholic, Methodist
  • A building in which Christians worship
• Creation


  Bringing the world into existence; the belief that the world is God's loving creation
• Crucifixion


  The death of Jesus; a form of the death penalty used by the Romans
• Easter


  Festival/celebration of the resurrection of Jesus; the Easter season ends with Pentecost (50 days after Easter Sunday) which remembers the coming of the Holy Spirit to earth following the ascension
• Eucharist/Holy Communion


  Literally 'thanksgiving'; a sacrament in which the death and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated, using bread and wine
• Evangelism


  Preaching the gospel (the good news about God) to convert people to the Christian faith
• Evil


  The opposite of good; a cause of suffering and against the will of God
• The Father


  The first Person of the Trinity, the belief in God as creator and sustainer of the universe
• Food banks


  • Places in local communities where people in need can go to collect food; often run/supported by local churches and religious charities
• Grace


  The unconditional and generous love that God shows to people who do not deserve it
• Heaven


  Belief that after death Christians can enter a state of being with God for eternity
• Hell


  Belief in a place of eternal suffering, or a state after death of being in separation from God
• Holy Spirit


  The third Person of the Trinity; believed to be present with believers since Pentecost and active on earth
• Incarnation

  Literally 'in flesh', or 'enfleshed;' belief that God took on human form in the person of Jesus
• Infant baptism


  Sacrament of initiation of babies and young children into the Church
• Informal prayer


  Spontaneous prayers spoken from the heart which are personal and unique to the person/people at the time
• Iona


  • Place of pilgrimage founded by St Columba in the fourth century
• Jesus


  Believed by Christians to be the Son of God, he was a first century Jewish teacher living and travelling in Palestine/Israel
• Judgement


  The belief that God will decides whether each person should receive eternal life or eternal punishment based on their earthly life
• Just


  Fair or equal treatment, a state of justice. Belief about the nature of God as treating all people justly
• Liturgical worship


  A church service which follows a set structure or ritual
• Law


  Rules or commands which must be followed; the law of God is revealed in the Bible
• Lourdes


  • Place of pilgrimage where the Virgin Mary appeared to St Bernadette in a series of visions and it is claimed that miraculous healings have taken place
• Lord's Prayer


  The prayer taught to the disciples by Jesus; also known as the 'Our Father' and widely said by Christians in both church services and privately
• Mission


  Literally 'sent out'; the duty of Christians to spread the gospel (the good news about Jesus)
• Non-liturgical worship/informal worship


  A service which does not follow a set text or ritual; sometimes spontaneous or charismatic
• Omnipotent


  The belief that God is 'all powerful'
• The Oneness of God


  The belief that God is one singular divine being (who can be manifest in the Three Persons of the Trinity)
• Original sin


  Belief human nature is flawed, and that we all have the tendency to sin; traditional belief held by some Christians that this came from Adam & Eve's eating of the forbidden fruit as recorded in Genesis 3
• Orthodox


  A denomination/tradition of the Church popular in some parts of Eastern Europe. There are two main Orthodox Churches – Greek and Russian