Descriptionary

abbess the female superior of an abbey; the female version of an abbot.

abbey a monastery or convent.

abbot the male superior of an abbey or monastery.

ablutions the washing of the hands before or after certain religious ceremonies, such as before Catholic Mass.

abomination anything repugnant to God.

absolution the forgiveness of sins.

acolyte one who assists a priest or minister at the altar, for example by lighting or extinguishing candles or handling the offerings.

Acts of the Apostles the New Testament book describing Christian history.

Advent the birth of Christ; the Second Coming of Christ. Also, the four weeks preceding Christmas.

Adventists, Second a denomination that believes that the Second Coming will soon arrive and proph­esies the date.

Adventists, Seventh-Day a denomination that believes that the Second Coming will soon arrive but does not prophesy a date.

agape in the early Christian Church, a love feast or communal meal of thanksgiving held with the Eucharist.

agnostic one who neither believes nor disbelieves in God due to a lack of evidence or proof.

Agnus Dei the Lamb of God; an icon representing this.

agrapha Greek for "things that are not written," referring to any words of Jesus not included in the Bible's four Gospels but found in other sources.

All Saints' Day observed on November 1, a day commemorating martyrs and saints.

All Souls' Day observed on November 2, a day of prayer commemorating those Christians believed to be in purgatory.

almsgiving giving gifts or money to the poor, a reli­gious practice around the world.

amen Hebrew for "to trust," denoting faithfulness.

anathema one who is damned; a ban or excom­munication.

Angelus a Roman Catholic prayer recited at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. to commemorate the Annunciation. Also the bell used to announce this prayer.

Annunciation the angel Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive a son.

anoint to apply oil to the body to initiate one into divine service.

Antichrist "he who is against Christ." The great antagonist or "man of lawlessness" posing as a reli­gious leader who will be defeated and banished with Christ's Second Coming. Also known as "the beast."

Apocalypse the last book of the New Testament; a revelation of the world to come.

Apocrypha collections of proverbs, sermons, and texts excluded from the Hebrew Bible because they were thought not to be inspired by God. Roman Catholic Bibles include all but two of these texts in the Old Testament. Protestants however, consider them uncanonical.

apostasy the abandonment of one's religious faith.

apostate one who gives up his faith.

Apostle one of the 12 witnesses chosen by Christ to preach the Gospel.

Apostles' Creed the oldest statement of Christian faith, sometimes ascribed to the 12 Apostles, begin­ning, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. . . ."

archangel a chief or high angel, including Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.

archbishop the highest-ranking bishop; he oversees an archdiocese.

archdeacon a priest who oversees a territory and assists a bishop.

archdiocese in the Roman Catholic Church, a dio­cese under the jurisdiction of an archbishop.

Ark of the Covenant the ornate, acacia wood chest containing the Ten Commandments, carried by Hebrews into battle, and responsible for bringing down the walls of Jericho. Sometimes referred to as the footstool of God.

Armageddon "mountain of Megiddo." The loca­tion of the final battle between the forces of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Antichrist, as prophesied by the Bible in Revelation 19:16.

Ascension Christ's ascent to heaven on a cloud, commemorated on the 40th day after Easter Sunday, known as Holy Thursday.

Ash Wednesday the first day of Lent, the 40-day period of fasting and repentance preceding Easter. The name is derived from the ash of burned palm branches (from Palm Sunday) dabbed in the configuration of a cross on members of the congregation by a priest.

Assumption in Roman Catholic and Eastern Ortho­dox Churches, a feast on August 15 to commemorate the taking into heaven of the Virgin Mary.

atheism the disbelief in the existence of God.

atonement the making of amends for sins.

avarice greed, one of the seven cardinal or "deadly" sins.

baptism a ceremony through which a young child or an adult becomes a member of the church. In Baptist churches, adults are fully immersed in water. In the Eastern Church and Roman Catholic Church, young children are sprinkled with or immersed in water three times and sometimes anointed with oil.

Baptist Church the Christian Protestant church that baptizes adults but not infants.