Vocabulary about the way we think and what we believe
Anglicanism - Also called the Church of England, the church founded by Henry VIII that placed the monarch (that is, Henry) at its head; initially very similar to Roman Catholicism; undermined by Mary and reasserted by Elizabeth
Apocryphal - a general term (that I use quite a bit) applied to stories and anecdotes we tell ourselves that may or may not be historically true.
Calvinism - The branch of Protestant Christianity founded by John Calvin that a very strict moral code, hard work, and predestination; offshoots of religion developed in England (Puritans), Scotland (Presbyterians), France (Huguenots), and when they settled in North America, Congregationalists
Cartesian Dualism - the idea that mind/spirit/soul and body are separate; a belief held in many people and religions, specifically articulated by Descartes
Clergy - the general term for religious professionals; priests, ministers, popes, imams, nuns, rabbis, monks, etc.
Clerical - adjective meaning pertaining to clergy
Council of Trent - The meeting called by the Roman Catholic church in the mid-15oos to reform church practices in response to the Protestant Reformation
Counter-Reformation (or Catholic Reformation) - reforms made to correct many of the corrupt practices (indulges, simony) that had been criticised in the the Protestant Reformation
Diet of Worms - The meeting at which religious and political represenatives of the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor demanded that Luther recant his criticisms; he famously refused
Excommunication - a declaration by the Roman Catholic Church that an individual may not participate in the Church Sacraments (with the effect, according to traditional RC belief, that the person is damned).
Huguenots - French Calvinists
Humanism - (1) confidence in (unlimited) human potential, especially the potential of the (extraordinary) indidvidual. (2) emphasis on the study of the humanities (i.e. human achievements: history, literature, the arts, philosophy)
Indulgence - in theory, a forgiveness of a sin, one's own or someone else's, that one could purchase. Generally cited as the most egregious of the Roman Catholic Church corruptions to which Luther objected
Interdict - excommunication of an entire population of a state or region, used by the Roman Catholic Church to exercise control over the kings/nobility of Europe during the Middle Ages; it is because of this level of uber-control that the era is sometimes cited as having had a de factor theocracy
Jesuits - A monastic order founded by Ignatius of Loyola around the time of the Counter-Reformation. They are especially known for their commitment to education and mission work (a number of respected American Universities are Jesuit, including Fordham, Fairfield, and Georgetown).
Monk - a man who renounces standard human life-choices (family, job) to devote himself to God, ususally living with others who have made that same commitment. In the Middle Ages, 'orders' of monks lived by rules established by their founders (the Benedictines, the Dominicans, the Franciscans). A woman who makes a similar commitment is a nun.
Monastery - An institution that is home to an order of monks. In the Middle Ages, in addition to serving as an arm of the RC church, monasteries frequently provided social services in that they helped the poor and sick, became storehouses of ancient writings and knowledge, and provided (a little) education
Predestination - a concept associated with Calvinism that one's ultimate fate - Heaven or Hell - is already decided. Paradoxically, tends to produce extremely moralistic societies, as everyone attempts to reassure to himself that he is saved
Puritans - English Calvinists
(Seven) Sacraments - the rituals performed by the Roman Catholic Church for its members that will (according to traditional RC belief) bring them salvation, in other words, get them into Heaven. The Seven Sacraments are baptism, confirmation, confession and reconcilation, communion, marriage, holy orders, and last rites.
Secular - describes something that is NOT connected to religion
Social Darwinism -
Transubstantiation - the transforming of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, traditionally considered by Roman Catholics to literally occur as a result of a priest's blessing ("hoc est meum corpus"). Most branches of Protestantism do not believe this occurs, but rather that communion is metaphorical.
Apocryphal - a general term (that I use quite a bit) applied to stories and anecdotes we tell ourselves that may or may not be historically true.
Calvinism - The branch of Protestant Christianity founded by John Calvin that a very strict moral code, hard work, and predestination; offshoots of religion developed in England (Puritans), Scotland (Presbyterians), France (Huguenots), and when they settled in North America, Congregationalists
Cartesian Dualism - the idea that mind/spirit/soul and body are separate; a belief held in many people and religions, specifically articulated by Descartes
Clergy - the general term for religious professionals; priests, ministers, popes, imams, nuns, rabbis, monks, etc.
Clerical - adjective meaning pertaining to clergy
Council of Trent - The meeting called by the Roman Catholic church in the mid-15oos to reform church practices in response to the Protestant Reformation
Counter-Reformation (or Catholic Reformation) - reforms made to correct many of the corrupt practices (indulges, simony) that had been criticised in the the Protestant Reformation
Diet of Worms - The meeting at which religious and political represenatives of the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor demanded that Luther recant his criticisms; he famously refused
Excommunication - a declaration by the Roman Catholic Church that an individual may not participate in the Church Sacraments (with the effect, according to traditional RC belief, that the person is damned).
Huguenots - French Calvinists
Humanism - (1) confidence in (unlimited) human potential, especially the potential of the (extraordinary) indidvidual. (2) emphasis on the study of the humanities (i.e. human achievements: history, literature, the arts, philosophy)
Indulgence - in theory, a forgiveness of a sin, one's own or someone else's, that one could purchase. Generally cited as the most egregious of the Roman Catholic Church corruptions to which Luther objected
Interdict - excommunication of an entire population of a state or region, used by the Roman Catholic Church to exercise control over the kings/nobility of Europe during the Middle Ages; it is because of this level of uber-control that the era is sometimes cited as having had a de factor theocracy
Jesuits - A monastic order founded by Ignatius of Loyola around the time of the Counter-Reformation. They are especially known for their commitment to education and mission work (a number of respected American Universities are Jesuit, including Fordham, Fairfield, and Georgetown).
Monk - a man who renounces standard human life-choices (family, job) to devote himself to God, ususally living with others who have made that same commitment. In the Middle Ages, 'orders' of monks lived by rules established by their founders (the Benedictines, the Dominicans, the Franciscans). A woman who makes a similar commitment is a nun.
Monastery - An institution that is home to an order of monks. In the Middle Ages, in addition to serving as an arm of the RC church, monasteries frequently provided social services in that they helped the poor and sick, became storehouses of ancient writings and knowledge, and provided (a little) education
Predestination - a concept associated with Calvinism that one's ultimate fate - Heaven or Hell - is already decided. Paradoxically, tends to produce extremely moralistic societies, as everyone attempts to reassure to himself that he is saved
Puritans - English Calvinists
(Seven) Sacraments - the rituals performed by the Roman Catholic Church for its members that will (according to traditional RC belief) bring them salvation, in other words, get them into Heaven. The Seven Sacraments are baptism, confirmation, confession and reconcilation, communion, marriage, holy orders, and last rites.
Secular - describes something that is NOT connected to religion
Social Darwinism -
Transubstantiation - the transforming of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, traditionally considered by Roman Catholics to literally occur as a result of a priest's blessing ("hoc est meum corpus"). Most branches of Protestantism do not believe this occurs, but rather that communion is metaphorical.