Christianity: Important Vocabulary Terms
Hellenization
Gnosticism, Gnostic
The Mysterion
The Logos
Messiah/Christos
Grace
Jesus of Nazareth
The "Kingdom"
Euangelion
Gospel
The Synoptic Tradition
Mark
Matthew
Luke
John
Q (the "sayings source")
The Acts of the Apostles
The Epistles
Paul
Gentile
Ekklesia
Incarnation
Atonement
Trinity
Sacrament
Orthodoxy/Heresy
The three primary divisions of the Christian church:
The Protestant Principle
Discussion Questions
1. Why is the table so central to the message and the teachings of Jesus? What does it symbolize and what challenges did it present to the Jewish authorities in first century Palestine?
2. Describe the nature of "sacrament." What is the technical meaning of the word? Focus on either baptism or Eucharist (communion) and explain its significance in the life of the church. How was it suggested in the lecture that God is "present" in these ritual acts?
3. What is the church? If it is a "holy" or "sacred" place, what makes it so? What "takes place" to make it a "place?"