Grade 12 College Vocabulary, Week 18

Definition: In Christian theology, the self-giving love of God for man and of man for God and neighbor.

Context (original sentence): The early Christians spoke of agape as a love that gives without asking anything in return.

Synonyms:

charity, self-giving love, caritas

Antonyms:

selfishness

Root:Greek agape, love.

Definition: The proclamation of the gospel of Christ, especially as preached by the apostles.

Context (original sentence): Scholars study the kerygma of the apostles in the sermons recorded in Acts.

Synonyms:

proclamation, preaching, message

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek kerygma, proclamation, from keryx, herald.

Definition: In Christian theology, the self-emptying of Christ in becoming man.

Context (original sentence): The sermon on kenosis explored how the Son took the form of a servant.

Synonyms:

self-emptying, humbling

Antonyms:

exaltation

Root:Greek kenosis, an emptying.

Definition: In Christian theology, the second coming of Christ.

Context (original sentence): The early church lived in watchful hope of the parousia.

Synonyms:

second coming, advent

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek parousia, presence, arrival.

Definition: The property by which a being exists of and from itself; in theology, God's self-existence.

Context (original sentence): The doctrine of aseity teaches that God depends on nothing outside himself.

Synonyms:

self-existence, independence

Antonyms:

contingency, dependence

Root:Latin a se, from oneself.

Definition: The doctrine that God has foreordained all that will happen.

From the reading: "The Calvinists emphasised the degradation of man through Original Sin, and considered mankind so corrupt that the will was of no avail; and thus fell into the doctrine of predestination." (Pensées)

Synonyms:

foreordination, election, destiny

Antonyms:

free will

Root:Latin praedestinare, to determine beforehand.

Definition: Including a wide variety of things; universal (lowercase, as in the Creed's catholic church).

From the reading: "That is the Catholic faith, which comprehends these two truths which seem opposed." (Pensées)

Synonyms:

universal, wide-ranging, eclectic

Antonyms:

narrow, parochial

Root:Greek katholikos, universal.

Definition: Representing a number of Christian churches; worldwide in extent.

Context (original sentence): The Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council of the church.

Synonyms:

universal, interdenominational, general

Antonyms:

sectarian

Root:Greek oikoumene, the inhabited world.

Definition: A letter sent to all the churches of an area, especially by a pope.

Context (original sentence): The bishop's encyclical was read aloud in every parish on Sunday.

Synonyms:

circular letter, pastoral letter

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek enkyklios, circular.

Definition: Of a bishop or bishops; governed by bishops.

From the reading: "They found it just as the church bell was ringing for matins, a sound that must have seemed very like home to these members of an episcopal household." (A Book of Golden Deeds)

Synonyms:

bishop's, diocesan, prelatic

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek episkopos, overseer.

Definition: The Christian gospel; any of the four Gospels.

From the reading: "For this the Evangel and the mighty Doctors Are derelict, and only the Decretals So studied that it shows upon their margins." (The Divine Comedy)

Synonyms:

gospel, good news, glad tidings

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek euangelion, good news.

Definition: Lay people, as distinct from the clergy.

From the reading: "Spenser represents in him the peculiar vices of the Irish clergy and laity." (The Faerie Queene, Book I)

Synonyms:

lay people, congregation, flock

Antonyms:

clergy

Root:from lay, Greek laikos, of the people.

Definition: A bishop or other high-ranking member of the clergy.

From the reading: "The first of these Christian bishops was Ambrose, the sainted prelate of Milan." (A Book of Golden Deeds)

Synonyms:

bishop, archbishop, cleric

Antonyms:

layman

Root:Latin praelatus, one preferred.

Definition: A body of church elders; the house of a priest; the eastern part of a church beyond the choir.

From the reading: "John of Jerusalem, whose presbytery was at Baddesley." (The White Company)

Synonyms:

eldership, council of elders

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek presbyteros, elder.

Definition: An assembly of the clergy, and sometimes laity, of a church to decide on matters of doctrine or administration.

From the reading: "By the time a fourth waiter had joined this hurried synod, Mr." (The Innocence of Father Brown)

Synonyms:

council, assembly, convocation

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek synodos, meeting.

Definition: One tenth of annual produce or earnings, given to support the church and clergy.

From the reading: "It was not lawful to sacrifice outside of Jerusalem, which was the place that the Lord had chosen, nor even to eat the tithes elsewhere." (Pensées)

Synonyms:

tenth, offering, levy

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Old English teogotha, tenth.

Definition: A service of evening prayer in the church.

From the reading: "There are many people who listen to a sermon in the same way as they listen to vespers." (Pensées)

Synonyms:

evensong, evening prayer

Antonyms:

matins

Root:Latin vesper, evening.

Definition: A service of morning prayer, especially in the Anglican Church.

From the reading: "They found it just as the church bell was ringing for matins, a sound that must have seemed very like home to these members of an episcopal household." (A Book of Golden Deeds)

Synonyms:

morning prayer, lauds

Antonyms:

vespers

Root:Latin matutinus, of the morning.

Definition: A hymn or chant forming a regular part of a church service, with words taken from the Bible.

From the reading: "But, above all, believe it, the sweetest canticle is', Nunc dimittis; when a man hath obtained worthy ends, and expectations." (Essays of Bacon)

Synonyms:

hymn, chant, psalm

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin canticulum, little song.

Definition: A liturgical formula of praise to God.

From the reading: "I will attend them, when I have completed my morning praise, to which nothing is now wanting but the doxology." (The Last of the Mohicans)

Synonyms:

hymn of praise, gloria

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek doxa, glory + logos, word.