- aristocratic, adjective. Of or relating to the nobility; of or relating to government by an aristocracy (cf. demotic).
- bespoke, adjective. Custom-made.
- catechumen, noun. A convert to Christianity receiving training in doctrine and discipline before baptism.
- demotic, adjective. Of or relating to the common people; popular (cf. aristocratic).
- diluvial, adjective. Pertaining to or caused by a flood or deluge.
- diocese, noun. A geographical area or ecclesiastical district under the direction of a single bishop (used in this way by the Roman Catholic church, the Greek Orthodox churches, the Anglican Communion, and others).
- diurnal, adjective. Of or belonging to the daytime (cf. nocturnal).
- Filioque, noun. The Roman Catholic doctrine that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son (from Latin, “and the son”).
- gainsay, verb. To declare to be false or invalid; to oppose, especially by contradiction.
- glyph, noun. A pictograph or hieroglyph; a sculptured figure or relief carving.
- heresy, noun. An opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, especially of a church or religious system.
- Icon, noun. (Theology) A representation or picture of a sacred or sanctified Christian personage, used and venerated - especially in Eastern Orthodoxy.
- Iconoclast, noun. A person who breaks or destroys images, especially those set up for religious veneration.
- Iconophile, noun. A person who religiously venerates icons or images.
- mugwump, noun. A person who is unable to make up his or her mind on an issue (especially in politics); a person who is neutral on a controversial issue.
- nocturnal, adjective. Of or relating to the night (cf. diurnal).
- par excellence, adjective. Being an example of excellence; superior; preeminent.
- parish, noun. An ecclesiastical district having its own church and member of the clergy; (in the state of Louisiana) The equivalent of a county.
- primate, noun. A chief or leader; (Eastern Orthodox) The archbishop (aka patriarch) ranking first among the bishops in each of the separate autocephalous hierarchical churches professing Eastern Orthodoxy.
- pontifex, noun. (Roman religion) A member of the Pontifical College, which was presided over by a chief priest Pontifex Maximus; (Roman Catholic religion) A bishop; the Roman Catholic pope, the Bishop of Rome.
- Quartodecimanism, noun. The celebration of Easter on the fourteenth of Nisan according to the Jewish lunar calendar -- regardless of what day of the week on which it occurred.
- replevy, verb. To take or get back by a writ for replevin (an action regarding personal property which is claimed to be wrongfully taken).
- Theotokos, noun. A title for Mary, the mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Orthodoxy.
- Tonsure, noun. The practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility.
- voluntarism, noun. The concept that belief is a matter of the will.
- Vulgate, noun. (Latin “common”) A translation of the Bible into Latin from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek (by Jerome, who lived circa AD 342-420).
- zeitgeist, noun. The spirit of the times; the general trend of thought, feeling, or tastes characteristic of a particular period of time.
“Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein.” Caveat lector
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Whew! I'd struggle to pass a vocabulary (or pronunciation) test on those words!
ReplyDeleteE. T. Chapman