INTRODUCTION ABOUT CHURCH AND CHRISTIAITY

POLITY
In the beginning: The early Church was organized the same
way as the Jewish place of worship, i.e. the synagogue, though
many Bible translations obscure this fact. Both the Church and
the synagogue were led by one or more presbyters (=elder)
and became the English word priest. If there were several
elders, the leader was called the episkopos, which
means supervisor and became the English word bishop. They
were all needed for running the church. Thus the early Church
consisted of congregations (group of lay people attending the
church and sharing the Christian faith) served by deacons, run
by priests, and supervised by bishops. It can be translated in
English as that early congregations had a board, ministers, and
a district superintendent. The people involved in the church
were generally termed as clergy. The church was like an
administrative unit that operated in a certain geographic area.
This is explained later.
The vocabulary of Christianity and church varies with different
interpretation of the New Testament. Given and explained
below are terms used by various churches and their general
definition.
ARCHITECTURE

Refer to the design of domus italia.

In the beginning: The church of the first four centuries met in

privately owned houses, i.e. the typical Roman house.
A house in the Roman Empire was a much larger building that
was not just the home of an extended family, its slaves, and
employees, it was also the households place of business. An
ancient house church typically consisted of about 100 or so
people (the congregation) standing in a large, mostly
unfurnished public room called an atrium (the same atrium that
is seen in domus italia) Worship in an ancient house church
was very formal and could become quite elaborate involving
rituals, furniture and such. The closest equivalent to an ancient
house church is a modern church.
The members of the congregations were sophisticated,
educated Jews and God-fearing gentiles who were very well
acquainted with the liturgy i.e. the methods of worship.

When the household was conducting its business, the atrium

was a busy place, filled with people talking to each other and
doing business with the household. Since the ala and tablunum
was a raised platform without a wall separating it from the
atrium, it was the best place for the father and his sons to
conduct business. The father sat in the center behind the
chopping block where he oversaw the proceedings, while his
sons, seated on either side against the back wall, conducted
the business of the household.
When a house was converted to a church, the impluvium which
was the household water source became the baptistery, the
atrium became the nave, the dining room became the chancel,
the chopping block became the altar, the bishop sat in the
fathers seat, and the priests sat on either side, i.e. ala. The
house could accommodate a congregation of about 100-150
people. Pews were invented in the west in the middle ages.
Orthodox churches still do not have seats in the nave.

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INTERIOR OF A CHURCH BUILDING

HISTORIC FLOOR PLAN

1. Communion table, most often called the altar.

2. Communion railing ( a man height rood screen in the medieval
period), also called the chancel railing, with provisions for
kneeling.
3. Pulpit, used by clergy for gospel readings and sermons.
4. Lectern with Bible, used by lay readers for scripture readings.
5. Boundary between nave and sanctuary; usually the floor of the
chancel is three steps higher than the floor of the nave. In
medieval period could be the position for the rood screen.
In Orthodox churches, the boundary is an iconostasis. Any
lecterns are in front of the iconostasis, placing them in the nave
instead of in the chancel, as in western churches.
6. Congregation. Western churches have pews, but in most
Orthodox churches the congregation still stands. It is composed
of seating and a passageway between seats.
7. The sanctuary or chancel.
8. The nave, where the congregation sits. Later, flanked by aisle
on either side of the nave.
Note that in some churches, the architect may have swapped the positions of the lectern and the pulpit for aesthetic reasons or
because of the layout of the rest of the building.
The choir may be located behind the chancel, to one or both
sides of the chancel, behind the congregation, or on a balcony
behind the congregation. The church floor plan may include
a transept, a rectangular area between the chancel and the
nave that is wider than the rest of the building. (As a result, the
church is shaped like a cross in plan) The choir might be
located in the ends of the transept. The choir is positioned
so that it can be heard, without consideration for its
visibility. The transept is a medieval architectural
innovation.
After the congregation is seated, the choir, lay leaders, and
clergy (in that order) enter in a procession up the aisle. The
minister who delivers the sermon sits near the pulpit. There
may two seats within the chancel railing, one for the minister
who conducts the communion and one for a lay helper.
Leaders generally face the communion table when addressing
God, whether in prayer or song, because they are acting as
part of the congregation. Leaders face the congregation only
during announcements, scripture readings, and the sermon.
The basic elements of this floor plan come from the layout of
first-century Roman house, because the earliest Christian
churches were house churches. Ancient Christians found a
glorified version of their churchs floor plan in New Testament..
Accordingly, the throne in the middle is the altar, the 24 elders
sit in a circle around the throne instead of in a semi-circle
behind it, and Jesus, in the role of the bishop, sits on the altar
instead of behind it, because He is also the sacrifice.

circular nave that surrounds the chancel, for a theater-in-theround effect. Surprisingly enough, this is not a contemporary
innovation; it goes back at least to medieval times.
In western churches, the congregation has a speaking role in
the service; that is, the clergy lead the congregation, who
actually perform the bulk of the service. This makes the service
seem complex to the first-time visitor. The first part of the
service emphasizes Bible readings and the sermon, and it
follows the general plan of a synagogue service. The second
half of the service, if present, consists of communion. Any part
of the service, except Communion, may be led by a lay person.
Most Bible readings and prayers are offered by lay person who
is authorized by the church to read the Bible. The gospel
reading and the sermon are generally done by clergy. The
congregation generally stands to sing or respond, sits to listen,
and kneels to pray. Everyone does the same thing at the same
time, so it looks regimented to an Orthodox visitor.
Orthodox churches follow the same plan, except that there
are generally no pews and often the entire service is sung
responsively by the clergy and the choir. The role of the
congregation is to stand in awe and prayer. Seats are
provided for the disabled. Individuals in the congregation are
allowed to come and go when they like, walk around, bow,
stand, light candles, kiss icons, and so forth, during the
service. It looks chaotic to a western visitor. Orthodox worship
has not changed at all for over 1,000 years.

With local variations, this floor plan is used by Orthodox,

Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist churches,
among others. Many Roman Catholic churches have a semi-

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Note 2 : Christianity glossary

INTERIOR OF A CHURCH BUILDING

LECTURE-HALL FLOOR PLAN
1. Choir.
2. Ambo, often incorrectly called a pulpit.
3. Communion table.
4. Railing, often called the altar, with provisions for kneeling.
5. Congregation.
The entire room is called the sanctuary. During the service, worship
leaders, lay and clergy, are seated between the choir and the ambo,
facing the congregation. The ministers and choir members face the
congregation at all times.
This floor plan is used by most religious groups that originated within the
United States during the nineteenth century. It originated with Puritans
and Quakers in England, back when they were required by law to attend
the Church of England. They conducted their own supplementary
meetings after church in lecture halls. After the requirement for
attending the Church of England ended, the lecture-hall layout
persisted.
The role of the congregation is largely that of audience, which makes the service seem simple to visitors. The service emphasizes
musical performances and the sermon; it includes prayers, but there are generally few scripture readings, except as a prologue to
the sermon. At times, the congregation is called upon for congregational singing, and for individual prayers and testimonies. The
congregation often responds to the sermon or the service by coming forward to the railing for individual prayer.
The congregation generally stands to sing and sits to pray or listen. Exceptions: The person who leads in prayer generally stands,
and respondents at the railing kneel in prayer.

THE REFORMATION (early 16th C) AND ITS INFLUENCE CHANGE ON CHURCH DESIGN
In the early 16th century Martin Luther and the Reformation brought a period of radical change to church design. According to the
ideals of the Protestant reformation, the spoken word, the sermon, should be central act in the church service. This implied that the
pulpit became the focal point of the church interior and that churches should be designed to allow all to hear and see the
minister.[18] Pulpits had always been a feature of Western churches. The birth of Protestantism led to extensive changes in the way
that Christianity was practiced (and hence the design of churches).
During the Reformation period, there was an emphasis on "full and active participation". The focus of Protestant churches was on
the preaching of the Word, rather than a sacerdotal emphasis. Holy Communion tables became wood to emphasize that Christ's
sacrifice was made once for all and were made more immediate to the congregation to emphasize man's direct access to God
through Christ.
In the Netherlands the Reformed church in Willemstad, North Brabant, Koepelkerk (Domed Church) (1607), the first Protestant
church building in the Netherlands, was given an octagonal shape according to Calvinism's focus on the sermon.[19]

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Note 2 : Christianity glossary

GLOSSARY

or just inside the church doors, or it could be a portable

structure that only appears when there is a baptism.

Christ: (Greek christos, = "messiah" or "anointed one"). Title

applied to Jesus identifying him as the figure predicted by the
Hebrew prophets.

In Protestant churches that administer baptism by immersion,

the baptistery is a large tank that is located in the front of the
church, either behind the chancel or to one side.

Christian -

The Catholic Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults calls for

baptism by immersion. In newer Catholic churches that are
built with this rite in mind, the baptistery is generally an artificial
pool with a water pump so there is a continuous flow of water.
It can be located just inside the entrance of the church, or in
the nave in front of the congregation.

Church - (Greek kuriakon, "belonging to the Lord"). The

worldwide body of Christian believers, a particular
denomination or congregation (when starts with C), or church
the building in which they meet. The study of the nature of the
church is called ecclesiology. A church is always dedicated to
someone or something such as Mary, Jesus, Saint, a holy
event. Functionally a church can be local church (Parish
Church) or a diocese level church (such as a cathedral).
Catholic literal meaning : Universal. A term used since 2nd
century by the early Christians to designate the universal
Christian faith. When the Eastern Church split from the western
in 1054 AD, the West retained this term and became known as
Roman Catholic. Churches in the East are known as Greek,
Eastern or Russian Orthodox.
Orthodox - The branch of Christianity prevalent in Greece,
Russia and Eastern Europe. Originates as a separate body
when the Eastern (Orthodox) church split from the Western
(Catholic) church in 1054 AD. Orthodox Christians do not
recognize the authority of the Pope, but rather the Patriarch
(the spiritual Orthodox Christianity is characterized by
emphasis on icons. The Patriarch of Constantinople is the
Pope's Eastern counterpart.
Anglican Communion - The Anglican Communion is a free
association of national churches that are in communion with
each other and with the Church of England, and in most cases
are outgrowths of the Church of England. Their head is the
Archbishop of Canterbury and under him there are bishops.
Protestant A term which originated with regards to Martin
Luther and his followers. Because they "protested" against
certain nonscriptural practices of the Roman Catholic Church,
they were called "Protestants."
Baptism - The rite of admission to membership in Christian
churches that involves immersing, sprinkling or anointing with
water. Regarded as a sacrament by Catholic, Orthodox and
Protestant Christians. Most denominations practice infant
baptism; some only baptize adult believers.
Baptistery Place where baptism takes place. In a Roman
house, the households water source was in the atrium just
inside the front door. When early Christians converted a house
to a church, that water source became the place where
baptisms could take place if it wasnt possible to baptize
outdoors. Even though the position of the baptistery was
determined by the existing architecture of the house, it took on
a symbolic meaning, because baptism is the entrance to the
Christian life. Today the position of the baptistery varies. It can
be in one of three places: just inside the doors, in the nave in
front of the congregation, or behind the chancel.
In churches that usually administer baptism by pouring, the
baptistery consists of a stand with a water basin on top. It
could be a permanent structure in the front of the congregation

Liturgy This is a prescribed form or collection of forms for

public worship. In liturgical churches, the rite and ceremony is
more prominent than the emphasis on preaching, evangelism,
or spontaneous expressions of worship.
Baptists Baptists are a type of protestant chirstians.
Minister - Minister is the Latin word for doer of little deeds, as
opposed to a magistrate, who is a doer of great deeds. In
some churches, the word minister denotes a person who is
charged with the spiritual care of a church. In most churches,
minister is a generic term that includes all who assist in
worship, whether clergy or lay. All of the following are ministers
: The Pope, His advisors, bishops, vicars, rectors, priests,
deacons, acolyte, lay readers, crucifers, and even the
congregation.
Clergy - The word clergy comes from a Latin word that means
office holder. It refers to ordained (i.e. authorized) ministers
who are authorised to conduct the rites and sacraments of the
church. Some clergy may have administrative duties at various
regional and national levels of a church.
Congregation - The people who have gathered (congregated)
for worship. The term has two meanings:

Those presently assembled for worship.

All of the people who make up the local churchs
constituency.

In many churches the word congregation is only used in the

first meaning, and the word parish is used for the second
meaning.
Communion

: Eucharist or the Lord's Supper, the Christian rite

involving the eating of bread and drinking of wine (symbolical

of the flesh and blood of Jesus), reenacting the Last Supper
and symbolically - becoming whole with Jesus. The word
Eucharist may refer not only to the rite but also to the
consecrated bread (leavened or unleavened) and wine (or
grape juice) used in the rite. In this sense, communicants (that
is, those who partake of the communion elements) may speak
of "receiving the Eucharist", as well as "celebrating the
Eucharist".
Service - a formalized period of communal worship, often but
not exclusively occurring on Sunday, or Saturday.
Mass - The central part of Christian life in antiquity and the
Middle Ages was the Mass. This is when a worshipper went to
church and the priest went through a series of prayers to God.
The lay people would participate in some of the prayers,

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Note 2 : Christianity glossary

sometimes just saying Amen, and sometimes saying other
things - these were called "responses". Both the lay people
and the priest said the Mass in Latin (in Europe and most of
North Africa) or in Greek (in Greece and Egypt and West Asia),
which meant that a lot of people in medieval Europe didn't
understand the words very well, because they spoke French or
Spanish or Italian or German and not Latin. At the end of the
prayers, the priest gave Communion to everyone who was not
in a state of sin. Masses occurred once a week (Sunday mass,
for common populace) to 5-8 times a day (in monasteries or
pilgrimage churches of medieval period).
Altar - The altar is the table in the chancel that the clergy use
for Communion. During the Protestant Reformation, some
people felt that the traditional term was theologically
misleading. As a result, many people preferred to call it a
Communion Table. Anglicans decided that both terms were
correct, because it is the altar from which we receive the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and because it is the table on which
we celebrate Communion. Today, Anglicans and Lutherans
generally call it the altar, while churches in the Reform tradition
tend to call it a Communion table. A church is designed
focusing on the communion table and it is evident from the
surch that the communion table is the most revered place in
the church.
Diocese (similar to bishopric, see) - In the Roman Empire,
the diocese was a unit of local government, like a county in
England or Virginia, a borough in Alaska, a parish in
Louisiana, or a Landkreis in Germany or a district in India.
One of the ancient councils of the Church resolved to follow
the political boundaries of the Roman Empire in setting up
church jurisdictions; therefore the term diocese has come to
mean the territory of a bishops jurisdiction. Modern churches
also generally follow political boundaries when they set up
ecclesiastical regions, even if they dont call them dioceses. In
Orthodoxy, a diocese is called an eparchy.
Gospel - One of the first four books of the New Testament
Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.
Sermon - A sermon is an oration by a member of the clergy.
Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral
topic
Service Abbey - A monastic community of religious persons along with
the buildings of the community. The abbey consists of monks
ruled by an abbot, or of nuns under an abbess. Abbeys are
independent of the jurisdiction of the local bishop. The
traditional plan of the buildings included an oratory (chapel), a
chapter room (for assemblies of the community in which a
chapter of the rule is read), a refectory (dining area), and
dormitories, all of which are arranged around a cloister or an
open inner court.
Abbot - Male leader or superior of a religious community. The
title is derived from the Latin abbas or the Aramaic abba,
"Father." The abbot functions as the "father" of the community.
He is elected for life and receives authority from a bishop. The
role of the abbot is to regulate the life of the community in
accordance with the rule of life of his community.

Monastery - A member of a male monastic community.

Monastic - A person who takes the monastic vow and devotes
his or her life to those religious vows and who lives in
community (in or associated with a monastery) or as a solitary.
Monastic communities lead a life devoted to God in a
monastery, in relative isolation from the world. Although
monastic vows differ from tradition to tradition, they normally
include poverty, chastity, and obedience. A monastic's
schedule may be divided into prayer, study, and work.
Eastern monks follow the rule of St. Basil, and most western
monks follow the rule of St. Benedict. Monks are bound by
solemn vows. They live in relatively independent abbeys ruled
by an elected abbot, with the highest authority residing in a
general chapter. Monasticism is not restrained in Christianity
alone.
Friar wandering and begging monks not associated with any
monastery of abbey. They are different for abbey monks and
they were seen from 13th century onwards.
Roman Catholic Church
Protestant Church
Basilica
Cathedral a.k.a. duomo (Italian) : The church that has a
number of parish level churches under its authority. Usually
Roman Catholic, Anglican, Oriental Orthodox or Eastern
Orthodox, housing the seat of a bishop, i.e. the clergy who
oversees the parish level clergies. The term cathedral refers to
the function of a church, not its architectural style. A cathedral
is a church that serves as a bishops headquarters, so to
speak. Its called a cathedral because it contains his cathedra
(chair). The city in which the cathedral is located is the bishops
see (Latin, = seat). The city is the bishops see in the sense
that a city might be the seat of government. A church that has
the function of cathedral is not necessarily a large building but
they were monumental buildings in Gothic period. The term
duomo usually applies to a cathedral with a dome but no
necessarily.
Parish
Badia
Benedictine church - a church of the monasterial order
named after and following the principles of St. Benedict
(c.480574), which valued obedience, moderation and humility
and the integration of prayer, manual labour and study into the
daily routine. Benedictine churches were in the greates in
number during the middle ages.
see Carolingian abbey church illustration.
Luther, Martin (1483-1546) - German monk and professor
whose questioning of church practices led to the Protestant
Reformation. See Martin Luther for details.
Ambulatory
Apsidal
Choir
Choir screen
Chancel

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Note 2 : Christianity glossary

Chapel

leave the chancel, and one in the middle that, when open,
gives the congregation a view of the celebrant and the altar. In
Orthodox worship, the nave represents earth, the chancel
represents heaven, and the iconostasis is the barrier that
prevents us from seeing heaven from earth. The celebrant
opens the middle door at appropriate times when heaven is
revealed to people on earth.

Cloister
Crossing
Nave
Oratory
Pulpit

The western equivalent is called a rood screen.

Portal

Blindstory 1 a portion of the external wall of a building one

storey high with no openings; often a full storey parapet wall
above roof level. 2 in church architecture, a triforium with a
blind arcade.

Chevette / radiating chapel

Transept
Trforium
Westwork
Relics: The physical remains and effects of saints, which are
considered worthy of veneration inasmuch as they are
representative of persons in glory with God.
Pews The traditional bench-long seats in churches. The
term originated from the French word, PUIE, "a raised place,"
which was used to describe the boxed, balcony seats in a
theater. In precolonial days, the term became identified with
the enclosed boxed seats in a church sanctuary, and later to all
church bench seats. Other tradition says that the term
originated from pioneer days when bathing was sometimes
infrequent, and the bench seats retained the odor from users.
Apse a semicircular or polygonal terminating space at or
behind the high altar of a church or basilica, often roofed with a
half-dome.
apsidal of a building form, relating to or in the form of an
apse, semicircular or half-domed.
apsidiole, absidiole; in religious architecture, a secondary
apse, semicircular niche or chapel which terminates a side
aisle or is arranged around an apse.
Pulpit the podium from which a minister preaches. The term
was used in the King James Version, where a pulpit was
something stood on for elevation when speaking to a crowd.
Belfry, belltower, Campanile - a structure for housing bells,
surmounting the roof of a church or cathedral, or freestanding.
Icon (read first the introductory note on history) An icon
is a highly stylised religious painting on wood. The icon follows
detailed artistic conventions, which include the lack of
perspective and unearthly colors. The icons are deliberately
unrealistic so that they edify faith without causing idolatry. In an
Orthodox church, no matter where you look, theres an icon
and that is the whole idea. It is nearly impossible to be in an
Orthodox church without thinking spiritual thoughts all the time.
The subject and placement of the icons is significant. An
illiterate person could learn the whole gospel just by looking
around.
Iconostasis - In Orthodox churches, the chancel and
the nave are separated by a partition that generally does not
reach all the way to the ceiling. It is covered with icons whose
subject and placement is significant. It is called an
iconostasisit is essentially an icon stand. The iconostasis
has three doors, two on each side so the clergy can enter and

Patriarch - A patriarch is not a separate order of clergy, just a

bishop who has administrative duties over archbishops and
bishops in an extended geographical region. Generally, a
patriarch is whichever person is elected to be bishop of a
designated area; for example, in secular terms, we might say
that the Bishop of Alexandria is ex officio the Patriarch of
Alexandria. The Patriarchs of Rome and Alexandria have the
title pope. Pope (Emeritus) Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger)
gave up the title of patriarch; however, since that title was
bestowed on the Bishop of Rome by an ancient ecumenical
council, Im not certain that his action means anything to the
other Patriarchs.
Pope - The term pope or papa originated as a term of
endearment for bishops and sometimes even priests. It is a
form of the word father. In 5th century, the spiritual and state
(i.e. worldly) power and duties were distributed respectively
amongst the pope and the king or emperor. The Pope has
been the spiritual leader of the Christian world (until the
Reformation). However, the Pope or Bishops crown the king
and hold power over the governing of the country.
In the earliest times where we do have any evidence (about
200 AD), the Pope was just the bishop of Rome, like any other
bishop in other towns. But because Rome was the capital of
the Roman Empire, the bishop of Rome seemed more
important than the other bishops. Bishops from smaller towns
came and asked his advice about things. When a lot of bishops
needed to meet and have a council, they would meet in Rome,
where there were good roads, and big basilicas to meet in.
Like other bishops, the Pope was chosen by a council of
bishops from among the powerful men of the city, and once he
had been chosen he would stay the Pope for the rest of his life.
History books written in the west generally use the
term pope to refer to the Bishop of Rome. If you are reading
Orthodox documents, or documents written before 1073, the
term pope might refer to the Patriarch of Alexandria or it might
be a courtesy title.
The Western ChurchCarthage (during the 2nd century)
The Bishop of Carthage had the courtesy title pope for about a
hundred years, beginning in the late second century. That
usage has not survived.
The Eastern ChurchAlexandria (from the 3rd century on)
Beginning in the third century and extending through the
present day, the Patriarch of Alexandria of the Coptic Orthodox
Church is the only one who has had the official title pope.

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Unlike the Roman Catholic pope, he does not claim universal
jurisdiction over all Christians. In November 2012, Pope
Theodoros became the 118th pope of the Coptic Orthodox
Church, succeeding Pope Shenouda III, who died in March
2012.

Pastor By modern tradition, a person who is a minister and

spiritual overseer of a church congregation an elder or
bishop. A pastor literally means "a shepherd," a metaphoric
description of one who cares for and leads a flock of God's
sheep..

The Western Churchthe term pope refers exclusively to the

Bishop of Rome. The Roman Catholic pope claims jurisdiction
over all Christians, hence for Catholics the title pope means
universal head of the Christian church.

Laity The laymen or lay-people or non-clergy members of

the church.

Cardinal: Cardinals have a long history in the western Church,

but today they are peculiar to the Roman Catholic Church.
Cardinals are bishops who serve as advisers to the Pope. The
Pope can make any priest or bishop a cardinal; however, when
a priest becomes a cardinal, he is consecrated a bishop. Upon
the death of the pope, they administer the affairs of the Roman
Catholic Church and elect the new pope.
Bishop - Bishop is the English version of the Greek word
(episkopos), which means overseer or supervisor.
The qualifications for bishops are given in The New Testament,
but there is no scriptural description of their duties. In the first
century, the local church was headed by a bishop and the
priests served as a board of advisors who also functioned
as clergy under the bishops direction. By the time of
Ignatius at the end of the first century, the Church had grown.
By that time, bishops had territorial supervision over several
churches, while the presbyters were responsible for pastoral
care of individual churches. Ignatius describes a system
identical to the modern practice, well in accord with Titus 1:6-9
and the situation in the seven letters in Revelation. Bishops
wear purple clericals.
In the historic church, a bishop is a regional minister, a priest
with administrative duties over a group of churches in a
territory called a diocese. Only bishops can preside at the rite
of ordination. An individual bishop can ordain a deacon or a
priest, but it takes three bishops to consecrate a new bishop. A
Roman Catholic bishop must remain unmarried. An Anglican,
Lutheran, or Methodist bishop can be married. In the eastern
Church, only unmarried priests can become bishops, and
bishops are not permitted to marry. See the entry on celibacy.
Pastor - Pastor is the Latin word for shepherd. This word
refers to the ordained minister who is charged with the primary
spiritual care of a local church.
Order - A religious order is a society whose members
voluntarily commit themselves for life or a term of years to
holding their possessions in common or in trust and to living a
celibate life in community in obedience to the rule and
constitution of the religious order. In medieval Europe, most
monks belonged to the Benedictine order. Cluniacs,
Cistercians are other orders in which a lot of monks belong.
There are more than 20 major orders in Chirstianity.
Rector - Rector is the Anglican word for the elected pastor of a
financially self-supporting congregation. The term derives from
the fact that if there are multiple clergy on staff in a church, the
pastor has primary responsibility for directing the worship.
Historically in the Church of England, the terms rector and
vicar had different meanings, but today the distinction lies in
the history of the parish. See also vicar.

Curate - Curate is an Anglican term for assistant pastor. The

word cure is related to the word care. A curate is a person who
takes care of a cure, that is, the congregation, viewed as a
spiritual charge. Assistant pastors are usually assigned the
duty of routinely visiting the members of the congregation who
are sick, shut-in, or in distress; hence the term. The
worword curator (as in a museum) is related. See
also rector and vicar.
Rector - Rector is the Anglican word for the elected pastor of a
financially self-supporting congregation. The term derives from
the fact that if there are multiple clergy on staff in a church, the
pastor has primary responsibility for directing the worship.
Historically in the Church of England, the terms rector and
vicar had different meanings, but today the distinction lies in
the history of the parish. See also vicar.
Officiant - A term for the minister who is the moderator of a
worship service. This term is most often used when the service
does not include communion. Depending on circumstances,
the officiant may be an ordained minister, a lay minister, or a
lay person.
Parish - In some churches, the geographical territory of a local
church. In general, the constituency of a local church; that is,
all the people who are members or who informally consider it
to be their church. In many churches, congregation is used for
this term.
Pastor - Pastor is the Latin word for shepherd. This word
refers to the ordained minister who is charged with the primary
spiritual care of a local church.
Indulgence A term used by the Roman Catholic church to
describe a remission of temporal punishment due to sins. The
sale of indulgences by the church was the one of the first
issues refuted by Martin Luther which inadvertently brought
about reformation. / In Roman Catholicism, a partial remission
of temporal (non-eternal) punishment for sin after the guilt of
sin has been forgiven through penance. The concept of
indulgences grew out of the beliefs that (1) divine justice
demanded the sinner pay for his or her misdeeds even though
they have been forgiven, either in this life or in Purgatory; (2)
giving alms to the church is a penitential work; and (3) the
church possessed a treasury of merit earned by the saints that
could be applied to sinners. By the late Middle Ages, the
system of indulgences was rampantly abused, and greedy
ecclesiastics and hired salesmen sold tickets to heaven in
order to fund expensive building projects and line their own
pockets. The abuses were stopped at the reforming Council of
Trent in 1562, and today one must do good works, not pay
money, to earn indulgences.
Eucharist - The central act of Christian worship and
commemoration of the central events of Christian faith - also

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Note 2 : Christianity glossary

known as The Lords Supper, Communion, The Great
Thanksgiving, and the Mass - in which bread and wine are
consecrated by the celebrant and distributed to the people as
the body and blood of Christ.
Diocese - In Catholisicm a territorial unit of administration,
consisting of a number of individual parishes, under the
pastoral oversight of a bishop. In Orthodoxy, a diocese is
called an eparchy.
Episcopal - An adjective meaning "of or pertaining to bishops."
From the Greek word "episcopos" (overseer). The "Episcopate"
is the office of a bishop, the period of time during which he or
she holds the office, or bishops as a group.
Crusades - (Lat. cruciata, "cross-marked") Wars fought
against enemies of the Christian faith, primarily the Muslim
Turks in the period 1095 to 1291, but later against other
infidels and heretics. Its objective was to reclaim the Holy Land
from the Muslims. It started when Pore Urban called the faithful
to wage a war against the occupiers of the Holy Land and thus
ensuring once place in eternal heaven after death.
The Schisms -

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