Christian beliefs Flashcards
Ascension
The event 40 days after the Resurrection, when Jesus returned to God, the Father, in heaven, recorded in Luke 24 and Acts 1.
Atonement
Literally ‘at-one-ment’, it refers to the reconciliation between God and humanity that was sealed by the sacrificial death of Jesus.
Bible
Sacred book for Christians containing both the Old and New Testaments.
Catholic
The tradition within the Christian Church which is led by the Pope.
Christ
The leader promised by God to the Jews. Christians believe Jesus to be the Christ.
Christian
Someone who believes in Jesus Christ and follows the religion based on his teachings.
Creation
Christians believe that the world is God’s loving creation.
Crucifixion
The execution and death of Jesus on Good Friday
Evil
The opposite of good. A force that is seen in many traditions as destructive and against God.
The Father (God)
The first Person of the Trinity, the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Grace
The unconditional and generous love that God shows to people who do not deserve it.
Heaven
The state after death of being with and enjoying eternity with God
Hell
The place of eternal suffering or the state after death of separation from God for those who want no relationship with him.
Holy Spirit
The third person of the Holy Trinity who descended like a dove on Jesus at his baptism. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is present and inspires them.
Incarnation
Literally ‘in flesh’, or ‘enfleshed’,when God took the human form as Jesus.
Jesus
First century Jewish teacher and holy man, believed by Christians to be the Son of God.
Judgement
When God decides whether each person should receive eternal life or eternal punishment.
Just
This refers to the nature of God as one who treats each individual human being fairly and equally.
Law
This refers to the law of God, revealed in the Bible, which Christians are called to obey. St Paul made it clear, however, that salvation is not earned by obedience to the law but is God’s free gift.
Lord’s Prayer
The prayer taught to the disciples by Jesus; also known as the ‘Our Father’.
Omnipotent
The belief that God is ‘all powerful’.
The Oneness of God
The belief that God is ‘One’.
Original Sin
The traditional belief that is still held by some Christians that human nature is basically flawed, and so humans have a tendency to go against God’s will. Christians who think that the Bible is literally true believe that it has been passed down from Adam and Eve.
Orthodox
The most popular Christian tradition in some parts of Eastern Europe. There are two main Orthodox Churches – Greek and Russian.
Persecution
Throughout the centuries and still in some parts of the world, Christians face punishment and even death for adherence to their faith.
Protestant
The Churches that ‘protested’ against and broke away from the Catholic Church during the Reformation. Services are generally based more closely on the Bible than those of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
Reconciliation
The process of restoring harmony after relationships between people has broken down.
Resurrection
The form that many Christians believe the afterlife will take, referring to either physical or spiritual bodies.
Salvation
Saving the soul and deliverance from sin and admission to heaven brought about by Jesus.
Sin
Behaviour which is against God’s laws and wishes/against principles of morality. A thought, word or action which is wrong, which people know is wrong and which people freely choose.
The Son
The second Person of the Trinity. This is Jesus, in whom God became incarnate.
The Son of God
A title used for Jesus, the second person in the Trinity; denotes the special relationship between Jesus and God.
Sources of Wisdom and Authority
Christians believe that the Bible, religious leaders and statements of belief, eg the Apostles’ Creed, should be respected as conveying deep religious truths.
Suffering
When people have to face and live with unpleasant events or conditions.
Trinity
The belief that there are three Persons in the One God. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are separate, but are also one being.
Word
St John’s Gospel 1 describes God creating the world through his Word and links this to Jesus in the statement: ‘The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us’.
