Christianity key words OCR syllabus B GCSE

Christianity

Word / Concept

Definition

Trinity

(the idea of the one god having three states of existence, Father, Son and Holy Spirit)

The Incarnation

(the physical manifestation of God – Jesus)

Salvation

(the idea of a person being saved by God)

Resurrection

(belief in the reformation of a person’s body after death on the day of judgement or in a spiritual sense in the afterlife)

Parables

(the stories Jesus told, recorded in the Gospels)

Gospels

(the major parts of the New testament, the accounts of Jesus’ life and teachings)

Old & New Testaments

(the two major subsections of the Christian Bible)

Bible

(the most important religious scripture in Christianity)

Soul

(the eternal part of the self, living after death)

Forgiveness

(the letting go of thoughts of anger and revenge about someone’s wrongdoing)

Altar

(the table at the front or middle of a church where the communion – mass service is held)

Prayer

(the act of trying to communicate with God through different actions such as silence; silent, vocal or sung words)

Worship

(the act of giving praise and devotion to god)

Church

(a community of believers. The term can also refer to the physical building in which they meet)

Ten Commandments

(the first and most important rules given by God to Moses)

Bishop

(the rank above Priest, a person who leads a geographical collection of Priests)

Archbishop

(the rank above Bishop but under Cardinal – accept in the Anglican tradition that rejects the authority of the cardinals and Pope)

Pope

(the leader of worldwide Catholics)

Anglican

(the church started by Henry VIII, which has groups from across the globe in its ranks – The Church of England being one)

Catholic

(the term usually used to describe a Christian who looks to the Pope as their ultimate spiritual authority on earth. The term can confusingly also be used to describe the whole church – Roman Catholic and Eastern orthodox churches – the latter not accepting the authority of the Pope)

Evangelical

(a non-conformist protestant church known for its exuberant worship and can be associated with more literalistic beliefs in the Bible)

Denominations

(different types of Christianity such as Catholic, Anglican and Evangelical)

Vicar

(the term often used to describe Church of England Priests attached to specific churches)

Priest

(a person who has taken holy orders and can officiate at communion / Mass services)

Christmas

(the festival celebrating Jesus birth)

Sermon

(the talk a priest gives in a service about the Bible reading and its relation to believers lives and the world)

Creation

(the time when…