blaspheme to speak evil against God; to curse the name of the Lord.
breviary a books of hymns, prayers, and instructions for reciting daily services in the Roman Catholic Church.
canon ecclesiastical laws, codes, or authoritative writings of a religion. Also, the books of the Bible officially accepted by the Christian Church.
canonical hours the prayers that, according to canonical law, should be recited at specific times of the day. Also, the hours when these prayers are said.
canonize in the Roman Catholic Church, to declare a deceased person a saint after beatification.
canticle a song or chant with words taken from biblical text; a nonmetrical hymn.
cardinal an official elected by the pope to advise and assist him in governing the church. Cardinals rank just below the pope in the Catholic hierarchy; they are responsible for electing a new pope when one dies.
catechism a short book that, in question-and- answer format, instructs candidates for confirmation in Christian doctrine.
celebrant the presiding priest or minister at the consecration of the bread and wine at Holy Communion or Mass.
celibacy the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, a requirement of the Catholic priesthood; the vow of celibacy.
chaplain a rabbi, priest, or minister serving a hospital, prison, school, or military base.
charge a parish.
Charismatics Christians who believe they are blessed with the gift of tongues, healing, or prophecy.
cherubim the second order of angels, below archangels.
chrism in the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Church, the holy oil used in confirmation rituals.
christening the ceremony of baptizing and giving a name to an infant.
collect a short prayer before the reading of the epistle in the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church.
College of Cardinals the body of cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church.
communion fellowship. See Eucharist.
conclave a secret meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope. Also, the location of this meeting.
concupiscence theological term for the desire for the forbidden, especially sex; lust.
confession the admission of sins to a priest in the Roman Catholic Church.
confessor a male saint who did not die a martyr's death, such as most monks, bishops, priests, religious laypersons.
confirmation a service admitting a baptized infant or adolescent into the Christian Church.
consecrate to bless or make sacred. To change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ in the Roman Catholic Church.
consistory a meeting of cardinals to conduct business or to appoint bishops.
contrition repentance for having sinned.
convocation an assembly of clergy members to discuss church affairs.
Coptic Church the Christian churches of Egypt and Ethiopia.
corrupt text any Bible passages that have been modified.
covenant a testament or agreement between church members to defend and support the faith.
Dead Sea Scrolls several parchment scrolls dated from about the 1st century and discovered in caves near the Dead Sea in 1947. The scrolls include hymns, laws, teachings, and the oldest texts of the Old Testament of the Bible.
dean in the Roman Catholic Church, a priest who oversees several parishes. Also, the superior of a cathedral.
defrock to remove the authority from a minister due to unethical behavior.
denomination any branch or sect of the Christian Church.
diocese a district supervised by a bishop. Also known as an eparchy in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
dispensation in the Roman Catholic Church, a bending of the rules in cases of hardship, for example, allowing someone to ignore the fast on Good Friday for health reasons.
district superintendent in the Methodist Church, a supervisor of ministers in a district.
divine office in the Roman Catholic Church, the public prayers, psalms, hymns, and readings.
divinity the essence of God and all divine things.
Eastern Orthodox Church the churches of Eastern Europe, Russia, and the eastern Mediterranean. Also known as the Orthodox Church.
ecclesiastic a priest or minister; a clergyman.
ecumenical pertaining to the unity of the Christian Church around the world.
Epiphany a festival held on January 6 in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Churches to commemorate the visit of the wise men at Christ's birth.
Episcopal Church the Anglican Church in the United States, Canada, and Scotland. Unlike other Protestant churches, Episcopal churches are governed by bishops.
epistle one of the letters written by the Apostles in the New Testament and recited as part of a service.
Eucharist the main sacrament commemorating the Last Supper. The bread and the wine, as the body and blood of Christ, are eaten and drunk by worshipers. Also known as Communion, Holy Communion, and Mass.
evangelism spreading the word of Christ throughout the world through missions.
evangelist one who spreads the word of Christ.
evensong an Anglican evening service similar to Catholic vespers.
ex cathedra "from the chair"; referring to a pronouncement made by the authority of one's office.
excommunication the cutting off from or exclusion from the Catholic Church membership or from religious rites, especially that of receiving Holy Communion, due to certain transgressions against the church.
faith healing the healing of a sick person through prayer and faith in God rather than through medical intervention.
Franciscans the order of Anglican and Roman Catholic friars, founded by St. Francis of Assisi.
friar similar to a monk, but not bound to a single community. A Franciscan, Dominican, or Carmelite.
fundamentalism the 20th-century Protestant movement that holds that the Bible is infallible and should be taken as the literal truth, despite scientific or historical evidence to the contrary.
genuflect to get down on one knee in worship.
glossolalia speaking in tongues, a gift of the Holy Spirit. An unknown language spoken to communicate visions or prophecies, especially in the Pentecostal Church.
Good Friday the day on which Christ's Crucifixion is commemorated.
Gospels the four accounts of the life and death of Christ by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
hagiarchy a country governed by holy men. Also, a hierarchy of saints.
hands, laying on of healing someone by channeling God's power through touch.
Hebrew Bible the Old Testament.
heresy anything against traditional religious doctrine or dogma.
heretic one who dissents from his religion's doctrine or dogma.
Holy Communion the service of the Eucharist.
Holy Innocents Day a festival held on December 28 commemorating the murder of Bethlehem's male children under two, as ordered by King Herod.
Holy Land Israel or Palestine.