Ecclesiastical Terms
Christianity is an institution of extraordinary duration and complexity (not to mention insularity) and, over the past 2000 years, has developed its own extensive vocabulary that is largely incomprehensible to laypersons. This surprisingly large list contains 445 obscure ecclesiastical terms relating to Christian churches, priests, prayers, objects, and other interesting terms. Many of these terms are used only in specific Christian denominations (especially Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox), and may not be applicable to others. Others are obsolete or obsolescent, and are not well-known even among the clergy. Please note that I am not a religious person and am unable to answer specific questions about any of the definitions below (except as regards their etymology, perhaps). For such information, consult your local minister, priest, or similar churchy folk.
Consecration of a bishop in the US Episcopal Church
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| abba | Syriac or Coptic bishop |
| ablegate | papal envoy or legate |
| absconce | lantern used in monasteries and night offices |
| abthane | monastic region of the old Irish church |
| accensor | acolyte |
| adiaphoron | tenet or belief on which a theological system is indifferent |
| adoptionism | belief that Christ was the adopted and not natural son of God |
| advowson | right of presentation to church living |
| adytum | sacred part of a temple or church; church chancel |
| affusion | pouring on; as of baptismal water |
| agape | selfless Christian love; a feast in celebration of such love |
| agapeistic | characterized by Christian love |
| agapetae | churchwomen who live platonically with celibate men |
| aggiornamento | modernization of ideas of the Catholic church |
| agrapha | sayings of Jesus not found in the canonical gospels |
| alb | long white robe worn by priests |
| almoner | giver of alms; social worker in a hospital |
| altarage | payment to priest for mass; offerings at altar |
| ambo | early Christian raised reading desk or pulpit |
| ambry | recess for church vessels; cupboard or niche |
| ambulatory | aisle down the east end of a church |
| amice | strip of fine linen worn as cloak or wrap by priest at mass |
| ampulla | vessel for holy oil or wine for coronations or rituals |
| anamnesis | reminiscence; prayer recalling death and resurrection of Jesus |
| anchorite | one withdrawn from the world for religious reasons |
| ancress | female religious recluse |
| anele | to administer extreme unction to |
| angelus | prayer said in morning, at noon and at sunset |
| antechapel | anteroom to a chapel or church |
| antependium | covering or cloth over pulpit or altar |
| antilegomena | books of the New Testament not part of early Christian Bible |
| antipedobaptism | denial of validity of infant baptism |
| antiphon | anthem sung as a response during church service |
| apocatastasis | final restitution of all things at the appearance of the Messiah |
| apocrisiary | papal secretary |
| apologetics | defense and proof of Christianity or other doctrine |
| apse | rounded extension of church or other building |
| archimandrite | head of a monastery or convent |
| aspergillum | vessel for sprinkling holy water |
| aspersory | vessel for holding holy water |
| aureole | radiant light around head or body of holy personage |
| autocephality | ecclesiastical self-government |
| auto-da-fe | burning of a heretic |
| autotheism | belief that one is God incarnate or that one is Christ |
| baldaquin | covering or canopy over a throne or altar |
| baptistery | part of church reserved for performing baptisms |
| bardocucullus | hooded cloak worn by monks |
| basilica | Roman Catholic church given special privileges |
| beadle | church caretaker or usher |
| beadsman | monk or almoner who prays for benefactor |
| bema | raised part of an Eastern church containing the altar |
| benefice | ecclesiastical office to which revenue is attached |
| bethel | a place of worship for seamen; nonconformist chapel |
| biretta | square three-ridged cap worn by Catholic clergy |
| breviary | book containing daily church service |
| bulla | round seal attached to a papal bull |
| bullantic | capitalized and ornamented, as letters used on papal bulls |
| bullary | collection of papal bulls |
| bursary | treasury of a monastery or college |
| burse | square cloth case to carry the corporal during Communion service |
| caesaropapism | control of the church by a secular ruler |
| calefactory | a monastery sitting room |
| calotte | Roman Catholic skullcap |
| camerlengo | papal treasurer |
| campanile | freestanding bell tower on church property |
| canoness | woman living in a community under a religious rule |
| canticle | short holy song or sung prayer |
| cantorial | located on the north side of the choir in a church |
| capuchin | pointed hooded cloak worn by friars |
| cardinalitial | of, like or pertaining to church cardinals |
| cartulary | keeper of monastic records |
| cassock | close-fitting ankle-length clergyman’s garment |
| catabaptism | belief in the wrongness of infant baptism |
| catechumen | one undergoing instruction prior to conversion to Christianity |
| cathedra | chair or throne of office for a bishop or other high official |
| cathisma | short hymn used as response |
| catholicos | primate of Armenian or Nestorian church |
| cellarer | monastery official in charge of provisions |
| cenacle | room where the Last Supper was eaten |
| cenobite | monk; member of religious group |
| cenoby | monastery or convent |
| censer | vessel for burning incense in religious rituals |
| cephalophore | decapitated saint depicted with head tucked under arm |
| chancel | part of church containing altar and seats for choir |
| chancery | church office dealing with legal matters and archives |
| chantry | chapel or altar built for prayers for its benefactor’s soul |
| chaplet | circlet or wreath for the head; short string of prayer beads |
| charterhouse | Carthusian monastic building |
| chasuble | sleeveless ecclesiastical garment |
| chevet | east end of a church |
| chiliasm | belief that Jesus will reign on Earth for a thousand years |
| chimere | loose sleeveless robes worn by Anglican bishops |
| chrism | consecrated or holy oil |
| chrismation | sacrament of baptism in Eastern churches |
| chrismatory | vessel for holding holy oil |
| chrisom | white robe put on newly baptised child |
| christophany | appearance of Christ to men |
| churching | church ceremony given to women after childbirth |
| churchism | devotion to church rules over religious precepts |
| ciborium | freestanding canopy to cover altar; vessel for holding eucharistic bread |
| cilice | haircloth shirt worn as penance |
| cimeliarch | church vestry or treasury |
| cincture | to gird or surround; belt worn around ecclesiastical vestment |
| cingulum | girdle or girdle-like structure; priest’s belt |
| circumincession | the reciprocal existence of three parts of the Trinity in each other |
| classis | a group; governing body of Reformed churches |
| clerestory | upper storey of a church; windows near the roof of a building |
| coadjutor | bishop assisting a diocesan bishop and having the right of succession |
| collegialism | theory that church is independent from the state |
| colporteur | peddler of religious tracts and books |
| compaternity | spiritual relationship between child’s parents and godparents |
| compline | prayer service held just before bedtime |
| comprecation | prayer meeting |
| concelebrate | to jointly recite the canon of the Eucharist in unison with others |
| concordat | agreement between the pope and a secular government |
| confirmand | candidate for religious confirmation |
| confiteor | prayer of confession of sins |
| consistory | a solemn assembly or council; a church tribunal |
| consultor | advisor to a Catholic bishop |
| conventicle | secret or illegal church assembly |
| corporal | white cloth on which Communion bread and wine are placed |
| credence | small table for holding sacred vessels |
| credo | concise statement of doctrine; section of Mass followed by offertory |
| crosier | pastoral staff or crook held by bishop or abbot |
| cruet | vessel used in religious ceremonies, especially to hold the Eucharist |
| curate | assistant to a parish priest |
| curia | papal court and its officials |
| custos | guardian, custodian or keeper, especially of convents or monasteries |
| dalmatic | ecclesiastical robe or other outer vestment |
| datary | papal officer who registers and dates bulls and edicts |
| decanal | located on south side of the choir in a church |
| decretal | papal decree deciding a point of church law |
| deiparous | bearing a god |
| deodate | a gift to or from God |
| diaconicon | sacristy for sacred vessels in Orthodox churches |
| diphysitism | belief in the dual nature of Christ |
| diptych | pair of pictures on hinged panels; register of bishops and saints |
| discalced | without shoes; barefoot; a religious order wearing no shoes |
| ditheletism | doctrine that Christ had two wills |
| donative | benefice presented to church without reference to bishop |
| dossal | ornamental cloth hung behind and above an altar |
| doxology | hymn or verse of praise to God |
| dulia | inferior veneration of saints and angels in comparison with God |
| ecclesiastry | affairs of the church |
| eirenics | theological doctrine of religious unification |
| encolpion | reliquary; cross worn on the breast |
| encyclical | letter sent by the pope to multiple bishops |
| eparchy | diocese of an Eastern church |
| epiclesis | calling on the Holy Spirit to consecrate the Eucharist |
| epistoler | reader of the epistle in Anglican service |
| epitrachelion | stole of an Orthodox priest or bishop |
| eremite | hermit; religious recluse |
| eschatology | doctrine of life and afterlife |
| eschaton | end of the world; end time |
| euchology | prayer book |
| exarch | viceroy; rank below patriarch in Eastern church |
| exeat | permission from bishop for clergyman to work elsewhere |
| exedra | semicircular bench beside episcopal throne; outdoor bench or recess |
| exegetic | explanatory, especially of Scripture |
| exequy | funeral rites; funeral procession |
| faldstool | desk from which the Litany is read at church service |
| fanion | cloth worn on priest’s arm and used for handling holy vessels |
| fenestella | recess in church wall for storing communion vessels |
| feretory | shrine for relics during a procession or for a funeral bier |
| feria | weekday of a church calendar on which no holiday falls |
| festilogy | treatise on ecclesiastical festivals |
| flèche | narrow wooden spire on church roof |
| florilegium | anthology of writings, especially of church fathers |
| fossarian | clergyman moonlighting as a gravedigger |
| frankalmoign | land tenure requiring religious obligations on part of tenant |
| friary | a fraternity or group of friars |
| frontal | cloth hanging over front of altar |
| galilee | porch in front of church |
| glebe | church land granted to clergyman |
| gradual | part of mass between epistle and gospel |
| guimpe | wide cloth covering neck and shoulders worn by nuns |
| hagioscope | opening in wall to enable viewing of altar |
| hanap | chalice used in communion whose cover is a second chalice |
| hassock | kneeling cushion in a church |
| hearsecloth | cloth lain over coffin during funeral |
| hegumene | head of a nunnery |
| hieratical | priestly; bound by religious convention |
| hieromonach | monk who also serves as a priest |
| holobaptism | belief in baptism with total immersion in water |
| homolegomena | books of the Bible used in early Christianity |
| housel | the eucharist; the act of taking the eucharist |
| hymnal | collection of church hymns |
| hymnody | hymns collectively; hymn-singing |
| hyperdulia | veneration of the Virgin Mary above saints and angels |
| iconostasis | screen or partition in Eastern churches with tiers of icons |
| incardination | acceptance by a diocese of clergyman from another diocese |
| indulgence | former Catholic pardon granted for remission of punishment for sins |
| indult | special temporary dispensation granted by the Catholic church |
| internuncio | messenger between two parties; low-ranking papal legate |
| intinction | administering communion by dipping bread into wine |
| introit | psalm or hymn sung at beginning of church service |
| invination | presence of Christ’s blood in sanctified wine |
| invitatory | psalm or anthem sung before prayer during church service |
| jube | ornamental choir-screen |
| jubilarian | one who celebrates a jubilee, especially a priest, monk, or nun |
| jubilate | the third Sunday after Easter |
| kamelaukion | tall cylindrical hat worn by Orthodox priests |
| kenosis | Christ’s rejection of his divine side upon assuming human form |
| kerygma | preaching of the Christian gospel |
| kerygmatic | of, like or pertaining to preaching the Gospel |
| kirking | first attendance of a couple at church after marriage |
| kyrie | religious petition for mercy |
| labarum | moral standard; ecclesiastical banner bearing Christ’s monogram |
| laic | of, like or pertaining to lay people rather than clergy |
| laicisation | process of returning a clergyman to lay status |
| laicism | doctrine of opposition to clergy and priests |
| lappet | fold or flap on a garment or headdress worn by priest |
| latria | highest degree of veneration, assigned to God over saints |
| lauds | prayer service held at dawn following matins |
| lavabo | ceremony in which priest washes his hands; basin for the ceremony |
| lavatory | wash-basin for washing bodies of newly dead; room where lavabo kept |
| lavra | group of recluses’ cells |
| lectern | desk or stand from which church lessons are read |
| lection | reading; lesson read in church |
| lectrice | female reader in church |
| litany | prayer of supplication in responsive style |
| liturgician | one who studies or recites church rituals |
| locum | clergyman temporarily replacing regular priest |
| lustration | ritual washing; ablution |
| lychgate | roofed gate of a churchyard |
| magisterium | teaching function of the Catholic church |
| magnificat | canticle in praise of the Virgin Mary |
| manciple | steward of a college or monastery; purveyor |
| mandorla | oval panel containing a work of art; elliptical halo around holy person |
| mandriarch | founder or leader of a monastic order |
| maniple | clerical vestment worn on the left arm |
| mantelletta | knee-length sleeveless garment worn by Catholic cardinals and bishops |
| Mariolatry | worship of the virgin mother |
| Mariology | study of the Virgin Mary |
| marrano | Jew converted to Christianity to avoid persecution |
| martyrium | shrine erected in memory of a martyr |
| martyrolatry | excessive devotion to martyrs |
| martyrology | study of martyrs |
| matins | prayer service held in early morning hours |
| mendicant | member of impoverished religious order |
| menology | register or calendar of saints’ days |
| mersion | dipping; as in baptism |
| messianism | belief in a single messiah or saviour |
| metropolitan | archbishop holding authority over other bishops |
| midlenting | custom of giving gifts to parents on mid-Lent Sunday |
| minster | church associated with a monastery |
| misericord | ledge in church to lean against while standing; forgiveness or mercy |
| missal | book containing complete service for mass |
| miter | high headdress worn by bishop or archbishop |
| modalism | belief in unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit |
| monergism | theory that the Holy Spirit alone can act |
| monial | a nun |
| monkery | monks in general; monasticism; behaviour of monks |
| monophysitism | belief that Christ was primarily divine but in human form |
| monotheletism | belief that Christ had only one will |
| monstrance | vessel used to expose the Eucharist |
| mozzetta | short cape with ornamental hood worn by Catholic prelates |
| mystagogical | of, like or pertaining to religious ritual initiation |
| naos | temple; inner cell of a temple |
| narthex | small entrance or porch to a church |
| nave | largest part of church where congregation sits |
| nipter | ecclesiastical ceremony of washing the feet |
| nones | prayer service held at 3 p.m. |
| novena | series of Catholic church services held on nine successive days |
| nuncio | one who brings tidings; high-ranking papal legate |
| obit | religious office for a dead person |
| oblate | layman living in a religious community under modified rule |
| oblation | act of offering; a sacrifice; anything offered in worship |
| oculus | round window, especially over main door in church |
| orant | representation of praying figure in early art |
| orarion | deacon’s stole in Orthodox church |
| orarium | book of private devotions |
| orarium | handkerchief; scarf attached to bishop’s staff |
| oratory | small chapel for private prayer; lectern for prayer |
| ordinal | book containing religious rites, especially for ordination |
| ordo | calendar with list of services for each day of the year |
| oremus | Roman Catholic liturgical prayer |
| orison | prayer |
| orphrey | gold or other rich embroidery on clerical robes |
| osculatory | carved tablet kissed by priest during celebration of mass |
| ostensory | container for holding consecrated Communion wafers |
| paedobaptism | doctrine of infant baptism |
| pall | covering cloth laid upon Communion chalice |
| pallium | white woollen band symbolising archbishop’s authority |
| panegyricon | collection of sermons for Orthodox church festivals |
| pannicle | thin sheet-like vestment |
| pannychis | all-night vigil in preparation for Orthodox church feast |
| paraclete | advocate or intercessor; the Holy Spirit acting in such a role |
| parclose | railing in church enclosing altar, chapel or tomb |
| pardoner | one who raises money for religious works by selling indulgences |
| parousia | second coming of Christ |
| parvis | enclosed space at the front of a church |
| passalorynchite | one who takes a religious vow of silence |
| paten | plate; metal disk used to hold Communion bread |
| pax | tablet decorated with sacred figure and kissed by participants in mass |
| peculiar | parish or church exempt from jurisdiction of the bishop of its diocese |
| pentateuch | the first five books of the Old Testament |
| pericope | an excerpt or passage read during religious services |
| pernoctate | to pass the night in vigil or prayer |
| phonascus | person who maintains rhythm in church choir |
| pieta | representation of Virgin Mary with dead Christ across her knees |
| pietism | unquestioning or dogmatic religious devotion |
| piscina | basin set in wall of church to drain away ceremonial water |
| plebania | mother-church having authority over several local churches |
| pluvial | floor-length open-fronted ecclesiastical garment |
| pneumatomachy | denial of the divinity of the Holy Ghost |
| pneumatophany | appearance of a spirit; especially the Holy Ghost |
| poppyhead | raised ornament on top of upright end of seats in churches |
| postlude | closing piece of music at end of church service |
| postulant | candidate for a religious order |
| postulator | official who presents case for canonization or beatification |
| prebend | stipend or salary paid to clergyman |
| prebendal | of, like or pertaining to stipends issued by a church |
| precentor | leader of the singing of a church choir |
| predella | platform for altar; portable altar or decoration upon it |
| prelacy | episcopal church government |
| prelate | bishop or abbot of superior rank |
| presbytery | part of church reserved for officiating clergy |
| prie-dieu | prayer stool or kneeling bench in a church |
| prime | prayer service held at 6 a.m. |
| procathedral | parish church serving as a cathedral |
| pronaos | vestibule in front of a temple |
| proper | elements of Christian mass that are variable |
| proseuche | place of prayer; oratory |
| prothonotary | chief registrar of a court; keeper of canonisation records |
| psalmodist | singer of psalms |
| psalmody | act of singing psalms in church services |
| pseudepigrapha | apocrypha; non-canonical books of the Bible |
| pseudepiscopy | existence or rule of a spurious bishop |
| psilanthropism | denial of Christ’s divinity |
| pulpitum | gigantic stone screen separating cathedral choir from the nave |
| purificator | cloth used to wipe Eucharist chalice |
| pyx | box or vessel in which coins or consecrated Eucharist are kept |
| quaestionary | religious pardoner |
| qualificator | one who prepares ecclesiastical cases for trial |
| quaresimal | Lenten; having the meagreness of Lenten meals |
| quartodeciman | early Christian who celebrated Easter on Passover even if not a Sunday |
| rantize | to sprinkle with water during baptism |
| rasophore | lowest rank of Greek Orthodox monk |
| recusant | one who refuses to attend Catholic church services; nonconformist |
| refectory | dining-hall of a monastery or other institution |
| regula | rule of a religious order |
| reliquary | a small box or shrine used to hold relics |
| repository | side altar in Catholic church |
| requiem | lament or mass for the dead |
| requiescat | prayer for the dead |
| reredos | screen behind altar |
| rescript | answer of pope or emperor to any legal question; edict or decree |
| responsory | set of responses sung or said after liturgical reading |
| retable | shelf or ornamental setting for panels behind an altar |
| retrochoir | space in choir behind high altar |
| ridel | altar curtain |
| rochet | surplice-like vestment of a bishop or abbot |
| rogation | asking or supplication, especially in an ecclesiastical sense |
| rood | cross or crucifix at entrance to church chancel |
| sacerdotalism | belief that priests are necessary mediators between God and mankind |
| sacramentarianism | belief that sacraments have unusual properties |
| sacrarium | place where sacred objects are kept |
| sacristan | church official in charge of vessels and the sacristy |
| sacristy | room in church where sacred objects are kept |
| saltire | X-shaped cross |
| samarra | flame-decorated cassock worn by those condemned by the Inquisition |
| scapular | badge of monastic order worn on the shoulders |
| schola | church choir led by a cantor |
| scholasticate | preparatory college for those intending to enter Catholic order |
| scriptorium | writing room; room used by monastic scribes |
| sedilia | stone seats for clergy in wall of chancel |
| sempect | extremely elderly Benedictine monk |
| sepulchre | receptacle in an altar for holding religious relics |
| sext | prayer service held at noon |
| sexton | church caretaker or bellringer |
| shrive | to hear a confession from and give absolution |
| sigillum | seal of the confession |
| simony | buying or selling of ecclesiastical offices |
| sinecure | ecclesiastical office or other job requiring little work |
| situla | a holy bucket |
| slype | covered passage between walls, or between transept and chapterhouse |
| solifidianism | doctrine that faith alone will ensure salvation |
| soteriology | study of theological salvation |
| soutane | priest’s cassock |
| squarson | clergyman who is also a land-holding squire |
| starets | Eastern Orthodox spiritual advisor |
| staurolatry | worship of the cross or crucifix |
| sticharion | vestment like an alb worn by Orthodox priests |
| sticheron | short hymn |
| stole | narrow ecclesiastical vestment or scarf |
| stoup | vessel for holding holy water |
| stylite | monk who spends much time on tops of pillars |
| succinctorium | band or scarf worn from the Pope’s girdle |
| suffragan | assistant bishop |
| superhumeral | ecclesiastical garment worn over the shoulders |
| surplice | loose-fitting ankle length overgarment worn by clerics |
| synaxarion | account of a saint’s life |
| synod | ecclesiastical assembly or council |
| synthronus | joint throne for an Orthodox bishop and his presbyters |
| tabernacle | ornamental container for storing Communion bread and wine |
| taperer | one who bears a taper during a religious procession |
| terce | prayer service held at 9 a.m. |
| tester | canopy over a bed, pulpit or altar |
| tetragrammaton | sacred word or acronym of four letters |
| tetramorph | artistic representation of the four evangelists in one figure |
| theanthroposophy | system of belief concerning Christ as god and man |
| theodidact | student of God; one who is taught by God |
| theody | hymn in praise of God |
| theolepsy | seizure or possession by a god |
| theologaster | petty or shallow theologian |
| theometry | measurement or estimation of God |
| theophany | manifestation or appearance of a god to people |
| theotokos | title given to the Virgin Mary as bearer of God |
| thurible | censer |
| thurifer | altar boy who bears censer |
| tiara | three-tiered crown worn by or carried in front of the pope |
| tippet | long black scarf worn by Anglican clergy |
| tonsure | shaving of small area on the crown of head of a priest or monk |
| transept | part of a church off to one side of main structure |
| transubstantiation | miraculous changing of bread and wine into body and blood of Christ |
| tremendum | feeling of overwhelming awe associated with religious experience |
| trental | commemoratory service held thirty days after burial |
| triduum | period of three days of prayer preceding Roman Catholic feasts |
| triforium | gallery or arcade over an aisle; gallery over nave and choir |
| tritheism | belief that the members of the Trinity are separate gods |
| tropology | figurative language; moral interpretation of the Bible |
| tunicle | short ecclesiastical vestment worn by bishop or subdeacon |
| tympanum | space within an arch; arched recess at entrance of cathedral |
| ubiquitarianism | belief that Christ is everywhere |
| ultramontane | south of the Alps; supporting the Pope |
| unalist | priest holding one benefice |
| unaneled | without extreme unction |
| unction | anointing as right of consecration or healing; warmth of address |
| undercroft | crypt or vault under a church |
| unhouseled | not having received the Eucharist shortly before death |
| verger | church usher and attendant |
| vernicle | cloth with image of Christ’s face impressed upon it |
| versicle | short verse in church service normally followed by response |
| vespers | prayer service held in early evening |
| vestry | priest’s dressing room |
| vesturer | keeper of vestments |
| viaticum | money or provisions for journey; Eucharist for a dying person |
| vicegod | hostile appellation applied to the Pope |
| wicket | small door forming part of larger door of a church or castle |
| wimple | cloth covering for head and neck worn by nuns |
| xerophagy | eating of dry food; fast of dry food in the week preceding Easter |
| zeta | small room or closet in a church |
| zucchetto | round skullcap worn by Catholic clergy to indicate rank |
| zymite | priest using leavened bread during communion |
I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2014 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.
This article is provided by Stephen Chrisomalis