Abomination Of Desolation The abomination of desolation, the abomination that makes desolate, or desolating sacrilege ( מְשׁוֹמֵֽם, ha-shikkuts meshomem, abominatio desolationis) is a term found in the Book of Daniel and the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, which means literally “an abomination that desolates” or “an abomination that depopulates”. Etymology See also: Abomination (Bible) The...
Advent Advent is a season of the liturgical year observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas and the return of Jesus at the Second Coming. Advent is the beginning of the Western liturgical year. The term “Advent” is also used in Eastern Orthodoxy for the 40-day Nativity...
Adventism Adventism is a branch of Protestant Christianity that believes in the imminent Second Coming (or “Second Advent“) of Jesus Christ. It originated in the 1830s in the United States during the Second Great Awakening when Baptist preacher William Miller first publicly shared his belief that the Second Coming would occur at some...
Televangelism Televangelism (tele- “distance” and “evangelism,” meaning “ministry,” sometimes called teleministry) is the use of media, specifically radio and television, to communicate Christianity. Televangelists are ministers, whether official or self-proclaimed, who devote a large portion of their ministry to television broadcasting. Some televangelists are also regular pastors or ministers in their own places of worship (often a...
Christian Apologetics Christian apologetics (“verbal defence, speech in defence”) is a branch of Christian theology that defends Christianity against objections. Christian apologetics has taken many forms over the centuries, starting with Paul the Apostle in the early church and Patristic writers such as Origen, Augustine of Hippo, Justin Martyr and Tertullian, then continuing with writers such as Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham and Anselm...
Faith In Christianity In one sense, faith in Christianity is often discussed in terms of believing God’s promises, trusting in his faithfulness, and relying on God’s character and faithfulness to act. Some of the definitions in the history of Christian theology have followed the biblical formulation in Hebrews 11:1: “the assurance of things hoped...
John Calvin John Calvin (Jean Calvin; born Jehan Cauvin; 10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism, aspects of which include the...
Fourth Great Awakening The Fourth Great Awakening was a Christian awakening that some scholars — most notably economic historian Robert Fogel — say took place in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, while others look at the era following World War II. The terminology is controversial,...
Second Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century in the United States. The Second Great Awakening, which spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching, sparked a number of reform movements. Revivals were a key part of the movement and attracted hundreds of converts to...
Christian Terrorism Christian terrorism comprises terrorist acts which are committed by groups or individuals who profess Christian motivations or goals. Christian Terrorists justify their violent tactics through their interpretation of the Bible, in accordance with their own objectives and worldview. These interpretations are typically different from those of established Christian denominations. These terrorist acts can be...
Christian Views On Divorce Christian views on divorce find their basis both in biblical sources dating to the giving of the law to Moses (Deut 24:1–4) and political developments in the Christian world long after standardization of the Bible. According to the synoptic Gospels, Jesus emphasized the permanence of marriage, (see Mark 10 at verses 1 to 9, Matthew 19; Luke 16 v. 18)...
Christian Right The Christian right or the religious right are Christian political factions that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies. Christian conservatives seek to influence politics and public policy with their interpretation of the teachings of Christianity. In the United States, the Christian right is an informal coalition formed around a core of conservative...
Evangelical Environmentalism Evangelical environmentalism is an environmental movement in the United States in which some Evangelical Christians have emphasized biblical mandates concerning humanity’s role as steward and subsequent responsibility for the care taking of Creation. While the movement has focused on different environmental issues, it is best known for its focus of addressing climate action from a biblically-grounded theological perspective....
Christian Views On Environmentalism Christian views on environmentalism vary among different Christians and Christian denominations. Major Christian denominations endorse the Biblical calling of our stewardship of God’s creation and our responsibility for its care. Some of this church policy is relatively recent and may not be followed by some parishioners. According to some social...
Philo’s View Of God Philo’s view of God has been stated in his theology both through the negation of opposed ideas, and through detailed, positive explanations of the nature of God. In his negative statement, he contrasted the nature of God with the nature of the physical world. He integrated...
Trinitarian Formula The Trinitarian formula is the phrase “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (original Greek: εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, eis to ónoma toû Patros kaì toû Huioû kai toû Hagíou Pneúmatos, Latin: ĭn nōmine Pătris ĕt Fīliī...
Argument From Degree The argument from degree, also known as the degrees of perfection argument or the henological argument is an argument for the existence of God first proposed by medieval Roman Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas as one of the five ways to philosophically argue in favour of God‘s existence in his Summa Theologica. It is based on ontological and theological notions...
Argument From Contingency In the scholastic era, St. Thomas Aquinas formulated the “argument from contingency“, following Aristotle in claiming that there must be something to explain why the Universe exists. Since the Universe could, under different circumstances, conceivably not exist (contingency), the existence of God must have a cause – not merely another contingent thing,...
Filioque Filioque is a Latin term added to the original Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (the Nicene Creed), and which has been the subject of the great controversy between Eastern and Western Christianity. The Latin term Filioque describes the Holy Spirit as proceeding from both the Father and the Son, (not from the Father only). In the Nicene Creed it...
Baptism With The Holy Spirit In Christian theology, baptism with the Holy Spirit, also called baptism in the Holy Spirit or baptism in the Holy Ghost, has been interpreted by different Christian denominations and traditions in a variety of ways due to differences in the doctrines of salvation and ecclesiology. It is frequently associated with incorporation into the Christian Church,...