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Glossary of Key Terms A PPE NDIX A Glossary of Key Terms Adoptionists: Theologians who sought to ensure monotheism by describing Jesus as a gifted man with divine powers who was adopted by God. Paul of Samosata and his followers, called Paulianists by the first Council of Nicea, are styled Adop- tionists. Some early adoptionists believed Jesus was adopted at his baptism; others stated his election occurred at his resurrection. Alexandrian: School of theologians centered in Alexandria, Egypt. anti-Adoptionists: Church fathers and theologians of the second and third cen- turies who aggressively opposed any form of Adoptionism. Often they modified biblical texts in order to expunge them of any adoptionist interpretation. Antiochenes: School of theologians centered in Antioch in Syria whose tendency was the historical interpretation of Scripture and insistence on the full humanity of Christ antiseparatists: In early Christianity, heresiologists who fought the notion that Christ’s spirit could be separated from his humanity. apocalypticism: A form of belief held by many ancient Jews and Christians that real time was controlled by evil forces that would be destroyed at the eschaton or last day. At that time God would intervene and set up his heavenly kingdom on earth. Apocalypticists believed this event was imminent. Apocrypha/Aprocryphal: From a Greek word that means “hidden,” it is a group of books “set aside” or not included in the Old Testament canon. The Apocrypha is found in early Christian versions of the Old Testament. It was not included in Jerome’s translation The Vulgatee and is not included in the Protestant canon of Scripture. Apologists: Early Church fathers of the first four centuries CE who defended early proto-Christian orthodoxy and vigorously attacked opposing views within the Church they labeled heretical. They also became known as heresiologists or “heresy hunters.” Arians: Faction led by Arius of Alexandria who proposed that the Son of God was created by the Father from nothing as an instrument for the creation and salvation of the universe; not God by nature, this highest of creatures received the title Son of God on account of his foreseen righteousness. 172 Glossary of Key Terms Arminianism: A branch of Protestant thought advanced by Jacobus Arminius in which Calvin’s concept of God’s sovereignty was revived, allowing freedom of will as opposed to predestination. autograph: The original manuscript of an author’s work. Without original manu- scripts, scholars must work from later copies. Buddhism: East Asian religion that teaches that through right thinking and self- denial one achieves a state of perfect blessedness of nirvana. Aspects of Buddhism probably infiltrated the Mediterranean world via commerce and trade and into some Gnostic systems. Carpocratians: A second century CE sect founded by Carpocrates. They were attacked by early Church fathers Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus of Lyon, and Hippolytus of Rome for engaging in wild licentious activities in their liturgical services, reputed to be sexual orgies. Allegedly, they practiced a simple form of communal living in which all property was shared, which extended to spouses. Christology: A teaching or understanding regarding the nature of Christ. codex: An ancient manuscript, either of papyrus or vellum, arranged in book form as opposed to the more common scroll. The codex was more versaltile. One could turn pages rather than unspool a large scroll. Passages could be located quicker. Both sides of a page could be used. For the early Christians, it also afforded a break with the Jewish custom of using the scroll. Darwinism: Belief and adherence to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Demiurge: Literally, the word means “maker.” Plato used the term in his famous work Timaeus. It was adopted by Gnostics and used in their texts to depict a deity that created the world. dispensationalism/dispensationalists: A form of premillennialism that teaches that biblical history was a number of successive economies or administrations, called dispensations, each of which constitutes continuity with the Old Testament covenants made by God with his chosen people through Abraham, Moses, and King David. Docetism: A form of dualism and early Christian heresy which denied the human- ness of Jesus at the expense of his divinity. dualism: The philosophic concept that two fundamental opposing entities comprise reality: matter and spirit; a doctrine that the universe is composed of two opposite forces, good and evil, which constantly challenge each other for supremacy. Ebionites: Jewish Christian Adoptionists of the second century traced their lin- eage back to apostolic times and strived to maintain their Jewish practices, rituals, and forms of worship. Epiphanius was considered by the heresiologists as the progenitor of the Ebionites. enthusiasm/enthusiasts: The word enthusiasm stems from a Greek word, entheos, which means possessed by a god. Originally associated with supernatural inspi- ration and prophetic ecstasy, it morphed into meaning eager interest, zeal, and fervor. A Syrian sect of the fourth century was known as Enthusiasts. Their beliefs were basically Gnostic: prayer, ascetic practices (the world is evil), contemplation, Glossary of Key Terms 173 inspiration by the Holy Spirit over against a ruling evil spirit. Some Protestant sects of the sixteenth and secenteenth centuries were called enthusiasts. In the eighteenth century, John Wesley and George Whitefield were accused of blind enthusiasm, or fanaticism. eschaton/eschatology: Greek word that means the end of time or “last day.” Eschatology is the study of the end of time or final day. Evangelicalism: A form of conservative Fundamentalism that emerged in the 1940s. It was less rigid and more open to intellectual discussion. Billy Graham was a key proponent. exegesis: From the Greek word exegeomai, “to draw out,” it is the study of the meaning of biblical texts and the meaning intended by the author. form criticism: A study of the oral material of Gospel and New Testament tradi- tion before it was put in writing. Gnosticism: A complicated religious movement that claimed a secret knowledge (gnosiss) revealed to the Apostles that was capable of freeing the spiritual element in humans from the evil of the body in which it was trapped by a primal mischance among the higher beings emanating from the Father and of restoring it to its original heavenly home. Hellenism: Initiated by Alexander the Great and carried out by his successors, the adaptation and assimilation of Greek ideas, language, culture, and religion. heresy: Literally means “choice”; for Christian orthodoxy, any teaching that devi- ates from the accepted teachings and doctrine of the Church; a willful and chosen misrepresentation of “the truth.” hereisiologist: An early Christian Church father or apologist who attacked Chris- tian heresy, primarily Gnosticism. hermeneutics: From the Greek Hermes, messenger of the gods, the science and study of interpreting textual material. Exegesis explains a text according to formal rules; hermeneutics is the science upon which exegetical practices are devised. Hermeticism: An ancient Egyptian cult that spread throughout the Mediterra- nean world. Centuries later it would give rise to alchemy in Medieval Europe. homoosians: Those supporting the term homoousios, of one substance, used by Nicaea I to express the relation of the Son to the Father. The term was suspect because of its ambiguity and its use by Gnostics and Paul of Samosata. hyletics: One of the three types of Gnostic humanity, which meant “earthly,” “fleshy.” These individuals were earthbound and unsavable. Inerrancy: The belief the Bible is without error. Ismailism: A Fundamental Shi’ite sect of Islam, the second largest denomination of the Islamic religion. It emerged around 850 CE, has Gnostic traits, and has been called by some scholars Islamic Gnosticism. Johannine: Relating to authorship of New Testament books attributed to John, or bearing his name. Kaballist: A Jewish mystical sect with Gnostic features. Manichaeism: A religion founded in the third century by the prophet and teacher Mani. It combined Zoroastric, Gnostic, Christian, and pagan elements. 174 Glossary of Key Terms One belief was that God and Satan were separate entities. It was based upon the dualistic concept of two contending principles of good and evil. Marcionism: Marcionites or followers of the Christian Gnostic Marcion. Monarchian: Theologians whose primary goal was protecting monotheism by conceptualizing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as a succession of modes of the single Godhead. The principle proponent of this theory was Sabellius from whom we get the word Sabellianists. They were also called Patripassians because of their belief that the Father suffered with the Son. Montanism: Heretical form of Christianity of the later second century; major elements included a return to primitive Christianity, distrust of intellect, and sole reliance on inspiration. Their most noted adherent was Tertullian. Montanists: Apocalyptic followers of Montanus of Phrygia of Asia Minor who preached the imminent coming of the Holy Spirit already manifested in the sect’s own prophets and prophetesses. The African Tertullian was attracted to the sect because of its penitential element. mystery religion(s): Ancient cults who practiced secret mystic rituals and elabo- rate initiation and purification rites. They were known for using sacred objects, accepting occult knowledge, and participating in sacred drama. mysticism:
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