On Terms and Titles

Theology

Literally, "the study of God," Theology usually refers to a systematic study of divinity, but for our purposes points more particularly to the study and consideration of any and all aspects of religious belief

Cosmology

The study of the origin of the Universe, here we apply the term through a Theological lens to refer to the way we understand the world as it pertains to God's plan for Creation. This is the center and foundation of our worldview.

Anthropology

Usually referring to the study of people, for us Anthropology is Theological in focus, and is grounded in the relationship between humanity and God, especially as it pertains to God's expectations of us and for us.

Bishop

From the term episkopos, meaning overseer, a bishop is ordained and consecrated and given particular authority over a geographocal area called a Diocese. The Diocesan Bishop leads the diocese and may solicit the aid of other bishops to assist them from a subservient position.

Canon

(term) Literally measure or rule, this term is used for electorally approved policies deemed appropriate for the entire Church. The National Church has a set of Canons that apply to the entire Episcopal Church. Individual dioceses have separate Canons that apply to any church in that diocese.

(title) As a title, Canon refers to (usually) a priest who is literally related to a rule, or under a special order related to their work. A Canon to the Ordinary, for example, has a special relationship and does special work for the Ordinary (Bishop.)

Consecration

Applies to anything that has been "set apart" by God for special use. This might be a place set apart for ritual use (like a church,) an object set apart as a Sacrament (like the bread and wine in the Eucharist,) or a person set apart for God's service (like a clergy person.) When something is consecrated, it cannot go back to what it was before. It is set apart for all time.

Ecclesiastical

From the greek root ekklesia, meaning "gathering, congregation, or church," ecclesiastical refers to anything shared by the Church as a whole. This might refer to administrative structures, terminolgy, or even particular clothing.

Episcopal

(term) Literaly relating to a bishop (episkopos.) This may refer to anything a bishop says, does, or wears.

(title) As a title, this refers to the Episcopal Church as a denomination. The Episcopal Church (TEC) began as the vestige of the Church of England following the American Revolution. As a church body, TEC remains connected to the Church of England as member bodies of the Anglican Communion, the communion of all churches that share roots, structures, and beliefs with the Church of England.

Eucharist

From the greek for "Thanksgiving," the Eucharist is the central aspect of our communal worship. It is both the regular rememberance of the Last Supper and the continual reenactment of Christ's death. It is also the center of our communion as we ceremonially intermingle Christ's flesh and boold with our own.

Justification

Justification is at the center of a great deal of Christain Theology. Generally, it describes the process through which God views people as being righteous enough to be worthy of a place in the New Kingdom. There are many theories as to how justification happens, but the fact that is does happen is central to Christian understanding and behavior.

Kintsugi (Kintsukuroi)

Kintsugi (golden joinery) or Kintsukuroi (golden repair) refers to a Japanese art-craft that uses gold leaf (or gold or silver  dust) mixed with lacquer to repair broken pottery. The resulting peice has a unique marbling of precious metal making each piece one-of-a-kind.

Laity

This refers to all people who are a part of the church, but who have not been ordained as clergy members. They make up the vast majority of the Church and are responsible for a great deal of her administration.

Mass

From that latin term missa, or "sending out," the term Mass is now used in reference to the service that centers on the Eucharist. Originally, it referred to the dismissal at the end of all services and the concept points to an understanding of the purpose of the service: to prepare believers and send them out, into the world, to share the gospel.

Minister

From the Latin word for servant, this refers to any person whose offical duty involves providing spiritual service to the Church. In older traditions this can refer to clergy or laity, but in more Protestant churches it is often used as something akin to a title for leaders of all kinds whose ordination is by assent (like the Congregational Church) or circumstantial (like a youth minister.)

Ontology

The study of "that which is," ontology is concerned with the essential nature of things, particularly as they are representative of the group rather than what makes them unique within the group. For our purposes, it refers to the essential nature of a thing and how, through Ontological Change, their essential nature is altered through Consecration. This is epecially true of the Eucharist and Ordination.

Ordinary

Ordinary refers to holding authority that is ordinary to the office, as opposed to authority that is delegated from an office of authority. As an ecclesiastical title, it refers to the duly elected and consecrated Diocesan Bishop.

Parson

From the Old French term persone, this term is actually an old term for a person. In the church it refers to a clergy person in full legal control of a parish. In the Anglican church, it often referred to a priest in a parish that wasn't connected to a larger Ecclesiastical body. Today, it can technically be used to refer to any protestant minister.

Polity

Polity refers to any group of people with a shared identity. In our case, polity refers to the Episcopal Church and, more particularly, to those aspects of our shared identity that define our shared existence.

Presiding Bishop

The Presiding Bishop is the head of the Episcopal Church. Unlike the Pope or Orthodox Patriarchs, the Presiding Bishop (PB) does not hold unilateral authority to adapt doctrine or worship. Their role is much like a Head of State in that they have a position of unique vocal leadership. They are sometimes referred to as primus inter pares, or first among equals, as they share in the same level of authority as every other bishop in TEC.

Priest

From the greek term presbyteros, meaning elder, a priest is someone who who has been ordained for the particular function of celebrating the Sacraments. The Christian Priesthood finds its roots in the High Priests of Old Testament Judaism as well as the figure of Melchizedek who shared bread and wine with Abram before blessing his miltary exploits.

Revelation (Direct, General, Special)

This is the process through which God makes himself and his truth known to the world. It can also refer to the amassed knowledge itself. Direct Revelation occurs when God directly addresses a particular person or group. General Revelation occurs through observation of the natural world using philosophy and reason. Special Revelation occurs through means like miracles and Scripture.

Rule of Life

A Rule of Life is a deliberate pattern of behavior, usually centered around your relationship with God. Not totally unlike a series of "resolutions," the intent of a Rule of Life is to provide some guidance throughout the day/week/month to provide a more tangible obligation to enage in the faith.

Sacrament

A Sacrament is an "outward, visible sign of an inward, invisible Grace." It refers to any of a series of Christian Rites that mark particularly important stages in human life. In the Anglican Communion, the Sacraments are: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Marriage, Ordination, Holy Unction, and Reconciliation.

Sine Populo

A Missa Sine Populo, or "Mass without the people" refers to a Mass wherein the priest celebrates, but the congregation is not present. This came as a response to Masses being celebrated by priests with no one near to participate (if you've ever been to a large church with several small altars along the side of the pews, that's what they were built for.) Since the Reformation there has been a considerable amount of pushback against the idea and in the early 20th century, the Roman Church decreed that the Mass must have at least one server to receive the Sacrament and to provide the responses.

Worship

Generally used to refer to communal services, the term worship comes from a root word that means "to give worth." The main thrust of all worship is to give adoration to God in the form of praise, thanksgiving, repentance, and (most often) the Sacraments.