Our Texts for World Christianity

Our Texts for World Christianity
Dr. Cecil B. Stone, Professor

Friday, March 13, 2015

Glossary: A Necessary Necessity! Week 1! GOOD LORD, Have Mercy!!!


Group Members:  Robin Johnson, Carla Gittens, Luigiana Martino, Ms. Victoria, Ruben Sinaga and Linda Silverberg

Fertile crescent - The Fertile Crescent is a crescent-shaped region containing the comparatively moist and fertile land of otherwise arid and semi-arid Western Asia, the Nile Valley and Nile Delta of northeast Africa, it was also near Asia Minor or known asAnatolia. The term was popularized by University of Chicagoarchaeologist James Henry Breasted. 


Plethora - noun


superfluity or excess; overabundance


Edenic - noun

superfluity or excess; overabundance


Divergent opinion - ADJECTIVE
tending to be different or develop in different directions:
"divergent interpretations"
synonyms: differing · varying · different · dissimilar · unalike · disparate ·contrasting · contrastive · conflicting · incompatible · contradictory · at odds · at variance


Tradition - A tradition is a belief or behavior passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past.[1][2] Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes (like lawyer wigs or military officer spurs), but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings. Traditions can persist and evolve for thousands of years


Cultic - a cult is a religious or social group with socially deviant or novel beliefs and practices.[1] However, whether any particular group's beliefs and practices are sufficiently deviant or novel is often unclear, thus making a precise definition problematic.[2][3] In the English speaking world, the word often carries derogatory connotations.[4][5]


Primacy - A belief in the primacy of mind is a ubiquitous element in the history of ideas. In this view the mind or soul is not only primary as an explanation of human nature, but is the only conceivable explanation, as nothing so subtle and sublime as reason and morality could possibly emerge from matter and motion, the primary elements of scientific explanation. In his book Darwin's Dangerous Idea (1995) Daniel Dennett explains that Judeo-Christian and Islamic cosmogony are established on the assumption that the genesis of all creation is dependent on the action of a "cogitative being".


Nature & nurture - Scholarly and popular discussion about nature and nurture relates to the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature" in the sense of nativism or innatism) as compared to an individual's personal experiences ("nurture" in the sense of empiricism or behaviorism) in causing individual differences in physical and behavioral traits.  The view that humans acquire all or almost all their behavioral traits from "nurture" was termed tabula rasa ("blank slate") by philosopher John Locke. The blank slate view proposes that humans develop only from environmental influences. 



ritual - A ritual "is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, and objects, performed in a sequestered place, and performed according to set sequence."[1] Rituals may be prescribed by thetraditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized by formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacral symbolism and performance.[2]


Christianity - Christianity (from the Ancient Greek word Χριστός, Christos, a translation of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ, Māšîăḥ, meaning "the anointedone",[1] together with the Latin suffixes -ian and -itas) is an Abrahamic,monotheistic[2] religion based on the life and oral teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. Christianity is the world's largest religion,[3][4] with about 2.4 billion adherents, known asChristians.[5][6][7][8] Christians believe that Jesus has a "unique significance" in the world.[9] Most Christians believe that Jesus is theSon of God, fully divine and fully human, and the saviour of humanitywhose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament. Consequently, Christians refer to Jesus as Christ or the Messiah.

Christendom - Christendom[1][2] has several meanings. In a cultural sense, it refers to the religion itself, or to the worldwide community of Christians, adherents of Christianity. In its historical sense, the term usually refers to themedieval and early modern period, during which the Christian world represented a geopolitical power juxtaposed with both paganism and especially the military threat of the Muslim world. In the more limited and traditional sense of the word, it refers to the sum total of nations in which the Catholic Church is the established religion of the state, or which have ecclesiastical concordats with the Holy See.
In a contemporary sense, it may simply refer collectively to Christian majority countries or countries in which Christianity dominates[1] or nations in which Christianity is the established religion.


Muslim - A Muslim, sometimes spelled Moslem,[1] relates to a person who follows the religion of Islam,[2] a monotheistic Abrahamic religionbased on the Quran. Muslims consider the Quran to be the verbatim word of God as revealed to the Islamic prophetMuhammad. 


Absolution - Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the Sacrament of Penance. This concept is found in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Anglican churches, and most Lutheran churches.


Purification - Ritual purification is a feature of many religions. The aim of these rituals is to remove specifically defined uncleanliness prior to a particular type of activity, and especially prior to the worship of a deity. This ritual uncleanliness is not identical with ordinary physical impurity, such as dirt stains; nevertheless, body fluids are generally considered ritually unclean.


Germane - ADJECTIVE
relevant to a subject under consideration:
"that is not germane to our theme"
synonyms: relevant · pertinent · applicable · apposite · material · apropos · appropriate· apt · fitting · suitable · connected · related · akin · on-topic


Nuance - NOUN
a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound:
"the nuances of facial expression and body language"
synonyms: fine distinction · subtle difference · shade · shading · gradation · variation ·degree · subtlety · nicety · overtone


Hymnody - noun
the singing or the composition of hymns or sacred songs.
hymns collectively, especially the collective hymns of a specific religion, place, or period.


Capitalism - Capitalism is an economic system in which trade, industries, and themeans of production are largely or entirely privately owned and operated for profit.[1][2] Central characteristics of capitalism include private property,capital accumulation, wage labour and, in many models, competitive markets.[3] In a capitalist economy, the parties to a transaction typically determine the prices at which assets, goods, and services areexchanged.[4]


Theophany - Theophany (from Ancient Greek (ἡ) θεοφάνεια theophaneia,[1] meaning "appearance of a god") refers to the appearance of a deity to a human or other being.[2][3][4]
This term has been used to refer to appearances of the gods in the ancient Greek and Near Eastern religions. While the Iliad is the earliest source for descriptions of theophanies in the Classical tradition (and they occur throughout Greek mythology), probably the earliest description of a theophany is in the Epic of Gilgamesh.[5]  The term theophany has acquired a specific usage for Christians and Jewswith respect to the Bible: It refers to the manifestation of God to man; the sensible sign by which the presence of God is revealed. Only a small number of theophanies are found in the Hebrew Bible, also known as theOld Testament.

Blasphemy - Blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God, to religious or holy persons or things, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable.[2][3][4]
Some religions consider blasphemy as a religious crime.[5] As of 2012, anti-blasphemy laws existed in 32 countries, while 87 nations had hate speech laws that covered defamation of religion and public expression of hate against a religious group.[6] 


Egregious - ADJECTIVE
outstandingly bad; shocking:"egregious abuses of copyright"
synonyms: shocking · appalling · terrible · awful · horrendous · frightful · atrocious ·abominable · abhorrent · outrageous · monstrous · heinous · dire · unspeakable ·shameful · unforgivable · intolerable · dreadful · grievous


Anecdotal - Anecdotal evidence is an informal account of evidence in the form of an anecdote. 


Eurocentrism is a political term coined in the 1980s, referring to the notion of European exceptionalism, a worldview centered on Western civilization, as it had developed during the height of the European colonial empires since the Early Modern period. Eurocentrism is the practice of viewing the world from a European perspective and with an implied belief, either consciously or subconsciously, in the preeminence of European culture. 


Bartering - Barter is a system of exchange by which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money.[1] It is distinguishable from gift economies in many ways; one of them is that the reciprocal exchange is immediate and not delayed in time. It is usually bilateral, but may be multilateral (i.e., mediated through barter organizations) and usually exists parallel to monetary systems in most developed countries, though to a very limited extent. Barter usually replaces money as the method of exchange in times of monetary crisis, such as when the currency may be either unstable (e.g., hyperinflation or deflationary spiral) or simply unavailable for conducting commerce.


Defiling - Defilement may refer to: Injury to or loss of sanctity Kleśā (Buddhism) - Buddhist concept Tumah - concept of ritual defilement in Judaism
Unclean - unclean spirit is a common rendering[1] of Greekpneuma akatharton (πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον; plural pneumata akatharta (πνεύματα ἀκάθαρτα)), which in its single occurrence in the Septuagint translates Hebrew ruaḥtum'ah (רוח טומאה).
The Greek term appears 21 times in the New Testament in the context of demonic possession.[2] It is also translated into English as spirit of impurity[3] or more loosely as "evil spirit." The Latin equivalent is spiritus immundus.[4]


Mercantile (mercantilism) Mercantilism was an economic theory and practice, dominant in Europe from the 16th to the 18th century,[1] that promoted governmental regulation of a nation's economy for the purpose of augmenting state power at the expense of rival national powers. It is the economic counterpart of political absolutism.[2] Mercantilism includes a national economic policy aimed at accumulating monetary reserves through a positive balance of trade, especially of finished goods. Historically, such policies frequently led to war and also motivated colonial expansion. The Mercantilism theory varies in sophistication from one writer to another and has evolved over time. High tariffs, especially on manufactured goods, are an almost universal feature of mercantilism policy. Other policies have included:  Building overseas colonies; Forbidding colonies to trade with other nations; Monopolizing markets with staple ports; Banning the export of gold and silver, even for payments; Forbidding trade to be carried in foreign ships; Export subsidies; Promoting manufacturing with research or direct subsidies; Maximizing the use of domestic resources; Restricting domestic consumption with non-tariff barriers to trade.

Dominance (dependence) - Civilizations are intimately associated with and often further defined by other socio-politico-economic characteristics, including centralization, the domestication of both humans and other organisms, specialization of labor, culturally ingrained ideologies of progress and supremacism, monumental architecture, taxation, societal dependence upon agriculture, and expansionism.[2][5][3][8][7] Historically, acivilization was an "advanced" culture in contrast to more supposedly barbarian, savage, or primitive cultures.[1][3][5][9]


Tundra - In physical geography, tundra is type of biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands", "treeless mountain tract".[1] There are three types of tundra: arctic tundra,[2] alpine tundra,[2] and Antarctic tundra.[3]In tundra, the vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges and grasses, mosses, and lichens. Scattered trees grow in some tundra regions. The ecotone (or ecological boundary region) between the tundra and the forest is known as the tree line or timberline.


Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara Desert. Politically, it consists of all African countries that are fully or partially located south of the Sahara (excluding Sudan, even though Sudan sits in the Eastern portion of the Sahara desert).[2] It contrasts with North Africa, which is considered a part of the Arab world. Somalia, Djibouti, Comoros, and Mauritania are geographically part of Sub-Saharan Africa, but also part of the Arab world.[3]
The Sahel is the transitional zone between the Sahara and the tropical savanna (the Sudan region) and forest-savanna mosaic to the south.
Sub-Saharan Africans - Black people is a term used in certain countries, often in socially based systems of racial classification or of ethnicity, to describe persons typically having either a degree of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, or who are perceived to be dark-skinned compared to other populations. The meaning of the expression varies widely both between and within societies and over time.
Genesis - The Book of Genesis (from the Latin Vulgate, in turn borrowed or transliterated from Greekγένεσις, meaning "origin"; Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית, Bərēšīṯ, "In [the] beginning") is the first book of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh) and the Christian Old Testament.[1] The basic narrative expresses the central theme: God creates the world (along with creating the first man and woman) and appoints man as his regent, but man proves disobedient and God destroys his world through the Flood. The new post-Flood world is equally corrupt, but God does not destroy it, instead calling one man, Abraham, to be the seed of its salvation. At God's command Abraham descends from his home into the land of Canaan, given to him by God, where he dwells as a sojourner, as does his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Jacob's name is changed to Israel, and through the agency of his son Joseph, the children of Israeldescend into Egypt, 70 people in all with their households, and God promises them a future of greatness. Genesis ends with Israel in Egypt, ready for the coming of Moses and the Exodus. The narrative is punctuated by a series of covenants with God, successively narrowing in scope from all mankind (the covenant with Noah) to a special relationship with one people alone (Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and Jacob).[2]


Leviticus - The Book of Leviticus (/lɪˈvɪtɪkəs/; from Greek Λευιτικός, Leuitikos, meaning "relating to theLevites") is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah (or Pentateuch). Its Hebrew name, Hebrew: ויקרא, Vayikra/Wayikra, comes from its first word, "And He called." The English name is from the Latin Leviticus, taken in turn from Greek and a reference to the Levites, the tribe of Aaron, from whom the priests descended. The book, however, addresses all the people of Israel (1:2) though some passages address the priests specifically (6:8). Most of its chapters (1–7, 11–27) consist of God's speeches to Moses which he is commanded to repeat to the Israelites. This takes place within the story of the Israelites' Exodus after they escaped Egypt and reached Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:1). The book of Exodus narrates how Moses led the Israelites in building the Tabernacle (Exodus 35–40) based on God's instructions (Exodus 25–31). Then in Leviticus, God tells the Israelites and their priests how to make offerings in the Tabernacle and how to conduct themselves while camped around the holy tent sanctuary. Leviticus takes place during the month or month-and-a-half between the completion of the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:17) and the Israelites' departure from Sinai (Numbers 1:1, 10:11).


Ascetic – noun The definition of an ascetic is a person who lives a life of strict self-discipline, contemplation and without pleasures and comforts.
An example of an ascetic is a monk

33.  Ethiopia - Formerly Ab·ys·sin·i·a
A country of northeast Africa. A kingdom was established around Aksum in the 1st century AD and declined in the 7th century. After a long period of disorder, the area was finally reunited in 1889 by Emperor Menelik II, who greatly expanded Ethiopia by conquest. Italy invaded in 1935 and held the country until 1941. Following the military overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie I (ruled 1930–1974), a socialist state was established. The country suffered enormous hardship from war with rebels from the province of Eritrea (which gained its independence in 1993) and from famine and drought. Guerrilla forces toppled the government in 1991 and implemented a new democratic constitution (1994). Addis Ababa is the capital and the largest city.

1.     1. ancient kingdom (possibly dating to the 10th cent. ) in NE Africa, on the Red Sea, corresponding to modern Sudan & N Ethiopia (the country)
2.     country in E Africa: established, 1855: 426,372 sq mi (1,104,300 sq km); pop. 49,218,000; cap. Addis Ababa

34.  Iconoclast - noun
1.     The definition of an iconoclast is someone who destroys religious images or who attacks popular beliefs.
a.     An example of an iconoclast is someone who destroys pictures of Jesus.
b.     An example of an iconoclast is someone who protests against democracy in the U.S.


35.  Verifiable - adjective
capable of verification; that can be proved to be true or accurate

 a. example: Do you have verifiable evidence to support that claim.


Whitewashing
To whitewash is a metaphor meaning to gloss over or cover up vices, crimes or scandals or to exonerate by means of a perfunctory investigation or through biased presentation of data.[1] It is especially used in the context of corporations, governments or other organizations.

(n., v., or adj.) A process or result or act: when a person who is considered a minority adopts a lifestyle (including speech, mannerisms, clothing, etc.) that is attributed secludedly to those of European descent, white people.
1 ex. She is whitewashed.
A term used, apparently, only where it snows. A whitewash is when you grab somebody by the back of the head, usually when wrestling, and rub their face into the snow. This is a technique primarily used during snowball fights. Made better when the whitewashee bleeds. Distant relative: the swirly.
Dude, AJ face-planted while boarding today, and Chris whitewashed him on the bunny hill!!
urban dictionary


Whitewashing of African History
In a two-volume work entitled, “A Book of the Beginnings,” originally published in 1881, author Gerald Massey recorded:
“It is not necessary to show that the first colonizers of India were black, but it is certain that the black Buddha of India was imaged in the Africoid type. In the black [African] god, whether called Buddha or Sut-Nahsi, we have a datum. They carry in their color the proof of their origin. ”

In a two-volume work entitled, “A Book of the Beginnings,” originally published in 1881, author Gerald Massey recorded:
“It is not necessary to show that the first colonizers of India were black, but it is certain that the black Buddha of India was imaged in the Africoid type. In the black [African] god, whether called Buddha or Sut-Nahsi, we have a datum. They carry in their color the proof of their origin. ”

The father/god of medicine was deified two thousand years after his death.
James Henry Breasted, an American archaeologist and historian, says of Imhotep: “In priestly wisdom, in magic, in the formulation of wise proverbs; in medicine and architecture; this remarkable figure of Zoser’s reign left so notable a reputation that his name was never forgotten. The people sang of his proverbs centuries later, and 2,500 years after his death, he had become a god of medicine in whom Greeks, who call him Imouthes, recognized their own Asklepios.”

37.  Multisyllabic - adj. characterized by words having more than 3 syllables.

38.  Topography - noun    Detailed, precise description of a place or region.
Graphic representation of the surface features of a place or region on a map, indicating their relative positions and elevations.
A description or an analysis of a structured entity, showing the relations among its components: In the topography of the economy, several depressed areas are revealed.    (a. The surface features of a place or region.  b. The surface features of an object: The topography of a crystal.)
The surveying of the features of a place or region.
 The study or description of an anatomical region or part.



39.  Polytheism – noun belief in or worship of many gods, or more than one god

40.  Monotheism – noun  the belief or doctrine that there is only one God

41.  Monarchial – adjective; of, like, suitable for, or characteristic of a monarch; royal; regal

41.  Monarch - noun
a hereditary sovereign, as a king, queen, or emperor.
a sole and absolute ruler of a state or nation.
a person or thing that holds a dominant position:
a monarch of international shipping.

42.  PluralisticNOUN

a condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc., coexist.

43.  RevelationNOUN

a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way: "revelations about his personal life" synonyms: disclosure · surprising fact · announcement · report · the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world:

44.  ParadigmiticADJECTIVE

of the nature of a paradigm or model: "they offer this database as a paradigmatic example"
of or denoting the relationship between a set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles. Contrasted with syntagmatic.

45.  EmergentADJECTIVE
in the process of coming into being or becoming prominent: "the emergent democracies of eastern Europe" synonyms: 
emerging · developing · rising · dawning · budding · embryonic 

46.   Adamic -
name given to common red clay, from a notion that Adam means red earth.

47.  TerrestrialADJECTIVE
of, on, or relating to the earth:
"increased ultraviolet radiation may disrupt terrestrial ecosystems"
synonyms: earthly · worldly · mundane · earthbound · land · sublunary
NOUN an inhabitant of the earth.

48.  Celestial - adjective
of, relating to, or suggesting heaven or divinity <celestial beings> of or relating to the sky or visible heavens <the sun, moon, and stars are celestial bodies>

49.  ElohimNOUN
a name for God used frequently in the Hebrew Bible.

50.  Adonai - NOUN 
literally "my Lord," the plural form of Adon, that is, "Lord" or "Lordship"):

51.  GlobalADJECTIVE
of or relating to the whole world; worldwide: "the downturn in the global economy"
synonyms: worldwide · international · world · intercontinental

52.  Glocal - relating to the connections or relationships between global and local businesses, problems etc:

Glocalization (a portmanteau of globalization and localization) is the adaptation of a product or service specifically to each locality orculture in which it is sold. It is similar to internationalization.

53.  DenominationNOUN   a recognized autonomous branch of the Christian Church.
synonyms: religious group · sect · cult · movement · body · branch · persuasion ·order · school · church

54.  Baptismnoun
Ecclesiastical. a ceremonial immersion in water, or application of water, as an initiatory rite orsacrament of the Christian church; any similar ceremony or action of initiation,dedication, etc., a trying or purifying experience or initiation; 

When I went over our class lecture Saturday nite, I heard more words.  Hahaha

Agrarian - adjective
relating to land, land tenure, or the division oflanded property:
agrarian laws.  pertaining to the advancement of agriculturalgroups:
an agrarian movement.  composed of or pertaining to farmers:
an agrarian co-op.  rural; agricultural.


Rural

Foot-stomping

Cadence - noun, Also, cadency  rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words:
the cadence of language. (in free verse) a rhythmic pattern that is non-metrically structured. the beat, rate, or measure of any rhythmic movement:
The chorus line danced in rapid cadence.  the flow or rhythm of events, especially the pattern in which something is experienced:
the frenetic cadence of modern life.

Dynamics - NOUN - (used with a plural verb) the motivating or driving forces, physical or moral, in any field.  (used with a plural verb) the pattern or history of growth, change, and development in any field.


Mechanization - Verb - to introduce machinery into (an industry,enterprise, etc.), especially in order to replace manual labor.

Spiritual formation
Spiritual formation is an intentional Christian practice that has as its goal the development of spiritual maturity that leads to Christ-likeness.

Axial origin ???


----------------------------------------------------
Some Key terms to look up
Hammurabi’s Code
Demographics
Mercantilism
Division of Labor
Patriarchal Society
Bureaucracy
Centralization
Theocracy
Paleolithic Age
Neolithic Age
Neolithic Revolution
Cuneiform
Ziggurat
Fertile Crescent
Mesopotamia
Polytheism
Pharaoh
Hieroglyphics
Harappan civilization
Mandate of Heaven
Aryans
Caste
Karma
Siddhartha Gautama
Nirvana
Phoenicians
Torah
Abraham
Monotheism
Royal Road
Zoroaster
Confucius
yin and yang
Shi Huangdi
Jesus
Paul
Constantine
Pope

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