Grenz - Guretzki - Nordling - Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms

Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1999. - 122 p.

ISBN 978-0830814497

 

"You can't know the players without a scorecard!" claim the program vendors as they make their way through ballpark stands. In a similar manner we might say, "You can't understand theology without definitions."

 

This Pocket Dictionary attempts to provide a basic understanding of the three hundred or so significant words and concepts you are most likely to encounter in the theological books and articles you are reading. The entries consist primarily of English terms, but we also have included key foreign phrases-especially Latin and German-as well as a select group of theologians who have played central roles in the history of theology.

 

In using the Pocket Dictionary keep several things in mind. First, the format of the book is quite simple. The terms, phrases and names are arranged together in alphabetical order. Second, we have focused our attention on basic, generally held definitions. Rather than being exhaustive treatments, therefore, our descriptions seek to provide you with a foundational, working knowledge of the concepts. This working knowledge in turn ought to place you in a position to glean a fuller understanding from the theology texts you are reading, the lectures you are hearing or even the information you find in more exhaustive theological dictionaries. Third, while much of the material we present is generally accepted among the various Christian traditions, the fact that we write from a broadly evangelical, Protestant perspective is clearly evident from time to time.

 

The Pocket Dictionary is a reference book. Thus we do not intend that you read it from cover to cover. Rather we anticipate that you will have it next to you or on your desk as you read theological literature. You can then consult the Pocket Dictionary when you come across a term that is unfamiliar to you. If you are a student, you might also use it as a "crib sheet" to help you prepare for whatever definition-oriented exams you might encounter.

 

Being a reference book, the Pocket Dictionary is cross-referenced. An asterisk before a term or phrase indicates that it appears elsewhere in the book as a separate entry. See and see also references indicate entries that might provide additional information. Typical abbreviations found in reference works like the Pocket Dictionary include c. (circa) meaning "approximately," b. standing for "born" and d. meaning "died."

 

As members of Christ's church and disciples of Jesus we find reading theology highly rewarding. We hope you will too. And we hope that this Pocket Dictionary will assist you in the process.

 

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liturgy

The English word arises from the Greek term leitourgia, which was connected to the idea of sacrifice and designated the priestly service connected initially with the temple (e.g., Lk 1:23) and subsequently with Christian ministry and worship. Liturgy came to designate the church's official (or unofficial) public and corporate ritual of worship, including the *Eucharist (or Communion), baptism and other sacred acts. Certain ecclesiastical traditions (such as Roman Catholic, *Eastern Orthodox, *Anglican) follow a set pattern of worship (the liturgy), whereas many Protestant churches prefer a less structured style. This gives rise to the distinction sometimes made between "liturgical" and "nonliturgical" churches.

 

patristic era

From the Greek pater, a term pertaining to the first few centuries of the church after the writing of the NT or to the early church fathers or writers of that period (generally A.D. 100-750). The patristic era began after the death of the apostles and was followed by the Middle Ages. Important patristic authors include such luminaries as *Irenaeus, *Origen, *Tertullian, the *Cappadocian fathers and *Augustine.