Perpetual virginity of Mary By the fourth century, the doctrine was widely supported by the Church Fathers, and by the seventh century it had been affirmed in a number of ecumenical councils.[4][5][6] The doctrine is part of the teaching of Catholicism and Anglo-Catholics, as well as Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, as expressed in their liturgies, in which they repeatedly refer to Mary as "ever virgin".[7][8][9] Some early Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther supported the doctrine, and founding figures of Anglicanism such as Hugh Latimer and Thomas Cranmer "followed the tradition that they had inherited by accepting Mary as 'ever virgin'" [10] However, later Reformed teaching largely abandoned it.[11][12] The doctrine of perpetual virginity is, however, currently maintained by some Anglican and Lutheran theologians.[7][13][14][15] Doctrine and representations[edit] The Greek term Aeiparthenos (i.e. Development of the doctrine[edit] Early Church[edit] Church Fathers and the Middle Ages[edit] Early reformers[edit]
Incarnation (Christianity) For general uses, see Incarnation The Incarnation shown as part of a cycle of life of Jesus with the Trinity in the central column, by Fridolin Leiber, 19th century. In the Incarnation, as traditionally defined by those Churches that adhere to the Council of Chalcedon, the divine nature of the Son was united but not mixed with human nature[2] in one divine Person, Jesus Christ, who was both "truly God and truly man". The Incarnation is commemorated and celebrated each year at Christmas, and also reference can be made to the Feast of the Annunciation; "different aspects of the mystery of the Incarnation" are celebrated at Christmas and the Annunciation.[3] This is central to the traditional faith held by most Christians. The noun incarnation derives from the ecclesiastical Latin verb incarno,[4] itself derived from the prefix in- and ''caro, "flesh", meaning "to make into flesh" or "to be made flesh". Eventually, the Christian Church accepted the teaching of St. Who, being immortal,
God in Christianity Although the New Testament does not have a formal doctrine of the Trinity as such, it does repeatedly speak of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in such a way as to "compel a trinitarian understanding of God." This never becomes a "tritheism." This does not imply three Gods.[16] Around the year 200, Tertullian formulated a version of the doctrine of the Trinity which clearly affirmed the divinity of Jesus and came close to the later definitive form produced by the Ecumenical Council of 381.[17][18] The doctrine of the Trinity can be summed up as: "The One God exists in Three Persons and One Substance, as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit."[19][20] Trinitarians, who form the large majority of Christians, hold it as a core tenet of their faith.[21][22] Nontrinitarian denominations define the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in a number of different ways.[23] Development of the theology of God[edit] Overview[edit] Name[edit] Attributes and nature[edit]
Pre-existence of Christ This subject is to be distinguished from pre-existence of the soul. God resting after creation - Christ depicted as the creator of the world, Byzantine mosaic in Monreale, Sicily. Depictions of God the Father became prevalent only by the 15th century, and Jesus was often shown as a substitute before then.[1] Trinitarian belief in the doctrine[edit] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This "Word" is also called God the Son or the Second Person of the Trinity. Douglas McCready, in his analysis and defence of the pre-existence of Christ,[6] notes that whereas the preexistence of Christ "is taken for granted by most orthodox Christians, and has been since New Testament times",[7] during the past century the doctrine has been increasingly questioned by less orthodox theologians and scholars.[7] James D.G. Apart from John 1:1-18 and other New Testament passages, some Trinitarian groups[who?] Personal Pre-existence[edit] Oneness Pentecostals[edit] 2.
God the Son In these teachings, God the Son pre-existed before incarnation, is co-eternal with God the Father (and the Holy Spirit), both before Creation and after the End (see Eschatology). Son of God for some draws attention to his humanity, whereas God the Son refers more generally to his divinity, including his pre-incarnate existence. Source of the term[edit] The term in English follows Greek and Latin usage as found in the Athanasian Creed and other texts of the early church: In Greek "God the Son" is Theos o Iios, Θεός ὁ υἱός (as distinct from o Iios nominative tu Theu genitive, ὁ υἱός του Θεού, "Son of God").In Latin "God the Son" is Deus (nominative) Filius (nominative) as in "Omnipotens Deus Pater est, Omnipotens Deus Filius, Omnipotens Spiritus Sanctus" (and as distinct from filius Dei genitive "son of God"). The distinction holds true in other modern languages apart from English, for example: Use of the term[edit] The Augsburg Confession (1530) adopted the phrase as Gott der Sohn.[5]
Holy Spirit (Christianity) The New Testament includes over 90 references to the Holy Spirit.[4] The sacredness of the Holy Spirit is affirmed in all three Synoptic Gospels which proclaim blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin.[5] The Holy Spirit plays a key role in the Pauline epistles.[6] In the Johannine writings, three separate terms, "Holy Spirit", "Spirit of Truth", and "Paraclete" are used.[7] The Greek word pneuma, generally translated spirit, is found around 385 times in the New Testament, with some scholars differing by three to nine occurrences.[15] Pneuma appears 105 times in the four canonical gospels, 69 times in the Acts of the Apostles, 161 times in the Pauline epistles, and 50 times elsewhere.[15] These usages vary, e.g. in 133 cases it refers to spirit in the general sense, 153 cases to spiritual, and possibly 93 times in reference to the Holy Spirit.[15] In a few cases it is also used to mean wind or life.[15] Stained glass representation of the Holy Spirit as a dove, c. 1660.
Passion (Christianity) In Christianity, the Passion (translation of Greek πάσχειν paschein, 'to suffer'[1][2]) is the short final period in the life of Jesus covering his visit to Jerusalem and leading to his execution by crucifixion, an event central to Christian beliefs. It begins with his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and includes his Last Supper, Agony in the Garden and his arrest and trial. Those parts of the four Gospels that describe these events, as well as the non-canonical Gospel of Peter, are known as the "Passion narratives". The word passion has since taken on a more general application and now may also apply to accounts of the suffering and death of Christian martyrs, sometimes using the Latin form passio. The accounts of the Passion are found in the four canonical gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The events include: The Gospel of Luke states that Pilate sends Jesus to be judged by Herod Antipas because as a Galilean he is under his jurisdiction.
Glossolalia Icon depicting apostles & the Theotokos filled with the Holy Spirit (notice fire symbol above their heads.) Glossolalia, often understood among Protestant Christians as speaking in tongues, is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables that lack any readily comprehended meaning, in some cases as part of religious practice.[1] Some consider it as a part of a sacred language. It is a common practice amongst Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity. Glossolalia also sometimes refers to xenoglossy, the putative speaking of a natural language previously unknown to the speaker. Etymology[edit] "Glossolalia" is constructed from the Greek word γλωσσολαλία, itself a compound of the words γλῶσσα (glossa), meaning "tongue" or "language"[2] and λαλέω (laleō), "to speak, talk, chat, prattle, or to make a sound".[3] The Greek expression (in various forms) appears in the New Testament in the books of Acts and First Corinthians. Linguistics[edit] In 1972, William J. Glossolalia in Christianity[edit]