Christmas (literally, theMass ofChrist) is aholiday in theChristian calendar, usually observed onDecember 25, which celebrates the birth ofJesus. It originally was a Pagan holiday of sun worship, which the Christians adapted. According to the Christiangospels, Jesus was born toMary inBethlehem, where she and her husbandJoseph had traveled to register in theRomancensus. Christ's birth, ornativity, was said by his followers to fulfill theprophecies ofJudaism that amessiah would come, from the house ofDavid, to redeem the world fromsin. Most of the familiar traditional practices and symbols of Christmas, such as theChristmas tree, theChristmas ham, theYule Log,holly,mistletoe, and the giving ofpresents, were adapted or appropriated by Christian missionaries from the earlierpagan midwinter feast ofYule.
(more)Acathedral is aChristianchurch building, specifically of a denomination with anepiscopal hierarchy, such as theAnglican,Roman Catholic and someLutheran churches, which serves as the central church of adiocese, and thus as abishop's seat. The term is derived from theGreek nounκαθέδρα (cathedra) which translates asseat and refers to the presence of the bishop's (or archbishop's) chair orthrone.
As cathedrals can be particularly impressive edifices, the term is sometimes also used loosely as a designation for any large important church. Although a cathedral may be amongst the grandest of churches in the diocese (and country), especially in medieval and Renaissance times, this has never been a requirement and a cathedral church may be modest in structure, especially in modern times, where functionality rather than grandeur is the foremost consideration. Certainly the earlyCeltic andSaxon cathedrals tended to be of diminutive size, and where they continued in use would have undergone expansion through the development of the bishopric.
Some pre-Reformation cathedrals in Scotland now within theChurch of Scotland still retain the term cathedral, despite the Church'sPresbyterian polity which does not have bishops.
The term is not officially used inEastern Orthodoxy, the church of a bishop being known as "the great church", though 'cathedral' is commonly used in English translations.
(more)TheSermon on the Mount was, according to theGospel of Matthew, a particularoration given byJesus of Nazareth aroundAD 30 on a mountainside to his disciples and a largeGalileean crowd (Matt 5:1; 7:28). It is thought by some contemporary Christians to have taken place on a mountain on the north end of theSea of Galilee, nearCapernaum. The recounting of the Sermon on the Mount comes from the Gospel ofMatthew 5–7.
The Sermon on the Mount may be compared to the similar but more succinctSermon on the Plain as recounted by theGospel of Luke (6:17–49). Opinion is divided as to whether they are the same sermon, similar sermons exploring the same themes, or even that neither sermon really took place but were simply conflations of Jesus' primary teachings as put together by Matthew and Luke.
Arguably the best-known segment is theBeatitudes, found at the sermon's beginning. It also contains theLord's Prayer and the injunctions to "resist not evil" and "turn the other cheek", as well as Jesus' version of theGolden Rule. Other lines often quoted are the references to "salt of the Earth," "light of the world," and "judge not, lest ye be judged." ManyChristians believe that the Sermon on the Mount is a form of commentary (midrash) on theTen Commandments. To many, the Sermon on the Mount summarises the central tenets of Christian discipleship.
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TheEucharist, also known asCommunion orThe Lord's Supper, is therite thatChristians perform in fulfillment ofJesus' instruction, recorded in theNew Testament, to "do in memory of him" what he did at hisLast Supper. Jesus gave his disciples bread, saying "This is my body," and wine, saying "This is my blood." Christians generally recognize a special presence ofChrist in this rite, though they differ about exactly how, where, and when Christ is present. The word "Eucharist" is also applied to the bread and wine consecrated in the course of the rite.
The word "Eucharist" comes from theGreek nounεὐχαριστία (thanksgiving). This noun or the corresponding verbεὐχαριστῶ (to give thanks) is found in 55 verses of the New Testament. Four of these verses (Matthew 26:27, Mark 14:23, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24) recount that Jesus "gave thanks" before presenting to his followers the bread and the wine that he declared to be his body and his blood.
Most Christians classify the Eucharist as asacrament, but many Protestant traditions avoid the termsacrament, preferringordinance. In these traditions, the ceremony is seen not as a specific channel ofdivine grace but as an expression of faith and obedience of the Christian community.
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Easter is the most important religiousholiday of theChristianliturgical year. With its date of observance dependent on the fluctuating lunar calendar, it may be celebrated during March, April or May to celebrate theresurrection ofJesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death bycrucifixion in AD 27-33 (seeGood Friday). It is preceded byLent, a 40-day period of reflection for Christians which commonly involves fasting, penitence and/orabstention from some form of pleasure. Although considered significant by all denominations, Easter is explicitly the most important festival of theEastern andOriental Orthodox Churches. Every other religious festival on their calendars, includingChristmas, is at best secondary in importance to the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord. This is not to say that Christmas and other elements of the Christian liturgical calendar are ignored; rather, these events are all seen as necessary butpreliminary to the full climax of the Resurrection, in which all that has come before reaches fulfilment and fruition.
(more)Jehovah's Witnesses are members of an international religious organization who believe themselves to be therestoration of first-century Christianity. Founded in the 1870s byCharles Taze Russell, official membership now stands at over 6 million. They are known for their extensive preaching and publishing activities, withThe Watchtower andAwake! religious magazines being their most widely known publications. Headquartered in New York, they are hierarchically directed by aGoverning Body.
Since their foundation, they have been concerned with thesecond advent of Jesus. Initially holding many similar views to other 19th centuryAdventist groups, such as theMillerites, they have since developed their own uniqueeschatology. Throughout their history, their beliefs, doctrines and practices have met controversy and opposition from governments, communities, and religious groups. Many Christian denominations consider the interpretation and doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to beheresy. This is because they differ in their interpretation of several matters of faith. For example, the consider the doctrine of theTrinity to be a later pagan addition. Their unique stand on refusingbloodtransfusions has also garnered publicity and controversy. They reject the veneration ofMary, thesaints and thecross.
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Apapal conclave is the method by which theRoman Catholic Church fills the office ofBishop of Rome, whose incumbent is known as thePope, the head of the Church. The electors, when locked together in a room for this purpose, form aconclave, (from theLatincum clave "with a key") which they are not permitted to leave until a new Pope is elected. Conclaves have been employed since theSecond Council of Lyon decreed in 1274 that the electors should meet in seclusion. They are now held in theSistine Chapel in thePalace of the Vatican.
Since the year 1061, theCollege of Cardinals has served as the sole body charged with the election of the Pope, the source of the termPrince of the Church for cardinals. In earlier times, members of theclergy and the people ofRome were entitled to participate, in much the same way as the laity helped determine the choice of bishops throughout the Catholic Church during this early period. Popes may make rules relating to election procedures; they may determine the composition of the electoral body, replacing the entire College of Cardinals if they were to so choose.
(more)The Way of the Master is aChristianevangelism trainingministry, created in2002 and headed byKirk Cameron, ofGrowing Pains andLeft Behind: The Movie fame, and evangelistRay Comfort. There are also several other key figures within the organization. Major programs include aTV show which began in 2003,radio broadcast, numerous books, an online school, the printing of dozens ofgospel tracts,small group training courses, and a web site of the same name. It is aLimited liability company with strong links to its sister organizationLiving Waters Publications.Using these various media outlets, Comfort and Cameron teach that it is the responsibility of every Christian to verbally share the gospel with those who are not Christians. They take the view that it is necessary to use theTen Commandments toshow someone their sin, which will lead to a person realizing their need forJesus asSavior. They also decry what they perceive as a vast number offalse converts to Christianity in21st centuryChristendom, those who, while professing to know Christ or even attend church, do not have a lifestyle befitting such a claim.Todd Friel, the daily host of their radio show, frequently berates trends such asseeker-sensitivity and aspects of theemergent church, especially theology espoused byBrian McLaren.
(more)Operation Auca was an attempt by fiveEvangelicalChristianmissionaries from theUnited States to make contact with theHuaorani people of therainforest ofEcuador. The Huaorani, also known as the Aucas (theQuechua word for "savage"), were an isolated tribe known for their violence, both against their own people and outsiders who entered their territory. With the intention of being the firstProtestants to evangelize the Huaorani, the missionaries began making regular flights over Huaorani settlements in September 1955, dropping gifts. After several months of exchanging gifts, on January 2, 1956, the missionaries established a camp at "Palm Beach", asandbar along theCuraray River, a few miles from Huaorani settlements. Their efforts culminated on January 8, 1956, when all five—Jim Elliot,Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Peter Fleming andRoger Youderian—were attacked andspeared by a group of Huaorani warriors. The news of their deaths was broadcast around the world, galvanising the missionary effort in the United States and sparking an outpouring of funding for evangelization efforts around the world. Their work is still frequently remembered in evangelical publications, and in 2006, was the subject of the film productionEnd of the Spear. Several years after the deaths of the men, the widow of Jim Elliot,Elisabeth, and the sister of Nate Saint,Rachel, returned to Ecuador as missionaries to live among the Huaorani, eventually leading to the conversion of many, including some of the killers of the men.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the "LDS Church" or the "Mormon Church", is the largest and most well-knowndenomination within theLatter Day Saint movement, a form ofRestorationistChristianity founded byJoseph Smith Jr. during the 19th century. Its followers believe that Jesus Christ, as head of the church, is actively leading them through ongoingrevelation. In addition to theKing James Version of theBible, they accept additional writings such as theBook of Mormon as inspired scripture, and do not consider theBiblical canon to be closed. The Church is headquartered in theAmerican town ofSalt Lake City, and its currentpresident isGordon B. Hinckley. The Church reports a worldwide membership of 12,560,869 as of December 31, 2005. The Church claims to be the exclusive restoration of the church founded by Jesus Christ and the sole source of priesthood authority necessary for thesacraments of salvation, such asbaptism. This has led to extensive criticism from Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians, some of whom label it a "cult", "sect," or "heretical", or dispute that it is truly "Christian". The practice ofpolygamy has arguably sparked the most controversy. Although The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially ended the practice with the1890 Manifesto and, since1904, hasexcommunicated members known to practice polygamy and prohibited polygamists from joining the Church, some people still practice it today and consider themselvesMormons.
(more)The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the "LDS Church" or the "Mormon Church", is the largest and most well-knowndenomination within theLatter Day Saint movement, a form ofRestorationistChristianity founded byJoseph Smith Jr. during the 19th century. Its followers believe that Jesus Christ, as head of the church, is actively leading them through ongoingrevelation. In addition to theKing James Version of theBible, they accept additional writings such as theBook of Mormon as inspired scripture, and do not consider theBiblical canon to be closed. The Church is headquartered in theAmerican town ofSalt Lake City, and its currentpresident isGordon B. Hinckley. The Church reports a worldwide membership of 12,560,869 as of December 31, 2005. The Church claims to be the exclusive restoration of the church founded by Jesus Christ and the sole source of priesthood authority necessary for thesacraments of salvation, such asbaptism. This has led to extensive criticism from Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians, nearly all of whom label it a "cult", "sect," or "heretical", or dispute that it is truly "Christian". The practice ofpolygamy has arguably sparked the most controversy. Although The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially ended the practice with the1890 Manifesto and, since1904, hasexcommunicated members known to practice polygamy and prohibited polygamists from joining the Church, some people still practice it today and consider themselvesMormons.
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Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Westernplainchant, a form ofmonophonic, unaccompaniedsacred song of theRoman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in theFrankish lands of western and central Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries, with later additions and redactions. Although popular legend creditsPope Gregory the Great with inventing Gregorian chant, scholars believe that it arose from a laterCarolingian synthesis of Roman andGallican chant.
Gregorian chant was traditionally sung bychoirs of men and boys in churches, or by women and men ofreligious orders in their chapels. It is the music of theRoman Rite, performed in theMass and the monasticOffice. Gregorian chant supplanted or marginalized the other indigenous plainchant traditions of the Christian West to become the official music of the Roman Catholic liturgy. Although Gregorian chant is no longer obligatory, the Roman Catholic Church still officially considers it the music most suitable for worship. During the 20th century, Gregorian chant underwent a musicological and popular resurgence.
(more)The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes referred to as theLDS Church or theMormon Church, describes itself as therestoration of the original church established byJesus Christ. It claims to be aChristian church, but separate from theCatholic orProtestant traditions.
The church teaches thatGod the Father andJesus Christ appeared toJoseph Smith, Jr. andcalled him to be aprophet and to restore the original church as established by Jesus Christ through arestoration of elements that had been missing fromChristianity since the early days of Christianity due to apostasy. This restoration included the return ofpriesthood authority, newsacred texts, and the calling oftwelve apostles. The Church was organized under the leadership of Joseph Smith in Fayette, New York, on April 6, 1830, following his translation of theBook of Mormon from which adherents—also calledLatter-day Saints—get their nicknameMormons.
Joseph Smith led the church until his violentdeath in 1844. After a period of confusion where the church was led by theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles and variousclaims of succession were made,Brigham Young led a group ofMormon pioneers away from the former church headquarters inNauvoo, Illinois, and eventually to theSalt Lake Valley ofUtah in July1847. Brigham Young was sustained asPresident of the church at General Conference in December 1847.
Now an international organization, the church has its world headquarters inSalt Lake City, Utah whereGordon B. Hinckley serves as its fifteenth LDS Churchpresident. The church sends tens of thousands ofmissionaries throughout the world, and in2005 reported a worldwide membership of over 12.5 million.
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