Doctrine & theology

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The content of the faith and theological terms: salvation, the Trinity, the Holy Spirit and more · Articles: 361

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Active ObedienceActive obedience is a theological term for the obedience by which Jesus Christ perfectly kept the law of God throughout His entire life. It is used c…
AdoptionAdoption is a theological term for the grace by which people who were not by nature children of God are received as God's children through Jesus Chri…
AdoptionismAdoptionism is the Christological view that Jesus was originally an ordinary man who was "adopted" as the Son of God at his baptism or resurrection. …
Allegorical InterpretationAllegorical interpretation is a method of reading Scripture that assumes a hidden spiritual and symbolic meaning lies beyond the literal and historic…
Angel WorshipAngel worship refers to offering angels the worship or prayer that belongs to God alone. Protestants reject it on the basis of Colossians 2:18 and ot…
AngelologyAngelology is the branch of systematic theology that deals with the existence, nature, and work of angels, as well as with fallen angels (Satan and d…
AnnihilationismAnnihilationism is an eschatological view holding that, after the Last Judgment, the unsaved do not undergo endless punishment but instead cease to e…
Antiochene SchoolThe Antiochene School was an early church theological tradition centered in Antioch in Syria during the fourth and fifth centuries that emphasized th…
ApokatastasisApokatastasis (the restoration of all things) is the view that at the end of time God will restore all creation to its original good state, so that a…
ApologeticsApologetics is a branch of theology that explains why the Christian faith is true and reasonable and responds to criticisms of and questions about th…
ApologistAn apologist is a person who argues that the Christian faith is true and reasonable and who responds to criticisms and misunderstandings of it. The t…
ApostasyApostasy is the public abandonment or denial of the Christian faith by a person who once professed it. Denominations differ on whether a true believe…
Apostolic SuccessionApostolic succession is the teaching that the authority and offices of the Church have been handed down without interruption from the apostles of Jes…
ArminianismArminianism is a Protestant theological tradition originating with the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius. It holds that human beings can respond to o…
AscensionThe Ascension is the event in which the risen Jesus Christ, after appearing to his disciples for forty days following his resurrection, was taken up …
Aseity of GodThe aseity of God (Korean jajonseong, 自存性, "self-existence") is a theological term expressing that God exists of himself, depending on nothing els…
AstrologyAstrology is a form of divination that interprets the positions and movements of the sun, moon, and stars to discern human destiny and foretell futur…
Athanasian CreedThe Athanasian Creed is a confession of faith of the Western church that sets out the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation of Christ. Togethe…
AtonementThe atonement is the Christian doctrine concerning the work by which Jesus Christ, through his death on the cross, dealt with human sin and reconcile…
Attributes of GodThe attributes of God are the essential qualities that reveal who God is. They are also called the character of God, and Reformed theology commonly d…
Augsburg ConfessionThe Augsburg Confession is the confession of faith that the Lutheran princes presented to Emperor Charles V at the Imperial Diet of Augsburg in the H…

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Baptism in the Holy SpiritBaptism in the Holy Spirit refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit upon a believer. Denominations differ in their understanding: some hold that every…
Baptismal FontA baptismal font is a vessel that holds the water used for baptism, or a fixture in which such a vessel is mounted on a pedestal. Also called a bapti…
BaptisteryA baptistery is a water tank or pool installed in a sanctuary or an adjoining church space for administering baptism by immersing the whole body in w…
BasilicaA basilica is an architectural form with a long rectangular plan comprising a nave, aisles, and an apse. Originating in the public buildings of ancie…
Belgic ConfessionThe Belgic Confession is a Reformed confession of faith in thirty-seven articles, written in French by Guido de Brès in 1561. Together with the Heide…
Bell TowerA bell tower is a tower or structure from which church bells are hung. It was used to announce times of worship and prayer, and in Korean churches it…
BibleThe Bible is the collection of books that Christianity accepts as Scripture recording God's revelation. It is also known as the Holy Scriptures. The …
Biblical CanonThe canon is the list of books that the church has recognized as the Word of God and the standard for faith and life. Protestants regard sixty-six bo…
Biblical CounselingBiblical counseling is an approach to Christian counseling that addresses human problems by treating Scripture as the sufficient standard for counsel…
Biblical HermeneuticsBiblical hermeneutics is the field of theology concerned with the principles and methods by which the meaning of the biblical text is determined and …
Biblical InerrancyBiblical inerrancy is the doctrine that, because the Bible was written under the inspiration of God, its teaching is without error. It is often discu…
Biblical InspirationBiblical inspiration is the Christian doctrine that the Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. Denominations and scholars…
Biblical TheologyBiblical theology is the theological discipline that elucidates the theological content of Scripture by following the historical course in which the …
Black TheologyBlack theology is a theological movement that begins from the experience of Black people who endured slavery and racism and understands God as the on…
Blasphemy against the Holy SpiritBlasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the sin of reviling the Holy Spirit, which Jesus said "shall not be forgiven." Denominations and theologians dif…
Body of ChristThe Body of Christ is a New Testament expression that likens the church to a single body with Jesus Christ as its head and believers as its members. …
Bride of ChristThe Bride of Christ is a biblical expression that likens the church to a bride joined to Jesus Christ in a marriage covenant. It expresses at once th…
British IsraelismBritish Israelism is the claim that the British and other Anglo-Saxon peoples are descendants of the "lost ten tribes" of the biblical northern kingd…

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CallingCalling (Korean *somyeong*, 召命) refers to God's summoning of people, whether drawing them to salvation or entrusting them with a particular life an…
CalvinismCalvinism is a theological tradition rooted in the teachings of the Reformer John Calvin. It emphasizes the sovereignty of God in salvation and is co…
Canons of DortThe Canons of Dort are a Reformed confessional document adopted by the Synod of Dort in the Netherlands in 1618–1619 in response to the teachings of …
Ceremonial LawCeremonial law is a theological term for the part of the Mosaic law that governed Israel's worship and religious rites, such as the regulations conce…
Charismatic MovementThe charismatic movement is a stream of Christian faith that holds that gifts of the Holy Spirit such as tongues, prophecy, and divine healing are st…
Cheap GraceCheap grace is a term for grace that involves no repentance, obedience, or transformation of life. It became widely known through the German theologi…
Chi-RhoThe Chi-Rho (☧) is a Christian symbol formed by superimposing Χ (chi) and Ρ (rho), the first two letters of the Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, meaning "Christ."…
Chicago Statement on Biblical InerrancyThe Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy is a document issued in 1978 in Chicago by evangelical scholars and pastors that sets out the meaning and…
Christian ArtChristian art is art that expresses the Christian faith and the narratives of the Bible in visual forms such as painting, sculpture, mosaic, stained …
Christian EducationChristian education is the activity by which a faith community teaches Scripture and its faith tradition in order to nurture people in the faith; the…
Christian EthicsChristian ethics is the field of theology that examines, in light of the Christian faith, what is right and how Christians ought to live as individua…
Christian LibertyChristian liberty is the Protestant teaching that those who believe in Christ have been set free from the dominion of sin, the condemnation of the la…
Christian PerfectionChristian perfection is the teaching that believers can attain, in this life, a state of wholly loving God and neighbor. Systematized by John Wesley,…
Christian PhilosophyChristian philosophy is the discipline that addresses philosophical questions such as being, knowledge, and ethics from the perspective of the Christ…
Christian SpiritualityChristian spirituality refers to the relationship that Christians have with God through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, and to the ways that relatio…
Christian SymbolsChristian symbols are signs that express the content of the Christian faith through images, letters, or objects. Prominent examples include the cross…
Christian WorldviewThe Christian worldview is a framework of thought, grounded in the teaching of the Bible, for interpreting the world, humanity, history, and culture …
Christian ZionismChristian Zionism is a school of thought and movement within Christianity that regards the return of the Jewish people to the land of Palestine and t…
Christianity and CultureA theological topic concerning the relationship between the Christian faith and human culture, including language, the arts, customs, and institution…
Christianity and EconomicsChristianity and economics is a field of theology and Christian ethics that seeks to understand economic life, including wealth, labor, property, and…
Christianity and the ArtsThe relationship between the Christian faith and the arts, such as painting, music, architecture, and literature, together with the theological under…
ChristologyChristology is the field of Christian theology that deals with who Jesus Christ is and what he has done. It explains the person of Christ (his divini…
ChristophanyChristophany refers to the interpretation that Christ, the Son, appeared in visible form during Old Testament times before he was born in human flesh…
ChurchThe church is the community of those who believe in Jesus Christ. The word translates the New Testament Greek term ekklesia (an assembly of those who…
Church Architectural StylesChurch architectural styles are the period and regional forms evident in the floor plan, exterior, and ornamentation of church buildings. The arrange…
Church MusicChurch music is the general term for the music the church uses in worship and in the life of faith. It includes congregational hymns, choral anthems,…
Civil DisobedienceCivil disobedience is the act of openly and nonviolently breaking a law or state order that one judges in conscience to be unjust, while accepting th…
Common GraceCommon grace is a theological term for the grace God extends to all people and to the world, without distinction between believers and unbelievers. I…
Communication of AttributesThe communication of attributes is the Christological teaching that the attributes of both the divine and human natures in the one person of Jesus Ch…
Communion of SaintsAn article of faith confessed in the Apostles' Creed, referring to the fellowship and sharing among all believers who have been made one body in Chri…
Conditional ImmortalityConditional immortality is the theological view that human beings are not inherently immortal and that God grants eternal life as a gift only to thos…
Confession of FaithA confession of faith is the act by which Christians declare what they believe, in speech or in writing, or a document, formally adopted by a church,…
Contextual TheologyContextual theology is a theological movement that seeks to understand and express the gospel within the realities of a particular era, region, cultu…
CovenantIn the Bible, a covenant is a promise and relationship that God establishes with human beings, and it is a theme running through both the Old and New…
Covenant TheologyCovenant theology is a theological system, developed within the Reformed tradition, that seeks to understand the whole of Scripture and the history o…
Covenant of GraceThe covenant of grace is a theological term for the covenant in which God promised to grant salvation freely, through Jesus Christ, to humanity falle…
Covenant of RedemptionThe covenant of redemption is the eternal agreement understood to have been made between the Father and the Son before the foundation of the world fo…
Covenant of WorksThe covenant of works is the covenant that God is held to have made with Adam before the Fall. It is understood to have promised life on the conditio…
CovetousnessCovetousness is an excessive desire to possess what belongs to another or what one has not been granted. The last of the Ten Commandments forbids it,…
CreationCreation is the Christian teaching that God made the world and everything in it out of nothing; it is a foundation of the faith confessed at the open…
Creation ex nihiloCreation ex nihilo is the Christian doctrine that God brought all things into existence without any preexisting material, solely by his word and will…
CrossThe cross was an instrument of execution in ancient Rome. In Christianity it refers to the event in which Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross and died…
CrownIn the Bible, a crown is placed on the head of one who has won a victory or endured faithfully. In Protestantism it is used chiefly as a symbol of th…

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Date-Setting EschatologyDate-setting eschatology is the practice of predicting a specific date or year for Christ's Second Coming or the end of the world. In Korea it became…
Day-Age TheoryThe day-age theory is an interpretation of creation that reads each "day" (Hebrew yom) of Genesis 1 not as a twenty-four-hour period but as a long ag…
DemythologizationDemythologization is a theological method that seeks to detach the message of the New Testament from the mythological worldview of antiquity and to r…
Deuteronomistic HistoryThe Deuteronomistic History is a theory in Old Testament scholarship that regards Joshua through 2 Kings as a single historical work shaped by the th…
Direct Revelation (Korean Church Usage)"Direct revelation" (jiktong gyesi) is a term used in the Korean church for the claim that God bypasses Scripture and communicates new aspects of His…
DispensationalismDispensationalism is a theological system that reads the history of the Bible as a series of "dispensations" (economies) through which God deals with…
Divine HealingDivine healing (Korean *sinyu*, 神癒) refers to the healing of illness by the power of God, or to the belief in and pursuit of such healing. It is co…
Divine SimplicityDivine simplicity is the doctrine that God is not a being composed of multiple parts or elements and that God's attributes are identical with His ess…
Divinity of ChristThe divinity of Christ is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is true God, of the same essence as the Father. Together with his humanity, it lie…
Doctrine of CreationThe doctrine of creation is the Christian teaching that God made the world and everything in it out of nothing, as well as the theological field that…
Doctrine of GodThe doctrine of God (theology proper) is the branch of systematic theology that addresses who God is: His existence, names, attributes, and triune na…
Documentary HypothesisThe Documentary Hypothesis is a theory in Old Testament scholarship holding that the Pentateuch is not the work of a single author but a compilation …
Double PredestinationDouble predestination is the doctrine that God decreed from eternity to elect some people to salvation and to leave others to perdition. It is taught…
DyothelitismDyothelitism is the Christological doctrine that Jesus Christ possesses two wills, a divine will and a human will, in one person. It was formulated i…

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EbionitesThe Ebionites were a Jewish Christian group that existed from the first to the fourth century. Because they insisted on observance of the Mosaic Law …
EcclesiologyEcclesiology is the branch of systematic theology that addresses what the church is (its nature), how the true church is recognized (its marks), who …
EcotheologyEcotheology is a field of theology that reflects on the relationship among God, humanity, and nature and addresses the church's responsibility in the…
Effectual CallingEffectual calling is a term in Reformed soteriology for the inward call by which God, through the Holy Spirit, actually brings those who hear the gos…
ElectionElection is the Christian doctrine that God chooses those whom he will save; it forms part of the doctrine of predestination. Calvinism and Arminiani…
ErosEros (ἔρως) is an ancient Greek word for "love," particularly a love that is drawn to its object and longs for it. In Christian theology it is discus…
EschatologyEschatology is the field of Christian doctrine concerned with the last things of the world and of humanity, namely death and judgment, the second com…
Eternal LifeEternal life (Korean yeongsaeng, 永生) means "everlasting life." In Christianity it refers to the new life enjoyed in relationship with God. It is un…
Eternal PunishmentEternal punishment is the Christian doctrine of the penalty that those who have rejected God are held to suffer without end after the Last Judgment. …
Eternity of GodThe eternity of God is the doctrine that God has neither beginning nor end and is not bound by the passage of time. It is one of the fundamental topi…
Evangelical CounselsThe evangelical counsels are, in Catholic theology, three ways of life (poverty, chastity, and obedience) that, unlike the commandments binding on al…
EvangelicalismEvangelicalism is a broad movement within Protestantism that emphasizes conversion, the authority of Scripture, Christ's atoning death on the cross, …
ExegesisExegesis is the work of determining what a biblical text meant when it was first written by examining its original language, grammar, historical back…
Exemplary PreachingExemplary preaching is a method of preaching that presents the actions and faith of biblical figures as examples for today's believers to imitate or …

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FaithFaith is trust in God and Jesus Christ and the acceptance of his word as true. Protestants understand it as the means by which salvation is received,…
Faith and ReasonFaith and reason is a theological topic concerning the relationship between belief in God and the human capacity for thought and argument. Denominati…
Fallen AngelA fallen angel is a spiritual being originally created by God as a good angel who rebelled against God and fell from its original place. Christian tr…
Family SalvationFamily salvation refers to unbelieving members of a family coming to faith in Jesus Christ and being saved, or to the practice of praying and evangel…
Feminist TheologyFeminist theology is a theological movement that rereads the Bible and the Christian tradition from the experience and perspective of women and criti…
FilioqueFilioque is a Latin term meaning "and from the Son." It is a phrase that the Western church added to the Nicene Creed, confessing that the Holy Spiri…
Filling of the Holy SpiritThe filling of the Holy Spirit is the state in which a believer is fully under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit, or the experience of ente…
Five SolasThe Five Solas are five slogans that summarize the central tenets of the Reformation using the Latin word sola ("alone"). They are Scripture alone, f…
Fivefold GospelThe Fivefold Gospel (Korean: Ojung Bogeum) is a summary of faith that presents five elements—regeneration, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, divine he…
Fivefold MinistryThe fivefold ministry is a collective term for the five offices named in Ephesians 4:11: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Deno…
ForgivenessForgiveness is the act of restoring a relationship without holding the wrongdoer accountable or taking revenge. In Christianity, it refers both to Go…
Forgiveness of SinsThe forgiveness of sins is the act by which God pardons a person's sins and no longer holds that person liable for the guilt and punishment those sin…
Form CriticismForm criticism is a method of biblical interpretation that focuses on the oral stage of transmission before biblical texts were committed to writing;…
Formula of ConcordThe Formula of Concord is a confessional document written in 1577 by Lutheran theologians to settle the doctrinal controversies that arose after Luth…
Framework HypothesisThe framework hypothesis is an interpretation that reads the six days of creation in Genesis 1 not as an actual chronological sequence but as a liter…
Free WillFree will is the capacity to think and choose for oneself without coercion. In Christian theology, denominations differ in particular over whether fa…
FundamentalismFundamentalism is a conservative theological movement that arose in early twentieth-century American Protestantism to defend biblical inerrancy and c…
FuturismFuturism is an interpretive approach holding that most of the end-time prophecies of Scripture, including those of the Book of Revelation, remain unf…

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Gap TheoryThe gap theory is an interpretation of Genesis holding that a long interval of time elapsed between the original creation described in Genesis 1:1 an…
General RevelationGeneral revelation is the concept that God reveals himself through channels open to all people, such as nature, history, and the human conscience. Th…
Gift of ProphecyThe gift of prophecy is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and refers to the ability to convey God's will and word to people. Denominations differ o…
GlorificationGlorification is a theological term meaning "being made glorious." It refers to the final stage of salvation, in which God completely frees believers…
Glory of GodThe glory of God refers to the majesty and beauty of God's being and character and to their manifestation in the world. The term can also denote the …
GospelThe gospel means "good news." In Christianity it refers to the message that God saves people through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Chris…
Gothic ArchitectureGothic architecture is a style that originated in France in the mid-twelfth century and became the defining style of European cathedral architecture …
GraceGrace is the favor and gift that God freely bestows on those who do not deserve it. Protestantism holds that the basis on which a person attains salv…
Grammatical-Historical InterpretationGrammatical-historical interpretation is a method of biblical interpretation that reads the text in light of the grammar of its original languages an…
Great TribulationThe Great Tribulation is an eschatological term for a period of intense suffering said to occur immediately before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.…
Guardian AngelA guardian angel is an angel whom God sends to protect a person or community; the term also refers to the belief that God sends such angels. The Cath…
Guidance of the Holy SpiritThe guidance of the Holy Spirit is the Christian teaching that the Holy Spirit directs believers' thoughts, judgments, and the course of their lives.…

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HamartiologyHamartiology is the branch of systematic theology that deals with the nature, origin, spread, and consequences of sin. It focuses chiefly on original…
Hardness of HeartHardness of heart is a biblical expression for a state in which the heart has become hardened and obstinate against the word and will of God. It appe…
Heaven and HellHeaven is the place where God reigns and where the saved live forever, and hell is the place where those who have turned away from God receive punish…
Heavenly RewardsHeavenly rewards (Korean: sanggeup, 賞給) are the rewards that God is understood to give believers for their faithful lives and service. The term ref…
Heidelberg CatechismThe Heidelberg Catechism is a Reformed manual of Christian instruction produced in 1563 in the Palatinate region of Germany. In 129 questions and ans…
HesychasmHesychasm, from the Greek hesychia, meaning "stillness," is a spirituality of prayer in the monastic tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church that se…
Higher CriticismHigher criticism is an approach to biblical study that uses historical and literary methods to investigate the authorship, date of composition, sourc…
Historical CriticismHistorical criticism is a method of biblical interpretation that uses the tools of history and philology to study when, by whom, and under what histo…
Historical JesusThe historical Jesus is the portrait of Jesus of Nazareth, a first-century figure, as reconstructed through the methods of historical scholarship rat…
Historical TheologyHistorical theology is the branch of theology that studies how Christian faith and doctrine have been understood and formulated in successive eras. I…
HistoricismHistoricism is an eschatological method of interpretation that reads the prophecies of Revelation and Daniel as foretelling events fulfilled in seque…
History of WorshipThe history of worship traces how the forms and content of Christian worship have changed over time, from the sacrifices and synagogue of the Old Tes…
HolinessHoliness (Korean seonggyeol, 聖潔) means being holy and pure. In the Wesleyan tradition, it refers to "entire sanctification," in which the believer …
Holiness of GodThe holiness of God is the divine attribute by which God is set apart from all creatures and is perfectly pure, unmixed with sin. On the basis of thi…
Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is the Spirit whom Christianity confesses, together with the Father and the Son, as one person of the triune God. In older Korean usa…
HomileticsHomiletics is the discipline that studies the nature and purpose of preaching, the interpretation of biblical texts, and the methods of composing and…
HomoousiosHomoousios is a Greek theological term expressing that the Son is true God, "of the same essence" as the Father. Included in the creed of the Council…
Humanity of ChristThe humanity of Christ is the doctrine that Jesus Christ is a true human being, possessing a body and a soul yet without sin; together with his divin…
Humiliation and Exaltation of ChristThe humiliation and exaltation of Christ is a Christological term referring jointly to the state in which Jesus Christ was made low by becoming man, …
Hypostatic UnionThe hypostatic union is the Christological teaching that in the one person of Jesus Christ true divinity and true humanity are joined in a single hyp…

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IHSIHS is an abbreviation that renders in Latin letters the first three letters of ΙΗΣΟΥΣ, the Greek name of Jesus. It is one of the principal Christian…
INRIINRI is the abbreviation of the Latin inscription "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum" (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews), which was placed on the cros…
IconAn icon is a sacred image of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the saints, or biblical events, painted on a wooden panel or similar surface and used chiefly b…
Illumination of the Holy SpiritThe illumination of the Holy Spirit is a theological term for the work by which the Holy Spirit enlightens the human heart to understand and receive …
Image of GodThe image of God is the biblical teaching that God created human beings in his own image. It is a central concept in Christian anthropology that expl…
Immaculate ConceptionThe Immaculate Conception is the Catholic doctrine that the Virgin Mary was preserved free from original sin from the first moment of her conception.…
Immortality of the SoulThe immortality of the soul is the belief that even after a person dies and the body decays, the soul does not cease to exist but continues to exist.…
Immutability of GodThe immutability of God is the doctrine that God does not change in his being, attributes, will, or promises. It is one of the attributes of God and …
ImputationImputation is a theological concept according to which the sin or righteousness of one person is regarded as belonging to another and is credited to …
IncarnationThe Incarnation is a central Christian doctrine holding that the Son of God took on a human body and was born into the world as Jesus Christ. It expr…
Inductive Bible StudyInductive Bible study is a method of Bible study that begins with careful observation of the biblical text, draws its meaning from the text itself, a…
Indwelling of the Holy SpiritThe indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the teaching that the Holy Spirit dwells within those who believe in Christ. It is treated as a basis of the bel…
InfralapsarianismInfralapsarianism is the view within Reformed teaching on predestination that God chose to save some from among humanity considered as already fallen.
Inner HealingInner healing is a Christian practice and form of ministry that seeks to heal emotional pain arising from past wounds, memories, and feelings through…
Institutes of the Christian ReligionThe Institutes of the Christian Religion is a systematic work of Protestant theology by the Reformer John Calvin. First published in 1536, it was rev…
Intelligent DesignIntelligent design is the claim that certain features of living things and the universe are better explained by an "intelligent cause" than by undire…
Intermediate StateThe intermediate state is a doctrine of Christian eschatology concerning the condition of a person from death until the resurrection of the body at t…
Investigative JudgmentThe investigative judgment is a doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church teaching that since 1844 Christ has been conducting a judgment in the he…

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Jesus ChristJesus Christ is the central figure of the Christian faith. Christianity confesses Jesus of Nazareth, who ministered in first-century Judea and was cr…
Judgment Seat of ChristThe judgment seat of Christ is a New Testament expression for the place where people, and Christians in particular, have their lives evaluated before…
Judicial LawIn the theological tradition that divides the Mosaic law into moral, ceremonial, and judicial law, judicial law refers to the civil and criminal regu…
JustificationJustification refers to a sinner's being accounted righteous before God. Protestants hold that it comes not through works but through faith in Christ…

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Karmic Retribution (Inkwa Eungbo)Karmic retribution, expressed in Korean as *inkwa eungbo* ("cause, effect, and requital"), is the idea that good deeds bring good results and evil de…
KenosisKenosis (self-emptying) is a theological term for the incarnation and humiliation of Christ. It derives from Philippians 2:7, which says that Christ …
King James OnlyismKing James Onlyism is the position that the only correct Bible is the King James Bible, produced in England in 1611, or a translation that follows it…
Kingdom of GodThe kingdom of God is a Christian term for God's reign as king and the realm over which that reign extends, and it is the central theme of Jesus' pro…
Kingship of ChristThe kingship of Christ is the doctrine that Jesus Christ, as King, rules over the church and the whole world. Protestant theology describes it as one…

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Last JudgmentThe Last Judgment is the Christian teaching that at the end of history Jesus Christ will return and judge all people, both the living and the dead. I…
Law and GospelLaw and Gospel is a topic in Protestant theology concerning how to distinguish and relate God's commandments, which require obedience from human bein…
Lectio DivinaLectio divina is a traditional Christian method of reading Scripture and praying in which a biblical text is read slowly and repeatedly, meditated up…
LeitourgiaLeitourgia (λειτουργία) is a Greek word meaning "public service." In the church it refers to worship and liturgy, and it is the origin of the English…
Liberal TheologyLiberal theology is a movement in Protestant theology, emerging in the nineteenth century, that treats modern reason, scholarship, and individual rel…
Liberation TheologyA theological movement that arose in the Latin American Catholic Church in the late 1960s. It reads the Bible from the standpoint of the poor and opp…
LimboLimbo is the place where the souls of unbaptized infants, or of the righteous who died before Christ, were believed to dwell. The concept developed i…
Limited AtonementLimited atonement is the Reformed doctrine that Christ's substitutionary death was intended for the salvation of those whom God has chosen and is cer…
London Baptist Confession of FaithThe London Baptist Confession of Faith is a confession of faith jointly produced by Calvinistic Baptist churches in London, England, in the seventeen…
LoveIn Christianity, love is understood as the nature of God and is regarded as the virtue at the heart of the greatest commandment Christians are called…
Love of GodThe love of God refers to the goodwill and self-giving disposition that God extends to His creatures, especially to human beings. In Christian theolo…

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Marian VenerationMarian veneration is the devotional practice of giving special honor and reverence to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. It is a tradition of the Cath…
MariologyMariology is the field of theology concerned with the identity and role of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. Understandings differ considerably among…
Mediation of ChristThe mediation of Christ is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ stands between God and humanity, reconciles the two, and continues to intercede f…
MediatorA mediator is one who stands between two estranged parties and restores the relationship between them. Protestants confess Jesus Christ as the one Me…
MeritMerit (Korean 공로, gongno) is a theological term for an act that serves as the ground for receiving a reward or salvation from God, or for the value…
Messianic SecretThe Messianic Secret is a term in New Testament studies for the scenes in the Gospel of Mark in which Jesus repeatedly commands others not to reveal …
Methods of Interpreting the Book of RevelationMethods of interpreting the Book of Revelation are approaches to understanding which events, and in which era, the visions and symbols of Revelation …
MillenniumThe millennium is the "thousand years" of Revelation 20. Eschatological views differ on how this period should be understood in relation to the secon…
Minjung TheologyMinjung theology is a theology that took shape in South Korea in the 1970s. It regards the oppressed and marginalized "minjung" (the people) as the s…
Missio DeiMissio Dei (Latin for "the mission of God") is a concept in the theology of mission holding that the agent of mission is not the church but the triun…
MissiologyMissiology is a branch of theology that studies the biblical foundations, history, and methods of mission, that is, the church's work of carrying the…
MonophysitismMonophysitism is the Christological position that in the incarnate Jesus Christ the divine and human natures are united into a single nature. The Cou…
MonothelitismMonothelitism was a seventh-century Christological position holding that Jesus Christ, though possessing two natures, divine and human, has only one …
Moral Influence TheoryThe moral influence theory is a theory of the atonement holding that the heart of the atonement lies in Christ's death on the cross revealing God's l…
Moral LawMoral law is a theological term for the part of the Old Testament law that expresses God's moral will and applies to all people regardless of era or …
Mosaic AuthorshipMosaic authorship is the view that Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. It is the traditional position of Judaism a…

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Narrative PreachingNarrative preaching is a method of preaching that presents a biblical text according to the movement of a story (conflict, tension, and resolution) r…
Natural TheologyNatural theology is the branch of theology concerned with what can be known about God through the order of the natural world and through human reason…
Nature Miracles"Nature miracles" is a theological term for biblical miracles that directly affected the natural world, such as wind, water, food, and plants. Repres…
Nature and GraceNature and grace is a theological topic concerning how created human nature and the world ("nature") relate to the free grace of God ("grace").
Neo-OrthodoxyNeo-orthodoxy is a Protestant theological movement that arose in early twentieth-century Europe, centered on Karl Barth. In opposition to liberal the…
New CreationNew creation is the biblical teaching that God, through Christ, makes people new and will renew the whole of heaven and earth at the last day.
New HomileticThe New Homiletic is a movement in preaching theory that arose in North America in the late 1960s. Rather than following traditional preaching that l…
New Perspective on PaulThe New Perspective on Paul is an approach to interpreting Paul that emerged in Anglo-American New Testament scholarship in the late 1970s. It reads …
Nicene CreedThe Nicene Creed is a confession of faith first drafted at the Council of Nicaea in 325 and expanded at the Council of Constantinople in 381. It summ…
NonviolenceNonviolence is a religious and ethical position that seeks to resist evil and injustice without the use of violence. In Christianity it is grounded i…

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Old Earth CreationismOld earth creationism is the view that affirms God's creation of the world while accepting the age of the universe and the earth proposed by science,…
Omnipotence of GodThe omnipotence of God is the doctrine that God has the power to accomplish everything He wills. It is widely known through the confession of the Apo…
Omniscience of GodThe omniscience of God is the attribute by which God fully knows all things, past, present, and future, including the inner thoughts of the human hea…
Open TheismOpen theism is a theological view holding that God does not foreknow future free choices as settled facts and that part of the future remains open. I…
OrganThe organ is a keyboard instrument that produces sound by sending wind through pipes or across vibrating reeds. It has long served as the principal i…

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사효론사효론(事效論)은 성례가 집례자의 믿음이나 도덕성과 상관없이, 그리스도가 제정한 대로 바르게 행해지면 효력을 가진다는 교리다. 라틴어 '엑스 오페레 오페…

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PacifismPacifism is the position that rejects war and violence and pursues peace through nonviolence. Within Christianity, the Anabaptist and Quaker traditio…
Papal InfallibilityPapal infallibility is the Roman Catholic doctrine that the pope is free from error when, under certain conditions, he formally defines a doctrine co…
ParacleteParaclete (Korean bohyesa, 保惠師) is a title used in the Gospel of John for the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send to his disciples after his …
Passive ObediencePassive obedience is a theological term for the obedience by which Jesus Christ, in the place of sinners, bore the penalty of sin through his sufferi…
Pastoral TheologyPastoral theology is a branch of practical theology that examines, from a theological standpoint, the principles and practice of pastoral ministry, i…
PatristicsPatristics is the theological discipline that studies the lives, writings, and thought of the Church Fathers, the theologians and leaders of the earl…
Penal Substitutionary AtonementPenal substitutionary atonement is an understanding of the atonement which holds that Jesus Christ died on the cross bearing, in the sinner's place, …
PentecostalismPentecostalism is a Protestant movement that places the experience of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit at the center of faith. It began in…
PerichoresisPerichoresis is a theological term expressing that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit of the Trinity, while distinct from one another, dwell in…
Perpetual Virginity of MaryThe perpetual virginity of Mary is the teaching that Mary, the mother of Jesus, remained a virgin throughout her life, not only before but also after…
Perseverance of the SaintsThe perseverance of the saints is the Reformed (Calvinist) doctrine that God upholds to the end those whom He has truly saved, so that they never fal…
Personhood of the Holy SpiritThe personhood of the Holy Spirit is the Christian doctrine that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force but a personal being possessing intellect…
Plural of MajestyThe plural of majesty is a usage in which a plural form refers to a single person while conveying dignity and honor. It is frequently invoked to expl…
PneumatologyPneumatology is the field of Christian doctrine concerned with who the Holy Spirit is and what the Spirit does. It addresses the deity and personhood…
Positive ConfessionPositive confession is the teaching that when believers repeatedly affirm and declare God's promises aloud, those words come to pass in reality. It i…
Postmodern TheologyPostmodern theology is an umbrella term for various movements that arose in the late twentieth century in response to postmodernist thought. These mo…
Practical TheologyPractical theology is a branch of theology that examines from a theological perspective the actual work of the church, including preaching, worship, …
PredestinationPredestination is the Christian doctrine that God determined the salvation of human beings from all eternity. It is emphasized by the Calvinist tradi…
Preexistence of ChristThe preexistence of Christ is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ existed with the Father before his human birth and before creation.
Presence of GodThe presence of God refers to God's being with a particular place, person, or community. Denominations differ in their emphases on how this presence …
PreterismPreterism is an interpretive approach holding that most of the prophecies of Revelation and of Jesus' end-time discourse were already fulfilled in th…
Prevenient GracePrevenient grace is a theological term for the grace that God extends first, before a person seeks Him or believes in Him. It is especially emphasize…
Priesthood of All BelieversThe priesthood of all believers is the Protestant teaching that every Christian is a priest who approaches God directly through Jesus Christ, without…
Priesthood of ChristThe priesthood of Christ is the teaching that Jesus Christ offered his own body once for all as a sacrifice to atone for sin and that he continues to…
Problem of EvilThe problem of evil is the theological and philosophical question of why evil and suffering exist in the world if God is omnipotent and perfectly goo…
Process TheologyProcess theology is a twentieth-century theological movement that seeks to reinterpret the relationship between God and the world on the basis of Alf…
Prophetic Office of ChristThe prophetic office of Christ is the office by which Jesus Christ reveals and makes known to humanity the will of God and the way of salvation. Toge…
ProvidenceProvidence is the Christian doctrine that God preserves and governs the world he created, guiding it according to his will. Many Protestant denominat…
PurgatoryIn Catholic doctrine, purgatory is the state of purification through which souls who died in grace but were not yet fully purified pass before enteri…

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Radical OrthodoxyRadical Orthodoxy is a theological movement that emerged in the 1990s, centered in Cambridge, England. It argues that the modern realm of the "secula…
RaptureThe rapture is the belief that, when Jesus Christ returns, living believers will be caught up into the air to meet the Lord. Denominations and theolo…
Realized EschatologyRealized eschatology is an interpretation of the New Testament holding that the kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus is not a future reality but has al…
RecapitulationRecapitulation (anakephalaiōsis) is the soteriology developed by the second-century Church Father Irenaeus. It teaches that Christ retraced, from the…
ReconciliationReconciliation is the restoration of a relationship that has become hostile or estranged. In Christian theology, it refers both to the restoration of…
Redaction CriticismRedaction criticism is a method of biblical interpretation that examines how the Gospel writers selected, arranged, and modified material already han…
RedeemerA redeemer is one who pays a price to recover a person or property that has been sold or bound. In Christianity, the term is a title for God, and esp…
RedemptionRedemption (Korean songnyang, 贖良) is the act of paying a price to release a slave or captive and set that person free. In Christianity, it refers t…
Redemptive HistoryRedemptive history (Korean 구속사, 救贖史) refers both to the theological perspective that reads the whole of Scripture as a single history in which …
Redemptive-Historical PreachingRedemptive-historical preaching is a method of preaching that reads and proclaims biblical texts within the unfolding history of redemption, that is,…
Reformed TheologyReformed theology is a Protestant theological tradition that continues the line of Zwingli, Calvin, and others within the sixteenth-century Reformati…
Regulative Principle of WorshipThe regulative principle of worship is a principle of the Reformed tradition holding that public worship should include only those elements that Scri…
RelicA relic is the preserved remains of a saint or martyr, an object that a saint or martyr used, or an object associated with the life of Jesus, kept as…
RepentanceRepentance (悔改) is sorrow for sin together with a turning of heart and life toward God. Protestants regard it, together with faith, as the response…
Replacement TheologyReplacement theology is the theological view that God's covenant relationship with Israel was transferred to the church after Jesus Christ. It is als…
ReprobationReprobation is the Reformed doctrine of predestination holding that God decreed from eternity not to choose certain people for salvation but to leave…
ResurrectionResurrection refers both to the event in which Jesus Christ, having died on the cross, rose again, and to the Christian belief that on the last day t…
Resurrection AppearancesThe resurrection appearances are the occasions on which Jesus Christ, having died on the cross and risen again, showed himself to his disciples and o…
Resurrection of the BodyThe resurrection of the body is the Christian doctrine that on the last day the bodies of the dead will be raised and reunited with their souls. It i…
RevelationRevelation is a term in Christian theology for God's act of disclosing and making known his own being and will, which human beings cannot know by the…
RomanesqueRomanesque is a style of church architecture that flourished in Western Europe from the late tenth century to around the twelfth century. Characteriz…
Rule of FaithThe rule of faith (regula fidei) is a summary of the content of the faith that the early church regarded as received from the apostles; it served as …

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SalvationIn Christianity, salvation is deliverance from sin and its consequences—death and separation from God—so that human beings are reconciled to God and …
SanctificationSanctification is the Protestant doctrine that a Christian who has been justified is progressively and actually made holy in thought and conduct thro…
Satisfaction TheoryThe satisfaction theory is a theory of the atonement that explains the death of Christ as rendering the "satisfaction" (reparation) rightly owed for …
Savoy DeclarationThe Savoy Declaration is a confession of faith adopted in 1658 by leaders of the Congregational (Independent) churches at the Savoy Palace in London,…
Science and FaithScience and faith is a topic concerning the relationship between science, which explains nature through observation and experiment, and faith, which …
Sealing of the Holy SpiritThe sealing of the Holy Spirit is the New Testament teaching that God gives the Holy Spirit to believers to mark them as His own possession and to gu…
Second ComingThe Second Coming is the Christian teaching that Jesus Christ, who ascended into heaven, will return at the end of the world. Protestant denomination…
Seminal LogosThe seminal logos is a concept used by the second-century apologist Justin Martyr. It holds that the Word of God (the Logos) has been sown like a see…
Seven SacramentsThe Seven Sacraments are the seven rites that the Catholic Church professes to be signs of grace instituted by Christ: Baptism, Confirmation, the Euc…
ShekinahShekinah refers to the presence of God dwelling among his people, especially the glory in which that presence becomes visibly manifest. The term does…
Silent PrayerSilent prayer is prayer offered inwardly without speaking aloud, or prayer in which one ceases speaking and rests quietly before God. In Korean churc…
SinIn Christianity, sin refers both to acts that transgress God's will and law and to the state of having departed from a right relationship with God. T…
Sinlessness of ChristThe sinlessness of Christ is the Christian teaching that Jesus Christ, though he lived as a true human being, never sinned in thought, word, or deed.
SoteriologySoteriology is the branch of Christian theology concerned with how God saves people who are under sin. It encompasses such topics as grace and faith,…
Soul SleepSoul sleep is the view that after death the soul remains asleep, without consciousness, until the resurrection. It arises from the question of how to…
Source CriticismSource criticism is a method of biblical study that seeks to identify and distinguish the earlier sources (documents or traditions) that appear to ha…
Sovereignty of GodThe sovereignty of God is the doctrine that God, as Creator, rules the whole world, history, and salvation according to his own will. Protestants sha…
Speaking in TonguesSpeaking in tongues is the phenomenon of speaking or praying in an unlearned language or in unintelligible sounds. It is understood as one of the gif…
Special RevelationSpecial revelation is a theological term for God's disclosure of Himself and His saving will through particular means such as prophecy, historical ev…
Spiritual DirectionSpiritual direction is a form of spiritual companionship in which a person of mature faith meets regularly with another individual to help him or her…
Spiritual DisciplinesSpiritual disciplines are devotional habits, such as prayer, meditation on Scripture, and fasting, that Christians practice regularly in order to dee…
Spiritual MappingSpiritual mapping is a method of investigating the spiritual forces believed to dominate a particular area, along with the grounds for their influenc…
Stained GlassStained glass is decorative glass made of colored glass pieces joined with lead strips and set into windows. Through light and color it depicts bibli…
StewardA steward is a person entrusted with managing a master's household and property. In Protestantism, the term refers to the teaching that life, time, t…
SubordinationismSubordinationism is the view that, within the triune God, the Son and the Holy Spirit are inferior to the Father in essence or divinity. Since the Ni…
Substitutionary Atonement of ChristThe substitutionary atonement of Christ is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ, by dying on the cross, paid on humanity's behalf the price of si…
SufferingSuffering refers to the pain and hardship that people experience. In Christianity it refers especially to the Passion that Jesus Christ endured on th…
SupralapsarianismSupralapsarianism is a view within the Reformed doctrine of predestination which holds that, in the order of God's decrees, the decree concerning the…
Systematic TheologySystematic theology is the field of theology that organizes the teaching of Scripture into a unified system by arranging it under topics such as the …

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Taizé WorshipTaizé worship is a form of prayer that originated in the Taizé Community in France. It is a meditative style of worship that combines short, repeated…
Territorial SpiritsTerritorial spirits are evil spiritual beings believed to rule over particular nations, cities, or regions. The term was widely used in the spiritual…
Textual CriticismTextual criticism is the discipline of comparing and examining biblical manuscripts, which differ slightly from one another, in order to recover the …
Textual SermonA textual sermon is a method of preaching that takes a short passage of Scripture (usually one or two verses) as its text and draws the sermon's main…
The Bondage of the WillThe Bondage of the Will is a book Martin Luther wrote in 1525 to refute Erasmus's On Free Will, and the name also refers to the position it argues. I…
The FallThe Fall is the Christian doctrine concerning the event in which the first humans, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God's command, bringing sin and death upon…
The Justice of GodThe justice of God is the attribute by which God is righteous in himself and judges and governs all things according to a right standard. It provides…
The Two Natures of ChristThe two natures of Christ is the doctrine that Jesus Christ possesses, in one person, both a truly divine nature (divinity) and a truly human nature …
TheodicyTheodicy is the theological and philosophical discussion that seeks to vindicate the righteousness of God by answering the question of why evil and s…
Theological AnthropologyTheological anthropology is the branch of systematic theology that examines, in light of Scripture, who human beings are, where they came from, what …
TheologyTheology is the discipline that systematically studies God and his works in light of Scripture and the tradition of the church. It is commonly divide…
Theology of GloryThe theology of glory refers to an outlook holding that human beings can know God and attain to God through human reason, merit, and success. Martin …
Theology of MissionThe theology of mission is the field that studies, on the basis of Scripture and theology, the grounds, purpose, and scope of mission, that is, the c…
Theology of WorkThe theology of work is a field of theology that examines the meaning of human work and labor before God and the relationship between workplace life …
Theology of WorshipThe theology of worship is the field of theology that examines what worship is, and why and how it is offered, in light of Scripture and church tradi…
Theology of the CrossThe theology of the cross is a theological perspective holding that God reveals himself not in glory and power but in the suffering and weakness of t…
TheonomyTheonomy is a theological position held by some within the Reformed tradition. It maintains that the civil laws and penal sanctions of the Old Testam…
TheophanyTheophany (Korean sinhyeon, 神顯) is a theological term for God's self-manifestation in a form or phenomenon that human beings can see, hear, or othe…
TheosisTheosis is the teaching that the goal of salvation is for human beings, by the grace of God, to participate in God's life and nature and so grow into…
TheotokosTheotokos is a Greek term meaning "the one who gave birth to God," used as a title for Mary, the mother of Jesus. It was formally affirmed by the Cou…
Thirty-Nine Articles of ReligionThe Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are a set of thirty-nine articles of faith drawn up by the Church of England during the sixteenth-century Reform…
Three Uses of the LawThe three uses of the law is a teaching of Reformation theology that organizes the work of God's law into three functions: restraining evil in societ…
Threefold Division of the LawThe threefold division of the law is a theological framework that divides the Old Testament law into moral, ceremonial, and civil (judicial) law in o…
Threefold Office of ChristThe threefold office of Christ is the doctrine that Jesus Christ accomplishes salvation by holding the three offices of prophet, priest, and king. It…
Topical PreachingTopical preaching is a method of preaching in which the preacher first selects a topic and then gathers various Scripture passages related to that to…
Total DepravityTotal depravity is the doctrine that, since the Fall, every part of human nature has been affected by sin, so that people cannot by their own power t…
Traditional and Contemporary WorshipTraditional worship and contemporary worship are terms that distinguish services by their form and musical style. Worship centered on hymns and a fix…
TrinityThe Trinity is the central Christian doctrine that God is one in essence and exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is…
Twelve Articles of FaithThe Twelve Articles of Faith is a twelve-article creed adopted by the Independent Presbytery of the Korean Presbyterian Church, which was organized i…
Two Kingdoms DoctrineThe two kingdoms doctrine is a Protestant teaching holding that God governs the world in two ways: a spiritual government, through which he rules fai…
Two-Source HypothesisThe Two-Source Hypothesis holds that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were written using both the Gospel of Mark and a hypothetical collection of the …
Type (Biblical Typology)A type (Korean yepyo) is a concept in biblical interpretation holding that Old Testament persons, events, and institutions prefigure Jesus Christ, wh…
TypologyTypology is a method of biblical interpretation holding that persons, events, and institutions of the Old Testament foreshadow the work of Christ and…

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Union with ChristUnion with Christ is the Christian teaching that believers are joined to Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and thereby share in his death and resu…
UniversalismUniversalism, also called universal salvation, is the view that in the end all people will be saved by God. Korea's major denominations generally do …

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Veneration of the SaintsThe veneration of the saints is a devotional practice of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in which saints who have become models of faith are honor…
Virgin BirthThe virgin birth is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, without the involvement of a man, and was born of the …
Visible and Invisible ChurchThe visible and invisible church is a concept that views the church under two aspects. The invisible church is the whole body of true believers known…
VocationVocation is the Protestant theological understanding that regards as God's calling not only the path of pastors and missionaries but also the work by…

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Wesleyan TheologyWesleyan theology is a theological tradition rooted in the teachings of John Wesley, who led the eighteenth-century Methodist movement in England. It…
Westminster Confession of FaithThe Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith produced by the Westminster Assembly in seventeenth-century England. Together w…
Westminster Larger CatechismThe Westminster Larger Catechism is a manual of doctrinal instruction consisting of 196 questions and answers, composed by the Westminster Assembly i…
Witness of the Holy SpiritThe witness of the Holy Spirit is the doctrine that the Holy Spirit confirms truth in the hearts of believers. It refers chiefly to the Spirit's test…
Word of Faith MovementThe Word of Faith movement is a religious movement that arose within twentieth-century American Pentecostal and charismatic circles. It teaches that …
Work of the Holy SpiritThe work of the Holy Spirit is a comprehensive term for what the Holy Spirit, one person of the triune God, does in creation and revelation, in the a…
Works-RighteousnessWorks-righteousness is the attitude or belief that a person can obtain salvation or God's grace through his or her own good deeds and religious acts.…
Worship BandA worship band (also called a praise band) is an ensemble of singers and players of popular-music instruments such as guitar, keyboard, bass, and dru…
Worship LeaderA worship leader is a person who selects songs and stands before the congregation to lead its singing in a worship service or gathering. In Korean, t…
Worship MusicWorship music is music sung or played in Christian worship to praise God, respond to his Word, and enable the congregation to confess its faith toget…
Wrath of GodThe wrath of God is a theological term for God's holy opposition to and judgment upon sin and unrighteousness. It appears throughout the Bible and is…

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Young Earth CreationismYoung earth creationism is a view within creationism that reads the six days of creation in Genesis as literal 24-hour days and holds that the univer…