amillennialism. In contrast to the literal understanding of the millennium as a future thousand-year epoch, this view of the end-times understands the millennium to be a symbolic reference to the present reign of Christ through the church. It has been argued that this position is the one most commonly held throughout church history.
anachronistic. Out of proper chronological order. For example, if someone reports that a computer crash caused the great depression in 1929, they are speaking anachronistically, for computers were not yet invented in 1929.
anthropomorphism. To ascribe human characteristics to God, as when biblical authors refer to "the right hand of God" or "the arms of God." Such phrases are not to be taken literally. One major issue within evangelicalism is whether biblical passages that talk about God "changing his mind" or "regretting" decisions should be interpreted anthropomorphically or taken as literal descriptions of God's activity and emotions.
antithesis. The direct opposite, contrast, or contradiction.
apocalyptic. Revelatory writings dealing with the end-times largely by way of visions, rich metaphors, and symbolism. This literary genre was popular in the two centuries preceding and following the life of Christ. The book of Revelation is the clearest example in the Bible of an apocalyptic book.
apollinarianism. This view sees the humanity of Christ as a mere shell for the divine person of God. This view was pronounced heretical at the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) because it denies the full humanity of Christ.
apostasy. Abandonment of the faith.
a priori. Deductive reasoning from an assumed premise to a necessary conclusion.
Arianism. This view holds that Christ was God's first and greatest creation, but he was not God. Arianism rivaled trinitarianism in the early church but was finally pronounced heretical, beginning at the Council of Nicea (AD 325).
Deductive reasoning from an assumed premise to a necessary conclusion.
Arianism. This view holds that Christ was God’s first and greatest creation, but he was not God. Arianism rivaled trinitarianism in the early church but was finally pronounced heretical, beginning at the Council of Nicea (AD 325).
autographs. The original handwritten documents.
Bhagavad Gita. A central sacred text of Hinduism that contains philosophical dialogue between the god Krishna and the warrior Arjuna. Matters pertaining to Hindu ethics, philosophy, and personal devotion are discussed.
bibliolatry. Literally, making the Bible an idol. Many argue that bibliolatry takes place whenever faith in the Bible is placed over faith in Christ
big bang theory. The dominant scientific theory for explaining the origin of the universe whereby it is understood that all the mass of the universe exploded forth from a single point roughly fifteen to sixteen billion years ago.
Book of Mormon. A central sacred text of the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The claim is that the Bible was a record of God's dealings with people in one region of the world, while the Book of Mormon is a record of God's dealings with the people of the Americas. Joseph Smith is said to have received a visit from the angel Moroni, who led Smith to an ancient record preserved on gold plates buried in a hill near Smith's home. The plates were then said to be supernaturally translated (from "reformed Egyptian") into English by Smith and published in 1830.
cessationists. Those who believe that the charismatic gifts were intended to cease after the completion of the New Testament.
charismatic gifts. The distinct class of spiritual gifts identified in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 that includes word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracle-working, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. See also Pentecostalism.
charismatic movement. Designated "second wave," following the "first wave" (Pentecostalism), the charismatic movement consists of people who emphasize the charismatic gifts of the Spirit but who remain in their own denominations (unlike Pentecostals). The movement began in the 1960s and now finds adherents in most established denominations that do not hold to a cessationist theology.
cheap grace. Whereas the biblical concept of grace requires a person to die to himself in order to be alive in Christ, cheap grace denotes the sort of forgiveness that does not involve the believer in a relationship with God that transforms the individual. Grace is thus understood as little more than a license to do whatever one wants. See also judgment seat.
chiliasm. A belief in the millennium of Christian prophecy, or a belief in a coming ideal society, especially one created by revolutionary action. See also premillennialism.
Christus Victor view of the atonement. According to this view of the atonement, Christ's act on the cross delivered the death blow to sin, death, and especially the devil. The Latin "Christus Victor" means "Christ is victorious." This view was widely held by the early church fathers. The main text for this view is Colossians 2:14-15, though the theme is pervasive throughout the New Testament.
communion elements. The bread and wine (or juice) used in a communion service.
compatibilism. The belief that freedom of the human will is compatible with the all-determining power of God.
complementarian view. The view that women are complementary "helpers" of men (Gen. 2:18). Men and women are indeed created equal, but their functions as prescribed by God differ. Most significantly, leadership roles in the church and the family are reserved for males.
conditional security. The Arminian view that salvation is conditioned on the ongoing willingness of the believer to remain in relationship with God. Salvation, in other words, is not an unconditional gift and is thus not eternally secure.
consubstantiation. This is the moderating view of the Lord's Supper that sees the elements as more than merely symbolic (Anabaptist view) but not necessarily the literal physical flesh and blood of Christ (transubstantiation view). This view prefers to speak sacramentally of Christ's "real presence" in the Lord's Supper, an intensified presence that is more than what is assumed by sheer omnipresence.
continuationists. People who believe that the charismatic gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 are as much for the church today as they were for the early church.
covenant. An oath or promise binding two or more parties to agreed upon terms, often with certain conditions involved. Some covenants that God entered into with humanity were binding only upon God (i.e., the promise not to destroy the world again by flood). Other covenants that God entered into with humanity required the fidelity of humans (i.e., the covenant with Israel).
day-age view. This reading of Genesis 1 states that the word day in this passage need not be interpreted as one literal twenty-four-hour period. Rather, the Hebrew word for day in this case (yom) refers to extended ages, which better correlates with what we know to be the case from modern science.
Deism. The view that God set the universe in motion and does not interfere with it. A common illustration used to explain this view is that of the watchmaker and the watch. God is the watchmaker who sets the gears, arms, and so on in place, winds up the watch, and allows things to take their natural course from that point forward.
dichotomist view of the self. A view of the self that states that the human person is composed of two fundamental substances: body and soul.
dispensational premillennialism. A form of premillennialism created by John Nelson Darby in the 1830s. This way of organizing history recognizes a number of distinct "economies," or ways in which God relates to humanity and tests humans according to different criteria for each period. Dispensationalists view this doctrine as a return to a biblical theology after nearly eighteen hundred years of darkness and error.
docetism. A heresy that denies the full humanity of Christ. Docetists asserted that Jesus Christ was purely divine and merely appeared human.
Deism. The view that God set the universe in motion and does not interfere with it. A common illustration used to explain this view is that of the watchmaker and the watch. God is the watchmaker who sets the gears, arms, and so on in place, winds up the watch, and allows things to take their natural course from that point forward.
dominion. Responsibility and authority to govern, cultivate, and provide leadership for.
dualist view of the self. See dichotomist view of the self.
ecclesiastical. Having to do with the church.
ecumenical. Belonging to the one universal church. An ecumenical creed is one that has been affirmed by the historic orthodox church and/or is now affirmed by all branches of Christianity.
egalitarian view. The belief that women and men are, in principle, fully equal in regard to authority in all aspects of Christian life, including leadership in the church and the family. This view is grounded in Galatians 3:28, in regard to public life, and Ephesians 5:21, in regard to family life. This view maintains that gender is irrelevant in regard to spiritual authority.
election. This can be understood either corporately, as in the case of Israel and the church, and/or individually. Election also refers to the belief that God elected Christ to save humans, and those who are “in Christ” are thus saved.
empirical. Evidence based on information gathered from experience.
Enuma Elish. An ancient Babylonian creation myth dated to the second millennium BC that parallels the creation story of Genesis 1 in several important ways.
epistemology. Having to do with how we know what we know.
eschatology. The study of the “last things” or the end-times.
The study of the eschaton. The end of this age.
eternal security. The belief that the gift of salvation is unconditional. Once a person has been saved, God will not let that person permanently fall away from faith. See also perseverance of the saints.
evolution. The biological theory that groups of organisms change over time. Microevolution recognizes small changes within a species. Macro-evolution maintains that the changes can be from one kind of organism (species) to another, usually progressing to greater levels of complexity. Evangelicals who hold to a literal reading of Genesis 1 and believe that the earth is relatively young acknowledge microevolution but deny mac-roevolution. Other evangelicals affirm both micro- and macroevolution but insist that God is the creative mind and force behind the process.
exclusivism. The belief that Jesus Christ is the only Savior for all humanity and that it is not possible to attain salvation apart from explicit knowledge of Jesus Christ.
exegesis. To draw meaning out of a text. This method of study attempts to answer the question, What did this text mean to its original author and hearer? Great attention is paid to linguistic issues as appropriate to the original social setting and context.
existentialism. A philosophical movement that emphasizes subjectivity, individuality, and the freedom and responsibility of the self.
ex nihilo. A Latin phrase meaning “out of nothing.” This phrase is used to assert that creation is not “co-eternal” with God (in opposition to pantheism and panentheism). Rather, God created the universe out of nothing.
faith. As used in the New Testament, faith can refer to either a person’s assent and trust in another or the content that a person assents to and trusts in.
fate. The pagan notion that the future is fixed by impersonal forces. Christians have always affirmed that God, not fate, governs the flow of history. (Whether humans and/or angels by use of their free will have the power to affect this flow in ways God may not desire is disputed.)
finitude. All that is definable. That which is capable of being described, measured, and contained. The direct opposite of infinitude.
flood geology. Geological studies that operate on the assumption that a worldwide flood occurred as described in Genesis 6–8. Many creationists account for the geological strata in this way rather than accepting that the earth is billions of years old, as most contemporary geologists believe.
foreknowledge. As applied to God, the classical confession that God knows with certainty all that shall come to pass. Open Theists modify this definition by maintaining that because God made humans free, God’s foreknowledge includes possibilities. Some of God’s foreknowledge consists of maybes.
freewill defense. The belief that explains the presence of evil in the world by appealing to the free will of humans and angels. Because agents are free, they sometimes make decisions that are against God’s will and are thus evil.
functional view of the imago Dei. The view that the image of God is to be understood as our God-given authority. In “having dominion” over the earth (Gen. 1:26–28), humans reflect God’s dominion over all creation.
gap theory. A way of reading Genesis 1 that suggests there is a “gap” between verses 1 and 2. In the interval between these verses, angels rebelled against God and corrupted his creation, causing the world to become “formless and void” as described in verse 2. Gap theorists argue that their interpretation allows for a more literal reading of Genesis 1 while affirming the prevailing opinion among scientists that the earth is billions of years old. See also restoration view.
glossolalia. The Greek word that is translated “speaking in tongues.” Most scholars believe the term, as used in 1 Corinthians, referred to people speaking in a God-inspired language they did not know. Cessationists maintain that this ability to speak in tongues ended in the first century. Continuationists maintain that the gift is still operative today.
grace. Undeserved favor.
Great Commission. The command The command of Christ to the church that we must spread the Good News to all people in all places (Matt. 28:19). The command includes the mandate to baptize and make disciples.
Hebraic. Having to do with Hebrew language, culture, or people.
Heilsgeschichte. A German word meaning “salvation history.” Some contemporary theologians argue that the locus of revelation is found in God’s mighty deeds in history, centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not in the words of the Bible.
Hellenistic. Having to do with Greek language, culture, or people.
heretic. One condemned as unorthodox—or incorrect in belief or practice of faith—to the point of being dangerous to the fidelity of the church.
higher biblical criticism. The use of historical-critical methods on the Bible. These methods are employed by literary and historical scholars to assess the reliability and meaning of texts.
historical Jesus. The view of Jesus arrived at by historical-critical means. Evangelical historians argue that the view arrived at by this means supports the view of Jesus portrayed in the Gospels. Other more skeptical historians often argue that in varying degrees the real historical Jesus is different from the Jesus portrayed in the Gospels.
holistic. Pertinent to the entirety of something rather than to only some aspect(s).
imago Dei. Latin for “image of God.”
inclusivism. The belief that Jesus is the only Savior for all humanity but that it is possible to attain salvation apart from explicit knowledge of him. One can be saved by expressing faith in God based on the general knowledge of him that is available to everyone. Thus, Jesus is ontologically but not epistemologically necessary for salvation.
incompatibilism. The belief that true human freedom is not consistent with the belief that God determines all things.
individualism. The modern Western emphasis on the individual as the ultimate bearer of value rather than the people groups to which an individual belongs.
inerrancy. The belief that the Bible contains no errors of any kind. See also
infallible.
infallible. The belief that, while the Bible may contain errors regarding irrelevant matters when judged by modern standards, it cannot fail to accomplish what God intends it to accomplish. See also inerrancy.
initial evidence. The classical Pentecostal view that speaking in tongues is the initial sign that one has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
irresistible grace. The Calvinist belief that a person whom God has chosen cannot resist the work of the Holy Spirit in his or her life in bringing him or her to a faith-filled saving relationship with God.
Jesus Seminar. A controversial group of mostly liberal New Testament scholars who, since the early 1980s, have been voting on what aspects of the Gospels are and are not historical. Their goal is to influence public opinion by effectively disseminating their views to the general public.
judgment seat. Mentioned in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10. Most scholars believe this is where the works of believers will be judged (cf. 1 Cor. 3:12–13). The concept has been emphasized by moral government theorists who are concerned with a common Protestant attitude that since believers are saved by grace, their actual lifestyles are largely irrelevant. See also cheap grace.
justification. To be declared righteous. In classical Protestant theology, people are declared righteous by God when they place their trust in Jesus Christ. Sanctification—the process of growing into a holier lifestyle—is understood to arise on the basis of, and subsequent to, justification.
kenotic Christology. The belief that when the Son of God became incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth, he emptied himself of all divine attributes that would have been inconsistent with his ability to be a full human being. He took on the limitations of finitude and humanity. Hence, Jesus was not, for example, omniscient or omnipotent while on earth. See also two minds Christology.
laughing in the Spirit. Also described as “holy laughter,” this is one of the manifestations that some of the more extreme continuationists (some Pentecostal, charismatic, or third wave Christians) experience during worship when the joy of the Lord is expressed among the believers in the form of overwhelming public laughter.
Leviathan. A mythological monster that ancient Near Eastern people (including the Israelites) believed inhabited the waters that circled the earth (though a minority of evangelical scholars think it refers to an actual creature). This is a way ancient people depicted forces of evil that threatened the earth. Old Testament authors emphasized that Yahweh was able to be victorious over Leviathan (e.g., Job 41; Ps. 74:14; 104:26; Isa. 27:1). See also Rahab.
limited atonement. The Calvinist belief that Jesus died only for the elect.
literary framework view. In contrast to all views that believe Genesis 1 depicts the actual creation of the world, this theory suggests that the author was interested only in expressing the significance of God as Creator. It is God, not some other deity, who brings order out of chaos.
Manichaeism. A popular religious movement in the fourth and fifth centuries that taught that there were two equal but opposite gods in the world, one good, the other evil. Before converting to Christianity, St. Augustine, arguably the most influential theologian in church history, was a Manichaean.
materialism. The belief that matter is all that exists. Hence, this view holds that all events are ultimately explainable on the basis of physical (“matter”) cause-effect relations. Chemistry, physics, biology, and the other hard sciences are looked to for the most adequate explanation for any given problem.
memorial view. This view of communion centers on Christ’s words, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Rather than speculating on the nature of Christ’s presence in the physical elements of communion, this view finds meaning in obedience to the command and reflection on the person of Jesus Christ.
meritorious works. Behaviors or actions that gain divine favor for the one who does them.
metaphysical. Literally, beyond physics. Metaphysics is the speculative attempt to conceive of all things together in a grand explanatory scheme.
modus operendi. Latin for “mode of operation,” meaning, the usual way in which one works.
monism. The belief that all events are part of one single, timeless, divine reality. In the philosophical problem of the one and the many, this view resolves “the many” completely into the “One.”
monistic view of the self. This view of the human asserts that there can be no final distinction between the body, soul, and spirit of a human being. A human being is fundamentally one unitary entity.
Montanists. A heretical group in the early church who claimed to have new revelations and end-times prophecies. This group was also notable for its emphasis on the charismatic gifts, which the orthodox church dismissed as counterfeit in this particular instance.
moral government view of the atonement. According to this view, the atonement is not a transference of guilt from sinful humans to Jesus (as per penal substitution) but rather a vivid presentation of God’s wrath against sin for all to see. This message should inspire believers to flee from sin because there will indeed be a judgment, even for believers, in the eschaton.
Muslim. One who believes in the Islamic faith. Muslims regard Muhammad as Allah’s (God’s) final prophet and the Qur’an as Allah’s final and perfect revelation.
mythologized. The end result of the process of weaving mythology in and around a historical person and event.
naturalism. The belief that all events can be explained by appealing to laws and forces of nature. Therefore, adherents of naturalism deny that God (if he exists) exercises any discernable influence in the world.
neo-orthodoxy. Beginning with Karl Barth in the early twentieth century, this school of thought saw itself as a mediating response to the modern split between liberals and fundamentalists. Neo-orthodox theologians affirmed that the Word of God is an event that takes place when Jesus Christ, as witnessed to in the Bible, is proclaimed. But unlike evangelicals, they denied that the Bible is the Word of God in and of itself.
Nestorianism. The heresy that states there were two persons—with two minds—present in Jesus Christ, one divine person and one human person.
Nestorianism was condemned at the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451.
New Age. A contemporary movement that incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism, superstition, as well as pagan and occult beliefs. See also pantheism.
new covenant. Another term for the New Testament. The new covenant is the covenant or promise of grace given to believers through the death and resurrection of Christ. In Christ, believers enter a new relationship of trust, faith, and faithfulness that is based on God’s holiness rather than their own.
omnipotent. Literally, all-powerful. All evangelicals affirm that God is all-powerful. Some evangelicals (Calvinists) interpret this to mean that God exercises all power. Others (Arminians) interpret this to mean that all power comes from God.
omnipresent. Literally, present in all places. All evangelicals affirm that God is everywhere.
omniscient. Literally, all-knowing. All evangelicals affirm that God knows everything. Traditionally, evangelicals have interpreted this to mean that God knows all that shall take place in the future. More recently, however, Open Theists have held that the “everything” God perfectly knows includes future possibilities.
ontology. The study of what it is to exist or to “be.”
ordinance. A command. Some see the Lord’s Supper and A command. Some see the Lord’s Supper and baptism as ordinances, as opposed to sacraments, believing that their meaning lies in the simple fact that the people who engage in them are obeying God. See also sacrament.
paedobaptist. Literally, one who baptizes children or infants. Paedobaptists believe that because children are part of the covenant community of God, they ought to bear the sign of the promise—baptism.
panentheism. Literally, all is in God. All that exists has its being within the being of God, but God transcends the universe itself. God is not identical with the universe (as in pantheism) because God is more than the universe, but the universe is coeternal with God. The most prevalent form of panentheism today is found in process philosophy.
pantheism. Literally, all is God. This view identifies the cosmos completely with God. All that is, is divine. This view was common in Eastern cultures but has now become popular in the West because of the New Age movement. See also New Age.
parousia. A term that refers to the future return of Christ. A term that refers to patriarchal. Male dominated.
Pelagianism. A movement based on the teachings of a fifth-century monk named Pelagius. As Augustine recounts it, Pelagius denied that the fall affects human nature and thus held that even in the fallen world humans possess the power on their own to live free from sin. Grace helps people live for God, but Pelagians deny that people are saved by grace alone. For this reason, evangelicals are in agreement that Pelagianism is an unbiblical belief system.
penal substitution view of the atonement. Christ frees humans from the penalty of sin (hell) by accepting the punishment for sin in their place. See also substitutionary view of the atonement.
Pentecostalism. A movement that began in the early twentieth century that recovered and emphasized the charismatic gifts. These gifts include speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, words of knowledge, etc. Pentecostals also hold that all people baptized in the Spirit initially manifest this indwelling by speaking in tongues. See also charismatic gifts.
perichoresis. A term that refers to the mutual indwelling or interpenetration of the three Persons of the Trinity. Each Person makes “room” for the other within his own being.
perseverance of the saints. The Calvinist belief that true believers can never permanently fall away from the faith and thereby lose their salvation. See also eternal security.
phenomenology. A way of thinking that proceeds from the basis of descriptions of actual events and scientific observations. This approach is inherently dependent on experience.
pluralism. The belief that there are many roads to God. According to this view, it is presumptuous for anyone to claim that Jesus (or any other “savior” figure) is the one true way to God for all people.
polygamy. Having more than one spouse. While God, for a variety of reasons, at times permitted the Israelite men to have more than one wife, God’s ideal has always been monogamy (having only one spouse).
polytheism. The acknowledgment and worship of more than one god.
postmillennialism. The belief that Christ will return after a thousand-year period of peace occurs on earth.
postmodernism. A broad cultural movement that is in various ways critical of modernity. Postmodernists are intensely aware of the large roles experience and culture play in shaping a person’s belief system. They are thus suspicious of absolute truth claims that supposedly arise from an indisputable foundation, whether this be empirical evidence, reason, or a religious authority. Hence, postmodernism is sometimes called post-foundationalism.
postmortem evangelism. Some evangelicals believe in a postmortem (after death) opportunity for people, who had no chance to do so in life, to develop or reject faith in Christ.
predestination. To determine ahead of time. God “destines” events ahead of time. The term is usually used in the context of discussing the salvation or eternal destiny of individuals or groups of people. Calvinists believe God predestines all things, including who will and who will not be saved. Arminians and Open Theists believe that God predestines some things but leaves other things, including the salvation or damnation of individuals, to be determined by human free will.
premillennialism. The belief that Christ will return before inaugurating a thousand-year reign of peace on earth. See also chiliasm.
presupposition. An assumed belief that is not argued for but is related to the argument as a necessary condition for its validity or coherence.
preterist. Literally, already. A preterist interpretation of the book of Revelation holds that the events it speaks of have already taken place. A few evangelicals hold to a broader preterist theology, believing that all end-times predictions were fulfilled in the first century.
prevenient grace. Grace that “goes before” any participation of a person in the process of salvation. Arminian Christians usually hold that God gives prevenient grace to everybody, thereby enabling them to choose freely to accept or reject the message of salvation.
probationary. A trial period. Some Arminian and Open Theists argue that we are currently in a probationary period in which we each have an opportunity to choose freely for or against God. How we respond to God’s call in this probationary period will determine our eternal destiny when God brings this probationary period to a close.
problem of evil. The problem of reconciling the fact of evil in the world with faith that the Creator is all-good and all-powerful.
process theology. Traceable to A. N. Whitehead and C. Hartshorne, this school of philosophical theology holds that God and the world are two coeternal realities that are eternally in the process of enriching each other. Process theology denies many of the classical attributes of God. Most problematic for evangelicals is its denial of omnipotence, creation out of nothing, and a final consummation of all things in the end-times.
propitiation. Literally, appeasement. In regard to atonement theory, Christ appeased God’s wrath toward humanity, and as a result, God did not take out his wrath on humanity directly.
providence. God’s governing of the universe. Some evangelicals hold that God’s providence is meticulous—he governs each and every detail. Others hold that it is more general—he controls the “big picture” but gives humans freedom to make their own choices.
Qur’an. The sacred text of Islam, containing the teachings and commands for those of the Muslim faith. It purportedly contains the teachings of Muhammad, the founding prophet of Islam. Muslims consider the Qur’an to be the perfect word of Allah (God).
radical Reformers. Protestants who during the Reformation felt they had to go further than Martin Luther and John Calvin in reforming the church.
Rahab. Like Leviathan, Rahab is an ancient way in which the Bible portrays evil and chaos as cosmic forces against God. See also Leviathan.
rapture. The act of Christ literally taking the church out of the world before he judges the world and then sets up his millennial kingdom.
rationalistic. To focus on the rational, cognitive, or deductive element of a proposal or problem. Having to do with reason.
reincarnation. The Eastern belief that upon death, a person will be born again in better or worse circumstances based on the status of that person’s karma in his or her most recent life. The belief has become popular in the West as a part of the New Age movement. See also New Age.
relational view of the imago Dei. This view asserts that because God exists in the eternal loving community of Father, Son, and Spirit, the essence of the imago Dei is the ability of humans to enter into relationships with God and other people.
relativism. The conviction that humans are so conditioned by their social experiences and biological makeup that they can never know absolute truth. All truth claims are relative to the person making them.
restoration view. The belief that Genesis 1:2ff. tells the story not of the original creation but of the restoration of creation after the initial angelic fall. See also gap theory.
restrictivism. The belief that only those who have consciously responded to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ are saved.
sacrament. Traditionally understood as a means of grace. Something is sacramental when it is said to “bear the divine.” Some evangelicals see the Lord’s Supper and baptism as sacraments in that God uses them as a means of dispensing grace to those who participate in them. See also ordinance.
sanctification. The process of growing into a Christlike person.
satisfaction view of the atonement. A medieval view that relied heavily on the metaphor of “debt and payment” or the reparation that is due someone after that person has been wronged. Because our sin is against God, the debt is infinite. Either we can repay this debt through eternal punishment, or God, who is infinite, can pay the debt on our behalf. The latter is what Christ did on the cross. This payment by God (the Son) to God (the Father) satisfied the infinite nature of the debt humans owed to God for sin.
secular humanists. People who believe that human welfare is the ultimate good and that humans have the power and responsibility to determine their own future.
self-determination. The ability of a person to determine freely his or her own course of action and to move toward becoming a certain kind of person. Arminians hold that people are self-determining. Calvinists hold that God ultimately determines all things.
sensus divinitatus. A Latin phrase meaning “sense of the divine.”
slain in the Spirit. This is one of the manifestations of the Spirit that some of the more extreme continuationists (some Pentecostal, charismatic, or third wave Christians) experience during prayer or worship. People typically describe the experience as one of being so overwhelmed by God that they are unable to stand in God’s presence.
Socinianism. A heretical movement that denied the divinity of Jesus and the redeeming power of his death.
sola scriptura. Latin phrase meaning “the Scripture alone.” This is the reformational conviction, embraced by all evangelicals, that the Bible is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice. is the final authority on all matters of faith soteriological. Having to do with salvation.
speaking in tongues. See glossolalia.
spiritual presence view. The view that Christ is present in, with, and under the bread and wine of communion.
stewardship mandate. In Genesis 1:26–28, after God creates humans in his image, he gives them the stewardship mandate, which is the command to multiply and have dominion over the earth.
subjective view of the atonement. This view emphasizes the example that Christ’s life provides more than the objective effect that Christ’s death and resurrection accomplished. Jesus is seen as a role model of perfect love and self-sacrifice, and believers are to emulate that character in their own lives.
substantival view of the The view that the soul is the image of God
imago Dei. in humans—the capacity to reason, feel, love, choose, and live forever.
substitutionary view of the atonement. The view that Jesus died in the place of humans and that this is what allows them to be reconciled with the Father. See also penal substitution view of the atonement.
supernaturalism. The belief that God can and does miraculously intervene in the world.
Synoptic Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels because they each provide similar summaries (or synopses) of the life of Christ.
textual criticism. As applied to Scripture, this is the discipline of critically examining existing copies of the Bible to determine the most likely original wording of the biblical authors.
theists. People who believe in a personal God.
third wave. Following the Pentecostal movement in the early twentieth century and the charismatic movement in the 1960s, there arose what came to be called the third wave of spiritual revival. Since the early 1980s, an increasing number of leaders have been teaching that Christians can and should expect signs and wonders whenever the gospel is preached, just as the early apostles did. The movement is controversial to many evangelicals.
total depravity. The conviction that all humans are dead in their sins and completely unable to rectify their separation from God on their own.
transubstantiation. The traditional Roman Catholic doctrine that the bread and wine are transformed into the physical body and blood of Christ during Mass.
tribulation. A period of terrible suffering, loss, and destruction worldwide when God’s wrath is poured out in judgment. This period of time is related to the ominous prophecies about eschatological events and is expected at various times according to particular schemes.
trichotomist view of the self. The belief that the human self is composed of three distinct constitutive elements: body, soul, and spirit.
two minds Christology. The belief that Jesus Christ had both a human and a divine mind. The divine mind had full access to the human mind but not vice versa. This is a common view of many who hold to classical Christology, which affirms that Christ exercised both human and divine attributes while on earth. This view contrasts with kenotic Christology, which holds that Christ set aside many of his divine attributes— including his omniscience—in order to become a full human being. See also kenotic Christology.
typology. A parallel occurrence. An element of a story calls to mind another incident with a similar element. Typical comparisons are made in Scripture between Adam and Christ, the Exodus and the passion story, or even the flood and baptism.
Ugaritic. An ancient Semitic language with affinities to Hebrew. Documents written in this language have shed light on ancient Canaanite language, history, and culture in the late second millennium BC.
unconditional election. The Calvinist belief that God’s selection of who will be saved is not dependent in any way on what humans do.
universalism. The belief that ultimately all will be saved. Hell is not eternal but rather eventually serves to turn sinners toward God. Very few people throughout church history and very few evangelicals today affirm this perspective.
universal opportunity. The view that God finds some means of giving every person who would believe in Christ the chance to do so. If it is not possible to reach a person through evangelism, God may use dreams, visions, or even angelic visitations.
viceregent. One who governs in place of another. A delegated authority.
young earth view. According to this view, the six days of creation were six literal twenty-four-hour periods of time. This belief, combined with a literalist reading of the genealogies in the Old Testament, leads young earth theorists to conclude that the earth is less than ten thousand years old.