Ecclesiology

ecclesiological term

Autocephaly (; ) is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. The status has been compared with that of the churches (provinces) within the Anglican Communion.

In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its role in salvation, its polity, its discipline, its eschatology, and its leadership.

method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be derived from the apostles by a continuous succession

thumb|A small cross of Sheet metal|gold sheet, with rubbings of coins of [[Justin II (emperor in 565–574) and holes for nails or thread, Italian, 6th century]]

thumb|330px|Christianity – Percentage of population by country (2010 data)

In ancient Greece, the term oecumene (UK) or ecumene (US; ) denoted the known, inhabited, or habitable world. In Greek antiquity, it referred to the portions of the world known to Hellenic geographers, subdivided into three continents: Africa, Europe, and Asia. Under the Roman Empire, it came to refer to civilization itself, as well as the secular and religious imperial administration.

thumb|upright=1.5|Ordination of a Catholic deacon, 1520 AD: the [[bishop bestows vestments.]]

relationship of full understanding among different Christian denominations that share certain essential principles of Christian theology

Christian religious organization meeting at a particular location

group of Christians who regularly gather for worship in private homes

thumb|The at Zographou monastery on [[Mount Athos]] A or catholicon () or () refers to one of three things in the Eastern Orthodox Church: The cathedral of a diocese. The major church building (temple) of a monastery corresponding to a conventual church in Western Christianity. A large church in a city at which all the faithful of the city gather to celebrate certain important feasts rather than go to their local parish church.

four adjectives—"one, holy, catholic and apostolic"—attributed to the Church according to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed

spiritual Union of the members of the Church

synod comprised of a group of bishops

self-governing regional churches

increased interest or renewal in a church

doctrine of religious exclusivity held by some Christian churches

churches which distance themselves from the confessionalism or creedalism of other Christian communities

metaphor for the church in Christian theology

thumb|500px|right|Mikhail Nesterov: In Russia. The Soul of the People (1914). [[Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.]]

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traditional divisions of the Christian Church

Christian theological concept

' (), communion, or fellowship' in Christianity is the bond uniting Christians as individuals and groups with each other and with Jesus Christ. It refers to group cohesiveness among Christians.

ecclesiastical discipline

changes in Christianity associated with Constantine the Great

belief that the Holy Spirit preserves the Christian Church from errors that would contradict its essential doctrines

Names of the True Bible Churches

period of Christianity (180 - 313 CE)

governing body of a Presbyterian or Reformed church

term which has many meanings within Christianity

titles given to the Bishop of Rome

In Christian theology, a sodality, also known as a syndiakonia, is a form of the Universal Church organized in a specialized, task-oriented society, as opposed to a local, diocesan body (a modality). In English, the term sodality is most commonly used by groups in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church and Reformed Church, where they are also referred to as confraternities. Sodalities are expressed among Protestant Churches through the multitude of mission organizations, societies, and specialized ministries that have proliferated, particularly since

theological study of the Catholic Church

thumb|400px|Graph from The Trail of Blood, a popular Landmarkist book Landmarkism, sometimes called Baptist bride theology, is a Baptist ecclesiology that emerged in the mid-19th century in the American South. It upholds the perpetuity theory of Baptist origins, which asserts an unbroken continuity and exclusive legitimacy of the Baptist movement since the apostolic period. Landmarkists hold a firm belief in the exclusive validity of Baptist churches and view non-Baptist liturgical forms and practices as invalid. This perspective caused significant controversy and division within the Baptist c