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GLOSSARY
Our glossary should explain words used on our site
that may be unfamiliar to some visitors. If you have
found a word that you do not recognise and it is not
included here, please let us know by emailing the Media
Relations Unit at
mediarelations@cofscotland.org.uk, or phoning us
(Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm BST) at 0131 225
5722.
A
| B | C | D
| E | F | G
| H | I | J
| K | L | M
N
| O | P | Q
| R | S | T
| U | V | W
| X | Y | Z
A
adherents - worshippers
supporting a local congregation without being full communicant
member of the Church of Scotland
anent - relating to, in
connection with
Assembly - properly 'the
General Assembly', supreme court of the Church of Scotland
auxiliary ministers -
trained and ordained ministers who work in a voluntary,
unpaid capacity
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B
Baptism - sacrament celebrated
to mark entry into the Church in which water is poured
or sprinkled on a person (usually, but not always, an
infant in our tradition) in the name of the Trinity
- Father, Son and Holy Spirit - to symbolise spiritual
purification
Blue Book (the) - the
annual volume of reports to the General Assembly
bursar - overseas visitor to Scotland studying
with the help of a Church of Scotland grant
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C
candidate - someone
who has been selected to be trained as a minister
chaplain - minister who
serves in specialist contexts, such as hospitals, prisons,
the Armed Forces, universities and industry
Christ - meaning 'the
anointed one' or 'Messiah', a title given to Jesus of
Nazareth, who by his life, death and resurrection is
proclaimed the Son of God in all branches of the Christian
Church; head of the Church
Church - (i) the name
given to the people who together make up the community
of faith - followers of Jesus Christ; (ii) the name
given to the organisation or institution; (iii) also
used to describe the local church community (congregation)
and the building in which it meets
Christology - that part
of theology which relates to Christ; a doctrine or theory
concerning Christ
Columba (Saint) - (AD
512-597; also known as 'Columcille' or 'Colm') an Irish
missionary who settled on Iona around 563 and, with
his followers, spread Celtic Christianity across Scotland
and the north of England
Covenanters - signatories
(and their successors) of the National Covenant in 1638,
which resisted the theory of the 'divine right of kings'
and the imposition of the sytem of bishops on the presbyterian
Church; classed as rebels, and resorting to open-air
preaching, they were fiercely persecuted until the Revolution
Settlement in 1690
Communion - sacrament
in which the Church remembers the death of Christ by
eating bread and drinking wine, symbolising the body
and blood of Christ
congregation - group of
people who make up a local church community
convener - chairperson
of a board or committee
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D
deacon - a commissioned
kind of minister working in a professional supportive
role in a parish or elsewhere
deliverance - a decision
of the General Assembly
diaconate - a form of
ordained ministry, in a range of parish and sector contexts,
usually in a complementary role in a ministry team
divinity - religious studies
undertaken from a Christian perspective at university
by trainee ministers and others with an interest in
the subject
doctrine - article of
Church teaching on the Christian faith
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E
Ecclesiology
- science relating to the church or to churches, now
usually the science of church building and decoration
ecumenical - involving
different branches of the Church working together
elder - one of a group
of voluntary, ordained leaders - responsible, along
with the minister, for the spiritual and practical aspects
of local church life and for local church government
Epiklesis - invocation,
especially of the Holy Spirit to consecrate the elements
in the Eucharist
Eschatology - doctrine
of death, judgment, heaven and hell
evangelism - proclamation
of the Gospel or "good news" of Jesus Christ
Exegesis - explanation,
exposition (of a word or sentence), especially in interpretation
of Scripture or a Scriptural passage
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F
'Fasti' - the directory
of past and present ministers of the Church of Scotland
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G
General Assembly - the
supreme court of the Church of Scotland
glebe - plot of land attached
to a manse; in former times it was used by ministers,
or let to tenants by them, for farming
Gospel - literally the
'good news' about Jesus Christ; proclamation of who
Jesus Christ is
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H
Hermeneutic - belonging
to or concerned with interpretation, especially as distinguished
from exegesis or practical exposition
holy - having very special
and sacred religious significance; set apart
hymn - a song of worship
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I
induction - ceremony that
constitutes the point when a minister takes up his or
her responsibilities in a new parish
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J
Jesus Christ - Jesus
of Nazareth, who by his life, death and Resurrection
is proclaimed the Son of God in all branches of the
Christian Church; Head of the Church
John Knox - (1514 to 1572)
the first Protestant minister of St Giles' Cathedral,
Edinburgh; led the Reformation in Scotland, having gained
wide experience of Protestantism as a minister in Switzerland,
France, Germany and England
jubilee - ancient Jewish
tradition in which land reverted to original ownership
at intervals of fifty years (the year following seven
sabbaths of years); used as a millennium theme and symbol
especially relating to debt-relief campaigning
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K
Kirk - Scots term for
the Church of Scotland
kirk session - the decision-making
body (or local court) of the parish church, made up
of a group of elders and convened (chaired) by a minister
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L
Lord High Commissioner
- Queen's representative at the General Assembly
Lord's Supper - the sacrament
of Communion
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M
manse - house provided
by the Church for a minister in a local parish
Messiah - meaning 'the
anointed one' or 'Christ', a title given to Jesus of
Nazareth, who by his life, death and Resurrection is
proclaimed the Son of God in all branches of the Christian
Church; Head of the Church
Moderator of the General Assembly
- chairperson of the General Assembly. The role is widely
regarded as an honour or a reward for outstanding service,
though there is parity among ministers, and among elders
or deacons. A new Moderator is selected annually
moderator of presbytery
- chairperson of the meetings (usually monthly) of ministers
and elders from parishes in the local area (the 'presbytery')
minister - an ordained
man or woman who, after special training, has taken
vows and been set apart for religious service of Word
(Word of God) and sacrament
ministry - service given
as part of being a follower of Christ (often used to
refer to the service of ordained ministers)
mission - the Church's
responsibility to preach and teach the Gospel or "good
news" about Jesus Christ
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N
Ninian (Saint) - a Briton
who lived around AD 400 at Whithorn in south-west Scotland,
where he and his followers set up a church and brought
Christianity to many Pictish people; precedes St Columba
by more than a century
O
ordained - set apart by
the Church for religious service by the taking of vows
and, in the case of ministers, the laying on of hands
ordination - special ceremony
at which a new minister or elder is ordained
overture - procedural
move used at the General Assembly
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P
parish - geographical
parcel served by local church community
Patristic - of (the study
of the writings of) the Fathers of the Church
petition - procedural
move used at the General Assembly, available to anyone
to use
Pneumatology - theory
of spiritual beings, doctrine of the Holy Spirit
prayer - communication
with God, may be either public or private
presbyterian - describing
a system of Church government by courts not individuals
presbytery - one of 49
middle-ranking Church of Scotland courts, made up of
ministers, elders and deacons
probationer - trainee
minister, licensed to preach
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Q
Queen's Commissioner -
or Lord High Commissioner, Queen's representative at
the General Assembly
quinquennial visit - former
term for the five-yearly visit paid by presbyteries
to each local church to assess the health of the local
parish (now known as the 'presbytery visit')
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R
reader - a Church member
involved with the ministry of the word and the conduct
of public worship
readjustment - the process
of redistributing Church resources following reappraisal
reappraisal - process
by which presbyteries assess the distribution of local
church resources
Resurrection (the) - principal
doctrine of all branches of the Christian faith, the
belief that Jesus Christ overcame death; celebrated
on Easter Sunday morning
Ruah/Pneuma - Old and
New Testament words each of which can mean both wind
and spirit
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S
sacrament - sacred act
with deep spiritual and symbolic significance performed
with the authority of Jesus; the Church of Scotland
has two sacraments - baptism and Holy Communion
Salvific - tending to
save, causing salvation
Scripture - the sacred
writings contained in the books of the Bible (the Hebrew
scriptures of the Old Testament and the books of the
New Testament recognised by the Church)
selection conference -
special process of interviews and assessments for selecting
prospective ministers
sermon - public proclamation
of faith based upon Scripture
Soteriology - the doctrine
of Salvation
special commission - group
appointed by the General Assembly with special powers
to investigate and, in some cases, make judgements and
decisions on Church matters that cannot be readily handled
by a board, committee or the Assembly
stipend - equivalent to
salary, paid to a minister
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T
Theandric - of the union,
by joint agency, of divine and human nature in Christ
theology - literally 'the
study of God', i.e. systematic religious studies
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U
union - when two or more
congregations are amalgamated into one
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V
vocation - sense of being
'called' by God to perform a particular service (often,
but not exclusively, used of those called to be ministers)
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W
worship - giving honour
to God, for example, in a public context such as a church
service with prayers, songs, readings and sermons
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X
Y
Year Book - annually updated
directory of Church of Scotland contact names and numbers,
published for the Board of Communication by Saint Andrew
Press
youth representatives
- young people aged 18-25 who go to the General Assembly
from presbyteries, with limited participation in debates
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Z
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