Glossary of Religious Words and Terms
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- Easter
- This is the most important Christian festival on the Church calendar. It is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Easter eggs have become associated with the celebration, symbolising the bursting forth of new, resurrection life from the tomb.
The name Easter comes from the pagan, Saxon goddess Eostre whose sacred animal was the rabbit. - Eastern Orthodox Church
- One of the three main branches of Christianity (together with the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant churches. The Eastern Orthodox churches originated in the Mediterranean world and in Eastern Europe. They split with the Roman Catholic Church in 1054 and do not acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope of Rome.
- Ecclesiastical
- This is an adjective describing anything that has to do with the Church. It comes from the Greek word 'ekklesia', which in the New Testament is translated as church. Its literal meaning is 'the called-out ones.'
- Ecumenical
- This is a word used to describe the reunion, for the purposes of working together in harmony, of the various divided and separated church groups within Christianity.
- Epistle
- A letter - in the early Church letters were written to people or churches (e.g. by the apostle Paul or John) and they have now become books of the Bible in the New Testament.
- Eucharist
- This comes from the Greek word for 'thanksgiving'. It is used by churches as a term for the service of Holy Communion where bread and wine are used to focus attention on the atoning death of Jesus.
These pages will be added to in the future. If there is a religious term or word you do not understand, why not e-mail us? It can then be added to the glossary.