Brahma
Brahma. The Indian Deity From Whom Brahmanism Takes Its Name. Brahma Is The Creator, But Not In The Sense Of Being The Original •source Of Everything. He •is The Personal (muse.) Manifestation Of The One Impersonal Essence Or Being, Brahma (neuter). With Him Are Associated, And Often Identified, Vishnu (q.v.) ...
Brahma Samaj
Brahma Samaj. Literally " The Congregation Of God," A Modern Theistic Church Founded At Calcutta In 1s2s By The Hindu Reformer, Rammohun Roy (1772-1833). After The Death Of Rammohun Roy, His Successor, Debendranath Tagore (b. 1818), Founded Another Church, " The Truth-teaching Society " (1839-1859), Which Was Afterwards United With ...
Brahmans
Brahmans. The Priestly Caste Of India. The Caste Seems To Have Originated In The Bards, Ministers And Family Priests Attached To The King's Household In Vedic Times. " Gradually Then From The Household Priests And Those Who Made Dt Their Business To Commit To Memory And Recite The Sacred Hymns ...
Broad Church
Broad Church. A Liberal Party In The Church Of England. There Have Always Been Churchmen Who Have Adopted A Broad Or Liberal Attitude In Matters Of Doctrine (cp Latitudinarians). Dr. Rashdall Is Certainly Right When He Claims : " It May Safely Be Said That There Has Been No Period ...
Brownists
Brownists. The Forerunners In England Of The Independents Or Congregationalists, Followers Of Robert Browne (1550?-1633). After Graduating At Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Browne Seems To Have Been Or Dained About 1573. After This He Became Master Of The Free School Of St. Olave's, Southwark. At The Same Time He Preached ...
Buchites
Buchites. A Religious Sect Which Became Prominent In Syria Towards The End Of The Fourth Century A.d. Derived From A Greek Word, The Name Means " The Praying People." The Original Designation, Formed From A Syriac Word Meaning "to Pray," Was Messalians Or Massalians. The Euchites Seem To Have Been ...
Buddhism
Buddhism. The Religion Founded By Gautama, Afterwards Called The Buddha, Who Seems To Have Been Born About 567 B.c. Gautania's Father Was Suddhodana. A Prince Of The Royal Family Of The Sakyas, A Rh.jput Clan, Which Lived And Ruled In The Valley Of The Ganges About 130 Miles N. Of ...
Buddhist Canon
Canon, Buddhist. There Are Three Collections Of Buddhist Sacred Writings. We Find (1) A Canon Of The Southern Buddhists Comprising Books Written In The Pali Language; (2) A Canon Of The Northern Buddhists, Comprising Books Written In Sanscrit; And (3) A Canon Of The Chinese Buddhists, Comprising Books Written In ...
Caitanya Sect
Caitanya Sect. A Hindu Sect In Bengal, The Fol Lowers Of Cfritanya. Caitanya Was Born In The Year A.d. 14s5. He Came To Be Regarded As An Incarnation Of Krishna, Which Accounts For Marvellous Stories About His Early Years. Thus It Is Said That Soon After His Birth Holy Men ...
Calixtines
Calixtines. One Of The Sections Into Which The Followers Of John Hus (1369-1415; See Hussites) Were Divided. The Name Is Derived From The Latin Ea/ix " Cup " Or " Chalice "; And The Calixtines, " Men Of The Cup," Were So Called Because They Insisted On Communion In Both ...
Canon
Canon. The Term Canon Is Commonly Used (1) Of A Law Or Rule, (2) Of A Collection Of Sacred Writings, Es Pecially Of The Sacred Scriptures Accepted By Christians, And (3) Of A Dignitary Of The Church Of England. The Word Is Of Course The Same As The Greek Ketvwv. ...
Canon Of The Old
Canon Of The Old Testament. The Jews Divided Their Canonical Writings Into Three Groups: (1) The Torah Or Law; (2) The Nebiim Or Prophets; (3) The Kethubim Or Writings (hagiographa). The First Group, The Torah, Comprises The Five Books Of The Pentateuch, Called By The Jews " The Five Fifths ...
Canticles
Canticles. One Of The Books Of The Bible. It Is Included In The Third Division Of The Canon (q.v.), That Is To Say Among The Kethubim Or Hagiographa. It Is Also One Of The Five Books Belonging To The Sub-division Megil Loth Or " Rolls." Other Names Of The Book ...
Capuchins
Capuchins. An Off-shoot Of The Franciscans (q.v.), Or Rather Of A Branch Of The Franciscans, The Observant Ines (q.v.). The Observatines Adhered To The Strict Rule Of Francis Of Assisi. Matteo Di Bassi Of Urbino Was One Of Them, Being A Member Of The Observantine Fraternity At Monte Falco. He ...
Car Festivals
Car Festivals. These Festivals Are Now Char Acteristic Of Hinduism. They Are Processions In Con Nection With The More Important Temples. That In Con Nection With The Temple Of Jagan-nhth Is Famous. On These Occasions " The Idols Are Placed On Huge Massive Cars Supported On Four Large Solid Wheels, ...
Carmelites
Carmelites. An Order Of Monks Founded About 1156 A.d. At The Well Of Elijah On Mount Carmel By A Crusader Named Berthold. There Seem To Have Been Hermits There Already. The Community Established By Berthold Received In 1209 A Rule In Sixteen Articles From Albert, Patriarch Of Jerusalem. By This ...
Carthusians
Carthusians. An Order Of Monks Founded In The Eleventh Century By St. Bruno. Bruno Went From Cologne, His Birthplace, To Rheims, And There As "scholast Fcns " Made A Reputation As A Teacher. Before Long, However, He Decided To Retire From The Life Of The World. He Left Rheims, Went ...
Catacombs
Catacombs. Recent Archaeological Discoveries Have Thrown New Light On The Roman Catacombs, Underground Passages And Chambers, Which Were Used By The Early Christians For Concealment From Their Persecutors, For Burial, And For Worship. " The Catacombs Represent The Most Notable Monuments Of Primitive Christianity Which Have Come Down To Us. ...
Cerinthians
Cerinthians. The Followers Of Cerinthus, Who Seems To Have Flourished About The End Of The First Century A.d., And To Have Been A Contemporary Of John Of Asia. The Principal Authority For His Teaching Is Irenaeus. According To A Story Told Irenaeus By Poly Carp, John Of Asia Actually Met ...
Change Of Name
Name, Change Of. In The Old And New Testa Ments We Read Of Persons' Names Being Changed. In Genesis Xxxii. 2s It Is Represented That The Name Of Jacob Was Changed To Israel. Jesus Gave His Disciple Simon The Name Peter (luke Vi. 14). The Apostle Paul Was Originally Called ...
Charms
Charms. The Use Of Charms, Like That Of Amulets (q.v.), Has Been Common In All Religions, And Their Nature Has Been Very Varied. It Has Been Found That " In The Hills Of Northern India And As Far As Madras, An Ap Proved Charm For Getting Rid Of A Disease ...
Cherubim
Cherubim. A Class Of Angels Often Referred To In The Old Testament. In Genesis Iii. 24 It Is Said That God " Placed At The East Of The Garden Of Eden The Cherubim, And The Flame Of A Sword Which Turned Every Way, To Keep The Way Of The Tree ...
Christadelphians
Christadelphians. The Small Sect Known As The Christadelphians Arose During The American Civil War. The Founder Was John Thomas, Who Was At One Time One Of The Disciples Of Christ (q.v.). The Christadel Phians (" Brethren Of Christ ") Adopted This Name Be Cause They Claimed That Being In Christ ...
Christian Baptism
Baptism, Christian. A Word Formed From A Greek Root Meaning " To Dip," And Used As A Special Designation Of One Of The Rites Of The Christian Church. The Practice Seems To Have Been Suggested By The Jews, Who Removed Ceremonial Uncleanness By Bathing The Body In Water And Required ...
Christian Chartisni
Chartisni, Christian. In Connection With The Chartist Political Movement, A Serious Effort Was Made To Form So-called Chartist Churches. The Best Known Church Was At Birmingham, And Was Conducted By Arthur O'neill And John Collins. The Former Definitely Proclaimed Himself A Christian Chartist. The Principles Of His Movement Are Explained ...
Christian Mysticism
Mysticism, Christian. Mysticism Is The Effort To Enter Into Close Touch Or Union With The Divine Being, With Eternal Life. The Mystic Seeks To Penetrate Into And To Absorb Himself In That Life Which Is Infinite. " By Getting Rid Of Everything That Makes For Separation And Distinction, By Casting ...
Christian Science
Christian Science. The Principles Known As "christian Science" Were Formulated And Developed By Mary Baker G. Eddy. She Was Led To The Discovery Of Her System In 1866, But Her First Pamphlet On Christian Science Did Not Appear In Print Until 1876, Though It Had Been Copyrighted In 1870. She ...
Christian Scientists
Christian Scientists. The Name Given To Those Who Accept The Teaching Of Mary Baker Eddy (see Article Above). Mrs. Eddy Was The Daughter Of Mark And Mary Baker, And Was Born At Bow, New Hampshire, On July The 16th, 1821. In 1843 She Married Washington Glover, Who Had Been Associated ...
Christian Socialism
Socialism, Christian. The Need Of The Move Ment Known As Christian Socialism Was Suggested By The Great Social Distress Of The Working Classes Which Cul Minated In The Great Chartist Demonstration Of April The 10th, 1s4s. In May, 1s4s, Frederick Denison Maurice (1805-1872) And His Friends Commenced The Publication Of ...
Christianity
Christianity. Christianity Claims To Be Based Upon The Teaching Of Jesus Of Nazareth (b. Shortly Before The Year 1 Of Our Era), Who Seems To Have Come To Regard Himself As The Messiah (christ) Eagerly Expected By The Jews, While Interpreting The Messiahship In A New Way. To Jesus The ...
Christmas Day
Christmas Day. The Precise Dare On Which The Founder Of The Christian Religion Was Born Is Doubtful. The Festival Known As Christmas Was A Pagan Festival Adopted By The Christians And Adapted To Christian Use. As Arno Newmann Says, It Is Not The Day That Matters, But The Idea Associated ...
Chronicles Books Of
Chronicles. Books Of. In Hebrew The Books Of The Chronicles Are Called Dibhre Hay-mitnint, " Affairs Of The Days " Or Events Of The Times. In The Septuagint The Title Is Paraleipomena, " Things Omitted " (in The Older Historical Books). The English Title Was Suggested By The Name (chronicon) ...
Church Reform League
Church Reform League. The Church Reform League Concerns Itself Solely With Church Reform. It Is A Non-party And Non-political Association, And Does Not Deal With Questions Of Doctrine. It Advocates Five Principles Of Reform. 1. That, Saving The Supremacy Of The Crown According To Law, And, In Respect To Legisla ...
Church And Medical Union
Church And Medical Union. A Church Of Eng Land Union Or Society Founded In 1908. The Founda Tion Seems To Have Been Suggested By The Work Of Healing Carried On At Emmanuel Church, Boston, U.s.a. (see Emmanuel Church Movement). The Object Of The Union Was To Promote Co-operation Between The ...
Churinga
Churinga. Ritual Instruments Used By The Tribes Of Central Australia, Especially The Arunta, The Loritja, The Kaitish, The Un?atjera, And The Ilpirra. "they Are Pieces Of Wood Or Bits Of Polished Stone, Of A Great Variety Of Forms, But Generally Ova] Or Oblong. Each Totemic Group Has A More Or ...
Circumcision
Circumcision. Circumcision, The Cutting Away Of The Foreskin, Was A Rite Common To A Number Of Semitic Peoples In Ancient Times. It Was Practised By The Ancient Arabs, And By The Edomites, Ammonites, And Moabites, As Well As By The Hebrews. It Was Practised Also By Non-semitic Races. According To ...
Cistercians
Cistercians. An Order Of Monks Founded Citeaux (109s) (cistercium; Whence The Name), Near Dijon, In Burgundy, By St. Robert. Robert Became First A Benedictine Monk. But He Wished To Introduce A Stricter Observance Of The Benedictine Rule Than That Which He Found To Prevail. In 1075 He Retired To The ...
Clapham Sect
Clapham Sect. A Name Given By Sydney Smith (1771-1845) To A Group Of Evangelical Philanthropists Of The Church Of England. They Were So Called Because They Lived In Clapham. One Of Them Was The Vicar Of Clapham, John Venn (1759-1813), A Founder Of The Church Missionary Society. Others Were: Henry ...
Code Of Khammurapi
Code Of Khammurapi. A Babylonian Code Of Laws, The Oldest Code In The World, Discovered At Susa In 190i By M. J. De Morgan. Khammurapi Flourished About 2100 B.c. Mr. W. St. Chad Boscawen Points Out That, Although This Is The Oldest Code Of Laws, " Other Tables Of Morality ...
Compitalia
Compitalia. A Popular Roman Festival Held In Honour Of The " Lares Compitales," That Is To Say, Of The Lares, The Good Spirits Of The Departed, Regarded As Tutelary Divinities Of The Cross-ways (compita). The Festival Was Held Four Times A Year. W. Warde Fowler Thinks That The Lar Was ...
Confirmation
Confirmation. The Biblical Feast Of Weeks Or Festival Of The First Fruits Was Transformed By Rab Binical Judaism Into A Historical Feast When It Was Made The Memorial Day Of The Giving Of The Ten Words On Mount Sinai. " The Leaders Of Reform Judaism Surrounded The Day With New ...
Confucianism
Confucianism. Confucianism, One Of The Three Religions Of China, Owes Its Name To The Great Teacher Confucius (551-479 B.c.), But In A Measure It Existed Before Confucius, Just As Taoism (q.v.) Did Before Lao Tsze (gth Century B.c.), Its Reputed Founder. At The Time Of The Birth Of Confucius The ...
Conversion
Conversion. In A Religious Sense, The Term Means A Change Of Mind In Matters Of Religion. This Change Is Often Supposed To Come Suddenly. This Is The Interesting Question In Religion : Is Conversion Ever Really Sudden? That A Person Should Change From One Religion To Another After Deep Thought ...
Council Of Basle
Basle, Council Of. In Accordance With Decrees Of The Council Of Constance (a.d. 1414-1418) Which Recom Mended The Convening Of A General Council Every Five Years, Pope Martin V. Summoned One To Meet At Pavia In 1423. Difficulties Having Arisen With Regard To This Plan, The Place Was Altered To ...
Creation
Creation. Since The Outbreak Of The Great War, New Material Has Been Published In America Which Throws Light Ou The Earliest Conceptions Of Creation. The Bulk Of This New Material, According To L. W. King (legends Of Babylon And Egypt In Relation To Hebrew Tradition, 1918), Is Furnished By Some ...
Cross
Cross. The Cross In One Form Or Another Has Been Found To Have Been A Wide-spread Religious Symbol In Pre-christian Times. It Was Used, For Instance, In Ancient Egypt, Babylonia And Assyria, Crete, And Greece. In The Palace Of Knossos In Crete Sir Arthur Evans Dis Covered An Equilateral Cross ...
Crusades
Crusades. The Wars Known As The Crusades Were So Called Because The Christians Who Took Part In Them Wore The Cross As A Badge. It Was Long A Popular Idea That The Crusaders Eagerness To Gain Possession Of The Holy Land Was Due Purely To An Outbreak Of Religious Zeal ...
Crystal Gazing
Crystal-gazing. What Is Known As Crystal-gazing Consists In Looking Fixedly Into A Crystal, Or Into A Mirror, Or Into Water In A Vessel Or Pond. Many Persons Who Do This Fall Into A Kind Of Daze Or Trance And See Visions. There Are Reports Of Such Visions In The Proceedings ...
Cynics
Cynics. The School Of Greek Philosophers Known As Cynics Was Founded By Antisthenes Of Athens (444-36s B.c.), Who In Later Life Became A Disciple Of Socrates. He Founded His New School After The Death Of Socrates, And Taught That As Far As Possible Men Should Be In Dependent Of Ordinary ...
Dancing
Dancing. Dances, Or Movements Allied To Dancing, Have Been Practised Widely In Religious Rites And Cere Monies From Very Early Times. Rhythmic Movements Of The Body, To The Accompaniment Of Musical Instru Ments, However Simple, Seem To Have Been Regarded As The Most Natural Means Of Expressing Both Pious Joy ...
Day Of Atonement
Atonement, Day Of. A Jewish Festival, Called In The Talmud " The Great Day," " The Day," Or " The Great Fast." The Chapter In The Old Testament (leviticus Xvi.) Which Treats Of Its Observance Is Composite, And There Is No Evidence That Such A Day Was Observed Before The ...
Decalogue
Decalogue. Literally " (the) Ten Words," A Greek Expression For The Earliest Collection Of Hebrew Laws. In Hebrew Also They Are Called " The Ten Words." In English They Are Commonly Known As The Ten Command Ments. Two Versions (exodus Xx. 1-17; Deuteronomy V. 6-21) Or More (exodus Xxxiv. 14-26) ...
Deism
Deism. A Term Which Has Been Used In Various Senses. "the Term Is Now Commonly Applied To That View Of The Relation Of God To The World Which, In Opposition To Atheism, Affirms The Existence Of God, And In Opposi Tion To Pantheism, Affirms The Personal, Independent, Extra-mundane Existence Of ...
Diatessaron Of Tatian
Diatessaron Of Tatian. Literally " Through Four," The Greek Name Of A Harmony Of The Gospels Made By Tatian (second Century). The Name Indicates That Four Gospels Were Used. The Question Has Arisen : Were They Our Four Canonical Gospels? The Gospel To The Hebrews, For Instance, Might Have Been ...
Disciples Of Christ
Disciples Of Christ. The Disciples Of Christ Are A Religious Body Which Was Founded In The United States By Thomas Campbell. Campbell Was Originally A Minister Of The Seceder Presbyterian Church In Ireland, Who Went To America In 1807. There His Eagerness To Re Unite Different Bodies Of Presbyterians Brought ...
Dominicans
Dominicans. An Order Founded By Domingo De Guzman (1170-1221), Or Dominic, Of Calaruega, In Old Castile. In 1194 He Was Made A Canon Of The Chapter Of Osma. Here He Helped Bishop Diego Of Osma To Introduce The Rule Of St. Austin. In 1204 He Accom Panied The Bishop To ...
Donatism
Donatism. Donatism Was Not A Heresy, But A Schism. During The Persecution Of The Christians Under Diocletian, They Were Called Upon To Deliver Up Any Copies Of Their Sacred Books They Might Have. Often They Pre Ferred To Suffer Martyrdom, And There Grew Up An Un Healthy Enthusiasm For The ...
Doukhobors
Doukhobors. A Russian Sect. The Name Means Spirit-wrestler, And Was Used To Describe Those Who Were Considered By The Orthodox Russian Church To Be Wrestling Against The Holy Spirit (cp. The Name Icono Bdrs, Image-wrestlers, Those Who Objected To The Use Of Icons Or Images). The Sect Began To Come ...
Druids
Druids. The Druids Were A Religious Body Which Flourished In Ancient Times In Gaul And The British Isles. It Is Commonly Supposed That They Were So Called Be Cause They Were Oak-worshippers, Drits Being The Word For " Oak " In Greek. In This Connection It Is Worth Noting That ...
Duality Of Mind
Duality Of Mind. According To T. J. Hudson, The Doctrine Of Duality Of Mind Has Become A Cardinal Principle In The Philosophy Of Many Of The Ablest Ex Ponents Of What Is Called The New Psychology. He Distinguishes The Two Minds In Man By Designating The One As Objective, And ...
Dylan
Dylan. A Figure In The Mythology Of The British Celts, Associated With The Waves Of The Sea, And Probably A Personification Of Them. E. God E Is A Designation Used By Anthropologists For A Deity Depicted In The Mss. Of The Mayan Indians Of Central America. That He Was A ...
Ebionites
Ebionites. The Dbionites Were An Early Jewish Christian Sect. The Name Was Derived From A Hebrew Word ('ebhyon) Meaning " Poor." It Was Not Chosen, It Would Seem, Because There Existed A Leader Of The Sect Named Ebion. The Ebionites Were So Called Because They Accepted The Principle, " Blessed ...
Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes. The Name Of A Book Which Is In Some Ways One Of The Most Remarkable In The Old Testa Ment. It Is One Of The Five Small Works Called Megilloth (q.v.) Or " Rolls " By The Jews. The Hebrew Name Is Koheleth. This Is Rendered Ecclesiastes By The ...
Ecstasy
Ecstasy. Really A Greek Word, Meaning, In Its Good Sense "a Trance." The Root From Which The Word (ekstasis) Is Derived Frequently Signifies " To Lose One's Senses." As Emerson Truly Says (" Swedenborg; Or The Mystic"), " All Religions History Contains Traces Of The Trance Of Saints." He Adds ...
Elkesaites
Elkesaites. The Elkesaites Or Elehasaites Were An Early Sect To Which A Book Called Sacred. They Seem To Have Been A Branch Of The Ebionites (q.v.), And Flourished At The End Of The Second Century A.d. The Book Elkesai, Which Became Known To Hippolytus, Origen, And Epiphanius, Professed To Contain ...
Embalming
Embalming. The Ancient Practice Of Embalming Was Specifically Egyptian. When Hebrew Narrators Say That It Was Applied In The Case Of Jacob And Joseph (gen. 50, 2 F. 2g), They Are Speaking Of Exceptions. It Was Not S Hebrew Practice. The Egyptians Believed In The Con Tinued Existence Of The ...
Emmanuel Church Movement
Emmanuel Church Movement. Emmanuel Church Is A Church In Boston, U.s.a. The Movement, Also Called The " Emmanuel Movement," Is Medico Religious In Character. It Began In An Attempt To Cure The Poorest Consumptives Without Removing Them From Their Homes. " A Tuberculosis Class Was Formed Under The Direction Of ...
Encyclopedists
Encyclopedists. The Name Encyclopedistes Was Given To The French Scholars And Thinkers Of The Eighteenth Century Who Edited And Contributed To The " Encyclopddie Ou Dictlonnaire Raisonne Des Sciences, Des Arts Et Des Metiers," Which Was Published In Paris In Twenty-one Volumes (1751-1764). The Work Was Founded And Edited By ...
Ephod
Ephod. A Word Occurring In The Old Testament With At Least Two Different Meanings. Sometimes It Denotes A Garment, Probably A Loin-cloth: The Boy Samuel We Are Told Was " Girt With A Linen Ephod " (i. Samuel Ii. 18). David, When He Brought The Ark Up To Jerusalem And ...
Epic Of Marduk
Marduk, Epic Of. The Babylonian Creation-epic, In Which Marduk (q.v.), The Head Of The Pantheon, Is The Principal Figure. Marduk Is Represented As Battling With A Great Monster, Thimat. In The Beginning There Existed Only Apsu, The Ocean, And Titimat, Primaeval Chaos. Both Really Represent The Same Thing, The One ...
Epicureanism
Epicureanism. The Philosophy Of Epicurus Of Samos (342-270 B.c.) Owed Much To The Speculations Of Earlier Schools, For Instance Of The Cyrenaic School (see Cyrenaics) And Of The Atomic Philosophers (see Atoms). In 306 B.c. He Opened A School At Athens In A Country-house And Garden. Here Be Was Held ...
Epistle Of Paul To
Philemon, Epistle Of Paul To. The Epistle Of Paul The Apostle To Philemon Is One Of The Briefest Compositions In The Bible. It Consists Of Only Twenty Five Verses. It Is In Fact A Short Private Letter—so Short And Insignificant That In The Fourth Century A.d. Certain Writers Thought It ...
Epistle To The Ephesians
Ephesians, Epistle To The. The Epistle To The Ephesians Was The Favourite Epistle Of Calvin, And Was Described By Coleridge As One Of The Divinest Composi Tions Of Man. Dean Armitage Robinson Describes It As The Crown Of St. Paul's Writings. It Is One Of The Four Epistles Now Known ...
Epistle To The Galatians
Galatians, Epistle To The. As Far As Genuine Ness Is Concerned, The Epistle Of Paul To The Galatians Is One Of The Least Disputed Of The Pauline Epistles. It Has Been Said That " It Bears On Every Line Of It The Sign Manual Of The Apostle " (currie Martin). ...
Epistle To The Romans
Romans, Epistle To The. The Epistle To The Romans Is One Of The Four " Practically Non-disputed " Epistles Of The Apostle Paul. Even So Uncompromising A Critic As P. W. Schm-iedel Holds That The Genuineness Of At Least The Four Principal Epistle Of Paul (the Hau-pt Briefe) Is Unassailable. ...
Esculapius
Esculapius. Asclepios (latin 2esculapius) Was Worshipped By The Greeks As The God Of Medicine. He Is Reputed To Have Been The Son Of Apollo (q.v.), The God Of Healing, By Coronis. One Of The Legends Narrates That Coronls Was Secretly Delivered Of Her Child On A Journey To The Peloponnesus. ...
Essays And Reviews
Essays And Reviews. A Volume Of Theological Essays Written (with Two Exceptions) By Clergymen Of The Church Of England And Published In 1860. It Is Said In The Preface: " The Volume, It Is Hoped, Will Be Received As An Attempt To Illustrate The Advantage De Rivable To The Cause ...
Essenes
Essenes. The Essenes Seem To Have Been A Kind Of Monastic Order Among The Jews. As A Well-defined Body They Do Not Seem To Have Arisen Before The Second Century B.c. But There May Have Been Small Groups Of Them, Resembling The Bands Of The Prophets, At A Much Earlier ...
Eutychianism
Eutychianism. The Teaching Of Eutyches, Who Was Archimandrite Of A Monastery Near Constantinople. In 44s A.d. He Was Definitely Accused Of Heresy By Euse Bins Of Dorylaeum, At A Synod Convened In Constan Tinople. When Eutyches Refused To Present Himself, Deputies Were Sent To Him To Ascertain His Views Exactly. ...
Excoviviunication
Excoviviunication. A Term Used To Denote Exclu Sion From The Ecclesiastical Community. According To Ezra X. 8, Those Who Had Taken " Strange " Wives And Refused To Give Them Up Were Separated From The Jewish Community. In Luke Vi. 22 Reference Seems To Be Made To Three Different Grades ...
Exorcism
Exorcism. The Term " Exorcists " (exorkistai) Occurs In The New Testament. It Is Used Of Persons Who Used A Formula Of Conjuration In Order To Expel Demons. Josephus (antiquities, Viii. 2, V.) Says That God Gave Solomon Skill In Expelling Demons. " He Composed Such Incantations Also By Which ...
Extreme Unction
Extreme Unction. In The Fifth Chapter Of The General Epistle Of James (q.v.) It Is Said (vss. 14, 15): " Is Any Among You Sick? Let Him Call For The Elders Of The Church; And Let Them Pray Over Him, Anointing Him (or, Having Anointed Him) With Oil In The ...
Faunus
Faunus. One Of The Oldest Of The Italian Deities. He Was The God Of Forests, Plains, Fields, And Shepherds. As Such He Came To Be Identified With The Greek God Pan (q.v.). He Was Worshipped Also As A God Of Pro Phecy. " He Revealed The Future In Dreams And ...
First Epistle To The
Corinthians, First Epistle To The. Corinth, " The Ancient Paris," As It Has Been Called, Was One Of The Cities In Which The Apostle Paul Lived And Laboured. He Resided There In The House Of Aquila And Priscilla, And With Them Pursued The Trade Of Tent-making. In Spite Of Opposition, ...
First Epistle To The_2
Thessalonians, First Epistle To The. The Apostle Paul Visited The Important City Of Thessalonica And Made Converts There, Especially Among The Gentiles. He Left Thessalonica And Went To Athens (i. Thess. 1). Thence He Sent Timothy Back To Thessalonica (iii. 2), And Timothy Rejoined Him At Corinth (iii. 6; Acts ...
Fourierism
Fourierism. The System Of Francois Marie Charles Fourier (1772-1837). Fourier Was The Son Of A Draper, And It Was Some Distasteful Experiences In Con Nection With Business That Excited His Indignation Against The Conditions Of Trade And Commerce. He Was Punished, When Only Five Years Old, For Telling One Of ...
Franciscans
Franciscans. The Franciscans Owe Their Name To Francis Of Assisi (1172-1226), Whose Real Name Was Gio Vanni Francesco Bernardone. The Son Of A Rich Mer Chant, In His Early Manhood He Became Leader Of A Club To Which The Gay Youths Of Assisi Belonged. He Also Fought In A Battle ...
Games
Games. Robertson Smith Has Emphasized The Joyful Character Of The Ancient Religions Known To Us. When Men Met Their God They Feasted And Were Glad Together. Ordinary Acts Of Worship Are All Brightness And Hilarity. This Is True Also Of The Religions Of Primitive Peoples And Indeed It May Be ...
Ganesa
Ganesa. Ganeaa, Also Called Is One Of The Gods Of The Hindus. He Is One Of The Sons Of Siva (q.v.). His Worshippers Once Formed One Of The Great Hindu Sects. The Name Canaan Means " Lord Of Hosts," And The God Was So Called Because He Was Supposed To ...
Gift Of Tongues
Tongues, Gift Of. A Religious Phenomenon To Which Special Reference Is Made In The New Testament. In The Acts Of The Apostles (ii.) We Are Told That Soon After The Death Of Jesus, When The Disciples Were Assembled Together On The Day Of Pentecost, They Were Suddenly Filled With The ...
Gilgamesh Epic
Gilgamesh Epic. The Great National Epic Of The Babylonians, Which Preserves A Number Of Ancient Trad Itions. Gilgamesh Is The Name Of The Hero. He Was Probably An Ancient King Who Was Afterwards Deified. He Became A Solar Deity, Subordinate To Shamash (q.v.). The Epic Begins By Representing The " ...
Gnostics
Gnostics. The Gnostics Claimed To Possess A Deeper Insight And Knowledge (gnosis) Than That Which Was Supplied By The Faith (pistis) Of Ordinary Christians. The Basis Of Gnosticism Which Flourished In The Second Century A.d. " Was An Eclectic Philosophy Of Religion Chiefly Hellenic In Character, Though In Union With ...
Gold
Gold. Among The Hindus, Gold. Silver, And Copper Are All Held Sacred, But A Special Sacredness Is Ascribed To Gold. " When A Man Is At The Point Of Death. A Little Gold, Ganges Water, And A Leaf Of The Tulsi Or Basil Plant Are Placed In His Mouth, So ...
Great Synagogue
Great Synagogue. Reference Is Made In The Jewish Mishnah, Gemaras And Midrash To A Body Of Persons Designated " The Men Of The Great Synagogue." The Talmud Represents That They Consisted Of One Hundred And Twenty (or Eighty-five) Persons Learned In The Scriptures, That The Body Was Founded Or Presided ...
Guild Of Health
Guild Of Health. A Society Founded In 1905 And Reconstituted In 1918. It Has Been Designed To Promote A Deeper Interest In The Relation Between The Spiritual Life And Bodily Health. The Promoters Believe That By Strengthening Our Grasp Upon Eternal Realities, We Find Re-enforcement For The Life In Us, ...
Guild Of S Matthew
Guild Of S. Matthew. A Society Founded In 1s76 By A Small Number Of Anglican Clergy Who Were Inspired By The Teaching Of Charles Kingsley (1819-1875). Their Objects Were Three. 1. To Get Rid, By Every Pos Sible Means, Of The Existing Prejudices, Especially On The Part Of " Secularists," ...
Haggadah
Haggadah. In The Jewish (talmudic) Interpreta Tion Of The Text Of Scripture A Clear Distinction Is Made Between Two Methods Of Exposition, One Of Which Is Called Haggadah, And The Other Halakah. Haggadah Means Literally " Telling " Or " Narration "; Halakah Means " Rule" Or " Binding Law." ...
Hagiographa
Hagiographa. The Third Group Into Which The Books Of The Old Testament Are Divided. The Hebrew Name Is Kethubim. Writings." The Jews Have Sub Divided The Kethubim Into Three Smaller Groups. (1) Poetical Books, Also Called " The Former Writings " Ikethubim Rishonim): Psalms, Proverbs, Job. (2) The Five Megilloth ...
Harmonies Of The Gospels
Harmonies Of The Gospels. Theophilus. Who Was Bishop Of Antioch About The Years Isi To 190 A.d., Is Said By Jerome To Have Made A Harmony Of The Gospels By " Fitting Together Into One Whole The Things Said By The Four Evangelists." This Work Has Been Lost, But A ...