Tolstoyans
Tolstoyans. Followers Of Count Leo Tolstoy (1828 1910), The Russian Social Reformer. Tolstoy Was Educated In The Faith Of The Orthodox Greek Church. But He Gradually Lost The Faith Of His Childhood. From The Age Of Sixteen Be Ceased To Attend The Services Of The Church. " I No Longer ...
Totemism
Totemism. Totemism, As Salomon Reinach Says, Is Difficult To Define. The Word Totem Or Rather Otam (mark Or Sign) Was Adopted At The Beginning Of The Eighteenth Century From The Indians Of North America. It Was Found To Be The Term Employed By The Ojibway, An Algon Quin Tribe, To ...
Transmigration Of Souls
Transmigration Of Souls. The Belief That At Death The Soul Passes Into Another Body Has Been Widely Held. According To Herodotus (ii., 123) The Egyptians Believed That The Soul At Death Entered Immediately Upon Another Existence. " After Three Thousand Years, During Which It Had Experienced All The Various Forms ...
Transubstantiation
Transubstantiation. In Instituting The Lord's Supper, Jesus Said Of The Bread, " Take, Eat, This Is My Body Which Is Given For You," And Of The Wine, " Drink Ye All Of This, For This Is My Blood Of The New Testa Ment." The Council Of Trent Decreed That In ...
Tuebingen School
Tuebingen School. A School Of Theology In Germany Of Which The Real Founder Was Ferdinand Christian Baur (1792-1860). In 1835 Appeared The Famous " Life Of Jesus " By David Friedrich Strauss (1808-1874), In Which The Mythical Theory Was Applied Rigorously To The Gospel History. " The Author's Method Is ...
Umbrella
Umbrella. The Use Of The Umbrella As A Symbol Of Sovereignty In Asia Prevailed Centuries Before Its Adoption By Europeans As A Protection Against The Weather. Among The Ancient Egyptians It Served To Dis Tinguish Persons Of Quality, And Among The Assyrians Royal Personages. The Modern State Umbrellas Of China ...
Unitarians
Unitarians. It Has Been Claimed With Justice That Unitarianism Is Older Than The Christian Church. The Jews Themselves, Of Course, Were Unitarians, And It Can Hardly Be Doubted That The Jewish Christians Remained Such For A Long Time. No Emphasis Is Laid On Trini Tarianism (see Trinity) In The Writings ...
Universalism
Universalism. Universalism Claims " That All Souls Will Finally Be Saved, That Evil Is Temporary, That Good Is Permanent, And Will Achieve A Complete And Per Fect Triumph In The Divine Economy " (schaff-herzog). It Claims To Be Based On The Two Fundamental Principles Of Christianity : (1) The Parental ...
Vada Gods And Shrines
Vada Gods And Shrines. The Vadas Are A Caste Of Sea Fishermen On The Coast Of Ganjam And Vizag,a Patam, Southern India. They Make Clay Figures Of Their Gods And Put Them In Shrines. " Separate Families Appear To Have Separate Shrines, Some Consisting Of Large Ehatties (earthern Pots), Occasionally ...
Valentinians
Valentinians. The Followers Of The Egyptian Gnostic Valentinus (d. C. 100). Valentinus Went From Alexandria To Rome About 140 A.d. By 200 A.d. His Followers Seem To Have Become Very Numerous. His Theology Or Philosophy Is Full Of Symbolism. The Original, Invisible, And Ineffable Existence Is A Self Existent Abyss, ...
Vallabhas
Vallabhas. The Followers Of The Hindu Religious Teacher, Vallablia Or Vallahhaearya, " Teacher Val Labha." Vallabha Is Said To Have Been Born About A.d. 1479. He Is Said To Have Shown Great Precocity At The Age Of Seven, And At The Age Of Twelve To Have Formulated A New Form ...
Vicar
Vicar. The Ordinary Meaning Of The Word Vicar (lat. Vicarius) Is A Representative Or Substitute (qui Alterius Vices Agit). In The Roman Catholic Church The Apostle Peter Is Described As The Vicar Of Christ, Because, It Is Held, He Was Appointed By Christ His Substitute On Earth As The Head ...
Vishnu
Vishnu. Vishnu Is One Of The Principal Deities In Hinduism. He Is One Of The Triad, Brahma, Vishnu, And Siva. If Brahma Is The Creator, Vishnu Is The Pre Server And Siva The Dissolver And Reproducer. Monier Williams Points Out That Vishnu Is The Most Human, And The Most Humane ...
Visions
Visions. The Seeing Of Visions Is One Of The Common Phenomena Of Religious Experience. In Ancient Times And Among Primitive Peoples Visions Are Believed To Be Objectively Real. Modern Psychology And Psychical Re Search Have Demonstrated That They Are Subjective And Unreal. They May Be Explained By The Working Of ...
Vomiting As A Religious
Vomiting As A Religious Rite. In The Celebra Tion Of The Festival Of First-fruits Among The Creek Indians Of North America, Vomiting Appears As A Rite Of Purifica Tion. In Order To Purge Their Sinful Bodies, The Men Drank A Bitter Decoction Of Button-snake Root Which Caused Vomiting. The Same ...
Vows
Vows. Vows And Votive Offerings Are Well Defined By G. F. Moore In The Breese/. Bibl. " A Vow Is A Volunt Ary Obligation Solemnly Assumed Toward God To Do Some Thing Not Otherwise Required, But Believed To Be Accept Able Or Influential With Him. The Promise May Be Either ...
Vulgate
Vulgate. The Term " Vulgate " Or " Vulgata Editio " Was Used By Jerome Of The Septuagint Version As Compared With The Original Hebrew: Of The Common Or Corrupt Text Of The Septuagint As Contrasted With The Text In Origen's Hexapla: Of The Old Latin Version Which Was Made ...
Waldenses
Waldenses. The Waldenses Are A Religious Body Who Have Inhabited For Centuries The Valleys Of The South Of France And North Of Italy. Another Form Of The Name Is Vallenses. This Has Been Derived From The Latin, French, And Italian Word For " Valley " (latin Rains), And Explained As ...
Wesleyan Methodists
Wesleyan Methodists. Wesleyan Methodists Or Wesleyan Represent The Parent Body Among A Number Of Sects That Arose As A Result Of The Work Of John Wesley. The Term If Ethodistes Was Used In France Early In The Seventeenth Century To Describe Certain Theologians Who Sought To Reunite The Huguenots With ...
White Elephant
Elephant, White. One Of The Seven Royal Treasures Which The Ideal King, The King Of Kings, Of The Buddhists (or Rather Of The Pre-buddhists), Is Supposed To It Is Able To Carry Its Master Across The Earth And To Bring Him Back In Time For The Morning Meal. Rhys Davids ...
Witchcraft
Witchcraft. According To Grimm The Word Witch Is Derived From The Gothic Word Veihan (german Zreihen), Which Meant Originally " To Perform (rites)." The Earlier Meaning Of The Term Was " A Woman Regarded As Having Supernatural Or Magical Power And Know Ledge " (findlater). The Word Then Came To ...
Wodan
Wodan. Wodan Or Odhin Was One Of The Chief Deities Of The Ancient Teutons. Tacitus Regarded Him As The Supreme Deity, And Speaks Of Him As Mercury. He Was One Of The Chief Gods Of The Frisians And The Saxons. He Figures Prominently In One Of The Merseberg Charms (q.v.), ...
Yellow Cap Buddhists
Yellow-cap Buddhists. When In Course Of Time The Buddhists In Tibet Split Up Into Two Chief Bodies Or Parties, A Strict Party And A Lax Or Less Strict Party, They Came To Be Distinguished By The Colour Of Their Clothing, The Strict Party Wearing Yellow, The Lax Party Red. The ...
Yezidis
Yezidis. The Yezidis Or Devil-worshippers Are A Sect Found Chiefly In The Caucasus, Armenia, And Kurdistan, And Having Their Headquarters In The Province Of Mosul, Mesopotamia. The Origin Of The Name Is Obscure. It May Be Derived From Yazid Or Yazd, A Town In Iran. Among Christians In The Villages ...
Yoga
Yoga. Yoga Is The Name Of A Doctrine Or Practice Which Has Prevailed In India For Many Centuries. Mr. J. C. Oman Quotes The Following Explanation By "the Apostle Of The New Dispensation," Babu Keshub Chunder Sen. " What Does Yoga Literally Mean? Union. The English Word Which Makes The ...
Young Mens Christian Association
Young Men's Christian Association. The First Of These Associations Was Founded In London In 1844. On June The 6th Of This Year Twelve Young Men Met In A Room In St. Paul's Churchyard To Establish " A Society For Improving The Spiritual Condition Of Young Men Engaged In The Drapery ...
Zeus
Zeus. Zeus Is Represented As The Greatest Of The Greek Gods. According To A Cretan Legend, His Mother Rhea Gave Birth To Him In A Cave Of The Island, And The Goat Amalthea Suckled Him. His Sister And Consort Was Hera. The Queen Of The Gods. As The God Of ...
Zikr
Zikr. The Muhammadan Zikr (a "remembrance," That Is To Say, A Remembrance Of God) Is A Religious Cere Mony Or An Act Of Devotion Practised By The Various Orders Of Dervishes. As T. P. Hughes Says, The Per Formance Is Very Common In All :muhammadan Countries, Since Nearly Every Devout ...
Zionism
Zionism. The Movement Among The Modern Jews Known As Zionism Aims At The Return Of The Jews As A Political Unity To Zion. But It Is A Religious Movement In The Sense That This Return Is A Going Back To The Centre Of The Ancient Faith, And Is Regarded As ...
Zoroastrians
Zoroastrians. The Ancient Persian Religion Has Been Called Zoroastrianism After Zoroaster (the Greek Form Of The Name Zarathustra), Who Is Commonly Sup Posed To Have Been Its Originator. Zoroaster Is Thought To Have Been A Mede Or Bactrian; But Very Little Is Known About His Life, And His Historical Existence ...
Zwinglians
Zwinglians. The Followers Of Ulrich (fluldreich) Zwingli (1484-1531), The Founder, With John Calvin (1509 1564), Of The Reformed Church. The Zwinglians Were The Early Swiss Protestants. In 1506 Zwingli Became Parish Priest At Glarus In Constance. From 1512 To 1515 He Acted Also As Chaplain To The Swiss Troops When ...
The Mardi
Mardi, The. A Term Used In Muhammadanism. The Word Means " The Directed One," And Is Then Used In The Sense Of " One Who Is Ordained To Direct Others, As Guide Or Leader." The Mandi Is An Ideal Figure, A Kind Of Messiah (q.v.), To Whose Coming All Muslims ...
The Mass
Mass, The. The Word Mass •seems To Be Derived From A Latin Word " Missa," Which Is Another Form Of " Missio" And Means " Dismissal." Originally It Was Employed In Law-courts And Churches To Denote Dismissal From Further Attendance. Then In The Churches It Came To Mean The Services ...
The Messiah
Messiah, The. The Term Messiah Is The Hebrew Equivalent Of The Greek Christos, And Means " The One Anointed." The Jews In Course Of Time, Particularly In The Days When Great Calamities Began To Threaten The Existence Of The Nation, Developed The Belief Which Has Come To Be Known As ...
The Monastery Of The
White Horse, The Monastery Of The. The Oldest Monastery In China Is Called " The Monastery Of The White Horse." A. Lloyd Says That In Japan Also The White Horse Is Held In Reverence. In Several Temples A White Horse Is Kept Constantly. In Certain Japanese Provinces In Which As'vaghosha ...
The Mother Pot
Pot, The Mother. It Is Pointed Out By G. Elliot Smith (dr.) That The Proto-egyptian Biologist, Groping After Some Explanation Of The Natural Phenomenon That The Earth And Seed Were Made Fruitful By Water. Formu Lated The Idea That Water Was The Repository Of Life-giving Powers. The Realization That Animals ...
The Mount Of A
Mount Of A Hundred Flowers, The. The Mount Of A Hundred Flowers Is Associated With Taoism (q.v.), One Of The Religions Or Ethical Systems Of China. The Founder Of Taoism, Lao-tsze (sixth Century), Recom Mended A Life Of Simplicity, Quiescence, Purity, Content, And Inaction (or Non-interference). Such A Life, When ...
The Mouse
Mouse, The. According To A Story In I. Samuel Vi., When The Philistines Sent Back To The Israelites The Ark Of Yahweh, Which They Had Captured, They Sent Back Also " Golden Mice " As A Votive Offering. And Isaiah Lxvi. 17 Condemns The Mystic Sacrifice Of Mice As A ...
The Nethinim
Nethinim, The. The Nethinim Are A Religious Order Referred To In The Old Testament. They Are Men Tioned In Ezra-nehemiah (q.v.) In The Lists Of Those Who Returned From Exile With Ezra. Another Name For Them, Or For A Section Of Them, Was The " Children Of Solomon's Servants " ...
The New Idealism
New Idealism, The. The Religious Philosophy Known As " The New Idealism " Is Associated With The Name Of Rudolf Eucken, Professor Of Philosophy In Jena. His Philosophy Has Also Been Described As A " Religious " Or " Spiritual " Idealism. Its Central Theme " Is The Struggle For ...
The New Theology
New Theology, The. In January 1907 The Preaching Of The Rev. R. J. Campbell, Who Was Then Minister Of The City Temple, London, Attracted Consider Able Attention. His Sermons Were Quoted In The Religious And Secular Press, And A Controversy Was Soon Raging Under The Newspaper Heading " The New ...
The Oratory
Oratory, The. A Church And Service Carried On By John Henley (16924756). Henley Began To Deliver " Orations " At An Oratory In Newport Market. In 1726 We Find Him Established At An Oratory In Clare Market, London. In The Same Year The Oratory Was Planned, And On Sunday, July ...
The Order Of The
Star In The East, The Order Of The. An Order Founded At Benares, India, On January 11th, 1911. According To The Founders, There Is In Many Parts Of The World To-day A Rapidly Growing Expectation Of The Near Coming Of A Great Spiritual Teacher. In All The Great Faiths At ...
The Pact Offraternity
Pact Of Fraternity, The. A Declaration Of Principles For The Progress Of Humanity Drawn Up In 183g By Giuseppe (joseph) Mazzini (1805-1872) For A Secret Asso Ciation Composed Of German. French, Italian, And Polish Exiles, And Called " Young Europe." As A Young Man "mazzini Had Joined The Secret Association ...
The Pastoral Epistles
Pastoral Epistles, The. Three Epistles In The New Testament Are Commonly Called The Pastoral Epistles Because They Deal With The Ministry And Are Addressed To Two Pastors In The Early Church. Timothy And Titus. The Epistles Are First Epistle To Timothy, Second Epistle To Timothy, And The Epistle To Titus ...
The Placenta
Placenta, The. The Ancient Egyptians Made A Statue Of A Deceased Person For The " Soul " To Dwell In After Death. They Made The Statue Because They Were Not Able To Make An Adequately Life-like Reproduction Of The Dead Man's Features Upon The Mummy Itself Or Its Wrappings. Then ...
The Prophets
Prophets, The. The Title Of The Second Of The Three Groups Into Which The Books Of The Old Testament Are Divided. They Are Sub-divided Into Two Smaller Groups. (1) The Former Prophets (nebiim Rishonim) : Joshua, Judges, I. And Ii. Samuel, I. And Il Kings. These Are What We Should ...
The Protestant Alliance
Protestant Alliance, The. The Protestant Alliance Was Instituted In 1845. With It Are Associated A Number Of Other Similar Societies, Including The Scot Tish Protestant Alliance. The Object Of The Alliance Is To Maintain And Defend, Against All That It Considers Encroachments Of Popery, The Scriptural Doctrines Of The Reformation ...
The Protevangelium
Protevangelium, The. A Name Given To A Verse In The Book Of Genesis (iii. 5). The Verse Belongs To The Jahwistic Narrative. It Reads: " I Will Put Enmity Between Thee And The Woman, And Between Thy Seed And Her Seed; It Shall Bruise Thy Head, And Thou Shalt Bruise ...
The Salvation Army
Salvation Army, The. William Booth (b. 1829), The Founder Of The Christian Body Known As The Salva Tion Army, Was Originally A Minister Of The Methodist New Connexion. He Left That Church In 1881 In Order To Take Up Independent Evangelistic Work. The Result Was His " East London Mission," ...
The Samaritans
Samaritans, The. An Account Of The Origin Of The Samaritans Is Found In The Old Testament In Ii. Kings Xv. When The Israelites Were Deported From The Province Of Samaria, Sargon, King Of Assyria, 'brought Colonists From Babylonia And Elsewhere To Take Their Place. These Colonists Seem To Have Come ...
The Second Epistle Of
John, The Second Epistle Of. In The Second Epistle Of John There Is Again Reference To False Teachers (vs. 7), But It Is Not Necessary To Think That Particular Schools Of Thought Are Referred To. The Terms, However, Are Rather More Severe Than Those Of The First Epistle. Emphasis Is ...
The Second Epistle Of_2
Peter, The Second Epistle Of. What Is Known As The Second General Epistle Of Peter Is One Of The Most Puzzling Books In The New Testament. In Part It So Closely Resembles The Epistle Of Jude That One Writer Must Have Copied The Other (cp. Ii. Peter Ii. 1 Iii. ...
The Second Epistle To
Timothy, The Second Epistle To. It Is Not Unlikely That What Is Now Called The Second Epistle To Timothy Really Preceded What Is Now Known As The First Epistle. " The Picture Given Of Timothy Is Very Hard To Accept As Historically Accurate If This Is Really Later Than The ...
The Stone Of Destiny
Stone Of Destiny, The. The " Stone Of Destiny " Is A Name By Which An Ancient Piece Of Rock Now Enclosed In The British Coronation Chair Is Known. The Stone And Chair Are Kept In Edward The Confessor's Chapel In Westminster Abbey. The Stone Is That Upon Which In ...
The Sunna
Sunna, The. Sunna Is An Arabic Word Meaning " Way, Rule. Mode Of Acting Or Conduct." The Term Is Used To Describe The Traditional Sayings, Actions, Etc., Of Muhammad. These Are Rules And Patterns For All Devout Muslims. This Kind Of Information Is Also Called Hadith. It Ranks Next In ...
The Superman
Superman, The. The German Term Uebermensch " Superman," Used By Goethe In " Faust," Is Employed By Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) To Describe The Ideal Man Of His Philosophy. In 1888 Nietzsche Became Insane, And His Last Literary Production, Der Antichrist, In Its Extravagance Already Bears The Stamp Of Insanity. In ...
The Supplementary Hypothesis
Supplementary Hypothesis, The. This Name Has Been Given To One Of The Theories Put Forth By The Higher Critics (see Criticism, Higher) To Explain The Composition Of The Hexateuch. It Was Pre Ceded By The Documentary Hypothesis (q.v.) And The Fragmentary Hypothesis (q.v.). All That Was Best In These It ...
The Talmud
Talmud, The. The Talmud. The Great Literary Pro Duction Of The Jewish Schools. Consist.3 Of The Mishnah And The Gemara. The Mishnah For The Most Part Repro Duces The Traditional Discussions Of The Rabbis Who Lived Between 70 A.d. And About 200 A.d. These Discussions Seem To Have Been Written ...
The Tendency Theory
Tendency Theory, The. A Theory Concerning The Composition Of The New Testament Writings, Asso Ciated Chiefly With The Name Of The German Critic, F. C. Baur (1792-1860). The Use Of The Word " Tendency " In This Connection (tendenz) Is German Rather Than Eng Lish. A Tendenz-schrift Is " A ...
The Theistic Church
Theistic Church, The. A Church And Congre Gation Established By Charles Voysey (b. 1828): Voysey Was At First A Clergyman Of The Church Of England. He Was Curate Of St. Mark's, Whitechape], London, But Had To Give Up His Curacy After A Few Years On Account Of A Sermon Which ...
The Third Epistle Of
John, The Third Epistle Of. The Third Epistle Of John Is Addressed To An Individual, One Gains. Reference Is Made Also To Two Other Individuals. One Of These, Diotrephes, " Loveth To Have The Pre Eminence And Receiveth Us Not . . . Prating Against Us With Wicked Words; And ...
The Threshold
Threshold, The. The Threshold Of A House Or Temple Figures In The Religion Of Certain Peoples As A Sacred Spot Or A Dangerous Point. According To Hero Dotus (ii. 48) Every Egyptian Sacrificed Before The Door Of His House A Hog To Osiris (q.v.). According To H. Clay Trumbull, In ...
The Thundering Legion
Thundering Legion, The. Eusebius (v. 5), On The Authority Of Apollinarius And Tertullian, Says That This Name Was Given To A Legion Of Christian Soldiers In The Army Of The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He Gives The Following Story To Account For The Name : " But It Is Said ...
The Tractarian Movement
Tractarian Movement, The. The Tractarian Movement, Like Other New And Important Movements In The History Of The Church, Was Produced By A Crisis. The Church Of England Was, Or Seemed To Be, In A Perilous Condition. At A Time When Reforms Were Being Demanded On All Hands, A Time When ...
The True Britishcatholic
True British Catholic Church, The. A Church Founded At Manchester By Thomas Deacon (1697 1753), One Of The Nonjurors (q.v.). In 1733, With The Aid Of Scotch Bishops, Deacon Was Consecrated A Nonjuring Bishop. In 1734 He Published A " Complete Collection Of Devotions, Both Public And Private," In Two ...
The Union Of Ethical
Ethical Societies, The Union Of. If The Ethical Movement Seems To Be In Conflict And Rivalry With The Churches, It May Nevertheless Claim To Be In A Real Sense A Religious Movement. The Gospel Of The Ethical Movement, As Expounded By W. M. Salter In His " Ethical Religion" Should ...
The Virgin Birth
Virgin Birth, The. The Orthodox Christian Faith Teaches That Jesus, The Founder Of Christianity, Was " Con Ceived Of The Holy Ghost, Born Of The Virgin Mary " (apostles' Creed). It Is Believed Also By Many Christians That With A View To Her Future Destiny She Was Specially Sanctified From ...
The Westminster Confession
Westminster Confession, The. The West Minster Confession Was The Result, Or Rather The Chief Of The Results, Of The Consultations Of The Westminster Assembly Of Divines. It Was Submitted To Parliament In December 1646, And Again In April 1647 With The Addi Tion Of Scripture Proofs. In Scotland It Was ...
The Winged Disc
Winged Disc, The. The Winged Disc Or Solar Disc Is A Figure Composed Of A Disc, Representing The Sun, And Two Wings, One On Each Side Of It. There Is Perhaps Reference To It In The Old Testament (malachi Iv. 2 : " The Sun Of Righteousness Shall Arise With ...