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Easter
From Eastre, the dawn goddess, a pagan vernal festival nearly coincident with the paschal festival of the church, an annual Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ held on the first Sunday after the date of the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21. Eastertide is the period after Easter, extending in various churches to Ascension Day, Whitsunday, or Trinity Sunday.
Ebblis
Arabic Iblis, Muslim for Satan.
Ecce Homo
Latin, "behold the man," Pilate's words when he presented Jesus to the populace before the crucifixion (John 19:5, Latin Vulgate); a picture or statue of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns.
Ecclesia
Assembly of Christians; members of a church or a church building;
Ecclesiastes
Hebrew qoheleth, he who calls together an assembly; member of an ecclesia; a book of the Old Testament written by King Solomon (Septuagint). An ecclesiastic is a clergyman. Ecclesiastical is of the church or the clergy, used in early Latin and Greek writings about Christianity.
Ecclesiasticus (Ecclus)
Latin ecclesiasticus liber, "the church book," an Apocryphal book of proverbs included as canonical in the Douay Bible.
Ecclesiology
The study of church architecture.
Ecumenical
Latin oecumenicus, Greek oikoumenikos, of or from the whole world; general or universal; concerning the Christian church as a whole; furthering the unity of Christian churches. Ecuminism is the practice or principles of promoting cooperation or better understanding among differing religious faiths; ecumenical movement among Christian churches.
Eden
Hebrew edhen, "delight"; the garden where Adam and Eve first lived; paradise.
Edify (Edification)
To instruct or improve morally or spiritually; enlighten.
Edom
Ancient kingdom in southwest Asia, south of the Dead Sea, the citizens of which were descendants of Esau, son of Isaac and brother of Jacob.
Eleatic
Of an ancient Greek school of philosophy centered in Elea, a Greek colony in Italy, during the 5th and 6th centuries B.C., which held that the singular and unchangeable "Being" was the only reality and that plurality, change, and motion were illusory, its outstanding adherents being Parmenides and Zeno.
Elias
Elijah -- spelling used in the New Testament of the King James Version and the Douay Version Bibles.
Elohim
Plural form of the Hebrew eloah, God. Elohist is the unknown author of the parts of the Bible where Elohim is used for God instead of Yahweh.
Elysium (Elysian Plain)
Dwelling place of the virtuous after death in Greek Mythology; paradise.
Ember
Designation of three days (usually Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday) for prayer and fasting during a specific week out of each of the four seasons of the year, observed primarily in the Roman Catholic Church.
Emir
Title given to Mohammed's descendants through his daughter Fatima; a ruler, prince, or cammander in certain Islamic countries.
Empyrean (Empyreal)
The highest heaven, abode of God, sphere of pure light or fire; sky, firmament, or celestial vault.
Energumen
Person supposedly possessed by an evil spirit; fanatic or enthusiast.
Entelechy
The actualization of potentiality or of true existence in Aristotelian philosophy; vitalism -- the immanent force which controls and directs life and its development.
Ephah
An ancient Hebrew dry measure, estimated from 1/3 bushel to just over one bushel.
Ephod
Richly embroidered outer vestment worn by Jewish priests
Ephraim
Hebrew ephrayim, "very fruitful" -- one of the twelve tribes of Israel descended from the youngest son of Joseph; the kingdom of Israel.
Epicurean
Of the philosophy of Epicurus (341-270 B.C.), a Greek philosopher who taught that the goal of man should be a life of calm pleasure regulated by morality, temperance, serenity, and cultural development.
Epigraphy
The study of deciphering, interpreting, and classifying ancient inscriptions.
Epiphany
An appearance or manifestation of a supernatural being; a yearly festival (also called the Twelfth Day) held in some Christian churches on January 6, commemorating the revealing of Jesus as Christ to the Gentiles in the persons of the Magi, along with his baptism; a moment of sudden intuitive understanding or a flash of insight.
Episcopal (Episcopalian)
Designating any church governed by bishops, based on the theory that government of the church rests in a group of bishops and not an individual.
Epistle
Greek epistole, a letter or message -- a long, formal, instructive letter; any of the letters of the New Testament written by an Apostle.
Equinox
When the sun crosses the equator, making night and day of equal length in all parts of the earth. Vernal equinox occurs about March 21, while the Autumnal Equinox occurs about September 22.
Erasmus, Desiderius
Born Gerhard Gerhards (1466-1536), Dutch humanist, scholar, and theologian
Erastus, Thomas
Born Thomas Liebler (1524-83), German theologian and physician who advocated the supreme authority of the state in church matters.
Erebus
Dark place under the earth in Greek Mythology through which the dead passed before entering Hades.
Eremite
Hermit or religious recluse.
Erlking
A spirit in Germanic folklore who does mischief or evil, especially to children -- from elverkonge, king of the elves.
Eros
The god of love in Greek Mythology, son of Aphrodite, and identified by the Romans with Cupid; sexual love or desire; libido or the psychic energy associated with it.
Eschatology
Branch of theology dealing with death, resurrection, judgment, and immortality; biblical study of the end times surrounding the second coming of Christ.
Esdras
Douay Bible name for Ezra.
Esprit
French, "spirit."
Essene
Member of an ancient Jewish sect of ascetics and mystics existing between the second century B.C. and the second century A.D.
Eternal
Without beginning or end; everlasting; unchanging; perpetual; infinite; timeless or beyond time.
Ethereal
Heavenly or clestial, from the word "ether," an imaginary substance filling all space beyond earth, or the hypothetical medium in space for transmitting light waves and radiant energy.
Ethics
Humanist study of standards of conduct and moral judgment.
Eucharist
Holy Communion; the concecrated bread and wine used for holy communion in the Roman Catholic Church. Eulogia is bread blessed but not concecrated, given to the noncommunicants at Mass, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Another term for Eucharist is Housel, which is the administration of the Eucharist.
Eudaemonia
Aristotle's philosophy of happiness derived from a life of activity governed by reason as the universal goal. Eudaemonism is the system of ethics that considers the moral value of actions in terms of their ability to produce personal happiness.
Evangelism
Greek euangelistes, "bringer of good news" -- preaching or spreading the Gospel; any zealous effort in propagandizing for a cause. Evangel is another word for Gospel. Evangelical is in, of, or according to the Gospels of the New Testament, generally Protestant churches that emphasize salvation by faith in the atonement of Jesus rather than the efficacy of the sacraments and good works alone.
Evensong
Evening worship service in the Anglican Church; same as Vespers in the Roman Catholic Church.
Evoke
To summon a spirit or demon.
Evolution
Theory developed by Charles Darwin that all species of plants and animals developed from primitive biological forms by hereditary transmission of slight variations in successive generations, mutations, and natural selection.
Exalt
To raise on high, lift up in praise, glorify, extol.
Excommunicate
To exclude, by an act of ecclesiastical authority, from the sacriments, rights, and priveleges of a church
Execrate
To curse, denounce, or call down evil on.
Exegesis
Greek, "explanation" -- explanation, critical analysis, or interpretation of biblical scripture. An exegete is an expert in exegesis.
Existentialism
Philosophical movement stemming from Kierkegaard and based on the doctrine that existence takes precedence over essence and holds that man is totally free and responsible for his acts, which is the source of dread and anguish that encompass him.
Exorcism
Ritual used to drive out evil spirits.
Expiate
Atone for sins; amends or reparation.
Extrasensory
Perception either apart from the normal senses or in addition to them.
Exult
Rejoice; leap for joy.
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