Theological Terminology

noun a belief in the existence of gods other than one's own

• Allotheism is the belief in other gods or deities outside of one's own religion.
• Some people practice allotheism by incorporating beliefs from different religions.
• I think a little allotheism could help broaden your spiritual horizons.
• In a way, allotheism can be seen as embracing diversity in spiritual beliefs.

noun the fact of existing or living

verb the present participle of the verb 'be', indicating the state or act of existing

adjective describing something that has existed eternally alongside something else

• The concept of God being coeternal with the universe is a fundamental belief in many religions.
• The siblings had a coeternal bond that lasted a lifetime.
• Me and my best friend are practically coeternal, we've been inseparable since kindergarten.
• The artist described the relationship between light and shadow as coeternal in his paintings.

noun a belief in two equal gods, especially as the creators of the world

• Ditheism is a theological belief in the existence of two equally powerful gods.
• Some religions believe in ditheism, which means they worship two gods.
• I heard that cult practices ditheism, with their belief in two deities.
• In a way, ditheism can be seen as a representation of the dual nature of good and evil in the world.

noun the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind

• The study of eschatology focuses on theories about the end of the world and final judgment.
• Eschatology is all about predicting how the world will end and what will happen afterwards.
• Some people get freaked out by eschatology because it deals with apocalyptic scenarios.
• In literature, eschatology is often used as a metaphor for personal transformation and growth.

noun the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, especially the bread

• The Eucharist is a central sacrament in the Catholic Church.
• We're going to receive the Eucharist at mass this Sunday.
• I love chowing down on the Eucharist during communion.
• The Eucharist symbolizes the spiritual nourishment of believers.

adjective relating to existence or the nature of existence; concerned with existence, especially human existence

• The philosopher delved into the realm of existential questions about the nature of being.
• I've been pondering some existential stuff lately, like what's the meaning of life and all that.
• Dude, I had a total existential crisis last night, it was wild.
• The artist's abstract painting evoked a sense of existential dread in its viewers.

noun a sacrament in certain Christian churches conferring special status upon those ordained to the ministry

• The bishop ordained the new priests into holy orders during the ceremony.
• My cousin just joined the holy orders to become a priest.
• I heard that dude is about to take the plunge into holy orders.
• She felt like she was being called to her own version of holy orders in her career.

noun the belief that the divine exists within all things

• The philosopher discussed the concept of immanence in his latest book.
• I'm not sure I understand the whole immanence thing, can you explain it to me?
• Dude, immanence is like when everything is just all connected, you know?
• The artist's painting captured a sense of immanence, with nature and humanity intertwined in a beautiful way.

adjective remaining within; indwelling; inherent

• The concept of immanent justice is central to many religious beliefs.
• I can feel a sense of immanent change in the air.
• The immanent party is going to be lit!
• The immanent threat of climate change looms over us all.

noun a formal request or petition for something, especially when made to a higher authority

• The lawyer's impetration of the court's decision was successful.
• She made an impetration for a raise at work.
• I'll impetrate with my parents to let me go to the party.
• His impetration for forgiveness was heartfelt and sincere.

noun a male given name

• Jeremiah was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible, known for his prophecies of doom and destruction.
• Have you met Jeremiah? He's the new guy in accounting.
• Jeremiah is always the life of the party, he's so fun to hang out with.
• She felt like Jeremiah, constantly warning others of the dangers ahead but never being listened to.

noun a person or thing of no importance or value

adjective used to emphasize how small or unimportant something is

• The value of the antique vase was considered a mere nothing compared to the priceless paintings in the collection.
• Don't worry about that small scratch on your car, it's a mere nothing.
• I thought the new movie was going to be amazing, but it turned out to be a mere nothing.
• Her apology felt like a mere nothing after all the hurtful things she said.

noun a state of final spiritual ruin; loss of the soul; damnation

• The criminal was sentenced to eternal perdition for his heinous crimes.
• If you keep eating junk food, you'll end up in perdition with your health.
• I heard that party was a total perdition, everyone was wasted by the end of the night.
• Her addiction to gambling led her down a path of perdition, losing everything she had worked for.

noun the act of predestining or the condition of being predestined

• The concept of predestination has been a topic of debate among theologians for centuries.
• Some people believe in predestination, thinking that everything is already predetermined.
• I don't buy into that whole predestination thing, I think we make our own destiny.
• Her success seemed like predestination, as if it was always meant to be.

verb to determine beforehand or fate

adjective predetermined or decided beforehand

• According to their religious beliefs, some people believe that our fates are predestined.
• I feel like it was predestined for us to meet at this party.
• It was like we were predestined to be best friends from the moment we met.
• The success of their business seemed predestined, as if all the pieces fell into place perfectly.

noun a person who lived before the fall of mankind

adjective relating to or characteristic of the time or state before the fall of mankind

• The concept of a prelapsarian world is often explored in religious texts.
• Some people believe that life was better in prelapsarian times.
• Back in the prelapsarian days, things were chill.
• The garden was a prelapsarian paradise before the arrival of the new neighbors.

adjective relating to or constituting a revelation

• The scientist made a revelational discovery that could change the course of medicine.
• I had a revelational moment when I finally understood the complex math problem.
• Dude, that movie was so revelational, it blew my mind!
• Her revelational artwork spoke to the depths of the human experience.

verb to make holy or sacred; to purify or free from sin

• The priest sanctified the holy water before the ceremony.
• I feel like cleaning my room will sanctify the space.
• Dude, let's sanctify this party with some good music!
• Her dedication to her work sanctifies her reputation in the industry.

noun The Latin phrase 'fons et origo' translates to 'source and origin' in English, and can refer to the beginning or root of something.

conjunction The conjunction 'et' in 'fons et origo' means 'and' in Latin, connecting the two nouns 'fons' and 'origo'.

• The fons et origo of the legal system can be traced back to ancient Roman law.
• She's like the fons et origo of all the gossip in our office.
• He thinks he's the fons et origo of coolness, but really he's just a poser.
• In this painting, the artist portrays the tree as the fons et origo of life itself.

noun the belief that a god or gods created the universe and then became it

• Pandeism is a philosophical belief that combines elements of pantheism and deism.
• Have you heard of pandeism? It's a pretty interesting concept.
• Some people think pandeism is just a fancy way of saying 'everything is God'.
• The idea of pandeism can be seen as a metaphor for the interconnectedness of all things.

noun an act that is considered to be a violation of God's will

adjective real or genuine, as opposed to potential or theoretical

• The doctrine of actual sin is a central tenet in many religious traditions.
• People often debate about what constitutes actual sin in the eyes of God.
• I don't think that's an actual sin, just a minor mistake.
• In his eyes, lying was considered an actual sin against the truth.

noun a term used in philosophy to refer to things that are neither good nor bad, neither morally right nor wrong

adjective pertaining to things that are considered morally neutral

• The concept of adiaphon in philosophy refers to things that are morally indifferent.
• I'm not sure if I should care about that, it seems like an adiaphon to me.
• Who cares about all that adiaphon stuff, it doesn't really matter.
• In the grand scheme of things, the argument was just an adiaphon in the overall debate.

noun a person who holds a neutral position on controversial issues

• The adiaphorist theologian argued that certain religious practices were neither commanded nor forbidden by scripture.
• The adiaphorist scholar believes that some traditions are neither right nor wrong.
• The adiaphorist dude thinks some rules are just meh.
• Being an adiaphorist in life means being indifferent to trivial matters.

noun a person who believes that Jesus Christ became the Son of God by adoption at his baptism or resurrection

• The adoptionist belief in Christianity teaches that Jesus was born a mere mortal and was later adopted by God as his son.
• Some early Christians were adoptionists, believing that Jesus was a regular human before being chosen by God.
• I heard some people are into that adoptionist stuff, thinking Jesus wasn't special until later on.
• The adoptionist approach to leadership suggests that individuals can develop and grow into their roles over time.