EEK! Essential Episcopal Knowledge 701-800

701-What is the significance of the Kingdom of God?
A: It was central to the message of Jesus.  He told many parables about how to understand God's reign in this world.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Kingdom of Heaven is used, perhaps because in the Jewish community there may have been an avoidance of saying "God" out of respect for God's holy name.

702-What are the Books of Kings?
A: They are books of history in the Hebrew Scriptures for the history of the Jewish monarchy until the fall of Jerusalem.

703-What is the Kiss of Peace?
A:  The Kiss of Peace has become the passing of the peace in the Eucharistic liturgy.  It occurs after the confession and absolution.

704-What does Kyrie Eleison mean?
A: It is from the Greek, meaing, "Lord have mercy" and is a prayer for mercy.  The "Lord have mercy" may be the leftover of a responsorial to a prayer petition.  It is said or sung after the collect for purity in the Eucharist.

705-Why is Lambeth important in the Anglican Communion?
A:  Lambeth is the residence in London of the Archbishop of Canterbury, also called Lambeth Palace.  The Lambeth Conference is the Assembly of all of the Bishops in the Anglican church every ten years.  It is held at Lambeth Palace.

706-What is the Lambeth Conference?
A: A gathering of all Bishops of the Anglican Communion every ten years by invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury for a consultation on matters which present themselves for collegial discussion, cooperation and action.

707-What is the Last Supper?
A: Refers to the meal which Jesus had with his disciple before he was arrested.  This meal as reported in the Gospels, is the meal which instituted the practice of Holy Eucharist in the Church.

708-What is a lavabo bowl and towel?
A: It is the bowl and towel used for washing the hands of the celebrant during the Eucharist.  Lavabo is the Latin, meaning "I will wash" and is first words of the quoted Psalm in Latin that celebrants of the Latin Mass said during the washing of the hands.

709-Who is Lazarus?
A: Lazarus as presented in the Gospel of John is the brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany and he died and was brought back to life by Jesus.  Another Lazarus was a leper and beggar in a parable of Jesus who when he died went to live with Abraham.

710-What is a lectern?
A: A reading podium.  Often churches have a pulpit and a lectern on opposite sides of the chancel, the lectern for the public reading of the Bible and the pulpit for preaching.

711-What is a lector?
A: A lector is one who reads the Scriptures in the public liturgies.

712-What is the season of Lent?
A: Lent is the forty week days before Easter and is used as a time of special preparation for Easter, through special disciplines and devotions.  In the ancient church it was used as a time of intensive preparation of adult baptismal candidates for baptism at the Easter Vigil.

713-What is Holy Orders?
A: It is another name for the ordained ministry.

714-Who is Levi, son of Alphaeus?
A:He was a tax collector who followed Jesus and became his disciples.  He is believed to be St. Matthew.

715-What is a Levirate Marriage?
A- It was a requirement of Mosaic Law for a man to marry his brother's widow.  It was used in a discussion of Jesus with the Sadducees about the resurrection.

716-Who are the Levites?
A-The Levites were the descendants of the tribe of Levi who served as the priests of the tabernacle and temple.  Aaron was the first Levitical priest.

717-What is the book of Leviticus about?
A:The book of Leviticus is the third book of the Bible and Torah.  It include lots of the ritual rules and it includes the Code of Holiness for living a pure life.

718-What is Limbo?
A: Limbo is the afterlife state of people who were not in the full blessed state of heaven or in the state of condemnation.  So in Christian theology when the state of people who lived and died before Christ  the term Limbo was used to describe their afterlife state.

719-What is a "litany" and The Great Litany?
A: Litany is a form of liturgical prayers asking for God's help.  They often are done with responses.  The Great Litany is a long prayer included in the Book of Common Prayer used during penitential seasons or times of public distress.

720-What does "logia" refer to in New Testament studies?
A: It refers to the sayings of Jesus.

721-What is Logos?
A: It is the Greek word for 'word' or 'reason.'  In the Gospel of John Christ is called the Logos who is God, who created all things and who was made flesh in Jesus.

722-Who is the Lord of Hosts?
A: It is an Old Testament name for God.  It is used in the hymn the Sanctus which derives from the vision that the prophet Isaiah had of God.  Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts...

723-What is the Lord's Prayer?
A: It is the prayer that Jesus taught to the disciples and is also called the "Our Father."  It is found in different forms in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

724-How is the word 'Love' significant in the Bible?
A:  Love is a theological virtue.  It is distinguished by three Greek words, eros (desire), philia(friendship or brotherly love), and agape with agape referring to the special kind of love that God has.

725-What is a Low Mass?
A: It is a Eucharistic without music and often was said by a single priest and a server.

726-What is Low Sunday?
A: It is the Sunday after Easter Sunday and is called that because in contrast with Easter there is a fall off in the festivity of the liturgy and in congregational attendance.

727-Who was Saint Luke?
A:  He is thought to be a physician and missionary companion of St. Paul and who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles as a two-book set.

728-What is a Lych-Gate?
A: From the Old English, a "corpse" gate or a covered gate which was used to shelter the caskets from the rain during the burial in the church yards which were also cemeteries.

729-What does Madonna mean?
A:  Madonna means My Lady and refers to the Virgin Mary.  Pictures of Mary with the baby Jesus are often referred to as Madonna and Child.

730-Who was Mary Magdalene?
A: She was a close follower of Jesus who had her life transformed by his healing touch.  She also was the first person to experience the post-resurrection appearance of Christ.

731-Who are Magi?
A: These are the Wisemen or the Three Kings who appear in the Christmas Story in the Gospel of Matthew.  They symbolize foreigners and Gentiles who came to see the importance of Christ.

732-Who was the prophet Malachi?
A: He is the name given to the person associated with the last book of the Old Testament.  In his writing he emphasized God love for God's people and he condemned some unfaithful practices of the people.

733-What does the phrase "Maranatha" mean?
A: It is the plea found in the book of Revelation meaning, "O Lord, Come!"

734-Who is Marcion and why is he important?
A: Marcion was called a heretic in the second century.  He rejected the Hebrew Scriptures but he is important for revealing some of the early lists of books included in the books of the New Testament.

735-What is Mariology?
A:  It is the study of the significance of the life of the Virgin Mary both in her time and in the history of the church, particularly in her role in the Roman Catholic Church.

736-Who is Mark?
A: Mark is sometime regarded to be John Mark, evangelist and cousin of Barnabas.  He is regarded to be the author/editor of the earliest Gospel, the Gospel of Mark which begins, not with the birth of Jesus but with his baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River.  Because so much of the Gospel of Mark is include in Luke and Matthew, it had to be written before them.

737-Who is Martha in the Gospels?
A: Martha is this sister of Mary and Lazarus of Bethany.  To her, Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life.

738-What is the meaning of the word "martyr?"
A:  Martyr is from the Greek word which means witness.  It came to be used to refer to the Christians who made a witness to their faith through the loss of their lives to their persecutors.  Martyrs were honored as the early saints of the church.

739-Who is the Blessed Virgin Mary?
A: She is the mother of Jesus who received an announcement from the angel Gabriel that she would conceive through action of the Holy Spirit.  In Roman Catholic theology she is regarded to be a perpetual Virgin in that she did not have other children.  She came to be venerated and honored.  She is prayed to and the Hail Mary is a special prayer addressed to her.  In Roman Catholic tradition she is believed to have been Assumed into heaven and she is also believed to have had an Immaculate Conception, meaning she was conceived sinless.  There are also sites in this world which mark the places where people received appearances and visions of the Virgin Mary, including Lourdes, Fatima, and Guadeloupe.  Some High Church Anglicans adopts some of these pious devotions to the Virgin Mary.

740-Who is Mary Tudor?
A:  She was a daughter of King Henry VIII, who remained loyal to the Roman Catholic Church after Henry VIII separated the Church in England from Papal authority.  She became Queen when Edward VI died, and in restoring Roman Catholic practice, she persecuted and even burned as heretics some of the chief religious reformers of the Church in England under Henry VIII.  For this, she is often referred to as "Bloody Mary."

741-What are the Massoretes and what does Massoretic Text mean?
A: They refer to Jewish grammarians who established the accepted vowel pointing systems for the Hebrew Scriptures.  Hebrew was written in consonants without the voicing marks of the vowels.  Establishing the vowels added specific meanings to the Hebrew texts.

742-What is Matrimony?
A:  Another name for the sacrament of Marriage.

743-Who was Matthew?
A: Often believe to be Levi, the disciple of Jesus referred to in the Gospel of Matthew.  The Gospel of Matthew is attributed to him.  This Gospel is written to those familiar with the Jewish Law.  It includes the birth of Jesus stories and the Sermon on the Mount.

744-What is Meditation?
A: It is a type of mental prayer using phrases or "mantras" or religious imagery.

745-What is Methodism and Methodists?
A: Methodism referred to system of religious faith and practices began by John and Charles Wesley who were Anglican priests.  In the 1790's the Methodist movement separated from the Church of England to become a separate religious denomination.  The Methodist Church is a mainline church in the United States.

746-What does "Old as Methuselah" mean?
A: It means really old because Methuselah is listed in the Book of Genesis as one who lived to the age of 969 or the oldest man of all time.


747-What is a Metropolitan?
A: It is a "super" bishop or one who exercised authority in a province, an area larger than a diocese.

748-What is the book of Micah?
A:  A minor prophet of the Old Testament who prophesies the destruction of the temple.  He  writes about true religion being justice, mercy and walking humble before God.

749-Who painted the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the Last Supper?
A: Michelangelo

750-What era is referred to as the Middle Ages?
A: It stretches from the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 until the time before the Renaissance.  Others view the Middle Ages to begin in 1100 and extending through end of the 14th century.

751-What is Midrash?
A: It refers to a method of Jewish study and interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.  It is an effort to seek a deeper meaning of the Hebrew Scripture than the literal meaning.  Some New Testament writing partake of some of the methods of Midrash.

752-What is a minster?
A: A name used for various large churches in England, like Westminster and Yorkminster.

753-What is a Miracle?
A: An event attributed to the special intervention of God.

754-What is a Missal?
A: The book of prayers and ceremonial on the altar.

755-What does Missions mean?
A: A mission is the special evangelical effort of the church.  A missionary is a person who has the calling to a mission activity.  In The Episcopal Church "mission" sometimes refers to a congregation which does not have parish status and more reliant upon a diocese for financial support and provision of the ordained ministers for the mission.

756-What is Monophysitism?
A:  The belief that in the person of Jesus there was only one nature, the Divine nature.

757-What is monotheism?
A: It is the belief in one God.  Judaism, Christianity and Islam are monotheistic religions.

758-What is Moral Theology?
A:  It is the formal study of Christian conduct using the Bible as the source of authority for ethical conduct.

759-Who was Thomas More?
A: he was the Lord Chancellor of England for Henry VIII who disagreed with Henry VIII in his papal disputes.  He was imprisoned and accused of high treason and beheaded.

760-What is a Mortal Sin?
A: In the Roman Catholic definitions of sin, it is a deliberate act of turning away from God.

761-What is a movable feast?
A: It is a feast which does not fall on a fixed date.  Easter is a movable feast since it is determined by the lunar calendar.

762-What is mysticism and mystical theology?
A: Mysticism is a belief in the immediacy of God's presence.  In mystical theology one studies the scope and nature of spiritual experience.

763-Who was Nahum?
A: He was a prophet with a book of the same Nahum.  The book of Nahum tells about the fall of Nineveh.

764-What is the Nativity of our Lord?
A:  It is another name for Christmas.

765-What is Natural Law?
A:  It is the practice and discovery of conduct toward God and other people that can be known and lived without special revelation or grace.

766-What is the Nave?
A:  The Nave is the main part of the church before the chancel or sanctuary. 

767-Why is Jesus called the Nazarene?
A: Because he was raised in the town of Nazareth.

768-Who is Nehemiah?
A:  He is a leader of Israel who helped resettle the exiles in Palestine.   His life ministry is recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, both books of the Old Testament.

769-What did the Nestorian Christians believe?
A:  They believed that there were two separate persons in Jesus, one Divine and one human.

770-Who was John Henry Newman?
A: He was an Anglican who converted to the Roman Catholic Church and became a Cardinal and author.  He was a leader of the Anglican "High Church" Movement called the Tractarians or the Oxford Movement.

771-Who was John Newton?
A:  He was a ship captain who was converted and became ordained.  He wrote the words for the famous hymn, "Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound."

772-Who was St. Nicholas?
A: He was a Bishop in Myra about whom little is known but became associated for his kindness in the care of children.  He has become in popular culture using the Dutch pronunciation of his name "Santa Claus."  His feast day is on December 6th.

773-Who was Nicodemus?
A:  He was a Pharisee who came to meet Jesus by night and he heard Jesus tell him to be "born again."

774-What did nonconformity mean in the Anglican Church?
A:  A nonconformist was one who did not conform to the doctrines and practices of the Established Church in England, the Church of England.  Presbyterians, Baptists, Congregationalists and Methodists have been called nonconformists.

775-What is a novice?
A:   A novice is person in a probationary period in testing their vocation to the religious life as a monk or nun.

776-What is significance of the number  666?
A:  In the book of Revelation it is called the number of the Beast, a figure who is associated with the Anti-Christ.

777-What is the Book of Numbers?
A:  It is the fourth book of the Bible and Torah.  It is the narration of the years in the wilderness of the people of Israel before they reached the Promised Land.

778-What is the "Nunc Dimittis?"
A:  It is the Latin song title for the Song of Simeon meaning "Now let depart"

779-What is a Nuptial Mass?
A: It is the Eucharist that occurs at a Marriage Ceremony.

780-What does Obedience mean?
A: Obedience means to follow a lawful superior.  A monk or nun takes a vow of Obedience and agrees to obey his or her superiors.

781-What is the Book of Occasional Services?
A: It is a companion liturgical book to the book of Common Prayer and contains liturgies for special occasions, like blessing of homes, or seasonal liturgies like Advent and Christmas Lessons and Carols.

782-What is Adestes Fideles?
A: The Latin for "O Come All Ye Faithful," the most used processional hymn for Christmas.

783-What does Veni, Veni, Emmanuel mean?
A: It is Latin for "O Come, O come Emmanuel" and it is a common Advent Carol.

784-What is an Octave?
A:  It means using a liturgical observance or devotional use for eight days.

785-What is the Offertory?
A:  It  refers to the offering of bread and wine in the Eucharist and also the period of preparation of the altar for Holy Communion.  Also it is a time to receive the alms or offerings of people to be offered for the ministry of the church.

786-What is the Mount of Olives?
A:  The highest hill East of Jerusalem near the Garden of Gethsemane.  It was a place often visited by Jesus and is believed to be the site from which Jesus ascended into heaven.

787-Who is Onesimus?
A: He is the slave who ran away from Philemon.  He had become a convert through the ministry of Paul and Paul wrote the letter of Philemon to ask him to restore him to his friendship as a Christian brother.

788-What does ordinary mean?
A: It refers to the ordained minister who has a jurisdiction in a parish or a diocese.  A bishop is the "ordinary" of a diocese.

789-What does Original Sin refer to?
A:  It refers to the state of sin which humanity has been in since the Fall, or the disobedience of Adam and Eve.

790-What does orthodoxy mean?
A:  Orthodoxy refers to correct or right belief.

791-What is Oxford?
A: It is a prominent university in  Oxford England and dates from the 8th century.  Along with Cambridge it has produced many Anglican theologians and clergy.  Archbishops of Canterbury usually have attended either Oxford or Cambridge.

792-What is the Oxford Movement?
A:  It is a movement to restore High Church ideals as a reaction to Liberalism in theology.  It occurred in the mid 19th century and had various phases, the Tractarians, the social outreach emphasis and the ritualistic phase.

793-What is a Pall?
A: It is a cloth covering.  There is a Pall for a Chalice and a funeral pall for a casket.

794-What is Pantheism?
A:  It is the belief in many gods.

795-What is a parable?
A:  The parables are the narrative teaching stories that Jesus used to teach about the kingdom of God.  They included metaphors and similes.

796-What is a parish?
A: A parish is a local geographical area of a diocese which has a church, a parish church.  Parish also means a local congregation within a diocese.

797-What is the Parousia?
A:  It means presence or arrival and refers to the belief of the early Christians about the future return of Christ.

798-What does Pasch mean?
A: It comes from the Greek word for Passover.

799-What is the Paschal Candle?
A:  It is the new candle lit at the Easter Vigil each year and it is lit through the Easter Season until the feast of Pentecost.

800-What does Paschal Lamb refer to?
A: The Paschal Lamb is lamb used as the substitutionary sacrifice for the first born sons of Israel who were captive in Egypt.  The Paschal Lamb was used by Christians to refer to the death of Jesus as the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.

EEK! Essential Episcopal Knowledge 801-1000

801-What is the Passion?
A: The Latin word for suffering is "passio" and it refers specifically to the suffering of Jesus during the last days of his life through his death on the cross.  The double events of the Sunday before Easter are Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday.  At the Passion Sunday liturgy, the Passion Gospel is read.  On Good Friday, the Passion Gospel of John is read.  The Passion Gospels have been made into plays and also have had music composed for their texts.

802-What is a Paten?
A: It is the bread plate used for the Holy Eucharist.

803-What is the significance of Patmos?
A: It is a small island off the coast of Asia Minor and was a place of exile for John the Divine who wrote the book of Revelation.

804-What is a Patriarch?
A: the Patriarchs in the Hebrew Scriptures refers to the pre-historic figures, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and his sons.  In  the church titles, Patriarch refers to chief bishops of the Orthodox Church in the sees of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople and Jerusalem.

805-Who was the Apostle of the Irish?
A: St. Patrick

806-What does Patron Saint means?
A: It is a saint chosen for special intercession and to be a heavenly advocate on behalf of a person, a groups of people, such as a parish, a guild, or even a country.

807-Who was St. Paul?
A:  St. Paul was Saul of Tarsus who studied with a rabbi.  He persecuted early followers of Jesus and he had a conversion experience.  He became the chief apostles to the Gentile church.  His writings are letters to various churches and persons and they have become a part of the New Testaments.

808-What does Pax mean?
A: Pax is the Latin word for peace.

809-What is a Pectoral Cross?
A:  It is the cross worn on a chain and hangs on the chest of a bishop.

810-What is the meaning of penance?
A: Penance was a system of disciplines imposed for various sins.  So after confession and absolution in private confession, a confessor might assign the penitent a task, like saying so many Hail Mary's or Our Father's.  It was a system of educational redirection; energies once used for sinful purposes were to be re-directed for positive action, prayer, amendment of life, reparation and learning.


811-What are Pentecostal Churches?
A:  The Pentecostal Movement began in the 20th Century and were people who sought the experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues, prophesying, interpretation of tongues and healing.

812-What does the word pericope refer to?
A:  It is the Greek word for "section."  It is used by scholars to classify paragraphs of the Scripture, such as the Sermon on the Mount.

813-Why is Peter regarded to be the chief apostle of the Church?
A: In the Gospel of Matthew, it recorded that Jesus said to Peter, "You are Peter and on this Rock, I will build my church.

814-Who were the Pharisees?
A: They were a Jewish religious party.  Pharisee means separated ones or those who accepted a strict legalistic view of the Torah.  But they were different from the Sadducees in that they accepted the oral tradition attached to the Torah as having the same level of importance.  The Pharisees are presented in the Gospels as opposing Jesus and the word Pharisee means for some people, a hypocrite.

815-Who is Philemon?
A: Philemon is the friend of St. Paul to whom he wrote a letter of the same name which is included in the New Testament.  St. Paul requested of Philemon that he accept again Onesimus a slave who had run away from Philemon his owner.

816-Why is Philippi significant in the New Testament?
A:  It was the location of a church in Macedonia which St. Paul founded and he wrote a letter to the Philippian church which became a part of the New Testament.

817-What is the meaning of Phos Hilaron?
A:  It is the Greek for "Gladsome Light" and it is a hymn sung at Evening Prayer.

818-What is a Phylactery?
A: It is a small leather case containing strips inscribed with Hebrew passages.  It is worn on the forehead and arm during morning prayer by orthodox Jews.  Jesus makes a reference to the use of phylacteries by the Pharisees and the scribes.

819-What is the meaning of pieta?
A: It is a representation in art especially sculpture of the Virgin Mary lamenting over the dead body of Christ.

820-What does piety mean?
A: It refers to various devotional practices.  For example a person's piety may include a rule of life of saying Daily prayers, the Rosary and making regular confession of sin.

821-What is Pietism?
A:  It was a movement in Germany in the 17th century to add some enthusiasm into Protestant religious expression.

822-Who was Pontius Pilate?
A:  He was the governor of Judea at the time when Jesus was crucified and the Passion Gospel include the trial of Jesus by Pilate.

823-What is the significance of Pilgrimage?
A: It is the practice of making a religious journey to a holy place.  Jews made pilgrimages to Jerusalem to the Temple.  Pilgrims from Europe travelled to the Holy Lands in the Middle Ages and brought back to Europe various Holy Week Rituals.  Tombs and Shrines of saints and Martyrs in churches are also places of pilgrimages.

824-Who are the Pilgrim Fathers?
A:  They are the founders of the Plymouth Colony who fled England seeking religious freedom from the Established Church of England.

825-What is The Pilgrim's Progress?
A:  It is the title of a book of Christian devotion written by John Bunyan who was a pastor who dissented from the Church of England.  The book uses names for virtue and vices for the characters of his story.

826-What is a Pontifical?
A:  It is a liturgical book contain prayers and rite restricted to the bishop.  The pastoral offices of bishops are included in the Book of Common Prayer.  Confirmation and Ordination are rites which have specific prayers and ceremonial for bishops.

827-What is a postulant?
A: A postulant is one who is discerning a call to be ordained into the church or to be admitted as a novice in a religious order.

828-What is Prayer?
A: According to the Book of Common Prayer in the Outline of Faith, "Prayer is responding to God with or without words."  There are different kinds of prayer, corporate and private, intercessory, petitionary, adoration, penitential, contemplative or meditative.

829-What is Prevenient Grace?
A:  It is grace which is present to one before one actually chooses it.  For example when an infant is baptized, this is an expression of God's grace to the child through the acts of commitment by family and church to nurture the child in the values of the love of God.

830-What is a Priest?
A: The word Priest is a contraction of Presbyter, the Greek word which meant elder in a time when the word was used in the early church and when the Temple priesthood was still functioning.  The role of the Presbyter at the Eucharist gradually began to take on priestly action in the presiding of the remembrance of the sacrificial death of Jesus upon the cross.

831-What is a Primate?
A: A primate is the highest or first bishop of a province.  The Archbishop of Canterbury is the Primate of All England.

832-What are a priory, a prior and a prioress?
A: A priory is a religious house.  A prior is the male head of a monastery, a prioress the head of a convent.

833-What is the meaning of Procession?
A: In theology it refers to what distinguishes the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son.  The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father in the Eastern Orthodox Churches and proceeds from the Father and the Son in the Western Church.

834-What is a religious profession?
A:  It is when a member of a religious order takes the formal vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

835-In the liturgy what is a proper?
A: It is the part of the liturgy which changes according to the particular day, season or occasions.  So the propers include a Collect, Bible readings and Eucharistic prefaces.

836-What are prophets?
A: Prophets were religious leader known from the Old Testament who spoke from a state of inspiration from God.  Their utterances were written down and included in the Hebrew Scriptures.  Prophesying often include insights about what was to come.  In the early Christian communities prophets were among the list of ministers and prophesy was a gift of the Spirit.  Sometimes a prophet is one who warns those who are  unable to see a needed direction for change.  John the Baptist and Jesus were regarded to be prophets.

837-What is a proselyte?
A: A proselyte is a foreign or outsider who becomes a convert to one's faith and who undergo the rites of initiation.

838-What is a proverb and what is the Book of Proverbs?
A: A proverb is a wisdom saying.  The Book of Proverbs is a collections of Wisdom saying which derived from a Wisdom School within Judaism.  King Solomon was regarded to be the originator and the patron of wisdom writings.

839-What is a Psalter?
A: Psalter is a book for the recitation or chanting of the Psalms, or simply the section of the Book of Prayer consisting of a translation of the Psalms for use in the liturgies.

840-What does pseudepigrapha mean and why is it significant in biblical studies?
A: It means that one attributes writings to a famous person in order to enhance their reputation.  It means someone writes believe their writings are worthy of the person's name whom they associate with the writings.  Various books in the Old and New Testaments are thought to be pseudepigrapha including some of the letters associated with St. Paul.

841-What was a Publican in the Gospels?
A: A Roman tax collectors. The publicans in the Gospels were often Jews who were hired by the Roman authorities to collect taxes from their Jewish countrymen.  This made them both hated and violators of the purity codes.

842-What is a pulpit?
A:  It is the elevated place or podium for preaching.

843-What is Purgatory?
A: It was in the Roman Catholic Church  the afterlife state of people who died without attaining paradise and who were in need of reparative progress in their afterlife.

844-What is a purificator?
A: It is the white fair linen napkin for wiping the chalice.

845-What is Purim?
A:  It is the Jewish festival deriving from the story of Esther who interceded with the King of Persia to save her people from persecution and death.

846-Who were the Puritans?
A: They were English Protestants who were unhappy with the Church of England after the Elizabethan Settlement.  They were against the use of vestments or anything that seemed to be related to Roman Catholic ceremonial practice.

847-What does rabbi mean?
A:  It means "my master" and is the title for Jewish teachers and religious leaders.

848-What is the meaning of The Real Presence?
A: Real Presence refers to the description of how Christ is present in the bread and the wine of the Eucharist.  Real Presence is a favorite Anglican description because it involves an honoring of the mystery of how Christ is present without presuming to be able to explain it.

849-What does Redemption mean?
A: Redemption is in reference to the work of Christ on behalf of humanity.  Humanity being enslaved to sin, is redeemed through the graceful work of Christ through his life, death, resurrection and his continual intercession for us. 

850-What are Reformed Churches?
A:  It is used to refer to all Protestant churches.

851-What are Relics?
A: Relics are preserved bones of the saints and retained for veneration.  Relics can also be sacred objects associated with Christ or the saints.  At certain times in church history the veneration of the relics of the saints was a popular piety.

862-What is a reliquary?
A: It is a container for the storing and displaying of a religious relic.

863-What is reparation?
A:  Reparation is a work of penance meaning that one tries to make amends for the damage that one has done to another.

864-What is the meaning of repentance?
A:  Repentance is the English translation of the Greek word, "meta-noia" or the after-mind, meaning the renewal of one's mind and behavior towards becoming a better purpose.  John the Baptist preached a message of repentance.

865-What is the Altar of Repose?
A:  It is another altar beside the main altar of the church to which the consecrated bread and wine are carried on Maundy Thursday, the same which will be used in the Mass of the Presanctified on Good Friday.

866-What are the Reproaches?
A: They are a traditional part of the Good Friday, chanted during the veneration of the Cross during the Good Friday liturgy.

867-What is a Requiem?
A:  It is the Eucharist or Mass which is offered for a dead person.  Requiem means Rest used in the opening antiphon of the burial rite.

868-What is a reredos?
A: It is the screen, shelf or decoration around the altar when the altars were on the East walls of the chancel of church buildings.

869-What does reservation?
A:  Reservation refers to the retaining of consecrated bread and wine to be kept in a tabernacle or aumbry or put on display.  Typically a sanctuary light in a church signifies the presence of the "reserved sacrament" within a church.

870-What is the meaning of restitution?
A: It is like reparation.  It means that an injury or wrong done to another is in some way repaired.

871-What is The Restoration in English history?
A:  It is when the monarchy was restored in England under Charles II in 1660.

872-What is the book of Revelation?
A: It is the last book of the Bible writing by John as a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos.  It includes the use of imagery of the Old Testament prophets as well as new dream like images of the battle between the forces of Christ and those of the devil.  It is also called the Apocalypse or the Unveiling.

873-What is revelation?
A: Revelation refers to knowledge or insight that comes because of God's aid and grace and is contrasted with natural knowledge or what can be known from the truth of reason.

874-What is the meaning of Reverend?
A: It became an title of address for members of the clergy since the 15th century.  It is more rightly used as a written title for correspondence or public listing.  It is often used as a noun instead of an adjective.

875-What is ritual?
A: It is means the full expression of liturgical function.  Sometimes it has been used to mean only the ceremonial actions which occur in a liturgy.

876-What are Rogation days?
A:  They are special days of intercession for blessing of the harvest.  Sometimes liturgical processions go into the fields to bless the crops.

877-What is Roman Catholicism?
A: It refers to the people and the practices which derive from being in communion with the Pope, who is the chief bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.

878-What is the Epistle to the Romans?
A: It is St. Paul longest letter and includes most highly developed theology and explanation for the transition and the relationship of the message of the Gospel to the Jewish heritage.  It was written to the churches which met in the city of Rome.

879-What is a rubric?
A: Rubric means "red ink" and refers to the ceremonial actions which accompany a liturgical text.  Today most rubrics are written in italics to distinguish them from the liturgical text.

880-Who was Ruth?
A: Ruth was a Moabite who married a Jew and after he died she stayed and was protected by Boaz and later became his wife.  It is a book of the Old Testament and was written to show that non-Jewish person were in the Davidic lineage.

881-What is the Sabbath?
A: The Sabbath is the seventh day of the creation story when God rest.  This day of rest became the foundation of a day of rest from work which was required of God's people in the law.  One of the ten commandments requires the keeping of the Sabbath.  In Christianity the first day of the week or the day of the resurrection became the weekly day of religious observance.  It was a new Sabbath.

882-What is a sacrifice?
A: It is the offering of the life of a living creature to the Deity.  The death of Jesus is regarded to be the last necessary sacrifice and the new sacrifice is to be a living sacrifice through the offering of our service to God.

883-What is the sacristy?
A:  It is the room adjacent to the altar and church where the sacred vessel and articles used in the worship of the church are stored.

884-Who were the Sadducees?
A: They were a Jewish religious sect from the centuries before Jesus.  They held to the Torah only as their source of authority and did not regard the oral traditions of the law.  They were known for not believing in the resurrection while members of the Pharisees did believe the resurrection.

885-What is the most famous Cathedral in London?
A: St. Paul's Cathedral

886-What famous church in London is known for funerals of famous people and religious events for the life of the Royal family?
A: Westminster Abbey

887-Who was Salome?
A: She was the daughter of Herodias who danced for King Herod and afterwards asked that the head of John the Baptist be given to her.

888-What are the Books of Samuel?
A: They are two history books in the Old Testament named after the famous judge, Samuel.  They tell about the birth and life of Samuel and of the first Kings of Israel, King Saul and King David.

889-What is the Sanctus?
A: It is the Holy, Holy, Holy, hymn of the Eucharist, sung or said right before the prayer of consecration.

889-What are Sanctus bells?
A:  They are bell rung during the saying or sing of the Sanctus and originally marked the high point of the Mass, the elevation of the Bread and the Wine.  The Sanctus gave an indication that it was time for people to enter the church to observe the elevation of the Bread and Wine.  The Sanctus bells have continued as a ritual practice even though they have lost their original signifying purpose.


889-What is the sanctuary?
A: The part of the church containing the altar.

890-What is the Sanhedrin?
A: It was the religious council of the Jews and included Scribes and Pharisees.  It meant for the purposes of being a civil court in Jerusalem but also mediating relationship between the Jewish and Roman administration in Palestine.

891-What is a sarcophagus?
A: It is a stone coffin.

892-What does Satisfaction mean?
A: It means that an act of reparation for a sin or injury has been completed.  In theology, the giving of his life on the Cross is seen as being a Satisfaction for the sins of humanity.

893-What is a schism?
A: Schism means a "tear."  It refers to the willful separation of someone from the church.

894-What is Scholasticism?
A: It refers in general to the theology of the Middle Ages with the foundation laid by Augustine, developed by Boethius, Alcuin, John Scotus, Anselm and then fully developed in the writings of Thomas Aquinas.

895-Who are the Schoolmen?
A: The scholars of the Middle Ages.

896-Who was Samuel Seabury?
A:  He was the first American bishop and he was consecratewd in Scotland by Scottish bishops.

897-What is a See?
A: It is the place of the chair of a bishop in the Cathedral of a Diocese.  It can refer to the city of where a cathedral is located.

898-What is a seminary?
A: It is the graduate school to train persons for the ordained ministries of the church.

899-What is the Septuagint?
A: It is sometimes referred to as LXX, because supposed a group 70 scholars translated the Hebrew Scriptures into the Greek language perhaps in the 2nd century B.C.  The early church and Church Father read the Hebrew Scriptures in this Greek translation.

900-What is a Sequence?
A: It is the hymn sung before the reading of the Gospel on certain days.

901-What is a seraphim?
A:  It is creature with six wings which Isaiah saw in a heavenly vision?

902-What is the Sermon on the Mount?
A: It is discourse of Jesus found in the Gospel of Matthew with phrases being with "Blessed are..."  The Sermon on the Mount includes the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer.

903-What are The Seven Churches?
A:  These are the churches referred to in the Book of Revelation.  Messages of judgment and appraisal were sent to each these churches.

904-What are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
A: They are the seven-fold gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord.  The list is taken from Isaiah 11:2.  The seven-fold gifts of Spirit are invoked upon the life of the newly baptized.

905-What are the Seven Words from the Cross?
A: They are the word of Jesus taken from the four Passion accounts.  Often a sermon is preached on the Seven Words from the Cross on Good Friday.

906-What is the meaning of Shekinah?
A: It is used to refer to an apparent dwelling presence of God with among God's people, like in the pillar of fire and the clouds which followed the people of Israel.

907-What was the Shema mean?
A: Shema means "Hear!"  and is the first word of the Jewish confession of faith, "Hear O Israel..."

908-What is Sheol?
A:  Sheol is the Hebrew word which refer to the holding place of departed spirits.

909-What is a Shibboleth?
A: It was a word test given to reveal the identity of the Ephraimites who could not pronounce it.

910-What is a Shrine?
A:  It may be a place where relics or sacred objects are kept where people come to pray.  A personal shrine might be a special place of prayer that one makes to go to often to pray and meditate.

911-What is the Sign of the Cross?
A: It is a liturgical gesture used to mark a cross upon a person or object as a way of designating it as belonging to Christ.  A cross is drawn with chrism on the brow of the newly baptized signifying that the baptized belongs to Christ.  In making the sign of the cross during the liturgy or during prayer it is a way of reminding ourselves about belonging to Christ.

912-Who was Silas?
A:  Silas was one of St. Paul's missionary companions whose stories are recounted in the Acts of the Apostle.

913-What is the Pool of Siloam?
A:  It was a pool in Jerusalem mention in the Gospel of John.  Jesus told a man to go there to bathe and be healed.

914-Who was Simon the Zealot?
A: He was one of the twelve disciples.  The Zealots were a religious party that were committed to expel the Romans from their country.

915-What is the significance of Sodom and Gomorrah?
A: They were cities destroyed by brimstone and fire because they were inhospitable to divine messengers who came to rescue Lot, the nephew of Abraham.

916-Why was Solomon famous?
A:  He was the son of King David and Bathsheba.  He succeeded David and built the first temple.  He had many wives.  He is known as the wisest person of ancient Israel and many of the wisdom writing of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha derive from his reputation as a wise man.

917-What is the Song of Solomon?
A: It is a very graphic love story in the Old Testament.  It may be about a young woman who has been given to be the king's wife but she is in love with someone special.  This love story has been interpreted as the relation between Christ and the church or God and God's people.

918-What is the soul?
A: Soul is a label for the interior life of person which includes the human attributes of mind, emotions and will.  Psueche is the Greek word for soul and St. Paul hints at a tripartite explanation of the human person as body, soul and spirit.

919-What is the spirit?
A: Spirit refers to the inner most part of the human being according to some biblical passages. 

920-What is the Star of Bethlehem?
A: The star referred to in the Gospel of Matthew in infancy narrative of Jesus.  The magi followed the star of Bethlehem.

921-What are Stations of the Cross?
A:  They are representations of 14 stages in the Passion of Christ.  Often Holy Week devotions include walking the stations and reciting the various Scripture readings which pertain to the station.

922-Who was St. Stephen?
A: According to the Acts of the Apostle, he was a deacon.  He was pursued by Saul and others because of his witness to Christ and he was stoned and was one of the first martyrs of the Christian faith. 

923-What is a surplice?
A:  It is a white vestment worn over a cassock by clergy or by choir members.  Short surplices are called cottas.

924-Who are the Swiss Guards?
A: They are the military guardians of the Papal Palace.  Their brightly colored uniforms were designed by Michelangelo.

925-What is a synagogue?
A: A synagogue is the worship place of the Jews.  They became the regular meeting place when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and when they were in captivity in Babylon.

926-What are the Synoptic Gospels and the Synoptic Problem?
A:  The Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark and Luke.  The Synoptic Problem has to do with the issue of how Matthew and Luke use the writings of Mark and another source as well as having their own original material.

927-Who was Thomas Tallis?
A: He was one of the important musicians in Anglican Church history and was the musician for Henry VIII.  We still sing many of Tallis' compositions.

928-What is a Targum?
A: Targum is the name given to Aramaic translations and paraphrases of the Hebrew Scripture from the time when Aramaic had become the lingua franca of the world due to the Assyrian Empire.

929-What is teleology and why is it significant in the argument for the existence of God?
A:  Telos means the end and the teleological argument makes the case for God by the observation that creation has purpose and design which proves that God is.

930-What is Temptation?
A:  It is which one tricked or incited to sin.

931-What is the Temptation of Christ?
A:  The Gospels state that Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan.

932-What is the Tetrgrammaton?
A:  It is the four consonants for the holy name of God in Hebrew which the Jews refuse to pronounce out respect for the Holy Name.

933-Who was Thaddaeus?
A: He was one of the Twelve disciples sometimes identified as Jude but not Iscariot.

934-What is Theism?
A: It refers to the belief in God.

935-What is theocracy?
A: It is the unification of civil politics and religious practice and authority.

936-What is theodicy?
A:  Theodicy is making a defense for the existence and reality of God in face of the things which might make one doubt God, something like the presence of innocent suffering in the world.

937-What is theology?
A: It is the formal study about the nature of God.  It means, "God talk" or words about the human experience of God.

938-What is a theophany?
A: Theophany is an event which persuades the person who experiences it that God has become known to them in  an apparent way.  Moses receiving the law on Mount Sinai was a theophany.  Jesus on the Mount of the Transfiguration was a theophany.

939-Who is Theophilus?
A: The recipient of the writings of Luke.  It could be a person of that name or a name for any reader who is a "friend of God" which is what Theophilus means.

940-What does Theotokos mean?
A:  It means "God-bearer" and is a title for the Virgin Mary.

941-What is the significance of Thessalonians?
A:  It is the name the inhabitants of Thessalonica in Macedonia and two letters of Paul were sent to Christians there.  First Thessalonians is believed to be the first New Testament writing.  It was written to the believers there who were worried about what would happen to their Christian friends who had died before the return of Christ.

942-What are the 39 Articles?
A: They are doctrinal statements in the Anglican Communion which arose to give definition in the midst of controversies of the 16th century.  They have been variously received and in the 19 century clergy had to subscribe to affirming that the Book of Common Prayer and the 39 Articles are agreeable to the Word of God.  The 39 Articles are listed in the Book of Common Prayer in the section on "historical documents."

943-What is the Gospel of Thomas?
A: The Gospel of Thomas is attributed to Thomas, called the Twin who was one of the 12.  It is not in the New Testament and is called a "Gnostic Gospel."  Gnostic was a later designation of writings which were regarded to be heretical at a later time when orthodoxy was being defined.

943-What is Thomism?
A: Thomism is the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas.

944-Who was Timothy?
A: He was a young missionary companion of Paul on his second missionary journey.  Two letters that are in the group of Paul's letter are First and Second Timothy and along with the letter to Titus have become regarded to be deuteron-Pauline, meaning they were inspired by the witness of St. Paul even though he probably did not write them.

945-What is the meaning of the tithe?
A:  Tithe refers to the offerings given for work of God.  It was like a "religious tax" articulated in the Hebrew Scripture and was used for the upkeep of the temple and the religious leaders and for alms for the poor.

946-What does Total Depravity mean?
A: It refers to human tendency to sin after the Fall in the Garden of Eden.  It had common use in the following of John Calvin.

947-What does Tradition meaning Christianity?
A:  It refers to the revelation given to faithful people through the prophets and the apostles.  This Tradition is handed over to people in each generation.  More recently tradition refers to the continuous process of explaining and applying the revelation into new situations.

948-What is the Transfiguration?
A: It is event recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke of Jesus and his disciples climbing a mountain and in the midst of clouds the appearance of Jesus brightened and Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus.  A heavenly voice declared Jesus to God beloved Son.

949-What was the Council of Trent?
A: It was a Council of the Roman Catholic Church to codify the reforms of what is called the Counter-Reformation due to the spread of Protestantism.  The Council occurred from 1545-1563.  Tridentine refers to the doctrines and practices which derived from the Council of Trent.

950-What is the Trisagion?
A:  It is the chant: Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One.  It is found in the Eastern Church liturgies and is used during the reproaches on Good Friday.  It is also used as an optional chant for the Kyrie Eleison, after the collect for purity at the opening of the Eucharist in the Book of Common Prayer.

951-When is Trinity Sunday?
A: It is the Sunday after the Feast of Pentecost.

952-What is Unction?
A:  It refers to anointing with oil.  Such anointing are used at baptism, confirmation, the prayer for the sick and ordination. 

953-What is the Vatican?
A: It is papal residence and compound in Rome.  The Vatican in general refers to things "papal."

954-What is the Second Vatican Council?
A: It is Council convened by Pope John XXIII and lasting from 1962-1965.  The chief reform was allowing the liturgy to be said in the vernacular language.  Before that time, Latin was the exclusive liturgical language of the Roman Catholic Church.

955-What is a Veil?
A: A veil is the cloth used to cover the chalice and rest on top of the pall.  The burse is placed on top of the veil.

956-What is Veneration of the Cross?
A:  This is part of the Good Friday liturgy when a Cross or Crucifix is placed at the altar for veneration.

957-What is the Veni Creator?
A:  It is a hymn invoking the Holy Spirit upon our lives and is used at ordinations and feasts of the Holy Spirit.

958-What are vestments?
A:  Liturgical garments.

959-What is the Vestry of a parish?
A: A Vestry is the board of lay members who are elected by a parish to manage the affairs of the parish.  They serve during the year as the executive committee of the Annual Parish Meeting.  The name derived from the vesting room of the priests in English churches which came to be used for parish meetings.

960-What is a vicar?
A: It is someone who serves as an ordain priest in a parish who has been appointed by the bishop of a diocese to do so.  A rector is a priest who has been selected by the vestry and members of a parish and who has the bishop's approval to serve in the parish.

961-What is a Vigil?
A: A Vigil is a service of prayer convening in the late evening.  The chief Vigil of the year is the Easter Vigil which includes the lighting of the Paschal Candle, the Reading of Salvation History, Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist.

962-What are Vows?
A:  Vows are used in the various sacraments of the church.  Person makes promises to follow Christ in specific ways.  There are Baptismal Vows, Marriage Vows and Ordination Vows.

963-What is Wartburg known for?
A: It was the place of a castle where Martin Luther was hidden for safety after being seized.

964-Who were John and Charles Wesley?
A: They were Anglican priests who were founders of the Methodist Movement in the 18th century.  Charles is best known for the many hymns he wrote.  John was known for being a dynamic preacher and evangelist.

965-What was the Synod of Whitby?
A: A meeting in 664 at the convent of the Abbess Hilda.  They settled the Easter Date disagreement.  England severed connections with the Old Irish Church in favor of the practices of the Roman Catholic Church.

966-What is Whitsunday?
A: Another name for the Feast of Pentecost.

967-What is William Wilberforce best known for?
A: He was a member of the English Parliament who worked for the end of the slave trade and the abolition of slavery.

968-What is the significance of Wisdom in the Bible?
A: A section of biblical literature is called Wisdom literature.  Wisdom teachers adopted King Solomon as their patron.  Wisdom in the Hebrew is used as a feminine personification of divine immanence or divine omnipresence in the organization of all things.

969-Why is Wittenberg known in the history of the Reformation?
A: Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses against some Roman Catholic Church practices on the door of the parish church at  the Wittenberg Castle.

970-Who was Zacchaeus?
A:  He was a tax collector who climbed a tree to get a look at Jesus.  Jesus called him and went to his home.  Zacchaeus paid back people whom he had cheated and followed Jesus.

971-Who were the Zealots?
A:  They were a Jewish religious party of revolt against the Romans.  Their revolt led to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the eyar 70.

972-What is the book of Zechariah?
A:  It is a minor prophet who wrote before the Temple had been rebuilt.  His writing includes  eight prophetic visions.

973-What is Zion?
A: A fortress in Jerusalem captured by David.  It came to signify the holy hill of God and Zion is also an allegory for the heavenly city.

974-What famous Queen of the South visited King Solomon?
A: The Queen of Sheba

975-Why is the Road to Emmaus known?
A:  It is a road to a village near Jerusalem and the place where the risen Christ met and talked with two disciples and the identity of Christ only became suddenly known when they broke bread together.

976-The Gospel of John quote many "I am" phrases of Jesus.  What are they?
A: I am the Light of the World, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Resurrection, the Vine, the Door of the Sheep, the Good Shepherd.

977-Why was Paul on a journey to the city of Rome?
A: Since he was a Roman citizen, he appealed to the Emperor in a dispute with the Jews and so he was sent by escort to Rome.

978-Where in the Bible does it say that God is Love?
A: 1 John 4:8

979-What disciple betrayed Jesus?
A: Judas Iscariot

980-What disciple denied knowing Jesus when Jesus had been captured by the soldiers?
A: Simon Peter

981-What were the names of Jacob's wives?
A: Leah and Rachael

982-What two people in the Old Testament were known for interpreting dreams?
A:  Joseph and Daniel

983-What is the Song of Miriam?
A: It is a song sung by Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses about the defeat of the Egyptian army in the waters of the Red Sea.  This song is often sung at the Easter Vigil.

984-Who was David's best friend?
A: Jonathan who was son of King Saul

985-What does the Root of Jesse mean?
A: Jesse was the father of King David and Root of Jesse refers to family tree of Jesus.

986-Why is Jesus called the Alpha and the Omega?
A: Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and so this expression refers to the eternal nature of Christ.

987-When did The Episcopal Church first ordain women to the priesthood?
A:  They officially agreed to so in the General Convention of 1976 and "regularized the"irregular" ordinations or women which occurred before 1976.  The first ordinations occurred in 1977.

988-Who was the first woman Presiding Bishop of the United States?
A: The Right Rev. Kathaine Jefforts Schori

989-Who was the first African American priest ordained in the United States?
A: Absalom Jones ordained in 1804

990-Who will be the first African American Presiding Bishop?
A:  The Right Rev. Michael Curry, who will be installed November 1, 2015

991: Who was the first woman bishop of The Episcopal Church?
A:  The Right Rev. Barbara Harris, consecrated bishop in 1989.

992-Who is the Archbishop of Canterbury?
A: The Most Rev. Justin Welby, since 2013

994-In the Book of Common Prayer what do Rite One and Rite Two mean?
A: Rite One is the liturgy retained in older English language from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.  Rite Two are prayers in more contemporary English as well as prayers which are inspired by ancient liturgies.

995-Where is the National Cathedral of The Episcopal Church?
A: Washington D.C.

996-What year was the most recent Book of Common Prayer approved by The General Convention of The Episcopal Church?
A: 1979

997-What year was the most recent Hymnal approved by The General Convention of The Episcopal Church?
A: 1982

998-What does being received into The Episcopal Church mean?
A: It means that the Episcopal Church does not re-confirm persons who have been confirmed in another church whose apostolic ministry is recognized by The Episcopal Church.  An Episcopal Bishop receives a person who has been previously confirmed in another church.

999-What is the Easter acclamation?
A: Alleluia, Christ is Risen.  The Lord is Risen indeed.  Alleluia.

1000-What is the Book of Common Prayer version of "Last Rites?"
A: Ministration at the Time of Death.