DICTIONARY: D - H

Deacon. (Gr. "assistant, servant"). The first of the three orders of priesthood. A deacon is not permitted to perform the sacraments, but assists the bishop and the presbyter in the Eucharist and other services or ministries of the church.

Dean. (Gr. Proistamenos). An honorary title given to a presbyter, meaning:

the senior priest in a cathedral of a diocese;

the senior priest in a large parish;

the head of the faculty in a theological seminary.

Deaconess. A pious lay woman assisting in the church as a caretaker or charity worker. The practice of using deaconesses in the Church was very ancient; however, it gradually disappeared.

Decalogue: the Ten Commandments.

Deification. (Greek -Theosis) The Orthodox concept of salvation as a process of growth during which the Holy Spirit transforms the believer 8 into the Image and Likeness of God and a partaker of The Divine Nature (ed. Essence). Orthodox theology does not describe salvation in juridical or legalisic terms. The Orthodox Church makes no distinction between justification and sanctification but sees both as part of one process of growth into salvation. See also "Synergy."

Didache. also known as The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, Possibly a modern forgery. It is not mentioned as far as I am aware by Eusebius in his breakdown of categorization of books involving decisions over the canon, into 4 types homologoumena ("accepted"), antilegomena, and 'heretical'; and notha ("spurious").

Didache is a brief anonymous early Christian treatise, dated by Catholic and Orthodox scholars to the first century. The first line of this treatise is "The teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles (or Nations) by the twelve apostles". The text, parts of which constitute the oldest extant written catechism, has three main sections dealing with Christian ethics, rituals such as baptism and Eucharist, and Church organisation.

note: important to the study of how quickly the church went into apostasy, and if the author was in one of the early cults such as the Nicolaitanes, and various other cults mentioned in the new testament.

Diocese. (Gr. Episkopi). A town or fully organized church district under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction and pastoral direction of a bishop

Diocese (called an ordinary in Catholicism).

Divine Liturgy - the chanting of a mixture of truth and heresy. This is always bound up in the separate sin of metousiosis, or holy cannibalism. This ritualistic chanting is used to bewitch the audience into accepting heresy as it is chanted and therefore is seen as becoming somehow therefore religious truth. I trace its origin as a warped counterfeit of the Song of Solomon, that is the dialogue between Christ and his bride, and that this proves it is part of a process of religious seduction, as Christ is replaced by a priesthood of evil who are trying to seduce any and all listeners into not being part of Christ's bride..

Docetism: (from the Koine Greek: δοκεῖν/δόκησις dokeĩn "to seem", dókēsis "apparition, phantom",[1][2] is the doctrine that the phenomenon of Jesus, his historical and bodily existence, and above all the human form of Jesus, was mere semblance without any true reality.[3][4] Broadly it is taken as the belief that Jesus only seemed to be human, and that his human form was an illusion.

Dogma. the basic truths of theology, the fundamentals of the faith, the essential truths of the Gospel without which there is no salvation.

Dormition. (see assumption).

Dyophysitism: In Christian theology, dyophysitism (Greek: δυοφυσιτισμός, from δυο (dyo), meaning "two" and φύσις (physis), meaning "nature") is the Christological position that two natures, divine and human, exist in the person of Jesus Christ. It contrasts with monophysitism and miaphysitism.[1]

Laughably the fact that this doctrines development wa gradual is yet another proof of the bogus stance of Orthodoxy that early Christians held the same hardline doctrinal stances about so called "baptismal requirements".

Dyothelitism or dythelitism - (from Greek δυοθελητισμός "doctrine of two wills") is a particular Christological doctrine that teaches the existence of two wills (divine and human) in the person of Jesus Christ.

Ebionism: the heresy that Jesus was conceived by intercourse between Mary and Joseph. (see also: Collyridianism, Helvidianism, Nestorianism, Valentinianism.)

Ecclesia. (Gr. "the gathering of the people").

The gathering of the faithful at the church for worship and fellowship;

The church where the liturgy is celebrated;

The Church as the Body of Christ.

Ecclesiastical. Whatever deals with or pertains to the Church and its life.

Ecclesiology. The branch of theology studying the nature, constitution, function, and membership of the Church.

Ecumenical Council. (Catholic def). A gathering of all bishops of the world in order to make solemn decisions for the universal pseudo church.

Ecumenical Patriarchate. they alone can prepare the magic potion called chrism.

Economy, economia. discretionary - discretionary deviation from the letter of the law in order to adhere to the spirit of the law. Only bishops have such discretion,

It is an exceptionally, staggeringly serious doctrinal issue as the concept is used for instance:

1) to justify remarriage against the criteria of Matthew 5:32.

2) It may be used on the occasion of a conversion to Orthodoxy, in order to grant recognition to a baptism previously administered in a so called heterodox or schismatic church.

3) It may also be used to grant recognition to an ordination administered in a Roman Catholic or Anglican church if the convert comes from either of those communions.

Ecumenical Patriarchate. The "First Among Equals" of all the Orthodox autocephalous churches, it was founded by St. Andrew the Apostle. Visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople home page for more information, historical notes, encyclicals, official documents, and photo and video galleries.

Ecumenism. The movement of Christian Churches toward a mutual understanding of their problems and the concept of unity and love willed by Christ. (remember - these are their own definitions, not good definitions - The effort to bring about unity among all churches is another way of phrasing it, which can mean an underlying plot to form one big false church with the Pope as leader).

Edict of Thessalonica. The Edict of Thessalonica (also known as Cunctos populos), issued on 27 February AD 380 by three reigning Roman Emperors, made Nicene Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.[1]

Edict of Milan: was the February 313 AD agreement to treat Christians sycophantic to Constantine benevolently within the Roman Empire, but in practical terms was this really all those calling themselves Christians, including pacifists who saw Constantine as a fake Christian?

Encyclical: A letter from the pope or Titular head to their entire respective church.

Eisegesis: Putting into a writing what is not in it. (not valid)

Elenchus: The logical refutation of an error.

Energies. (energeia). The essence–energies distinction is an Eastern Orthodox theological concept which states that there is a distinction between the essence or superessential essence (ousia) and the energies (energeia) of God. It was formulated by Gregory Palamas of Thessaloniki (1296-1359), as part of his defense of the Athonite monastic practice of hesychasmos [note 1] against the charge of heresy brought by the humanist scholar and theologian Barlaam of Calabria.[1][2].. They believe his essence and energies are uncreated.

Engolpion. (Gr. "upon the chest"). The bishop's medallion, usually of enamel and richly decorated with precious stones, hanging upon his chest and signifying his episcopal office.

Enhypostasis - alternative form of enhypostasia. (theology) The merging of the divine and human natures in the person of Jesus Christ. (plural enhypostases),

enhypostasis, which insists that, nevertheless, Jesus was truly a human being.

Eparchy. (Gr. "province, region"). Churches of countries that have not achieved a self-governing status, An ecclesiastical jurisdiction headed by a bishop, metropolitan, or archbishop. First they plant a church, then form an Eparchy, then expand from there. They often start to buy up land, in a slow insidious attempt to take over nations with their combination of religious and political power. just like Roman Catholicism.

Epiklesis or Epiclesis. (Gr. Epiklesis). Special prayer or petition by the Priest to "invoke" or to call upon the Holy Spirit, in order that God's Grace will descend for the consecration of the Holy Gifts at the Eucharist. It occurs shortly after the Words of Institution are spoken by the celebrant.

Nicholas Cabasilas was the first Byzantine writer to defend the legitimacy of the Epikesis, and after Nicholas, this subject became a regular anti-Orthodox recrimination

Equal to the Apostles. (Gr. Isapostolos). An honorary title given to saints such as St. Constantine and St. Cyril and St. Methodios for their missionary work in the Church.

Eschatology. (Gr. "the last things to happen"). The theological field concerned with life after death, especially the "last things," i.e., the state of the dead, the Second Coming of Christ, and the Final Judgment.

(note: however the Orthodox religion actively tries to dissuade its people not to interpret the Book of Revelation, in case they logically deduce the various Orthodox churches are the daughters of The Mother of Harlots.)

Ethnophyletism: from Greek ἔθνος ethnos "nation" and φυλετισμός phyletismos "tribalism") is the principle of nationalities applied in the ecclesiastical domain: in other words, the conflation between Church and nation. An excessive emphasis on the principle of nationalism in the organization of church affairs; a policy which attaches greater importance to ethnic identity than to bonds of faith and worship; (originally) specifically the claim of the Bulgarian Church to jurisdiction over Bulgarian nationals in all parts of the world. (also Phyletism).

Eucharist. Eucharistia: Thanksgiving. (see Communion).

They believe they "have no life in them" without the eucharist, that is administered by a priest, thus it is sacerdotalist priestcraft salvation (co Saviour).

Eucharistic adoration / devotion: the Roman Catholic practice of open ritualistic worship of the (so called) consecrated host, not an open practice in Orthodoxy, but the same idolatry does occur - as after all it is supposed to be "God manifest in the flesh, body, soul and divinity" which is then digested.

Eutychianism: refers to a set of Christian theological doctrines derived from the ideas of Eutyches of Constantinople (c. 380 – c.456). The Copts consistently repudiate the Western identification of Alexandrine Christianity with the Eutychianism which originated in Constantinople and which they have always regarded as a flagrant heresy (monophysitism) since it declared the complete absorption of Christ's manhood in his single divine nature whereas the Copts clearly upheld the doctrine of the two natures, divine and human - mystically united in one (miaphysitism) without confusion, corruption or change.

Eusebian canons, Eusebian sections or Eusebian apparatus, also known as Ammonian sections : :are the system of dividing the four Gospels used between late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The divisions into chapters and verses used in modern texts date only from the 13th and 16th centuries, respectively.

Eusebius x 2 - Eusebius, the bishop of Nicomedia (not to be confused with Eusebius the so called historian). the doctrines of Arius, were spread with the help of Eusebius, the bishop of Nicomedia.

Evangelists. The authors of the Gospels (Evangelia), who, according to Church belief, were inspired by God in the writing of the Bible. The Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In the Orthodox Church, they are symbolically represented by a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, respectively.

Exarch. (Gr. "representative with full authority"). The head of an ecclesiastical jurisdiction, usually an Archbishop, representing the head of the Church (i.e., Patriarch) in the administration of a national Church.

Exarchate - a Byzantine province governed by an exarch. eg Philippines.

Ex Cathedra: (adverb& adjective). with the full authority of office (especially that of the Pope, implying infallibility as defined in Roman Catholic doctrine). [ as adv. ] : for an encyclical to be infallible the Pope must speak ex cathedra. [ as adj. ] : this papal judgement is not ex cathedra.

Excommunication. (Gr. Aphorismos). A penalty or censure by which a baptized individual is excluded from the communion and fellowship of the Church, for committing and remaining obstinate in certain mortal sins, or so called heresies. Church members may excommunicate themselves by absence from the sacraments and by actions contrary to Church law. This separates them from receiving their monthly dose of empowering saving grace from eating Jesus, thus is perceived as deadly to the soul.

Exegesis: Reading out of a writing what is in the writing. Valid. see Eisegesis:

Exorcism: See the article on exorcism in the Orthodox Church.

Extreme Unction or "Last rites". The Orthodox try to hide this heretical practice, by saying they only have unction, and no distinct last or extreme unction, but if so why do they include a prayer they call “separation of soul and body." ? The historic School of Prophecy link this practice to the 666 mark, and say this last minute commitment to the wrong Faith is why the 666 mark cannot be forgiven.

Fast. Lent (q.v) and certain days of the year, such as Holy Cross Day, September 14, and the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, August 29, during which Orthodox Christians fast. Orthodox Christians also abstain from meat on most Wednesdays and Fridays of the year.

Fanar. The Greek neighbourhood of Constantinople (Istanbul)

Fathers. Great theologians, chiefly during the first eight centuries. Although the Church considers no individual Father infallible, the common Faith of the Fathers (consensus patrum) expresses the essence of the Faith of the Orthodox Church.

Five Holy Wounds - also known as the Five Sacred Wounds or the Five Precious Wounds are the five piercing wounds Jesus Christ suffered during the crucifixion.

Florinites: One of three major types of Old Calendarist Eastern Orthodox Churches, the others being the Cyprianites and the .Matthewites (smallest). see old calendarists.

Fool-for-Christ: a saint known for his apparent, yet holy insanity. examples

Four Marks of the Church: also known as the Attributes of the Church, is a term describing four distinctive adjectives—

"1) one,

2) holy,

3) catholic

4) and apostolic" [1]

—of traditional Christian ecclesiology as expressed in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed completed at the First Council of Constantinople in AD 381: "[I believe] in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church." [ 2]

Friary: A friary is the male version of a convent. It’s a place where religious men called brothers live, work, and pray together, although they may work outside the friary. Friars bridge the gap between the urban parish and the monastery, and they aren’t as cloistered or semi-cloistered as their monk and nun counterparts.

Glorification - the Orthodox version of canonization. Evangelicals and Protestants believe all Christians are saints (Romans 1) . Sainthood in the Eastern Orthodox Church is achieved by Christians reading about an individual’s righteous life, witnessing their performance of miracles, and if there were any writings and preaching they must be “fully Orthodox.”

https://orthodoxwiki.org/Glorification

God-parents. (Godfather, Gr. Nounos; Godmother, Gr. Nouna). Sponsors at Baptism and Chrismation taking the responsibility for the faith and spiritual development of the newly-born Christian. The Orthodox people highly regard the spiritual bond and relationship between godparents and their godchildren, and marriage between them is prohibited (see affinity).

Golden Rule: (Catholic) "Do to others whatever you would have them do unto you" a teaching of Jesus the Roman Catholic religion has seldom kept.

Grace. (in Orthodox theology)

1) Divine energy emanating from the Divine Essence.

2) Uncreated Light;

3) Divine Power; communicated by the Holy Spirit for many purposes, the highest of which is spiritual transformation, healing and Communion with God, that just happens to be transmitted to mankind through acts of priestcraft like communion, triple baptism and chrismation (pure heresy).

note: the Protestant and Evangelical Greek scholars definition of grace is "unmerited favour" an issue that needs confronting. It seems the Orthodox Greeks are being entirely deceptive here in a way that needs much debate, clarity and exposure.

Guardian Angel. (Gr. Phylakas Angelos). The Orthodox believe that certain angels are appointed by God at baptism to guide and protect each faithful person. A prayer of the Orthodox Liturgy asks for "an angel of Peace, a faithful guide and guardian of our soul and bodies."

Hagia Sophia. (Gr. Agia Sophia). The Cathedral of Constantinople in which the Ecumenical Patriarchs and Byzantine Emperors were enthroned. It is the greatest Orthodox church, dedicated to the Holy Wisdom of God. It was built by the emperor Justinian (the war monger) in the year 532 A.D.; its architecture is an outstanding example of the so-called Byzantine Orthodox order. Select this link to visit the web site on Hagia Sophia.

Hagiography. (Gr. Hagiologia). The writings of the Church Fathers and the study of the lives of the saints. The Orthodox Church is a reservoir of such writings, which the faithful are urged to read for their spiritual growth and development.

Hatjis. (or Chatzis; fem. Hatjina; Ar. "pilgrim"). A title or name given to those who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and are "baptized" in the Jordan River. Such a pilgrim may assume the title of Hatjis for the rest of his or her life. One also may attach this word before the baptismal name to produce a variation such as Hatji-Yiorgis or Hatji-Yiannis. Such names often become surnames, especially common among Greeks.

He Kaine Diatheke: The New Testament.

Helvidianism: a word invented to suggest that the obvious bible teaching that after Jesus was born Mary and Joseph had sex and had children, is in fact a heresy to be attributed to Helvidius in a work written before 383 AD.

(see also: Collyridianism, Ebionism, Nestorianism, Valentinianism.)

Henotikon : was a christological document issued by Byzantine emperor Zeno in 482, in an unsuccessful attempt to reconcile the differences between the supporters of the Council of Chalcedon and the council's opponents. It was followed by the Acacian schism.[1]

Heresy. (Gr. "new and personal belief or idea"). The denial or rejection of a revealed dogma or belief accepted and professed by the Church. An individual who begins a heresy is a heretic and is excommunicated.

Hermeneia: Interpretation, hermeneutics.

Hermit. (see Anchorite).

Hesychasm. A spiritual movement in the Byzantine Empire (fourteenth century) developed on Mount Athos, Greece. The term means "to be quiet" and signifies the system of spiritual development through meditation, contemplation, and perfection to the degree of absolute union with God (theosis). It is one of the forms of Orthodox Mysticism and is still practiced in the Orthodox world. One major feature of Hesychasm is emphasis on the "Jesus Prayer (q.v.)." Orthodox Christians believe that it is possible to experience God, because in Christ, God shared his life with humanity. Hesychasm is closely related to Apophatic (q.v.) and Palamite Theology (q.v.).

Heterodoxy. Different, alien, and presumably false belief or teaching. The Orthodox Church describes as such all other Christian denominations.

Heteroousios: a term used by Arius to describe the nature of Jesus. It means "of a different substance" and thus Arianism seeks to describe Jesus as being separate from God the Father. Reactions escalated and the result was the Council of Nicea where it was affirmed that Jesus and the Father were of the same substance (homoousios).

(see homoousious and homoiousios)

Hierarchy. The higher clergy or College of bishops who are assigned to rule over spiritual matters of the church.

Holy Orders. ordination (known as Cheirotonia, "laying on of hands") to be a Sacred Mystery (what in the West is called a sacrament). Although all other mysteries may be performed by a presbyter, ordination may only be conferred by a bishop, and ordination of a bishop may only be performed by several bishops together. Cheirotonia always takes place during the Divine Liturgy.

There are three types of holy orders

1) Bishop,

2) Priest

3) Deacon.

Holy Spirit / Procession of. Orthodox Christians believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father. They reject the belief that the Holy Spirit also proceeds eternally from God the Son. The Orthodox refusal to accept the Roman Catholic doctrine of the double procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son ,"filioque"," was one of the chief dogmatic reasons for the Great Schism between Orthodoxy and the Roman Catholic Church.

Holy Synod. The Council of Bishops (q.v.) which functions as the chief authority of an Autocephalous Church (q.v.).

Holy Water. (Gr. Agiasmos). Water blessed at the service of the "Great Blessing" on the feast day of Epiphany (Jan. 6) or on other occasions (Small Blessing). It is used for the blessing of people, as at Holy Communion, or for the blessing of things for their well-being.

Homoousios & homoousian & homoousion:

the Christological doctrine formulated at the first ecumenical council, at Nicaea in 325, to affirm that God the Son and God the Father are "of the same substance", or consubstantial.

Apparently in the Council of Nicaea there were three groups to settle the heretical Arian controversy that Jesus was created,

1) the Arians themselves,

2) the Orthodox type,

3) the Eusebian Group, who theologically agreed with the Orthodox type but disagreed with the use of the word Homoousious as Sabellianists heretics had previously used the word too.

(see heteroousios and homoiousios)

Homoiousios:: the word means "similar substance" rather than "the same substance" and is very easily confused by non Greek speaking Europeans with Homoousios, there being only on "iota" in difference in the spelling.

(see heteroousios and homoousios)

Homolegoumena: Accepted by all. see Antilegomena: Disputed by some.

Horologion. (Gr. "Book of the Hours"; Sl. Chasoslov). The Liturgical book containing the services and prayers of the different hours of the day, i.e., Compline, Matins, Vespers, and the Office of the Hours (see hours).

Hypostasis. Something that has an individual existence. Orthodox Theologians use the term hypostasis as an equivalent to the Western term "Person" when discussing the Holy Trinity. God is three hypostasi, The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit in one essence or ousia (q.v.). Christ is two natures, human and divine, in one hypostasis

Hypostatic Union. refers to Jesus having two natures in one person, or dichotomy, of natures. contrast Monophysitism, Nestorianism, Eutychianism.

Abbreviations:

appr. = approximately
Ar. = Arabic
Aram. = Aramaic
cf. = see, check
esp. = especially
fem. = feminine n. = neuter

Gr. = Greek
Hebr. = Hebrew
Lat. = Latin
masc. = masculine
Sl. = Slavonic

O.C.A.

Orthodox Church America .com

DICTIONARY: D - H