Glossary
Glossary
absolution: From a Latin verb meaning “to loose” (related to the word
“dissolve”), in a broad sense this term is another word for forgiveness of
sins, while in a narrow sense it means speci¿ cally the priest announcing
forgiveness of sins to the penitent in the sacrament of Penance by saying,
“I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.”actualism: A technical term for the emphasis on revelation as an event,
characteristic of the neo Orthodox theologians, especially Karl Barth.adiaphora: A Greek term meaning “indifferent things,” adiaphora is a
technical term in theology referring to church practices which are not
necessary to obtain salvation or required by Christian faith, for example,
kneeling in church, use of special vestments, and making the sign of the
cross. Controversies often arose among Protestant groups (especially in
state churches like the German Lutherans and the Church of England) about
whether regulations requiring such practices could legitimately be made by
the church or enforced by the government.aeons (Sometimes spelled “aions”): Gnostics used this Greek term to
refer to other worldly spiritual principles making up the divine realm of
the Pleroma.aggiornamiento: (See Vatican, Second Council.)agility: In medieval theology, a quality of glori¿ ed human bodies after the
resurrection, which means they can freely and instantaneously (or nearly so)
move to whatever place the soul wishes to be. (See clarity, impassibility,
and subtlety.)