Glossary
homoousios: Key term used in the Nicene Creed to describe the relation of
the Son to the Father, translated into English in various ways: consubstantial
(from consubstantialis, the standard Latin translation of the term), “of one
substance,” “of one essence” or “of one being,” it means that the Son has the
same divine essence as the Father.hyperousios: A technical term meaning literally “above essence” or “above
being” and sometimes translated “superessential” (since the Latin preposition
super is the equivalent of the Greek preposition hyper, both of which mean
“above”). Pseudo Dionysius used this term to express the transcendence of
the Trinity, which is beyond all being and knowing.hypostasis: A Greek term for “complete individual being” (a tree, a star, a
dog, an angel, and a human being are all hypostases. A hand, an eye, and
human nature or essence are not). This is a technical term for what is three
in the Trinity and one in Christ, which Eastern Orthodox theologians use to
designate what Western theology typically calls “persons.”hypostatic union: A technical term for the unique unity between the two
natures, divine and human, in the one person or hypostasis of Christ.icon: The Greek word for “image” (for example in the biblical phrase “image
and likeness of God”), used to describe the holy images of Christ, saints, and
angels venerated by the Eastern Orthodox and also by Roman Catholics.iconodules: Those who venerate icons, in contrast to iconoclasts (which
means literally those who break icons). The word “iconodule” incorporates
the key defense of icons made in the Second Council of Nicaea 787, which
is that icons are not worshiped like an idol (with the worship called in Greek,
latreia) but only venerated (with the veneration called in Greek, dulia).Immaculate Conception: The Roman Catholic doctrine, de¿ ned by Pope
Pius IX in 1854, that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without original
sin—thus her conception was immaculate (literally “spotless”) because it
was free from any spot or stain of original sin.