Christianity

Anglicanism in Nigeria

Anglicanism is a Protestant Christian tradition that emerged during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. It includes the Church of England and a variety of others around the world united by shared doctrine and practice under the Anglican Communion umbrella organization. The Archbishop of Canterbury is regarded as the unofficial spiritual leader of the international Anglican community.

The Anglican Church Mission Society (CMS) members Samuel Ajayi Crowther—who would become Nigeria’s first African Anglican bishop—and Rev. J.F. Schön were part of the original British...

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Apostle

In classical Greek, the term means “one who is sent away” as a messenger. In Christianity, the term is often used interchangeably with “disciple” but some scholars interpret Pentecost as a turning point in converting disciples or followers of Jesus into apostles or messengers of his teaching. 

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Apostle’s Creed

This is the Roman Catholic version of the Creed. Different Protestant and Orthodox communities have slightly altered wording.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the...

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Armenian Apostolic Church in Syria, The

The Armenian Apostolic Church is an Eastern Orthodox Church and the second largest Orthodox tradition in Syria. The Church was founded in Armenia where Christianity was established as the state religion in the year 301 CE. With the fall of the Armenian kingdoms in the 11th century and the rise of the Safavids in Iran in the 16th century, Armenians immigrated to cities throughout Anatolia and the Levant. In 1742, Rome officially recognized a separate Armenian Catholic Church and over the next two centuries, Protestant and Roman Catholic missionaries proselytized among members of the...

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Assembly of God

The Assembly of God is Brazil’s largest Pentecostal church, claiming more than 14 million members. Part of the first wave of Pentecostal churches, two Swedish missionaries from Chicago introduced the church to northern Brazil in the 1910s and it retains a headquarters in Belém. Unlike other imports, the church empowered Brazilian converts from its first days and relied on Brazilians to evangelize their compatriots. Brazilians served as church planters, ministers and leaders, independent...

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Athanasius

Bishop of Alexandria from 328-373 CE.

 

Augustinian

A Roman Catholic order named after St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE) and founded in the Thirteenth Century.

Autocephalous

In the context of Christianity, an autocephalous church is one in which the Bishop or Patriarch is the highest ranking religious authority and does not report to any ecclesiastical authority above him. It is common designation among Eastern Orthodox churches.

Baptism

A ritual practice of cleansing and spiritual renewal. For Jews in Jesus’ time, the ritual of tvila was practiced by converts to Judaism and used for other forms of ritual cleansing. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, an itinerant preacher and one foretelling of the coming of the “Messiah” or anointed one. Many Christians interpret the baptism of Jesus by John as told in the Gospels as the time when Jesus...

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