Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church
1948 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126
San Jose, CA 95126
Anachronistic From the wrong time period. Anachronisms in writing usually indicate the writing was done later than the event depicted.
Androcentric Term signifying the centrality of the male, or that everything revolves around men.
Apocalyptic The final cataclysmic revelation of God's plan for the world, punishing the wicked and persecutors of the truth while vindicating the faithful who endured fierce trials and persecution.
Apocrypha Sacred writings not universally regarded as part of the canon of scripture. For the most part originally Greek, they included Jewish apocrypha, such as the books of Judith, Tobit, and the Maccabees, which stand outside the Jewish canon and the Old Testament canons of some Christian denominations.
Apostolic Authority (Authorship) The tradition that most New Testament documents were written by Christ's apostles and therefore share the special authority of Christ himself.
Asperges The Jewish ceremony of sprinkling with holy water.
Attender A non-member of Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church who worships with us on a regular, or semi-regular, basis.
Autonomos Discerning only our self will; opposite of a steward.
Beatitude Literally, state of blessing; specifically the verses in Matthew and Luke that begin "blessed are."
Biblical Criticism The application of literary, historical and other critical (discernment) methods to study the bible.
Canon A list or body of documents agreed upon as authoritative. The authority of a canon generally comes from the people who agree to or accept it, but a canon may later be given authority of its own, especially if it is regarded as closed or finalized.
Christology The study of the person and work of Christ. The understanding of the nature of Christ has developed over centuries and was a major focus of the early councils that systematized Christianity.
Chrysalis Bi-monthly full newsletter of Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church, published in odd numbered months.
Chrysalis ii Bi-monthly partial newsletter of Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church, published in even numbered months.
Conversion The call to think differently about who God is and about who I am as an individual.
Conscious Literalism Method of reading the bible in which one is aware of the problems that a literal reading poses but in which a literal reading is insisted upon nevertheless. This methodology requires "faith," understood as believing things hard to believe. This method of bible reading is used by most modern day fundamentalists and evangelicals.
Cosmological Theology Explanation of how the world came to be and God's relationship to it.
Criticism Discernment (as in Historical Criticism and Literary Criticism).
Designated Giving A monetary gift to HRLC that is made with a stipulation as to where it must be spent.
Diaspora Jewish communities living dispersed outside Jerusalem in ancient times, mostly in large cities such as Alexandria, Corinth and Rome.
Disciple A member of Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church who has completed Discovering Faith 201 and who is committed to developing the habits of Spiritual Maturity.
Disciples Doings Newsletter of Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church published specifically for Disciples on an intermittent schedule.
Discipling One of three ministry areas practiced at Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church; discipling involves recognizing that God blesses us and saves us and responding to God's actions by giving and witnessing.
Dispensation Intervals of time ordering God's grand timetable for world events. Invented by John Nelson Darby. There are seven, inserted into scripture in order to attempt to validate his non-scriptural thinking concerning the concept of the rapture.
Dispensationalism A system of thinking about the end-times reflecting the premises of John Nelson Darby concerning the rigid plan of history laid out by God as he divided human history into seven distinct dispensations or ages. This system is non-biblical.
Eco-kashrut Ethical consumption of goods.
Eireneuein Be at peace (a permanent condition; not a cessation of hostilities).
Eirenicon The "bringer of reconciliation."
Ephemeral Vanishing or short-lasting; literally "a day long."
Eschatology The study of the end of the world and the "last things" pertaining to it. Different Christian views interpret the end as literal, symbolic, futuristic, or realized.
Exegesis The explanation of the meaning of scripture texts.
First Fruits Biblical stewardship concept that we return to God first from the blessings that we have in our lives.
First Mile Giving A pledge to HRLC that can be utilized to support the budget in any way deemed necessary.
Follower A member of Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church who has completed Discovering Faith 101 and who is committed to pursuing the "Discipleship Track" of education which is offered.
Form Criticism The study of biblical texts by looking at the literary genres that form their backgrounds and contexts and usually relate to the historical circumstances as well.
Growth Giving Biblical stewardship concept that we grow in our stewardship as we progress in our faith journey.
Habits of Spiritual Maturity Those things that lead more deeply into lifestyle of discipleship: prayer, reading and study of God's word, stewardship.
Hesed (Grace, Mercy) The invitation of the divine and the human coming together and being lived out in our responses to that which is around us.
Historical Criticism The study of biblical texts by looking at the historical context in which the text was written.
History Metaphorized A story which has an historical event behind it, but in which the story is told so that the event is given a metaphorical meaning as well.
Immanence (of God) Belief that everything is in God (God is immanent); concept of God as a being who is found "right here."
Interpolation The addition of text by an editor or copyist to interpret or embellish the received text.
Journeying One of three ministry areas practiced at Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church; journeying involves learning about our faith and faith issues and applying our faith to all of life.
Katallage Reconciliation, indicating a change for the better in a relationship.
Makarios Happy or blessed; the word beginning all the Beatitudes, and also (in its feminine form) describing Mary in Luke 1: 45.
Makrothymia Having a "large spirit"; usually translated as "patience."
Marginalized Completely or mostly left out of the predominant economic and cultural power structure in a society.
Midrash An explanation of the underlying significance of a text or story.
Ministers The members of Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church.
Mishnah A compilation of, and commentary on, those Jewish legal traditions not found in the Bible. Produced ca. 200CE by great rabbi Judah the Prince, the Mishnah in turn gave rise to a wealth of commentary and interpretation that was collected and codified in the Talmud.
Mishpat (Justice) Sharing that which we have with those around us.
Member A person who has said that they would like to call Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church their church home and upon whom the privileges and responsibilities of membership have been conferred.
Metanoia To change your life so that you live in the opposite direction; to be transformed.
Metaphor Historicized A story based in a true metaphor which is told in such as way as to attempt to imbue the metaphorical with historical actuality.
Myth Metaphorical narratives about the relation between this world and the sacred; the language used for talking about what is ultimately real.
Natural Criticism The reading of scripture as narrative, with an emphasis on what did the original narrative mean for those for whom it was given and what does it mean for us today.
Natural Literalism Method of reading the bible in which it is accepted literally, without effort because there is no reason to think differently. This methodology of understanding does not require a literal interpretation of scripture.
Oikonomos Discerning the will of the master of the household; a steward.
Pagan A country dweller; one who lives outside the city and its culture.
Panentheism Way of thinking about God that affirms both the transcendence of God and the immanence of God.
Pantheism Belief system that identifies the universe with God. Pantheism affirms only God's immanence and essentially denies God's transcendence.
Paradox Something that is true although its' opposite is also true.
Paranesis Exhortation or moral instruction.
Parousia Coming or advent; used in reference to Christ's second coming.
Patriarchal A system of social, economic, political, and legal relationships in which the father is the head of the family and the entire household depends on him. In this system the condition of women is usually one of submission. Most well-known ancient societies were strongly patriarchal.
Polemic A strong argument; comes from the Greek word for "war."
Praxis Practice; the living out of religious or philosophical beliefs. Used to indicate action combined with reflection seeking to transform oppressive situations or social orders.
Proportionate Share Biblical stewardship concept involving the decision by an individual concerning what percentage of blessings should be given back to God.
Pseudepigrapha Religious writings outside the Jewish and Christian canon, Apocrypha, and the corpus of rabbinic works. They are often attributed to a biblical figure, such as Enoch.
Pseudonym A false name. It was commonplace in the ancient world for writers to enhance the authority of their writing by attributing it to a better know or respected figure. The presence of anachronisms is one clue that a doctrine might have been attributed to someone other than the actual writer.
Rapture A non-biblical concept based upon a misunderstanding of several biblical texts (among them are Daniel 9:25-27, 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, Matthew 24: 39-42, Luke 17: 34-35, Matthew 24 and 25, John 14, 1-2, and several texts in the Book of Revelation) that claims some Christians will be "taken up" to heaven to observe the war between Satan and Christ.
Redaction The editing and ordering of written materials by someone other than the writer.
Redaction Criticism The study of editing work that draws conclusions from what has been moved or left out or condensed and what the editors' purposes might have been.
Reductionism Oversimplification; trying to fit complex ideas into an interpretation that denies or omits their complexity.
Relating One of the three ministry areas practiced at Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church; relating involves interacting with God and involving others and interacting with others and involving God.
Ruach Breath; spirit.
Second Mile Giving Giving beyond the "first mile" pledge that a steward makes to the congregation; giving to special benevolence, etc.
Sedekai (Righteousness) Seeking the heart of God in all that we do.
Seeker A non-member who is looking for a church home.
Shekinah The Divine presence of God within the world.
Sitz im Leben "Setting in Life"; the specific context in which a biblical text was written, relating that text to the history and circumstances of the writer's life.
Supernatural Theism Belief system that identifies God outside of the universe. Supernatural theism affirms only God's transcendence and denies God's immanence.
Talmud The Mishnah plus the corpus of rabbinic commentary on it. there are two versions , one produced in Palestine ca. 400CE (the "Jerusalem" Talmud) and one in Mesopotamia ca. 500CE (the Babylonian Talmud).
Theological Reductionism The effort to explain complex theological ideas in terms that are not sufficient to descript them, or to fit them into a theory of philosophy or psychology.
Tikkun Healing and transformation of the world.
Transcendence (of God) Belief that God is more than everything (God is transcendent); concept of God as a being who is found "out there."