Vocabulario del Cristianismo

Starting a unit or lesson with the key vocabulary that students will see in their readings or presentations aids in overall comprehension and retention. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary related to the study of Christianity. They will create a spider map of 3-5 terms at the teacher's discretion. Each cell will contain a term, the definition, and an illustration that depicts the meaning. When students define and illustrate each term, they master the application of it and retain it as part of their lexicon.

Vocabulary for Christianity

annunciation: The Annunciation marks the day the Archangel Gabriel visited Mary and told her that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is considered a "feast day" and celebrated on March 25th each year.

baptize: a ritual by which a person is welcomed into a religion. In the Christian church baptism involves being dipped in water or sprinkled with water as a part of the ceremony of being received into the Christian church.

crucifixion: a slow and painful method of execution used by the Romans where a person was nailed to a large wooden cross and left to die.

convent: a religious community for women known as nuns who have devoted their lives to God and focus on prayer and scripture

creed: a statement of beliefs

Crusades: a series of religious wars initiated by the Christian Church in medieval times with the goal of conquering land. Between 1095 and 1291, they were intended to conquer Jerusalem and its surrounding area from Islamic rule

denominations: Different religious sects that are recognized as autonomous branches of the church.

disciple: a person who follows and helps spread the religious teachings of another

eucharist: Eucharist comes from the Greek word for "thanksgiving" and it represents the events of the Last Supper, the last meal that Jesus had with his disciples before his crucifixion. At the Last Supper, Jesus gave a special meaning to the bread and the wine, which is remembered at the Eucharist. It is given during Church services and also called Holy Communion.

gospel: an account of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Trinity: God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit: the Spirit of God in us

Hosanna: Hebrew for "save us now" a word used to praise Jesus

Heaven: the perfect place where God and His angels live. The place where we will go when we die if Jesus is our Lord

Hell: a place of punishment

leper: a person who is suffering from leprosy, which is an infectious disease that causes severe, disfiguring skin sores, and nerve damage.

martyr: a person who dies for their beliefs, often their religious beliefs.

Messiah: a savior that many Jews believed had been promised by God. The Greek word for Messiah is Christ.

Miracle: an amazing act of God that goes against the laws of nature something God does that cannot be explained

missionary: someone who tries to spread the message of religious teachings and persuade others to believe as they do.

monastery: a secluded community where men called monks devote themselves to God and focus on prayer and scripture

New Testament: Scriptures written between around 50-150 CE by disciples, or followers of Jesus Christ. They include 27 different books, the first four of which are called the Gospels. These Gospels describe the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Nicene Creed: The Nicene Creed is a Christian statement of belief widely used in worship services. It states that Jesus was both human and divine

Old Testament: Christians include the Hebrew Bible in the Old Testament.

parable: a simple story that explains a moral or religious lesson

Pentecost: the Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks. It occurred on the seventh Sunday or the 50th day after Easter (Jesus' ascension into heaven).

Priest: an ordained minister of the Catholic, Orthodox, or Anglican Church having the authority to perform certain rites and administer certain sacraments.

prefect: a high government official in ancient Rome

prophet: a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.

Redeemer: a person who sets someone free from a bad situation. Refers to Jesus Christ.

repent: being sorry for one’s sin

resurrection: coming back to life, rising from the dead

rosary: The Holy Rosary refers to a set of prayers and to the special string of knots or beads used to count the prayers used by Christians, typically Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans. The rosary is meant to be held and prayed with to focus on the events of Jesus's life and his teachings.

sacraments: sacred rites of the Christian church, sacraments can also be thought of as blessings that are received during an important ceremony and are sometimes referred to as 'rites of passage'. Catholic Christians acknowledge seven sacraments: baptism, reconciliation, the Eucharist, confirmation, the anointing of the sick, holy orders, and marriage.

saint: an especially holy person who, in Christianity, is regarded as being in heaven after death.

salvation: being saved from sin

Savior: One who saves us. Refers to Jesus Christ

scripture: God’s Word, the Bible

tithe: one tenth of one's annual earnings, formerly taken as a tax for the support of the Church and clergy

Tomb: a place where a dead person is laid

worship: to praise, honor and glorify God