SOWAs

The Bible

Apocalyptic: Religious writing teaching spiritual truths about eschatology (death, judgement and the future life)
Decalogue: The Ten Commandments
Septuagint: The Greek Old Testament
Tenakh: The Jewish Bible
Vulgate: The Latin Bible

The interpretation of the Bible

Catechism: The official teaching of the Catholic Church
Conservative: One who believes the Bible is the revealed word of God, not God's actual words
Fundamentalist: One who believes the Bible is the actual/literal words of God
Lectio Divina: A way of studying passages from the Bible with prayer and meditation
Liberal: One who believes the Bible was written by humans inspire by God

Scripture, tradition an the magisterium of the Church

Apostolic succession: The line of bishops going back to the Apostles
Apostolic Tradition: The oral Gospel passed on by the Apostles to the Church
Papal infallibility: When the Pope speaks authoritatively on a disputed matter of doctrine

The Second Vatican Council

Common priesthood: All the baptised who follow Christ and serve him
Laity: All people of the Church who are not chosen to be bishops, priests or deacons

The Church as the Body of Christ and the People of God

Ecumenical Movement: Movement working for co-operation between the Churches and eventual Church unity
Orthodox Churches: National Churches which are in the union with the Patriarch of Constantinople
Patriarch: The highest ranking bishop in Orthodox Christianity

The 4 Marks of the Church

Apostolic Succession: The line of bishops going back to the Apostles
Apostolic Tradition: The faith taught by Jesus and the Apostles
Catholic: Universal

Mary

Annunciation: The greeting of Gabriel when he told Mary that she was to have a son who would be the Christ
Assumption: The belief that the Virgin Mary was taken into heaven body and soul
Immaculate conception: The belief that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin and was always full of grace

Sources of ethical and personal decision making

Conscience: An inner feeling of the rightness or wrongness of an action
Golden Rule: The teaching of Jesus that you should treat others as you would like them to treat you
Natural Law: The inbuilt moral order of the universe
Sermon on the Mount: Jesus’ description of Christian living