Succession apostoliqueLa succession apostolique est un concept chrétien selon lequel la mission des apôtres de Jésus s'est transmise au fil des siècles de successeur en successeur. Cette filiation spirituelle, prétendue intacte et ininterrompue jusqu'à nos jours par certaines dénominations, est censé garantir à l'Église qui la détient la fidélité au christianisme primitif et à ses croyances. Les Églises catholique et orthodoxe affirment que la succession apostolique est assurée par la consécration épiscopale.
Holy ordersIn certain Christian denominations, holy orders are the ordained ministries of bishop, priest (presbyter), and deacon, and the sacrament or rite by which candidates are ordained to those orders. Churches recognizing these orders include the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox (ιερωσύνη [hierōsynē], ιεράτευμα [hierateuma], Священство [Svyashchenstvo]), Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, Independent Catholic and some Lutheran churches.
Église congrégationalisteLes Églises congrégationalistes sont des églises protestantes de tradition réformée, pratiquant une forme d’organisation d’église où chaque paroisse se gère de manière entièrement autonome et indépendante. Le congrégationalisme se caractérise plus comme un mouvement que comme une dénomination chrétienne en raison de sa conviction fondamentale en faveur de l’autonomie complète de chaque paroisse. Malgré la forte diversité théologique inhérente à leur forme d'organisation, la plupart des congrégationalistes se considèrent d'abord comme des réformés, soit traditionnels soit néo-orthodoxes (barthiens).
Separation of church and stateThe separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular state (with or without legally explicit church-state separation) and to disestablishment, the changing of an existing, formal relationship between the church and the state. Although the concept is older, the exact phrase "separation of church and state" is derived from "wall of separation between church and state", a term coined by Thomas Jefferson.
LollardyLollardy, also known as Lollardism or the Lollard movement, was a proto-Protestant Christian religious movement that existed from the mid-14th century until the 16th-century English Reformation. It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Catholic theologian who was dismissed from the University of Oxford in 1381 for criticism of the Roman Catholic Church. The Lollards' demands were primarily for reform of Western Christianity. They formulated their beliefs in the Twelve Conclusions of the Lollards.
PresbyterPresbyter (ˈprɛzbɪtər) is an honorific title for Christian clergy. The word derives from the Greek presbyteros, which means elder or senior, although many in the Christian antiquity would understand presbyteros to refer to the bishop functioning as overseer. The word presbyter is used many times in the New Testament. In modern Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican usage, presbyter is distinct from bishop and (in English) is synonymous with priest.
Ancien (christianisme)Un ancien est, dans le Nouveau Testament et dans les églises chrétiennes, un des responsables d’une église locale. Le terme désigne dans le Nouveau Testament un responsable d’une église chrétienne locale. C’est ainsi qu’a été traduit le terme grec presbuteros. Son emploi dans les premières églises palestiniennes vient de la tradition des synagogues qui étaient administrées par un conseil d’anciens, impliquant d’emblée une certaine collégialité.
Church invisibleThe church invisible, invisible church, mystical church or church mystical, is a Christian theological concept of an "invisible" Christian Church of the elect who are known only to God, in contrast to the "visible church"—that is, the institutional body on earth which preaches the gospel and administers the sacraments. Every member of the invisible church is "saved", while the visible church contains all individuals who are saved though also having some who are "unsaved".
Doctrine des deux royaumesLa doctrine des deux royaumes est une doctrine politique qui soutient que, en vertu de la division fondamentale entre le Royaume de Dieu et la Terre, les gouvernements des hommes doivent être des autorités séculaires (des États) et non des autorités religieuses. Il s'agit d'une thèse luthérienne. Martin Luther cherche à résoudre ce qui apparaît comme une contradiction de la Bible. Les textes exhortent en effet à certains moments les hommes à obéir aux gouvernements, quand d'autres appellent à être passifs.
Priesthood in the Catholic ChurchThe priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms priest refers only to presbyters and pastors (parish priests). The church's doctrine also sometimes refers to all baptised (lay) members as the "common priesthood", which can be confused with the ministerial priesthood of the consecrated clergy.
