Glossary of Terms
Augustine of Hippo
(354-Aug. 28, 430). Bishop and theologian, widely regarded as the greatest of the Latin Fathers and one of the major theologians in the history of Christianity. He was born in […]
Aumbry
A cupboard or secure receptacle in the side wall of the sanctuary or sacristy. Aumbries traditionally have been used to keep sacred vessels, books, reliquaries, and oils for anointing. Aumbries […]
Auricular Confession
Verbalized confession of sin by a penitent to another Christian. Absolution may only be pronounced by a bishop or priest. The BCP provides two forms for the Reconciliation of a […]
Authority, Sources of (in Anglicanism)
The threefold sources of authority in Anglicanism are scripture, tradition, and reason. These three sources uphold and critique each other in a dynamic way. Scripture is the normative source for […]
Autocephalic Churches
“Autocephalic” denotes independence or autonomy. Literally, it is “self-headed.” The autocephalic churches are understood to be the fourteen autocephalic churches of the Byzantine or Eastern Rite which are not in […]
AVE
1) Bulletin of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in New York City. It was first published in Jan. 1932. 2) Newsletter of the Society of Mary.
Ave Maria
See Annunciation, The.
Ayres, Anne
(Jan. 3, 1816-Feb. 9, 1896). The first American nun in the Anglican tradition. She was born in London and came to the United States when she was twenty years old. […]
Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.