An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church

Glossary of Terms


James of Jerusalem Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ

(James the Just). In the gospels according to Matthew and Mark, and in the epistle to the Galatians, James of Jerusalem is referred to as the brother of Jesus. According […]

James the Apostle, Saint

(the Greater). James and John, sons of Zebedee, are mentioned frequently in the gospels. James is usually mentioned first. He is sometimes called “the elder” or “the greater,” to distinguish […]

James the Less, Saint

( Very little is known about this apostle. He was the son of Alphaeus. He is called “the Less” to distinguish him from James, the son of Zebedee, and from […]

James, Fleming

(Jan. 11, 1877-Sept. 11, 1959). Seminary dean and OT scholar. He was born in Gambier, Ohio. James received his B.A. in 1895, his M.A. in 1896, and his Ph.D. in […]

Jamestown, Virginia

A royal charter was granted on Apr. 10, 1606, for a settlement in Virginia. On Dec. 20, 1606, three ships, Goodspeed, Discovery, and Susan Constance, sailed from the Thames River. […]

Janette Pierce Award, The

This award was established by the Episcopal Communicators at their Apr. 18-21, 1988 meeting to honor the memory of Janette Gayley Skerrett Pierce (1931-1988), one of the Episcopal Church's outstanding […]

Japan Mission

Channing Moore Williams, a priest of the Episcopal Mission in China, landed at Nagasaki on July 1, 1859, and the Japan Mission began. On Oct. 3, 1866, Williams was consecrated […]

Jarratt, Devereux

(Jan. 17, 1733-Jan. 29, 1801). Leading American Anglican priest during the Great Awakening. He was born in New Kent County, Virginia. Jarratt was first influenced by the Presbyterians and became […]

Jarvis, Abraham

(May 5, 1739-May 3, 1813). Bishop and high church Tory. He was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. Jarvis graduated from Yale College in 1761. For a short time he studied theology […]

Jarvis, Samuel Farmar

(Jan. 20, 1786-Mar. 26, 1851). First historiographer of the Episcopal Church. He was the son of Bishop Abraham Jarvis of Connecticut. Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Jarvis graduated from Yale College […]

Jay, William

(June 16, 1789-Oct. 14, 1858). Episcopal lay anti-slavery leader. He was born in New York, the son of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. […]

Jefferson College, Washington, Mississippi

The first chartered college in Mississippi. The charter was granted on May 13, 1802. It began operation as an academy. It operated as a college, 1816-1821, and then reverted to […]

Jehovah

A hybrid name for God, resulting from an erroneous combination of other names. In the period after the Exile, the proper name for God, Yahweh, was believed by Jewish people […]

Jenney or Jenny, Robert

(1687-Jan. 5, 1762). Commissary for Pennsylvania and missionary. He was born in Ireland. Jenney received his B.A. from Trinity College, Dublin, and served as a chaplain in the Royal Navy, […]

Jerome

(c. 347-Sept. 30, 420). One of the four great Doctors of the Western Church. He was born in Stridon, Italy. His full name was Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus. He studied Hebrew […]

Jerusalem Bible, The (1966)

An English version of the Dominican Order's La Bible de Jérusalem. The work was done by the Dominicans of the École Biblique in Jerusalem. It was translated from the original […]

Jesse Tree

The depiction of the genealogy of Jesus in the form of a tree, springing from Jesse, the father of King David of Israel (see Is 11:1). It typically shows intermediary […]

Jesus Christ

The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, the savior and redeemer of humanity, the Word of God who was made flesh and dwelt among us in the […]

Jesus Prayer, The

” Repetitive prayer, often in the form “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or variations of that form. It is associated with […]

Jewell, John

(May 24, 1522-Sept. 23, 1571). English reformer, apologist, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was born at Buden in the parish of Berimber, Devonshire, England. Jewell received his B.A. in 1540, […]

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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.