Glossary of Terms
Low, Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon
(Oct. 31, 1860-Jan. 18, 1927). Founder of the Girl Scouts. She was born in Savannah, Georgia. Low was educated at Stuart Hall and Edge Hill in Virginia, and at the […]
Lower Criticism
This method of scriptural analysis, most often called text criticism, focuses on the Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic text of a particular portion of scripture. It works from the conclusion that […]
Lowrie, Walter
(Apr. 26, 1868-Aug. 12, 1959). Kierkegaardian theologian and translator. He was born in Philadelphia. Lowrie received his B.A. in 1890, and his M.A. in 1893, both from Princeton University. He […]
Loyalists
“Toryism” in the American colonies at the time of the American Revolution was virtually synonymous with “Loyalism.” The term described those who were critical of colonial resistance to British imperial […]
Loyalty Oath to the English Sovereign
Beginning in 1549, a person ordained in the Church of England was required to swear an Oath of Loyalty to the sovereign. In the liturgy for ordaining deacons, the ordinand […]
Lucernaria, Lucernarium
Lucernarium is the singular form and Lucernaria the plural of the Latin word for “light.” In the BOS and The Hymnal 1982 (S 305-S 320 in the Accompaniment Edition, Vol. […]
Luke the Evangelist, Saint
(St. Luke was a Gentile, and the traditional author of the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. He was a physician and is identified with the […]
Luna
A holder for the consecrated host in a monstrance, typically used for the service of Benediction. It is also known as a lunette. The luna fits into the back of […]
Lund Principle
An ecumenical principle set forth by the 1952 Faith and Order Conference of the World Council of Churches held at Lund, Sweden, and officially endorsed by Lambeth in 1968. This […]
Lunette
See Luna.
Lustral Water
See Holy Water.
Lustration
This purificatory rite or sacrifice may involve the ceremonial cleansing of a person, a house, a city, an army, or a whole people. The BOS provides a form for the […]
Luther, Martin
(Nov. 10, 1483-Feb. 18, 1546). Founder of the sixteenth-century Reformation in Germany. He was born in Eisleben, Thuringia, Germany. Luther was baptized on Nov. 11, 1483, the Feast of St. […]
Lux Mundi
A volume of theological essays edited by Charles Gore, principal of Pusey House, Oxford. It was published in 1889 in England. The collection was subtitled A Series of Studies in […]
LXX
See Septuagint.
Lych-Gate
A covered gateway to a church yard or church property where a coffin containing a corpse is set down prior to burial to await the assembly of the mourners, the […]
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.