Glossary of Terms
Concelebration
Joint celebration of the eucharist by a chief celebrant and one or more concelebrants. Concelebration may or may not include recitation of all or part of the eucharistic prayer […]
Concomitance
Eucharistic doctrine that affirms the simultaneous presence of Christ's body and blood in each of the eucharistic elements. It contradicts a narrow identification of Christ's body with the bread and […]
Confession of Faith
A declaration of belief in the triune God, after the example of the Christian martyrs and confessors of faith. In Christian liturgy, this confession is expressed through the recitation of […]
Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle, The
The confession of Peter is recorded in the Gospel According to Matthew (16:16), “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The liturgical celebration of Peter's confession is […]
Confession of Sin
An acknowledgment of sin, as in Ps 51: “Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” Confessions of sin during the liturgy are general, […]
Confessionalism
Adherence of a church or denomination to particular standards, expressions, confessions, doctrines, or symbols of faith. Confessional statements focus and codify the beliefs of a church or denomination, and distinguish […]
Confessor
The term has two meanings: 1) One who suffers greatly for confessing the faith, without being martyred, and 2) the bishop or priest who hears a private confession of sin. […]
Confirmation
The sacramental rite in which the candidates "express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a […]
Congregant
A member of a congregation.
Connecticut, Diocese of
On Mar. 25, 1783, Samuel Seabury and Jeremiah Leaming were elected as candidates for Bishop of Connecticut. Seabury accepted the election, and was consecrated Bishop of Connecticut on Nov. 14, […]
Conscience
A person's moral judgment upon himself or herself. It often indicates the sense of judgment of right or wrong regarding what has been done. For Thomas Aquinas, for example, conscience […]
Conscience Clause
” This clause, otherwise known as “A Statement of Conscience,” was a response by the House of Bishops to the 1976 General Convention approval of a canonical change that allowed […]
Consecration
To set something or someone apart for a sacred purpose. The bread and wine of the Eucharist are consecrated at the Great Thanksgiving, and “the consecration” often means the consecration […]
Consecration of Samuel Seabury, First American Bishop, Feast of
On Mar. 25, 1783, ten clergy met at the home of the Rev. John Rutgers Marshall in Woodbury, Connecticut, and elected Samuel Seabury and Jeremiah Leaming as candidates for Bishop […]
Consents for Ordination
After the election of a bishop, if the date of the election is more than three months before the next meeting of the General Convention, the Standing Committee of the […]
Constance, Nun, and her Companions
(Commonly Called “The Martyrs of Memphis.” In 1873 a group of sisters of the Sisterhood of St. Mary went to Memphis, Tennessee, at the request of Bishop Charles T. Quintard, […]
Constantine I
(c. 285-337). Roman emperor from 306 to 337. On the night before battle with an imperial rival at the Milvian Bridge near Rome in 312, Constantine had a vision that […]
Constitution of the Episcopal Church
This document of church government was first adopted by the General Convention of the Church in 1789. The Constitution contains regulations for General Convention, election and jurisdiction of bishops, Standing […]
Constructive Quarterly, The
This quarterly was published from Mar. 1913, until June 1922. Its sub-title was A Journal of the Faith, Work, and Thought of Christendom. It served as a “forum where the […]
Consubstantial
The term means “of the same substance.” In Trinitarian theology, one divine substance exists fully and equally, or consubstantially, in three Persons. Bitter controversies arose in early Christianity concerning 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.