An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church

Glossary of Terms


Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, The

A collection of services and prayers for devotional occasions. It was first published in 1933 by Oxford University Press. It was subtitled “Services of Praise and Prayer for occasional Use in Churches.” It was an American edition of the third volume of The Grey Book, a proposed revision of the English Prayer Book which was […]

Kiosk, The

“A Newsletter of The Anglican Academy, The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio.” A kiosk is used as a place to post items of interest about activities, events, and ideas.

Kip, William Ingraham

(Oct. 3, 1811-Apr. 7, 1893). First Bishop of California. Born in New York City, Kip began his education at Rutgers and received his B.A. from Yale in 1831. He studied at the Virginia Theological Seminary, 1832-1833, and graduated from the General Theological Seminary in 1835. Kip was ordained deacon on June 28, 1835, and priest […]

Kirk, Kenneth Escott

(Feb. 21, 1866-June 8, 1954). A moral philosopher, he became Bishop of Oxford in 1937. The study of moral theology, which had been neglected after the seventeenth century in England, was revived by three pioneering works of Kirk: Some Principles of Moral Theology (1920), Ignorance, Faith and Conformity (1925), and Conscience and its Problems (1927). […]

Kiss of Peace

A sign of peace which the people offer in the midst of the eucharistic liturgy. The practice of saluting one another with a kiss dates from ancient times and is recorded in several places in the NT. In the second century Justin wrote: “At the end of the prayers we greet one another with a […]

Klein, Walter Conrad

(May 28, 1904-Mar. 1, 1980). Bishop and OT scholar. Klein was born in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Lehigh University in 1924 and from the General Theological Seminary in 1929. He was ordained deacon on May 17, 1927, and priest on June 24, 1928. From 1930 to 1943, he held parochial charges successively in […]

Knapp, Susan Trevor

(Aug. 10, 1862-Nov. 21, 1941). A key architect of the deaconess movement in the United States, she graduated from the New York Training School for Deaconesses in 1894, worked for a year in Christian education, and then returned to the school to teach courses in NT and church history. She was set apart as a […]

Kneel

A traditional posture of prayer in which one’s weight rests on the knees. The pews of many churches have “kneelers” or cushions to protect the knees of those who kneel to pray. Kneeling to pray may express penitence, supplication, and humility. Depending on local custom and personal piety, worshipers may kneel to offer private prayer, […]

Koinonia

The common life and fellowship of love shared by Christians with Christ and with each other in Christ. It is a Greek term for “communion” or “participation.” A rich theology of koinonia is found in the Pauline letters and elsewhere in the NT. This saving fellowship with Christ is made possible through the Holy Spirit […]

Kontakion

In Orthodox worship, a short hymn in honor of a saint or the departed. A Kontakion, “Give rest, O Christ, to your servant,” is used in the Burial Office of the BCP as an anthem at the commendation. It is repeated as an antiphon at the commendation (p. 499). The Hymnal 1982 provides a musical […]

Kyoto, Missionary District of

The 1898 General Convention voted to divide the Missionary District of Tokyo and erect the Missionary District of Kyoto. This missionary district existed until 1941, when it was transferred to the Holy Catholic Church in Japan. The last Episcopal Missionary Bishop of Kyoto resigned on Feb. 4, 1942.

Kyrie eleison

In the early church, in the east, the Greek supplication Kyrie eleison (“Lord, have mercy”) was the common response to intercessory biddings addressed to the people. It is now used in the eucharist at the entrance rite and the general intercessions. 1) In the Episcopal Church, Kyrie eleison may be sung or said in place […]

Kyrie Pantokrator

The canticle Kyrie Pantokrator or “A Song of Penitence” appears as Canticle 14 in Morning Prayer, Rite 2, of the BCP (pp. 90-91). It is compiled from several verses of the Prayer of Manasseh, included in some Greek versions of the Hebrew Scriptures. The BCP suggests it for use in Lent at Morning Prayer on […]

Labarum

Military standard of the imperial Roman legions from the time of Constantine I (c. 285-337). It featured the Christian monogram of the Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P), which begin the word “Christ.” Constantine was Roman emperor from 306 to 337. Prior to battle with an imperial rival at the Milvian Bridge near Rome […]

Ladd, William Palmer

(May 13, 1870-July 1, 1941). Church historian and seminary dean. Ladd was born in Lancaster, New Hampshire. He received his B.A. from Dartmouth in 1891 and his B.D. from the General Theological Seminary in 1897. He also studied at the University of Paris, Oxford University, and the University of Leipzig. Ladd was ordained deacon on […]

Lady Chapel

A side chapel dedicated to “Our Lady,” the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was often an addition that was constructed directly behind (east of) the high altar of the larger church building.

Laetare Sunday

The fourth Sunday of Lent in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. The term is derived from the opening words of the Latin Mass, “Rejoice (Laetare) Jerusalem” (Is 66:10). The church is called to joyful anticipation of the victory to be won. This joyful theme provides lightening from the penitential emphasis of Lent. Since the thirteenth […]

Laity

The people of God. The term is from the Greek laos, “the people.” The laity has been defined negatively to indicate Christians who have not been ordained. However, all baptized Christians are the people of God, the church, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Pt 2:9-10). All baptized persons are members of the Body […]

Lambeth College, Kittanning, Pennsylvania

This school, first known as Kittanning Collegiate School, was granted a charter on Sept. 7, 1868. The nine trustees were Episcopalians and the Bishop of Pittsburgh was ex officio chancellor of the corporation. It was named after the first Lambeth Conference which met Sept. 24-28, 1867. The college never awarded any degrees and closed in […]

Lambeth Conference

The first Lambeth Conference met in 1867, marking the occasion when the various churches of the Anglican Communion began to be conscious of themselves as a single family of churches. The immediate cause of the first gathering was an effort on the part of several bishops to respond to the unsettling effects of the publication […]

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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.