An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church

Glossary of Terms


Lambeth Palace

The London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for seven centuries. It is located on the Thames Embankment opposite the Houses of Parliament, and it has been the location of many historic events. The followers of Wycliffe were imprisoned and tortured at the Lollard's Tower (erected 1320). The English archbishops consecrated William White and Samuel […]

Lambeth Quadrilateral

See Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral.

Lamp, The

First published on Feb. 2, 1903, by the Rev. Paul James Francis Wattson of the Society of the Atonement, it was the voice of the pro-Roman high church party of the Episcopal Church. When Wattson and 15 other members of the society joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1909, they took The Lamp with them.

Lappets

In ecclesiastical usage, these are the pendant bands or flaps on a clerical vestment or headdress, especially a mitre.

Laramie, Missionary District of

The 1889 General Convention voted to divide the Diocese of Nebraska and create the Missionary District of The Platte. From Oct. 20, 1898, until Oct. 10, 1907, it was known as the Missionary District of Laramie. It included not only the western counties of Nebraska but also that portion of Wyoming lying east of the […]

Last Gospel, The

” The reading of a gospel passage, typically the prologue to the Gospel of John (1:1-18), at the end of the Latin Mass. The practice dates from medieval times. It originally was said as a private devotion by the priest on returning to the sacristy at the end of the service. It was later read […]

Last Rites

Sacramental ministry to a dying Christian, which may include confession and absolution, laying on of hands, anointing (extreme unction), and communion. The dying received communion as viaticum, or sustenance for a journey, in accordance with ancient custom. The BCP provides forms for the Reconciliation of a Penitent (pp. 447-452), an order for Ministration to the […]

Last Supper

The term “Last Supper” does not appear in the NT. It is used to refer to the supper which Jesus ate with his disciples on the evening before his crucifixion. It is described somewhat differently in the gospel accounts (see Mt 26:17-29; Mk 14:12-16; Lk 22:7-23), and in Paul's reference to it in 1 Cor […]

Latimer, Hugh

(1490-Oct. 16, 1555). Bishop and Reformation leader. He was born in Thurcaston, Leicestershire, England, and studied at Cambridge University. At first he was a bitter opponent of the Reformation. Consecrated Bishop of Worcester on Sept. 26, 1535, he quickly became one of the Reform leaders. Although he supported Henry VIII in the dissolution of the […]

Latitudinarian, Latitudinarianism

Spiritual descendants of sixteenth-century humanists like Erasmus and the ancestors of the nineteenth-century broad church party. The middle years of the seventeenth century in England were marked by religious civil war, with royalists (Episcopalians) pitted against Puritans who had left the national church. Those outside the national church included Presbyterians, independents, and sectarians. Oliver Cromwell […]

Latria

This technical term is for the worship which is rightfully given to God alone, as distinguished from the appropriate veneration of the saints (dulia) or of images such as icons or relics. See Dulia.

Laud, William

(Oct. 6, 1573-Jan. 10, 1645). Archbishop of Canterbury and the chief theological advisor of kings Charles I and Charles II of England. Laud was born in Reading, England. He studied at St. John's College, Oxford University. In his dissertation he stressed the divine right of episcopacy. He was ordained deacon and priest in 1601. In […]

Lauds

The ancient service at daybreak in the monastic round of daily prayer. This morning service of praise always included Psalms 148-150, in which the Latin word “laudate” (praise) is frequently emphasized. The name of this morning office is derived from the Latin term. The services of matins, lauds, and prime formed the basis of Cranmer's […]

Laurence

(or Lawrence), Saint (d. Aug. 10, 258). Deacon and martyr. Laurence was ordained a deacon by Pope Sixtus II. He was made chief of the seven deacons in Rome. When asked by the Roman governor during the persecution under emperor Valerian to surrender the church's riches, Laurence gathered together a large number of the blind, […]

Laus tibi

Praise to you, Lord Christ.” The term is from the opening words of the statement in Latin. It is the people's response to the gospel at the eucharist (BCP, p. 358). It follows the concluding statement by the gospeler, “The Gospel of the Lord.” This response was included in the 1928 BCP on an optional […]

Lavabo

Ceremonial cleansing of the celebrant’s hands at the offertory of the eucharist. The term is from the Latin, “I will wash,” taken from the opening of Ps 26:6, “I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, that I may go in procession round your altar.” This verse was traditionally recited by the celebrant during […]

Law, William

(1686-Apr. 9, 1761). Spiritual writer, priest, and Non-Juror. Law is most famous as the author of A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1728), which is a call to a life of piety and devotion. A holy life is devotion to God and a regular method of daily prayer. A Serious Call, which […]

Lawrence, Charles Radford II

(May 2, 1915-Apr. 3, 1986). The first African American president of the House of Deputies. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Lawrence received his B.A. from Morehouse College in 1936, his M.A. from Atlanta University in 1938, and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1952. Lawrence taught in the Atlanta public schools, 1936-1939. He was […]

Lawrence, William

(May 30, 1850- Nov. 6, 1941). Bishop, educator, fund-raiser, and primary founder of the Church Pension Fund. He articulated a theology of Christian stewardship known as the “Gospel of Wealth.” In an article entitled “The Relation of Wealth to Morals” (1901), he argued that God gives wealth only to those who are moral. The wealthy […]

Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM)

Lay person licensed by the bishop to administer the consecrated elements of the eucharist. Lay eucharistic ministers may be licensed to administer the consecrated bread and wine at any celebration of the eucharist in the absence of a sufficient number of priests and deacons to assist the celebrant. They may also be licensed to go […]

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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.