Allah

Arabic word for God. (pg 208)

Cenobitical Life

The more common form of monasticism, called the common life, that is monastic life lived in community. (pg 208)

Diocese

A territorial division of the Church, adapted from the Roman Empire. (pg 208)

Ecumenical Patriarch

Title adopted by the Patriarch of Constantinople. (pg 208)

The Hajj

The pilgrimage to Mecca required of all Muslim faithful once during their lifetime. (pg 208)

The Hejira

Arabic for "flight." (pg 208)

Hermit

One who, for religious motives, has retired into solitary life, especially one of the early Christian recluses. (pg 208)

Huns

A powerful nomadic people of unknown ethnic origin who invaded Europe. (pg 208)

Islam

Arabic for "submission," the faith of the prophet Muhammad, it traces its roots back to Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael. (pg 208)

Jihad

Holy war waged by Muslims in the name of religion. (pg 208)

Jizya

Tax placed upon Jews and Christians under Muslim rule. (pg 208)

Kaaba

Arabic for "square building," this large black stone is the main focus of the pilgrimage to Mecca, which every Muslim is required to take at least once in his lifetime. (pg 208)

Koran

Arabic for "recitation," this is the holy book of the Muslim faith, written by Muhammad claimed he was told by the archangel Gabriel under God's direction. (pg 208)

Opus dei

The alternative to laus dei. (pg 208)

Monasticism

A way of life characterized by asceticism and self-denial lived more or less in seclusion from the world and under fixed rule and vows. (pg 208)

Nuncio

The personal ambassador of the pope. (pg 208)

Ora et labora

Benedictine motto meaning "pray and work." (pg 208)

Ramadan

The holy month of Islam believed to be the time when the Koran was given to Muhammad. (pg 209)

Scriptorium

Large room in a monastery dedicated to the copying and maintaining of texts. (pg 209)

Servus servorum dei

Latin for "servant of the servants of God," this title was adopted by Pope St. Gregory the Great. (pg 209)

The Shahada

The first pillar and creedal statement of Islam: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet." (pg 209)

Vow

A solemn promise made voluntarily by a person of reason, to practice a virtue or perform a specific good deed in order to accomplish a future good which is better than its contrary. (pg 209)

Franks

It means "fierce" or "bold." A Germanic people who settled in Gaul late in the third century. (pg 182)

Vandals

The most ruthless of the Germanic tribes. (pg 182)

Goths

It had two branches the Visigoths and Ostrogoths. (pg 182)

Alaric

Visigoths leader who led the invasion of the Italian Peninsula. (pg 182)

Visigoths

They crossed the Rhine river to settle in Gual. Gaul fell to them. (pg 182)

Ostrogoths

They occupied the Italian Peninsula. Their rule ended in 536 A.D. (pg 182)

Ulphilas

He was captured by the Goths and influenced to translate the Bible into Goth. (pg 182)

Barbarians

They invaded the Roman Empire and brought their own variations of tribal law. (pg 179)

Attila

He succeeded to joint kingship with his brother. His brother dies. He sucessfully united the Hunnish hordes for the first time. (pg 184)

St. Benedict

He lived as a hermit. He was asked to be a monk, but the other monks then tried to poison him. (pg 191)

St. Scholastica

She is St. Benedict's twin sister. She was consecrated to God during infancy. (pg 193)

Pope St. Gregory the Great

He became pope in 590 A.D. He was a Church Father. He was the last of traditional Latin Doctors. (pg 194)

Gregorian Chant

A Roman form of plainchat sung with out harmony that was eventually embellished by the Carolingians living north of the Alps. (pg 196)

Muhammad

He married a rich widow and had six children. He retired to a cave and around 612 A.D., he announced to his acquaintances that he had had a vision of the archangel Gabriel that called him to be the herald of Allah. (pg 197)

Charles Martel

A Frankish cheiftain also known as Charles "the Hammer." (pg 205)

Lectio Divina

Reading and meditation on Scripture. (pg 208)

Sunni

They accepted the order of sucession of the first four Caliphs. (pg 203)

Shiite

They claimed that Ali was the only rightful successor. (pg 203)