Divine Revelation
God's self-communication through which he makes known the mystery of his divine plan
Bible
the collection of sacred writings of the Christian religion, comprising the Old and New Testaments.
Chosen People
The Jews; the people chosen by God to be his people and inherit the promises of Abraham.
Salvation History
The pattern of specific events in human history in which God clearly reveals his presence and saving actions
Divine Inspiration
The divine assistance the Holy Spirit gave the authors of the books of the Bible so the authors could write in human words the salvation message God wanted to communicate.
Biblical inerrancy
The doctrine that the books of the Scriptures are free from error regarding the truth God wishes to reveal through the Scriptures for the sake of our salvation.
oral tradition
The handing on of the message of God's saving plan through words and deeds.
Written Tradition
The synthesis of the oral tradition into written books, capturing Divine Revelation under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Babylonian Exile
period of history when the Babylonians forced most of the inhabitants of Judah to migrate to Babylon
Pentateuch
A Greek word meaning "five books," referring to the first five books of the Old Testament.
Torah
A Hebrew word meaning "law," referring to the first five books of the Old Testament.
Canon
The collection of books the Church recognizes as the inspired Word of God.
Deuterocanonical
A term used by Catholics to refer to the additional seven Old Testament books in the Catholic canon.
Magisterium
The Church's living teaching office, which consists of all bishops, in communion with the Pope.
Biblical exegesis
The critical interpretation and explanation of Sacred Scripture.
Fundamentalist approach
Interpretation based on literal meaning of words
Contextualist approach
Understanding a Bible passage through its various contexts (literary, historical, cultural, etc)
literary forms
different kinds of writing determined by their literary technique, content, tone, and purpose
Testament
The two parts of the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament, both of which are covenants offered by God