Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Christianity, religion founded in Palestine by the followers of Jesus. One of the world's major religions, it predominates in Europe and the Americas, where it has been a powerful historical force and...

(Encyclopedia) Campbell, Alexander, 1788–1866, clergyman, cofounder with his father, Thomas Campbell, 1763–1854, of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Of Scottish lineage, both were born in Ireland and ...

(Encyclopedia) Curry, Michael Bruce, 1953–, American Episcopal bishop, b. Chicago, grad. Hobart College, 1975, Yale Divinity School, 1978. Ordained in 1978, he served as rector of churches in Winston-Salem, N.C., ...

(Encyclopedia) Ephesus, Council of, 431, 3d ecumenical council, convened by Theodosius II, emperor of the East, and Valentinian III, emperor of the West, to deal with the controversy over Nestorianism. Adherents of ...

(Encyclopedia) Star of Bethlehem, name given to the luminous celestial object rising in the sky that, as related in the Gospel of Matthew, led the Wise Men of the East to the manger in Bethlehem where Jesus was born...

(Encyclopedia) Basel, Council of, 1431–49, first part of the 17th ecumenical council in the Roman Catholic Church. It is generally considered to have been ecumenical until it fell into heresy in 1437; after that i...

(Encyclopedia) Epiphany ĭpĭfˈənē [key] [Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth Day or Little Christmas. Its eve is Twelfth Night. It commemorates three events—the bapti...

(Encyclopedia) Zacharias [Gr. from Heb. Zechariah] or Zachary [Eng. from Heb.]. 1 Priest to whom an angel appeared and foretold the birth of his son, John the Baptist. Luke 1.5–80. He and Elizabeth, his wife, are ...

(Encyclopedia) Gregory of Narek, Saint, c.950–1003, Armenian monk, mystic poet, and theologian, Doctor of the Church. He entered monastic life at an early age, becoming a priest at age 25. Gregory wrote letters, o...

(Encyclopedia) Clarendon, Constitutions of, 1164, articles issued by King Henry II of England at the Council of Clarendon defining the customs governing relations between church and state. In the anarchic conditions...