Terminology

This list is an incomplete collection of terms that may come up in AC0125a, and is not intended to be an exhaustive study guide. Some of these terms may appear on the midterm, but this list is primarily intended to enhance familiarilty with words and phrases that may come up in lecture. If a specific term is used in lecture but does not appear on this list, please let us know so that we can add it. Antinomianism: The doctrine that the elect cannot be held to moral laws because they can never lose their salvation, whatever their actions on earth. Anne Hutchinson was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for spreading Antinomian doctrine. see also Arminianism, Calvinism Arminianism:the doctrine of, James Arminius or Harmensen, a Dutch Protestant theologian, who put forth views opposed to those of Calvinism, especially on predestination. Arminianist theology preaches salvation through faith, repentence, and good works. see also Calvinism, Antinomianism baroque: a florid style of architectural decoration which arose in Italy in the late Renaissance and became prevalent in Europe during the 17th and early 18th centuries, characterized by whimsical, naturalistic, and irregular forms. Examples burying ground: a place for interring the dead. The term "burying ground" denotes that the interrments took place in the 17th and 18th centuries, and differs from a "cemetery" in that it is not landscaped, and is a public, rather than a private graveyard. The burying ground is a contemporary of the churchyard, the latter being the private alternative to the public burying ground. Calvinism: The doctrines of John Calvin the Protestant Reformer (1509-1564), particularly his theological doctrines on grace, in which Calvinism is opposed to Arminianism, and the adherence to these doctrines.(The particular doctrines of theological Calvinism are contained in the so-called five points. see also Arminianism, Antinomianism cemetery: a place for interring the dead. The term "cemetery" denotes that the interrments took place in the 19th and 20th centuries, and differs from a "burying ground" in that it is landscaped, and is often a private graveyard. cenotaph: an empty tomb. A cenotaph is a sepulchral monument erected in honour of a deceased person whose body is elsewhere. cyma: a moulding of the cornice, the outline of which consists of a concave and a convex line; an ogee. picture epitaph: an inscription upon a tomb. Hence, occasionally, a brief composition characterizing a deceased person, and expressed as if intended to be inscribed on his/her tombstone. eschatology: the department of theological science concerned with the four last things: death, judgement, heaven, and hell. glorification of the soul: the reunification of the souls of the elect with God after death. Great Awakening: The Great Awakening was a revival of faith and religious fervor in the 1730s and 1740s. Characterized by fiery preaching and an emphasis on feeling and faith over thinking and ceremony, the New Lights of the Great Awakening sought to restore some of the religious zeal that had been lost over the preceeding generation. Gregorian calendar: modification of the earlier Julian calendar in order to bring it into accord with astrological time and the true length of an earth year, devised under the direction of Pope Gregory and adopted by Catholic countries in the late 16th century, by England in 1752, and by Russia in 1918. More information here. iconoclasm: the breaking or destroying of images, especially the destruction of images and pictures set up as objects of veneration. The Puritans were opposed to all aspects of what they considered "popery," including the use of religious icons, statues, or other types of art. During some of the revivals of faith in 18th and 19th centuries, people smashed the faces off of soul effigies on gravestones to demonstrate their disapproval of any type of religious art. iconography: the pictorial representation of any subject. iconology: the branch of iconography that deals with icons - the pictorial representations of ideas or beliefs. iconophobia: hatred and or fear of images, especially devotional images. Puritan fear of violating the second commandment led to instances of iconoclasm, in which religious images, including the carving on gravestones, was willfully destroyed. ideotechnic: an object's funtion as it pertains to the object's use in rituals or to convey spiritual or ideological meaning. Compare to technomic and sociotechnic functions. Example: a candle has many functions - technomic (gives light), sociotechnic (birthday candles, fancy dinners), and ideotechnic (candles used in religious ceremonies or vigils). idolatry: the worship of idols or images, the paying or offering of divine honours to any created object. The Puritans believed that Catholics and Protestants who failed to purge their churches of all religious art were praticing idolatry, in violation of the second commandment. immanence: the theological belief that God is present in and intrinsic to the universe. The doctrine of immanence is opposed to the doctrine of transcendence (the belief that God is elevated above and extrinsic to the universe). Julian calendar: calendar approved by Julius Caesar and used in the Christian world until the adoption of the more precise Gregorian calendar, More information here and here. kylix: a shallow cup with tall stem, motif taken from Ancient Greek pottery and sculpture. picture mausoleum: a stately or imposing edifice erected as a commemorative burial place for or by a person of distinction, so named in honor of the magnificent tomb of Mausolus (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world) erected at Halicarnassus in the 4th cent menhir: a tall upright monumental stone of a kind erected in prehistoric times in various parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia; a standing stone. neoclassical: the revival of ancient Greek and Roman aesthetics in the art and architecture. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Americans and Europeans emphasized classical themes and forms in their material culture and political discourses. Neoclassical influences can be found in many American artifacts, particularly houses, furniture, clothing, and ceramics. New Lights: the revivalist preachers of the Great Awakening who sought to inspire a renewal of faith and emotional personal connections with God. New Lights emphasized feeling over rational thinking and their sermons were known both for their fiery passion and for the fear and awe that they inspired. Many worshipers spoke in tongues and exhibited other spontaneous outpourings of religious fervor during New Light revivals. The New Lights stood in opposition to the Old Lights, and preached a doctrine of salvation through faith. Old Light: the mainstream Puritan preachers who resisted the reforms and excesses of the Great Awakening. The Old Lights were generally older than the New Lights, and preached the older Puritan doctrine of predestination while emphasizing the importance of rationality, social status, and moderation. They disapproved of the emotional outbursts common to New Light revivals, and were threatened by the rise of evangelists who sought to convert as many people as possible rather than attempting to deepen the faith of the members of the visible church. plinth: the bottom, square level of the base of a column. Puritans: The Puritans were members of the Church of England who wanted to complete the reformation of the doctrines and structure of the church that had begun during the Reformation. They sought to eliminate every shred of Catholic influence, and thought that the Church of England had not gone far enough in purging the structure of hierarchy that they saw as on of the main flaws of Catholicism. During the early 17th century, many Puritans emigrated to the New World, where they established the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which they hoped would serve as example to their brethren in England. It is important to note that Puritans wanted to reform the church at home, and did not seek to abandon it as did the Separatists of the Plimoth Colony. putti: representations of baby angels, nude or in swaddling bands, used in art, esp. in Italy in the 15th-17th. picture revival: a religious gathering, often held in a place other than the church or meeting house, which places emphasis on the faith and feelings of the congregants. Revivals are common occurrences in American religious life, and have often been structured as retreats during which participants explore and expand their faith, often through overt displays of religious enthusiasm, such as speaking in tongues. During the Great Awakening, New Lights and lay preachers used revivals to inspire new conversions and elicit declarations of faith from believers. The revival was a challenge to the established churches because they were not directly under the church's control, and often allowed unordained preachers a chance to present their own interpretations of religion to large groups of people. rococo: style of art popular before the baroque style, named for ornate shell- and scroll-work, and characterized by excessively florid or ornate decoration. examples seriation: succession in a series. See "stylistic succession." sociotechnic: an object's funtion as it pertains to the object's use in circumstances that have particular societal or cultural meaning. Compare to technomic and ideotechnic functions. Example: a candle has many functions - technomic (gives light), sociotechnic (birthday candles, fancy dinners), and ideotechnic (candles used in religious ceremonies or vigils). soul effigy: the graphic representation of the soul, which is often portrayed in winged form and often exhibits human facial characteristics. A soul effigy is not an angel, but rather an image of the soul of the deceased, which will be glorified and ascend into heaven. stylistic succession: the progression of styles through time. In any group of artifacts that share a similar form and place of origin, stylistic succession (or orderly stylistic change) can be observed by placing the objects in order of their manufacture. When we look at New England gravestones, we can see that stones from the early eighteenth century are often decorated with skulls and death imagery, while stones from the middle of the eighteenth century often have images of soul effigies, and later stones are stylistically neoclassical. "Stylistic succession" refers to these broad trends, and does not mean that every stone will fit into this pattern. technomic: an object's primary, everyday funtion. Compare to ideotechnic and sociotechnic functions. Example: a candle has many functions - technomic (gives light), sociotechnic (birthday candles, fancy dinners), and ideotechnic (candles used in religious ceremonies or vigils). thomism: doctrines of Thomas Aquinas, medieval Dominican Theologian, concerning the nature of knowledge and the nature of God's presence in the universe. More information here. thorn: the name of the Old English and Icelandic runic letter (ye = th); named, like other runes, from the word of which it was the initial. example transcendence: the theological belief that God is elevated above and extrinsic to the universe. The doctrine of transcendence is opposed to the doctrine of immanence (the belief that God is present in and intrinsic to the universe). transubstantiation: the conversion of one substance into another. Usually, "transubstantiation" refers to the conversion of the Eucharist from bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, according to the doctrine of the Catholic Church. The Puritans rejected the celebration of the Eucharist as blasphemy. urn and willow: a popular motif for mourning artifacts during the neoclassical period. The image of a weeping willow draped over a classical urn was is most often found on gravestones, samplers, and other works of art made after George Washington's death in 1799. visible church: the members of the Puritan church on earth. Since only God knows whether or not a person belongs to the ranks of the elect, the visible church may differ from the invisible church (the true elect). The Puritans made an attempt to have the visible church mirror the invisible church, but the question of election and church membership continued to cause conflict within the Puritan community throughout the seventeenth and into the eighteenth century. Certain reforms, such as the Halfway Covenant, that were intended to resolve these disagreements contributed to the dilution of Puritan theology that ultimately inspired the Great Awakening. workmanlike: the quality of an object that attests to its production by a skilled artisan.