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O Oak of Mamre See Abraham's oak Oak of Sibta See Abraham's oak
This large and vague description, fitting a host of undefined but almost superstitiously feared practices, is revealing. Those who practice traditional, established religion tend to use the word "occult" whenever faced with describing something they don't understand, fear greatly, or wish to condemn. Mary is dealing in the occult. Tom joined a Satan-worshiping group. Mike's son is hooked on the Dungeons and Dragons board game. Susan plays with Ouija boards. Voodoo and tarot cards deal in the occult. The implication is that the occult is evil, devil-worshiping, and demonically controlled. Unspeakable evils go on in dark places. Illicit sex with captured virgins is somehow implied, and black magic lurks at the center. The occult is always thought to be weaker than God but stronger than the power of one's own religious friends. Occultism, unproved but accepted as real, is viewed as an attempt to sell one's soul to the devil and bend supernatural powers to human control. Perhaps the word's strongest power resides in the human tendency to keep mysteries in the dark by never examining them. At various times the secret rituals of the Masonic organization, the practice of being "slain in the spirit" in the Pentecostal Church down the street, and the mysterious rites of the Catholic Church have been all that are needed to accuse those organizations of practicing the occult. The reality is that few people have ever experienced a real, dark occultic ritual, except in the movies. But the practice of using the word-covering the unknown in a veil of secrecy-leaves occultism in the dark. And, as with most fear-inducing things, the dark is where it is most powerful. In the light of day, the occult seems to disappear. Indeed, the most potent weapon of those who claim to practice occultism is secrecy itself. These terms originally meant a series of esoteric activities in which neophytes were gradually introduced to the group's secret knowledge. This once included such essentially unrelated and diverse activities as Witchcraft, Tea-leaf reading, Satanism, astrology, the Masonic Order, Tarot cards, horoscopes, etc. However, the original definition rarely applies today. Anyone can now go to any large bookstore and purchase books which describe these activities in great detail. Some conservative Christians view the occult as a highly organized and coordinated, profoundly evil, criminal, destructive, life threatening, international organization controlled by Satan worshippers. Their goal is to create many "fronts" for Satanism to entrap people, and lure them into worshipping Satan. Many conservative Christians define the term "occult" very broadly to also include heavy metal music, yoga, some forms of meditation, etc. Others see it as a harmless group of unrelated, fascinating, collection of religions, methods of foretelling the future, men's spiritual organizations, and other groups and pastimes.
These made up the first eight books in a traditional ordering. It does not correspond to that of the Tanakh. The Book of Ruth is placed in the Septuagint after the Book of Judges; and this order is followed in the Vulgate and in the English translations. In the Hebrew Bible, however, Ruth is found in the "Ketubim," or third part of the canon, where it stands next after the Song of Solomon, being the second of the Five Megillot.
oecumenism See Ecumenism Old Earth creationism is an umbrella term for a number of types of creationism, including Gap creationism and Progressive creationism. As hypotheses of origins they are typically more compatible with mainstream scientific thought on the issues of geology, cosmology and the age of the Earth, in comparison to Young Earth creationism; however, they still generally take the accounts of creation in Genesis more literally than theistic evolution (also known as evolutionary creationism) in that OEC rejects the scientific consensus accepting evolution. Old Catholic See Old Catholic Church
The term "Old Catholic" was first used in 1853 to describe the members of the See of Utrecht who were not under papal authority. As the groups that split from the Holy See in the 1870s had no bishop, they joined Utrecht to form the Union of Utrecht. The Old Catholic Churches which form the Union of Utrecht are not in communion with any of the various groups which style themselves Independent (Old) Catholic. Old Catholic Thought & Beliefs Old Catholics reject papal infallibility, instead proposing that only the Church in Ecumenical Council may speak infallibly. For Old Catholics, the fullness of authoritative power in the Church is vested in the Bishopric, and a Council of the Bishops as a whole alone may speak infallibly. Old Catholics view the Pope as primus inter pares or "First Among Equals". Old Catholics usually refer to the Church Father St. Vincent of Lerins in his saying: "We must hold fast to that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all the Faithful." Old Catholics consider themselves wholly Catholic and are offended by being thought of as any less by Roman Catholics. Old Kingdom See The Old Kingdom
Tertullian also used the Latin vetus testamentum in the second century. It is sometimes called the First Testament. Most scholars agree that the Hebrew Bible was composed and compiled between the 12th and the 2nd century BC, before Jesus' birth. Jesus and his Disciples referenced it when discussing Jesus's newer teachings, referring to it as "the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms ... the scriptures". (Luke 24:44-45) The accounts of Jesus and his Disciples are recorded in the New Testament.
omega Omega is the
last letter of the Greek alphabet. It is sometimes used to mean the
last or the end.
Monotheistic religions generally
attribute omnipotence to only the deity
of whichever faith is being addressed. In the philosophies of most
Western monotheistic
religions, omnipotence is often listed as one of a
deity's characteristics among many, including omniscience,
omnipresence, and omnibenevolence. "Omnipresence" is the property of being present everywhere. According to eastern theism, God is present everywhere. Divine omnipresence is thus one of the divine attributes, although in western theism it has attracted less philosophical attention than such attributes as omnipotence, omniscience, or being eternal. In western theism "Omnipresence" is explained in a bit of an unclear way with just the ability to be present in every place at any, and/or every, time; unbounded or universal presence while some claiming God is not omnipresent. It is related to the concept of ubiquity, the ability to be everywhere at once - that is, at every point in euclidian space during a given instant. This characteristic is most commonly used in a religious context, as most doctrines bestow the trait of omnipresence onto a superior, usually a deity commonly referred to as God by monotheists. This idea differs from Pantheism. Hinduism, and other religions that derive from it, incorporate the theory of transcendent and immanent omnipresence which is the traditional meaning of the word, Brahman. This theory defines a universal and fundamental substance, which is the source of all physical existence.
Some argue that omnipresence is a
derived characteristic: an omniscient and omnipotent deity knows
every thing and can be and act every where, simultaneously. Others
propound a deity as having the "Three O's", including
omnipresence as a unique characteristic of the deity. Most Christian
denominations — following theology standardized by the Nicene
Creed —explain the concept of omnipresence in the form of the
Trinity, by having a single deity made up of three omnipresent
'substances' or 'persons'. Omniscience is the capacity to know everything infinitely, or at least everything that can be known about a character including thoughts, feelings, life and the universe, etc. In monotheism, this ability is typically attributed to God. The God of the Bible is referred to often as "The Great I Am," among other similar names, which also incorporates His omnipresence and omnipotence. This concept is included in the Qur'an, where God is called "Al-'aleem" on multiple occasions. This is the infinite form of the verb "alema" which means to know. In Hinduism, God is referred to as sarv-gyaata (omniscient), sarv-samarth (omnipotent) and sarv-vyapt (omnipresent) gyaata (knowing). There are basically three main gods of Hinduism. Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. Each god has his own special purpose.
Open communion is the opposite of closed communion, where the Eucharist is reserved for members of the particular church or others with which it is in a relationship of full communion or fellowship, or has otherwise recognized for that purpose. Closed communion may refer to either a particular denomination or an individual congregation serving Communion only to its own members. In the United Methodist Church, open communion is referred to as the Open Table. See also Eucharist and Closed communion
While other cultures and Jewish groups maintained oral traditions, only the Rabbi's gave ideological significance to the fact that they transmitted their tradition orally. According to Rabbinic tradition, Moses and the Israelites received an oral as well as the written Torah ("teaching") from God at Mount Sinai. The books of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) were relayed with an accompanying oral tradition passed on by each generation. Jewish law and tradition thus is not based on a strictly literal reading of the Tanakh, but on combined oral and written traditions. Rabbis of the Talmudic era conceived of the Oral Law in two distinct ways. First, Rabbinic tradition conceived of the Oral law as an unbroken chain of transmission. The distinctive feature of this view was that Oral Law was "converyed by word of mouth and memorized." Second, the Rabbis also conceived of the Oral law as an interprative tradition, and not merely as memorized traditions. In this view, the written Torah was seen as containing many levels of interpretation. It was left to later generations, who were steeped in the oral tradition of interpretation to discover those ("hidden") interpretations not revealed by Moses. The "oral law" was ultimately recorded in the Mishnah, the Talmud and Midrash.
The exhortation Orate Fratres (the
original Latin) The form is merely an expansion of the usual Oremus before any prayer. It is a medieval amplification. The Jacobite rite has an almost identical form before the Anaphora (Brightman, "Eastern Liturgies", Oxford, 1896, 83); the Nestorian celebrant says: "My brethren, pray for me" (ib., 274). Such invitations, often made by the deacon, are common in the Eastern rites. The Gallican rite had a similar one (Duchesne, "Christian Worship", London, 1904, 109). The Mozarabic invitation at this place is: "Help me brethren by your prayers and pray to God for me" (P.L. LXXXV, 537). The medieval derived rites had similar formulæ (e. g. "Missale Sarum", Burntisland, 1861-3, 596). Many of the old Roman Secrets (really Offertory prayers) contain the same ideas. Durandus knows the Orate Fratres in a slightly different form ("Rationale", IV, 32). A proof that it is not an integral part of the old Roman Mass is that it is always said, not sung, aloud (as also are the prayers at the foot of the altar, the last Gospel etc.). The celebrant after the "Suscipe Sancta Trinitas" kisses the altar, turns to the people and says: Orate fratres, extending and joining his hands. Turning back he finishes the sentence inaudibly. At high Mass the deacon or subdeacon, at low Mass the server, answers. The rubric of the Missal is: "The server or people around answer, if not the priest himself." In this last case he naturally changes the word tuis 'your' to meis'my'.
See also Holy Orders
Despite the potentially confusing nomenclature, Oriental Orthodox churches are distinct from those that are collectively referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Oriental Orthodox communion comprises six groups: Syriac Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Eritrean Orthodox, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (India) and Armenian Apostolic churches. These six churches, while being in communion with each other are completely independent hierarchically and have no equivalent of the Bishop of Rome or Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople The Oriental Orthodox Church and the rest of the Church split over differences in Christological terminology. The First Council of Nicaea (325) declared that Jesus Christ is God, "consubstantial" with the Father; and the Council of Ephesus (431) that Jesus, though divine as well as human, is only one person. Twenty years after Ephesus, the Council of Chalcedon declared that Jesus has two complete natures, one human and one divine. Those who opposed Chalcedon likened its doctrine to the Nestorian heresy, condemned at Ephesus, that Christ was two distinct persons, one divine and one human. In 2001, the leaders of Oriental Orthodoxy and Eastern Orthodoxy concluded that they had always believed in the same Christology, but differed over how this was to be formulated. This conclusion became the basis for healing the schism between them, and the two groups jointly issued a "Middle Eastern Oriental Orthodox Common Declaration" 1. Adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith, especially in religion. 2. Adhering to the Christian faith as expressed in the early Christian ecumenical creeds.
4. Adhering to what is commonly accepted, customary, or traditional: an orthodox view of world affairs.
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:
Note: The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches are generally not in communion and do not represent a unified religious tradition. (However the Syriac Orthodox Church of the Oriental Orthodox Communion and the Antiochian Orthodox Church of the Eastern Orthodox Communion are in communion with one another.) As such, the term Orthodox Christianity when used to refer to these two Churches collectively refers more to a common eastern influence than to doctrinal matters. Orthodox Christians believe in God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit (The Trinity).
Orthodox priests, deacons, and subdeacons may not marry after ordination, but a married man may be ordained. Remarriage of clergy following divorce or widowhood is forbidden. Married clergy are considered as best-suited to staff parishes, as a priest with a family is thought better qualified to counsel his flock.
Orthodox Judaism is characterized by belief that the Torah and its laws are Divine, were transmitted by God to Moses, are eternal, and are unalterable; belief that there is also an oral law in Judaism, which contains the authoritative interpretation of the written Torah's legal sections, and is also Divine by virtue of having been transmitted by God to Moses along with the Written Law, as embodied in the Talmud, Midrash, and innumerable related texts, all intrinsically and inherently entwined with the written law of the Torah; belief that God has made an exclusive, unbreakable covenant with the Children of Israel to be governed by the Torah; adherence to Halakha, or Jewish law, including acceptance of codes, mainly the Shulchan Aruch, as authoritative practical guidance in application of both the written and oral laws, as well as acceptance of halakha-following Rabbis as authoritative interpreters and judges of Jewish law; belief in Jewish eschatology. Orthodox beliefs may be most found in their adherence to the thirteen Jewish principles of faith as stated by the Rambam (Maimonides). Although Orthodox Jews are expected to observe all 613 mitzvot, certain core practices are generally considered essential to being Orthodox and converts are generally required to promise to observe:
The term did not conventionally exist with any degree of formality (in the sense in which it is now used) prior to the advent of Christianity in the Greek-speaking world, though the word does occasionally show up in ancient literature in other, somewhat similar contexts.Orthodoxy is opposed to heterodoxy ("other teaching"), heresy and schism. People who deviate from orthodoxy by professing a doctrine considered to be false are most often called heretics or radicals, while those who deviate from orthodoxy by removing themselves from the perceived body of believers are called schismatics. The distinction in terminology pertains to the subject matter; if one is addressing corporate unity, the emphasis may be on schism; if one is addressing doctrinal coherence, the emphasis may be on heresy. Apostasy, for example, is a violation of orthodoxy that takes the form of abandonment of the faith, a concept largely unknown before the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Rome on February 27, 380 by Theodosius I, see also First seven Ecumenical Councils. A lighter deviation from orthodoxy than heresy is commonly called error, in the sense of not being grave enough to cause total estrangement, while yet seriously affecting communion. Sometimes error is also used to cover both full heresies and minor errors. The concept of orthodoxy is the most prevalent and even inherently pervasive in nearly all forms of organized monotheism, but orthodox belief is not usually overly emphasized in polytheistic or animist religions. Often there is little to no concept of dogma, and varied interpretation of doctrine and theology is tolerated and sometimes even encouraged within certain contexts. Syncretism, for example, plays a much wider role in non-monotheistic (and particularly, non-scriptual) religion. The prevailing governing idea within polytheism is most often orthopraxy ("right practice") rather than "right belief". Some groups have laid claim to the word orthodox as part of their titles, most commonly in order to differentiate themselves from other, 'heretical' movements. Orthodox Judaism focuses on a strict adherence to what it sees as the correct interpretation of the Oral Torah. Within Christianity, the term occurs in the Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches as well as in Protestant denominations like the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Forms of Orthodoxy
Eastern
Orthodoxy Our Lady See Blessed Virgin Mary Our Sea See Mediterranean Sea
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