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Concise Dictionary of Religion


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CABBALA [Kabbalah and Qabbalah]:
 
CADDY, Elaine (1917-):
 
CADDY, Peter (1917-):
 
CALENDAR:
 
CALIPH:
 
CALIPHATE:
 
CALLAWAY, Henry (1817-1890):
 
CALVIN, John (1509-1564):
 
CALVINISM:
 
CALVINIST:
 
CAMBRIDGE PLATONISTS:
 
CAMPBELL, Joseph (1904-1987):
 
CAMUS, Albert (1913-1960):
 
CANAAN:
 
CANAANITES:
 
CANON:
 
CANON LAW:
 
CANON OF SCRIPTURE:
 
CANONIZATION:
 
CANTERBURY:
 
CAPITALISM:
 
CAPPADOCIAN FATHERS:
 
CAPRA, Fritjof (1931-):
 
CARDINAL:
 
CAREY, William (1761-1834):
 
CARGO CULTS:
 
CARLYLE, Thomas (1795-1881):
 
CARNELL, Edward John (1919-1967):
 
CAROLINGINAN REVIVAL:
 
CRVKA:
 
CASTANEDA, Carlos (1935-):
 
CASTE:
 
CASTE SYSTEM:
 
CASUISTRY:
 
CATACOMBS:
 
CATECHISM:
 
CATECHUMENS:
 
CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE:
 
CATEGORIES:
 
CATEGORY MISTAKE:
 
CATHARSIS:
 
CATHEDRAL:
 
CATHERINE OF GENOA (1447-1510):
 
CATHOLIC APOSTOLIC CHURCH:
 
CATHOLIC:
 
CAUSATION:
 
CAUSE:
 
CAYCE, Edgar (1877-1945):
 
CELIBACY:
 
CHALCEDON, COUNCIL OF:
 
CHALCEDON, DEFINITION OF:
 
CHALICE:
 
CHALMERS, Thomas (1780-1847):
 
CHANCE:
 
CHANDAS:
 
CHAOS:
 
CHAPTER AND VERSE:
 
CHARISMA:
 
CHARISMATIC:
 
CHARISMATIC CHRISTIANITY:
 
CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT:
 
CHARLEMAGNE, (742-814):
 
CHARMS:
 
CHASTITY:
 
CHESTERTON, Gilbert Keith (1874-1936):
 
CHIH-I (538-597):
 
CHILDREN OF GOD:
 
CHILIASM:
 
CHINESE RELIGIONS:
 
CHRISTADELPHIANS:
 
CHRISTIAN:
 
CHRISTIANITY:
 
CHRISTIAN MINISTRY:
 
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE:
 
CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM:
 
CHRISTMAS:
 
CHRISTOLOGY:
 
CHRYSTOSTOM, John (344/345-407):
 
CHU HSI [Chu Tzu or Chu Yuan Hui Shushi] (1130-1200 A.D.):
 
CHUANG-TZU [Chuang Chou] (369-286 B.C.):
 
CHURCH:
 
CHURCH FATHERS:
 
CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST:
 
CH'AN:
 
CH'ING MING:
 
CH'UN-CH'IU:
 
CICERO, Marcus Tullius (106-43 B.C.):
 
CIRCUMCISION:
 
CISTERCIAN ORDER:
 
CITTA:
 
CIVIL RELIGION:
 
CIVILIZATION:
 
CLAPHAM SECT:
 
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (150-215 A.D.):
 
CLEMENT OF ROME (1st century A.D.):
 
CLOVIS (466-511):
 
CLUNIAC ORDER:
 
COBBETT, William (1763-1835):
 
CODEX ALEXANDRIUS:
 
CODEX AMIATINUS:
 
CODEX SINAITICUS:
 
CODEX VATICANUS:
 
COGITO ERGO SUM:
 
COHERENCE THEORY OF TRUTH:
 
COHERENT:
 
COLENSO, John William (1814-1883):
 
COLERIDGE, Samuel Taylor (1772-1834):
 
COLET, John (1467-1519):
 
COLLINGWOOD, Robin George (1889-1943):
 
COLOR, LITURGICAL:
 
COMENIUS, Johann Amos (1592-1670):
 
COMMUNION OF SAINTS:
 
COMMUNION TABLE:
 
COMMUNITY OF THE RESURRECTION:
 
COMPARATIVE RELIGION:
 
COMTE, Auguste (1798-1857):
 
CONCEPT:
 
CONCLAVE:
 
CONCORDANCE:
 
CONCORDAT:
 
CONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY:
 
CONFESSION:
 
CONFIRMATION:
 
CONFUCIUS [Kung Fu Tzu] (551-479 B.C.):
 
CONGREGATION:
 
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH:
 
CONGREGATIONALISM:
 
CONSERVATIVE:
 
CONSTANTINE THE GREAT (288-337 A.D.):
 
CONTINGENT:
 
CONTRADICTION, LAW OF:
 
CONVERSION:
 
CONZE, Edward (1904-?):
 
COPERNICUS, Nicholas (1473-1543):
 
COPTIC CHURCH:
 
CORRELATIVE:
 
CORRESPONDENCE THEORY OF TRUTH:
 
COSMIC:
 
COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT:
 
COSMOLOGY:
 
COUNCIL, BUDDHIST:
 
COUNCIL, CHURCH:
 
COUNTER CULTURE:
 
COUNTER REFORMATION:
 
COVENANT:
 
COVENANTERS:
 
COVERDALE, Miles (1488-1568):
 
COW:
 
COWPER, William (1731-1800):
 
CRANMER, Thomas (1489-1556):
 
CRAVING:
 
CREATIO EX NIHILO:
 
CREATION:
 
CREATIONISM:
 
CREDO QUIA ABSURDIUM:
 
CREED:
 
CREMATION:
 
CRISIS THEOLOGY:
 
CROCE, Benedetto (1866-1952):
 
CROMWELL, Oliver (1599-1658):
 
CROWLEY, Alister (1875-1947):
 
CROWTHER, Samuel Ajayi (1806-1891):
 
CRUCIFIX:
 
CRUSADES:
 
CRUSIUS, Christian August (1712-1775):
 
CRYPTO:
 
CULDEES:
 
CULLAVAMSA:
 
CULT:
 
CULTURE:
 
CUNEIFORM:
 
CUSTOM:
 
CUTHBERT (7th century A.D.):
 
CYNICISM:
 
CYPRIAN (3rd century A.D.):
 
CYRIL (826-869):
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CHAOS:

from the Greek word meaning "gap, gasp, or yawn" The poet Hesiod says "In the beginning Chaos came into being." In many Mesopotamian religioustraditions the world was created out of a pre-existing chaos. The HEBREW BIBLE appears to deny this and traditionally CHRISTIANS have maintained a BELIEF in creatio Ex Nihilo. Today some commentators argue that GOD created out of pre-existing MATTER. Such a view has important philosophic implications for the origins of EVIL and is rejected by ORTHODOX Christians.

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