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University of Virginia Library

Concise Dictionary of Religion

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WANG YANG-MING (1472-1529):

WARFIELD, Benjamin Breckinridge (1851-1921):

WATTS, Isaac (1674-1748):

WEBER, Max (1864-1920):

WEIL, Simone (1909-1943):

WELLHAUSEN, Julius (1844-1918):

WELTANSCHAUUNG:

WESLEY, Charles (1707-1788):

WESLEY, John (1703-179l):

WESTCOTT, Brooke Foss (1825-1901):

WESTPHALIA, THE PEACE OF:

WHITEHEAD, Alfred North (1861-1947):

WHITFIELD, George (1714-1770):

WILBERFORCE, William (1759-1833):

WILL TO BELIEVE:

WILLIAMS, Charles Walter Stansby (1886-1945):

WISDOM LITERATURE:

WITTGENSTEIN, Ludwig, (1889-1951):

WOLFF, Christian (1679-1754):

WORDSWORTH, Christopher (1807-1885):

WORDSWORTH, William (1770-1850):

WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES:

WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD:

WUNDT, William (1832-1900):

WYCLIFFE, John (1330-1384):

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CIRCUMCISION:

a practice common in many CULTURES of cutting away the foreskin as a SYMBOL of INITIATION or manhood. In JUDAISM it became the symbol of GOD'S COVENANT with the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. The HEBREW BIBLE, speaks about the "circumcision of the HEART," an idea which is taken up in the NEW TESTAMENT as a spiritual state rather than an outward symbol Deuteronomy 10:16 thus transforming a physical act into an inner, spiritual, commitment Philippians 3:3.