MATSEC SEC Religious Knowledge key terms

The official list of books the Church accepts as inspired and authoritative. For Catholics it includes 46 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books, confirmed at the Council of Trent.

Old Testament books such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom and 1-2 Maccabees that Catholics and Orthodox accept as Scripture but most Protestants place among the Apocrypha.

The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made in Alexandria from the third century BC, often quoted by New Testament writers and the source of the deuterocanonical books.

The action of the Holy Spirit guiding the human authors of Scripture so that God is truly their author, while each writer's language and style remain genuinely their own.

The disciplined study of a biblical text to discover what its author meant, using language, history, genre and literary context rather than personal impressions alone.

The type of writing a text belongs to, such as myth, law code, prophecy, psalm, gospel or letter. Recognising genre prevents reading figurative passages as literal history.

A solemn binding agreement between God and his people, with promises and obligations. Examples include Noah, Abraham, Sinai through Moses, and the new covenant in Christ.

The founding fathers of Israel: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose stories in Genesis describe God's call, promises of land and descendants, and the beginnings of the chosen people.

God's pledge to Abraham of countless descendants, a land, and blessing for all nations. Christians read it as the root of salvation history fulfilled in Christ.

The deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt under Moses, celebrated at Passover. It is the central saving event of the Old Testament and a pattern of redemption.

The Jewish festival commemorating the sparing of Israelite firstborns by the blood of a lamb. Jesus' death at Passover gives Christian meaning to his sacrifice.

The Ten Commandments given to Moses on Sinai, summarising the moral law in duties towards God and towards neighbour. They remain a basis of Christian moral teaching.

The body of commandments, including moral, ceremonial and judicial rules, given through Moses. Christians hold the moral core as binding but not the ceremonial prescriptions.

The first five books of the Bible, also called the Pentateuch. For Jews it is the Law, the most sacred part of Scripture and the foundation of the covenant.

A person called by God to speak his word to the community, often challenging injustice and idolatry and calling for repentance, as in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Amos.

Old Testament passages, such as Isaiah's servant songs and promises of a son of David, that Christians read as foretelling the Messiah's identity and mission.

The Christian belief that the eternal Son of God became fully human in Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, without confusion or separation of the two natures.

The doctrine that in the one person of Christ two complete natures, divine and human, are united without mixture, change, division or separation, defined at Chalcedon in 451.

The central Christian belief that one God exists eternally as three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each fully God, sharing one undivided divine nature.

The branch of theology studying the person and work of Jesus Christ, asking who he is and how his divine and human natures relate in one person.

The doctrine explaining how Christ's death reconciles humanity with God. Models include sacrifice, victory over sin and death, satisfaction, and moral influence.

Deliverance from sin and eternal death, given by God's grace through Christ and received by faith and the sacraments. Catholics stress grace cooperating with human freedom.

Being made righteous before God. Catholic teaching describes it as an interior renewal infused by grace, not merely a legal declaration covering an unchanged sinner.

Teaching about the last things: death, judgement, heaven, hell, purgatory, the resurrection of the body and the return of Christ at the end of history.

The promised second coming of Christ in glory at the end of time, when he will judge the living and the dead and establish the fullness of God's kingdom.

A short vivid story drawn from everyday life that teaches a moral or spiritual truth by comparison, such as the Good Samaritan or the Prodigal Son.

The reign of God announced by Jesus, already present in his ministry and words yet still to come in fullness. It demands repentance, mercy and justice.

Matthew, Mark and Luke, so called because they share much material and a similar outline and can be set side by side, unlike the very different Gospel of John.

The question of the literary relationship among the first three Gospels, usually answered by Markan priority and a hypothetical sayings source called Q.

A method studying the oral traditions behind the Gospels, identifying units such as sayings, miracle stories and controversy stories and the settings in which they circulated.

The passion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus understood as one saving event, celebrated in the liturgy and entered through baptism.

God's raising of Jesus bodily from the dead on the first day of the week, the foundation of Christian faith and the pledge of believers' own future rising.

The Jewish harvest feast on which the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in Jerusalem, empowering them to preach and often called the birthday of the Church.

An outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. There are seven: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, orders and marriage.

The sacrament of Christ's body and blood under the forms of bread and wine, the memorial of his sacrifice and the source and summit of Christian life.

The Catholic teaching that at consecration the whole substance of bread and wine becomes Christ's body and blood while the appearances remain unchanged, defined at Lateran IV.

The habitual gift of God's own life dwelling in the soul, making a person holy and pleasing to God and enabling acts of love and merit.

The cycle of seasons, from Advent through Christmas, Lent, Easter and Ordinary Time, in which the Church celebrates the mysteries of Christ and reads Scripture in order.

The teaching office of the Pope and bishops in communion with him, which authentically interprets Scripture and tradition and guards the deposit of faith.

The living transmission of the faith handed down from the apostles through preaching, worship and teaching, which together with Scripture forms one deposit of faith.

A worldwide gathering of bishops with the Pope that defines doctrine or reforms discipline, such as Nicaea, Chalcedon, Trent and the Second Vatican Council.

The 451 council that defined Christ as one person in two natures, divine and human, rejecting both Nestorianism and monophysitism and shaping later Christology.

The profession of faith from Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381, confessing one God in three persons and the incarnation, death and resurrection of the Son.

The Latin addition stating the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. It was a major cause of the East-West schism of 1054.

The moral order knowable by human reason apart from revelation, grounding universal duties such as respect for life, truth and justice in God's created design.

The inner judgement of reason by which a person recognises the moral quality of an act and is called to choose good and avoid evil, formed by truth.

The Church's teaching on justice in society, including human dignity, the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity and the preferential option for the poor.

The sum of social conditions allowing people and groups to reach fulfilment, requiring respect for persons, social well-being, peace and accessible basic goods.

The virtue of firm commitment to the good of others, recognising that humanity forms one family and that injustice anywhere damages everyone.

A free act contrary to God's law and the good of neighbour, wounding communion with God and the Church. Mortal sin requires grave matter, full knowledge and consent.

Maltese national poet and priest, author of the hymn 'L-Innu Malti', whose poetry blends patriotism and Christian faith and who was declared a Servant of God.

The Catholic community in Malta, traditionally traced to St Paul's shipwreck around AD 60, with its own archdiocese, parishes, feast culture and long history of faith.