The influence of Christianity on English culture and language is immense. Although some Romanized Britons were Christian, the pagan Anglo-Saxons drove believers into a tiny remnant. Missionaries from Christendom converted leaders and people, until around AD 600 .

Three recent books have shown how deep that influence goes. Historian Tom Holland, a classicist and secular nonbeliever, found himself in his book documenting the rise of modern ethnical values through the effects of the Christian church in Western Europe.

The late Larry Seidentop, of Keble College, Oxford, wrote a book on the and the development of secular values through the actions and reactions of the Western church. He charts many courses that have led to Western secular values. We inheritors of Western Christian are not like China and India and Russia in our basic human values because of the ways our history was influenced by Christian history.

Joseph Henrich性视界传媒檚 sociologically documents ways in which Western cultures differ in values from those of other parts of the world. Then he tries to explain the rise of those differences, in individuality, in analytical thinking, and pro-social behavior in light of the church性视界传媒檚 centuries-long assault on the ancient family.

There性视界传媒檚 a term some use now 性视界传媒 These are people who don性视界传媒檛 believe the doctrines and dogmas of Christianity, but are glad other people do. In one important way, though, all of us who speak English are cultural Christians using a language whose vocabulary has been shaped profoundly by its Christian past.

Today we will look at some of the words that came into our language through the church.

The most usual route of these words into English is from Greek or Hebrew translated into Latin, and centuries later, adopted by the Anglo-Saxon and Norman cultures of England.

Greek is, of course, the language of the New Testament and the common tongue of many nationalities in the eastern Mediterranean. Latin was the language of the Roman Empire, where the early church took root and was declared the by Theodosius I in 380.

The book of Acts records that the believers in Antioch. The word is not a family name. Joe and Mary Christ did not have a kid named Yeshua. 性视界传媒淐丑谤颈蝉迟性视界传媒 is from Greek 性视界传媒渒hrisma性视界传媒 性视界传媒渁n unguent, anointing, unction.性视界传媒 It means, literally, smearing with oil.

性视界传媒淎noint性视界传媒 came into English through their Norman overlords. It meant smearing something with oil or grease, like pigs and wagon wheels. The church, of course, used a different word for liturgical anointment. Chrism is a fragrant mixture of oil and balm, and is used at baptisms to this day.

性视界传媒淐丑谤颈蝉迟性视界传媒 is the equivalent of the Hebrew 性视界传媒渕ashiah性视界传媒 and means 性视界传媒渁nointed one.性视界传媒 In the Hebrew context, the mashiah is 性视界传媒渢he anointed one of Israel.性视界传媒 The first two mashiah were Saul and David, as were the Hebrew kings. Christians believe that Jesus the Galilean was the Anointed One of Israel. And much more.

In the first centuries, 性视界传媒淐丑谤颈蝉迟性视界传媒 was a title, not a name, 性视界传媒淛esus, the Christ.性视界传媒 Later, by the Middle Ages, pious Christians came to regard it as the proper name for the Savior.

The earliest churches, such as Antioch and Damascus and Corinth, called themselves by the common word for 性视界传媒渁ssembly,性视界传媒 which is 性视界传媒渆cclesia.性视界传媒 It was a political and religious gathering. In the ancient cities of pagan antiquity, in the Mediterranean and Middle East, there was no substantial difference between religion and politics.

comes from an

  • root meaning 性视界传媒渢o call.性视界传媒 The ecclesia was a calling together of the citizens of an ancient city. It is the word the earliest church adopted for itself.

The Spanish word 性视界传媒渋glesia性视界传媒 should be familiar to all y性视界传媒檃ll.

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性视界传媒淐hurch性视界传媒 is attested in Anglo-Saxon English. The citation from the invaluable deserves quoting:

  • 性视界传媒淥ld English cirice, circe 性视界传媒減lace of assemblage set aside for Christian worship; the body of Christian believers, Christians collectively; ecclesiastical authority or power,性视界传媒 from Proto-Germanic kirika (source also of Old Saxon kirika, Old Norse kirkja, Old Frisian zerke, Middle Dutch kerke, Dutch kerk, Old High German kirihha, German Kirche).性视界传媒

makes its way into English through Medieval Latin and French in the late 15th century. The mentions of this word in the massive Google N-gram base go from 1.4 mentions per million words in 1800 to 0.2 in 2019. It性视界传媒檚 always been kind of an elite word.

性视界传媒淏ishop性视界传媒 traces a pretty clear line back to 性视界传媒渆piscopos性视界传媒 an overseer of the earliest Christian churches. The Greek word is used in Acts, and by Peter and Paul. The 性视界传媒渟copos性视界传媒 means 性视界传媒渨atcher性视界传媒 or 性视界传媒済uardian.性视界传媒 It性视界传媒檚 from an Indo-European root word 性视界传媒渟pek,性视界传媒 meaning 性视界传媒渢o observe.性视界传媒

Another early term was 性视界传媒減resbyter性视界传媒 or elder of the church. The 性视界传媒減resbyterion性视界传媒 was the word for a council of elders in Christian and the numerous Greek-speaking Jewish ecclesia and synagogues. Presby means 性视界传媒渙ld.性视界传媒 Presbyopia is an age-related condition causing elder folks to be unable to focus on close objects. Fortunately, science can fix that problem with lenses.

A third term was 性视界传媒渄eacon,性视界传媒 from a word that meant something like a caterer at a banquet, had to do with the organization of resources in the church. The Book of Acts recounts that seven deacons were recruited to assist the apostles in meeting the needs of Jewish and non-Jewish followers of the Christ.

性视界传媒淢artyr性视界传媒 meant 性视界传媒渨itness,性视界传媒 both in the active and passive voice. Many early Christians suffered and died for their faith. None of their martyrdoms are more striking than that of Lawrence, deacon of Rome.

Ordered by the magistrate to produce all the treasures of the church for his inspection in three days time, Lawrence assembled all the sick, the elderly, the orphans and widows and broken ones, and presented them as the treasure of the church.

The Romans burned him alive over a slow fire, which by accounts, he endured with remarkable confidence and sangfroid, managing a last joke as he lay burning. Now, that性视界传媒檚 a witness of faith who has earned his crown of glory. Call him Saint Lawrence, like the seaway.

Bishops and presbyters and deacons evolved into a hierarchical ecclesiastical structure. 性视界传媒淗ieros性视界传媒 means 性视界传媒渟acred.性视界传媒 One who leads rituals and sacrifices and literally shows one the sacred things is a priest. The Levites of the Old Testament were this kind of priest.

A hierarchy is the rule of the priests. Hieroglyphics are sacred writings. The Indo-European root for this word means 性视界传媒渟hine.性视界传媒 A hierophany is a manifestation of the sacred. A hierophant is a person who shares sacred knowledge with others.

Low on the hierarchy are the clerks. 性视界传媒淐lerks性视界传媒 are clerics, men of the cloth, trained by the church and who found themselves employment in feudal and royal courts. Some rose to positions of wealth and power.

Many labored in obscure penury and in inferior orders. They were stuck in the clerical department, where things were usually boring and tedious, and they were under-paid and under-appreciated.

On the other hand, for 1,500 years, we have been able to chalk up errors of judgments with claims that it was just clerical error.

We性视界传媒檒l end on 性视界传媒渃lerical error.性视界传媒 Thank the Christians for the words. Bless all our hearts.

— Frank T. Pool is an award-winning columnist and poet who grew up on Maple Street in Longview and graduated from Longview High School. He is a semi-retired teacher living in Austin. Contact him at FrankT.Pool@gmail.com.