Heretics book 3 - The Apocryphile Press

396 :: GLOSSARY
Orthodox: In a general sense (small “o”) orthodox means
“correct teaching”—what has come down to us as “normative”
Christianity as expressed through the Apostles’ Creed
and the Nicene Creed. In a specific sense (capital “O”)
Orthodox refers to the historic churches of the East, such as
the Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and other national
churches, and their traditions.
Pantocrator: “Ruler of all” or “all powerful.” A common
icon in Orthodox churches is the “Christ Pantocrator,”
which is usually enormous, and looms inside a dome, featuring
Jesus holding a book in his left hand while his right
hand offers a mudra of absolution. He usually does not look
happy.
Prime Directive: In the Star Trek universe, this is the number
one rule in engaging with alien civilizations. It states that
Starfleet may not interfere with or influence pre-warp civilizations
in any way. Pre-warp civilizations are those that
have not yet achieved faster-than-light travel.
Prior: The superior of a religious order, either elected or
appointed.
Puer Aeternis: Latin for “eternal youth.”
Rite: In a general sense, this refers to a religious ritual.
Specifically, however, this refers to a body of liturgical tradition.
For instance, those who follow the Anglican Rite use
the Anglican Book of Common Prayer for their religious
services, even if they are not Anglicans. There are Anglican
Rite Congregationalists, Anglican Rite Roman Catholics,
and so on. Same goes for the Roman Rite or various
Orthodox Rites. There are Roman Rite Old Catholics and
Orthodox Rite Roman Catholics. It’s all one big mushy
mess. Boundaries mean nothing any more. Hand me that
razor blade, please. (I’m kidding, of course. I am myself an
Anglican Rite Old Catholic, and the church I serve is an
Anglican Rite Congregational Church.)