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Definition:
The term ecclesia comes from the Greek ekklesia, which simply means any specially
called assembly of people. When used in the New Testament, it acquired the sense
of people gathering for religious reasons.
The translation of the term became a point of religious disagreement, however. The Roman Catholic Church translated it to mean "church," thus providing justification for the continuation of the church as an institution. Later Protestant reformers preferred to translate it to simply mean an assembly of Christian believers, thus denying validity to church as an institution.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
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What are the various Christian groups, denominations, sects and heresies? What are some key concepts in Christian theology? What are some of the most important events in Christian history? All of this and more are covered in the Christianity FAQ.What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.What is Theism?
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A system of human beliefs, ideals and practices which is harder to define than it may at first appear. Read more about how dictionaries, scholars and others have tried to define and explain religion.

