User:Egfrank/Neutral terms for interfaith dialog

A-D

 * Apostasy:1) Convert (if changing from one religion to another: Jewish to Messianic or Christian; Messianic or Christian to Jewish; or other religions). 2) Apostate should be reserved for a perception reference, or possibly reference to someone who leaves religion altogether.
 * Apostle:Apostle
 * Antichrist:Antichrist
 * Atonement:Atonement/Yom Kippur


 * Brit Chadasha: New Covenant (when speaking in terms of historical or future covenant) or New Testament (when speaking of the Christian Greek Scriptures).
 * Chesed:Grace
 * Chosen:Chosen (keep the distinction from “Elect” because of the dual use in some groups, such as Dispensationalists and Messianics).
 * Christ:Christ (when speaking of the Messiah in exclusively Christian frames of reference, savior from sin, divine God the Son, etc).
 * Christians:Christian
 * Christian Bible: 1) New Testament (when referring to only the Christian Greek Scriptures). 2) Protestant Bible (when referring to only the Hebrew Bible and New Testament combined, without the Biblical Apocrypha).  3) Roman Catholic Bible (when referring to the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonicals, and New Testament).  4) Eastern Orthodox Bible (when referring to the complete canon contained in the Septuagint and New Testament). 5) Syrian Orthodox Bible when refering to the Peshitta.  6) Ethiopian Orthodox Bible when refering to the Geez.
 * Covenant:Covenant (not generally interchangable with Dispensation or Testament)
 * Cross: Cross (historic connotations are not sufficient reason to use unfamiliar terms).
 * Deicide: None when applied to Jews and Jesus, possibly neutral when applied to mythological and other gods.

E-J

 * Elect: Elect (this should not be treated as a synonym for “Chosen” because several groups use both terms as distinct from each other). Note: Paul treated "elect" and "chosen" as synonyms for Israel in Romans 9-11, but seemed to also use "elect" for Christians, exclusive of non-Christian Jews. Thus, technically "elect" and "chosen" could both apply for Israel historically (in Paul's view), while "elect" would apply to the Church in the present and future.
 * False Messiah:False Messiah
 * Faith:Faith
 * God:God (although Christians, Jews, and Messianics have mutually incompatible views of God, they are describing similar experiences).
 * Golden Rule:Ethic of reciprocity, moral rule found in many cultures.
 * Gospel: 1) The Gospel (when speaking of the Christian message). 2) A Gospel (when speaking of one of the four books in the New Testament about the life of Jesus).
 * HaShem: God, or the Lord (HaShem is not understood by most readers without explanation).


 * Hebrew Bible:Hebrew Bible (while not a term normally used by Christians or Jews, it is understood by both groups and doesn't raise any ire). An important distinction is that the Hebrew Bible is not limited to the Masoretic Text but includes other text-types such as those found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.


 * Hebrew Christians:Hebrew Christians
 * Hell: Hell (understood as a Christian term)
 * Holy Spirit: 1) Holy Spirit (when speaking in either Christian or Messianic meaning). 2) Ruach HaKodesh (when speaking in an exclusively Jewish - not Christian or Messianic - frame of reference for an inspiration from God).  3) Shekinah (when speaking in an exclusively Jewish - not Christian or Messianic - frame of reference for an experience of the presence of God).  4) Bath Kol (when speaking in an exclusively Jewish - not Christian or Messianic - frame of reference for a small voice, or urging of God).
 * Jesus:Jesus
 * Jews:Jews. Additional note: in recent years some people (and translations) have avoided the term “Jew” as if it is some kind of insult.  “Jew” is inherently no more an insult than “Christian” and to treat it as such actually has the effect (giving offense) that the person is trying to avoid.

K-P

 * Kepha:Peter
 * Lord's Prayer:???
 * Messiah:Messiah
 * Messianic...:Messianic...
 * Messianic Gentiles:Messianic Gentiles
 * Messianic Jews:Messianic Jews
 * New Testament:New Testament (there is no neutral term that would be understood). Second Testament has been suggested.
 * Olam HaBa: Olam Haba (understood in the Jewish sense and not necessarily an equivalent to "heaven").
 * Old Testament:Hebrew Bible (while not a term normally used by Christians or Jews, it is understood by both groups and doesn't raise any ire). First Testament has been suggested.
 * Original Sin:Original Sin (to distinguish from sinful actions)
 * Paul the Apostle: Paul of Tarsus
 * Pharisees: Modern scholars generally downgrade the portrayal of Pharisees in the N.T. as polemical, some, such as E. P. Sanders see no significant difference between the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the Pharisees.

Q-S

 * Rabbinic:1) Jews (when speaking of modern Jews), 2) Rabbinic (when speaking of the body of Rabbis in the 1st to 4th centuries C.E. who created the Talmud). Should never be used to negate the self identification of “Jews” or “Judaism.”  When distinguishing Judaism from Messianic Judaism, the modifier (“Messianic”) goes on the smaller, newer, movement – not on the historically self-identified larger group.
 * Redemption:Redemption
 * Sabbath: 1) Sabbath (with Jewish meaning), 2) Lord's Day (when speaking of Sunday).
 * Saint Peter: Simon Peter
 * Salvation: Salvation (this is a Christian technical term).
 * Satan:Satan.
 * Sha'ul (Saul):1.) King Sha'ul (King Saul).. 2.) Paul (most readers are unfamiliar with Messianic substitution, although some will know that Paul’s original name was Saul, and that he had changed it to Paul sometime after he became a believer of Jesus).
 * Second Coming:Second Coming (this is a well understood term by all groups).
 * Seven Laws of Noah:The Seven Laws of Noah have officially been recognised in the United States Congress
 * Shema Yisrael:???
 * Shittuf:Shittuf (only to be used as a Jewish conception of the Trinity, and not as the actual concept itself. Should never be used as a synonym for the Trinity).
 * Sin: Sin (for actions); Original Sin (for state).

T-Z

 * Tanakh:Hebrew Bible (while not a term normally used by Christians or Jews, it is understood by both groups and doesn't raise any ire).
 * Tetragrammaton:God, or LORD (all capitals, as in many Bible translations) (indiscriminate use of the Divine Name is avoided by Christians, Jews, and Messianics). Scholars often use Yahweh.
 * Torah: ???
 * Trinity:Trinity. Note: the term should be reserved for a Nicene conception, and not for a partnership or compound unity.  If a concept contains “parts” that could be taken away from other “parts” then the term would not apply.  As with an analogous spatial dimension for a physical object, no personal dimension for the spiritual Trinity can be separated from the others.  Take away one and you do not have two thirds left; rather, nothing is left.
 * The Word:Depending on context: Jesus, Torah, Bible, etc. Use primary unambiguous alternatives when possible.
 * Works: Works. See also Covenantal nomism.
 * Yeshua:Jesus (only name that will not confuse or misdirect readers). Note: the Hebrew form is Yeshua, anglicized as “Joshua”; the Greek form is Iesous, anglicized as “Jesus.”
 * Yetzer HaRa:Yetzer HaRa (not to be treated as a synonym for the Christian concept of Original Sin).