Data source: Gina A. Zurlo and Todd M. Johnson, eds., World Christian Database (Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2024).
| Glossary item | Definition |
|---|---|
| syncretism | The developmental process of historical growth within a religion by accretion and coalescence of different and often conflicting forms of belief and practice; as understood by Christian theology, the religious attitude which holds that there is no unique revelation in history, that there are many different ways to reach the divine reality, that all formulations of religious truth or experience are inadequate expression of that truth, and that it is necessary to harmonize all religious ideas and experiences so as to create one universal religion for mankind. |
| syncretistic movement | A religious movement incorporating conflicting or divergent beliefs, principles or practices drawn from 2 or more religious systems. |
| synod | An ecclesiastical council or church governing or advisory body, including general synod diocesan synod (qv), holy synod (qv); either regularly meeting, or a one-time occasion. |
| Synod of Bishops | Since 1965 a permanent, central ecclesiastical institution assisting the Roman pope in the governing of the universal church. By AD 2000, 14 formal assemblies had been held. |
| Synodus Episcoporum | Synod of Bishops (qv). |
| synthesist, synthesizer | One who employs synthesis or follows synthetic methods with varying religious traditions. |
| Syriac | Oriental Orthodox liturgical tradition, dating back to New Testament era (Syrian Orthodox, West Syrian, Jacobite). |
| Syriac/Malayalam | Oriental Orthodox liturgical tradition, using both languages in its liturgy, Syro-Malabarese (qv). |
| Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch | Oriental Orthodox (Jacobite). |
| Syrians | Catholics using Antiochian rite. |
| Syrians, Eastern | See Eastern Syrians. |
| Syrians,Western | See Western Syrians. |
| Syro-Chaldeans | Assyrians (qv). |
| Syro-Malabarese | (1) Orthodox St Thomas Christians of India who have remained independent of Rome but in communion with Jacobite Church (Damascus): global membership (1995) 2,197,000. (2) Catholic St Thomas Christians who submitted to Rome in 1599 and still use the East Syrian rite, with Malayalam; global membership (1995) 3,155,000. |
| Syro-Malankarese | Catholic St Thomas Christians who submitted to Rome in 1930, and who use the West Syrian rite. |
| Syro-Oriental | A Catholic rite (see Chaldean). |
| systematic theology | Constructive theology; a branch of theology that attempts to reduce all religious truth to statements forming a self-consistent and organized whole. |
| systems analysis | That approach which seeks to explain a situation or to solve a problem within the totality of its environment, seeing the situation and understanding how all of its parts are interrelated or affect one another. |
| tactics | In war, the science of disposing local resources to fight particular battles. In mission, the science or art of using available resources for the immediate evangelization of a people or territory. |
| Tai | An Asian ethnolinguistic family. |
| Tantrayana | Tantrism, Vajrayana, Mantrayana, Esoteric Vehicle, or Lamaism; a school of Buddhists (qv), including Shingon in Japan. |
| target people | An ethnolinguistic people which is the evangelistic focus of a Christian worker, missionary, couple, or small team seeking to benefit that people in measurable ways. |
| targeting | In religious and missionary usage, the establishing of goals followed by implementation of ministries and resources directly intending to benefit non-Christian populations. |
| targeting variable | Term from United Nations’ usage denoting priority of measurable benefits: literacy, health care, famine or disaster relief (1-10, with 1=top priority). |
| tariqa | (Arabic). (1) A Muslim religious brotherhood or fraternity of mystics. (2) The Sufi path of spiritual development. |
Data on 18 categories of religion, including non-religious, by country, province, and people.
Data on all religions, Christian activities, and trends.
Membership data, year begun, and rates of change.
Population and religion data on all major cities & provinces.
Detailed information covering religion, culture, and geography.
A repository of historical data, including a chronology of Christianity from the 1st to 21st centuries.