Data source: Gina A. Zurlo and Todd M. Johnson, eds., World Christian Database (Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2024).
| Glossary item | Definition |
|---|---|
| scripture distribution | See under Bible distribution, New Testament distribution, portions, selections. |
| Scripture language | A language in which some Scripture activity exists, either distribution of complete scriptures (complete Books of the Bible) in print, radio, audio, or video versions; or partial scriptures (ongoing translation and preparation of complete scriptures, or use of selections of texts in print, radio, or audio versions). |
| scripture translation status | A language’s status with regard to translation, publication, provision and availability of its own Bible, New Testament, Portion (gospel), and Selection. |
| scriptures | In United Bible Societies’ statistical usage the sum total of all Bibles, NTs, portions and selections (qv) distributed through their auspices and agencies in a given year. |
| seamen’s centers | Christian clubs or centers for seafarers exist in over 500 posts in 76 countries around the world; coordinated by ICMA. |
| seasonal assistants | Short-term Christian personnel serving abroad, for periods of 6 months or less. |
| seatings | A technical term for the seating capacity of a church or of all churches in a denomination; the actual number of seats available. |
| Seceders | Kharijites (qv). |
| secession | The formal withdrawal of a body of Christians from a larger denomination; a schism split, breakoff, separation, or faction. |
| Second Coming | The Second Advent of Christ as judge of the world on the Last Day. |
| Second Rome | Constantinople as New Rome, the successor to Rome as capital of the Christian world after the sack of Rome in AD 476 and the end of the Roman empire in the West; after 1453 replaced by Moscow claiming to be the Third Rome. |
| Second World | The 30 or so countries comprising the Communist (or Marxist Socialist) world, especially before 1990, loosely contrasted with the First (Western or Capitalist) bloc or world, and the so-called Third World or bloc. |
| Second World | Formerly used of the Communist world, and still used now of the Communist/ex-Communist world. |
| secondary education | Education in secondary or high schools. |
| second-language scriptures | Copies of Scripture used by persons without mother-tongue scriptures; usually in lingua francas. |
| Second-Wavers | Charismatics in the Renewal within mainline nonpentecostal churches. |
| secret believers | Crypto-Christians (qv). |
| sect | A comparatively small recently-organized exclusive dissenting religious body, usually considered heretical. |
| sectarian | An adherent of a particular religious sect, a dissenter, often of bigoted views. |
| secular | Relating to the worldly or temporal in contrast to the spiritual or eternal; civil, non-religious. |
| secular clergy | Diocesan clergy (qv). |
| secular religions | See quasi-religions. |
| secular states | In AD 2000 some 102 nations and countries out of the world total of 238 regarded themselves as secular, promoting neither religion nor irreligion, and maintaining strict separation between church and state. |
| secularism | A view of life or of any particular matter holding that religion and religious considerations should be ignored or purposely excluded. |
| secularization | The act or process of transferring matters under ecclesiastical or religious control to secular or civil or lay control; the process whereby religious thinking, practice and institutions lose social significance. |
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.