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Sagan, Carl Edward

(Encyclopedia)Sagan, Carl Edward sāˈgən [key], 1934–96, American astronomer and popularizer of science, b. New York City. Early in his career he investigated radio emissions from Venus and concluded that the c...

ballistics

(Encyclopedia)ballistics bəlĭsˈtĭks [key], science of projectiles. Interior ballistics deals with the propulsion and the motion of a projectile within a gun or firing device. Its problems include the ignition a...

Docetism

(Encyclopedia)Docetism dōsētˈĭzəm [key] [Gr.,=to appear], early heretical trend in Christian thought. Docetists claimed that Christ was a mere phantasm who only seemed to live and suffer. A similar tendency to...

Hurst, John Fletcher

(Encyclopedia)Hurst, John Fletcher, 1834–1903, American Methodist bishop and educator, b. Maryland. He was president of Drew Theological Seminary from 1873 until 1880, when he was elected bishop. Bishop Hurst was...

Graupner, Gottlieb

(Encyclopedia)Graupner, Gottlieb (Johann Christian Gottlieb), 1767–1836, German-American musician. In 1795 he came to the United States, settling in Charleston, S.C., where he played in the City Theatre Orchestra...

Sosipater

(Encyclopedia)Sosipater sōsĭpˈətər [key], in the New Testament, Christian at Corinth. Rom. 16.21. He is probably the same as Sopater. ...

Sosthenes

(Encyclopedia)Sosthenes sŏsˈthənēz [key]. 1 In the New Testament, prominent Jew at Corinth, beaten by the crowd when Gallio refused to try Paul for heresy. Acts 18.17. 2 Early Christian. 1 Cor. 1.1. ...

Saint Michael's Mount

(Encyclopedia)Saint Michael's Mount, pyramid-shaped rocky islet, 21 acres (8.5 hectares), Cornwall, SW England, in Mounts Bay; it rises to more than 200 ft (61 m). A natural causeway connects it at low tide with th...

Cerinthus

(Encyclopedia)Cerinthus sĭrĭnˈthəs [key], fl. c.a.d. 100?, Jewish-Christian religious leader, b. Ephesus. He held tenets influenced by Gnosticism and similar to those of the Ebionites. He taught that the Christ...

reliquary

(Encyclopedia)reliquary rĕlˌəkwĕrˈē [key], receptacle containing the relics of saints and other sacred objects of the Christian religion. Reliquaries were often designed in shapes that reflected the nature of...