About ChristianSlang.com

Why this site exists

Every community has its own vocabulary. Doctors have medical jargon. Lawyers have legalese. And Christians — well, Christians have Christianese.

Terms like sanctification, hedge of protection, lay it on the altar, and building the kingdom roll off the tongue at church services, small groups, and fellowship dinners. For the people who grew up hearing them, they're second nature. For curious visitors, new believers, or people reconnecting with faith after years away, they can feel like a secret code — one nobody bothered to explain.

ChristianSlang.com exists to decode that language. Not to mock it, not to explain it away, but to make it genuinely accessible — so that the vocabulary of faith stops being a barrier and starts being a door.

Who's behind it

ChristianSlang.com is written and maintained by Rev. Christopher D.F. Warrington, an ordained minister with an M.Div. and over two decades of experience in congregational ministry, pastoral care, and Christian education. He has served across multiple denominations and traditions, which gives this dictionary its intentionally cross-denominational perspective.

The site is a project of Christian Chain, Inc. and part of the Heavenly Network — a family of Christian reference, education, and devotional sites.

What makes this dictionary different

Most theological dictionaries are written for seminary students. This one is written for everyone else. Every entry follows the same format:

• A plain-English translation in one sentence — before any theological detail
• A full definition with context and history
• Real examples of how the word is actually used
• A confusion rating so you know whether you're alone in being baffled
• Related terms to help you build a fuller picture

Where a term means different things in different traditions — Reformed, Catholic, Pentecostal, mainline Protestant — we note that. We don't flatten the diversity of Christian expression; we try to map it honestly.

A note on tone

This site takes Christianity seriously and Christians warmly. The goal is never to ridicule the language of faith — even the quirky corners of it. If a term has made it into the dictionary, it's because real people use it in real communities, and that deserves a thoughtful explanation, not a punchline.

That said, some entries in the Lighter Side section do lean into the gentle humor that Christians themselves bring to their own vocabulary. Faith communities have always been able to laugh at themselves — and that's part of the culture too.

Get in touch

Heard a term we haven't covered? Suggest it here. Found an error or want to flag something? Email us.