Core Glossary
Core Glossary
translation_memory.json is the enforced glossary for every Phase 2 translation in this curriculum. This document summarizes its shape and the principles behind it; see the Glossary Risk Groups for the full per-term entries.
Composition
The glossary holds 47 terms spanning all four risk tiers, drawn from the doctrines identified in Doctrine Analysis and grounded in the cultural risks identified in Culture Analysis. Every term entry records:
- The approved Czech translation, drawn from Bible kralická or the modern Czech Ecumenical Translation (ČEP)
- The doctrine risk tier (Critical/High/Medium/Low)
- Explicitly rejected readings, specific to either archaic flattening or dominant unrelated secular senses as relevant to that term
- Notes explaining the specific comprehension risk and what conceptual scaffolding is needed
Governing principles
- Established usage over invention — where Bible kralická or ČEP already has a settled rendering (evangelium, spasení, Duch svatý), this glossary follows it rather than proposing a more “modern-sounding” but unestablished alternative.
- Explicit conceptual scaffolding, not silent avoidance — because this Language Package’s central risk is comprehension failure rather than doctrinal corruption, every Critical-risk term’s notes specify what background explanation is needed, not just what wrong reading to avoid.
- Version-controlled and append-only in Phase 2 — if a new term is discovered during document translation, it is added to translation memory and the version number incremented, never silently improvised per-document.
Relationship to the Doctrine Risk Registry
Every glossary term’s doctrine field links back to an entry in doctrine_risk_registry.json, so a term’s risk tier is always traceable to the specific doctrine it protects — the glossary enforces vocabulary and names its comprehension burden, the doctrine registry explains why that vocabulary matters and how much foundational teaching it requires.
Critical Risk Terms
Father
Approved rendering: Otec
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
God as personal Father; standard, though the specific theological weight of divine fatherhood (as opposed to ordinary human fatherhood) needs to be actively taught given generally low background religious literacy.
God
Approved rendering: Bůh
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Standard and unambiguous, though ‘proboha’ (‘for God’s sake’) functions as a common secular exclamation in everyday speech, similarly requiring register awareness in translated material.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Duch svatý
Doctrine: Sanctification
Standard and unambiguous personal third Person of the Trinity; basic Trinitarian framework cannot be assumed as prior knowledge and may need brief accompanying explanation.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: přičtená spravedlnost
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: spravedlnost vnímaná pouze jako výsledek vlastního mravního zlepšení
CRITICAL: this compound theological phrase has no equivalent in ordinary Czech usage at all. Unlike in more religious cultures, there is no rival systematic-theology framework (Tridentine infusion, Orthodox theosis) actively competing for this concept; the risk is instead that the phrase communicates nothing at all to an unprepared reader. Must be introduced as wholly new conceptual content, anchored concretely to Romans 4’s Abraham narrative, rather than assumed to resonate with any existing framework, religious or secular.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Ježíš
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Standard and stable, though ‘Ježíš’/‘Ježíšmarjá’ also functions as a common secular interjection/mild profanity in colloquial Czech (comparable to ‘Jesus!’ as an exclamation in English) — translators must ensure formal doctrinal material never inadvertently echoes this casual exclamatory register.
Justification
Approved rendering: ospravedlnění
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: ospravedlnění pouze v běžném smyslu ‘obhájení’ nebo ‘omluvení’ určitého jednání
CRITICAL: in everyday Czech, ‘ospravedlnění’ simply means justifying or excusing an action (‘ospravedlnění pozdního příchodu,’ ‘justifying being late’) — a low-stakes, mundane word with essentially zero inherited theological weight. Paul’s forensic doctrine of justification by faith must be built up as new content, not evoked from a pre-existing religious schema, since none can be assumed.
Lord
Approved rendering: Pán
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: pán s malým ‘p’ ve smyslu běžného zdvořilostního oslovení (‘pane’)
CRITICAL, structurally similar to Greek’s Κύριος: ‘pán/pane’ is the ordinary Czech word for ‘Mister/Sir’ in everyday polite address. Capitalization (Pán vs. pán) is the only orthographic signal distinguishing Romans 10:9’s exclusive divine lordship from an everyday honorific, and capitalization alone is a fragile signal for conveying doctrinal weight; the confession must be actively taught, not assumed to register from word choice alone.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Mesiáš
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
CRITICAL: transliterated term requiring foundational explanation of the entire Old Testament messianic-expectation background, which cannot be assumed as prior knowledge for a general secular Czech reader.
Salvation
Approved rendering: spasení
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: spasení chápané pouze jako archaický, literární výraz z Bible kralické bez skutečného obsahu pro čtenáře
CRITICAL: ‘spasení’ is a genuine Kralice Bible-tradition term, but in one of the most secular societies in Europe it now registers to most readers as an archaic, quasi-literary word (comparable to how ‘thee/thou’ sounds to English speakers) rather than a live category of meaning. The single greatest risk for this Language Package is not a wrong word but that the correct word fails to activate any conceptual content at all; salvation must be explained conceptually and narratively (from what, to what, by whom), not merely named.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Syn Boží
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
CRITICAL: full phrase required. Unique eternal Sonship; basic Trinitarian categories cannot be assumed as background knowledge for a secular audience and may need brief accompanying explanation distinct from the doctrinal note itself.
High Risk Terms
Calling
Approved rendering: povolání
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: povolání výhradně ve smyslu civilního zaměstnání či profese
In ordinary Modern Czech, ‘povolání’ overwhelmingly means one’s job or profession (‘Jaké je vaše povolání?,’ ‘What is your occupation?’). Romans’ sense of a divine summons must be actively distinguished from the ‘what’s your job’ reading, which will be the first and only association most readers bring.
Covenant
Approved rendering: smlouva
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Rejected alternatives: smlouva výhradně jako běžná obchodní nebo právní smlouva
‘Smlouva’ is the ordinary Czech word for any contract or agreement (a lease, an employment contract). Paul’s relational covenant bond needs to be actively distinguished from this dominant everyday commercial/legal sense, since there is no alternate word carrying inherited religious weight the way it might in more religious cultures.
Election
Approved rendering: vyvolení
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: vyvolení v běžném, sekulárním smyslu úspěchu nebo výběru (např. sportovní výběr, výběrové řízení)
God’s sovereign, gracious choice. ‘Vyvolení’/‘vyvolený’ are used in ordinary Czech for being selected or chosen in a secular competitive sense (a job selection process, a sports team). Romans 9-11’s argument requires active distinction from this achievement-oriented secular sense.
Faith
Approved rendering: víra
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: víra v obecném slova smyslu (např. ‘víra v sebe sama’, víra ve výsledek)
Personal trust in Christ. Modern secular Czech commonly uses ‘víra’ for generic belief or self-confidence (‘víra v sebe sama,’ ‘believing in yourself’), with no automatic religious referent; the object of faith (Christ) must be specified explicitly every time, since a secular reader will not default to a religious reading.
Gospel
Approved rendering: evangelium
Doctrine: Gospel
Established term (Bible kralická through the modern Czech Ecumenical Translation), but cannot be assumed to carry inherited meaning for most readers given the Czech Republic’s very low religious practice. Must be actively defined at first use, not simply translated, unlike languages where a lived faith community reinforces the term’s meaning outside the text.
Grace
Approved rendering: milost
Doctrine: Grace
Established Kralice-tradition term, still used in ordinary Czech for judicial mercy/clemency (e.g. a presidential pardon, ‘udělit milost’). Unlike Greek’s parallel secular drift, Czech legal usage carries no residual religious connotation to reactivate; needs explicit unpacking as unmerited divine favor, built from scratch rather than assumed.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: vtělení
Doctrine: Incarnation
Established theological term with very low everyday secular use, meaning it carries almost no competing secular meaning but also almost no pre-existing recognition; treat as a term to be taught, not merely translated.
Law
Approved rendering: zákon
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
The Mosaic law/Torah; also the ordinary word for civil law/legislation, requiring context to keep Paul’s specific argument about Mosaic law distinct from law-in-general.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: poslušnost víry
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Romans 1:5 and 16:26. Obedience flowing from faith, a compound concept that needs to be taught since neither ‘obedience’ nor ‘faith’ alone carries strong pre-existing religious connotation for most readers.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: vzkříšení
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Established Kralice-tradition term, still used at Easter (Velikonoce), the Czech Republic’s most widely observed but now largely secularized holiday, popularly associated more with folk customs (pomlázka) than the resurrection of Christ. The word is recognized, but its Easter association has been substantially detached from its doctrinal content for most of the population.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: spravedlnost
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: spravedlnost výhradně v moderním občanském/právním smyslu
‘Spravedlnost’ is the ordinary Czech word for justice/fairness in courts and society. Unlike Poland, where a civic sense competes against a live religious sense, in Czech the civic sense may simply be the ONLY sense a reader brings, requiring the theological ‘right standing before God’ sense to be built from scratch.
Saints
Approved rendering: svatí
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: svatí výhradně jako historické, kanonizované osobnosti vzdálené od běžného čtenáře
The Czech calendar still marks saints’ name days, a genuine cultural touchpoint even for secular readers, but this now functions as folk custom largely detached from any live theological content about sainthood. Romans 1:7’s corporate sense (every believer called ‘svatý’) needs to be taught as new content, since the reader’s only existing association (name-day calendar trivia) will not supply the doctrine.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: posvěcení
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: posvěcení výhradně jako rituální/symbolický akt bez trvalého obsahu (např. ‘posvěcení stavby’)
‘Posvěcení’ is used in ordinary Czech for the ceremonial blessing/dedication of a building or object (e.g. ‘posvěcení kostela’). Romans’ sense of the Spirit’s ongoing transformative work in a believer’s life is substantially different and unfamiliar, and must be built up rather than assumed from the ceremonial-blessing association.
Sin
Approved rendering: hřích
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: hřích s oslabeným, žertovným významem (např. ‘to je hřích nechat to jídlo vyhodit’)
Czech colloquially uses ‘hřích’ in a weakened idiomatic sense close to ‘what a shame/pity’ about mundane matters (wasted food, missed opportunities). Given generally low religious framing in daily life, this idiomatic usage risks being the reader’s dominant association; Romans’ argument about sin as serious moral transgression before a personal God needs to be built up explicitly against this colloquial flattening.
Medium Risk Terms
Abba
Approved rendering: Abba
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Aramaic term of intimacy preserved in Romans 8:15 in both Bible kralická and the modern Czech Ecumenical Translation; retain the transliteration paired with ‘Otče.‘
Adoption
Approved rendering: přijetí za syna
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
‘Adopce’ is the standard modern secular word for legal adoption and supports the legal-status parallel well; the specific theological content (full inheritance rights as God’s child) still needs explicit unpacking since it is unfamiliar territory for most readers.
Called
Approved rendering: povolaný
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Context-sensitive: Romans 1:1 (called to apostleship), 1:7 (called to be saints), 8:28-30 (effectual calling).
Church
Approved rendering: církev
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: kostel (budova) namísto společenství věřících
‘Církev’ (the institution/community) must be kept distinct from ‘kostel’ (the building). Given generally low religious practice, many readers’ primary association with either word may be architectural or historical/touristic (Czech churches are widely visited as heritage sites) rather than living community, which should be actively corrected in this curriculum.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: pohané
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
As with Polish ‘poganie’ and Hungarian ‘pogányok,’ ‘pohané’ literally means ‘pagans,’ carrying a stronger charge than the neutral English ‘Gentiles’; use ‘národy’ (nations) where a more neutral sense is intended.
Glory
Approved rendering: sláva
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: sláva ve smyslu světské slávy či úspěchu
God’s radiant honor and presence. ‘Sláva’ is also the ordinary word for worldly fame or glory (sporting, artistic, military), a secular sense that must be kept distinct from Romans’ theological usage, paralleling the same risk noted for Greek δόξα.
Holy
Approved rendering: svatý
Doctrine: Sanctification
Established term with more residual cultural traction than most in this glossary, since name days (svátek) tied to saints still appear on the Czech calendar and are marked even by secular Czechs.
Intercession
Approved rendering: přímluva
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Prayer on behalf of others. Romans 8:26-27, 34 describe the Spirit and Christ interceding directly; unlike most other Language Packages in this pipeline, there is no strong live cultural competitor here (no dominant saint-veneration or Marian-devotion culture in secular Czech society), so the primary task is teaching what intercession means at all, not correcting a rival framework.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: království Boží
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
God’s sovereign reign; guard against a fairy-tale-kingdom association, a real risk given ‘království’ is a common word in Czech children’s stories and fantasy literature.
Mission
Approved rendering: misie
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
Standard term; may carry a mild historical/colonial-era or NGO-humanitarian connotation in contemporary secular usage rather than a specifically gospel-proclamation sense, worth a brief clarifying note.
Peace
Approved rendering: pokoj
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: pokoj ve smyslu pouhého klidu či nepřítomnosti hluku
Relational peace with God through justification. Ordinary Czech ‘pokoj’ commonly means simple quiet or absence of disturbance (‘Dej mi pokoj,’ ‘leave me alone’), a substantially weaker secular sense that must be distinguished from Romans 5:1’s relational, covenantal sense.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: moc Boží
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Standard, unambiguous rendering.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: proroctví
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: proroctví jako věštba nebo předpověď budoucnosti
God-inspired declaration, not fortune-telling or trend prediction.
Prophet
Approved rendering: prorok
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: prorok ve smyslu věštce nebo jasnovidce
God’s spokesperson; Czech popular culture’s frequent use of ‘prorok/prorokovat’ for fortune-telling or predicting trends (e.g. ‘prorokovat budoucnost’) risks the word being read through a secular-predictive lens rather than as a specific biblical office.
Providence
Approved rendering: prozřetelnost Boží
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: prozřetelnost v obecném, neosobním smyslu ‘osudu’ nebo ‘štěstí’
God’s personal, purposive governance; avoid the fatalistic, impersonal folk-secular framing of ‘osud’ (fate) or ‘štěstí’ (luck/fortune), the more common ways contemporary secular Czechs describe unexplained life events.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: potomek Davidův
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Romans 1:3; conveys physical lineage and covenant fulfillment, though the Davidic covenant background itself needs foundational explanation.
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: duchovní dary
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
Spirit-given enablements for the church. Low risk of syncretistic misreading given the absence of a competing organized alternative spiritual framework in mainstream Czech culture, but the underlying concept of the Holy Spirit distributing gifts needs foundational explanation for a secular audience.
Low Risk Terms
Apostle
Approved rendering: apoštol
Doctrine: Apostleship
Established, stable term, though the underlying concept of a specially authorized emissary of Christ may need brief explanation for readers unfamiliar with the New Testament narrative.
David
Approved rendering: David
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Standard proper name.
Exhort
Approved rendering: povzbuzovat
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Context-sensitive; ‘povzbuzovat’ (encourage) reads more naturally in a modern register than the more formal/dated ‘napomínat’ (admonish).
Fellowship
Approved rendering: společenství
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Shared participation in Christ; ‘společenství’ is a stable, recognizable modern Czech word for community/fellowship in both religious and secular contexts.
Israel
Approved rendering: Izrael
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Standard proper name; also the name of the modern nation-state, so ensure Romans 9-11’s discussion of Israel as a people in salvation history is not read as a claim about contemporary Middle East politics, a live and potentially distracting association for a general secular readership.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: díkůvzdání
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Standard but somewhat formal/literary term; ‘poděkování’ is the everyday word for simple thanks and may read more naturally in less formal passages.
Referenced passages