The Encyclopedia of World Religions

250 S Jupiter

and oaths. His priests presided over the most sol emn form of Roman marriage. The days in the middle of the month known as “Ides” were especially sacred to Jupiter; they may once have been full moon days. The festival of the dedication of the Capitoline temple took place on the Ides of September. It became the occasion for major Roman games. justification An important idea in Roman Cath olic and Protestant theology. Justification is one of the topics that Christians debated the most during the R EFORMATION . “Justification” is a term that Christians bor rowed from law courts. In the courts it meant “being declared not guilty.” The apostle P AUL used the word to talk about the forgiveness of SINS . He said that, although people are guilty of sin, G OD justifies them freely. Therefore, Christians did not have to observe the T ORAH (“the law”). They simply needed to have FAITH in J ESUS ’ death and RESURRECTION . Orthodox Christians have not talked much about justification, but Roman Catholics and Prot estants have. A UGUSTINE OF H IPPO used the idea. Then, during the Reformation, it became an issue on which the church split. Martin L UTHER insisted that people are justified by faith alone, apart from works. Justification is a gift received in faith. By contrast, Roman Catholics have thought of justi fication as a process. Persons prepare for God’s justification. Then they receive it through faith, hope, love, and SACRAMENTS such as BAPTISM and penance.

brings to light.” She was also worshipped in other forms, such as Juno Sospita, “Juno the Deliverer or Preserver,” Juno Moneta, “Juno who warns,” and Juno Regina, “Queen Juno.” Juno was most often represented as a mature but young woman. As Juno the Deliverer she was shown bearing arms. An important festival was the Matronalia, held in honor of Juno Lucina on March 1. The story of how she protected the Capi tol in 390 B . C . E . may have given her the name Juno Moneta. The Gauls were trying a sneak attack under cover of night. The honking of Juno’s geese gave them away. Eventually the Romans identified Juno with the Greek goddess Hera. The English month of June takes its name from her. Jupiter The supreme god of the Romans. The name Jupiter is related to the Greek name Z EUS and the Sanskrit name Dyaus Piter. This relation ship connects Jupiter with an ancient sky god wor shipped as father. When the Romans encountered Greek culture, they identified Jupiter with Zeus. From the founding of the Roman Republic in 509 B . C . E ., Jupiter shared a temple on the Capi toline Hill with J UNO and Minerva. The Romans called this Jupiter “Optimus Maximus”—“Best and Greatest.” He was their supreme god. The Romans worshipped Jupiter under many other names, too. They include Jupiter Lucetius (“Bringer of Light”), Tonans (“Thunderer”), Ful gur (“Lightning Hurler”), Elicius (“Giver of Heav enly Signs”), and Latiaris (“God of the Latins”). Like other sky gods, Jupiter watched over treaties