Religious
Studies
Paper 2:
Christianity
Christianity: The Greek Orthodox Church
Chapel of
Prothesis,
where bread
and wine are
prepared.
Sanctuary with a
dome – represents
the spiritual realm
where only priests
enter.
c
h
o
i
r
Altar table represents
the presence of God
and the tomb of Christ
Diaconicon – where
robes, books and
equipment are kept.
Nave
Dome with
Icon of Christ
Nave – where the
congregation stand.
There are no seats so
Narthex
all can move about
freely, representing
how the world can be
transformed by Jesus Circular dome –
Narthex – represents
and the Holy Spirit.
represents the eternity the world waiting for
of Christ and that all
the coming of Jesus
must accept salvation
Christ.
through Christ.
Iconostasis – a screen
painted with icons
which divides the
sanctuary from the
nave. This represents
the division between
heaven and Earth.
The Royal Doors –at
the centre of the
iconostasis. Opened at
special points in the
service, priests carry
the Bible and
communion elements
through the doors.
•Icons help them to concentrate their prayers and focus on God. They allow them to enter a
spiritual place of mind, and forget about day to day worries to become closer to God. Icons often
depict how God rescues from sin.
•Greek Orthodox pray to saints, and saints with the same name as the person are believed to
offer special protection.
•Before the beginning of the Sunday service, they will go through confession, one of the seven
sacraments. They are confessing to God, and the priest gives absolution, or forgiveness.
•Before the service begins, the priest burns incense to make the building holy. The service
usually lasts from 1.5 to 3 hours.
•Holy Communion is called the Divine Liturgy. Priest and deacons enter with the Bible (the
Ministry of the Word). This remembers the death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus commanded
Christians to “do this in my name” at the last supper. The bread and the wine are placed on the
Holy Throne, the altar behind the iconostasis. The priest closes the doors and ask them to be
turned onto the blood and body of Christ.
•The congregation then sing the Confession of Faith, the doors are opened, and the consecrated
bread and wine are offered to the congregation, together on one spoon.
•Before leaving church, they kiss the cross as a sign of fellowship, or kiss the ring of the priest
showing that they accept his authority.
Christianity: The Greek Orthodox Church
Baptism of Babies
In the orthodox church, there is a large font in which babies are covered 3 times. They are
dressed in white clothes and given a cross. The hair is cut in the sign of the cross, and the
Godparents walk around the church and font carrying the baby and a candle.
After the baptism, the babies are taken to the iconostasis and the royal doors. Only boys
can go through the Royal doors to the sanctuary.
Chrismation
This is confirmation into the church when the baby is
anointed in Holy Oil. It is believed to be when the
baby receives their guardian angel.
Agree
Disagree
1.
1.
Appearance is
not important,
the only thing
that is important
is how you
relate to God
2.
May distract
and take
attention away
from God
3.
Money could be
given to charity
2.
Want it to be as
beautiful as
possible to
show how much
God is valued,
show respect
for his power
Make it
attractive for
visitors and
other people in
the building
Moveable
preaching
area
Pulpit
Communion
table
Baptistery
Table
Font
Comfy Seating
Methodist/United Reform
Altar &
Tabernacle
in Sanctuary
Baptist
Quaker
Choirs in
Chancel
Pulpit
and
Lectern
Lady
Chapel
Choirs in
Chancel
Altar in
Sanctuary
Pulpit
and
Lectern
Confessional
Stations
of the
Cross
Font
Roman Catholic
Font
Church of England
Key features to remember:
Baptist - preaching area, baptistry, no altar
Roman Catholic – stations of the cross, confessional, lady chapel
Quaker – table in centre of room, comfy seating, no altar
Orthodox – no seats, icons, royal doors
Altar – where offerings are made to God
Baptistry – a pool where believers are baptised
Chancel – area where choir stand
Confessional – a box where you can confess sins to God (RC or Orthodox)
Font – small bath used in infant baptism, usually next to entrance
Icon – holy picture of Jesus or a saint
Lady chapel – in Orthodox or RC, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary
Lectern – where Bible is read
Nave – area where people sit
Pew – wooden bench for congregation
Pulpit centred – focal point of the church is the pulpit, meaning that reading and preaching the
word of God is most important aspect of worship; Methodist, Baptist, United Reform
Altar centred – altar is central at the eastern end of the church, and holy communion is the most
important service in these churches. The service represents how Jesus sacrificed his life in order to
pay for the sins of believers so that they may have eternal life; orthodox, RC and C of E.
A pilgrimage is a journey to a place of religious significance. Christians go on Pilgrimages
for many reasons;
Jerusalem is
where the trials,
crucifixion and
burial of Jesus
took place.
1.
To learn more about their religion
2.
To learn more about the life of Jesus by visiting places where he lived
3.
To take time out to concentrate on faith
4.
To ask for help and healing
5.
To spend time with other Christians, to learn from them and develop their faith
Bethlehem
was the
place where
Jesus was
born, and
Christians
visit the
church of the
nativity
where Jesus
is believed to
have born.
Nazareth is the
town where
Jesus grew up.
Pilgrims go to a
carpenters house
and shop which
date back to the
time of Jesus,
and some
believe that this
is where Jesus
lived.
Galilee is
where Jesus
did most of
his teaching
and where
the Sermon
on the Mount
took place.
Jesus also
calmed a
storm on the
lake.
Assisi is the home of St
Francis known for his love
of animals, a beautiful
town in Italy.
Turin is home to the
cathedral where the
shroud, in which Jesus’
body was wrapped after
the crucifixion, is kept.
Rome is the
capital of
roman
Catholicism,
the home of
the pope and
where many
people
believe that
the disciple
Peter was
killed and
buried.
Lourdes is a place of Christian pilgrimage at the foot of the
Pyrenees mountains in France.
Why is it important to Christians?
•It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to 14 year old
Bernadette Soubirous in 1858
•The Virgin Mary appeared to her in a grotto close to her
home, and told her to dig at a rock. A stream appeared and
when a sick child was bathed in the water, they recovered
from their illness.
•4 years later in 1862, the Pope declared the visions to be
authentic, and now approximately 6 million people make a
pilgrimage to the site every year.
67 miracles have
been accepted by
the Vatican, but
approximately
7000 people have
claimed to have
been healed.
What happens on a Pilgrimage to Lourdes?
1.
Visit the Grotto where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared.
Here, they will pray, light candles or write prayers on pieces of
paper.
2.
Wash and drink in the spring water because it is believed to have
healing properties. Water is collected and taken home.
3.
Walk around the 12 stations of the cross in order to remember the
last days in Jesus’ life and the sacrifice he made
4.
Receive holy communion in one or more of the churches at Lourdes
as an indication that they are part of the body of Christ.
5.
Torchlight procession around the area in the evening
Does pilgrimage strengthen faith?
Yes
•Feel closer to God after
visiting a place where Jesus
had been
•Spending time with other
Christians gives time to
discuss and reflect upon
faith
•Healing of a medical
condition could affirm their
belief in the power of God
No
•Disappointing because areas have been
highly commercialised and are full of
souvenir shops
•Tourism detracts from the religious
atmosphere that pilgrims may need to
strengthen their faith
•If they are not healed and had asked for
God to heal them they may lose faith in His
power.
The Christian festivals
celebrate events in Jesus’
life. The cycle of festivals
begins at Advents and ends
at Pentecost. During the
cycle, churches are
decorated in different colours
to show which is being
celebrated:
RED – Saints days for
sacrifice, Pentecost for Holy
Spirit
PURPLE – for advent and
lent, in times of preparation
WHITE - used at Christmas
and Easter, the main
celebrations
Advent
• Advent means ‘coming’ . It begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas and ends on Christmas
Eve.
•The purpose of advent for a Christian is anticipation and expectation for the coming of Christ. It is
a time where they prepare carefully for Jesus’ arrival.
•At Advent, Christians think about the coming of Jesus as an infant, and the Parousia, Jesus’
second coming.
The Advent Wreath
• Circle of evergreen leaves with 5 candles, one in the centre and
4 around the outside. The Christ candle in the centre is white, the
colour of joy, and the other 4 are purple or blue, the colour of
penitence.
•The evergreen circle represents the hope of eternal life brought
by Jesus Christ. Each Sunday, one more candle is lit, and the
central one on Christmas Day. As the weeks progress, the wreath
becomes brighter as the birth of the light of the World gets nearer.
•The wreath helps the congregation to focus their minds on the
spiritual preparation for Christmas. As candles are lit, prayers are
said and bible passages are read.
The Advent Candle - Has numbers 1-24 spaced down the side, and every
day during advent, the candle is burned to the next number as prayers and
readings are said.
The Advent Calendar – has 24 numbered windows, one of which is
opened on every day of Advent. They have bible messages printed on the
windows which helps children to concentrate on the Christian message of
Christmas.
Christmas
This festival celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The festival begins on
December 25th and lasts for 12 days.
The incarnation is God the Son taking on the nature of human being;
in Him, God took on all that is meant to bee human. This is
emphasised by the beginning of John’s gospel.
Christians believe that
Jesus was born of a
Virgin mother by the
power if the Holy
Spirit. Mary was told of
the pregnancy by the
Angel Gabriel (Luke
1:35)
Christians believe that the birth of Jesus is a
sign of God’s great love for humanity; when
God became man in Jesus Christ. This is why
Christmas is a joyful occasion.
The manner of Jesus’ birth is important; the
Son of God was born in a stable, not a palace.
His visitors were shepherds not Great Leaders.
Christians believe that this shows the universal
nature of Jesus – He is saviour of the world.
The Crib – is a model of the stable where Jesus was born. It
was used by St Francis to teach about the birth of Jesus.
Crib contains figures of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and
stable animals. The infant Jesus is placed in the crib on
Christmas Eve. 12 days after Christmas on Epiphany, the
shepherds are removed and the wise men put in place.
Christingle – an orange with a red ribbon, a candle on top and 4 cocktail
sticks with fruit and sweets placed around the orange. The orange
represents the world; the red ribbon represents the blood of Christ shed
for all at the crucifixion; the candle represents Jesus, Light of the World,
and the 4 sticks with fruit represent the four seasons in which God
provides food.
Presents – represent God’s gift of his son to man kind and gifts from the
wise men to Jesus. Cards – words help to pass on the message of
Christmas. Money raised can be given to charity.
Services – held throughout Advent. Passages from Bible relating to
the birth of Christ and the nativity are read. Service of nine lessons
and cards held on the Sunday before Christmas day. Toy service to
collect presents for children in need. Midnight mass in RC
churches beginning at 11.30pm. Christmas day there may be family
services and a service of the Eucharist.
Epiphany
Epiphany means appearance or showing, and is celebrated
on January 6th.
Christians celebrate the wise men visiting Jesus. They
celebrate the appearance of Jesus to the Magi, the baptism
of Jesus, and His first miracles and teachings.
Jesus received gold as a symbol of his kingship, myrrh as a
symbol of his future sacrifice and frankincense as a sign of
his divinity.
The wise men were gentiles, not Jews, and their visit shows
how Jesus was shown to the entire world, and how he was
the saviour for all people and changed the lives of
everybody.
Lent
•Lent is a time of preparation for Easter. The first day is called Ash Wednesday,
and it lasts for 6 and a half weeks, which is 40 days not including Sundays.
•In he time of lent, Christians remember the temptations of Jesus when he was in
the desert, and when he was put to test by the devil. Christians remember their
own temptations and how often they are sinners.
•Lent is a time of repentance, which is feeling genuinely sorry for your sins and
asking for God’s forgiveness.
•No flowers are put in churches during lent because lent is a time of penitence
and reflection, whereas flowers are for celebration, and would not be appropriate.
•Making a lent rule means deciding on something to give up in order to grow
closer to God through self discipline.
•On Ash Wednesday in a Roman Catholic service people are given ash in the
shape of the cross on their forehead. As he does this, the priest says,
“Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return. Turn away from evil and
follow Christ”.
Palm Sunday
Holy Week is the last week
of lent. During Holy Week,
people celebrate and recall
the events in the last days
of Jesus’ life. These events
are marked by special
services on the important
Holy days. Palm Sunday is
the first of these days, and
this celebrates the day that
Jesus rode into Jerusalem
on a donkey.
Jesus and his disciples approached
Jerusalem. Jesus sent 2 disciples to
get a donkey and a colt from the
village ahead. This fulfilled the
prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 that ‘the
King will come, gentle and riding on
a donkey’. As Jesus went along on
the colt, people threw their cloaks on
the road for him and the crowd
began to praise God. People of the
city came out to greet him and
through branches on the road.
Palm Sunday
The events of palm Sunday are
significant for a Christian; the palm
branches laid on the road indicate
that the King was coming in victory
and triumph. It was customary for a
King to enter on a donkey as a
symbol of peace, symbolising that
Jesus is the King of Peace.
Today, palm branches and palm
crosses are still used in Sunday
services. The palms are blessed and
large leaves are carried in procession.
Members of the congregation hold
crosses to remember those which
were waved when Jesus entered
Jerusalem and to remember the cross
on which Jesus died.
Maundy Thursday
Maundy or Holy Thursday is according to the
Bible, the day on which Jesus shared the Last
Supper and the Passover meal with his 12
disciples. During the last supper, Jesus took
bread and wine and asked God to bless it. He
then said, “This is my body given for you. Do
this in remembrance of me.” He took a cup of
wine and said. “This wine is the token of
God’s new covenant to save you – an
agreement sealed with the blood I will pour
out for you.” This is the biblical basis of Holy
communion. After the Last Supper, Jesus
went to the Garden of Gethsemane , outside
of Jerusalem. When Jesus was there, he
prayed for strength for the crucifixion, but as
he was doing this, Judas brought the chief
priests to arrest him. Jesus kissed him on the
cheek so that the guards knew who to arrest,
and he was taken away for trial.
Maundy comes from
the Latin word
‘Mandatum’, meaning
commandment. Jesus
gave his disciples a
new commandment; to
love with humility by
serving one another
just as Christ loved
them.
Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to
show them the full extent of his love. Jesus
demonstrated how Christians are to love
one another through humble service
In some churches on Maundy Thursday, the priest washes the feet of
12 people as a representation of what Jesus did. Some churches
hold a Eucharist Communion service, and after this, the Altar is
stripped and left bare until Easter.
The Mass of the Chrism is when all of the holy oils to be used
in the coming year are blessed by the Bishop. The oils of the
Chrism are used in baptisms, ordination and confirmation, as
well as for anointing consecration crosses and pouring onto the
altar when it is dedicated.
Good Friday
On Good Friday, Christians
remember how Jesus was
crucified at Calvary (Golgotha).
On Good Friday, a Procession of
Witnesses walk through the streets of
towns, carrying crosses and small acts of
worship. This makes everyone aware that
it is Good Friday and shows that they
want all to be aware of the death of Jesus
Christ. On Good Friday evening, some
orthodox Christians bring an icon of the
dead Jesus into the church wrapped in
burial clothes. Members of the
congregation kiss the icon as an act of
worship.
The day is called Good Friday
because it is the most important
thing that could have happened
to the world – it opened the
doors of Heaven to everyone.
There is never a service of
communion on Good Friday
because the Lord has been
taken away.
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday celebrates the
resurrection of Jesus. Worship on
Easter Sunday is very different to that
on Good Friday; churches that were
stripped bare for Good Friday are
lavishly decorated with flowers, and
joyful hymns and songs are sung.
An Easter vigil is held to celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus, light of the world. The
service begins at a time where everywhere is
dark, like Holy Saturday sunset, midnight or
dawn on Easter Sunday. An important part of
the rite is the blessing and lighting of the
Paschal candle. It begins outside the church.
A light is struck and the new fire of Easter is
lit. The candle is lit from the fire, and carried
through the church to a special stand. The
congregation light their own candles and pass
it along by lighting candles near to them. This
symbolises the spread throughout the world
of the joyful news of the resurrection of Jesus.
The Paschal candle is lit to represent the rising of Jesus, light of the
world. The cross symbolises the crucifixion; the five pieces of
incense or brass represent the wounds on Jesus’ body (crown of
thorns, two hands, two feet and spear in the side), alpha and omega
represent that Jesus is the beginning and end of all things.
An Easter egg is full of symbolism for a
Christian. It is a symbol off birth and
rebirth, a symbol of Christ’s crucifixion
then resurrection.
Pentecost (Whitsun)
Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy
Spirit, celebrated 50 days after Easter.
At Pentecost, the Bible says that the
Holy Spirit came upon the disciples
(acts 2: 1-11): “From Heaven there
came a sound like the rush of a violent
wind and it filled the entire house where
they were sitting. Divided tongues as of
fire appeared among them and a
tongue rested on each one of them. All
of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different
languages, as the spirit gave them
ability”. The crowds accepted the words
of Jesus Christ and became Christians
on that day.
Christians believe that the
Holy Spirit is the third of the
Godhead, equal to God the
Father and God the Son.
They believe that the Holy
Spirit dwells in each person
and enables them to live a
Christian life.
Pentecost is known as the birthday of the church
because it was the day that the apostles were filled
with the holy spirit. It is related to the Jewish harvest
festival of Shavuot, commemorating God giving the
10 commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai, 50
days after the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.
Prayer
Prayer is communication with God.
There are 5 main types of
prayer;
The Lord’s Prayer is so named because
Jesus made this prayer and gave it to his
disciples. The word ‘hallowed’ means
praised and holy. Trespasses are sins, and
the word ‘Amen’ means ‘may this happen
according to your will’.
1.
Confession – a person
admits doing something
wrong and wants to put it
right and be forgiven by
God
2.
Thanksgiving – Christians
thank God for everything
good in their life
Postures for Prayer
Praise – being aware of
how wonderful and
incredible God is
•Standing – respect and keeps alert
3.
4.
Intercessions – asking for
something for somebody
else
5.
Petition – asking prayers
for oneself. Prayers are
asked in God’s name
because God knows what
is best.
Within the Lord’s Prayer, there
are each of these types of
prayer.
•Kneeling – helps to concentrate on thoughts, a sign of
humility, making yourself small in front of God.
•Sitting, eyes closed, hands together – comfort in presence
of God
•Lying on Floor (Prostrate) – extreme helplessness,
submission and showing complete dependency on God
Set Prayer – somebody else made the prayer up, like in the
Book of Common Prayer (Roman Catholic)
Spontaneous prayer – make it up on the spot, coming from
your heart.
Prayer
The Jesus Prayer
•Sometimes used as a form of meditation
by Orthodox Christians. It says:
Why do Christians pray?
“Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy
on me”
1.
They believe in God
2.
They believe that God cares for people
It is a form of confession because the
person recognises that they are in need of
mercy, and it is also a prayer of petition.
The prayer is repeated over and over again
to concentrate the mind and try to
communicate with God.
3.
They are following the example of Jesus, like
on the night before his death in the garden of
Gethsemane
4.
Jesus told his followers to pray and gave
them the Lord’s Prayer.
Aids to Prayer
1. Rosary beads – consist
of 5 sets of 10 beads. Each
set of 10 is called a decade.
At the start of each decade
the Lord’s Prayer is said. For
each bead in the decade the
person says the Hail Mary.
At the end of each decade
the person says The Gloria.
As Catholics progress
through the decades, they
concentrate on important
events in the life of Jesus
and Mary. These are called
mysteries, known as the
Joyful, the Sorrowful and the
Glorious. Rosary beads
gives a Catholic something
to hold and something to
concentrate on.
Aids to Prayer
2. Icons – An icon is a religious
picture of Jesus, Mary or the
Saints. The picture is thought to
be filled with the spirit of that
person. People do no pray to the
icon, it just helps them to focus
their prayers.
Aids to Prayer
3. Candles – Candles remind Christians
that Jesus is the light of the world. Light
brings comfort, gives guidance and
reveals things to us. In many churches,
Christians light a candle and place it in
front of an icon, statue or altar. The
candle may represent a prayer or just
their presence in that place. This is a
Votive candle and comes from the Latin
word “votare” to ask for something.
Aids to Prayer
4. Stations of the Cross – This is a series of pictures or statues
placed on the inside walls of Roman Catholic Churches. There are
usually 14 different pictures. They show the final stages of Jesus’ life,
starting with the trial before Pilate and ending with the crucifixion and
burial. Christians use the stations of the cross particularly at Lent
when they are preparing for the celebration of Easter.
A rite of passage is a service that marks an important stage in a person’s life. In Christianity, there
are 4 main rites of passage; baptism, confirmation, marriage and funerals.
Infant Baptism
•Parents decide that the child will be baptised
•Parents choose Godparents
•Parents/godparents stand around the font.
The priest asks if they believe in God and if
they will guide the child in Christianity. Priest
makes the sign of the cross on the baby’s
forehead, and puts water over the head three
times in the name of the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
•The family is given a candle to represent that
Jesus, light of the world, has entered their life
•Child is welcomed into the family of the
church.
Believer’s Baptism
•The person decides for themselves
•They will go to preparation classes
•They will give a testimony to the
congregation about why they want to be a
Christian
•They want to make a public declaration of
their faith
•Stand in baptistry with minister and declare
that they have turned away from sin and turn
to Christ
•They are baptised by total immersion. They
leave the baptistry via a different set of steps
than the ones they entered by, to symbolise
that they have left their old life and their new
life in Christ has begun.
•Believer’s Baptism is important because:
Jesus was baptised in this way; sign of
cleansing and a new beginning; public
declaration of faith; makes you a full member
of the church family.
Chrismation
In the orthodox church when the infant is christened, they are also
anointed with holy oil called Chrism. This is equivalent of confirmation
on the RC tradition. This represents that God is in the baby’s life.
The baby’s hair is cut in the shape of the cross, and chrism is anointed
at 3 points; forehead (God is in the mind); chest (God is within the
heart); top of legs (God is the source of life).
Confirmation
Only happens in churches that practise infant baptism. It is the second
stage of baptism – the person confirms the promises made for them when
they were a baby by their parents and Godparents. It is like believer’s
baptism in that it is a public declaration of faith. It is always done by a
Bishop who passes on the power of the Holy Spirit. The person says that
they turn away from sin and to Christ and that they want to live their life for
him. The bishop places their hands on their head. After confirmation, they
are a full member of the church and can take holy communion.
Marriage
Christians believe in 4 main purposes for marriage;
1.
Companionship – friendship for life
2.
Commitment – to the person you love
3.
Children – bring children up in a loving, secure
home.
4.
Sex – to control and direct sexual instinct.
Rings are exchanges as a
sign of love and
commitment – they have no
end, and so symbolises
that love will last to the end.
When the ring is given, the
bride/groom says: “Take
this ring as a sign of my
love and fidelity. In the
name of the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.”
The wedding ceremony has 4 parts;
1.
Declaration – Vicar asks if anyone has a reason for the couple
not to get married.
2.
Vows – exchange of promises and rings
3.
Proclamation – couple are declared man and wife.
4.
Blessing – “Those whom God hath joined together let no
man put asunder”, meaning nobody should break the bond of
marriage that had been made before God.
Funerals
Funerals are services that mark the end of a life. There are 3
purposes of a funeral:
1.
To give thanks for the person’s life
2.
To commit them to the hands of God
3.
To comfort the friends and family of the deceased
Flowers are given as a sign of life
Prayers and hymns chosen
Body committed to burial in the ground
or to the flames in cremation.
The focus of a Christian
service is the belief in life
after death. The empty
cross is a sign that Jesus
rose from the dead and
Christians believe that his
resurrection means that
they also can have life
after death.
The Bible is divided into the Old and New Testaments. The Old has39 books, and the new has 27
books. ‘Testament’ means agreement; in the old testament, the agreement between God and man
was made through men like Moses and Abraham. In the new testament, it was made through
Jesus.
There are 4 ways that Christians interpret the Bible:
1.
Literalists: believe that the bible is literally
true. It came from God and is completely
faultless.
2.
Fundamentalists: believe that the Bible came
from God and is completely true, but in parts
may require some interpretation, like in the
Genesis story of creation, a ‘day’ may mean a
longer period of time.
3.
4.
Conservatives: believe that the Bible was
inspired by God but written by people. Think
that it is necessary to study the time it was
written to understand its meaning, and it may
contain human error.
Liberals: believe that the spiritual message of
the Bible is what is important. The writers of
the Bible were inspired by God, but it may
contain human error.
Corporate/ Public Worship
Cognitive Truth – you can prove it
empirically. A literalist would say that
the Bible is cognitive truth.
Non Cognitive truth – cannot prove it
with the 5 senses. A liberal would say
that the Bible is non-cognitive truth.
Reading the bible in private
worship
Christians read the Bible to:
• learn about the history of their
religion
•Study life and teachings of Jesus
•Look for guidance when making a
difficult decision
•Enjoy the poetry and praise of
God
•For comfort in difficult times
•For courage to face up to a
difficult event or problem
Each denomination of the Christian faith uses the Bible differently.
Anglican C of E – 2 readings on a Sunday; one from the New Testament gospels and one
from a letter in either of the two. Gospel reading must be read by a member of the clergy and
congregation stand as a mark of respect for Jesus’ teachings. Readings taken from a list called
the Lectionary – over 2 years, the main stories of the Bible would be covered.
Roman Catholic – Identical to C of E. When gospel is read, priest may kiss the Bible as a sign
of respect. Choir boys may also carry candles to represent how Jesus is the light in Christians’
lives.
Free Churches – no lectionary – minister chooses suitable readings. Sermon links to the
reading. In URC, Bible is carried in at the beginning of the service and congregation stand as a
mark of respect.
Quakers – bible placed on the table in centre, so any member of the congregation may choose
to read a passage privately or aloud.
Holy Communion is based on the Jewish festival of Passover.
Jesus was celebrating the feast of the Passover with his
disciples in Jerusalem on Maundy Thursday. Jesus took the bread
and the wine, and changed the meaning of them at this meal.
Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke
it, and shared it amongst his disciples.
He said; “This is my body, broken for
you, eat this in remembrance of me”.
Jesus took the wine, blessed it, gave it
to his disciples, and said, “This is the
new covenant in my blood, which is
poured for you. Do this is
remembrance of me.”
Passover and Holy Communion are linked by the
idea of salvation. God rescued his people from
slavery in Egypt, and Jesus rescued all people from
sin through his death and resurrection. The
covenant is the special relationship between God
and the human race. At the festival of Passover,
lamb is eaten as a reminder of the final plague in
Egypt, where blood of a lamb was painted on the
door frame. Christians see this as symbolic of
Jesus’ sacrifice of his own life and blood, which is
why he can be referred to as the ‘Lamb of God’.
Communion can be referred to as;
Quakers and Salvation Army
do not take communion.
This is because they believe
that sacraments cannot
change the heart of a
person, only faith in Jesus
Christ can do that. They also
believe that sacraments can
become meaningless rituals,
and that no service can
bring you closer to God.
They believe that Christ can
be remembered at every
meal, not just communion.
1.
Eucharist – Greek work meaning ‘thanksgiving’ – Christians
give thanks for the sacrifice Jesus made
2.
Holy Communion – links to word ‘community’ – sharing the
ritual as part of a family
3.
Mass – Latin ‘ite, missa est’ meaning ‘go on your mission’.
Shows the idea of fellowship and that all of your actions are
important,
4.
Divine Liturgy – ‘service’, used by Orthodox church – they
are giving their lives in service to God.
5.
Breaking of the Bread – the original last supper, a simple
meal that remembers Jesus’ death and resurrection
6.
Lord’s Supper – sharing a meal like Jesus did with his own
disciples.
Communion in the Church of England
1.
Introduction – introductory hymn, prayer for forgiveness, Jesus’ command to love God and
one another is read aloud.
2.
Liturgy of the Word – 2 passages read, one from a Gospel, another chosen by minister.
Sermon. Congregation recite the creed, prayers of intercession said.
3.
Liturgy of Holy Communion – The Eucharist – congregation turn to each other and say,
‘Peace be with you’, called sharing the peace. Account of the last supper is read and then
minister blesses bread and wine. Congregation go to altar, receive bread and wine in a
chalice. Final prayer, minister blesses congregation.