New Senior Secondary
Curriculum
Ethics and Religious Studies
Christianity
Work Shop on newly introduced
Political and Social Background
Work Shop: Schedule
• 1 Reasons for the new introduced topics
• 2 Hellenization
• 3 Discussion on teaching suggestions
Political and Social Background
• Hellenization (Today)
• Maccabees/Maccabeans (Tomorrow am)
• Roman Occupation (Tomorrow pm)
• Reasons or Significances for these topics?
Reasons I
• I) 4 Understandings to Christianity:
• 1 Conceptual:
– Systematic Theology
– Doctrine/Dogma
• 2 Historical: development of its
– Institution (Itinerants → Biggest Organization)
– Expansion (Jerusalem → Samaria
→Mediterranean cities →Europe →All
peoples)
Reasons I
• 3 Textual
–
–
–
–
New Testament
Old Testament – Hebrew Bible
Concept of Canon
Canonization (-ve screening); other literature?
• 4 Background
– Religions have their own context:
• political
• sociological
• philosophical, cultural, historical …
Reasons II
• II) Existing Situation of the Curriculum in
HKCEE
• textual approach to OT & NT (other 3
aspects omitted); the context of the text!
• Lack of a clear direction and position in
understanding Christianity
• OT itself is the Hebrew Bible
Reasons II
• Christian Faith : NT; OT only indirectly
(some NT thought based on OT context,
e.g. Sabbath, Cleansing, Redemption by
sacrifice, etc.)
• Christian Faith: two context/background
- Judaism (cultural and religious) &
- Political and Social World
Reasons III
• III Some examples of the significance:
• 1. NT period under Roman governance,
NT was written in Greek, but not Latin or
Hebrew
• 2. Groups (HighPrist, Herodians,
Pharisees, Sadducees and Zealots
[Essenes]) never appeared in OT;
Where/how did they come from? Who
were they?
Reasons III
• 3. Herode be call a king (Mk 6:14 ) or
Tetrarch (Lk 9:7)?
• 4. Distinction ٪ Jews and Israelites?
• 5. What is Judaism and its origin?
Hellenization：
Brief Historical Background
• 猶太人相信大衛 / 達味王在公元前1004年統一以
色列十二支派，建立君王政體 / 君主政體，成立
統一的以色列國。
• 公元前931年以色列國分裂為南（猶大）北（以
色列）兩國，
• 公元前722年北國以色列為亞述帝國所消滅；
• 公元前587年巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒 / 拿步高攻入耶
路撒冷，破壞聖殿，把猶太人的精英份子擄到巴
比倫去。
Hellenization：
Brief Historical Background
BCE
1) 586
2) 537
3) 515
4) 334
Exile to Babylon (Judea)
Jews back home
Temple rebuilt (Haggai + Zechariah)
-(theme: Obedience & Temple)
Alexander the Great (died 323, age 32)
4 dynasties : Egyptian (Ptolemaic)
Syrian (Seleucid)
Hellenization：
Brief Historical Background
5) 320-200
6) 198
Judea: Colony of Egypt
Syrian > Palestine , Greekculture 
 Jewish conservatives:
Hasmoneans
on Religious freedom:
• i) Means: Sadducees
• ii) End: Pharisees
Hellenization：
Brief Historical Background
• 7) 167 Dec
– Selecuid-Antiochus Epimanes (敘利亞-西流基
/ 色婁苛王朝治下，安提阿古 / 安提約古四世
（Antiochus IV）  Egypt, but lost
– a pig  temple, on return
– Jews  killed on Sabbath
– Feast of Dedication (Joh10:22)
– 「在耶路撒冷有修殿節，是冬天的時候。」
– Revolt Maccabeans (Mattathias - Judah Jonathan) vs. Syrian Empire
Hellenization：
Brief Historical Background
8) 142-63
9) 63
10) 37
11) 4
80 years of independence
Conquered by Romans
Herod the Great (whole
Palestine, entitlement: king)
Archelaus: S Palestine
Philip: N & NE Palestine
Antipas: Galilee, Perea
(All were tetrarchs)
Hellenization：
Brief Historical Background
CE
12) 66
13) 70
14) 74
15) 1948
Roman entered
Temple & Jerusalem destr.
Masada, final fortress lost
Restoration of the Israel
Hellenization
希臘統治對猶太人的影響
• 對於希臘及羅馬文化的入侵，猶太人逐漸
發展出不同的態度，猶太黨派由此而生；
包括有：
• （1）法利賽人 / 法利塞人、
• （2）撒都該人 / 撒杜塞人、
• （3）奮銳黨人 / 熱誠黨人，以及
• （4）希律黨人 / 黑落德黨人(Romans)。
• （5）愛色尼人 / 厄色尼人。
Hellenization
希臘統治對猶太人的影響
• 支持外族政府的一方有撒都該人 / 撒杜塞人
• 反對外族政府的一方可分為溫和派和激進
派
– 溫和派: 法利賽人 / 法利塞人、
– 激進派: 愛色尼人 / 厄色尼人。
Hellenization
希臘統治對猶太人的影響
• 各猶太黨派的興起，見証了當時猶太宗教、
政治思想的興盛，也成為耶穌及新約時代
的文化與宗教背景。
• 因着上述四個黨派各自所持的宗教及政治
立場有所不同，所以他們對耶穌的言行都
作出不同的評價與反應、對耶穌的傳道工
作 / 傳教事業也構成不同程度的張力。
Hellenization
希臘統治對猶太人的影響
• All this political situation actually shaped
the framework of the whole NT
background and thought behind.
Hellenization
III Teaching Suggestions
• Discussion:
• 1. Content as lecture
• 2. Teaching Purpose
• 3. Teaching Strategy