Religion For Leaving Certificate
Section B: Christianity – Origins And Contemporary Expressions
Part 1: The Return To Origins
Chapter 1: The Pattern Of Return
By studying the past, we can learn more about ourselves as individuals,
as members of a family, a nation, a religious group, and this in turn
helps us to evaluate the present and try to imagine our future.
Founding Vision
The Christian Church Returning To Origins
1. Christian churches have a founding vision which is the life, death
and resurrection of Jesus.
2. Through study and prayer they seek to reflect on how these
scriptures speak to them today. This may lead to seeing things in a
new way, or to challenging their church from within.
3. Christian throughout the world are drawn to living in small
communities in an effort to live as the early Christians lived.
4. Some of the essential qualities are:
 It is a living ‘cell’.
 It calls for sharing all aspects of people’s lives.
 It fits into the vision of church as people of God.
 Justice, i.e. right relationships with God.
 Priority is given to promoting the kingdom of God –
harmony rooted deeply in justice.
5. The effect these communities have is to breathe new life into the
wider community, through living in a small Christian community,
people may challenge the way things are and how people live.
1
The Ceili De
1. In the mid 8th Century a reform movement began in Ireland, the
leaders of which called themselves ‘ Ceili De ‘ ( servants of God ).
2. They wanted to bring about renewal of the Monastic life in
Ireland.
3. The Ceili De was a movement of people who felt a strong calling
to put God first in their lives and make themselves true servants
of God.
4. It was important to choose God as their ‘ All ‘ in life.
5. Maelruain Of Tallaght is the one most associated with the
beginnings of this current of renewal.
6. The spirituality and way of life of the Ceili De is best known to us
from 3 related texts:
 The Monastery of Tallaght text
 The rule of Tallaght
 The rule of Ceili De
7. The Ceili De’s spirituality attributed great importance to the
word of God. Gospels were read at meal times.
8. The Ceili De set to work to reform the Monastic movement from
within.
9. The Ceili De were interested in the general pastoral mission of the
Monasteries.
10.They brought a new spirit rather than new structures.
11.The Ceili De underlined the importance of following the guidance
of one’s ‘Anam Chara ‘ or ‘ soul friend ‘.
12.It was through the context of soul friendship that private
confession took root in the Irish church and later spread
throughout Western Christendom.
Exam Questions
1. Outline how returning to the founding vision of Christianity was
central to the purpose of one of the following: Ceili De, the
Evangelical Movement in early 19th Century, Protestantism,
Liberation Theology, Luther’s Reform, The Mendicant Orders,
The Second Vatican Council.
2. How is the founding vision of Christianity seen in the ways
Christian worship today ?
2
3. Discuss the relationship between the founding vision of
Christianity and the search for Christian Unity today.
The Mendicant Orders
The Mendicant orders developed an urban form of Monastic life,
which was close to the lifestyle of Jesus as revealed in the Gospels.
They had three common characteristics:
1. As individuals they held no possessions and they had the right
to beg.
2. All members were united, regardless of location.
3. Pastoral care was the focus of their training.
St. Francis Of Assisi – Founder Of The Franciscan Order
1. Francis came from a wealthy family in Assisi.
2. A number of events prepared him for the discovery of his
vocation in the church:
 He was injured in a battle between rival cities.
 One day he met a leper and he gave him all the money he
had.
 He made a pilgrimage to Rome.
 He gave all the money he had away and he exchanged his
fine clothes for those of a tattered beggar man.
3. Not long after Francis returned from Rome, he was praying and
he heard a voice saying ‘ go Francis and repair my house, which
as you can see is falling into ruin ‘.
4. After hearing the words from the Gospel at mass one day ‘ go,
possess neither silver nor gold etc. and announce the kingdom of
God ‘, his life began to change.
5. Francis took these words very seriously and so began to live out
his vocation.
6. The feature of this Franciscan Spirituality was to live the whole
Gospel from the perspective of poverty.
7. Poverty was their window into the Gospel.
3
Martin Luther
1. After having a near death experience Martin Luther went
through a very dry period where he struggled with the issues of
his own Salvation.
2. His basic question was, how can I find a merciful God ?
3. This dark experience arose from that deep contradiction in all of
us that St. Paul describes in the letter to the Romans : ‘ I do not
do good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do ‘. ( Rom. 7
:19 )
4. What Luther saw was that instead of doing the good only out of
love and with absolute selflessness, even when we do good, there’s
ultimately always a secret tendency in us to do what we’re doing
for our own good.
5. At a certain point Luther realised that God is not only a judge but
that when you’re at zero point and don’t know what to do, God
does not reject you forever, as you might think, but bends down
towards your weakness and nothingness and recreates you.
6. He does have this one condition : that you believe, that is, that you
abandon yourself to him with complete trust. This was Luther’s
great and liberating discovery.
7. Luther went on to emphasise the individual freedom that comes
through Faith.
8. For Luther, the Christian is the most free of all creatures and so
the most dutiful of all by helping others to become ‘ Christ to one
another ‘.
9. Rooted in Christ, the Christian has to become ‘ Christ for his
neighbour ‘.
10.There are 3 principles associated with Luther :
 Sola Scriptura
 Sola Fide
 Sola Gratia
11.In 1517 Luther nailed 95 theses or arguments against indulgences
and pilgrimages to the door of the castle church at Wittenberg.
His intention was not to rebel against the church but merely to
open this issue for the theological debate.
12.Luther’s desire was to reform the church.
13.He hoped for a general council to resolve the issues.
14.He outlined the foundations of his new Theology in 5 treatise:
 Treatise of good works
4
 The papacy of Rome
 Address to the German nobility
 Babylonian captivity of the church
 Freedom of a Christian man
15.In June 1520 Pope Leo X condemned Luther’s views and ordered
that his books be burned, and he gave him two months to retract
his theories or be guilty of heresy.
16.At the Diet of Worms in 1521 Luther refused to retract and was
excommunicated.
17.Luther stood firm, and in 1521 he was named a heretic. He fled to
the castle of Wartburg in Saxony and there remained under the
protection of Frederick the Wise. Thus began the split between
the Roman Catholic Church and Luther and his supporters,
which gave rise to the Reformation.
The Evangelical Movement In The Early 19th Century
There are key characteristics of the Evangelical Movements:
 Scripture is the ultimate guide for spirituality and ethics.
 There is an emphasis on the saving death of Jesus Christ on the
cross.
 Personal conversion is important.
 A concern for sharing of the Christian Faith is extremely
important.
John Wesley ( Founder Of The Methodist Church )
1. John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist Church in close
association with his brother Charles.
2. John Wesley became convinced of the need to develop a ‘ living
faith ‘ and he emphasised the role of experience in the Christian
life.
3. The members of the group promised to observe regular private
devotions, daily scripture reading and prayer.
4. With its emphasis on the experiential side of the Christian life and
the need for personal conversion, Methodism became part of a
religious revival in England in the 19th Century.
5. The need for personal holiness was its most characterised feature.
5
6. Methodism places a very strong emphasis on the action. This
comes from its understanding of the Gospel as involving both the
personal and the social.
7. Another one of it’ main features is a strong emphasis on the role
of the laity in its church.
The Second Vatican Council
1. There have been two major events in the 20th Century that have
influenced radical reform within the Roman Catholic Church:
 The second Vatican Council, 1962 – 65.
 The Council of Latin American bishops in Medellin, 1968.
2. Pope John XXIII called this Council in 1962.
3. This decade saw the birth of the civil rights movement worldwide.
4. Vatican II produced 16 documents.
5. Lumen Gentium was very important as it encouraged the
Catholic Church to understand itself more as a community of
believers than a hierarchically ordered institution.
6. Vatican II called for more active involvement of the laity in the
life of the church.
7. It also considered relations between Christians and those of other
religions.
8. The council stressed the importance of the social aspect of the
Christian Faith and called for Christians to be active in the areas
of human rights, race relations and social justice in general.
9. Mass, traditionally said in Latin, would now be celebrated in the
language of the country in question, with the priest facing the
congregation during the celebration.
10.Rules about religious dress were relaxed.
11.The laity was invited to become more involved in the celebration
of the sacraments.
Liberation Theology
1. In the document Gaudium Et Spes, Christian were challenged to
look at the world around them and work to correct situations of
injustice.
2. Liberation Theology was launched in 1968 at a Congress of Latin
American Bishops in Medellin in Columbia.
6
3. They declared that from this point on the Church World would be
on the side of the poor. They would work to transform the society
so that all people could live in dignity and freedom. They called
this a ‘ preferential option for the poor ‘.
4. The supporters of liberation theology believed that the message of
the Gospel is one of Liberation and that Jesus is the great
Liberator.
5. By engaging in a process of working for justice, Christians are
truly following the example of Jesus Christ.
6. Some activist suffered torture and others were killed in their
struggle to speak out for the poor. Perhaps the most famous of
these was Oscar Romero, who was murdered in March 1980.
Oscar Romero
1. Oscar Romero spoke the truth in a country torn apart by social
injustice. He stood for human rights during an era of shocking
violence and torture. But the brutal dictatorship chose not to
listen and he was assassinated for his beliefs.
2. Oscar Romero was born on August 15, 1918.
3. On April 4th 1942 Romero was ordained a Catholic priest in
Rome.
4. Romero worked for 20 years in San Miguel.
5. He promoted various apostolic groups, started an alcoholic
anonymous group, helped in the construction of San Miguel’s
Cathedral and supported devotion to the Virgin of the Peace.
6. He was later appointed rector of the inter-diocese seminary in San
Salvador.
7. In 1966, he began his public life when chosen to be the secretary
of the Episcopal conference for El Salvador.
8. In 1970 he was appointed auxiliary bishop to San Salvador, a
move not welcomed by the more progressive members of his
priesthood in El Salvador.
9. On the 23rd of February, 1977, he was appointed Archbishop of
San Salvador.
10.His appointment was met with surprise and dismay as the Marxist
priests feared that his conservative reputation would negatively
affect liberation theology’s commitment to the poor.
11.Romero’s spiritual journey included the following characteristics:
 Love for the Church of Rome.
7
 Examination of conscience.
 Sincere piety
 Mortification and penance through his duties
 Providing protection for his chastity
 Spiritual direction
 Fidelity to the will of God
 Self – ordering to Jesus Christ.
12. On March 12th, a progressive Jesuit priest and personal friend
Rutilio Grande was assassinated.
13.His death had a profound impact on Romero who later stated, “
when I looked at Rutilio lying there dead I thought it they have
killed him for doing what he did, then I too have to walk the same
path “.
14.In response to Fr. Rutilio’s murder, Romero revealed a
radicalism that had not been evident earlier.
15.He spoke against poverty, social injustice, assignations and
torture.
16.Romero was killed by a shot to the heart on March 24 1980, while
celebrating Mass in a small chapel located in a hospital, one day
after a sermon where he had called on Salvadorian soldiers, as
Christians, to obey God’s higher order and to stop carrying out
the government’s repression and violations of basic human rights.
17. During the funeral, a smoke bomb exploded on the Cathedral
square and many people were killed by gunfire.
18.As the gunfire continued, the body was buried in a crypt beneath
the sanctuary. Even after the burial, people continued to line up
to pay homage to their martyred prelate.
Chapter 2: Jesus And His Message In Contemporary Culture
1. Contemporary culture is characterised by a frenzy of images of
how to imagine one’s life.
2. People are bombarded and seduced by a variety of messages
about what gives meaning to life.
3. We live in a society that is dominated by consumerism. For many,
the shopping centre has become the place of worship.
4. In today’s world choosing Gospel values is a demanding choice.
8
Image Of Jesus In Film
Passion Of The Christ
1. The film focuses on the final twelve hours of the life of Jesus.
2. Gibson made the film after 18 years of neglecting his Catholic
Faith.
3. He was suddenly struck with a strong sense that he was personally
saved by Jesus Christ.
4. The image of Jesus that Gibson presents is that of the suffering
Saviour; Jesus has taken away our sins through his suffering on
the cross. It was this conviction that inspired him to present the
redemptive, passionate love of Jesus laying down his life for us.
Exam Questions
1. 2007: O.L (a) Different images of Jesus can be found in today’s
culture – music, Art, Film, Literature. Describe one image of
Jesus presented on one of the above stated. (b) Explain how the
image of Jesus you have described above may affect Christians
today. (c) Compare the understanding of Jesus presented in the
gospels with the understanding of him presented in an image
today.
2. 2007: H.L. (a) Describe one image of Jesus that is expressed in
Modern Culture. (b) Examine the understanding of Jesus
expressed in the image described above and discuss its relevance
for society today.
Part 2: The Vision Of Jesus In Context
Chapter 3: The Impact Of Rome Political System
1. Rome stood for political order in Palestine at the time of Jesus.
2. It was a foreign power and most people felt helpless in the face of
this power, with inevitable feelings of hatred.
3. Jesus refers to one incident when there was a clash in the temple
in which some Galileans were slaughtered by the Roman soldiery
( Lk.13:1-5 )
4. Political Trial: This took place on Good Friday Morning. Jesus
was put in chains and brought before Pilate. The Jewish leaders
9
informed Pilate ‘ we caught this man misleading our people,
telling them not to pay their taxes to the Emperor and claiming
that he himself is the Messiah, a king ‘. When they had finished,
Pilate asked Jesus ‘ Are you the king of the Jews ? Jesus
answered, ‘ so you say ‘. Pilate did not want to get involved in the
religious affairs of the Jews, so he sent Jesus to Herod. Herod only
mocked Jesus and sent him back to Pilate. Pilate could find no
reason to condemn Jesus to death and told this to the Jewish
leaders. Every year it was custom for the Roman Governor to
release a prisoner on the feast of the Passover. Pilate offered the
people a choice of releasing Jesus or a violent criminal named
Barabbas. But the crowd shout ‘ kill him, set Barabbas free ‘.
Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus was scourged and
condemned to death.
Exam Question
2006 O.L : (a) Outline the main features of either the Roman Political
System or the Jewish Religious System in Palestine at the time of Jesus.
(b) Describe one example of a situation where Jesus was in conflict with
either the Political or the Religious Leaders in Palestine at his time.
(c) Explain why Jesus was seen as a threat to either the Political or the
Religious leaders in Palestine at his time.
2010: Outline two ways in which the Jewish Religious Authorities at the
time of Jesus were threatened by his teachings.
2011 O.L. : Compare the way in which the Zealots and the Sadducees
reacted to Roman Rule in Palestine at the time of Jesus.
Ancient Judaism
Social System
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Herodian dynasty had been very unpopular.
There was a lot of corruption among the Roman administration.
Taxes were a source of contention.
All of this led to much social unrest in Palestine at the end of the
time of Jesus.
5. The people of Israel resented being ruled by others when they
believed they were God’s chosen people.
10
Religious System
Although there were good and devoted religious teachers, many
religious authorities of the day had become quite secularised, furthering
their own ambitions by obeying the Roman power.
Socio – Political And Religious Groupings In The 1st Century
There were four main socio – political and religious groupings in the 1st
Century :
 The Sadducees
 The Pharisees
 The Essenes
 The Zealots
The Sadducees
1.
2.
3.
4.
They accepted Roman rule.
They were wealthy and they dominated the Sanhedrin.
They adopted a non- Jewish lifestyle.
They lived out the Torah literally.
The Pharisees
1. They rejected Roman rule.
2. The Pharisees believed that the only way to ensure that survival of
the chosen people of God was through the law of Moses.
3. They were laymen.
4. They were in charge of the local synagogue.
5. They lived out the 10 Commandments:
 Thou shall not kill.
 Thou shall not steal.
 Thou shall not commit adultery.
 Thou shall not covet thy neighbour’s goods.
 Thou shall not covet thy neighbour’s wife.
 Hour your father and mother.
 Keep holy the Sabbath.
 Thou shall not have false gods.
 Thou shall not take the Lord’s name in vain.
11
 Thou shall not bare false witness against thy neighbour.
The Essenes
1. The Essenes rejected Roman rule.
2. The Essenes were characterised by their withdrawal from the
world.
3. They were a Monastic group of people who saw no way forward
through involvement in politics or violence.
4. They believed that the only way to be faithful to Yahweh was to
withdraw from the compromised world and live a life of prayer
and religious contemplation.
5. They lived lives of strict isolation and waited for the intervention
of God to bring about a better world.
6. They felt that their life was being corrupted by the outside forces.
The Zealots
1. The Zealots rejected Roman Rule.
2. The Zealots were a radical group who believed that they must
take an active part in the deliverance of God’s chosen people.
3. They saw it as their duty to oppose the presence of the Romans
and to struggle against all that was seen to challenge the Jewish
Faith / State.
4. The Zealots arose out of a concrete situation of injustice and a
deeply felt fear and frustration.
5. They hated the Sadducces.
6. They caused huge unrest among the Jews .
7. They felt that violence was justified if their religion was being
threatened.
Chapter 4: Evidence For Jesus Of Nazareth
Pliny The Younger
1. Pliny The Younger was a governor of one of the Roman
Provinces.
2. He wrote to his emperor, asking advice on what to do with the
Christians in his province.
12
3. The Roman governors would have been concerned about any
group or sect that they considered might cause a disturbance.
4. Pliny mentions Jesus in this context but provides no additional
information about him.
Tacitus
1. Tacitus was a Roman Historian and was suspicious of
Christianity..
2. He referred to Jesus when he wrote about the burning of Rome in
64CE.
3. The emperor Nero blamed Christians for this burning, even
though many historians think Nero himself may have been
responsible.
4. Tacitus clearly had no time for the group of people called
Christians.
5. Tacitus’ claim that Nero was responsible for the brutal torture
and execution of many Christians is not accepted by all
historians.
6. Tacitus, as we have seen, was a hostile reporter of Jesus and the
movement he founded.
7. He wrote down his beliefs about 80 years after the death of Jesus.
Among the things he wrote about were the death of Jesus, how he
was sentenced by Pontius Pilate and how Christians got their
name from Jesus Christ.
Josephus
1. Josephus was a Jewish historian.
2. Josephus defended Galilee against Rome in the great Jewish
rebellion, and shortly after his forces were overrun, he
surrendered.
3. Josephus mentioned Jesus towards the end of his life, i.e. around
60 years after the crucifixion.
4. Jesus is mentioned in the context of disturbances caused by the
Jews during the reign of Pontius Pilate.
5. It is clear from his writings the Josephus accepted both the
historical reality of Jesus and that he had a profound and lasting
impact on the people whom he met.
13
6. Josephus was a Jewish Scholar and wrote a book about the
History of the Jews. In this he describes Jesus as a wise man and
teacher.
7. Also, he wrote about the crucifixion of Jesus by Pontius Pilate and
his resurrection from the dead three days later.
The Gospels As Sources
1. The Gospels are our principal source for the life and vision of
Jesus.
2. They were written by people who believed in the resurrection of
Jesus, people who believed him to be the risen Lord.
3. The Gospels are reflections of faith and are a rich insight into
both the man and his mission.
4. The writers of the Gospels are known as the evangelists.
5. The emergence of the gospels can be divided into three phases:
 Phase 1: the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus
of Nazareth.
 Phase 2: the early disciples taught about Jesus, and in the
process they also came to understand the mission of Jesus
more fully.
 Phase 3: Four people living in four different places
proclaimed the mission and message of Jesus by recording it
in written form.
6. The Gospel of St. Luke: Luke’s gospel helps us to see that Jesus is
the Saviour who brings God’s love to all people. He also showed
Jesus as someone who brings love and forgiveness to all. His
gospel too has a special place for Mary, as the Mother of Jesus.
Another important aspect of this gospel is prayer.
7. The Gospel of St. John: John’s Gospel helps us to see Jesus as a
real human being as he shared our pain and burdens, and is also
there in good times to share our joys. He is the real Son of God.
8. The Gospel of St. Matthew: he saw Jesus as the New Moses,’ the
Promised One by God ‘ the Messiah and the ‘Son of David ‘.
Matthew taught his followers a new way of living.
9. The Gospel of St. Mark: Mark in his gospel tells us that Jesus is
indeed the promised Messiah who suffered at the hands of the
authorities in Jerusalem. He also informs us that Jesus had
feelings like everyone else.
14
Exam Questions
1. 2007: O.L.: Compare the understanding of Jesus presented in
the gospels with the understanding of him presented in an
image today.
2. 2008: O.L : Explain why the writings of one of the following
are an important source of evidence for the existence of Jesus
of Nazareth: An evangelist _ Matthew, Mark, Luke or John,
Saint Paul, Josephus.
3. 2008: There are many sources of evidence for the existence of
Jesus of Nazareth. Examine the evidence for the existence of
Jesus that can be found in the writings of each of the following
: (i) Pliny the Younger (ii) Tacitus
Chapter 5: The Teachings Of Jesus And Their Impact On The
Community
The Prophetic Tradition
1. The Prophets commented on the moral and ethical life of
the people and called them to repentance.
2. They observed the society and identified dangers to the
people’s religious life.
3. These prophets preached repentance and conversion and
obedience to the law of God.
4. The failure to respond to this call to repentance and
conversion would be punished severely by God’s judgement
at the end of time.
5. This concern with the ‘ end of time’ is termed eschatology.
It has to do with ‘ last things ‘ – judgement, heaven, hell and
the ultimate meaning of life.
Jesus – Teacher, Preacher, Rabbi
1. Jesus was a Jew.
2. He began his public ministry as a teacher, preacher and
wandering rabbi.
3. Jesus’ relationship with John the Baptist was significant.
4. Having been a disciple of John, Jesus returned to Galilee
and began preaching.
15
5. He also interpreted the scriptures and used them to teach
and preach to those who would listen.
6. He challenged both individuals and groups to re-evaluate
their behaviour and their relationship with God.
7. Central to the preaching and teaching of Jesus was the
Kingdom of God.
N.B. Four Key Characteristics Of The Kingdom Of God As Preached
By Jesus
A. The Kingdom Of God In Parables
1. Jesus used parables to communicate with people.
2. Through the parables Jesus gave value to the experience of those
who listened.
3. The parables often confronted people and asked them to reflect
and examine their own lives.
4. In his parables, Jesus calls his listeners to ‘ Metanoia ‘.
5. Through his parables Jesus invited people to choose peace over
violence, to include rather than exclude, to share rather than to
hoard, and to know God as a loving God.
6. The parables speak of the Kingdom of God as a place where the
sick will be healed and the poor will be cared for – a place of
justice, compassion and forgiveness. In the Kingdom of God
‘… the last will be first and the first will be last ‘
( Matthew 20 : 16 )
B. The Kingdom Of God In The Meals Of Jesus
1. Both Jesus’ presence and his actions at particular meals are
significant.
2. Christians remember Jesus and worship God through the
celebration of the Eucharist.
3. The Eucharist is a sacred meal, where we remember the last
supper.
4. In John’s Gospel it is recorded that before eating with his
followers Jesus washed their feet as a sign that service is the way
of the Lord. He asked them to do this in memory of him ( John
13:1-20 )
16
5. He sought to restore the relationship between God and the people.
He ate with the poorest of the poor, he shared with them and, in
doing so, proclaimed the Kingdom of God.
6. Jesus challenged the accepted connection between wealth and
God’s blessings.
C. The Kingdom Of God In The Miracles Of Jesus
1. The miracles of Jesus reminded the followers of how special he
was and how God spoke through him, and continued to do so
through the early church.
2. The first thing that people discovered about Jesus was the healing
power of the Divine Spirit.
3. His very person and presence are depicted in the Gospels as
magnets that draw people out of the shadows and corners into
which they have been pushed. ‘ That evening at sundown, they
brought to him all those who were sick or possessed with demons,
and the whole city was gathered together about the door, and he
healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out
many demons ‘ ( Mark 1:32 )
4. These miraculous healings were part of the coming of God’s
Kingdom.
5. In the words of Moltmann ‘ The Kingdom of the living God drives
out the germs of death and spreads the seeds of life ‘.
D. The Kingdom Of God In The Prayers Of Jesus
1. Jesus claimed a very special and intimate relationship with God.
We can best understand this when we look at the term ‘ Abba ‘.
Jesus called God ‘ Abba ‘. Such an intimate term of endearment
comes from a relationship of love and trust. Every time Jesus used
the term it was, in effect, a prayer.
2. He proclaimed a God who was loving, caring and understanding.
3. He spoke of a God as being always present.
4. God was not harsh or judgemental.
5. The prayer most closely associated with Jesus is the one prayer he
taught to his followers – the Lord’s Prayer ( Luke 11:1-4 )
17
Exam Questions
1. 2005: Describe the characteristics of the Kingdom of God as
preached by Jesus.
2. 2011: O.L. : Describe two ways in which Jesus’ teaching about the
Kingdom of God brought him into conflict with the religious
leaders in Palestine.
Jesus as Messiah ( Higher Level )
1. Messiah means ‘ Anointed One ‘
2. The ‘ Messiah ‘ is chosen by God and recognised by those faithful
to God.
3. In Jesus’ teaching, preaching and living he announced the
Kingdom of God and showed his awareness of himself as the
Messiah in the sense of the one who heralded this kingdom.
4. People at the time of Jesus expected the Messiah to be Priestly,
Davidic and Prophetic.
Priestly
 They looked for a Messiah who would herald a great war, where
those who were against God would be vanquished and those who
were loyal to God ( all those in the sect ) would be vindicated.
 The Messiah would be associated with Aaron and the tribe of Levi
in the Old Testament.
 They were seen as the mediators for entrance into the sphere of
the Divine.
 People at the time of Jesus expected such a person would help
re-establish God’s Kingdom.
Davidic
 Jesus was not the Messiah the people of the first century were
hoping for or expecting. There was a general expectation that the
Messiah would be like a new King David, who would herald a new
era in Jewish history. This vision of the Messiah is termed the
Davidic messiah.
18
 Such a person was expected to be a descendent of a king who was
regarded as the founder of the Israelite monarchy and people at
the time of Jesus expected a second such king to intervene in their
difficult socio-political situation.
 Jesus was to bring a new, alternative interpretation of ‘ Messiah ‘
– as one who ushers in the Kingdom of God through a life of love
and service and eventual death.
Prophetic
 The Pharisees looked forward to a future messiah whom God
would send to deliver them from Roman rule and restore the
kingdom of God among the people of Israel.
 This prophetic messiah would fulfil the scriptures and liberate the
people of God from oppression.
 Such a person was usually understood as an authoritative
messenger and spokesperson of God.
 The people expected this person to be powerful like Moses who
led the people out of slavery and into freedom. ( Matthew 1 – 17,
Luke 3 :23-38 )
 There are a number of incidents in the Gospels where Jesus
appears to identify himself as Messiah. However, he was very
anxious that this was not misunderstood among his followers. We
can see this very clearly in Mark 8:31 ‘ then he began to teach
them that he the son of man must undergo great suffering and be
rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes and be
killed and after three days rise again ‘. He said all this openly.
Exam Question
2005: 1. Compare Jesus’ words and actions with the expectations of the
Messiah at the time of Jesus. 2.(a) At the time of Jesus people had
different expectations of the Messiah : Davidic, Priestly, Prophetic.
Outline what was involved in two of the above expectations of the
Messiah. (b) Describe an example of How Jesus showed an awareness of
one of the expectations of the Messiah listed in A above.
19
Part 3: The Message In Conflict
Chapter 7: Conflict With The Establishment
Jesus ‘s Challenge To Roman Imperial Values
1. Jesus challenged those in power.
2. Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God, in doing this he was
perceived by the Romans as challenging the rule of Caesar.
3. In God’s Kingdom, everything would be different: the first would
be last and the last would be first, the poor would be blessed, and
those who suffer would rejoice. The Kingdom of God would mean
radical changes for those who embraced it.
4. From the Roman point of view he was charged with treason and
condemned to death by crucifixion.
The Threat To Jewish Religious Establishment
1. It was during the feast of the Passover and the city would have
been busy with crowds of worshippers.
2. There are many indications in the Gospels that Jews were aware
of the mounting tension around him and his followers.
3. He had, at this stage come into conflict with the Pharisees more
than once.
4. His interpretation of the spirit of the law often conflicted with the
very literal interpretation of the law.
5. After three years travelling the countryside Jesus came into the
jurisdiction of those whom he had fundamentally challenged.
6. Jesus must have been aware of the political consequences that he
faced.
7. By coming to Jerusalem he was challenging both to the Roman
authorities and the Jewish authorities.
8. His friend John the Baptist had already been killed because of his
teaching.
9. It is probably that by the time Jesus entered Jerusalem his large
band of followers had dwindled to the most loyal.
10.They were probably afraid and nervous of what might happen.
11.In the last days he entered the temple and overturned the tables
on the money changers.
20
12.He cleared the temple of those who used it for personal economic
gain ( Luke 19:45 ).
13.Jesus called for the renewal of the covenant between Yahweh and
the people of God.
14.Part of this renewal was the restoration of the temple as a place
where the covenant was honoured.
15.Jesus was arrested, put on trial and condemned to death in
Jerusalem.
16.There is disagreement as to the exact charge laid against him.
17.It is clear that he faced Pontius Pilate.
18.It seems that Jesus was either charged with Blasphemy or
Treason.
19.He was accused of claiming to be the Son of God the Messiah.
20.This was not a capital offence within Judaism.
21.Jesus himself never claimed the titles ‘Son Of God’ or ‘Messiah ‘.
Rather, he was regarded as such by many of those who heard and
saw him, they proclaimed him as their Messiah and their Saviour.
22.Many believed he had come to rescue them from roman
occupation and that he was going to lead a revolution.
23.Others saw him as the Messiah promised to them in their
scriptures who would lead them into a new age.
24.It is easy for us to see why the Romans may have been nervous of
this Rabbi from Galilee who was stirring up such nationalist
fervour among the Jews.
25.The other possibility is that Jesus was charged with threatening
the destruction of the temple.
26.In Judaism this would be Treason.
27.Any challenge to the religion could be seen as an attack on the
temple.
Exam Questions
1. 2010: Explain two reasons why the Roman Political authorities in
Palestine were threatened by the teachings of Jesus.
2. 2011: Explain one reason why the Roman Rulers in Palestine saw
Jesus of Nazareth as a threat.
21
Why Jesus Was Put On Trial
Pontius Pilate was the Roman Governor at the time of Jesus. The
Jewish leaders wanted the Romans to execute Jesus for them, and so
had to convince Pilate that Jesus posed a danger to Roman rule over
Palestine. Jesus was put on trial because the delegation from the
Sanhedrin accused Jesus of Treason which was the most serious
political offence. They claimed that:
 Jesus had proclaimed himself Messiah and called himself King of
the Jews.
 He had told the people not to pay their taxes to the emperor.
 He had disturbed the peace and might soon lead a revolt. We can
see this very clearly in Luke 23:2-5 ‘ and they began to accuse
him, saying, we found this fellow corrupting the nation, and
forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ,
a king’. Then Pilate asked him, saying, ‘ are you the king of the
Jews ?’ He answered him and said ‘ it is as you say ‘. So Pilate
said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘ I find no fault in this
man ‘. But they were the more fierce, saying ‘ he stirs up the
people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to
this place ‘.
Exam Question
2009 : O.L. : Describe what happened when Jesus was brought for trial
before either the Sanhedrin or Pontius Pilate and explain why the trial
took place.
Chapter 8: The Death And Resurrection Of Jesus
The Death Of Jesus
1. On the night before he died, prior to his arrest, Jesus celebrated
Passover with his followers.
2. In a symbolic act of service Jesus washed the feet of his Disciples
and asked that they too would do this in his memory.
3. He shared a meal with his friends and spoke to them of the
sacrifice he was preparing to make.
4. There is little doubt that by this time Jesus knew he faced death.
5. He asked his Disciples to remember him in word and deed.
22
6. He prepared them for what lay ahead, although this was probably
only clear to them after he died.
7. Jesus offered himself in a new covenant between the people of
God.
8. On the day of his death it must have seemed like the new covenant
was ending before it had really begun.
9. Whatever else happened in those hours following the arrest of
Jesus, we don’t know fully but we can be sure of two things:
 Jesus was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate
 Jesus was crucified.
10.Death by crucifixion was a humiliating and brutal death. It was
also a Roman method of execution.
11.Traditionally flogging or ‘ scourging ‘ came before crucifixion.
Jesus was no exception.
12.He like others before him carried his own cross to the place of
execution – the hill of Calvary, before suffering a slow and painful
death.
13.The Gospel of Mark tells us, ‘ the king of the Jews ‘ ( Mk. 15:26 )
14.From the placard it would seem that Jesus was put to death
because of the threat he posed to the Roman rule.
Exam Question
2007: Outline how the first Christians were affected by the Death and
Resurrection of Jesus.
The Resurrection
1. The death of Jesus on the cross must have been deeply shocking
for his followers.
2. They were left alone without their leader.
3. Some must have run away in terror.
4. So many had lost hope and returned from where they had come
from.
5. Others were left wondering what it was all about and what were
they going to do now.
6. They had believed this man Jesus.
7. He had told them he would be with them always and now he was
gone.
23
8. Throughout his life Jesus reminded his followers that they would
face difficult times and that their Faith in him would be tested.
9. He promised them his continued presence.
10.There were no witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus from the
dead.
11.The Gospel tells us of an empty tomb, and appearances by the
changed but recognisable figure of Jesus.
12.These appearances along with the empty tomb are the only
‘ evidence ‘ of his resurrection.
13.Few today would accept this evidence. Many would argue against
its validity.
14.However, belief in the Resurrection of Jesus cannot be based on
historical evidence. Belief in the Resurrection is a statement of
Faith. What we can say is that the story of Jesus did not end at the
cross.
15.Something extraordinary happened after Jesus’ death.
16.This is recorded in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ appearances and
in what became of his small band of followers.
17.As we can imagine, the men and women who followed Jesus must
have been desolate at his death.
18.They must have felt deeply shocked and overcome with grief.
19.They possibly did not know what to do or if they could survive
without him.
20.Then something extraordinary occurred. Jesus defeated death. He
rose from the dead and appeared to some of his followers.
21.Several accounts of Jesus’ appearances are found in the Gospels.
One of the most significant of these Biblical accounts occurs in
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians ( 1 Cor. 15:3 – 8 ). Paul
clearly tells us that Jesus appeared to many people, including
himself. Through these appearances the Disciples were reassured
and given instructions as to how to carry on. They were reminded
of their mission and focus. The appearances transformed the
followers of Jesus. They were moved to act together to continue
the work of Jesus and had begun in them before he died.
22.‘ Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded
you, and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age ‘.
( Mt. 28:19 )
24
23.Jesus was once again present among his people. They were no
longer alone.
24.The words and seeds of Jesus took on a new significance for his
followers in the light of the Resurrection.
25.They knew that they had a mission to carry on the work begun in
Jesus and that he would be with them always.
Exam Questions
1. 2006: Outline the ways in which the resurrection of Jesus
influenced his disciples ‘ sense of mission ‘.
2. 2009: Explain how the Resurrection of Jesus influenced the first
disciples understanding of Jesus and their sense of community.
3. 2011: Examine two ways in which Jesus’ Resurrection had an
impact on the first Christians.
Part 4: The Formation Of The Christian Community
The Community Of Philippi
1. The city of Philippi was a city of great importance within the
Roman province of Macedonia.
2. The church of Philippi was convinced of the power of the message
of Jesus Christ.
3. Under the guidance of Paul and others, it strove to witness to this
message of love. Each community did this through gathering
believers together in small groups for prayer, preaching and the
breaking of bread.
4. The community at Philippi cared for the weak and needy among
them.
5. This self less love and mutual service embodied Jesus’ message of
love and God and neighbour.
6. While the community of Philippi worked hard to be true witnesses
to the Christian way of life, they did experience some difficulties
along the way.
7. They suffered persecution from many non – believing gentiles.
8. The characteristics of the community of Philippi are :
 It was the first European community.
 It appears to have been enthusiastic and joyful.
 It was a generous community.
25
 There is some evidence of factions within the community.
 There is evidence of differing views on adherence to Jewish
law.
The Community Of Corinth
1. Corinth is a seaport situated at the southern tip of Macedonia.
2. The Church at Corinth was struggling to understand itself. The
demands of membership of this radical faith caused great
difficulty for many in this community.
3. Christianity called for love, sharing and unity, all of which were
difficult to live out in a society so divided economically and
culturally.
4. A number of problems arose within the community at Corinth
because of the fact that it had emerged from a largely pagan
environment. One such problem was the issue of eating meat that
had been sacrificed to pagan idols.
5. The celebration of liturgical practices also became a source of
division in the Corinthian church.
6. The divisions and difficulties in the everyday lives of Corinthians
spilled over into their liturgical assemblies.
 There were differences of opinion as to whether or not the
same rules applied for men and women regarding the
wearing of head-dress at assemblies.
 There were divisions between rich and poor at the liturgical
gatherings.
 The members disagreed on the issues of the ‘ gifts of the
spirit ‘.
7. All three difficulties highlight a community struggling with
equality and unity – characteristics that were central to the
message of Jesus.
8. The community of Corinth also had difficulties with their
understanding of the Resurrection of the body. Belief in the
Resurrection of Jesus was a requirement of their Faith.
9. The characteristics of the community at Corinth were :
 The community consisted of a variety of cultures and traditions.
 Elitism and rivalry were problems in the community.
 Paul’s authority was questioned by some in the community.
 There was a tendency to marginalise the poor in Corinth.
26
 The liturgical assemblies highlighted the divisions in the
community.
The Community At Thessalonica
1. Thessalonica was situated south of Philippi, in the Roman
province of Macedonia.
2. The greatest problem experienced by the Thessalonian
community stemmed from their expectation of the imminent
return of Jesus. This expectation had such an impact on the lives
of the community that members began to ignore the
commandments in the belief that the end of the world was so near,
they might as well enjoy themselves. This caused difficulties for a
community struggling to live out the message of Christ. Paul
addressed this problem by urging members to be in constant state
of readiness through their faith, hope and love. He urged them to
act justly at all times.
3. Like the community in Corinth, the Thessalonian community did
struggle to hold on to their belief in the hope for the Resurrection
of the dead.
4. The characteristics of the community at Thessalonica were:
 The Christians experienced persecution from outside the
community.
 The community was preoccupied with the imminent return
of Jesus.
 The community was inclined to ignore the commandments
regarding daily living.
Exam Questions
1. 2005 O.L.: Choose one of Early Christian Communities listed
below and answer the questions that follow: Corinth, Philippi,
Thessalonica. (a) Describe the way of life of the community you
have chosen above. (b) Outline one problem this community had
to deal with. (c) Explain how the religious beliefs of the
community helped it to deal with such problems.
2. 2009 O.L : Explain why one of the early Christian Communities
listed below experienced difficulties in following the teaching of
Jesus: Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica. (b) Outline one way in
27
which members of an early Christian Community listed in part
(a) above put the teaching of Jesus into practice in their lives.
3. 2010: Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica. Examine the problems
faced by the early Christians in one of the above places when the
Christian Community was becoming established there.
Chapter 10: Interpreting The Christian Message Today
1. Our world is a very complex place, and Christians are faced with
many conflicting and confusing messages.
2. They are called on to remain faithful to the vision of Jesus Christ,
to the kingdom of God of which he spoke.
3. Often in a hostile or indifferent environment, Christians are faced
with many different situations of injustice, destruction of the
earth, greed, discrimination and violence.
4. The message of Jesus offers those who seek it a way of living that
aims to bring about the Kingdom of God.
5. In order to understand a little of how Jesus responded to violence
of all kinds, we turn to the New Testament, violence is about
power. The desire for power over others or over things dominates
our world today.
 The violence of oppression, the injustices created by poverty
the gap between the rich and the poor
 The second stage of rebellion. This may be the rebellion of
those who are oppressed or of those who wish to work for a
more just world for all. This may be organised rebellion,
like the anti-apartheid movement.
 This third and final stage is the violence of repression. This
type of violence is used to quell the violence of rebellion.
The violence of rebellion needs to be met with justice and
respect for all involved, or else it will lead to a spiralling of
violence within society.
6. There are many biblical texts that show Jesus as tolerant of all,
regardless of social class, religious importance, wealth or gender.
In fact, Jesus went out of his way to be with the poor, the sick and
the marginalised.
7. For Jesus, the truly good person is one who acts justly and for the
good of others. This way of living would transform the world and
bring about the Kingdom of God.
28
Exam Questions
1. How would you interpret the Christian Message in today’s world?
2. 2008: Outline one way in which work done by a Christian
denomination today carries on the mission of Jesus.
Christian Understanding Of A Just And Inclusive Society
1. In Christ all are equal, there should be no distinction or
discrimination made in terms of race, religion, class or gender.
2. In Christ there is ‘ neither Jew nor Greek ‘. There are no
distinctions made between those of differing nationalities or
religious beliefs, and no one should suffer because of their creed
or race.
3. In New Testament times, slavery was common practice. Jesus
challenged a very real injustice when he spoke of slaves and
slavery.
4. In the Kingdom of God, there would be no injustice based on
Gender – ‘ there is no longer male or female ‘. Women and men
would live in mutual harmony and dignity.
5. Jesus went out of his way to involve women in his ministry.
6. There is no doubt that Jesus allied himself with the poor, the sick,
the widowed, the alienated and the despised were among those
who Jesus kept company.
7. Being a Christian involves working for the Kingdom of God and
struggling against injustice and oppression. Christians are called
to examine the world in which they live, to identify injustice and
suffering and to address it wherever it arises.
Christian Faith And Victory Over Death
1. Faith in the Resurrection is at the heart of Christianity.
2. Christianity began with the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
3. The passion and death of Jesus of Nazareth was shocking and
outrageous for his followers.
4. The fact that the founder of Christianity died in such a manner
has great significance for Christianity, but it was the raising of
Jesus from death that singled him out from all before or since.
5. Death is one of the very few certainties of life.
6. Death fills us with fear, awe and curiosity.
29
7. The fact of death, particularly untimely and painful death, does
test one’s faith in a loving, just God.
8. Death is part of being human.
9. Jesus, like us, faced death. Through Christ, we can look forward
to being victorious over death.
10.Because of the Resurrection, we know that death is not the end.
We will share in the Glory of God through God’s son, Jesus
Christ.
11. Christians believe that they are united with Christ and through
Christ, they will come into a deeper relationship with God.
12.Resurrection and eternal life are promised to Christians.
13.Paul stresses that this Resurrection will involve transformation.
14.Death will transform, not end life.
15.The promise of eternal life with Christ began in the raising of
Jesus from the dead and will be completed in the future.
16.For Christians, death is primarily about relationship with God.
17.Death is the way, the means, by which we come to be intimately
present to the love of God.
18.Heaven and hell do not enjoy equal status in Christian Faith.
19.Through the life, death and resurrection of Christ, the possibility
of heaven is stronger.
20.Christ showed the way. It must remain possible for the individual
to reject this offer and path to salvation, but all things work to
bring the faithful into the presence of God.
21.Heaven may be understood as the fulfilment of what was begun in
Christ. The believer will come into the loving presence of God.
22.Hell is best understood as the experience of complete separation
from the loving presence of God and is an important part of
Christian preaching.
Exam Question
Describe how Jesus is understood and represented in Contemporary
Culture. Assess to what extent this representation is true to the
historical life of Jesus.
30
Catholic Church : Christian Community Life Today – Structures And
Authority
1. In Catholicism, the role of the church is to carry on the work of
Christ in the world.
2. The will of God is revealed through the scriptures and, in a
unique way, through the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus of
Nazareth.
3. The church understands itself as the people of God, united
through their common Baptism.
4. The Catholic Church is organised into dioceses. Each dioceses is
entrusted to a bishop. The diocese is further divided into parishes,
where the parish priest and his fellow priests work with the
people of the parish.
5. Catholicism is deeply sacramental.
6. The central liturgical celebration of the Eucharist is the central
life-giving event within a vibrant parish.
7. Lay ministers play an important role in the Sacramental life of
their parish.
8. The parish community gather together to mark important events
in the lives of individuals and of the community as a whole.
Exam Question
2010: O.L.: Examine how the work of members in one Christian
denomination today tries to carry on the mission of Jesus.
Chapter 11: Christian Unity: Trends In Christianity ( Higher Level )
1. Christianity is flourishing in many parts of the world. However,
the history of Christianity is not without its dark side.
2. Lives have been lost in the name of religion.
3. It has also led to a number of schisms.
4. Suspicion and resentment have characterised the relationship
between different denominations.
5. Towards the end of the 20th Century, efforts were made to heal
the wounds that had festered between the many Christian
denominations. These efforts are known as the Ecumenical
Movement.
31
6. The Ecumenical Movement is one that works towards
reconciliation and forgiveness. It seeks to unify all Christians
through shared faith in Jesus Christ.
7. The goal of ecumenism is to bring about tolerance and mutual
respect among Christians.
8. The work of the world council of churches is ecumenical in
nature. The council sees education as a means of working towards
unity among all Christians.
9. Perhaps the most powerful example of ecumenism in action is
where different denominations within local communities work
and pray together in a spirit of tolerance and respect.
10.Key difficulties :
 The issue of married clergy.
 The ordination of women to the priesthood.
 The understanding of Eucharist and teachings on marriage
are some of the controversial areas of difference between
the Christian Churches.
11.Key achievements:
 New friendships established.
 Improvement in the understanding and acceptance of
regulations regarding mixed marriages.
 On-going serious theological dialogue.
 Lively co-operation in prayer services during the week of
prayer for Christian unity.
 Active participation by women of all denominations in the
annual women’s world’s day of prayer etc…
 Educating for peace programmes.
 Courses in ecumenical studies.
 Conferences, exhibitions organised jointly.
Exam Question
2006(a) Discuss the relationship between the founding vision of
Christianity and the search for Christian Unity Today. (b) How is the
founding vision of Christianity seen in the ways Christians worship
today ?
32
Christian Worship as Remembering Jesus
1. It appears that from early in the development of Christian
worship, remembering the action of Jesus at the last supper and
recalling the significance of his life, death and resurrection were
central. This remembering was a call to live as Jesus did.
2. Christians today celebrate the Eucharist in both word and deed.
They listen to the word of God through scripture. They break
bread and share wine.
3. For Catholics, Christ is truly present in the bread and wine after
consecration, when they become the Body and Blood of Christ.
Transubstantiation refers to what occurs in the sacrament of the
Eucharist.
4. Christians celebrate the presence and power of Christ at key
moments in their lives e.g. baptism. Communion, confirmation
etc. At such times they ask for guidance and comfort and
recognise the presence of Christ in their lives.
An Introduction To Contemporary Christology
1. Christology seeks to address the question ‘ but who do you say
that I am ?’
2. For Christians, Jesus Christ is the decisive, the most significant
revelation of God.
3. In and through Jesus we come to know God in a very special way.
4. Our continued efforts to understand and know Jesus, and the
implications of his life, death and resurrection, is what we term
‘ Christology ‘.
5. Jesus came first and lived his life in history and eventually was
recognised by others as the Christ.
6. The constant in any Christology is the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
 Biblical Christology ( 1st Century ) – this refers to the
source and foundation of Christology. Having encountered
Jesus and witnessed to his death and resurrection, believers
recorded these events, the words and deeds of Jesus, and
their belief that he was the Christ.
 Conciliar Christology ( 2nd – 7th Century ) – the identity of
Jesus and his relationship with God preoccupied many
theologians at this time. One of the central questions of this
33
era was around the divinity and humanity of Jesus. If Jesus
was truly human, then how could he also be truly divine ?
 Medieval Christology ( 11th – 16th Century ) – this period
reflects the emergence of universities and great centres of
learning.
 Post – Tridentine Christology ( 16th – 20th Century ) – the
church sought to protect its heritage by organising its
Christology into a fixed and unchangeable format e.g.
stations of the cross.
 At the brink of the renewal ( 1951 ) – the council of
Chalcedon declared Jesus to be truly God and truly
human. The question at the heart of Christology – ‘ who do
you say that I am ?’ is very much alive today.
7. The mystery of Jesus Christ is the story of the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus. However, it does not end there. The
understanding of that event and its significance for all believers
is also part of the mystery of Jesus Christ, or the ‘ Christ Event ‘.
8. If we do not recognise the humanity of Jesus, we run the risk of
not fully appreciating the way in which Jesus became human, one
of us. If we fail to recognise the importance of the Divinity of
Jesus, then we miss the crucial element of Faith in Christ. The
two go together, Jesus – Christ. Dermot lane suggests what he
calls a ‘ Low Ascending Christology ‘. This means that he begins
his study of the mystery of Christ with looking at the historical
reality of Jesus, and from there he moves to understand how
Jesus became known as the Lord and the Christ.
Exam Questions
1. Write an account on the development of Christology since the
time of Jesus.
2. 2011: Profile the understanding of Jesus that can be seen in the
work of two writers of books about Christianity. ( answer –
Christology – Dermot Lane – Low Ascending Christology.
34
SECTION B:
CHRISTIANITY:
ORIGINS AND
CONTEMPORARY
EXPRESSIONS
Revised Edition 2012
Barbara Cunningham Taheny
35
Christianity : Origins and contemporary expressions
There are four parts to this book
Part 1: The return to origins
 Founding vision: Christian Church- The Ceilí Dé, The Mendicant
orders – St. Francis of Assisi. Martin Luther, the Second Vatican
Council and Liberation Theology – Oscar Romero. ( make sure
you know Ceilí Dé, Martin Luther of Liberation Theology and the
Second Vatican Council ).
 Jesus and his message in Contemporary Culture – Film – Passion
of the Christ.
Part 2: The vision of Jesus in context.
 The impact of Rome Political System.
 Socio – political and religious groupings in the 1st century –
Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes and Zealots.
 Evidence for Jesus of Nazareth – Pliny the Younger, Tacitus,
Josephus and the Gospels as sources.
 The teachings of Jesus and their impact on the community – the
Prophetic tradition, Jesus as teacher, four key characteristics of
the kingdom of God – parables, meals, miracles and prayers.
 N.B. HIGHER LEVEL: Jesus as Messiah – Priestly, Davidic and
Prophetic
Part 3: The Message in conflict
 Conflict with the establishment :- Jesus’ challenge to Roman
Imperial Values, the threat to Jewish religious establishment,
why Jesus was put on trial.
 The death and resurrection of Jesus.
Part 4: the formation of the Christian community
 The community of Philippi, Corinth and Thessalonica ( make sure
you know one of these communities really well ).
 Interpreting the Christian Message Today.
36
 Christian understanding of a Just and Inclusive Society.
 Christian Faith and victory over death
 Christian Community life today – structure and authority in the
Catholic Church
 N.B. HIGHER LEVEL:- Christian unity – trends in Christianity
Unity
 Christian Worship as remembering Jesus
37
Leaving Certificate
Religion
Section B
Christianity
Sample Answers
38
Section B – Christianity
Sample answers to the following questions in section B
1. How is the founding vision of Christianity seen in the ways
Christians worship today. P.41
2. Outline how returning to the founding vision of Christianity was
central to the purpose of one of the following: Céili Dé, The
Evangelical Movement of the early 19th Century Protestantism,
Liberation Theology, Luther’s Reform, The Second Vatican
Council. P. 42
3. (a) Contemporary music, art, film and literature. Describe one
image of Jesus that is expressed in one of the above sources.
(b) Examine the inspiration and the relevance of the image
described above for culture and society today. P.45
4. Examine the inspiration and the relevance of the image described
above for culture and society today.p.46
5. Explain why the writings of Josephus and Tacitus are an
important source of evidence for Jesus of Nazareth. P.47
6. Compare the understanding of Jesus presented in the Gospels
with the understanding of him presented in an image in today’s
society. P. 48
7. Describe the characteristics of the Kingdom of God as preached
by Jesus. P.50
8. Evaluate today’s world in terms of the values of the Kingdom of
God. P.52
9. Write an essay tracing the events of Calvary from the arrest of
Jesus to his resurrection from the dead. Make reference both to
the historical events and their religious significance. P.52
10.Explain why the Roman political authorities in Palestine were
threatened by the teachings of Jesus. P.54
11.Outline two key achievements and two key difficulties in the
search for unity. P.56
12.Compare the understanding of Jesus presented in the Gospels
with the understanding of him presented in an image today. P.58
13.Explain why the writings of Josephus and Tacitus are an
important source of evidence for Jesus of Nazareth. P.59
14.Examine how the work of members in one Christian
denomination today carries on the mission of Jesus. P.59
39
15.Describe how Jesus is understood and represented in
contemporary culture. Assess to what extent this representation is
true to the historical life of Jesus. P. 62
16.Compare the way the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots
reacted to Roman Rule in Palestine at the time of Jesus. P.65
17.Outline how the first Christians were affected by the death and
resurrection of Jesus. P.66
18.Explain why the Roman Political Authorities in Palestine were
threatened by the teachings of Jesus. P.67
19.Describe what happened when Jesus was brought for trial before
either the Sanhedrin or Pontius Pilate and explain why the trial
took place. P.69
20. A. Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica. Examine the problems faced
by the early Christians in one of the above places when the
Christian community was becoming established there. B. Outline
one way in which the members in early Christian community out
the teaching of Jesus into practice in their lives. P.70
21.Discuss the relationship between the founding vision of
Christianity and the search for Christian Unity Today. P.71
22.Write a detailed account on the development of Christology since
the time of Jesus. P.75
23.How would you interpret the Christian Message Today ? p.76
24.Explain the way in which two rites of Christian worship
remember Jesus. P.78
25.A. Examine one contemporary understanding of Jesus and name
the writer with which it is associated. B. Outline the
understanding of Jesus found in part A and show how it is
relevant in today’s society.
26.Explain two reasons why Jesus’ preaching on ‘ right relationship’
is important for Christians today.
27.Describe the messianic expectation of Jesus
28.Write an essay tracing the events of Calvary from the arrest of
Jesus to his resurrection from the dead. Make reference to both
the historical facts and religious significance.
40
1. How is the founding vision of Christianity seen in the ways
Christians worship today.
Christian Churches have a founding vision which is the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus. Christians are called to be unselfish, not to be
quick to judge and not to have any attachments to material things. The
founding vision isn’t only based on rituals or prayer, although they are
important, but rather in the life they are called to live as Christians.
One way that the founding vision is expressed by Christians is through
pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place and it is of great
moral and spiritual significance for Christians in today’s world. People
go on pilgrimage to seek inspiration and to show that they are devoted
to God. It gives the pilgrims a chance to deepen their relationship with
God, seek forgiveness for wrong doing in their lives and seek guidance
in their life. Pilgrimage is very useful to Christians for reflection.
Reflection helps us to consider how the founding vision speaks to us
today. Reflection gives Christians a chance to take some time out and
spend it looking at their relationship with God.
Christians throughout the world are drawn to living in small
communities in an effort to live as early Christians lived. Some of the
essential qualities are to share all aspects of people’s lives. This can be
seen as part of Christian worship today. Many Christians share what
they have with those people who have less than them in today’s world.
They also come together as a community and share in the celebration of
the Sacraments e.g. Communion, Baptism Eucharist etc…This also fits
into the vision of church as people of God.
The golden rule in Christianity is ‘ treat other people as you yourself
would like to be treated ‘. This is something that can be seen today
during Christian celebrations like Christmas. Some Christian families
will gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus together. The
celebration of Easter Sunday could also be seen as an expression of the
founding vision of Christianity as it celebrates Christ’s death and
resurrection.
Prayer is an important aspect of Christian worship. It is important that
Christians have right relationship with God and this can be achieved
through regular prayer. Christians can seek guidance from God on how
to live an unselfish life which goes back to the founding vision.
In conclusion, there are many ways to see the founding vision of
Christianity in the way Christians worship today. Notably, through
41
pilgrimage and prayer, Christians have the ability to perhaps reconnect
with God and reflect on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
OR
Christian churches have a founding vision which is the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus. Through study and prayer they seek to reflect on
how these scriptures speak to them today. This may lead to seeing
things in a new way or to challenging their church from within. This
founding vision of Christianity is found in worship today e.g. through
the sacraments, pilgrimage and prayer.
The seven sacraments mark a key moment in the journey of a member
of the Christian Faith. One of the sacraments that still holds strong
relevance today is reconciliation. Forgiveness was central to Jesus’s life
and teaching and ultimately, he died so that all might be free from sin.
The Christian celebrates God’s forgiveness in this sacrament, also
known as confession. The sacrament includes the Word of God,
confession of sins, the giving of penance, the prayer of sorrow and the
prayer of absolution. Reconciliation is actively embracing the person
who has sinned against us and welcoming them back into our lives. St.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians ( 2 Corinthians 5:18 ) “ It’s all God’s
work, he reconciled us to himself, through Christ and he gave us the
ministry of reconciliation.
Pilgrimage is another way in which the founding vision of Christianity
Worship today. A pilgrimage is a journey to a place that is regarded as
sacred because it is associated with a person or event or religious
significance. The origins of pilgrimage in Christianity dates back to the
days of Jesus, when he made the journey to Jerusalem. Many Christians
have been inspired to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land to walk where
Jesus walked. Today, many pilgrims have found this contemplative
practice appealing for different reasons, all connected to the values that
Jesus preached during his time, fellowship, forgiveness, diligence and
spiritual growth. The appeal of pilgrimage today is evident in the
number of people who make their way to the summit of Croagh Patrick
on Reek Sunday. Many pilgrims were inspired by St. Patrick who spent
40 days praying, fasting and reflecting there. This conveys the ambition
of many pilgrims to keep the founding vision of Christianity flowing
through society.
Prayer has played a key role in maintaining the appeal of the founding
vision of Christianity today. Prayer reflects the human need for a
42
communication with Divine or Spiritual Realities and involves
communicating with God. The soul longs for a personal relationship
with God because it is loved by God and seeks a relationship with the
source of this love. Our relationship with God is nourished through
prayer. Christian prayer changes individuals by raising their awareness
of the characteristics of being a Christian. It sustains and nourishes
Christian’s identity and Christian prayer can lead to a move away from
self towards the other, in compassion, charity and a willingness to serve.
In conclusion, these three ways of Christian worship demonstrates the
belief among members of the faith to maintain the values of the
founding vision of Christianity. The effect Christian communities have
is to breathe new life into the wider community, through living in a
small Christian community people may challenge the way things are
and how people live.
2. Outline how returning to the founding vision of Christianity
was central to the purpose of one of the following : Céili Dé,
The evangelical movement of the early 19th century
Protestantism, liberation theology, Luther’s reform, the second
Vatican Council.
Céili Dé
The Founding vision of the Christian Church is the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus. The Céili Dé, the Mendicant orders and Martin
Luther attempted to return to this founding vision by initiating reform
in the Catholic Church. These reform movements paved the way for the
reformation in the Christian Church. Returning to the founding vision
of Christianity was central to the purpose of Céili Dé.
In the Mid- 8th Century a reform movement began in Ireland. The
leaders were called Maelruian and Dudlittir and they called themselves
the Céili Dé which means servants of God. They wanted to bring about
renewal of the monastic life in Ireland.
The Céili Dé was a movement of people who felt a strong calling to put
God first in their lives and make themselves true servants of God. It was
important to choose God as their ‘ All in life’.
The spirituality and way of life of the Céili Dé is best known to us from
3 related texts:
 The Monastery of Tallaght Text
 The Rule of Tallaght
43
 The rule of Céili Dé
The Céili Dé set to work to reform the monastic movement from within.
They proposed that monastic reform would come about by reemphasising the importance of prayer, labour and study. The Céili Dé
were interested in the general pastoral mission of the Monasteries. They
brought a new spirit rather than new structures to the monastic life.
The Céili Dé underlined the importance of following the guidance of
one’s ‘Anam Chara’ or soul friend. It was through the context of soul
friendship that private confession took root in the Irish Church and
later spread throughout Western Christendom. Reform began in the
monastic system in Ireland due to the effect of the reform movement of
the Céili Dé.
In conclusion, the work of the CeíliDé is considered to be very
important in the development of the Monastic Systems in Ireland
through time. It reflects the key values of Christianity’s founding vision,
as the members proved that by challenging the church and seeing things
in a new light, it could lead to a successful change in an aspect of the
Faith.
The Mendicant Order
The Mendicant orders developed on urban form of monastic life, which
was close to the lifestyle of Jesus as revealed in the Gospels. They had
three common characteristics:
 As individuals they held no possessions and had the right to beg.
 All members of a Mendicant order were united, regardless of
location.
 Pastoral care was the focus of their training
One mendicant order that contributed to the reform of the Church was
the Franciscan Order which was founded by Francis of Assisi.
Francis came from a wealthy family in Assisi. A number of events
prepared him for the discovery of his vocation in the church.
 He was injured in a battle between rival cities.
 One day he met a leper and he gave him all the money he had.
 He made a pilgrimage to Rome
 He gave all the money he had away and he exchanged his fine
clothes for those of a beggar man.
44
Not long after Francis returned from Rome, he was praying and he
heard a voice saying ‘go Francis and repair my house, which as you can
see is falling into ruin’.
After hearing the words from the Gospels at mass one day ‘go, possess
neither silver nor gold and announce the Kingdom of God’, his life
began to change. Francis took these words very seriously and so began
to live out his vocation.
The feature of this Franciscan Spirituality was to live the whole Gospel
from the perspective of poverty. Poverty was their window in the gospel.
This reform movement was smaller in scale but still helped initiate
reform in the church.
Martin Luther
The most major and significant reform movement was that of Martin
Luther. This movement contributed greatly to the reformation of the
Church.
Martin Luther was a German Augustinian Priest who became conscious
of the great gap between the life of the early church and the lifestyle
displayed by the church leaders of the time.
After a near death experience, Martin Luther went through a very dry
period where he struggled with the issues of his own salvation. His basic
question was, how can I find a merciful God ?
This dark experience arose from that deep contradiction in all of us that
St. Paul describes in the letter to the Romans: ‘ I do not do good I want,
but the evil I do not want to do I do ‘. ( Rom. 7:19 )
What Luther saw was that instead of doing the good only out of love
and absolute selfishness, even when we do good, there’s ultimately
always a secret tendency in us to do what we are doing for our own
good.
In 1515 Luther had a personal breakthrough, ‘ the one who is righteous
will live by faith ‘ ( Romans.1:17 ) Luther began to believe that this
meant that the love of God is available to us as a gift if we have faith
and that God’s forgiveness is a gift given to those who have faith in
Jesus. He does have this one condition, that you believe, that is, that you
abandon yourself to him with complete trust. This was Luther’s great
and liberating discovery.
Luther went on to emphasise the individual freedom that comes through
faith. For Luther, the Christian is the most free of all creatures and so
the most dutiful of all by helping others to become ‘ Christ to one
45
another ‘. Rooted in Christ, the Christian has to become ‘ Christ for his
neighbour.
There are three principles associated with Luther:
 Sola Scriptura
 Sola Fide
 Sola Gratia
In 1517 Luther nailed 95 theses against indulgences and pilgrimages to
the door of the Castle Church at Wittenburg. His intention was not to
rebel against the Church but merely to open this issue for the
theological debate. Luther’s desire was to reform the church.
He outlined the foundations of his new theology in five treatise:
1. Treatise of good works
2. The papacy of Rome
3. Address to the German nobility
4. Babylonian captivity of the church
5. Freedom of a Christian man
In June 1520 Pope Leo X condemned Luther’s views and ordered
that his books be burned and he gave him two months to retreat
his theories or be guilty of heresy. At the Diet of Worms in 1521
Luther refused to retreat and was excommunicated.
Luther stood firm, and in 1521 he was named a heretic. He fled to
the castle of Warburg in Saxony and there remained under the
protection of Frederick the Wise. Thus began the split between
the Roman Catholic Church and Luther and his supporters,
which gave rise to the reformation.
Liberation Theology
The founding vision of Christianity refers to the life death and
resurrection of Jesus and that through study and prayer early
Christians seek to reflect on how these scriptures speak to them today.
This may lead to seeing things in a new way, or to challenging their
church from within. This founding vision is a crucial part of the central
purpose of Liberation Theology, a movement that believed in standing
up for the poor and transforming society.
In the document Gaudium et Spes, Christians were challenged to look at
the world around them and work to correct situations of injustice.
Liberation theology was launched in 1968 at a congress of Latin
American Bishops in Medellin in Columbia. They declared that from
this point on the church world would be on the side of the poor. They
would work to transform the society so that all people could live in
46
dignity and freedom. They called this a ‘preferential option for the
poor’. The supporters of Liberation Theology believed that the message
of the Gospel is one of Liberation and that Jesus is the great Liberator.
By engaging in the process of working for justice, Christians are truly
following in the example of Jesus Christ, just like early Christians who
live out their interpretation of the founding vision of Christianity. Some
activists suffered torture and others were killed in their struggle to
speak out for the poor. Perhaps the most famous of these were Oscar
Romero who was murdered in March 1980.
Oscar Romero spoke the truth in a country torn apart by social
injustice. He stood for human rights during an era of shocking injustice,
violence and torture. However, the brutal dictatorship chose not to
listen and he was assassinated for his beliefs. Oscar Romero was born in
August 1918 and in 1942 he was ordained a Catholic Priest in Rome. He
worked for 20 years in San Miguel. Romero promoted various Apostolic
groups, started an alcoholic anonymous group, helped in the
construction of Sam Miguel’s Cathedral and supported devotion to the
Virgin of the peace.
In 1977, he was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador. His
appointment was met with surprise and dismay as Marxist priests
feared that his conservative reputation would negatively affect
liberation theology’s commitment to the poor. Romero’s spiritual
journey included characteristics such as love for the Church of Rome,
examination of conscience, sincere pity and spiritual direction. On
March 12th, a progressive Jesuit priest and personal friend Rutilio
Grande was assassinated. In response to his death Romero revealed a
radicalism that had not been evident earlier as he spoke against poverty,
social justice and assassinations. Romero was killed by a shot to the
heart on March 1980. During the funeral, a smoke bomb exploded on
the Cathedral square and many people were killed by gunfire. As the
gunfire continued, the body was buried in a crypt beneath the
sanctuary. Even after the burial, people continued to line up to pay
homage to their martyred prelate.
In conclusion, the work of Oscar Romero exemplifies how someone who
sees the value of the founding vision of Christianity can have a profound
effect on the faith of people around him and take an idea like Liberation
Theology and put it into fruition. Liberation Theology allows people to
challenge the church and see things in a new way, just like
Christianity’s founding vision.
47
3. A. Contemporary music, art, film and literature. Describe one
image of Jesus that is expressed in one of the above sources.
The image of Jesus that I have selected is the image of suffering
Christ through the medium of film in ‘The Passion of the Christ ‘.
This film truly emphasises the incredible suffering Jesus endured in
order to save the souls of the human race. The film also portrays the
loving, forgiving and understanding character of Jesus Christ.
The image most prevalent in the film ‘The Passion of the Christ ‘
is the image of the suffering Christ. We see Jesus suffered both
physically and mentally throughout the entire course of the film.
Jesus is accused of loving a false prophet, a heretic and is punished
accordingly.
One aspect of the suffering inflicted on Jesus is the fact that they do
not understand the true intention of Jesus, to spread the word of
God, that is, a message of love, respect and honour and the fact that
he is not treated humanely. In the film we see Satan undermine the
magnificent powers of Jesus by trying to interfere with his intellect.
‘ do you really believe that one man can bear the full burden of sin,
no one man can carry this burden, I tell you. It is far too heavy.
Saving their souls is too costly ‘. However one thing that Jesus
possesses away from the relentless suffering is his relationship and
faith in God ‘shelter me Lord, I trust in you. In you I take my
refuge’.
Another aspect of Jesus’ suffering and the one that is most visual is
the physical violence he endures. The harshness of the world and the
people that inhabited it were blind to the love and kindness of Jesus’
presence and message. Caiaphas the Jewish high priests put Jesus on
trial and declared him a blasphemer. The physical hardship that
followed and ultimately led to his death was a true testament to the
courage and loyalty Jesus upheld as he at no point turned his back
on God in order to save himself. This trial seen is extremely hostile.
Caiaphas: They say you’re a king. Where is this kingdom of yours ?
What type of kings do you descend from ? Speak up ! You’re just the
son of some obscure carpenter, no ? Some say you’re Elijah, but he
was carried off to heaven in a chariot ! Why don’t you say
something ? You’ve been brought here as a blasphemer, what do you
say to that ? Defend yourself. Jesus replies by saying ‘ I have spoken
openly to everyone. I’ve taught in the temple where we all gathered.
Ask those who have heard what I have to say. The temple guard
48
declares ‘ Is that how you address the high priest, with arrogance ?’
and hits Jesus. Jesus states ‘ If I have spoken evil, tell me what evil I
have said, but if not, why do you hit me ?.
This trial scene demonstrates clearly the hardship and suffering
inflicted on Jesus.
It is clear from the examination of this film that Jesus suffered severe
punishment undeserved and was ultimately rejected by those in
power at the time. It was the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus had to
undertake in order for the nonbelievers to finally understand what
his message was. This sacrifice revealed the true characteristics of
humanity that must be promoted in order for the race as a whole to
progress.
B. Examine the understanding of Jesus expressed in the image
described above and discuss its relevance for society today.
There is a profound understanding of the image of Jesus conveyed in
Mel Gibson’s film ‘ The passion of the Christ ‘ that of a suffering
Christ, which holds extreme relevance today for believers. The
themes explored in the film such as love, forgiveness, and sacrifice,
hold crucial importance in contemporary society, where there values
are required to maintain a peaceful world.
The image most prevalent in ‘ The Passion of the Christ’ is the image
of the suffering Christ. We see how Jesus suffered both physically
and mentally throughout the entire course of the film. Jesus is
accused of loving a false prophet, a heretic and is punished
accordingly.
Christians gain huge strength in the fact that even if a person has to
endure extreme suffering in their life, they will be ultimately be
delivered to happiness and fulfilment in life and the afterlife. This
experience in modern society could only be achieved by Jesus
through his demonstration of loyalty and courage to his beliefs to
God and to the whole of humanity. Jesus conveys the characteristics
that we all strive to achieve and through his suffering and courage
we learn what it takes to live a good life.
Jesus’ sacrifices and suffering can also be used as an excellent
teaching tool for morals in contemporary culture. Combined with
modern law, Jesus’ message presents the greatest and most complete
guidance of how to live a moral life. Not only does the inspiration of
Jesus positively affect believers, it also has a profound effect on those
49
who hold little religious belief or none whatsoever. Everyone can
empathise with harsh challenges in life and Jesus’ suffering and
victory after death, although an extreme one, fulfils this journey and
is a true inspiration to all throughout the informed world. They also
have a substantial positive effect on a large proportion of Jesus’
message of love, respect, loyalty and faith.
In conclusion, the themes that Mel Gibson explores in his film ‘ The
Passion of the Christ’ hold great relevance to everyone in the world
today. It is a film that emphasises the value of sacrifice and
forgiveness as no matter how powerful that sacrifice maybe,
ultimately the greater good is crucial and must be willing to accept
severe suffering as they will eventually be rewarded.
OR
The image that I will examine as described above is the image of a
suffering Christ through the medium of the film ‘ The Passion of the
Christ’. The understanding of Jesus in this film truly emphasises the
incredible suffering of Jesus endured in order to save the souls of the
human race. This film also portrays the loving, forgiving and
understanding character of Jesus Christ.
The image most prevalent in the film ‘ The Passion of the Christ’ is
the image of the suffering Christ. We see Jesus suffered both
mentally and physically throughout the film. Jesus is accused of
loving a false prophet, a heretic and is punished accordingly.
One aspect of the suffering inflicted on Jesus is the fact that they do
not understand the true intention of Jesus to spread the word of God
that is a message of love, respect and honour and the fact that he is
not treated humanely. In the film we see Satan undermine the
magnificent powers of Jesus by trying to interfere with his intellect ‘
do you really believe that one man can bear the full burden of sin, no
one man can carry this burden. I tell you, it’s far too heavy. Saving
their souls is far too costly’.
However, one thing that Jesus possesses away from his relentless
suffering is his relationship and faith in God. ‘ shelter me God I trust
in you, in you I take my refuge.
Another aspect of Jesus’ suffering and one that is most visual is the
physical violence he endures. The harshness of the world and the
people that inhibited it were blind to the love and kindness of Jesus’
message and presence. Caiphais, the Jewish high priest declared
50
Jesus a blasphemer and put him on trial. The physical hardship that
followed that ultimately led to his death was a true testament to the
courage and loyalty Jesus upheld as at no point did he turn his back
on God in order to save himself. This trial is seen as extremely
hostile. Caiphas: They say you’re a King. Where is this kingdom of
yours ? What type of King do you descend from ? You’re just the
Son of some obscure carpenter no ? some say you’re Elijah but he
was carried off to heaven in a chariot. You’ve been brought here as a
blasphemer, what do you say to that ? defend yourself ! Jesus replies
by saying ‘ I have spoken openly to everyone. I’ve taught in the
temples where we all gathered. Ask those who have heard what I
have had to say. The temple guard declares, ‘ is that how you address
the high priest with arrogance ?’ and hits Jesus. Jesus says ‘ If I have
spoken evil, but if not why do you hit me ? this trial scene
demonstrates clearly the hardship and suffering inflicted on Jesus.
It’s clear from this examination of this film Jesus suffered severe
punishment undeserved and was ultimately rejected by those in
power at the time. It was the ultimate sacrifice Jesus had to make in
order for the non-believers to finally to understand what his message
was. This sacrifice revealed true characteristics of humanity that
must be promoted in order for the race as a whole to progress.
This understanding of Jesus has relevance in today’s society and has
a profound effect on both believers and non-believers throughout the
world. Christians gain huge strength in the fact that even if a person
has to endure extreme suffering in their life they will ultimately be
delivered to happiness and fulfilment in life, and the afterlife. This
strength experience in modern society could only be achieved by
Jesus through the demonstration of loyalty and courage to his beliefs
to God and to the whole of humanity. Jesus conveys the
characteristics that we will strive to achieve and through his
suffering and courage we learn what it takes to live a good life and to
be true to oneself but also the great achievement and values gained
through these sacrifices. Jesus’ sacrifices and suffering can also be
used as an excellent teaching tool for morals in contemporary
culture. Combined with modern law Jesus’ message presents the
greatest and most complete guidance on how to live a moral life.
Not only does the inspiration of Jesus positively affect believers it
also has a profound effect on those who hold little or no religious
beliefs. Everyone can empathise with harsh challenges in life and
51
Jesus suffering and victory after death although an extreme case
fulfils this journey that every human at some point undertakes or is
subjected to Jesus’ journey through life is indeed a true inspiration
to all throughout the informed world and has a substantial positive
effect on a large proportion of the human race resulting in the
proposition of his message of love, respect, loyalty and faith.
In conclusion, the themes that Mel Gibson explores in his film ‘ The
Passion of the Christ’ hold great relevance to everyone in the world
today. It is a film that emphasises the value of sacrifice and
forgiveness, as no matter how powerful that sacrifice maybe,
ultimately the greater good is crucial and one must be willing to
accept severe suffering as they will eventually be rewarded.
4. Examine the inspiration and the relevance of the image
described above for culture and society today
The image of Jesus suffering has huge relevance to culture and
society today and has a profound effect on both believers and
nonbelievers throughout the world.
Christians gain huge strength in the fact that even if a person has to
endure extreme suffering in their life they will ultimately be
delivered to happiness and fulfilment in life, and the afterlife. This
strength experience in modern society could only be achieved by
Jesus through his demonstration of loyalty and courage to his beliefs
to God and to the whole of humanity. Jesus conveys the
characteristics that we all strive to achieve and through his suffering
and courage we learn what it takes to live a good life and to be true
to oneself but also the great achievement and values gained through
these sacrifices. Jesus’ sacrifices and suffering can also be used as an
excellent teaching tool for morals in contemporary culture.
Combined with modern law Jesus’ message presents the greatest and
most complete guidance on how to live a moral life.
Not only does the inspiration of Jesus positively affect believers it
also has a profound effect on those who hold little or no religious
beliefs. Everyone can empathise with harsh challenges in life and
Jesus suffering and victory after death although an extreme case
fulfils this journey that every human at some point undertakes or is
subjected to Jesus’ journey through life is indeed a true inspiration
to all throughout the informed world and has a substantial positive
52
effect on a large proportion of the human race resulting in the
proposition of his message of love, respect, loyalty and faith.
5. Explain why the writings of Josephus and Tacitus are an
important source of evidence for Jesus of Nazareth.
The writings of Josephs and Tacitus are an important source of
evidence for Jesus of Nazareth as they provide historical evidence of
his teaching and work.
Josephus was a Jewish scholar who fought against the Romans in
Galilee but surrendered after he was overrun. He wrote about Jesus
towards the end of his life, about 60 years after the execution. He
recorded Jesus’ presence in terms of Jewish disturbances during the
reign of Pontius Pilate. Josephus recognised Jesus’ historical
importance as well as his significant contribution to the people he
met. Josephus noted that Jesus was a wise man and teacher and
wrote about this political trial under Pilate, his execution and his
resurrection.
Tacitus was a Roman Historian suspicious of Christianity. He first
wrote about Jesus after the burning of Rome in 64CE. He wrote that
Nero blamed the Christians for the fire but many historians doubt
this fact. They also doubt Tacitus’ claim that Nero burnt and
executed thousands of Christians. He did not like the Christians and
was suspicious of Jesus and the movement behind him. Tacitus wrote
about Jesus’ execution and how Christians got their names. The fact
that both Tacitus and Josephus, two historians wrote about Jesus
proves that, at least in historical terms, Jesus existed.
6. Compare the understanding of Jesus presented in the Gospels
with the understanding of him presented in an image in
today’s society.
The understanding of Jesus presented in the Gospels and the
understanding of him presented in an image in today’s society have
huge similarities and some differences.
The Gospels tell us about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. The Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
53
According to Matthew’s Gospel Jesus can be seen as a new Moses, ‘ the
Messiah, the ‘ anointed one and the ‘son of David ‘. He also showed
them a new way of living.
The Gospel of Mark describes Jesus as a true Messiah who suffered at
the hands of the authorities in Jerusalem. He also showed that Jesus had
true feelings like any other human being.
The Gospel of Luke shows us that Jesus is the Saviour and that he is all
loving and forgiving. He has a special place for Mary the mother of
Jesus in his Gospel. Prayer also has a very large part to play in his
Gospel and prayer played a huge role in the life of Jesus.
The Gospel of John shows us that Jesus is a real human being. He
identifies with our pains and sorrows and he also identifies with our
joys. Jesus is truly the Son of God.
Certain interpretations of religion have changed drastically over time.
Looking at Christianity specifically, the understanding of Jesus has
changed on a broader level. Christianity itself had a much greater
impact on society than it does today. In times of hardship, more people
looked to the church for inspiration and guidance. The advances and
improvements in science over the years have contributed to the decline
of the power of Christianity in Ireland. More and more people look to
science for answers. They seek the ‘how’ not the ‘why’ are things done.
As a result of Christianity’ decline of the understanding of Jesus has
changed. However, there are some aspects of the image of Jesus that
have not changed as Jesus is described as powerful, loving and forgiving
in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John mentioned above.
Jesus performed miracles and had the ability to lead a crowd. This has
not changed. Christians today still consider Jesus as powerful, loving
and forgiving. They still study Jesus’ miracles and his parables today.
In modern society less and less people find time to attend mass. So this
perception that Jesus is ‘ always there’ is increasingly popular. This was
also described in the Gospels. We know that Jesus always took time out
to listen to others, and he was always there for people, even those
shunned from society. I think this is a very nice aspect of Jesus’
personality and one which we continue to see embraced by modern
Christians. People like to know that Jesus is always there.
I think the vision of an almighty Jesus has not changed. Jesus, Son of
God, was always referred to as almighty in the Gospels and it is
something that has continued into modern society. Jesus was also
referred to as generous. He sacrificed his own life for the sins of
54
humanity and this is very much upheld today. Even in prayer,
Christians will reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice and be grateful for it.
When we look at contrasting understandings of Jesus we are faced with
the issue that more people are atheists or agnostics these days. Many
people simply do not believe in Jesus and many others are just unsure. I
think that this in itself creates a contrast between modern Jesus and the
Jesus described in the Gospels. Christians today have to overcome the
questions posed by non-believers. Jesus as described in the Gospels was
incredibly faithful.
I also think that there are certain issues that face the understanding of
Jesus when we consider him accepting some people namely gay people
who very often feel excluded or not accepted by the church today
because of their lifestyle. However, Jesus was known to be accepting of
all people in the Gospels so this could create some tension.
In conclusion, the understanding of Jesus presented in the Gospels and
in modern times has changed due to the changing status of Christianity
etc… There are absolutely similarities between the image of Jesus in the
Gospels and in modern times, such as his powerful, almighty and caring
personality. However, there are contrasts which pose challenges to
modern Christian in society today.
Or
The understanding of Jesus is presented in the gospels. The gospels
consist of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The gospels tell us about the
life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
The Gospel of St. Matthew tell us that Jesus is the New Moses, ‘ the
Messiah’, the ‘ Son of David’ and the ‘ anointed one ‘. Matthew also
taught his followers a new way of living.
The gospel of St. Mark tells us that Jesus is indeed the promised
Messiah who suffered at the hands of the authorities in Jerusalem. He
informs us that Jesus has feelings like all human beings.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus is the Saviour who brings God’s
love to all people. He also showed Jesus as someone who brings love and
forgiveness to all. His gospel has a special place for Mary the mother of
Jesus. Another aspect that is very important in this gospel is prayer.
The gospel of St. John helps us to see Jesus as a real human being and
that our pain and burdens are shared. Also our joys and good times are
shared. It also shows Jesus as the real Son of God.
The understanding of Jesus presented in an image today is the image of
a loving and forgiving God. Today sin is more common due to the world
55
we live in, lies, stealing etc… are more common especially with the
recession and people being more materialistic than spiritual and the
financial burden placed on people, leading to more benefit fraud etc…
but people know that God is loving and forgiving God and when their
material things are gone the void inside awaiting to be filled can
sometimes bring people back to their religion. Knowing God will forgive
them for them losing their way, they repent and realise that material
items were not as important as they thought but the relationship
between God and themselves is the most important thing. Similarly to
materialism, agnosticism is a problem in modern society today. With
increasing knowledge in science people’s beliefs are expanding and no
longer put religion before science, leading to decreasing numbers of
church goers. Agnosticism is not atheism. It’s not the disbelief in God
but the belief in maybe there is a God. An agnostic person often find it
difficult to pray but if someone is sick or they need guidance they will
often find themselves praying because deep down they know God loves
them no matter what.
As said above the image of God being a loving and forgiving God as in
the Gospel of Luke is related to the world today because with all the
wars and horror in the world it is nice to feel connected to something of
goodness, which is what God is.
7. Describe the characteristics of the Kingdom of God as
preached by Jesus
There are four main characteristics of the Kingdom of God as preached
by Jesus. They are the Kingdom of God in prayers, miracles, parables
and the meals of Jesus.
One of the characteristics of the Kingdom of God is prayers. Jesus was a
deviant Jew. He told people clearly what he saw as the heart of the law:
‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first
commandment.
Jesus claimed a very special and intimate relationship with God. We can
best understand this when we look at the term ‘ Abba ‘. He proclaimed
a God who was loving, caring and understanding. He spoke of God as
being always present. God was not distant, harsh or judgemental. The
prayer most closely associated with Jesus is the Lord’s prayer.
Another characteristic of the Kingdom of God is Miracle. The miracles
of Jesus reminded the followers of how special he was and how God
56
spoke through him, and continued to do so through the early church.
The first thing that people discovered about Jesus was the healing
power of the divine spirit. His very person and presence are depicted in
the gospels as magnets that draw people out of the shadows and corners
into which they have been pushed. ‘ that evening at sundown, they
brought to him all those who were sick or possessed demons, and the
whole city was gathered together about the door, and he healed many
who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons ‘. Those
miraculous healings were part of the coming of God’s kingdom. In the
words of Moltmann ‘The Kingdom of the loving God drives out the
germs of death and spreads the seeds of life ‘.
Another characteristic of the Kingdom of God is Parables. A parable is
a story with a meaning. A parable must draw from the lived experience
of those listening. It seeks a change in the thinking of the listeners and
asks them to question their behaviour. Jesus used parables regularly as
a teaching tool and as a way of communicating with those who would
listen. Through the parables, Jesus gave value to the experience of those
who listened. The parables often confronted those who heard them with
strange realities, requiring them to reflect and examine their own lives.
In his parables, Jesus calls his listeners to Metanoia. Through his
parables Jesus invited people to choose peace over violence, to include
rather than exclude, to share rather than to hoard, and to know God as
a loving God. The parable speaks of the kingdom of God as a place
where the sick will be healed and the poor will be cared for – a place of
justice, compassion and forgiveness. ‘In the Kingdom of God … the last
will be first and the first will be last ‘.
The final characteristic of the Kingdom of God is the meals of Jesus.
Both Jesus’ presence and his actions at particular meals are significant.
Christians remember Jesus and worship God through the celebration of
the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a sacred meal, where we remember the
last supper. In John’s gospel it is recorded that before eating with his
followers Jesus washed their feet as a sign that service is the way of the
Lord. He asked them to do this in memory of Him. The kingdom of God
would be inclusive, forgiving, loving, just a place where the poor and the
sick would find peace. Jesus challenged people to renew and restore
their relationship with God. In his vision, the poor, the orphan, the
widow, the sick would all share equally in the blessings of God. He
sought to restore the relationship between God and the people. He ate
with the poorest of the poor. He shared with them and, in doing so,
57
proclaimed the Kingdom of God. Jesus challenged the accepted
connection with wealth and God’s blessings.
8. Evaluate today’s world in terms of the values of the Kingdom
of God.
In today’s culture religion has been pushed to one side for the most
part. Today the focus is on money and material possessions.
In the present climate, religion, for some people is no longer the centre
of people’s lives. They only go to church occasionally for Christmas and
Easter or turn to God in prayer when a family member is ill, or to seek
guidance and strength from a God they once knew and now neglect.
This decrease in attendance in church and the neglecting of religion is
mainly to do with the society we live in. We live in a society that is
dominated by consumerism and materialism. For many, the shopping
centre has become the place of worship. Many people care more about
materialistic objects than God. In today’s world choosing gospel values
is a demanding choice.
9. Write an essay tracing the events of Calvary from the arrest of
Jesus to his resurrection from the dead. Make reference both
to the historical events and their religious significance.
The events of Calvary from the arrest of Jesus to his resurrection from
the dead, is hugely significant for us to having a full understanding of
the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Throughout his life Jesus challenged those in power. He proclaimed the
Kingdom of God. In doing this he was perceived by the Romans as
challenging the rule of Ceasar. In God’s Kingdom, everything would be
different ‘the first would be last and the last would be first ‘. The
kingdom of God would mean radical changes for those who embraced
it. From the Roman point of view he was charged with treason and
condemned to death by crucifixion.
There are many indications in the Gospels that there was mounting
tension around Jesus and his followers as he had come into conflict with
the Pharisees more than once. After three years travelling the
countryside Jesus came into the jurisdiction of those whom he had
fundamentally challenged. By coming to Jerusalem he was challenging
both to the Roman authorities and the Jewish authorities.
58
In the last days Jesus entered the temple and overturned the tables on
the money changers. He cleansed the temple of those who used it for
personal economic gain. Jesus called for the renewal of the covenant
between Yahweh and the people of God. Part of this renewal was the
restoration of the temple as a place where the covenant was honoured.
On the Thursday evening before the great feast of Passover, Jesus
shared a private meal with his closest friends. It was held in a room
loaned to them by a follower in Jerusalem. This event is known as the
Last Supper. At the end of the meal Jesus said a prayer of thanksgiving
to God for the meal they had shared. He then took the bread, blessed
and broke it, gave some to his friends and said : this is my body given
for you, do this in memory of me ( Luke 22:19 )
After the last Supper, Jesus and his disciples went outside the city to the
Garden of Gethsemane to pray. It was at this point that Judas arrived
with a contingent of temple guards to arrest Jesus. Judas had told the
guards the one who I kiss is Jesus. He went up to Jesus and kissed him.
The disciples of Jesus were prepared to fight for him but Jesus stopped
it.
There is disagreement as to the exact charge they had against Jesus. It is
clear that he faced Pontius Pilate. It seems that Jesus was either charged
with Blasphemy or Treason. He was accused of claiming to be the Son of
God the Messiah. The other possibility is that Jesus was charged with
the threatening of the destruction of the temple.
The Jewish leaders wanted the Romans to execute Jesus for them, and
so had to convince Pilate that Jesus posed a danger to Roman rule.
Jesus was put on trial because the delegation from the Sanhedrin
accused Jesus of Treason which was the most serious political offence.
During the trial of Jesus Pilate tried to save Jesus from death so he
came up with what he thought was a monster strike. He offered the
crowd to set free Jesus or a violent criminal called Barabbas. Pilate was
surprised when the crowd shouted for Barabbas to be set free. Pilate
was forced to set Barabbas free in order to avoid a riot. Jesus was
sentenced to death by crucifixion.
Jesus then carried the cross through the streets of Jerusalem with a
crown of thorns made by mocking soldiers on his head. He was nailed to
the cross and soon died. His body was placed in a tomb with a big
bolder outside.
A few days after his death, on what is known to Christians as Easter
Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead. He made appearances to his disciples
59
and told them to spread the message of his Resurrection and he then
ascended into heaven.
The gospels tell us of the empty tomb, and appearances by the changed
but recognisable figure of Jesus. These appearances along with the
empty tomb are the only evidence of his resurrection. Few people today
would accept this evidence. Many would argue against its validity.
However, belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be based on
historical evidence. Belief of the resurrection is a statement of faith.
What we can say is that the story of Jesus did not end at the cross.
Something extraordinary happened after Jesus’ death.
It is clear from the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus that
there are many historical and religious events. The historical events are
mainly based on facts while the religious events are based on faith and
belief. But what we do know is that these few days of events helped in
the development of Christianity. Today the death and resurrection of
Jesus is the centre of the Christian religion.
10.Explain why the Roman political authorities in Palestine were
threatened by the teaching of Jesus.
There are many reasons why the Roman political authorities in
Palestine at the time of Jesus were threatened by his teachings. This is
very evident from the preaching and teaching during the three years
and then returning to Jerusalem. It was during the feast of the Passover
and the city would have been busy with crowds of worshippers. Jesus
threatened Roman Power as he proclaimed the Kingdom of God. He
was perceived by Romans as challenging the rule of Caesar. As in God’s
Kingdom everything would be different, the first will be last and the last
will be first, the poor will be blessed and the suffering would rejoice.
The Kingdom of God would bring radical changes for those who would
embrace it.
There are many indications in the Gospels that Jews were aware of the
mounting tension around him and his followers. He had, at this stage
come into conflict with the Pharisees more than once because his
interpretation of the Spirit of the law often conflicted with the very
literal interpretation of the law.
By arriving to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday greeted by the masses waving
palm branches and singing Hosanna instilled fear into the authorities,
even though his large band of followers had dwindled to the most loyal
60
and afraid and nervous of what might happen, they were still large
enough to challenge power.
On Monday of Holy Week Jesus entered the Temple and overturned the
tables on the money changers, cleansing the temple of those who used it
for personal gain, stating it was a place of worship. This threatened the
authorities as source of income came from the money changers.
On Tuesday of Holy Week Jesus returned to the temple to preach for
the renewal of the covenant between Yahweh and his people, where the
restoration of the temple was a place where the covenant was honoured,
the Sanhedrin, fearing loss of control wished to catch Jesus out for
either treason or blasphemy. They asked him ‘ who do you pay your
takes to ?’ to which Jesus replied ‘ pay God what belongs to God and
pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar ‘.
On the Wednesday of Holy week Judas, the betrayer, met in secret with
the Sanhedrin, claiming he would sell Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver, a
deal the authorities took and on Holy Thursday evening in the garden of
Gethsemane Jesus was arrested, put to trial and condemned to death by
crucifixion.
Jesus was sentenced to death because the authorities were ignorant and
feared his message. Many believed he had come to save them from
Roman Rule, which would make a foreign power nervous seeing Jesus’
Word being spread throughout occupied territory.
In conclusion, it’s easy to see why the Romans feared the Rabbi of
Galilee who was spreading messages of peace and freedom and would
have to act swiftly and decisively to end any attempt to revolt whether it
was peaceful or otherwise.
11.Outline two key achievements and two key difficulties in the
search for Christian unity
Christianity is flourishing in many parts of the world. However the
history of Christianity is not without its dark side. Lives have been
lost in the name of religion. It has also led to a number of schisms.
Suspicion and resentments have characterised the relationships
between different denominations. It is clear from the examination of
Christianity that efforts have been made in order to mend the
broken relationships between the different denominations. Two
achievements in the search for this unity are the world council of
Churches and also in Catholic Orthodox dialogue. Two difficulties in
61
the search for Christian unity are the issue of same sex marriages
and the ordination of women to priesthood.
The efforts for trying to achieve greater unity between the multiple
Christian denominations ultimately results in ecumenism. It seeks to
create unity, respect and understanding among all Christian
religions. The works of the WCC is ecumenical in nature. The
council sees education as a means of working towards unity among
Christians. The council seeks to focus on what Christian
denominations share in common and from there tries to develop a
greater bond between the churches. They highlight the common and
most important factor of Christianity that faith in Jesus Christ. The
WCC faith order commission has been succeeded in working
towards consensus on Baptism, Eucharist, Ministry, on the date of
Easter, on the nature and purpose of the church and on ecumenical
hermeneutics.
Another aspect of ecumenism where significant achievements have
been achieved is Catholic Orthodox dialogue. In the year 2506 there
was a resumption of a series of meetings for the logical dialogue
between representatives of the Roman Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox Churches suspended because of the failure, each again on
like questions of the Eastern Catholic Churches, a question
exacerbated by disputes over churches and other proposals that the
communist authorities once assigned to the Orthodox Church but
whose restoration of these churches have been obtained from the
authority. In other areas around the world such as in the Catholic
and Orthodox churches the bishops in North America are engaged in
on - going dialogue.
Both the World Council of Churches and Catholic Orthodox
Churches dialogue has resulted in greater understanding to all
Christians such as lively co-operation in prayer services during the
week of prayer foe Christian Unity, education of peace programmes
and courses in ecumenical studies.
Even though there have been many great achievements in the search
for Christian unity there is significant difficulties that have also arose
which highlights the differences between Christian denomination on
the issue of same sex marriages and the ordination of women.
Contemporary developments in mainline Protestant Churches have
dealt a serious blow to ecumenism and Christianity. The decision by
the U.S. Episcopal Church to ordain Gene Robinson a practising
homosexual who accolades some same sex blessings as bishops, led
62
the Russian Orthodox Church to suspend its co-operation with the
‘ Episcopal Church’ , where the church of Sweden decided to bless
same sex marriages, the Russian Patriarchal severed all relations
with the church noting that ‘ Approving the same sex marriages is a
serious blow to the entire system of European Spiritual and moral
values influenced by Christians.
Another area of difficulty between Christian churches is the
ordination of women. In the Catholic Church under the Holy
Cannon Law only baptised men can validly be consecrated in
ordination. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that this
requirement is a matter that during the law in 2007 the Vatican
issued a decree saying that the ordination of women would result in
automatic excommunication for the women and the priests trying to
ordain them. While Catholic Churches are completely against the
ordination of women the Protestant churches such as the Methodist
church allow the ordination of women. Today over half of all
American priests are ordained women but there are some
restrictions to those ordained women.
It is clear that there have been both great achievements and also
great difficulties in the search for Christian unity. Working on these
achievements and difficulties will continue well into the future and as
long as there is dialogue progress will be made.
12.Compare the understanding of Jesus presented in the Gospels
with the understanding of him presented in an image today.
Certain interpretations of religion have changed drastically over time.
Looking at Christianity specifically, the understanding of Jesus has
changed on a broader level. Christianity itself had a much greater
impact on society than it does today. In times of hardship, more people
looked to the church for inspiration and guidance. The advances and
improvements in science over the years have contributed to the decline
of the power of Christianity in Ireland. More and more people look to
science for answers. They seek the ‘how’ not the ‘why’ are things done.
As a result of Christianity’s decline, the understanding of Jesus has
changed. Jesus is described as powerful in the gospels. He created
miracles and had the ability to lead a crowd. This has not changed.
Christians today still consider Jesus as powerful. They still study Jesus’
miracles and his parable today.
63
In modern society less and less people find time to attend mass. So this
perception that Jesus is ‘ always there ‘ is increasingly popular. This
was also described in the Gospels. We know that Jesus always took time
out to listen to others, and he was always there for people, even those
shunned from society. I think this is a very nice aspect of Jesus
personality and one which we continue to see embraced by modern
Christians. People like to know that Jesus is always there.
I think the vision of an almighty Jesus has not changed. Jesus, Son of
God, was always referred to as almighty in the gospels and it is
something that has continued into modern society. Jesus was also
referred to as generous. He sacrificed his own life for the sins of
humanity and this is very much upheld today. Even in prayer,
Christians will reflect on Jesus sacrifice and be grateful for it.
When we look at contrasting understandings of Jesus we are faced with
the issue that more people are atheists or agnostics these days. Many
people simply do not believe in Jesus and many others are just unsure. I
think that this in itself creates a contrast between modern Jesus and the
Jesus described in the gospels. Christians today have to overcome the
questions posed by non- believers. Jesus as described in the gospels was
incredibly faithful.
I also think that there are certain issues that face the understanding of
Jesus when we consider him accepting some people namely gay people
feel excluded or not accepted by the church today because of their
lifestyle. However Jesus was known to be accepting of all people in the
gospels so this could create some tension.
In conclusion, the understanding of Jesus presented in the gospels and
in modern times has changed due to the changing status of Christianity
etc… there are absolutely similarities between the image of Jesus in the
gospels and in modern times, such as his powerful, almighty and caring
personality. However, there are contrasts which pose challenges to
modern Christians in society today.
13.Explain why the writings of Josephus and Tacitus are an
important source of evidence for Jesus of Nazareth.
The writings of Josephus and Tacitus are important sources of evidence
for Jesus of Nazareth as they provide historical evidence of his teaching
and work.
Josephus was a Jewish scholar who fought against the Romans in
Galilee but surrendered after he was over run. He wrote about Jesus
64
towards the end of his life, about 60 years after the execution. He
recorded Jesus’ presence in terms of Jewish disturbance during the
reign of Pontius Pilate. Josephus recognised Jesus’ historical
importance as well as his significant contribution to the people he met.
Josephus noted that Jesus was a wise man and teacher and wrote about
this political trial under Pilate, his execution and his resurrection.
Tacitus was a Roman Historian suspicious of Christianity. He first
wrote about Jesus after the Burning of Rome in 64CE. He wrote that
Nero blamed the Christians for the fire but many historians doubt this
fact. They also doubt Tacitus’ claim that Nero burnt and executed
thousands of Christians. He did not like the Christians and was
suspicious of Jesus and the movement behind him. Tacitus wrote about
Jesus’ execution and how Christians got their names. The fact that both
Tacitus and Josephus, two historians, wrote about Jesus proves that, at
least in historical terms, Jesus existed.
14. Examine how the work of members in one Christian
denomination today carries on the mission of Jesus.
I believe that the members of the Salvation Army try to carry out the
Mission of Jesus Christ in today’s world. The Salvation Army is a
unique Christian Denomination with its belief rooted in Methodist
Traditions. The main message of Jesus was to help others, to lend a
hand to those shunned from society. The Salvation Army is known
worldwide for its necessary work to the poor and victims of disasters.
They battle against poverty, addiction and homelessness in the name of
Jesus Christ. They do lots of work including feeding the poor, aids
recovery from natural disasters and help the sick.
They also do much work for both the young and old in society. They are
responsible for setting up various kids club in disadvantage areas and
run tutoring programmes for teenagers who leave school early. The
Salvation Army also do work worldwide. Its members run H.I.V / Aids
clinics in Africa, homeless services, and homes for abandoned and
orphaned children in Mexico.
For the members of the Salvation Army, the driving force for all this
good work is the Christian Message. The Bible is their sacred Text and
by helping the disadvantaged in society, they are truly living out the
Gospel Message. In their work, Salvationists don’t criticise or judge
other denominations or non- Christian religions, but work co65
operatively towards common goals. This also embodies Jesus’ message.
Although they do not practice sacraments in their church, they believe
that one’s whole life is a sacrament, in dedication to Christ.
In conclusion, the message of Jesus Christ was to give a voice to the
voiceless in society. He was non-judgemental and helpful to those who
were sick or poor. One Christian denomination that lives out this
message is the Salvation Army. The members of this denomination do
lots of work both at home and abroad for those who are in need. They
are not judgemental and hold the message of Jesus Christ as their
driving force for work.
OR
Outline one way in which work done by a Christian denomination today
carries out the work of Jesus.
One way in which work done by a Christian denomination today carries
on the mission of Jesus can be seen very clearly through the WCC the
world council of churches. Jesus invited people to choose peace over
violence, to include rather than exclude, to share rather than to hoard,
and to know God as a loving God.
The WCC is one that works towards reconciliation and forgiveness.
These were central to the teachings of Jesus. The goal of ecumenism is
to bring about tolerance and mutual respect among Christians. The
work of the world council of churches is ecumenical in nature. It aims to
bring about peace and understanding between different faiths. The
WCC has a special team that deals with relations between different
religions. It promotes contact between Christians and people from other
faiths. It aims to build trust and for people to find solutions to common
challenges through dialogue. The council sees education as a means of
working towards unity among all Christians. Perhaps the most powerful
example of ecumenism in action is where different denominations
within local communities work and pray together in a spirit of tolerance
and respect.
The path to Christian unity is not always smooth. Christian
denominations differ in their understanding and interpretation of a
variety of social and religious issues. This can lead to some difficulties;
for example:
 The issue of married clergy
 The ordination of women to the priesthood
66
 The understanding of Eucharist and teachings on marriage are
some of the controversial areas of difference between the
Christian churches.
However, despite the difficulties there are many key achievements
that have come about:
 New friendships established
 Improvement in the understanding and acceptance of regulations
regarding mixed marriages
 On- going serious theological dialogue
 Lively co-operation in prayer services during the week of prayer
for Christian unity.
 Active participation by women of all denominations in the annual
women’s world’s day of prayer etc…
 Educating for peace programmes
 Courses in ecumenical studies
 Conferences, exhibitions organised jointly.
In conclusion, the ecumenical movement carries on the mission of Jesus
today. The council produced a document on ecumenism, in which the
Catholic Church recognised the work of the Holy Spirit in the other
Christian churches. It is neither likely nor desirable that the many
Christian Churches will unify into one homogeneous Church. Diversity
and multiplicity are recognised as creative expressions of Christianity in
our world. The goal of ecumenism is to bring about tolerance and
mutual respect among Christians. ‘ In Christ all are equal; there should
be no distinction or discrimination made in terms of religion. In Christ
there is neither ‘Jew nor Greek’. There are no distinctions made
between those of differing religious beliefs and no one should suffer
because of their beliefs ‘.
15. Describe how Jesus is understood and represented in
contemporary culture. Assess to what extent this
representation is true to the historical life of Jesus.
In today’s contemporary culture Jesus is represented and understood in
many different forms for we are in a period of Christological ferment
unmatched since the first century when he first appeared. Like the first
century church reflected in the New Testament we once again have the
pluralism of Christologies or different ways of understanding Christ’s
significance and identity while remaining united in the confession of our
67
faith. Like the Christians of the first century, we too are being called to
write the good news in an idiom suitable to our time and place.
In today’s culture Jesus is seen as the ‘ Cosmic Christ ‘ and Saviour
figure, after all, what is it that human beings need saving from ? In
answer to this question, we can then ask in what way does Jesus Christ
fulfil this criteria today ? In earlier times, the answers seemed so simple:
people felt the need to be ‘ saved ‘ from the devil of sin. It was
understood that this was why Jesus came into the world. However, this
seems to us today, at best, a partial response to people’s existential
concerns. It may well be argued that people need to rekindle their sense
of sin and guilt in order to appreciate the saving role of Christ.
Nevertheless, it may be more helpful to admit that people today need to
relate to Jesus in terms of their own experience of the world and life
today. This is the transcendental representation of Christ.
Political representation also begins with reflection on human
experience, but, rather, than focus on the ‘ transcendental longings ‘ of
human beings, they point to the dark realities of suffering and
oppression, that inscribe our earthly existence. The real world in which
Christians live, it is suggested, is a world marked by torture and death –
camps, ecological crisis of starving peoples, the experience of the
holocaust and the threat of nuclear war, the exploitation of women and
the near extermination of entire cultures, gross misuse of political power
and sheer capitalistic greed. These forces of negativity and corruption –
the forces of evil – impoverish whole societies of human beings and
threaten our very planet with extinction. Consequently, political
understanding has no difficulty in admitting that the world stands in
need of ‘salvation’. Their question is not whether human beings are in
search of a saving figure but given our evident need to be saved and
liberated, how does Jesus Christ fulfil this role ? how does the life,
ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazereth, enable us to
transform this situation of ‘ death ‘ into a situation of ‘life’ ? and there
is a sense of urgency in their questioning and understanding.
The representation of Jesus as a liberator is most poignant in third –
world countries where poverty, corruption and all forms of human,
injustice reign supreme. The specific image of Jesus the liberator arose
in small base-community churches of Latin America in response to the
extreme violence which seemed to be the fruit of some hundred years of
‘ Christian Colonization ‘. Just as 1968 was the year of peace marches
and anti-war demonstrations in wealthy, capitalist ‘ Northern Nations ‘
it was also a time of raised hope and consciousness in the peoples of the
68
poor, dependent ‘ nations of the south ‘, the Catholic Bishops of Latin
America met in Medellin Columbia and produced a challenging
document on the situation of poverty and injustice that was all
throughout the continent. Specifically the Medellin Document
recognised the intimate link between ‘ liberation’ and ‘redemption ‘
they proclaimed that ‘ all liberation is an anticipation of the complete
redemption brought by Christ ‘. The bishops also spoke of the priority
of ‘ option for the poor ‘, which marked Jesus’ own earthly life and
should therefore be central to Christian life and ministry.
In conclusion, today’s understanding and representation of Jesus Christ
can find its roots in the historical truth of Jesus’ life from the
understanding of him being a Saviour, a liberator or as a metaphor of
political reality each concept holds truth somewhere within his life.
In this essay I will compare the contemporary understanding of Jesus
with his historical life.
Out world is a very complex place and Christians are faced with many
conflicting and confusing messages. They are called on to remain
faithful to the vision of Jesus Christ to the Kingdom of God of which he
spoke. The Kingdom of God is a basic way of living based on Jesus’
teaching of justice, truth, peace and love. Often in a hostile or
indifferent environment, Christians are faced with many different
situations of injustice, destruction of the earth, greed, discrimination
and violence. The message of Jesus offers those who seek it, a way of
living that aims to bring about the Kingdom of God. In order to
understand a little of how Jesus responded to violence of all kinds, we
turn to the New Testament and we see there how violence is about
power. The desire for power over others or over things dominate our
world today. The violence of oppression, the injustices created by
poverty and the gap between the rich and the poor. The second stage is
of rebellion. This may be the rebellion of those who are opposed or of
those who wish to work for a more just world for all. This may be
organised rebellion, like the anti-apartheid movement. This third and
final stage is the violence of repression. This type of violence is used to
quell the violence of rebellion. The violence of rebellion needs to be met
with justice and respect for all involved or else it will lead to a spiralling
of violence within society.
Throughout the historical life of Jesus there are many biblical texts that
show Jesus as tolerant of all, regardless of social classes, religious
importance, wealth or gender. In fact Jesus went out of his way to be
with the poor, the sick, and the marginalised. For Jesus, the truly good
69
person is someone who acts justly, loves tenderly, and walks humbly
with their God for the good of others. This way of living would
transform the world and bring about the Kingdom of God.
16. Compare the way the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes and
Zealots reacted to Roman Rule in Palestine at the time of
Jesus.
The four main socio-political groups in Palestine at the time of Jesus –
The Sadducees, The Pharisees, The Essenes, and The Zealots all reacted
differently to the Roman Rule.
The Sadducees were the most influential group in terms of wealth and
power. They were very wealthy and dominated the Sanhedrin. They
accepted Roman Rule, and were satisfied with the Political system in
place at the time. They adopted a non-Jewish lifestyle and lived out the
Torah literally.
In contrast to this the Pharisees rejected Roman Rule. They were
laymen. They were in charge of the local synagogues. They were
expecting the Messiah to come and free them from Roman rule and
establish a New Kingdom. They felt that the only way to ensure the
survival of God’s chosen people was to follow the law of Moses. They
lived out the 10 commandments:
1. Thou shalt not kill.
2. They shalt not steal.
3. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
4. Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.
5. Thou shalt not have false Gods.
6. Thou shalt not cove thy neighbour’s wife.
7. Thou shalt not covet your neighbour’s goods.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
9. Keep Holy the Sabbath.
10.Hour your father and mother.
Also rejecting Roman Rule was the essences. They were a community of
monks, who lived strict, simple, isolated lives. They also felt that they
were being corrupted by outside forces.
Finally there was the radical group known as the Zealots. They rejected
Roman Rule. They hated the Sadducees for working with the Romans.
They felt that they could use violence if their religion was being
threatened. They caused huge unrest among the Jewish people.
70
In conclusion, out of the 4 socio-political groups at the time of Jesus only
one saw fit to accept Roman Rule while the other three were against it.
Some saw to reject it by waiting to be freed, to isolate themselves from
its reach or even to fight its control because they saw Rome as a foreign
body trying to impose its will on a people who didn’t necessarily want or
need it.
17.Outline how the first Christians were affected by the death and
resurrection of Jesus.
The First Christians were affected by the death and Resurrection of
Jesus. Many lost hope and felt desolate inside, hollow. Many ran away
fearing prosecution for a new hopeless cause and many more were left
wondering what it had all been about. Their leader was dead, the man
who had said he would always be beside them, had seemingly failed in
that promise, he had died and with his death, so too did his message die.
However, with the Resurrection of Jesus they were filled with hope and
reaffirmed in their faith, setting forth to spread the Lord’s work. There
is no physical evidence of the Resurrection, only an empty tomb and
appearances by a changed but recognisable Jesus.
Many Critics would claim there is no proof to validate the story,
however the belief in the Resurrection is a matter of faith and for the
early Christians Faith was all they had needed and this in clear in the
letters to the Corinthians, 15:3-8 Paul wrote about how he was visited
by a changed Jesus and given the task of continuing his work. ‘ Go forth
and baptise all nations in the name of the Father, The Son and the Holy
Spirit ‘ and to remember that Jesus would always be with them.
In rising from the dead, Jesus defeated death itself and was reborn
anew showing he was truly the Son of God, solidifying his followers
faith in him and that he would lead them to Salvation, never leaving
their side.
In conclusion, early Christians must have been confused and upset with
Jesus’ death, feeling they had lost all hope, but in his Resurrection they
learned a valuable lesson, that through pain and suffering one would be
born anew in the next life, that you must endure all pain in order to
truly be free.
18.Explain why the Roman Political Authorities in Palestine were
threatened by the teachings of Jesus.
71
There are many reasons why the Roman Political Authorities in
Palestine at the time of Jesus were threatened by his teachings. This is
very evident from the preaching and teaching during the three years
and then returning to Jerusalem at the end of his life. It was during the
feast of the Passover and the city would have been busy with crowds of
worshippers. Jesus threatened Roman Power as he proclaimed the
Kingdom of God, perceived by Romans as challenging the rule of
Caesar. As in God’s Kingdom everything would be different, the first
last and the last first, the poor blessed and the suffering would rejoice,
the Kingdom of God would bring radical changes for those who
embraced it.
There are many indications in the Gospels that Jews were aware of the
mounting tension around him and his followers. He had, at this stage
come into conflict with the Pharisees more than once because his
interpretation of the Spirit of the law often conflicted with the very
literal interpretation of the law.
By arriving in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday Jesus was greeted by masses
of people waving palm tree branches rejoicing ‘ Hosanna ‘. This
instilled fear into the authorities, even though his large band of
followers had divided to the most loyal and afraid and nervous of what
might happen. They were still large enough to challenge their power.
On Monday of Holy Week Jesus entered the temple and over turned the
tables on the money changers, cleansing the temple of those who used it
for personal gain, stating it was a place of worship, thus threatened the
authorities as some of their income came from the money changers.
On Tuesday of Holy Week Jesus returned to the temple to preach for
the renewal of the covenant between Yahweh and his people, where the
restoration of the temple was a place where the covenant was honoured,
the Sanhedrin, fearing loss of control wished to catch Jesus out and
have him arrested for treason or blasphemy. So he asked Jesus ‘ who do
you pay your taxes to ?’ To which Jesus replied ‘ pay Caesar what
belongs to Caesar and pay God what belongs to God.
On the Wednesday of Holy Week Judas, the betrayer, met in secret with
the Sanhedrin, claiming he would sell Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver, a
deal the authorities took and so on Holy Thursday at the Garden of
Gethsemane Jesus was arrested, put on trial and condemned to death by
crucifixion.
Jesus was sentenced to death because the authorities were ignorant and
feared his message. Many believed he had come to save them from
72
Roman Rule, which would make a foreign power nervous when a
nationalist freely spreads through occupied territory.
In conclusion, it’s easy to see why the Romans feared the Rabbi of
Galilee who was spreading messages of peace and freedom would act
simply and decisively to end any attempt to revolt whether it was
peaceful or otherwise.
OR
The Roman Political Authorities in Palestine were threatened by the
teachings of Jesus for many reasons. At this time the Sanhedrin were
the ruling Jewish Council and were allowed to have their own temple
guards, work in a court of law and punish Jews who broke the law.
They were made up of two rival groups the Sadducees and the
Pharisees. The Sadducees accepted Roman rule, they were wealthy and
dominated the Sanhedrin , they adopted a non-Jewish lifestyle and they
lived out the Torah literally. The Pharisees rejected Roman rule, they
were in charge of the local synagogues, and they were awaiting the
Messiah to come to free them from Roman rule and to establish a new
Kingdom and they lived out the 10 commandments.
On Palm Sunday Jesus arrived in Jerusalem greeted by his devout
followers. They were waving branches and singing Hosanna. This
gained the attention of the authorities as Jesus had a large enough band
of followers to challenge their authority and upset the status quo.
They were first threatened by Jesus on Monday of Holy Week when
Jesus went into the temple and upturned all the tables telling the people
that the temple was a place of worship and not a place for trading. The
authorities had given the people permission to trade and then Jesus
comes along and questions their authority by sending the traders out of
the temple. What Jesus did in the temple really infuriated the
authorities as he had overruled their judgement in allowing those people
to occupy the temple in exchange for a percentage of the profit made. It
also gave them cause as Jesus could be the architect of their fall.
Another reason Jesus’ teachings threatened the Sanhedrin was on
Tuesday of Holy Week, adding insult to injury Jesus returned to the
temple to preach and gained the attention of quite a crowd, amongst
them were the Sanhedrin, who fearing his words sought to catch him
out either for blasphemy or treason and so asked Jesus ‘ who do you
pay your taxes to ?’ to which Jesus replied ‘ pay Caesar what belongs to
Caesar and pay God what belongs to God. His reply showed that he was
73
ready for any attack aimed at him and further proved to the Sanhedrin
that he had to be removed before he could cause any more damage.
In conclusion, Jesus’ teachings proved threatening to the political
authorities of Palestine as they shone a light on their corruption and
upset their political security and dominance. Jesus was the wild card
that could make or break the game and the Sanhedrin sought to put
him out of commission before he could be drawn.
19. Describe what happened when Jesus was brought for trial
before either the Sanhedrin or Pontius Pilate and explain why
the trial took place.
On Good Friday Morning Jesus was brought for trial before Pontius
Pilate, because the Jewish Council bound by law could not sentence
Jesus to death, however, Pilate the Roman Governor at the time of Jesus
could and so they brought Jesus before him, but first, they had to prove
Jesus was a threat to the wellbeing of Pilate’s rule and so they claimed
he had proclaimed himself the Messiah, the Son of God, and the King of
the Jews. They also relayed to Pilate that Jesus had preached to the
people not to pay their taxes to Caesar. Finally they claimed that Jesus
was indeed a threat that would possibly end in revolt. This can be seen
in Luke: 23, 2 – 5 : ‘ we found this fellow corrupting the nation,
forbidding people to pay taxes to Caesar, saying himself is Christ the
King ‘ Pilate asked him ‘ Are you the King of the Jews ?’ Jesus said ‘ It
is as you say ‘ finding no fault Pilate said ‘ I find no fault in this man ‘.
But they were the more fierce, saying ‘ he stirs up the people, teaching
throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place ‘.
However, Pilate could not find Jesus guilty of the crimes presented
against him and as it was the custom on the day of the Passover, one
criminal would be set free. Pilate symbolically washed his hands of the
situation and gave control over to the crowd with a choice to either set
Jesus free or a criminal called Barabbas.
The crowd chanted ‘ Set Barabbas Free’ and in doing so sealed Jesus
fate, he was to be sent to execution by crucifixion on the hill of Calvary
after being flogged.
In conclusion, Jesus was brought to trial because those who fought
against him wished his death and to achieve this he had to be charged
with treason.
74
20.A. Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica. Examine the problems
faced by the early Christians in one of the above places when
the Christian community was becoming established there.
B. Outline one way in which the members in early Christian community
out the teaching of Jesus into practice in their lives.
a. Philippi Community: the early Christians faced a lot of problems
while the community was being established. The city of Philippi
was of great importance in the Roman Province of Macedonia.
The community believed greatly in the power of the message of
Jesus Christ. They wanted to spread the message and did this by
gathering together into small groups to pray, preach and break
bread together. The community wanted to live a Christian life. In
doing this they helped the weak and needy in their community.
This selfless love and mutual service embodied Jesus’ message of
love and service to neighbours. The characteristics of the
community were:
 They were the first European community.
 They were joyful and happy.
 They were generous.
 They often split into many factions.
 Their views differed on the adherence to the Jewish law.
While the community was joyful and tried to embody Jesus’ message of
love they also experienced many difficulties such as they suffered
persecution from non-believers. This was the biggest threat to any
Christian community at that time due to the extent of the persecution
Jesus himself received having been condemned to his death by
crucifixion. This fear of persecution was overcome by Jesus’
resurrection which caused many believers to feel his presence to guide
them through all of the problems the community was to face from early
Christianity and even now in modern Christian communities.
B. The teaching of Jesus was central to the lives of the members of the
Philippi community. The Philippi community believed greatly in the
power of the message of Jesus. Jesus’ main message was to love others
and to treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. The Philippi
community lived out this message and they did this by the same way
Jesus did, prayer, preaching, teaching and helping others.
75
The members of the Philippi community got together into small groups
and regularly prayed. Prayer was thought by Jesus to betters one’s
relationship with God. Prayer is having a conversation with God.
Members of the Philippi community would have prayed for many
reasons, such as to ask for guidance as the community was only starting
off and was the 1st in Europe. This means they would have faced a lot of
difficulties in Daily Life facing processions by non-believers, they would
have prayed for strength to help them get through this difficult time.
Another way the community of Philippi showed how the teaching of
Jesus was central to them was to help the weak and needy in their
community just as Jesus did. His whole life he travelled helping others.
When they gathered together into small groups to break bread, this
embodied the teaching of Jesus. At the last supper Jesus broke bread,
gave it to his disciples and said, take this all of you and eat it, this is my
body which has been given up for you. This regular breaking of bread
shows respect for the wishes of Jesus.
This Christian way of life which consisted of regular prayer, preaching
and breaking of bread was central to the Philippi community and
embodied the teaching of Jesus. The most important teaching of Jesus
was to help others and treat everyone as you would like to be treated
yourself. This message of Jesus was seen as central to the Philippi
community in their helping of the weak and needy in their community.
21.Discuss the relationship between the founding vision of
Christianity and the search for Christian unity today.
The relationship between the founding vision of Christianity and the
search for Christian unity can be seen very clearly today. The founding
vision of Christianity is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. By
means of prayer and reflection Christian people seek to apply the
scriptural and biblical values to the search for Christian unity. By doing
so, the founding vision of Christianity can be very much seen as
observed as the way of achieving Christian unity.
Throughout the world, there are small communities of Christians, living
as Christian people did in early Christianity. They believe that to be
truly Christian and a good Christian they must see the church as a
living cell and that we believe what it is to be a human Christian. They
understand that to truly live like the first Christians, we must sacrifice
and accept it as part of life. One of the most basic requirements of
Christianity is to follow its rule e.g. The 10 commandments in order to
76
gain a right relationship with God. Living by the Kingdom of God is
also a must as it is a way of a pure life and it is a way of living based on
Jesus’ teachings of justice, truth, peace and love.
Although we must listen to the teachings of God, we must also challenge
our church from within. After all, if we do not believe something to be
good and right, we must listen to our conscience, a voice which sounds
deep in the heart.
On this note, two main events occurred and have challenged what the
Catholic Church is about. The first was the second Vatican council
( 1962-65) and the council of Latin American Bishops in Medelin in
1968. Vatican II led to a major reform within the Catholic Church. It
was called by Pope John XXIII in a decade where the civil rights
movement was taking place. The council released 16 documents in total.
Lumen Gentium encouraged the laity to see the church as a community
of believers and also encouraged them to become actively involved in
Church. This became easier with the decision to say mass in the
vernacular. Religious dress requirements were also relaxed and
relations with other religions were encouraged. Vatican II really
changed the face of the Catholic Church and brought it into the 21st
century.
Like most things in life, Christianity has a history and an experience
with evil. Lives have been lost in the name of God and there have been
many schisms. In the late 20th century the church continued its
reformation in an effort to right the relationships which had been
wronged. The ecumenical movement works for forgiveness and seeks a
unity, rooted in mutual love for Jesus. The world council of churches is
an example of an organization. It is ecumenical in nature. They believe
that education is key in working towards unity among all Christians.
They have faced many difficulties in their search for unity as has the
church as a whole. For example, the issues of married clergy and of
women in the priesthood have caused much contention. We can see in
our fellow Christian church ( Anglican ) that women’s involvement in
the church isn’t a bad thing. But the church has also gained friendship
and became a more understanding body.
In conclusion, as we see the Christian Church we know today has
expanded and evolved. The recollection of the founding vision is central.
It shows the importance of the relationship between the Faith based
decisions and the founding vision of Christianity. Thus, it is clear to see
that the search for Christian unity is nothing without a founding vision.
77
Christian churches have a founding vision which is the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus. Christians are called to be unselfish, not to be
quick to judge and not to be attached to material things. The founding
vision is not necessarily based on ritual or prayer, although they are
important, but rather in the life they are called to live which is a life in
Christ. The Taize community is an example of the search for Christian
unity today. It’s composed of 100 brothers from over 30 countries
worldwide. It is devoted to peace and justice through living a life of
peace and meditation. It’s also a site of pilgrimage where 100,000 young
people from around the world get together for prayer, bible study,
sharing and communal work. Through the communities’ ecumenical
outlook, they are encouraged to live in the spirit of kindness, simplicity
and reconciliation.
Taize is just one example of ecumenism. Ecumenism refers to initiatives
aimed at greater Christian Unity and co-operation. An example of
ecumenism bringing about unity between Christian denominations is
truly a development of the Christian flag. This relates back to the
founding vision which is to be unselfish and non-judgemental.
In conclusion, the relationship between the founding vision of
Christianity and the search for Christian unity can be seen in the Taize
Community and the search for ecumenism.
OR
The relationship between the founding vision of Christianity and the
search for Christian unity today is seen in many ways. Christian
Churches have a founding vision which is the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus. Through study and prayer they seek to reflect on
how these scriptures speak to them today. God loves everyone and his
basic rule is ‘ love one another as I have loved you ‘. We see God’s
message through stories in the Bible and parables. Study and prayer
may lead to seeing things in a new way, or to challenge their church
from within. Christians throughout the world are drawn to living in
small communities in an effort to live as the early Christians lived.
We are all human and we understand what it means to be Christian.
We understand that in order to live like the early Christians did we
have to have sacrifices in our life. It calls for sharing all aspects of
people’s lives. It fits into the vision of the church as people of God. We
must follow God’s vision and rules / guidelines in order to be good
Christians. We must seek justice and in so doing will strive to live a
78
right relationship with God. The soul longs for a relationship with God.
Priority is given to promoting the Kingdom of God with harmony
rooted deeply in justice. As Christians we should spread the word of
God. We must tell people about the kingdom of God. The effect these
communities have is to breathe new life into the wider community,
through living in a small Christian community. People may challenge
the way things are and how people live.
There have been two major events in the 20th century that have
influenced radical reform within the Roman Catholic Church, the
Second Vatican Council ( 1962-65 ) and the Council of Latin American
Bishops in Medellin, 1968. In 1962 Pope John XXIII called this council.
This decade saw the birth of the civil rights movement worldwide. The
Second Vatican Council produced 16 documents. Lumen Gentium was
very important as it encouraged the Catholic Church to understand
itself more as a community of believers than a hierarchically ordered
institution. Vatican II called for a more active involvement of the laity
in the life of the Church. It also considered relations between Christians
and those of other religions. The Council stressed the importance of the
social justice in general. Mass, traditionally said in Latin, would now be
celebrated in the language of the country in question, with the priest
facing the congregation during the celebration. Rules about religious
dress were relaxed. The laity was invited to become more involved in the
celebration of the sacraments.
The relationship between the founding vision and Christianity in many
parts of the world is deeply profound. However, the history of
Christianity is not without its dark side. Lives have been lost in the
name of religion and it has also led to a number of schisms. Suspicion
and resentment have characterised the relationship between different
denominations.
Towards the end of the 20th century efforts were made to heal the
wounds that had festered between the many Christian denominations.
These efforts are known as the Ecumenical Movement. The ecumenical
movement is one that works towards reconciliation and forgiveness. It
seeks to unify all Christians through shared faith in Jesus Christ. The
goal of ecumenism is to bring about tolerance and mutual respect
among Christians. The work of the World Council of Churches is
ecumenical in nature. The council sees education as a means of working
towards unity among all Christians. Perhaps the most powerful example
of ecumenism in action is where different denominations within local
communities work and pray together in a spirit of tolerance and
79
respect. There are many key difficulties in Christian unity, such as, the
issue of married clergy, the ordination of women to the priesthood and
the understanding of Eucharist and teachings on marriage are some of
the controversial areas of difference between the Christian Churches.
The Christian Churches have also had achievements like, new
friendships established, improvements in the understanding and
acceptance of regulations on mixed marriages and education for peace
programmes.
22. Write a detailed account on the development of Christology
since the time of Jesus.
Christology seeks to address the question ‘ but who do you say that
I am ?’ For Christians, Jesus Christ is the decisive, the most significant
revelation of God. In and through Jesus we come to know God in a very
special way. Our continued efforts to understand and know Jesus and
the implications of his life, death and resurrection, is what we term
‘ Christology ‘. Jesus came first and lived his life in history and
eventually was recognised by others as the Christ. The constant in any
Christology is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Biblical Christology ( 1st Century ) – this refers to the source and
foundation of Christology. Having encountered Jesus and witnessed to
his death and resurrection believers recorded these events, words and
deeds of Jesus and their belief that he was the Christ.
Concilliar Christology ( 2nd – 7th Century ) – the identity of Jesus and his
relationship with God preoccupied many theologians at this time. One
of the central questions of this era was around the divinity and
humanity of Jesus. If Jesus was truly human, how could he be truly
divine ?
Medieval Christology ( 11th – 16th Century ) – this period reflects the
emergence of universities and great centres of learning.
Post – Tridentine Christology ( 16th – 20th Century ) – the church sought
to protect its heritage by organising it’s Christology into a fixed and
unchangeable format e.g. the stations of the cross.
At the brink of the renewal ( 1951 ) the council of Chalcedon declared
Jesus to be truly God and truly human. The question at the heart of
Christology ‘ who do you say that I am ?’ is very much alive today. The
mystery of Jesus Christ is the story of the life, death and resurrection of
Jesus. However, it does not end there. The understanding of the event
and its significance for all believers, is also part of the mystery of Jesus
80
Christ or the ‘ Christ Event ‘. If we do not recognise the humanity of
Jesus, we run the risk of not fully appreciating the way in which Jesus
became human, and one of us. If we fail to recognise the importance of
the divinity of Jesus, than we miss the crucial element of Faith in Christ.
Dermot Lane suggests what we call this a ‘ low ascending Christology’,
this means that he begins his study of the mystery of Christ with looking
at the historical reality of Jesus and from there he moves to understand
how Jesus became known as the Lord and the Christ.
23.How would you interpret the Christian Message Today ?
In today’s world there are many interpretations of the Christian
message. But first, one must ask themselves: what is love, sharing, unity
and faith in God ? There are many ways to interpret this message, many
are beneficial, while others take a radical view and as Christians they
are faced with many conflicting and confusing messages. However, at
the core they are called on to remain faithful to the vision of Jesus
Christ, to the Kingdom of God of which he spoke.
One group that interpreted the Christian message for the benefit of
others is St. Vincent De Paul. They interpreted the message as to help
those in need by looking after the needy.
Groups such as these often find themselves interpreting the message in a
hostile or indifferent environment. Christians are faced with many
different situations of injustice, destruction of the earth, greed,
discrimination and violence.
In order to understand a little of how Jesus responded to violence of all
kinds, Christians turn to the New Testament, violence is about power.
The desire for power over others or over things dominates our world
today, the violence of oppression, the injustices created by poverty, the
gap between the rich and the poor. Trocaire, an organisation set up to
prevent poverty in the third world answered the message of
Christianity, in their own way, seeing it as calling them to work where
they were most needed.
Christianity’s message is also found in many biblical texts that show
Jesus as tolerant of all, regardless of social class, religious importance,
wealth or gender. For Jesus, the truly good person is one who acts justly
and for the good of others. This way of living would transform the
world and bring about the Kingdom of God.
However, there are many people who are agnostics in their view of the
Christian message, leading a moral life because they choose to, not
81
because they are told to or some do ‘ just in case ‘, reasoning for their
understanding of the Christian Message.
Yet, you also have the extreme ends of the spectrum, those who
fanatically believe in their interpretation of the message as correct and
will go to any length to protect it. To atheists who don’t care for such ‘
superstitions ‘ while each group hold some truth, we should defend our
faith, but at the same time not take it too serious.
In conclusion, the interpretation of the message of Christianity is one
that no one person can fully grasp, only can be enlightened by a
glimmer, but this glimmer can set forth in motion the founding for
change in one’s life, so while the interpretation of the message will never
be fully universal, each man can find some solace in it.
OR
Trying to interpret the Christian message in today’s society is difficult
but there are times in which it gets easier. Our world is a very complex
place, and Christians are faced with many conflicting and confusing
messages. It is sometimes very hard for Christians, as they are called on
to remain faithful to the vision of Jesus Christ, to the Kingdom of God
of which he spoke. This can be very hard for Christians as in today’s
society as many people reject and don’t want to listen to what
Christians want to say.
Often, in hostile or indifferent environment, Christians are faced with
many different situations of injustice, destruction of the earth, greed,
discrimination and violence. One of the main difficulties Christians face
is the rejection of people and people not believing the message they
bring. What people don’t realise is the message of Jesus offers those
who seek it, a way of living that aims to bring about the Kingdom of
God. Even though Christians face many difficulties in the outside world,
they still feel in peace and love when their community gather together.
What also makes them stronger is when they look at how there are
many biblical text that show Jesus as tolerant of all, regardless of social
class, religious importance, wealth or gender. In fact, Jesus went out of
his way to be with the poor, the sick, and the marginalised. This would
give the Christian great strength, to go out and try convert and make
people believe in the message of love. Jesus Christ is given to us and the
result is that some will accept and interpret the Catholic way into that
life and those of others.
82
In order to understand how Jesus dealt with rejection and violence we
turn to the New Testament as violence is about power and the desire for
power ( even in today’s society ) over others or over things that
dominate our world today. This is probably the main reason the
Catholic Church and the Christian are not recognised, because other
forces who crave for power have pushed us behind them.
It is clear to say that Christian face many difficulties trying to interpret
the message of love, in today’s society. But what Christians remember
when facing difficult situations is, that, for Jesus the truly good person
is one who acts justly and for the good of others. This way of living will
transform the world and bring about the Kingdom of God. Christians
remember that they have been chosen by God to live out truth and love,
to live by his example and even though we face difficulties, in
interpreting Jesus’s message in today’s society we will be the ones who
will live in peace and love.
24.Explain the way in which two rites of Christian worship
remember Jesus.
Two rites that remember Jesus are the rites of Baptism and Eucharist.
It appears that from early in the development of Christian worship that
remembering the action of Jesus at the Last Supper and recalling the
significance of his life, death and resurrection were central. This
remembering was a call to live as Jesus did. In this answer I will be
discussing the relevance of Jesus’ remembrance in the practice of
Religious Rites through Baptism and Eucharist.
When a child is baptised, they become a member of God’s family. This
sacrament shows deeply how we remember Jesus. The child is presented
for baptism by his/her parents. Also present are specifically chosen
godparents who promise to help the parents bring up the child in the
faith. The priest then blesses the child and there is a short extract read
from the New Testament followed by a brief homily which explains
baptism. The child is then anointed with the oil of Catechumen. The
parents and godparents renew their own baptismal promises and make
a commitment to make the Christian faith known to the child as he/she
is growing up. The water that has been blessed is poured over the
baby’s head. He/she is now formally named. Next the baby is anointed
with the oil of Chrism. A white shawl is then wrapped around the child.
The parents bring with them a candle, which is then lit from a large
paschal candle in the sanctuary. The ceremony is concluded with the
83
Our Father and a blessing. Baptism is a clear remembrance of Jesus as
through it we are asking for guidance and comfort from God.
The rite of the Eucharist as part of Christian worship remembers Jesus
in a very significant way. The Eucharist is the source of the Christian
Life. The Eucharist is a memorial of the sacrifice that Jesus offered on
the cross. The Eucharist is the greatest act of worship for Catholics. The
word Eucharist means thanksgiving. We are thankful for him having
given us life for our creation. Jesus’ death on the cross meant that each
one of us could be saved from sin. At the Eucharist Jesus is present and
so is his sacrifice on the cross, because they are one and the same thing.
Christians today celebrate the Eucharist in both word and deed. They
listen to the word of God through Scripture. They break bread and
share wine. During the celebration of the Eucharist Jesus is truly
present. The bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of
Christ and we too are changed when we are told to go forth and spread
the good news and to love and serve God. By doing this, we too have to
make sacrifices. For Catholics, Christ is truly present in the bread and
wine after consecration when they become the Body and Blood of
Christ. Transubstantiation refers to the changing of the bread and wine
into the body and blood of Christ.
In the Eucharist Jesus is referred to as ‘ the lamb of God ‘. The
Hebrews were freed by the blood of the lamb on Passover night, just as
Christians were freed from sin and death by Jesus’ blood on the cross.
In conclusion it is plain to see that both Baptism and Eucharist are rites
of Christian worship and they truly remember Jesus. Through symbolic
and ritualistic practices, Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are mirrored
in Catholic practice today.
25.A. Examine one contemporary understanding of Jesus and
name the writer with which it is associated.
One of the great challenges facing Christianity as it enters the third
millennium is the split that has come about between the Gospel and
culture, between faith and its expression in the everyday lives of people.
This is true also in the realm of the arts in general. Be that as it may,
images of Jesus are not lacking in the contemporary culture of
literature.
84
One contemporary understanding of Jesus that I have studied is found
in the novel Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder. In this novel a young
girl begins a correspondence course with a mysterious stranger. In this
course she learns about philosophy and religion. early in her studies ,
her teacher tells her a little about Jesus.
Why, Sophie ? Why did Socrates have to die ? People have been asking
this question for 2400 years. However, he was not the only person in
history to have seen things through to the bitter end and suffered death
for the sake of their convictions.
I have mentioned Jesus already, and in fact there are several striking
parallels between them.
Both Jesus and Socrates were enigmatic personalities, also to their
contemporaries. Neither of them wrote down their teachings, so we are
forced to rely on the picture we have of them from their disciples.
However, we do know that they were both masters of the art of
discourse. They both spoke with a characteristic self-assuredness that
could fascinate as well as exasperate. And not least, they both believed
that they spoke on behalf of something greater than themselves. They
challenged the power of the community by criticising all forms of
injustice and corruption. Finally, their activities cost them their lives.
The trials of Jesus and Socrates also exhibit clear parallels. They could
certainly both have saved themselves by appealing for mercy, but they
both felt they had a mission that would have been betrayed unless they
kept faith to the bitter end. By meeting their deaths so bravely, they
commanded an enormous following, even after they had died.
I do not mean to suggest that Jesus and Socrates were a like, I am
merely drawing attention to the fact that they both had a message that
was inseparably linked to their personal courage.
In conclusion, the contemporary understanding of Jesus in the Novel
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder shows us a clear message that t both
Jesus and Socrates challenged the power of the community by criticising
all forms of injustice and corruption and they had personal courage and
kept their faith to the bitter end.
B. Examine the understanding of Jesus expressed in the image
described in A above and discuss its relevance for society today.
The understanding of Jesus that is expressed in the image of the novel
Sophie’s world is one of love, forgiveness and compassion which is
perfection. The perfection of the human person is in ‘being’ of the
85
image and likeness of the God of love. In life there is always the
temptation to retaliate evil as indeed expressed in the Old Testament ‘
an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ ( Leviticus 14:20 ) The perfection
of the law is forgiveness which should come from deep within, spelt out
by Jesus’ ‘ new commandment of love’. In this novel Joestin says ‘ we
are closest to God in our soul’. We are to imitate our Lord in his love
and compassion and soar to great heights of holiness and perfection.
Our faith tells us the prime mover was God, who is relationship,
compassion and love.
This image has huge relevance for society today. We are called as
Christians to live in the image and likeness of God today. We are called
to live out the kingdom of God which is a way of living based on Jesus’
teachings of justice, truth, peace and love. We are called to be part of
bringing the Kingdom of God about by :
 Creating a society which is just and fair
 Creating a peaceful society so that people can feel safe and live in
harmony with one another.
 People trying to be truthful to themselves, God and others in life.
 Seeking to live out the greatest commandment that Jesus gave us
which is ‘ love one another as I have loved you’.
In life today, there are so many temptations, but we are called to be
strong, and fight against these evils and with the graces that we
receive from God, we will do the right thing.
I believe if we live in the image and likeness of God we will receive
the graces that we need to fight temptations when they come our
way.
Through the trials of Jesus he could have saved himself by appealing
for mercy, but he felt he had a mission that would have been
betrayed unless he kept the faith to the bitter end. By meeting his
death so bravely he commanded an enormous following. He showed
great courage. This point which is demonstrated in the novel
Sophie’s World has huge relevance in society today as there are
times in life where we need to have courage to keep going forward
and have faith and belief that all will be well.
Another point that is very relevant in todays’ society is forgiveness. ‘
The perfection of the law is forgiveness which should come from
deep within, spelt by Jesus’ New Commandment of Love ‘. I believe
if we don’t forgive people or ourselves for wrong doing we are
ultimately damaging ourselves and our relationship with God..
86
In conclusion, the understanding of Jesus in the novel Sophie’s
World can be described as love, compassion and forgiveness. They
have huge relevance for people in today’s society as we are called to
live our lives lovingly, compassionately and be all forgiving and thus
seeking to live in the image and likeness of God.
26.Explain two reasons why Jesus’ preaching on ‘ right
relationship’ is important for Christians today.
In my opinion Jesus’ teachings and preaching on ‘ right relationship’ is
extremely important for Christians for a number of reasons. In the eyes
of the Christian church ‘right relationship’ is between ourselves, God
and those around us. All three aspects of the right relationship are
equally important. Jesus, through his preaching on ‘ right relationship’
shows Christians today that love of God cannot be separated from love
of neighbour. This idea of ‘love of neighbour’ is extremely important for
Christians in today’s society as it is the basis for our moral law.
Essentially Jesus’ preaching on the right relationship could guide a
person about what is right and what is wrong about the way in which
they relate to others in their everyday lives. Examples of Christians in
today’s society fulfilling Jesus’ preaching on the ‘right relationship’
would be those responding to the needs of the hungry, lonely, the
deprived and so on. This aspect of caring relationship with those around
us is an excellent example of how Jesus’ teachings on the right
relationship affects and is important in the lives of Christians today.
One example from the biblical text which would suggest the importance
of caring for those around us is to be seen in the parable of the Good
Samaritan. In the Good Samaritan a man on the side of the street is
helped by a stranger after being passed by three high priests, suggesting
to us that help can often come from the most unlikely sources. The
parable itself is reflective of how according to Jesus’ preaching, the
approach taken in making a moral decision is that something is good if
one is enabled by it to live in right relationships with others, God and
ourselves. All of which is emphasised and highlighted throughout the
parable of the Good Samaritan.
One other example of how Jesus’ preaching on ‘right relationship’ have
affected the lives of Christians today revolves around the concept of
stewardship. Throughout Jesus’ preaching he interlinks not only the
87
right relationship with people but also with our environment around us.
As Christians it is our duty to care for and look after the environment.
In conclusion, two reasons why Jesus’ preaching on ‘right relationship’
is important for Christians today is that it is the basis on which our
morality towards others is built. But also it gives Christians an idealism
of stewardship, love of our planet and a desire to care for it.
27.A. At the time of Jesus people had different expectations of the
Messiah: Davidic, Priestly, Prophetic. Outline what was
involved in two of the above expectations of the Messiah.
In Jesus’ teaching, preaching and living he announced the Kingdom of
God and showed his awareness of himself as the Messiah in the sense of
the one who heralded this Kingdom. People at the time of Jesus
expected the Messiah to be Davidic, Priestly and Prophetic.
Davidic: Jesus was not the Messiah the people of the 1st Century were
hoping for or expecting. There was a general expectation that the
Messiah would be like a New King David, who would herald a new era
in Jewish History. This vision of the Messiah is termed the Davidic
Messiah. As the Jewish people were living under the domination of the
Romans, the Messiah had taken on the image of a mighty warrior-king,
a great military leader who would overthrow the Romans. Such a
person was expected to be a descendent of o king who was regarded as
the founder of the Israelite monarchy and people at the time of Jesus
expected a second such king to intervene in their difficult socio –
political situation. Jesus was to bring a new, alternative interpretation
of ‘ Messiah ‘ – as one who ushers in the Kingdom of God through a life
of love and service and eventual death.
Prophetic: The Pharisees looked forward to a future Messiah whom
God would send to deliver them from Roman rule and restore the
Kingdom of God among the people of Israel. This prophetic Messiah
would fulfil the scriptures and liberate the people of God from
oppression. Such a person was usually understood as an authoritative
messenger and spokesperson of God. The people expected this person to
be powerful like Moses who led the people out of slavery and into
freedom ( Matthew 1 – 17 ). There are a number of incidents in the
Gospels where Jesus appears to identify himself as Messiah. However,
he was very anxious that this was not misunderstood among his
88
followers. We can see this very clearly in Mark 8:31 ‘ then he began to
teach them that he the son of man must undergo great suffering and be
rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and
after three days rise again’. He said all this openly.
In Conclusion, at the time of Jesus people had different expectations of
the Messiah and the Davidic Expectation was that Jesus was to bring a
new alternative interpretation of the Messiah – as one who ushers in the
kingdom of God through a life of love and service and eventual death
and the prophetic expectation would fulfil the scriptures and liberate
the people of God from oppression.
B. Describe an example of how Jesus showed an awareness of one of the
expectations of the Messiah listed in A above.
Messiah as Prophetic
The baptism of Jesus and his going forth with a mission is characteristic
of a prophetic call. The crowds refer to Jesus as a prophet and claim:
‘ God has visited his people ‘ ( Luke 9:19 )
Jesus’ mission was to show an awareness of the expectation of the
Messiah as Prophetic and he as a Prophet continuously challenged the
system and threatened people’s security. He had no regard for
popularity and, instead repeatedly said the unpopular thing. He hung
around the outcast and the sinners and mocked the self-righteous. The
religious leaders despised sinners, and so, for Jesus, as prophet of God,
to deliberately welcome sinners was an absolute scandal. Jesus
disturbed the leaders’ selfish and elitist existence and his words made
them squirm in their seats. He insulted them, proclaiming: ‘ I came not
to call the righteous, but sinners’, and they despised him for it. In turn
they blackened his name, calling him a friend of tax collectors and
sinners’.
In one particular story, Jesus heals a paralysed man, an outcast and
sinner, and infuriates the Pharisees. ‘ One day, while he was teaching,
Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting near- by, and the power
of the Lord was with him to heal. Just then some men came, carrying a
paralysed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him
before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in and lay him before
Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they
went up to the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into
the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he
89
said ‘ Friend, your sins are forgiven you ‘. Then the scribes and the
Pharisees began to question, ‘ Who is this who is speaking blasphemies
? who can forgive sins but God alone ? When Jesus heard their
questions, he answered them, ‘ Why do you raise such questions in your
hearts ? Which is easier, to say, ‘ Your sins are forgiven you’, or to say ‘
Stand up and walk ?’ But so that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins’ – he said to the one who was
paralysed – ‘ I say to you, stand up and take your bed and go home.’
immediately he stood up before them took what he had been lying on,
and went to his home, glorifying God. Amazement seized all of them,
and they glorified God and were filled with awe saying, ‘ We have seen
strange things today’. ( Luke 5: 17 – 26 )
The Pharisees would have condemned the sinner and seen his illness as
just punishment for his wrongdoings. They would have refused God’s
compassion and forgiveness. For this they provoked the wrath of the
Father’s Son.
As prophet, Jesus challenged, disturbed, unsettled and provoked all that
he saw wrong and unjust in his society. Jesus was not weak but was
courageous and outspoken. He was not harmless but challenged the
authorities to their core, and was even branded a blasphemer. Jesus was
a champion of the little people but for this he was condemned as
outrageous and a troublemaker. His outspokenness would have a price
and he would pay for it with his life.
In conclusion, Jesus showed an awareness of the expectation of the
Messiah as Prophetic. Jesus was full of compassion and love for the
sinner and the outcast. Yet Jesus was not afraid to challenge the
comfortable world-views of his day. His love had an edge to it, and that
edge was especially sharpened for his critics. There are many different
titles given to Jesus, but in his own time he was best understood as a
prophet.
28. Outline the main features of either the Roman Political System
or the Jewish Religious System in Palestine in the time of Jesus.
There are many main features of the Roman Political System in
Palestine at the time of Jesus. When Jesus was born, the political rulers
were the Romans. People didn’t like that because it meant they were
paying their taxes to a foreign emperor and to Rome. That is why they
didn’t like tax collectors.
90
The Romans decided that they would rule Palestine through cooperation with the powerful Jews at the time. Yet they were still very
wary of any group or person who might in some way be a threat to their
rule, hence the heavy – handed tactics against Jesus and the early
Christians. This meant that the region was extremely tense and volatile.
As the Romans decided to rule through co-operation, it meant that they
allowed the Jews to hold onto their religious structures, namely the
Temple in Jerusalem.
Rome stood for Political order in Palestine at the time of Jesus. It was a
foreign power and most people felt helpless in the face of this power,
with inevitable feelings of hatred. Jesus refers to one incident when
there was a clash in the temple in which some Galileans were
slaughtered by the Roman soldiery (lk.13:1-5)
One of the main features of the Roman Political System at the time of
Jesus was the Political Trial that took place on Good Friday morning.
Jesus was put in chains and brought before Pilate. The Jewish leaders
informed Pilate ‘ we caught this man misleading our people, telling
them not to pay their taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself
is the Messiah, a king’. When they had finished, Pilate asked Jesus ‘ Are
you the king of the Jews ? Jesus answered, ‘ so you say’. Pilate did not
want to get involved in the religious affairs of the Jews, so he sent Jesus
to Herod. Herod only mocked Jesus and sent him back to Pilate. Pilate
could find no reason to condemn Jesus to death and told this to the
Jewish leaders. Every year it was custom for the Roman Governor to
release a prisoner on the feast of the Passover. Pilate offered the people
a choice of releasing Jesus or a violent criminal named Barabbas. But
the crowd shout ‘ kill him, set Barabbas free’. Pilate handed Jesus over
to be crucified. Jesus was scourged and condemned to death.
In conclusion, there were many features of the Roman Political System
in Palestine at the time of Jesus which had a huge impact on the people.
Since Rome stood for Political order at the time of Jesus it gave rise to a
power where most people felt helpless with inevitable feelings of hatred.
29. Assess the evidence for the existence of Jesus of Nazareth
presented in the writings of two of the following: Josephus,
Pliny the Younger, Tacitus , St. Paul.
The writings of Josephus and Tacitus are important sources of evidence
for Jesus of Nazareth as they provide historical evidence of his teaching
and work.
91
Josephus was a Jewish historian. He defended Galilee against Rome in
the great Jewish rebellion, and shortly after his forces were overrun, he
surrendered. Josephus mentioned Jesus towards the end of his life,
around 60 years after the crucifixion. Jesus is mentioned in the context
of disturbances caused by the Jews during the reign of Pontius Pilate. It
is clear from his writings that Josephus accepted both the historical
reality of Jesus and that he had a profound and lasting impact on the
people whom he met. He was a Jewish Scholar and wrote a book about
the History of the Jews. In this he describes Jesus as a wise man and
teacher. He also wrote about the crucifixion of Jesus by Pontius Pilate
and his resurrection from the dead three days later.
Another great historian was Tacitus and his writings also show evidence
of the existence of Jesus of Nazareth. He was a Roman historian and
was suspicious of Christianity. He referred to Jesus when he wrote
about the burning of Rome in 64CE. The emperor Nero blamed
Christians for this burning, even though many historians think Nero
himself may have been responsible. Tacitus clearly had no time for the
group of people called Christians. Tacitus’ claim that Nero was
responsible for the brutal torture and execution of many Christians
however, it is not accepted by all historians. Tacitus, as we have seen,
was a hostile reporter of Jesus and the movement he founded. He wrote
down his beliefs about 80 years after the death of Jesus. Among the
things he wrote about were the death of Jesus, how he was sentenced by
Pontius Pilate and how Christians got their name from Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, the fact that both Tacitus and Josephus, two historians,
wrote about Jesus proves that, at least in historical terms, Jesus existed.
30. What was the Jewish understanding of the Kingdom of God at
t h e
t i m e
o f
J e s u s ?
The Kingdom of God has its roots in the early political history of Israel.
The people of Israel believed that since God was transcendent, created
everything and sustained the Jewish nation, he was the one and only
king of Israel. But as time went on they felt they needed an earthly King
who would rule them with God’s justice and be his representative
among the people. King David was the very best of Israel’s Kings, but
even he had his shortcomings. Around David’s time there was a belief
that one day a Son of David would be raised up who would let God rule
and bring God’s peace to the land.
92
At the time of Jesus the rabbis taught the people that they ought to live
as though the kingdom of God had already come so that their quality of
life would change.
The kingdom of God was seen as a coming with the Messiah of an age of
true religion and universal peace and prosperity as the blessing of God
spread with his dominions.
In conclusion, most Jews envisioned a political, Jewish Kingdom as the
context for all the blessings prophesied. The Messiah would be the
literal King of a Jewish state Institute religious reforms usher in
blessing and restoration, stand as a defender of Israel from foreign
domination, and then eventually extend his dominion over the whole
earth.
93