Exploring the Religions
of Our World
Chapter 3 Christianity
Chapter 3 Christianity
Background
many
doctrines
many
churches
Christianity
same
core beliefs
many
denominations
Chapter 3 Christianity
History
Jesus of Nazareth:
 birth was a fulfillment of Jewish prophecy
 was the long awaited Jewish Messiah
 taught: the kingdom of God was at hand
 was publicly crucified for being an
insurrectionist
 rose from the dead, changing the lives of his
followers
Chapter 3 Christianity
Periods of Christian History
Page 83
Chapter 3 Christianity
History – two major and lasting divisions
1. The Great Schism (1054)
Contributing factors:
 Constantine moved the capital to Byzantium
 Increased power of the bishop of Rome
 The spread of Islam in the East
 Differences in customs
 The filioque controversy
Chapter 3 Christianity
History – two major and lasting divisions (continued)
2. The Protestant Reformation (1517)
Contributing factors:
 interference by kings in Church affairs
 cooperation between church and state
 growth of temporal power in the Western
Church
 the Avignon Papacy
 Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses
Chapter 3 Christianity
Movements within Protestantism
Fundamentalism – holds that what is written in the
Bible is to be understood in its most literal sense
Evangelicalism – emphasizes a personal faith in
Jesus Christ and the Bible as the sole religious
authority
Pentecostalism – emphasizes the gifts of the Holy
Spirit
Chapter 3 Christianity
Sacred Stories and Sacred Scriptures
The Christian Bible includes:
The
Christian
Bible
The
Hebrew
Scriptures
The
New
Testament
Chapter 3 Christianity
Sacred Stories and Sacred Scriptures (continued)
To compose the sacred books, God
chose certain men who, all the while
he employed them in this task, made
full use of their own faculties and
powers so that, though he acted in
them and by them, it was as true
authors that they consigned to writing
whatever he wanted written, and no more.
Dei Verbum no. 11
Chapter 3 Christianity
Sacred Stories and Sacred Scriptures (continued)
Gospels
Acts of the Apostles
stories of the
life of Jesus
history of the early
Christian communities
The
New
Testament
Epistles
Book of Revelation
letters of the early
Christian communities
an apocalyptic work
Chapter 3 Christianity
Christians Agree On
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The authoritative
books in the New
Testament
The thirty-nine
books in the Old
Testament
The Bible is the
inspired word of God
Christians Disagree On
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The authoritative books in
the Hebrew Bible: 39 vs. 46
The interpretation of the
Bible: Magisterium vs.
private/personal
The “Book of the Church”
vs. the “Church of the
Book”
Scripture vs. Sacred
Tradition
Biblical inerrancy
Chapter 3 Christianity
Beliefs and Practices
Creed – articulates Christian beliefs
The Apostles’ Creed (c. AD 150)
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by
the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into
hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into
heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from then
He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy
Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Chapter 3 Christianity
Beliefs and Practices (continued)
The Nicean Creed (AD 325)
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all
that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light true God from
True God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father, through him all things
were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the
power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our
sake he was he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into
heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to
judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the
Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through
the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge
one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and
the life of the world to come.
Chapter 3 Christianity
Beliefs and Practices (continued)
Jesus
The Trinity
one God in three
second person of
the Trinity;
God in the flesh
divine persons
Redemption
God chose to save
humanity
through Jesus
Sin
closed the gates
of heaven
The Bible
The Church
the “new Israel”
offers instructions
on Christian living
Chapter 3 Christianity
Sacred Times
The Liturgical Calendar
Advent
Ordinar
y
Time
Jesus:
life, death,
resurrection
Christmas
Easter
Lent
Chapter 3 Christianity
Sacred Times (continued)
Sunday
Sacraments
a “little Easter”
given by Christ
Prayer
formal and
informal
Chapter 3 Christianity
Sacred Places and Sacred Spaces
Churches - where the community
comes together for worship and
fellowship
Chapter 3 Christianity
Other Christian Denominations through a Catholic Lens
 catholic means “universal”
The Catholic Church holds:
 the fullness of Christ’s body
 the fullness of the means to salvation
 the fullness of faith
 the sacraments
 the ordained ministry from the Apostles
 universality
Chapter 3 Christianity
Vocabulary
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sect
denominations
doctrines
Messiah
blasphemy
Apostles
Gentile
Council
Epistles
Martyr
Patriarchates
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Pope
Crusades
Magisterium
Transubstantiation
rationalists
empiricists
Apocalyptic
Canon
Heresy
Apocryphal
Apologetics
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Incarnation
Original sin
Church
Advent
Epiphany
Lent
Pentecost
Sacraments
Icons
Church Fathers
Inerrancy