Christian Beliefs and Modern History

Let’s Break It Down

• Scriptures

• Beliefs

• Denominations

• Practices

Old Testament v. New Testament

Old Testament

• Basically the TaNaKh or Hebrew Bible

New Testament

• The Four Gospels

• Epistles- Letters

Christian Beliefs• There is only one God

• God is three in one or a Trinity

• The Holy Spirit is God

• Jesus Christ is God

• Jesus is fully God and fully man

• Jesus was sinless

• Jesus' death was a substitutionary sacrifice. He died and paid the price for our sins so that we might live.

• The Bible is the "inspired" or "God-breathed," Word of God

• Salvation is a free gift of God

• There is eternal life after death

• Salvation is solely believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Trinity Mystery

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G2S5ziDcO0

Church Split in 1054 AD (Great Schism)

Roman Catholic Church

• Rome

• Papacy Succession

• Pope• Infallible

• Vicar (substitute for Christ)

Eastern Orthodox Church

• Constantinople

• Apostle Succession

• Ecumenical Patriarch• Equally as important to other

Bishops

• Not Substitute

Crusades

• Started by Pope Urban II in 1095 AD

• Crusade- Holy War

• Roman Catholic Church saw spread of Islam from Middle East to southern Spain as a threat

• Also Roman Catholic Church saw Crusades as an opportunity to make money

• Objective of the war was to reclaim the Holy Land.

Video on Protestant Reformationhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o8oIELbNxE

Protestant ReformationRoman Catholic Church in 1500s

• Church had become powerful, wealthy, and corrupt

• Very involved in all political affairs in Europe

• People sensed many church abuses

Protestant ReformationChurch Abuses

• Selling of indulgences• Indulgences- tickets sold to have less time in purgatory

• Nepotism

• Immorality among the priesthood

• Excessive veneration of the saints

• Relic Worship

Protestant ReformationMartin Luther

• Once a successful German lawyer but became a monk and professor at Wittenburg

• Studied the Bible intensely and came to an important conclusion according to Ephesians 2:8-10• (8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of

God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.)

• Salvation comes only from faith in Jesus Christ, opposed to the Catholic belief which emphasized in both faith and good works

• Also Bible has sole authority, not the pope

Protestant ReformationMartin Luther

• He wanted to reform the church, not start a new one

• Posted 95 Theses and thousands of copies spread through Germany• As result many German princes converted

• Martin Luther got excommunicated • Excommunicate- Banished from the church

• Lutheran church is formed in most of Germany

• Thirty Years War erupted

Protestant ReformationJohn Calvin

• Led a city wide conversion to Protestantism in Geneva, Switzerland

• Developed Calvinism

• Calvinism focuses more on predestination• Predestination: Been elected to be saved from the beginning

• Calvinism spread into France

Protestant ReformationKing Henry VIII

• Was once a devout Catholic King• He wrote the Defense of the Faith

• Used against Martin Luther’s teachings.

• Henry VIII was first married to Catharine of Aragon but she never produced any male heirs. Just one female heir named Mary.

• He wanted a divorce but the Pope would not grant the divorce to him.

Protestant ReformationKing Henry VIII

• Henry VIII breaks ties with Roman Catholic Church

• He forms the Anglican Church• Church of England

• King is Head of the church

• Marries Anne Boleyn, but only has Elizabeth as daughter ( later known as Queen Elizabeth I)

• Marries another and she bears a son named Edward.

Protestant ReformationUlrich Zwingli

• Started in Switzerland

• Most radical based on belief on Baptism• Everyone both Catholic and Protestants stuck with Infant Baptisms

• Anabaptists completely were against them.

• Had to be baptized as an adult

• Radical for believing in separation between church and state

• Anabaptist- “Rebaptizer”

Catholic Reformation (Counter Reformation)Council of Trent

• Scripture and tradition have equal authority

• Only Roman Catholic Church can interpret Scripture

• Faith and good works earn salvation

• Purgatory is a real place

• Indulgences are ok, but can’t sell them.

Changes in the Church

• First Vatican Council of 1854• Pope Pius IX declared “Immaculate Conception”

• Virgin Mary is free from original sin

• Strengthen idea of Ultramontanism• Strongest authority comes directly from the Pope

• Strong emphasis on spiritual renewal because many people such as Karl Marx, Frederich Nietzsche openly attacked Christianity

Changes in the Church

• Second Vatican Council of 1962-1965• Started tolerating other churches and reconcile past schisms

• Enhanced scientific-historical studies of the Bible which were resisted before• Galileo Galilei’s perspective on the planet’s revolve around the sun, not the earth

• Vernacular languages permitted during Mass.

• Advanced ideas of freeing people from political and economic oppression.

Christian Holidays• Christmas celebrates birth of Jesus

• Epiphany- Celebrate the day wise men came to Bethlehem

• Ash Wednesday- 40 days before Christmas• Somber reminder of sin• 40 Days of Lent- Celebrated through fasting

• Holy Week• Palm Sunday: Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem• Maundy Thursday: Celebrate Last Supper• Good Friday: Execution and burial of Jesus• Easter: Resurrection of Jesus

• Ascension Day• 40 Days after to celebrate Jesus ascension to heaven