Key Aspects of Christian Beliefs

SalvationRevelationThe Bible

The Ten CommandmentsThe Beatitudes

LovePrayer

© Karen Devine 2008

History and Jesus Christ

What is Christianity?• A diverse, 2000 year old religion

followed by almost one third of the world’s population!

• Based on the life, teachings, death and resurrection of a first century Jew known as Jesus, believed to be the Christ (messiah, savior) by his followers (thus called “Christians”)

The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• Romans Conquer Judea– Rome conquers Judea, home of the Jews; makes it

part of the empire in A.D. 6– Many Jews believe in a coming Messiah (meaning

anointed one), or savior, who will eventually free them.

Roman PalestineRoman Palestine

The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• Jesus of Nazareth – Jesus was born in

Bethlehem sometime around 6 to 4 B.C.

– He was raised in Nazareth in the province of Galilee.

– He is a carpenter until about the age 30 when he begins preaching.

Mosaic of Jesus at Church of San Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy.

The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• Jesus of Nazareth (continued)– According to the four Gospels (of Matthew, Mark,

Luke, and John) Jesus is said to perform miracles.– He stresses a personal relationship with God, love

for friends and enemies.

The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• A Growing Movement– Apostles-from the Greek

word “apostolos” means literally “someone sent out.” These are twelve men who are close disciples of Jesus.

– Jesus ignores wealth and status; his message appeals to the poor.

Sermon on the Mount by Danish painter Carl Heinrich Bloch,

1890.

Who was Jesus? – The historical Jesus

• Born, bred, lived, and died a Jew in first century Roman occupied Palestine

• Around age 30, took on a mission of preaching, teaching, and healing as an itinerant teacher

• Had a following of 12 primary disciples and countless multitudes attracted by his miracles and words of wisdom

• A political threat to Roman and Jewish authorities, is put to death through torturous crucifixion (a Roman punishment)

What did Jesus teach?What did he do?• A story telling teacher who taught through parables

about the Kingdom of God (“the Kingdom of God is like…”)

• A miracle worker and faith healer (“your faith has made you whole”)

• A religious and social reformer (love and the spirit of the law, over the letter of the law)

• Preaching forgiveness of sin over punishment for sin• Inspirational words of wisdom:

– The “Sermon on the Mount”– The “Greatest commandment”: Love God and love others as you

love yourself– The “Golden Rule”: Do unto others as you would have others do

unto you– The “Lord’s Prayer” (“Our Father who art in heaven…”)

The Life and Teaching of Jesus

• Jesus Death– Many Jews view Jesus as the Messiah; others see

him as a false teacher.– Roman governor Pontius Pilate sentences Jesus to

be crucified.– Apostles believe Jesus resurrected from the dead

and ascended into heaven.– Jesus comes to be called “Christos,” the Greek

word for “savior.” The word Christian and Christianity is derived from that word.

Death of Jesus-According to the gospels, Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples, arrested by the Romans, and killed by crucifixion-a person was bound to a cross and left to die

-Rumors then spread that Jesus had not died but had risen from death and commanded his disciples to spread his teachings-After the disciples reported he ascended into heaven

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Document 1

“Our Roman gods demand sacrifices from their subjects. Without their blessings, the Roman Empire is doomed. Yet

those who follow the teachings of Christ refuse to make sacrifices to the gods, claiming that their God is the only true

god. What nonsense!!! Those silly people and their silly ideas. They should get on their knees and worship the

ground that Jupiter and Minerva have create.”

- Maximus, Roman Governor

According to document 1, why did the Roman government view Christians as a threat to the Empire?

Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Growth of Christianity– Followers spread Christianity—new religion based

on the teachings of Jesus.– The term “Christian” to designate followers of

Christianity was first used in Antioch (see Acts 11: 26).

Christians Oppressed-Romans were not tolerant towards Christians because:

-they refused to honor the emperor with sacrifices-they refused to worship Roman gods to

protect the state-Christians were used as scapegoats, blamed for social and economic problems-Many Christians became martyrs- or people who suffer or die for their beliefs-However, Christianity continued to spread due to the fact that all people were welcome

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Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Paul’s Mission– Was originally named Saul, and

was a member of the strict Jewish sect of Pharisees.

– He persecutes Christians at first, but on his way to Damascus to arrest some Christians he has an experience where he claimed Jesus appeared to him calling him to be an Apostle to the Gentiles.

Saint Paul, by El Greco, circa 1608-1614

Aim: How did people relate to Christ’s message?Do now:

St. Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles

St. Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles

Document 2

“The teachings of Christ tells us that ‘Thou shall not kill’ and that ‘Those who take up the sword, shall perish by the sword.’

Therefore we shall not join the Roman legions and kill strangers in a strange land. And if the Emperor decides that we must be executed for upholding our beliefs, we gladly become martyrs.”

- Paulus, Roman Christian

According to document 2, why would the Emperor execute Christians?

Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Paul spends his life preaching and interpreting Christianity.

• Paul stresses Jesus is the Son of God who died for people’s sins.

• Paul declared that Christianity was open to all, Gentile as well as Jew.

• The common languages of Latin and Greek, spoken throughout the empire, helps the spread of the Christian message. The New Testament is written entirely in common (Koine) Greek spoken by most people who live in the eastern Mediterranean region.

The Spread of Christianity

The Spread of Christianity

Document 3

“How dare they refuse to honor me!?! All good Romans must burn incense before my statues and honor me as a god. Yet these Christians refuse to do so. Well, if I have to feed every last one of them to the lions, I will. If I have to sew them into the skins of wild animals and have packs of dogs rip them to shreds, I will. If I must crucify every last one of them, I will. Sooner or later, they will acknowledge me as their superior

ruler.” - Nero, Roman Emperor

According to document 3, how could Christians in the Roman Empire have avoided a painful execution?

Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Paul is the author of epistles or letters to the churches. All of these letters existing were included in the New Testament.

– Romans– 1 and 2 Corinthians– Galatians– Ephesians– Philippians– Colossians– 1 and 2 Thessalonians– The Pastoral Epistles to

Timothy and Titus– Philemon

Christianity Spreads Through the Empire

• Persecution of the Christians– Christians won’t worship the Roman gods or the

emperor. They are considered enemies of the State.

– Roman rulers use Christians as scapegoats for hard times.

– As Pax Romana crumbles, Christians are crucified, burned, and killed in the arena.

A World Religion

• Christianity’s Expansion– Christianity becomes a powerful force and appeals

to people because of these reasons:• embraces all people• gives hope to the powerless• appeals to those repelled by extravagance of Roman

life• offers a personal relationship with God• promises eternal life after death

A World Religion

• Constantine Accepts Christianity– Constantine—Roman emperor battles for control

of Rome in A.D. 312.– He has a vision of a cross—the Christian symbol—

and places it on soldiers’ shields.– He believes Christian God helped him win the

battle and legalizes Christianity.– In A.D. 380 the Emperor Theodosius makes

Christianity the religion of the empire.

Early Christian Church-Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313.

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-The Edict granted freedom of worship to all citizens of the Roman empire

-By the end of the century, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire

Structure and Organization of Roman Catholic Church

First Form of Christianity

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A World Religion

• Early Christian Church– Priests direct a single church (parish).– Bishops supervise numerous churches (diocese)– Apostle Peter is considered the first bishop of

Rome, therefore, the clergy trace their authority to him.

– Pope—means father or head of the Christian Church. Rome becomes the center of the Church.

Structure of the ChurchThe Christian Clergy

Bishop Bishop Bishop

Pope/Patriarch

DiocesePriest

+Community

DiocesePriest

+Community

DiocesePriest

+Community

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A World Religion• A Single Voice

– Church leaders compile standard Christian beliefs in the New Testament

– The New Testament is added to the Hebrew Bible (renamed the Old Testament)

• The Fathers of the Church– Early writers and scholars of Christianity are called Fathers

of the Church– Augustine, bishop in North Africa, is one of the most

important Fathers• He stressed the importance of receiving the sacraments to obtain

God’s grace• He wrote his most famous book, The City of God.

Beliefs and Practices

What do Christians believe? –The Christ of faith“Who do men say that I am?”• The “Christ” - born of a virgin in fulfillment of Jewish

messianic expectation to be “king of the Jews”• The “Son of God” – fully divine and fully human• The savior of humanity – saving us from sin through

his sacrifice on the cross• Risen from the dead (resurrection) “on the third day”

– overcoming death so that we too may have “eternal life”

• Ascended into heaven, residing with God “the father” to intervene on our behalf

• Will come again at the “end of days” to judge the living and the dead

Revelation

• Revelation is the transmission of knowledge from the divine to humanity.

• It is knowledge given by God to humans about things previously hidden.

• It is an invitation into communion with God.

Salvation• Christians believe that God

has the intention to save.• Sin interrupts salvation.• Salvation is a belief that

humans require deliverance from sin.

• God’s intervention in salvation history includes the incarnation of Jesus and his resurrection.

• Jesus’ death was salvific as it atoned for the sinfulness of humanity.

Salvation• Salvation is seen as

being delayed until the afterlife.

• It is through God that humans achieve salvation.

• Some churches see that anyone who strives to do God’s will, regardless of their religious tradition, will be saved.

• Other faiths oppose this notion.

Salvation• Protestantism teaches that eternal salvation is a gift

that comes to an individual by God’s grace, sometimes defined as "unmerited favor", on the basis of one’s personal belief in and dependence on the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

• It is the belief that one can be saved (rescued) from sin and eternal death.

• Other concepts used in the study of how salvation is accomplished include conversion, faith, justification, regeneration, and others.

Salvation

• The crucifixion of Jesus is explained as an atoning sacrifice, which, in the words of the Gospel of John, "takes away the sins of the world." One’s reception of salvation is related to justification.

• The operation and effects of grace are understood differently by different traditions.

Afterlife

• Most Christians believe that human beings experience divine judgement and are rewarded either with eternal life or eternal damnation.

• This includes the general judgement at the Resurrection of the dead as well as the belief (held by Catholics, Orthodox and some Protestants) in a judgement particular to the individual soul upon physical death.

Trinity

• Trinity refers to the teaching that the one God comprises three distinct, eternally co-existing persons; the Father (from whom the Son and Spirit proceed), the Son (incarnate in Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.

• Together, these three persons are sometimes called the Godhead, although there is no single term in use in Scripture to denote the unified Godhead.

What do Christians believe? –The Trinity• God the Father residing in heaven (same

God worshiped by Jews and Muslims)• God the Son (Jesus, the Christ) who

“came down from heaven” to dwell among us, as one of us

• God the Holy Spirit (“Holy Ghost”)– The spirit of God residing within everyone who

accepts the sacrifice of Christ and thus becomes a Christian

Communion with God the Father is through the Son and the Holy Spirit

What else do Christians believe?

• Original sin: all humanity is inherently separated from God

• The sacrifice of Jesus – a sinless representative of humanity (a “scapegoat”) - as the ultimate atonement for the sins of humanity

• Heaven and Hell: – Eternal life for those who are “saved by the

blood of the lamb (Jesus)”– Eternal damnation for those who are not so

saved

Holy Texts

Scriptures

• Christianity regards the Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts (the Old Testament and the New Testament), as authoritative.

• The Bible always includes books of the Jewish scriptures, the Tanakh, and includes additional books and reorganizes them into two parts: the books of the Old Testament primarily sourced from the Tanakh (with some variations), and the 27 books of the New Testament containing books originally written primarily in Greek.

• The Roman Catholic and Orthodox canons include other books from the Septuagint which Roman Catholics call Deuterocanonical. Protestants consider these books apocryphal.

Scriptural sources – The Christian Bible• Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible)• New Testament (written after Jesus’ death, by his

followers, during the first century; not canonized until the 4th century)– Four gospels (“good words”) about the birth, life,

teaching, acts, death, and resurrection of Jesus– The Book of Acts of the apostles – earliest history of

the developing church– Epistles (“letters”) of Paul and other evangelists

addressed to the churches they founded and led throughout the Mediterranean

– The Book of Revelation – a vision of the future, the ultimate destiny of mankind, the culmination of God’s plan for humanity

The Bible

• The bible is divided into:a) The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament)b) The Christian Scriptures (New Testament)

• The Christian Scriptures are a collection of stories about the life and deeds of Jesus.

• The writings are seen to be divinely inspired yet of human origin.

The Bible• The bible is a source of

belief for Jews and Christians.

• It teaches about the nature of God and the teachings of Jesus.

• The major aspects of Christian belief are derived from the Christian Scriptures.

• Liturgical ceremonies also have their origins in the Bible.

The Bible• The Bible is integral in the daily lives

of believers.• It assists with ethical decision making

and can be used in all daily rituals.• The Bible has been through many

translations. • Originally written in Greek, it has

since been translated into every language.

• There are many discrepancies in the translations of the words from the original intentions and contexts of the authors.

The Bible

• As Christianity has its roots in Judaism, there are many links between the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures for example:

a) Many Christian passages uphold the prophecies of the Jewish Scriptures. (Such as the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem as told by the prophet Micah)

The Bibleb) Christian ceremonies parallel

Jewish ceremonies eg: The Jewish Festival of Weeks parallels Pentecost.

c) There are significant number parallels such as the 12 Apostles parallels the 12 Tribes of Israel.

d) The Beatitudes in the Christian Scriptures parallels some praise related statements in Psalms 1:1 “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked” and 41:1 “ Happy are those who consider the poor”.

More Beliefs

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The Ten Commandments

• The Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses as a revelation for life.

• The Ten Commandments are understood to be the direct word of God given to the people of Israel.

• They are said to be written in God’s own hand onto tablets of stone.

The Ten Commandments• The Ten Commandments

are a summation of the relationship between humanity and God.

• Christians see the Ten Commandments as rules to be practiced out of love for God, not out of fear of damnation.

• Outside the Ten Commandments is a life of sin, alienation and unhappiness.

The Beatitudes

• The Beatitudes is the name given to the 9 sayings of Jesus Christ which are expressed in Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” and Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain”.

• Beatitude is Latin for “blessed” hence all Jesus’ sayings begin “Blessed are………”

The Beatitudes

• The Beatitudes have their origin in the Jewish Scriptures such as in:

a) Psalms: 41:1 “ Happy are those who consider the poor”

b) Psalms 106:3 “Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times”.The intention of the Beatitudes is encouraging humans to aspire to certain virtues.

Jesus’ Commandment of Love

• Christian ethics generally include repentance and love.

• Christians see that their God is a God of love and this is expressed through Jesus.

• Jesus’ discussion of love has a Jewish context.

• This is a love with qualities of personal attachment.

• This is a love between God and humanity as expressed through the covenant between God and Israel.

Jesus’ Commandment of Love

• Jesus’ commandment of love is really about a longing for God and the constant seeking of good in one’s neighbour.

• Love involves suffering yet, in following Jesus’ path there is victory over that suffering and victory over sin and death.

Practices and Ways of Worship

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Worship• Christians assemble for communal worship on

Sunday, the day of the resurrection, though other liturgical practices often occur outside this setting.

• Scripture readings are drawn from the Old and New Testaments, but especially the Gospels.

• There are a variety of congregational prayers, including thanksgiving, confession, and intercession, which occur throughout the service and take a variety of forms including recited, responsive, silent, or sung.

Worship

• Worship can be varied for special events like baptisms or weddings in the service or significant feast days.

• In the early church Christians and those yet to complete initiation would separate for the Eucharistic part of the worship.

• In many churches today, adults and children will separate for all or some of the service to receive age-appropriate teaching. Such children’s worship is often called Sunday school or Sabbath school (Sunday schools are often held before rather than during services).

Prayer• Prayer may be public or private.• Christian Churches generally favour

prayer and worship which is:a) Privateb) Communalc) Liturgical• Prayer is a way for believers to have a

relationship with the divine.• Some Christian variants also pray to

intermediaries such as Mary, who they believe will act as a link to God.

Prayer• Throughout history prayer has been

described in many ways:a) Raising the heart and mind to Godb) Communion with Godc) Attentiveness to Godd) Attunement to the divine

• Jesus is described as praying privately, or in solitude.

• He used prayer to alleviate his distress and as a guide in decision making.

• Prayer can be:a) Vocalb) Mentalc) Contemplatived) Meditative

PrayerIn addition to connecting with God, the aims of prayer are often to:

a) Celebrate one’s lifeb) Reflect on life and Godc) Empty the selfd) Recollect Gode) Achieve inner stillness

Sacraments• In Christian belief and

practice, a sacrament is a rite, instituted by Christ, that mediates grace, constituting a sacred mystery.

• The most conventional functional definition of a sacrament is that it is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, that conveys an inward, spiritual grace through Christ.

• The two most widely accepted sacraments are Baptism and the Eucharist.

Religious Sects

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Branches & Subdivisions1) Major Christian Branches:

(Eastern) Orthodox, (Roman) Catholic, Anglican, Protestant, Restorationist, etc.

2) Orthodox, Anglicans, Protestants:O: by nation & language: Greek, Russian…A: by nations: esp. former British coloniesP: by leaders/theologies: Lutheran, Reformed…

3) Groups within Catholicism:religious orders & societies (monastic, mendicant, apostolic, etc.), lay groups

What Is Christianity?

I-C: Demographics

1) Number of Christians World-wide:~ 2 billion in 2000; ~ 33% of world population

2) Subdivisions:1 bill. Catholics; 500 mill. Protestant/Anglican; 250 mill. Orthodox; 250 mill. Other

3) % of Populations:48% Africa; 85% N. America; 93% S. America; 9% Asia; 76% Europe; 85% Oceania

What Is Christianity?

Who are Christians?

• The Eastern church: Orthodox Christianity – Greek, Russian, Coptic, and other national

churches of Eastern Europe, North Africa, and Asia

• The Western church: Roman Catholicism– unified under the Pope (bishop of Rome)– found throughout western Europe and the

Americas– Over 900 million (half of all Christians worldwide)

These two original church bodies officially broke from each other in 1054 CE

What about the Protestants?

• Broke from Catholic church beginning in 16th century

• Diverse church bodies, denominations, sects, and independent churches of European background:– Lutheran (early 16th century)– Church of England (Anglican, Episcopal) (16th

century)– “Reformed” churches: Presbyterian,

Congregational, etc. (16th century, based on teachings of John Calvin)

• Anabaptist and other sectarian churches break away from these original (“mainline”) churches:– Baptist, Methodist, Brethren (Puritan), Mennonite,

Amish, Quaker, etc.

Who else are Christians? -American born Christian groups• 19th and 20th century developments include:

– Mormons (1830’s)– Seventh-Day Adventist (1840’s)– Christian Science and Unity (1880’s)– Jehovah’s Witness (20th century)– Evangelicals and Pentecostals (20th century)– Unification Church (20th century, Korean origin)

• These and other newer sectarian churches are sometimes considered to be “cults”

• Also: independent, non-denominational churches (generally modeled after Protestant belief and practice)

Rituals and Practices

How do Christians practice their faith? – in church• Sacraments:

1. Baptism2. Communion (Eucharist, Mass, the Lord’s Supper)3. Confirmation4. Confession of sins, penance, atonement5. Marriage (“Holy Matrimony”)6. Ordination (“Holy Orders”)7. Healing (anointing, “Holy Unction”, “Last rites”)

• Sabbath celebrated on Sunday with prayer, scripture readings, singing of hymns, a sermon or lesson from the pastor/minister/priest, recitation of creedal statement, confession of sins, communion (format varies from church to church)

Holidays

What are some Christianholy days?

Two major seasons in the Christian calendar:• Christmas – celebrating the birth of Jesus• Easter – commemorating the resurrection

of Christ

• Christmas:– Advent (four weeks leading up to Christmas

day)– Christmas Day (December 25th)– Epiphany (the “twelfth day of Christmas”)

More Christian holy days:

• Easter: (early spring, date varies)– Ash Wednesday and lent (40 days before

Easter, a period of sacrifice and spiritual renewal in preparation for Easter)

– Holy Week including:• Palm Sunday (Jesus’ triumphant entry into

Jerusalem)• Munday Thursday (inauguration of the communion

meal)• Good Friday (Jesus’ Passion and crucifixion)• Easter Sunday (celebrating the resurrection)

• Pentecost: the 50th day (seven weeks) after Easter (commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles)

Symbols

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Symbols• The cross, which is

today one of the most widely recognised symbols in the world, was used as a Christian symbol from the earliest times.

• Among the symbols employed by the primitive Christians, that of the fish seems to have ranked first in importance.

Symbols

• Christians from the very beginning adorned their tombs with paintings of Christ, of the saints, of scenes from the Bible and allegorical groups.

• The catacombs are the cradle of all Christian art. • Other major Christian symbols include the chi-rho

monogram, the dove (symbolic of the Holy Spirit), the sacrificial lamb (symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice), the vine (symbolising the necessary connectedness of the Christian with Christ) and many others.

Conclusion

What is the bare essence of Christianity?

• A faith and life based on the person and/or teachings of Jesus as savior, model, or inspiration

• Use of the New Testament to inform faith and practice