Christianity

The Christian Bible The Old Testament known as the Hebrew Bible The New Testament

◦ Has 27 books written after Jesus' earthly mission◦ Gospels: Jesus' life and teachings based on biblical texts

in the first four books of this testament◦ Three Synoptic Gospels are Mathew, Mark, and Luke

Referring to them that they can be “seen together”, have similar views of Jesus, but are organized differently

◦ The fourth Gospel and book, The Gospel of John Focuses on Jesus' Messiahship and inflect Greek

influences on light and darkness More mystical and devotional in nature

Early History of Christianity

Its earliest development took place under the leadership of the Twelve Apostles, Saint Peter and Paul the Apostle, followed by the early bishops, whom Christians considered the successors of the Apostles

27 February 380, Emperor Theodosius I enacted a law establishing Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire

Since the 4th century, Christianity has played a prominent role in the shaping of Western civilization.

Jesus Christ

The son of God and the Messiah (Christ)

God incarnate and “true God and true man”

Was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born from the Virgin Mary

Anointed by God as savior of humanity

The death and resurrection of Jesus are usually considered the most important events in Christian Theology because they demonstrate that Jesus has power over life and death and therefore has the authority and power to give people eternal life

Death/Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Christians consider the resurrection of Jesus to be the cornerstone of their faith and the most important event in human history

The death and resurrection of Jesus are two core events on which much of Christian doctrine and theology is based

According to the New Testament Jesus was crucified, died a physical death, was buried within a tomb, and rose from the dead three days later

Jesus' death and resurrection are commemorated by Christians in all worship services, with special emphasis during Holy Week which includes Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Christian churches accept and teach the New Testament account of the resurrection of Jesus with very few exceptions

Rituals

Wedding Rites Funeral Rites

Expression of worship, reflecting joy, celebration, community, respect, dignity and love

The Bible gives no specific pattern or order of service to define exactly what should be included

Christian wedding ceremony should be a testimony of your lives before God, demonstrating your Christian witness

Every Christian is free to choose his/her place of burial or repository for ashes

Christian symbols should be used appropriately at the rite of Christian funerals ◦ Ex. Fresh Flowers, Flag,

Holy Water etc. The liturgy may take place

at several different locations including the funeral home, the church, the cemetery and/or chapel

Rituals Cont.

Birth Rites Rites of Passage Baptism known as

‘Christening’ The parents and

godparents make a promise to bring the child up in the Christian faith and the godparents repeat vows on behalf of the baby

the priest takes water from the font and pours it over the baby's head three times, baptising the baby in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

It comes from Jewish roots – the Bat Mitzvah – meaning “daughter of the Commandment”.

A period of instructing the child in her faith and traditions, culminating in a ceremony that recognizes entrance into adulthood

10 Basic Unique Beliefs

There is only one GodGod is three in one or a Trinity consisting of the

Father, Son and Holy SpiritGod is omniscient or “knows all things”God is omnipotent or “all powerful”There will be a final judgmentHell is punishment and eternal Jesus' death was a substitutionary sacrifice. He died

and paid the price for our sins, so that we might live.Those who accept Jesus Christ, after they die, will live

for eternity with Him The Bible is the "inspired" or "God-breathed," Word of

God Jesus died for the sins of each and every person in the

world

Worship Practices

Attending Church on SundaysPrayers and teachings of the sermonMeditationSmall group prayers also known as Bible

study groupsBible readingsCommunicationMusicEven some formal ceremonies

Timeline

4 BC- Birth of Jesus Christ

30 AD- Crucifixion of Jesus

380- Christianity made the official religion of the Roman Empire

395- The Roman Empire separates

1861- Presbyterians divide over the issue of slavery

Middle Ages History

Decline and fall of the Roman Empire

Catholicism spread among the Germanic peoples, the Celtic and Slavic peoples, the Hungarians, the Scandinavians, and the Baltic peoples

11th century onward, older cathedral schools developed into universities

From the 7th to the 13th century, the Christian Church underwent gradual change, resulting in a schism dividing it into a the Roman Catholic Church, and the Greek Orthodox Church

Churches of Christianity

Catholic Church Orthodox Church

The Bishop of Rome, as its highest authority in matters of faith, morality and Church governance

The Catholic Church is the largest church representing over half of all Christians and one sixth of the world’s population

Eastern Orthodoxy is the second largest single denomination in Christianity, with over 200 million adherents

Eastern Orthodox Church also traces its heritage to the foundation of Christianity through Apostolic succession and has an episcopal structure

Churches of Christianity Cont.

Presbyterian Other

The oldest Protestant groups separated from the Catholic Church in the 16th century Protestant Reformation

Estimates of the total number of Protestants are very uncertain, because of the difficulty in determining which denominations should be placed in these categories

basic Protestant tenants identify themselves simply as "Christians" or "born-again” Christians

The Second Great Awakening

Saw themselves as restoring the original church of Jesus Christ rather than reforming one of the existing churches

Second Great Awakening have some superficial similarities, their doctrine and practices vary significantly

Church Reformation

The Reformation (European Christian reform movement), resulted in the splintering of the Western Christendom into several Christian denominations

Protestantism, which rejected the primacy of the pope, the role of tradition, the seven sacraments, and other doctrines and practices

The Roman Catholic Church engaged in a substantial process of reform and renewal, known as the Counter-Reformation or Catholic Reform

Punishment

Christians believe in the life after death. Those who believe in Jesus will be forgiven

and saved, whereas, the unbelievers would face eternal punishment

Christians reject SatanThose who do not accept Jesus Christ,

after they die, they will live in hell for eternity

Sin separates those from God

Salvation

They believe sacrifice can bring about new kinship ties, purity, and eternal life

Christian churches are concerned with how humanity can be saved from a universal condition of sin and death

The Catholic Church teaches that salvation does not occur without faithfulness on the part of Christians; converts must live in accordance with principles of love and must be baptized

Lutherans and other Protestants teach that salvation is a gift that comes to an individual by God's grace, sometimes defined as "unmerited favor