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Studies of Religion Preliminary

Depth Study 1

ChristianityStudent Course Booklet

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Name:__________________

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Christianity

22 indicative hours

The focus of this study is Christianity, one of the major religious traditions, as a living religious system.

Outcomes

A student:

P3 investigates religious traditions and belief systems

P4 examines significant aspects of religious traditions

P5 describes the influence of religious traditions in the life of adherents

P6 selects and uses relevant information about religion from a variety of sources

P7 undertakes effective research about religion, making appropriate use of time and resources

P8 uses appropriate terminology related to religion and belief systems

P9 effectively communicates information, ideas and issues using appropriate written, oral and graphic forms.

Content

Students learn about: Students learn to:

Origins

the historical and cultural context in which Christianity began

Jesus Christ

the development of early Christian communities

outline the historical and cultural context in which Christianity began

examine the principal events of Jesus’ life

explain why Jesus is the model for Christian life

describe the early development of Christian communities after the death of Jesus

outline the unique features of:

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Christianity:AnglicanismCatholicismOrthodoxyPentecostalismProtestantism

AnglicanismCatholicismOrthodoxyPentecostalismProtestantism

Principal Beliefs

the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ

the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

the nature of God and the Trinity

Revelation

Salvation

Sacred Texts and Writings

Bible

Core Ethical Teachings

the Ten Commandments

New Testament ethicsthe BeatitudesJesus’ commandment of love

Personal Devotion

Prayer

outline the principal beliefs regarding the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ

explain the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for Christians

outline the beliefs about the nature of God and of the Trinity

examine the Christian understanding of revelation

describe the Christian understanding of salvation

identify the importance of the Bible in Christianity

examine extracts from the Bible which demonstrate the principal beliefs of Christianity

outline the principal ethical teachings in:the Ten Commandmentsthe BeatitudesJesus’ commandment of love

describe the importance of ethical teachings in the life of adherents

describe the different types of personal prayer

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Table of ContentsCHRISTIANITY: Focus. 5

JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD

History and ContextJesus of History, Christ of Faith

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EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES

Paul and the Growth of the Early Christian ChurchInfluences on Early Christianity in the Roman EmpireGrowth of Christianity in the Roman EmpirePersecutions and Heresies

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CHRISTIAN CHURCHES TODAY 28

CHRISTIANITY’S PRINCIPAL BELIEFS 37

SACRED TEXTS AND WRITINGS

Formation of the Christian ScripturesThe Bible

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CORE ETHICAL TEACHINGS

Ethical SystemsTen Commandments & Beatitudes

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PERSONAL DEVOTION 68

TEACHER RESOURCES 82

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CHRISTIANITYChristianity is one of the major religious traditions of the world.The focus of this study is Christianity as a living religious system.


Origins

the historical and cultural context in which Christianity began

outline the historical and cultural context in which Christianity began

Unit Outcomes:Through undertaking this area of study students will be able to achieve the following Unit Outcomes.

Give expression to personal understandings about the person and mission of Jesus

Describe and explain Jesus' response to the fundamental questions about the nature of the human person, human life and destiny

Identify and analyse the role Jesus plays in enabling others to respond to fundamental human questions

Study Gospel accounts highlighting the way Jesus challenged and confronted structures, authorities, people and values of his time

Critically reflect on the ways Christians today challenge and confront structures, authorities, people and values

Approaches to Learning:

Suggested Strategies

View segments of a film such as Jesus of Nazareth to identify aspects of the historical and cultural context for the birth of Christianity

Research the culture and lifestyle of first century semitic communities

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Conduct a bible search to identify aspects of Judaism depicted in the Gospels

Complete a writing task outlining significant characteristics of first century Judaism

JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD

DEFINITIONS YOU MUST KNOW:

BIBLE The sacred book of Christians consisting of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. It is the written record of God’s revelation.

CHRISTIAN A follower of Jesus Christ.

SALVATION Union with God brought about through Jesus Christ.

SAVIOUR One who saves others from death and evil – in Christianity this is Jesus Christ.

YAHWEH (YHWH) Hebrew word for ‘God’. Literally, it means “I AM”. This term received its first mention in the Bible in the Book of Exodus, the story of Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush (Ex 3)

History of Palestine Resource: PPT: Beginnings of Christianity (Common/RE program/Preliminary)

● The land of Palestine was born when Abraham entered the land promised him by Yahweh (ref. Gen 12)

● For many years Palestine was one kingdom, but eventually it was divided into two: Israel and Judah. Israel was in the north with its main town being Samaria. The southern region was called Judah with its main town being Jerusalem.

● Eventually the Assyrians invaded Israel (721 BCE), and laying waste the land. They renamed the region Samaria. People from this region came to be called Samaritans.

● About 200 years later (587 BCE), the Babylonians invaded Judah, destroyed the town of Jerusalem and the famous Temple of Solomon and dragged most of the inhabitants off to Babylon as exiles.

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● When eventually the Jews were allowed to return from exile, they moved into the southern part of Palestine, which was now renamed Judea.

● By the time of Jesus came on the scene, Palestine consisted of three regions: Galilee in the north, Samaria in the middle and Judea in the south.

ACTIVITYFind the map “Palestine in the Time of Jesus” towards the end of the Bible.

● Using a ruler and the scale given for the map, calculate the distance in kilometres from the northern border to the southern border of Palestine.

● Calculate the distance from the eastern to the western border of Palestine.● What is the approximate area of Palestine in the time of Jesus?

Political Context Around the Time of JesusFor nearly 600 years before Jesus was born, Palestine, the land of the Jewish people, was under foreign rule. Towards the end of the Old Testament period there were the Babylonians and Persians. In the time between the Old and New

Testaments, four more ruling powers held the land including the Greeks and the Romans. The Jews governed themselves for only one brief spell of eighty years.

ACTIVITY: Time Line of Key Political Events

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Read the information below, then construct a time line to summarise the key events that took place in Palestine in 332 BCE, 323 BCE, 198 BCE, 167 BCE, 164 BCE, 104 BCE, 63 BCE, 48 BCE, 44 BCE, 37 BCE, 4 BCE, 6 CE, 26 CE

In 332 BCE the Macedonian General, Alexander the Great, took Palestine into the Greek Empire. Some Jews adopted the Greek way of life, giving their children Greek names and learning to speak the language.

Nine years later, Alexander died and the empire was divided among his generals. General Ptolemy became the ruler of Egypt and his lands included Palestine. He did not interfere with Jewish life or religion.

Another of Alexander’s generals, Seleucus became ruler of Syria. The kings of his line conquered the Ptolemies (Greek rulers of Egypt). In 198 BCE they took control of Palestine. Antiochus IV, a later king, proved harsh and cruel. Many loyal Jews suffered under his rule. He went so far as to place a pagan altar in the Temple at Jerusalem – and in 167 BCE the Jews revolted.

The Jewish revolt against the Seleucids was led by Judas, Jonathan and Simon, the three sons of a priest. After three years of fighting, during which Judas became known as “Maccabaeus” (the hammerer), the family managed to gain control of their own country. They were known as the Maccabees or Hasmoneans. They ruled Palestine as a theocracy (a government by priests, or by a religious institution claiming to be directed by God). Under this theocracy, various Jewish religious “parties” plotted revolution and struggled for power. Among these parties were the Essenes (of ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ fame), the Sadducees and the Pharisees. In 104 BCE, John Hyrcanus became the High Priest and ruler.

The Hasmoneans were bad rulers, always fighting among themselves. In 63 BCE the Roman general, Pompey, took advantage of this and claimed Judea for Rome. In 48 BCE, Julius Caesar defeated Pompey during a civil war. In 44 BCE, Caesar was assassinated. In 37 BCE, the successor to the Roman Empire, Marcus Antoninus (Mark Antony), installed a Jewish leader, Herod, as Tetrarch (or ‘king’) of Palestine (ruler of this one quarter of the empire but under the authority of Rome).

In 4 BCE Herod died and Palestine was again divided. Galilee in the north went to his son Herod Antipas and Judea (including Jerusalem) in the south went to another son, Archelaus.

Archelaus was such a harsh ruler that in 6 CE the Romans had to bring in a Governor to take over Judea. From 26 – 36 CE this Governor was none other than Pontius Pilate.

The Romans usually allowed people to continue with their own religion. So the Jews had their own religious authorities, based in Jerusalem. The High Priest and the main council, called the Sanhedrin, had control over all religious matters. They could punish people who had done wrong, but they were not allowed to put anyone to death.

Jewish Attitude to Rome Resource: PPT: Brief History of Christianity (Common/RE program/Preliminary)

At the time of Jesus, Jews looked for God to intervene in different ways. Some Jews looked for a revolutionary, political leader to overthrow power of Rome

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● period of peace and prosperity in which they could live and bring up their children without fear

● a king who would bring justice among people● a king of the poor, those who were oppressed and those who had no voice● God to send his Chosen One (‘Messiah’) to establish a kingdom for Jews with Jerusalem as its

centre.At this time in Judea/Israel, there was a feeling of unease and disquiet with the Roman occupation. Spurred on by the preaching of rabbis and prophets (such as John the Baptist), the context was ripe for expectations of the imminent coming of a Messiah who would rescue his people from oppression.

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Social Context

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Who’s Who in the Jewish Religious Sects in Jesus’ Time.

PHARISEESstrict Jews, who tried to keep every part of the Law written in Old Testament most scribes (educated people who could write) were Phariseesso too were lawyers, who taught people the Law (Torah)

SADDUCEESupper class Jewish leadersmostly members of families of prieststook a less strict approach to the Law than Pharisees had to be friendly towards Romans, to keep their positionmistrusted by most other Jews and unpopular with ordinary people because of profit they

made from temple market

ESSENESeven stricter than Phariseesmany of them lived in groups in deserttried to keep Jewish religion pure and free from outside influencesone group, in particular, set up a community on the banks of the Dead Sea (this group were

to become famous twenty centuries later when, in 1948, ancient scrolls written by this group were discovered in caves situated high in cliffs above the Dead Sea)

ZEALOTSnationalists, who hated the Romanssmall bands of freedom fighters, dedicated to ridding country of foreign power ambition to return to days when God ruled Israel and not foreign powers. Their ambition

was to bring about a new ‘Kingdom of God’.

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The Religious Context Into Which Jesus Was Born


Origins

Jesus Christ examine the principal events of Jesus’ life

explain why Jesus is the model for Christian life

Unit Outcomes:








Work in groups to develop chapter summaries for one or more of the synoptic Gospels

Use cartoon frames to identify and highlight significant events in Jesus life and ministry

Examine and discuss similarities and differences among the synoptic Gospels

Use a writing task to compile paragraphs which identify and explain the significance of principal events in the life and ministry of Jesus

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Character Profile of Jesus

Write brief answers to each of the following questions:● Birth date:

● Where was he born?

● Mother’s name

● Father’s name

● Name some events from his childhood.

● What were some of his likes?

● What were some of his dislikes?

● What was his attitude towards:Roman rulePhariseesSadduceesOutcasts

● What did he value?

● What was the political situation at the time of Jesus?

● What do you know about the land and the culture where Jesus lived?

● With whom did he associate?

● What problems did this cause him?

● What were some of the names that Jesus was referred to as?

● Any other information that you can add.

● Why do we as Christians still follow Christ after 2000 years?

● Who is Jesus to you?

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The Principle events of Jesus’ lifeJesus did not intend to found a new religion. Jesus is typically known as the founder of Christianity. Yet, Jesus was born a Jew, lived as a Jew and died a Jew. Jesus sought to renew Judaism in the spirit of the prophets by opposing the legalism of Judaism during his time and calling people to return to the demands of the covenant. There is no evidence to suggest that he intended to found a new religion. Given that he sought only to renew Judaism from within it is not surprising that he left very few instructions except to preach, baptise, heal the sick, feed the poor and forgive.

Reign of GodThe main focus of Jesus' preaching was the reign (kingdom) of God, which is understood as God's vision or dream for humankind. The reign of God envisages a world where God's values (love, peace, cooperation, tolerance and justice) are realised. Essentially, Jesus sought to show how this could be done. By announcing this reign of God Jesus was inaugurating it and inviting others to join in its development. The reign of God will reach completion at the end of time when God's dream for humankind becomes a reality. Until then it is the responsibility of the followers of Jesus to live in accordance with these values and to lead others to them.

Principal events in the life of Jesus Much of what we know about Jesus is derived from the Gospels. Even though the Gospels were not written to provide a historical explanation of the life of Jesus the Gospels do provide an historical framework through which we can examine the principal events in the life of Jesus. Traditionally Jesus is believed to have been born of a virgin in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. Modern scholarship suggests that the infancy narratives were written to make theological statements about Jesus' heritage. These statements emphasise the claim that Jesus is the Messiah. Historically Jesus is known to have travelled from Nazareth to Galilee, where he was baptised by John the Baptist. He then preached around the region of Galilee and attracted disciples some of whom were women. Jesus began this ministry when he was about thirty years old little if anything is known of his life before this time. Jesus taught in parables mostly concerning the reign of God. In essence this message challenged the temporal and the material and consequently Jesus attracted a significant following from those who were socially disadvantaged. Frequently, the Gospels depict Jesus as a healer or a miracle worker as a way of highlighting the power of God in action. Jesus' preaching brought him into conflict with the Jewish authorities.

PhariseesThe clash between Jesus and the Pharisees however, reflects the situation at the time the Gospels were written rather than the situation at the time of Jesus. At the time of the writing of the gospels conflict existed between the Christians and the Pharisees because the Pharisees regarded the Christian sect as heretical. Thus when we read of the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees we are reading something

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that is more a reflection of the times of the gospel writer rather than the situation that prevailed a generation earlier during the life and ministry of Jesus.

Death and ResurrectionJesus' ministry took him to Jerusalem, where he stayed for the Passover. He was arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion. He was placed in a tomb on the eve of the Passover and appeared to his disciples after being raised on the third day.

Gospels written so that people would believeEven though the Gospels provide a historical framework by which we can analyse the principal events in the life of Jesus it is important to remember that the Gospels were not written with the intent of providing an accurate historical explanation of the life of Jesus.

Modern Biblical Hermeneutics (Greek term meaning: to interpret or make clear)

The synoptic problem, which describes the attempts to understand the relationship between the synoptic gospels, highlights the point that the gospels were written for different target audiences. Thus it is futile to attempt to form a composite picture of the historical Jesus by ironing out the contradictions in the Gospel. In the same way, the achievements of modern biblical scholarship show us that each Gospel should be appreciated on its own as it reflects the needs of a particular target audience. Consequently, we need to be wary of attempts to examine the historical events in the gospel accounts in the life of Jesus as a precise way of studying the life of the historical Jesus.

Christians today see the Old Testament of the Bible as an important foundation for their religion. Important themes established in the Old Testament still hold true for Christianity:

● God created the world and human beings are to be responsible stewards of earth● God desires a relationship with human beings and human beings are capable of knowing God ● God established a covenant (agreement) with Jewish people through Abraham and Sarah, and

through Moses ● God demands righteousness and justice but human beings, individually and in groups,

continually fail ● Ten Commandments make clear God’s standards● God provided means of redeeming people from sin through a system of offering sacrifices● God sent prophets to Jewish people to remind them of the demands of God and to call them to

repentance, justice, goodness and mercy

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ACTIVITY

Below are listed eight stages in the life of a heroic sacred person. There are also listed a number of references to passages in the New Testament gospels about Jesus of Nazareth. Match each Bible passage with the stage in Jesus’ life which the passage describes.

Birth Growing Up

Decision Point or Call

Reflection

Ministry (Teaching and Healing)

Contribution to Salvation

Crisis

Death

Challenging the Pharisees

Mark 6:56Mark 1:12-13Luke 24:36-52 (note the Chapter heading)John 19:1-6Matthew 3:13-17Luke 2:41-52Matthew 1:18-25Matthew 2:1-12Luke 2:8-20Luke 23:44-46Mark 15:37-39Matthew 12:1-14Matthew 16:5-12Matthew 23:1-36

Jesus of History, Christ of Faith PPT: Jacob’s Christianity Depth Study. To prove the historical existence of any person we can use a variety of sources of information. These then corroborate each other to give a fuller picture of the person in question.

JESUS OF HISTORY● Factual information about Jesus that can be proven through a variety of sources (eg.

documents, stories, artifacts).● Matter of historical record.

● Perhaps the best proof is the impact Jesus has had on history itself and the people who make up that history.

● The name Jesus means “Yahweh is salvation”. The historical Jesus was Jesus of Nazareth, 18

VISUALpictures

photographscarvings

ARCHAEOLOGICALcoins

statuespotteryclothing

implements

WRITTENbooksletters

documentsdiariesscrolls

ORALstories

interviewsspeeches

Jesus Bar Joseph (son of Joseph) or Jesus the Carpenter – this we can prove.● The name Jesus gives him a life:

HISTORICAL FACT – he lived at a certain time, in a certain place, had parents and friends, did a certain kind of work, died in a certain way – these facts can be proven.

CHRIST OF FAITH● This is what we believe about Jesus through faith. We cannot prove it.● Interpretation about Jesus which goes beyond the historical fact of his existence, but is always

connected to it.● The name Christ is a Greek word – Kairos / Christos (Chi + rho = X P), meaning messiah

(saviour) or anointed one.● Leaders and kings were anointed with oil during special events. Therefore Jesus is given

special status when he was called Christ after his death.● The title Christ refers to the ‘person’ people considered him to be – the Saviour of All

Mankind – a belief which cannot be proven.● Therefore Christians are those who believe that Jesus is “the Christ”.

THE MINISTRY OF JESUSJesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of God was at handidentified with the poor and dispossessedchallenged the religious authorities of the daytaught about the nature of the Kingdomperformed miracles, healing the sick, restoring life

ACTIVITY: Select several quotes from each list and write down what it tells us about Jesus, his person or his works.

LUKE’SGOSPEL

MARK’SGOSPEL

MATTHEW’S GOSPEL

JOHN’SGOSPEL

Lk 8:22-25 Mk 1:21-28 Mt 5:31-32 Jn 15:8-9

Lk 4:31-37 Mk 4:30-32 Mt 22:1-4 Jn 8:1-11

Lk 8:40-46 Mk 10:20-22 Mt 8:2-4 Jn 9:1-34

Lk 20:45-47 Mk 12:14-44 Mt 13:31-32 Jn 19:17-19

Lk 8:4-8 Mk 1:14 Mt 26:26-28

Lk 13:10-17 Mk 12:28-31 Mt 28:5-6

Lk 4:18-19 Mk 8:29, 31 Mt 28:18-20

KINGDOM OF GODIn the Bible, the ‘Kingdom of God’ means God’s active reign in the world. For some of the Jews around Jesus’ time, this meant something they could see and be a part of – a special land ruled over by

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an anointed king (a ‘messiah’), peaceful, free from oppression, without the domination of a foreign power.

Jesus’ idea of God’s Kingdom was quite different. Jesus taught thatthe Kingdom was already presentthe Kingdom was a spiritual rather than material realityto be part of this Kingdom, one had to accept salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesusthe fullness of the Kingdom would come about only when Jesus comes again at the end of time to fulfil all of God’s promises.

Why Jesus is the model for Christian life

Approaches to Learning:Suggested Strategies

Read one of the following scripture passages Matthew 5:1-12, Matthew 6:19-21, Matthew 13:44-46, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 9:23-26, John 13:1-15, explain what it says about the meaning of life and outline how Christians could apply its message in their daily lives List and describe the qualities of contemporary or historical people who have embodied the message of Jesus Examine Gospel accounts of Jesus' confrontation with authorities and consider their reasons for opposing Jesus and his ministry Prepare a dramatisation of a selected Gospel story

Jesus Inaugurates the Reign of GodJesus is seen as the model for Christian life through his embodiment of the reign of God: The synoptic gospels portray Jesus as emerging from obscurity in Galilee and announcing the inauguration of the reign of God (Mark 1:14-15). This reign of God, often referred to as the Kingdom of God, can be understood in simple terms as the realisation of God's vision or dream for the world. Jesus' preaching of the reign of God points to a future yet already present reality where the values of love, justice and peace prevail in a world living in accordance with God's plan. The reign of God is central to the preaching of Jesus and is at the heart of his life and ministry. Following his death and resurrection Jesus was recognised as the embodiment of the reign of God and those who seek to bring about the reign of God are encouraged to model their lives on the example of Jesus. This modeling can be identified according to four significant aspects of Jesus' life and ministry.

Jesus lives a life of prayerChristians model Jesus' attitude to prayer:The first significant aspect is the prayerful nature of Jesus' life. The gospel portraits of Jesus show him to be a man of prayer, frequently communing with God in a familiar and intimate manner (Luke 10:21). He often withdraws from the pressures of daily life to pray in a quiet place (Luke 5:16) and does so especially as he approaches key moments in his ministry such as the calling of his disciples (Luke 8:12-15). Jesus' prayer includes the traditions of the Jewish liturgy and often draws on the tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures (Matthew 27:46). Jesus is also found at prayer in times of personal crisis as well as

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in the face of the needs of others (Matthew 26:39). Finally Jesus teaches his disciples some important principles of prayer and famously he teaches them how to pray. Christians throughout history have closely studied Jesus attitude of prayer and have sought to model their lives on a variety of lessons drawn from Jesus' example.

Jesus lives a life of service to othersMinistry of Jesus is characterised by service to others:From the outset, the ministry of Jesus is characterised by service of others. It is notable that the early scenes from the ministry in the synoptic gospels are littered with examples of healing miracles where Jesus seeks to bring the healing power of God into contact with the need of others (Mark 1:23-45). While it appears that Jesus initially saw his ministry as directed solely to the needs of the people of Israel, an encounter with a determined Gentile woman seems to have transformed his understanding (Mark 7:24-30). A number of the sayings attributed to Jesus including the famous Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) and the Golden Rule (Matthew 8:12) highlight this attitude of service. Christians have always embraced an ethos of service to others and have done so as a direct consequence of the example provided in the life and ministry of Jesus.

Jesus acts as an advocate for the poorMinistry of Jesus is characterised by advocacy for the needy:In the Jewish tradition, there is a strong ethical dimension which calls upon people to stand up for the needs of the poor and disadvantaged. This tradition is embraced emphatically in the ministry of Jesus who makes this a central characteristic of his ministry. The gospels provide many examples of Jesus taking the side of the poor and oppressed (John 9:1-41). In many cases the cause of the oppression is the harsh requirements of religious observance and Jesus is strident in his indictment of religious extremism which leads to the oppression of those who are vulnerable. While advocacy for the poor has always been present in the Christian tradition, recent developments such as Liberation Theology have brought this important dimension into sharper focus. This is particularly so for the majority of Christians who now live among the poorer countries of the world.

Jesus loves and forgives othersJesus' attitude of love and forgiveness is a model for Christian life: The final example which highlights the role of Jesus as a model for Christian life has to do with an attitude of love and forgiveness of others. There are numerous examples in the gospels where Jesus' love for others is shown (John 8:2-11). Furthermore he is shown as being ever willing to forgive the failings of others. Most poignantly this is seen in the post resurrection appearances with the disciples who had abandoned him (John 21:1-14) and in the famous prayer for the forgiveness of his own executioners (Luke 23:34). Christians have modeled these attributes in a number of ways. Some denominations have incorporated sacraments or other ceremonies to ritualise the importance of forgiveness. Finally the famous prayer, the Lord's Prayer incorporates the petition asking for forgiveness as we also forgive others (Luke 11:4).

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EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIESResource: PPT: Christianity Presentation (Common/RE program/Preliminary)


Origins

the development of early Christian communities

describe the early development of Christian communities after the death of Jesus

Unit Outcomes:








Compare extracts from the Letters of Paul and the Acts of the Apostles to gain a broad perspective of significant events and debates in the early Church communities

Research the meaning of terms such as Palestinian Judaism, Diaspora, Hellenistic and Gentile

Organise a class debate on the issues relating to the conversion of the Gentiles and their place in the Christian communities

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Use maps of the journeys of Paul to highlight his contribution to the development and spread of Christianity

Major topics of interest:▪ Saint Paul and the growth of the early Christian Church.

▪ The influences on early Christianity in the Roman Empire.

▪ The growth of Christianity in the Roman Empire.

▪ The Church of Rome.

▪ How the early Christians prayed and worshipped.

▪ Persecutions and heresies.

In order to become a religion in its own right, rather than just a sect of Judaism, the Christian church needed to develop its own coherent set of

▪ Beliefs

▪ Sacred texts and writings

▪ Rituals and Ceremonies

▪ Ethics

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Early Followers of JesusAt first called Nazarenes later in Antioch were called ChristiansNazarenes allowed to preach in synagogueslived like good Jewsprayed in the Templeobserved the rules about diet practised circumcision of male children

What was different about them? they baptised their followers in the name of Jesusthey broke bread togetherat first the Jews regarded them as a sect or sub-group within their own religiongrowing popularity of new sect made Roman authorities suspicious Jewish religious authorities opposed the early Christians

Paul and the Growth of the Early Christian Church Resource: St Paul’s DVD

PPT: Early Development of Christianity (Common/RE program/ppts for RE

The followers of Jesus were called Nazarenes, until they became established in Antioch, a city to the north of Jerusalem some years later. It was here that they were first called Christians. In the early days, the Nazarenes were allowed to preach in the synagogues. They lived like good Jews, they prayed in the Temple, observed the rules about diet and practised circumcision of male children. What was different about them was that they baptised their followers in the name of Jesus and they ‘broke bread’ together. However, at first the Jews regarded them as a sect or sub-group within their religion.

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The growing popularity of the new sect made the Roman authorities suspicious and caused the Jewish religious authorities to become opposed to the Christians. There were also arguments within the Christian communities themselves about beliefs and practices.

Saul, a Pharisee, thought that the Christians’ claims about Jesus being the Messiah were blasphemous (speaking against God). He worked hard to destroy the Christians until, on a journey north to the town of Damascus in about 34 CE, he received a revelation and was converted. His new name became Paul (the story is told in Acts, Ch 9).

For the next thirty-five years, Paul travelled throughout the Roman Empire setting up and teaching Christian communities. He wrote many letters to Christian communities in such places as Ephesus (Ephesians), Corinth (Corinthians), Philippi (Philippians), Thessalonika (Thessalonians), etc. As Paul began to convert large numbers of Gentiles (non-Jewish people) to Christianity, problems arose about the relationship between Christian teachings and Jewish teachings. At the Council of Jerusalem in 49 CE it was decided that the followers of Jesus were to be no longer bound by the Jewish law.

Paul taught that Jesus was not just a Jewish Messiah but the saviour of all peoples. He developed his system of beliefs (theology) in response to the challenges made to his message as he travelled through the Empire. He had an important influence in helping the early Church to realise that it was more than a Jewish sect.

In the mid-60’s, CE Paul journeyed to Rome. He was arrested in 67 CE for being a Christian. He was sentenced to death. Because he was a citizen of Rome, he was given the privilege of an honourable execution and was beheaded rather than crucified.

The Influences on Early Christianity in the Roman EmpireTHE INFLUENCE OF JUDAISMChristian moral teaching was mainly influenced by Jewish teachings. There was great respect for the individual; widows and orphans were cared for; children were taught in synagogue schools; there was a strong emphasis on family life and the sacredness of marriage.

The Christians adopted the Ten Commandments. They also adopted Jewish beliefs and practices that emphasised respect for all created things, and a concern with justice.

THE INFLUENCE OF GREEK CULTUREThe process of Greek influence or ‘Hellenisation’ of the Roman Empire began in about 200 BCE when Greece was conquered by Rome. In time the Greek and the Roman cultures became blended.Greek influence was most important in relation to Christianity in the area of thought or philosophy.

The Greek method of learning was the inquiry method. Greek philosophers organised their ideas into systematic explanations of life. Christian teachers used their systems of thought to explain and organise Christian beliefs.

The first Christian scholars to study and write about Christian beliefs were Greek. They are known as the Greek Fathers. (Father was a word used to describe a teacher and guide.) These scholars had been trained to be scientific in their study of any topic. They developed a systematic explanation of the mysteries of Christianity.

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ROMAN INFLUENCEThe Romans were excellent organisers and law makers. The Christians organised their Church along Roman lines. The good organisation of the Church was one of the factors that helped it grow in strength.

The Church was organised along Roman administration. It had a hierarchical order – that is, one person in charge and elected people in other positions of authority with responsibility for organising particular jobs.

From the first century onwards, each Christian community had a bishop as its leader. He was in charge of a certain district. As the Church grew, lower orders of clergy were established: priests and deacons. Women were in charge of communities and were involved in instruction and preaching. In many communities women had an equal place with men.

By the fourth century the central role of the bishops was to exercise authority and leadership so that all Christians held the same beliefs and followed the same religious practices. The bishops of particular provinces of the Empire met regularly to discuss Church matters, settle disputes and promote a sense of unity.

The bishop of the provincial capital of each region was given the title Metropolitan or Archbishop. In the fifth century the bishop of Rome was made the head of the Western Church and was given the title Pope. His authority was not recognised in the East, where the emperors from the time of Constantine has lived – here the power of the Church was divided by the head of the Church in the capital, the Patriarch, and the ruling Emperor.

As the Christian Church developed its theology, the Roman way of writing laws was used by theologians to write down Christian beliefs.

The Growth of Christianity in the Roman EmpireTHE END OF THE WORLD ?The early Christians believed that at the end of the world Jesus would reappear to judge the lives of people, living and dead. This event was called the Parousia. The early Christians expected the Parousia to occur in their life time, and when this did not happen they thought about spreading their faith and the idea of mission, preaching the good news of the gospel to all people.

Christianity was for all people. It did not discriminate against people because of their race, class or sex.

TOWARDS AN ORGANISED RELIGION Christians lived moral and caring lives. By the third century, the early Church had established an efficient organisation throughout the Empire. The Christian churches worked together and supported each other, showing that they shared the same beliefs and had the same aims.

Most of the converts came from the large cities of Empire, and they included slaves, free workers, merchants, craftsmen and families. The friendship and caring offered by the strong Christian communities and the security which the Christian faith promised for life after death gave them a sense of dignity and hope, and meaning and direction to their lives.

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Christianity became popular due to the miracles attributed to some Christians.

At first Christian missionaries preached in the cities in or near the synagogues, but eventually they turned to the country where they converted people to Christianity.

The aristocratic class retained their pagan religions longer than any other group because their religious beliefs were part of their class identity – a part of their sense of superiority. However, as one Christian Emperor succeeded another, and as the Christian Church became more organised and able to maintain order at a time when the Western Empire was falling apart, the aristocrats were also converted.

By the fourth century, the Church had established orphanages, hospitals, inns for travellers and pilgrims, and homes for the aged and the needy.

In 313 CE, the Emperor Constantine made Christianity a legal religion and, later, in 380 CE, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the sole religion of the Empire. All pagan religions were declared illegal. Pagan rituals and practices were outlawed and the pagan priesthood abolished.

THE CHURCH OF ROMEInitially the Christian communities looked for guidance from the Christian community in Jerusalem, but it was Rome that eventually became the most important Christian centre.

When the Jews began their fight against Rome, the Christians in Jerusalem decided to leave the city. In 70 CE, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. In time Christian communities returned to Jerusalem, but Jerusalem was never again as influential in deciding Church matters as before.

Antioch in Syria was an important centre of the early Church because the community there had a strong influence on shaping the beliefs of early Christianity. It was in Antioch that non-Jews were first accepted into the Christian community without having to be circumcised. It was here that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. The Gospel of Matthew is believed to have been written in Antioch. It was in Antioch that the early Christian communities started to develop some formal organisation.

Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome in about 64 CE This fact became a deciding factor in making Rome the foremost Christian centre in the Empire.

The centralised system of government of the Empire, based in Rome, made the Empire relatively safe for most of its citizens. As time passed, the influence of the Roman system of administration on the developing Church became more evident. Christians reasoned that, if the Church was to grow, it needed to be united under a strong central authority, as in the Roman model. However, the development of a strong authority in the Roman Church took a long time.

From the earliest times the Roman Church assisted small and struggling Churches with money. But with Roman money there went a gentle but persistent pressure to conform to Roman standards.

Following the Emperor Constantine’s legalization of Christianity (313 CE), he donated land, buildings and money to the new religion, and gave gifts and endowments (gifts of money or property) to the Church in Rome, because of Rome’s special place as capital of the Empire. These gifts, along with the fact that the Church in Rome was linked with the government of the Empire, gave the Roman Church great prestige.

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In the middle of the fourth century, Constantine made Constantinople in the Eastern part of the Empire his new capital. The Church in Constantinople became a very wealthy and important centre of Christianity, in keeping with the status of the new capital of the Empire.

However, as time went on, great friction developed between the Roman Church and the Church in Constantinople.

HOW THE EARLY CHRISTIANS PRAYED AND WORSHIPPEDUntil 49 CE when Christianity separated from Judaism, the followers of Jesus met together in synagogues as Jews to pray and perform the rituals of the Jewish faith. They also discussed the teachings of Jesus and broke bread together in their homes.

In the early centuries, the places for Christian meetings were changed regularly because people were afraid of being arrested and executed for being Christian. In Rome, many met in catacombs. The catacombs consisted of kilometres of underground passages near Rome which were used as Jewish cemeteries. Generally, in the West they also met in the dining room of a home. In the East they met in the room of a quiet secluded house. Baptisms were performed in the bathroom. From the end of the second century, some Christians donated houses to be used as places of worship; these ‘house churches’ were the first buildings to be used exclusively as places of Christian worship. The first churches were built during the Third Century.

In the Second Century, Baptism included Confirmation and Communion. The period of preparation for Baptism, which was called the Catechumenate, could last up to three years. During the Catechumenate period, people spent time learning about the Christian story with other adults. This process was called catechesis. Candidates for Baptism (catechumens) had to be presented by Christians who would be their sponsors (like godparents) and guarantee their good behaviour.

On the Friday before their Baptism, catechumens would fast. During Baptism, the Bishop would lay his hands on the candidates, absolve them of their sins, breathe on their faces and make the sign of the cross. They were then baptised with water.

Christians met on Sundays to worship together. The Eucharist was initially said in the language spoken by the community. It was only much later that the Eucharist was said only in Latin (the language of the Romans) in the Western churches. In many Christian communities, the celebration of the Eucharist was followed by a shared meal which was called an agape. Christians retained the Jewish practice of reading the Jewish scriptures and in time added readings from the Christian scriptures about Jesus. During this early period, the celebrant wore no special vestments.

Christians usually prayed standing with their arms up and palms opened outwards. The first prayers were said in the morning. Other times were at 9 am, 12 noon, 3 pm and when the lamps were lit at dusk. The Christian communities saw that prayer, both private and communal, was an essential part of the spiritual life of the Church.

Singing and chanting were part of worship in the Jewish synagogue, and the Christians adopted and continued these traditions.

Persecutions and HeresiesWHY WERE THE CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED?

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The Romans believed that if they performed the right worship, then the gods would protect the Empire and its people. They believed that it was a good idea to have as many gods on their side as possible.

The Christians drew attention to themselves because they worshipped only one God, and because they would not worship the Emperor. Christians were accused of being atheists because they did not take part in imperial worship or even in the practices of the Eastern religions.

The early Christians were very secretive and protective of their liturgical practices and this led to the spread of all sorts of strange rumours about what happened when Christians met together. Often too, when people became Christians, they no longer associated with non-Christian friends and refused to go to the bloodthirsty sports that were popular at the time. Worst of all, Christians were seen as bad citizens because they would not take part in military service and would not be involved in the administration of the law. Therefore, the authorities concluded that Christians were not interested in the welfare of the Empire and in fact were a dangerous example for the citizens of Rome.

THE MARTYRSThe term martyr comes from a Greek word meaning witness. During various times of persecution, there were many people who were killed for their beliefs. Those Christians who chose to die rather than to deny their faith, were called martyrs. The persecution of Christians stopped in 313 CE when Christianity was made an official religion.

ACTIVITY: Read each summary and use it to match the following words with the explan-ation or definition given on the next page.

Archbishop Agape Barbarian Arianism

Blaspheme Aristocrat Endowment Bishop

Catechumenate Catechesis Gnosticism Catacombs

Edict Church Fathers Hierarchical Feudal system

Heresy Heresy Parousia Gentiles

Messiah Martyr Patriarch Hellenisation

Nicene Creed Pope Sect Mission

Philosophy Theology Synagogue Temple

Speaking against God; saying things which are offensive to people’s beliefs about God.

Beliefs and teachings which are contrary to official religious views; religious authorities would determine which teachings were not true to their religion and would label these as heresy.

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A sub-group within a religion, usually with some distinguishing beliefs and/or religious practices.

A collective name given to all non-Jewish people.

One “Sent by God to save the Jewish People”. In the time of Jesus, some expected this to happen by rebellion against the Romans.

The organisation of beliefs into a system, together with reflection on the meaning of those beliefs.

The Greek influence on a culture; from the word Hellene meaning Greek.

Systematic thought about the nature of reality and the meaning of human life.

The important Christian Church scholars in the early centuries CE who studied and wrote about Christian theology and the Christian way of life. The term was used to mean teacher and guide.

A system of authority with the person in charge at the top of the system with others arranged in a decreasing order of authority.

The Christian belief that Jesus would return at the end of the world to judge the lives of people, both living and dead.

The Christian belief that they were called upon Jesus to preach the good news of the gospel to all peoples on earth. Those who were specially committed to this role were called missionaries.

A legally enforced order from an authority such as an emperor.

One from the wealthy class or the ruling class.

Gifts of money and/or property.

The period of preparation for Baptism, lasting for up to three years.

Learning about the Christian story and the Christian tradition.

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A Jewish house of worship.

The shared meal that followed the celebration of the Eucharist.

A system of underground passages near Rome, used as Jewish cemeteries. It was here that the Christians were able to worship without fear of persecution.

The most sacred site of Judaism, in Jerusalem, built originally by Solomon.

Individuals who have given their lives for their beliefs. It comes from the Greek word meaning witness.

An early heresy in the Christian Church which denied the humanity of Jesus, and claimed that salvation came from special knowledge.

An early heresy in the Christian Church which denied the divinity of Jesus.

A formula expressing the fundamental beliefs of Christianity which was prepared at the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE

Recognised as the main authority in the Western Church since the fifth century.

The principal bishop of a province or region; usually the bishop of the capital of the region.

The person in charge of a region, whose purpose was to ensure that Christian held the same beliefs and followed the same religious practises.

The Bishop of Constantinople. Recognised as the main authority in the Eastern Church.

Name given to the different tribes which invaded the Roman Empire over a long period of time.

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THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES TODAY


Origins

Christianity:AnglicanismCatholicismOrthodoxyPentecostalismProtestantism

outline the unique features of:AnglicanismCatholicismOrthodoxyPentecostalismProtestantism

Unit Outcomes:






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Prepare a visual representation (diagram, table, chart etc) demonstrating the historical relationships among the different groups within Christianity

Set a group research task to identify the main features of various groups within Christianity

Develop a crossword or find-a-word puzzle using key terms and names relating to each of the groups within Christianity

Choose aspects such as origins, organisation, principal beliefs, authority and leadership and prepare a table showing these aspects in each of the groups within Christianity

CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS TODAY

Christianity is the world’s largest and most geographically widespread religious tradition. There are over 1.7 billion Christians in 270 countries.

From the moment Christianity moved away from being an exclusively Jewish sect, it has undergone change and diversity, and this is reflected in its denominational variety today. Diversity can be categorised into three broad forms or variants:

Roman Catholic (Catholicism) Orthodox (Orthodoxy)Protestant (Protestantism)

The Roman Catholic Church (Catholicism): Roman Catholics are Christians in communion with the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). They are generally just called Catholics. They are the largest single Christian group and number about one billion today. There are over 400 million Roman Catholics in Latin America. Almost 99% of Catholics worship according to the Roman rite. Just over 1% are members of Eastern Catholic Churches whose rites resemble Orthodox liturgy.

The Catholic Church is based on three major components:

Liturgy: sacramental (liturgy that takes as its source the Eucharist)

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Sources of TeachingScripture: beliefs and teachings derived from the Old and New Testaments of the BibleTradition: beliefs, teachings and rituals derived from the interpretation of the Scriptures, together with the teachings of the Popes and the great teachers of the Church (eg St Thomas Aquinas, St Teresa of Avila, the early Fathers of the Church, St Augustine, St Benedict, etc) together with the ritual practices developed of the centuries.Hierarchical Structure: its organisation and authority are hierarchical under the Pope and bishops. The contemporary Catholic Church is characterised by a strong emphasis on community, increased lay ministry, strong social teaching and continued revival in the light of the Second Vatican Council (held in Rome in 1962-65. This Council was responsible for major reforms, moves towards Church unity, massive change in liturgical celebration and renewal, and is widely accepted as the greatest single event in Church history since the Reformation).

The Eastern Orthodox Church (Orthodoxy)Commonly known as the ‘Orthodox Church’, it is a federation of many self-governing Churches united in common traditions and beliefs, especially the teachings of the first seven ecumenical councils. Some of these are the Russian, Greek and Serbian Orthodox Churches. Their traditions date back to the great centuries of ancient eastern Christianity. Local bishops and patriarchs exercise Church authority, with primacy of honour given to the Patriarch of Constantinople.

Orthodox theology places high value on two components:tradition liturgy.

With increased practice in Russia since the fall of communism, there are up to 150 million Orthodox in the world.

The Protestant Churches (Protestantism)The Protestant Churches have over 450 million believers in many denominations spread throughout the world but mainly Europe and North America. These denominations differ from Catholic and Orthodox in their understanding of the authority of the Bible, the degree of ceremonial worship and the extent of lay ministry, and from each other in generally less significant ways –

Lutherans, the largest group, are widespread in countries of German heritage and in Scandinavia and North America.

Calvinists, such as the Dutch Reformed Church and Presbyterians in Scotland have more simplified worship. Baptists constitute groups that baptise only mature believers by full immersion and generally follow Calvinist understandings.

Methodist Churches originated within the Church of England, through the revivalist efforts of John Wesley and Charles Wesley in the 18th Century. Their efforts to restore fervour of belief and widespread preaching were part of the Evangelical Awakening, a period of mass religious excitement in England and America.

IV. The Anglican Church (Anglicanism) 34

Anglicans are often classified as Protestants, though theoretically they were not part of the Protestant movement. The worldwide Anglican Communion consists of religious groups associated with the Church of England. They base their faith, practice and worship on the Book of Common Prayer and the Thirty Nine Articles. The Archbishop of Canterbury (in England) has an honoured place. There are about 75 million Anglicans worldwide. Some Anglicans have affinity with the Catholic tradition and others with Protestantism. In this sense, the Anglican Church is a bridge Church between the two.

V. PentecostalismPentecostal activity is an increasing phenomenon in Christianity across the world. It is based on the experience of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (referred to specifically in the New Testament book The Acts of the Apostles). Pentecostal worship is excitable and spontaneous and has a focus on healing and speaking in tongues. There are both separate Pentecostal Churches and expressions of Pentecostal activity within various denominations.

Other Christian denominations include: Mormons, Assemblies of God, Seventh Day Adventists, Baptists, Uniting Church ( the third largest Christian Church denomination in Australia after the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church. It was formed through the amalgamation of several smaller Christian denominations).

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Summary of the Reformation and Counter Reformation Movements that gave rise to Protestantism and Anglicanism

PROTESTANTISM ANGLICANISM CATHOLICISM

LUTHERAN CALVINIST

KEY EVENT Luther 95 theses posted in 1517.

Institutes of the Christian Religion published in 1536 by Calvin.

Henry VIII established the Church of England.

Counter Reformation

Council of Trent in 1545 – 1563.

Key Teaching:

SALVATION

Humans are depraved. Salvation is from God through faith alone.

Humans are depraved. Some are destined for salvation. Christ died for the elect.

Salvation requires faith and good works.

Salvation requires faith and good works.

Key Teaching:

AUTHORITY

The Bible, not the Pope, is the centre of authority. Individual interpretation of the Bible.

Reject whatever cannot be found in or justified by the teachings in the Bible.

The King (or Queen) is the head of the Church with the spiritual leader being the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The supremacy of the Pope as the Vicar of Christ on earth and, therefore, Head of the Church.

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Summary Points: OriginsStudents learn about:The historical and cultural context in which Christianity began

Students learn to:Outline the historical and cultural context in which Christianity beganPower was centred in Jerusalem during first century Judaism Fierce sectarian rivalry existed between the different Jewish sects, particularly between the Pharisees, Sadducees and the Zealots who sought to control the direction of the religion The Messianic expectation, a central tenet of Jewish belief reached a high point during the time of Jesus. Jewish speculation that the Messiah was to be a political saviour was the result of centuries of political oppression by the Romans Jesus who sought to renew the Jewish religion in the spirit of the prophets, came to be seen as the Messiah by his followers

Students learn about:Jesus Christ

Students learn to: Examine the principal events of Jesus' lifeWhilst Jesus is typically known as the founder of Christianity, he did not seek to establish a new religion. Rather he intended to oppose the legalism of Judaism and reform the tradition in the spirit of the prophets The main focus of Jesus' preaching was the reign of God The reign of God envisages a world where God's values such as love, peace and cooperation are realised. This vision, that was inaugurated through Jesus' ministry, will be completed at the end of time. Until then it is the responsibility of the followers of Jesus to live in accordance with these values and to lead others to them. Subsequently, the reign of God is considered to be a present yet future reality Jesus is believed to have been born of a virgin in Bethlehem Jesus travelled from Nazareth to Galilee where he was baptised by John the Baptist He preached around the region of Galilee and attracted disciples some of whom were women and many were socially disadvantaged Jesus taught in parables mostly concerning the reign of God In the Gospels he is frequently depicted as a healer or a miracle worker Jesus' preaching brought him into conflict with the Jewish authorities Jesus' ministry took him to Jerusalem where he stayed for the Passover

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He was arrested and sentenced to death by crucifixion He was placed in a tomb on the eve of the Passover and appeared to his disciples after being raised on the third day The synoptic problem and modern biblical scholarship reminds us that the Gospels were written for a particular target audience as a way of passing on the faith of the community rather than with the intent of providing an accurate historical account of the life of Jesus

Students learn about:Jesus Christ

Students learn to:Explain why Jesus is the model for Christian lifeJesus is the model for Christian life because he embodies the reign of God, that is God's dream for humankind that lies at the heart of Jesus' life and ministry The reign of God refers to the realisation of God's vision for the world, where the values of love, justice and peace prevail. Jesus inaugurated God's dream for the world through his ministry, and showed people how to bring about the reign of God, which will be completed at the end of time Jesus' embodiment of the reign of God can be identified according to four significant aspects of Jesus' life and ministry: Jesus lives a life of prayer, Jesus lives a life of service to others, Jesus acts as an advocate for the poor and Jesus loves and forgives others The Gospel portraits of Jesus show him to be a man of prayer, often withdrawing from the pressures of daily life to pray in a quiet place, and does so especially as he approaches key moments in his ministry and during times of personal crisis Jesus also teaches his disciples some important principles of prayer such as the importance of praying for the needy The Christian ethos of service to others is the directly modelled upon Jesus' life and ministry which is characterised by its service to others A number of the sayings attributed to Jesus including the Beatitudes and the Golden Rule highlight this attitude of service Jesus emphatically identifies with the strong ethical tradition in the Hebrew scriptures by making advocacy for the poor and disadvantaged a central characteristic of his ministry Whilst advocacy for the poor has always been present in the Christian tradition, recent developments such as Liberation Theology has brought this important dimension into sharper focus Jesus' attitude of love and forgiveness for the failings of others is most evident firstly in his forgiveness of the disciples who abandoned him and secondly in the famous prayer for the forgiveness of his own executioners Some denominations have incorporated sacraments and other ceremonies to ritualise the importance of forgiveness

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Students learn about:The development of early Christian communities

Students learn to:Describe the early development of Christian communities after the death of Jesus

The Jesus movement which lasted from approximately 30-60 CE describes a period immediately following the death of Jesus where the infant Christian community saw itself as a sect which existed within the Jewish tradition Little emphasis was placed on laying down the infrastructure of the movement because the followers believed that they were living in the last days before the Parousia, the second coming of Christ. Small groups of Palestinian Jews followed Jesus through the preaching of disciples such as Peter in and around Palestine Larger groups of Diaspora Jews and Gentiles responded to the preaching of Paul Paul is typically considered as the second founder of Christianity because he helped to set up the structure of this new religion and hence confirm the status of Christianity vis-à-vis Judaism The Council of Jerusalem in 49 CE formally resolved the debate which divided the Pauline and Palestinian groups. The Council accepted Paul's argument that Gentiles need not undergo circumcision in order to become Christians. This Council is an attempt to overcome differences within the infant Church. Despite the formal resolution of the problem the tensions between the two early communities continued for some time The New Testament period which lasted from approximately 45 to 100 CE saw the gradual formalisation and centralisation of the Christian Churches which meant that this new religion was increasingly seen as distinct and separate from Judaism. The need to institutionalise the charism of the movement came about as a result of the delay of the Parousia and the death of the Apostles In the 2nd and 3rd century Christians were persecuted by Jews and Romans alike

Specimen QuestionsEvaluate the role of Jesus and Paul in the founding and development of early Christianity (20 marks)

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Outline the origins and describe the main characteristics of two significant groups within the Christian tradition (20 marks)

Sample ResponseEvaluate the role of Jesus and Paul in the founding and development of early Christianity (20 marks)Jesus, who is typically known as the founder of Christianity and Paul, who is considered as the second founder of Christianity, were instrumental in the development of early Christianity. Where Jesus set down the foundational message of Christianity concerning the reign of God Paul helped to set up the structure of this new religion and transformed the status of Christianity vis-à-vis Judaism. There is no evidence to suggest that Jesus wanted to found a new religion. In fact Jesus' opposition to the legalism Judaism exhibited at the time was an attempt to renew Judaism in terms of the prophets. On the other hand, Paul integrated Hellenistic philosophy with the Jewish message of Jesus to develop a Christian identity which was increasingly distinct and separate from Judaism.

Jesus is typically hailed as the founder of Christianity yet there is no indication that he intended to found a new religion. Rather Jesus was born a Jew, lived as a Jew and died a Jew. Jesus' greatest contribution to Christianity was the central focus of his teachings concerning the reign of God. Essentially, the reign of God is a state where justice, love, peace etc is lived. The reign of God was inaugurated through the ministry of Jesus and this reign will be fulfilled at the end of time. Until then, it is the responsibility of the followers of Jesus to live in accordance with these values and to lead others to them as well. Thus, the reign of God is considered as a present yet future reality. Jesus sought to renew Judaism from within by emphasising the broad principles of mercy, love, peace and justice as a challenge to the legalistic nature of Judaism during that time. Since he did not intend to found a new religion it is not surprising therefore to find that he left very few instructions . He only left instructions to preach, baptise, heal the sick, feed the poor and forgive and these instructions are surprisingly direct and simple.In order to appreciate the contribution of Jesus to Christianity we need to understand the influence of the concept of Jesus of History and Christ of Faith. This is a term used by scholars to differentiate historical aspects of story of Jesus from those that belong in the realm of faith. Historically, Jesus was a man who was from Nazareth in Galilee. He travelled to Jerusalem with a reputation as a miracle worker and after coming into conflict with the political leaders of the time he was executed. The search for the historical Jesus has been a major focus of biblical scholarship. It includes the process of examining the similarities and differences between the synoptic gospels, that is, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Scholars have tried to explain the relationship between the Gospels which are quite similar yet unique. This area of study is known as the Synoptic problem. The most important lesson that can be drawn from the synoptic problem is that whilst the Gospels provide an historical framework f or the life and ministry of Jesus they do not set out to provide an exact historical record. We need to remember that the Gospels were written for a specific audience and that rhetoric rather than historical accuracy is the dominant concern of the writer. Consequently when we consider the importance of Jesus to the development of Christianity we should not merge the different Gospel stories together to form a composite picture of Jesus as each Gospel stands alone.Another stage in the search for a historical Jesus was the use of rhetorical criticism which is a scientific study of the reasons behind why the Gospels were written and how they were edited. Through rhetorical criticism, scholars have been able to provide some understanding about intention of the gospel writers and the message they were seeking to convey. Similarly, we learn that the Gospels were written so that the early Church could pass on their faith rather than as an historical or scientific account of the life of Jesus.

Whilst the search for a historical Jesus is important if we are to assess the contribution of Jesus to Christianity there is a need to balance this search with an understanding of the Christ of Faith concept. It is the statements of faith, regarding his death, resurrection and ascension which have had the greatest impact on the development of

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early Christianity. This influence is twofold: firstly, it laid the foundation for doctrinal teachings such as the belief that Christ died for our sins and that life after death can overcome the limitations of human mortality. The difficulty of explaining Jesus' resurrection without depicting it as a bodily resuscitation led to the Christological debates regarding the humanity and divinity of Jesus which raged in the fourth and fifth centuries. Secondly, the eschatological nature of Jesus' ministry meant that he left no instructions for an institutional Church. His followers believed that they were living in the last days before the Parousia which refers to the second coming of Christ. Thus they did not see the need to institute a formal structure for the religion and consequently there was a considerable variety in the nature of the early Church.

After the death of Jesus, groups of Diaspora Hellenistic Jews and Gentiles followed Jesus through the teachings of Paul. Paul's major contribution to Christianity was that because he employed Hellenistic philosophy to translate Jesus' Jewish message and in doing so assisted to set up the structure of this new religion. The introduction of Hellenistic philosophy resulted in the formation of the theology of salvation, justification and law which was not in Jesus' original teachings. These new concepts utilised Hellenistic philosophy that was deeply ingrained within the culture of the time. This helped to transform the status of Christianity vis-à-vis Judaism. Jesus unlike Paul made no attempt to establish a new religion. Jesus saw his contribution as one which revived the Jewish tradition in terms of the prophets.

While the earliest followers of Jesus believed that they were a following a sect within Judaism, Paul's efforts meant that Christianity was becoming an increasing distinct and separate religion from Judaism. Paul played a key role in some of the more decisive debates in early Christianity. The original Jewish nature of Christianity was soon challenged by the conversion of the Gentiles who gradually came to outnumber the Jewish Christians of Palestinian descent. Peter who led the group of Palestinian Christians argued that Gentiles had to become Jews in order to become Christian. Paul argued otherwise in claiming that the conversion of Gentiles to Judaism was not necessary. This debate led to the formation of the Council of Jerusalem in 49 CE which represents an early attempt to centralise differences within the diverse Church community. Despite the apparent resolution of this issue this topic continued to be the source of some uneasiness in the early Christian community. After 70 CE Paul's gro up of Jewish Christians of Diaspora Hellenistic background merged with the Gentile Christians, and continued to grow whilst the Palestinian group continued to break up and decrease in size. During this time Christian beliefs were becoming increasingly centralised as the institutionalisation of the charism was necessary due to the delay of the Parousia. The death of Paul meant that there was an even greater need to institutionalise the charism and provide a framework for the growth of Christianity.

In conclusion, it can be seen that the two founders of Christianity, Jesus and Paul were highly influential in the founding and development of early Christianity. Where Jesus' greatest contribution was his eschatological message regarding the reign of God, Paul assisted to translate this concept and make it accessible to the wider world by utilising Hellenistic philosophy. Paul translated the Jewish message into one that could be understood outside Palestinian confines. It is clear that where Jesus set out to reform the legalistic nature of Judaism, Paul gradually transformed the status of Christianity as a religion distinct and separate from Judaism. Both Jesus and Paul were nevertheless instrumental in the founding and development of Christianity.

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CHRISTIANITY’S PRINCIPAL BELIEFS


Principal Beliefs

the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ

the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

the nature of God and the Trinity

Revelation

Salvation

outline the principal beliefs regarding the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ

explain the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for Christians

outline the beliefs about the nature of God and of the Trinity

examine the Christian understanding of revelation

describe the Christian understanding of salvation

Unit Outcomes:








Carry out a document study of either the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed. Identify each belief expressed and write a short paragraph explaining its meaning

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Identify points in the creeds which express beliefs about the humanity and divinity of Jesus. Compare the way these beliefs are expressed in the two creeds

Create an artistic representation of Jesus which depicts both his humanity and his divinity

Prepare a table which indicates the different Christological heresies and the responses made to them

I. The Divinity and Humanity of Jesus Christ● Jesus is the Son of God, second person of Trinity. He existed from eternity and was

involved in act of creation.● In order to reconcile humanity with God, God’s only Son became human. This is called the

incarnation. ● Jesus was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.● Jesus is both human and divine.● Like us, Jesus grew in wisdom and knowledge and experienced all human emotions, pain

and death, but, unlike us, he did not sin.● Through his life, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, Jesus Christ has conquered

sin and death. ● As a result all people can gain salvation through Christ, but no person can gain it on his or

her own.● Jesus’ life and teachings are universal and timeless. He taught us how we should live.

II. The Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ● Jesus was arrested and summarily executed as a common criminal presumably because of

the way he was teaching and what he said against the Jewish and Roman authorities● Jesus rose from the dead: resurrection. All four gospels affirm this occurrence.

Resurrection is a transformed, glorious state. It is looked upon not as an historical event but a transhistorical event – one that is beyond the limits of space and time and human understanding.

● Jesus left the physical state of existence: ascension. The New Testament uses the terminology that Jesus ascended into Heaven to his Father.

● His resurrected body is spiritual, not necessarily recognisable as that which he possessed while on earth.

● Jesus will return to world on the Last Day. On that day the world will come to an end and all humans – those who have died and those who have survived to that day – will be judged by God.

● On that day humanity will experience a bodily resurrection, like Christ’s spiritual body.● Heaven is a state of eternal life with God and all those who share God’s life. ● Hell is a state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and all who share

God’s life.

Approaches to Learning:Suggested strategies.

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● Carry out a document study of either the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed. Identify each belief expressed and write a short paragraph explaining its meaning

● Identify points in the creeds which express beliefs about death and resurrection of Jesus. Compare the way these beliefs are expressed in the two creeds

● Study artistic depictions of the risen to identify ways in which the artist has expressed this belief. Create an artistic representation of the risen Jesus

● Study the New Testament references to the resurrection. Compare the way the texts present the resurrection

III. The Nature of God and the Trinity God is a Mystery

God is transcendent – totally other than His creation; he is above and beyond it. God is unique.God is omnipotent – all powerful.God is eternal.God is immense.God is immanent – in His creation, present to and joined to His creation.God contains all things – all things are in Him.God has established a personal relationship with his people, with creation.God is omnipresent – He is everywhere.

Beliefs about the TrinityGod is a Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)three divine beings in the one divine nature Christians believe that God is a Father who

is our creator loves us and will never forget us God is one, true, living, unique, omnipotent, eternal, immense being who contains all things.God is above human understanding, a pure spirit, a thinking, absolutely loving being who is intimately concerned with His creation.God has created all things in His image and likeness.

Christians believe that God is the Saviour, Jesus Christ, who loved us so much that he gave up his life so that we can have eternal life. Because God loves us with no limits, no strings attached, and loved us for who we are, He sent His only Son who gave up his life for us.Jesus has saved us.Jesus teaches us how to live.Jesus is our friend.

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Jesus invites us to change so that we may find true life.

Christians believe that God is a Spirit of love who dwells within us. The Spirit is often spoken about in symbolic terms

the power of love.a life-giving breath.a wind that creates and guides.a fire that enables us to lovelife-giving water that brings growthtongues of fire that give us courage to proclaim




Identify points in the creeds which express beliefs about the trinity. Compare the way these beliefs are expressed in the two creeds

Study artistic depictions of the trinity to identify ways in which the artist has expressed this belief. Create an artistic representation of the trinity

Carry out a writing task which expresses the Christian beliefs about the Trinity

IV. RevelationRevelation: the transmission of knowledge from the Divine to the human.

Not only Biblical revelation but revelation evident throughout the whole of human history. In other words, revelation is knowledge given by God to human beings about persons, events and things previously hidden or only partly known.

Revelation is not only God’s self-communication to human beings but is also a loving and utterly free invitation to join in friendship with God.

Through this revelation, God calls human beings to respond in faith and action today, not just intellectually or by accepting certain doctrines or beliefs.

God’s self-revelation is most fully centred on the words, deeds and events associated with the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ.

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Revelation continues to “happen” as God continues to speak throughout human history – through its historical events, through Christianity, through world religions, through all the joys, hopes and frustrations of the entire world.




Identify points in the creeds which express beliefs revelation. Discuss whether the creeds explicitly or implicitly profess a belief in revelation

Create a mind map which expresses the idea of revelation coming from a single source through a number of related vehicles

Write a short essay which discusses the relationship of the different vehicles through which revelation is transmitted

V. Salvation● Salvation is term used to describe the divine action of restoring humanity to the state from

which it had fallen by the sin of Adam.

● Salvation, free gift of God’s grace, is permanent union with God in communion with those who are saved.

● God, in merciful kindness, has undertaken a series of interventions in world history intended to right what has become wrong.

● The culmination of God’s divine plan is the incarnation of Jesus.

● The communion of all those who have been saved will come to fulfilment in Christ’s Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead.

● Salvation requires faith and good works.

● It is faith – belief in Jesus and commitment to him – that enables humans to share in the saving grace of Jesus.

● Through baptism, Christians enter into the community of faith and are enabled to imitate Jesus – dying with him to sinfulness and thereby finding power to rise with him to a new life.

● Since Vatican II the Church teaches that salvation can be attained by all people of good will, whether Catholic or not.

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Suggested Strategies:


Identify points in the creeds which express beliefs about salvation. Compare the way in which the different creeds express the belief in salvation

Conduct a class debate on the importance of faith and good works in the idea of salvation

Create a cartoon poster based on the teaching of James on faith and works (James 2:17)

What does this mean in the Everyday Life of the Believer?The divine Christ became human so that humans might become more divine.

God created the world, so everything within it is good.

God saves us but we cannot be saved without our own cooperation

Mary followed God’s Will

The Church is the Body of Christ

Christian lives are to be based on God’s love and forgiveness

Christians are called to live in accordance with the Gospel in their own lives, acting justly and compassionately in the world.

The whole of humanity is destined for eternal happiness, yet some may totally and deliberately reject God’s gift of love and salvation.

Summary Points – Principal BeliefsStudents learn about:The divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ

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Students learn to:Outline the principal beliefs regarding the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ

The Christological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries were debates regarding the nature of Christ, and in particular the issue of his humanity versus his divinity

Docetism is a position which undermines the integrity of the humanity of Jesus because it claims that Jesus is fully divine but not truly human, because he is God merely adopting the appearance of being human

Arianism is the belief that Jesus is superior to the rest of creation but not equal to God because Jesus was created by God and thus is not eternal unlike God

The Council of Nicaea in 325 was called to fight against Arianism. The Council developed the Nicene Creed which stats that the Father and the Son are of one essence and hence Jesus is fully divine. The Council of Constantinople reaffirmed this decision

Nestorius undermined the unity of Jesus by claiming that Mary was the Mother of the human Jesus but not the divine Jesus, to suggest that there were two persons within Jesus

The Council of Ephesus in 431 CE rejected this view and confirmed the notion that there was only one person in Jesus and therefore Mary could rightfully be called the Mother of God (theokotos)

Students learn about:The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

Students learn to:Explain the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for Christians

Christians have traditionally believed that Jesus died for our sins

This belief has given rise to some questionable explanations like the idea that God would be appeased with the execution of an innocent person

Other questionable inferences include the idea that Jesus became human simply for him to be sacrificed because he is the only person of sufficient value to pay a ransom to God or Satan

More adequate reflections on the death of Jesus highlight the notion that death is an integral part of the human condition and one which is shared by Jesus

Other ways of appreciating the importance of the death of Jesus include seeing the death of Jesus as evidence of the unconditional love of God, or seeing Jesus' selflessness even unto death as a model for discipleship

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The fundamental Christian belief in the resurrection of the body, as evident in the Nicene Creed is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Whilst Jesus' resurrection and ascension are depicted slightly differently in the Gospels of John and Luke, both stress the importance of the resurrection as carrying the meaning of eternal life that overcomes the limitations of human mortality

Theologians have long debated the nature of the risen Jesus. The difficulty is reconciling the physical resurrection with the spiritual resurrection, without downplaying either aspect

Students learn about:The nature of God and the Trinity

Students learn to:Outline the beliefs about the nature of God and the Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity states that God is One existing as three persons, God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit as sanctifier

The belief in the trinity is a central tenet of Christian belief

God's promise of salvation has been fulfilled through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, thus God is revealed as trinity

God the Father is revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures

God the Son is revealed in the Christian Scriptures

God the Spirit is revealed in the Church

The Trinitarian doctrine states that there are three co-eternal, equal persons in God, which is the notion of unity within community

The Trinitarian doctrine was further developed and defined at the councils of Nicaea in 325 CE and Constantinople in 381 CE

God was always trinity, however gradually this reality became known through revelation

Jesus calls God "abba" (Father) and speaks of the spirit which indicates a plurality in God

Early Christian practice indicates liturgical/baptismal use of the formula "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit"

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The difficulty is reconciling the concept of monotheism with the notion of God existing as three persons

The divine essence is common to all three, however the three persons have attributes or properties which distinguished them eg Fatherhood, sonship and sanctifying power

Once essence means that the actions (creation, redemption, sanctification) are attributable to all

Mutual relations is the concept that the terms Father and Son are not titles but expressions of a relationship and thus all three persons are co-equal

Students learn about:Revelation

Students learn to:Examine the Christian understanding of Revelation

God is intimately involved with all aspects of human life and thus God is revealed to humankind in and through the experiences of human history

The revelation is understood to be an ongoing process

God is the only source of revelation

God's revelation takes place through a number of vehicles

One vehicle is God's Spirit that dwells within human beings which enlivens the faith of Christians by bringing to them a knowledge of God

The revelation is also communicated through the Bible, which Christians believe is inspired by God

Similarly, the teaching tradition of the Church is believed to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit

Even though all Christian groups believe that the Bible is the normative text, they understand this inspiration in different ways

In comparison with Protestant denominations, Orthodox and Catholic denominations place a greater emphasis on the teaching authority of the Church, which is seen to be adjunct with the sacred scripture in communicating the revelation

Students learn about:Salvation

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Students learn to:Describe the Christian understanding of salvation.

Essentially, Christians believe that salvation is a gift from God, that is offered through the death and resurrection of Jesus

This gift is accessed through faith in Jesus

The Christian understanding of salvation draws heavily from the Jewish tradition of Moses and the Exodus, where the Hebrew people are liberated from slavery due to the saving intervention of God

From this, the Hebrew prophetic tradition calls the people of Israel to be faithful to their covenantal relationship with God

In particular the prophets remind the people of their obligation to care for the anawim who are the poor and defenceless members of society

In his own preaching, Jesus' association with the Hebrew prophetic tradition is clear in his emphatic identification of himself as the fulfilment of the promise of salvation

The major aspects of the Christian belief regarding salvation are as follows: Firstly God is the one who saves, secondly God's saving action is liberating and has a particular concern for those who are the most vulnerable in society. Thirdly that Jesus in his life and ministry embodies the saving action of God. Finally that Christians are called to accept the gift of God's saving action through their faith in Jesus and their own actions on behalf of those in need

There is a considerable difference in the understanding of salvation among Christian groups. "Born again" Christians believe that salvation is solely dependant on an individual's personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour in a moment of personal conversion

On the other hand, other Christians believe that the key indicator to salvation is not personal faith but works of merit, especially in the way a person has treated the most vulnerable people in society

In between these views lies the understanding that the requirement is a sincere faith which is enlivened with good works

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SACRED TEXTS AND WRITINGS

Student learn about Students learn to

Sacred Texts and Writings

Bibleidentify the importance of the Bible in Christianity

examine extracts from the Bible which demonstrate the principal beliefs of Christianity

Unit Outcomes:

Give expression to personal understandings about the person and mission of JesusStudy Gospel accounts highlighting the way Jesus challenged and confronted structures, authorities, people and values of his time Explain the meaning of revelation and the significance of Jesus' example and teachings in scripture and tradition for Catholics in moral decision making



Read excerpts from "Dei Verbum" relating to the inspiration, nature and purpose of the Bible. Discuss this understanding in relation to issues of biblical literacy and fundamentalist interpretations

Read and discuss an introduction from a reliable biblical commentary to identify issues relating to the understanding and interpretation of the Bible. The introduction to Michael Fallon's book The Four Gospels is particularly helpful

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Research the development of the canon of the New Testament

Examine the orders of service from three Christian denominations and make a comparison of how scripture texts are used in these services

DEFINITIONS YOU MUST KNOW

BIBLE The sacred book of Christianity consisting of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. It is a written record of God’s revelation

CANON An official list of sacred books

GOSPEL This term has three levels of meaning – the good news preached by Jesus; the good news that through Jesus we have been saved; the written record of the good news by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

REVELATION God’s self-communication to people

SYNOPTICThe three gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke (the material in these is very similar)Synoptic means literally = seen through the same eye. Mark’s Gospel was the first to have been written down. The other two – Matthew and Luke – drew on this account of the life of Jesus in forming their own versions. John’s version came much later.

Resource: PPT: Formation of the Christian Scriptures (Common/RE program/ppts for RE)

FORMATION OF THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURESThe Years following the Resurrection

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, the apostles and disciples were engaged in three main activities:

● Preaching: From the beginning, the disciples proclaimed their faith in the risen Jesus. They did so in brief phrases which summed up the essentials of the good news. The disciples said, “You crucified Jesus, but God has raised him, exalted him, made him Lord, and we are witnesses to that. He sends us his spirit. Believe in the good news and you will be saved.” An oral collection was made of the various beatitudes, which Jesus could use to proclaim this good news: from now on the poor are no longer poor, since God has come to establish his kingdom. People told of the miracles of Jesus, which show his victory over evil, suffering, sickness and death. They also

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took up parables – teaching by stories – which express simply the happiness which Jesus has brought, the lessons that needed to be learned and the choices that needed to be made.

● Re-enacting: The disciples re-enacted Jesus’ last supper, which gave significance to his death. To begin with, when only the first disciples were involved, there was no real need to recall the last supper in detail; they knew what they were doing. Each one could still say how he understood it, and add details. After a while, however, there were other disciples who had not known Jesus; they had to be told the significance of these actions of breaking bread and drinking wine from the cup. A ritual began to develop into what, today, we call the Mass or celebration of the Eucharist.

● Living a new life: Those who had been newly baptised had to live as disciples of Jesus. To discover how to live in community, to answer the many questions raised in everyday life, they kept returning to the life of Jesus, his words and his actions. They took up the parables and adapted them to their new situation; they had to watch, keep vigilant, and become the good earth in which seed could grow. New teaching was looked for in the miracles: the tiny community had the feeling of being a frail boat tossed by storm and tempest; they could survive only because the risen Jesus stood up to the tempest in response to the prayer of his church, “Lord save us!” How were the authorities to act? They remembered that Jesus had said to them, “You are the servants of others”, and had left them only two rules, mercy and forgiveness. Thus wherever Christian communities came into being, images of Jesus were developed in the disciples’ memory.

The BibleThe Christian Bible is a collection of writings that Christians believe are of divine and human origin. The Bible is accepted by Christians as authoritative for belief and practice. The Bible is also sometimes referred to as “Scripture” and “Holy Scripture”.

The Christian Bible is divided into two parts:

Old Testament: comprising the Hebrew or Jewish Scriptures. The Jewish Scriptures contain 39 books from the Jewish tradition

New Testament: comprising the Christian Scriptures containing 27 early Christian works.

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The Gospels were formed in the context of these three activities during the First Century CE.

The importance of sacred writings and stories in Christianity become evident in the global functions they have:

They are the source of key beliefs.They function as a bibliography of a sacred person.They answer specific moral and social questions.They organise and formalise religious thought.They express moral and social ethics.They contain the recorded (albeit religious) history of a believing people.They encourage and give hope.

THE BIBLE AS THE SOURCE OF KEY BELIEFS IN CHRISTIANITY

One of the most fundamental ways of understanding the importance sacred writings is as a concrete form of what people believe. They are the written or orally transmitted beliefs of a community. They are frequently the source of beliefs of a given community, and even are an expression of its corporate identity.

The Old and New Testaments are important in Christianity because they are the source of beliefs that are central to the religious tradition.

Creation

The Creation story in Genesis explains the origin of the universe, the world and all life. To Christians, life is not meaningless. Life, in all its aspects, has been created by God and is good. All things receive their continued existence from God. Just as God’s original creation was good, so too is the ongoing creativity of humanity.

TrinityWhile the word Trinity does not occur in the Bible, the origins of the Trinitarian formula seems to be present in texts such as –

Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.[Matthew 28:19]

SinThe story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) teaches Christians that humanity is fallen, because it bears the mark of sin, understood as the absence or rejection of God’s grace. This rejection of God’s gift of grace both hides and damages humanity’s relationship with God. Nevertheless, despite this wounded and sinful nature, humanity is redeemed through Jesus Christ. Christ has reconciled all things to God, a reconciliation that is to be fully realised at the end of history –

Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son’s blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.[1 Colossians 1:20]

Presence of God55

The Christian Scriptures reflect the ancient Hebrew picture of the world with God dwelling above in heaven. They speak of heaven as the place where God is enthroned –

The Lord is in his holy temple; he has his throne in heaven. He watches people everywhere and knows what they are doing.[Psalm 11:4]

but recognise that heaven and earth cannot contain God –But can you, O God, really live on earth? Not even all of heaven is large enough to hold you, so how can this Temple that I have built be large enough?[1 Kings 8:27]

HeavenThe Scriptures also refer to the vision of God destined for the chosen believers in their life-after-death where they will be face to face with God –

Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God. [Matthew 5:8]

Heaven is also referred to as eternal life and Christians believe that after death, men and women will be transformed to be like God in heavenly happiness. Today theologians point out that heaven and hell can only ever be understood through the use of images, for no one really knows what they are like except that they are realities, but not geographical places.

HellThe Scriptures also acknowledge the existence of hell –

The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lack of fire that burns with sulphur.[Revelation 19:20]

As they leave, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me. The worms that eat them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never be put out.[Isaiah 66:24]

JudgementChristians believe that each person is judged at the time of death as to whether he or she has accepted and responded to God’s gift of grace and life by following the gospel command to love God and their neighbour –

The King will reply, “I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.” These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life.[Matthew 25:45-46]

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The Second ComingThe Final Judgement will occur at the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time. Christians believe that until this total process is complete, the salvation of all individuals is incomplete. As for the time of this Second Coming –

No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come – neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; only the Father knows.[Mark 13:32]

ResurrectionChristians believe in the resurrection of the body – that each believer will one day be completely human but transformed – body and soul – for all eternity, and share in the glorious life of Jesus Christ –

We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus to life, will also raise us up with Jesus and take us, together with you, into his presence.[2 Corinthians 4:14]

This belief is based on the event that is the heart and foundation of all Christian beliefs. At his resurrection, Jesus Christ, after truly suffering and dying, was raised to new life and entered a transformed, victorious and glorified state –

After the Lord Jesus had talked with them, he was taken up to heaven and sat at the right hand side of God.[Mark 16:19]

THE GOSPELS

I. The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ: his actual words and deeds. According to the early Christians, those who could interpret the events correctly should have been able to see that Jesus was the Messiah, that the end-time had come, and that all the people of Israel had expected was now fulfilled.

II. The Oral Tradition.After the Ascension, the apostles, with fuller understanding, handed on their experiences of the life and teaching of Jesus by recalling them and telling others verbally. In this way traditions were hand on from one group to another. The actual form of the traditions was determined by some of the pressing needs of the first Christian community.

III. The Written Gospels. By the time the eye-witnesses (those who had actually lived with Jesus) were beginning to die, the Christian community realised that soon there would be no recourse to such people when confirmation was needed of precisely what Jesus had done or said. There was a need to commit the sacred traditions to written form. In different Christian communities, written ‘Gospels’ took place. They were presented in the form of a life of Jesus, but they did not intend to be history or biography. They were accounts of good news, making use of the traditions with which Christians were well familiar.

So the religious beliefs, based on the words and actions of Jesus, were systematically organised in the Gospels. These religious beliefs and thoughts were supplemented by the letters written to various Christian communities by two apostles (eg Paul, John, James and Peter) as well as a lengthy narrative

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about the early years of the Christian Church called the Acts of the Apostles. The letters explained and clarified Christian teachings and answered questions that were posed about Christian living and the performance of sacred ritual, while the Book of Revelation (sometimes called the Book of the Apocalypse) was intended to give hope to the persecuted Christians through its symbolic teaching.

The Four Canonical GospelsThere are four books about the life and teaching of Jesus that are accepted by the Church as authoritative and reliable. They are called the canonical Gospels and comprise Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are collectively known as the Synoptic Gospels.

There are many gospels that are considered not to be reliable and authoritative enough to be included in the New Testament. Four of these, however, are considered to have been used as sources for writing the canonical Gospels:

I. Gospel of Thomas – considerable controversy exists regarding whether it was written in the mid-first or second century. If written in the mid-first century, then the gospel of Thomas would have been used as a source for writing the Gospel of Luke.

II. “Q” – a middle 1st Century collection of the sayings of Jesus, probably written in Antioch. Q contains the sayings in Matthew and Luke not found in Mark, and was therefore used as a source for writing the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Q takes its name from the German word Quelle, meaning source.

III. “M” – a written and oral tradition used as a source for writing the Gospel of Matthew.IV. “L” – a written and oral tradition used as a source for writing the Gospel of Luke.

What Came First?After the memories of Jesus’ teachings and ministry had been gathered, they circulated and grew in oral or spoken form between about 30 and 50 CE, when Paul’s first writings began to appear, probably commencing with 1 Thessalonians. Scholars have proposed that around the same time as Paul’s first writings appeared, an important source called Q also appeared, containing all the material held in common by Matthew and Luke but not found in Mark. John appears to be independent of the other three gospels. Q, and in turn Matthew and Luke, also might have been influenced by the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas.

Paul’s early letters and Q were quickly followed by the gospels of Mark, written in Rome around 65 CE, then Luke, written in Corinth around 80 CE, Matthew, written in Antioch around 85 CE, and finally John, written in Ephesus around 95 CE. The remainder of Paul’s actual letters were written up until his death in 64 CE. Those attributed to him were dated anywhere between 50 and 100 CE.

The Book of Revelation dates from 95 CE, and the last of the Christian writings, 2 Peter, was written between 90 and 110 CE.

Whereas Hebrew is the original language of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Scriptures were all written in Greek – not classical Greek but Hellenistic Greek, which was the everyday Greek language

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spoken in the Mediterranean basin between 300 BCE and 300 CE. Although Jesus and his earliest followers probably spoke Aramaic, it was not those who wrote the Christian Scriptures but later Greek-speaking Christians.

SUMMARY

MARK MATTHEW LUKE JOHN

AUTHOR

Possibly a disciple of Peter named Mark.

Unknown, but likely Jewish Christian convert who knew Jewish tradition.

Possibly physician friend of Paul. A gentile Syrian of Antioch.

Unknown, but definitely not John the apostle.

DATE After 70CE. 80-90 CE. 80-90 CE. 90-100 CE.

PLACE Probably Rome. Probably Antioch in Syria.

Probably Greece or Asia Minor.

Possibly Ephesus.

INTENDED COMMUNITY

Christian Gentilesie non-Jews

Jewish Christians Christian Gentiles Christian Jews & Jews in Diaspora

BACKGROUND COMMUNITY

Threat of persecution under Nero. Shocked by impending destruct-ion of Jerusalem (70 CE).End of time thought to be soon.

Period of consolid-ation.Conflict with official Judaism.Had questions regard-ing order, discipline and authority.

Period of expansion.End of time not thought to be imminent.

Period of conflict with official Judaism.Period of reflection on the meaning of Christian discipleship.

IMAGE OF JESUS Jesus, suffering Messiah.

Jesus, teacher of Israel. Jesus the Lord. Jesus the divine Son.

CANON OF SCRIPTURE The official body of Christian writings is known as the Canon of Scripture. By about 400 CE, official rulings by Church councils (gatherings of leaders and key personnel in the early Christian Church) had accepted that the following books would comprise the canon of divinely inspired Scriptures

● The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.● Acts of the Apostles.

● Paul’s Letters: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.

● Letter to the Hebrews.● Letter of James.● 1 and 2 Peter.● 1, 2 and 3 John.● Jude.

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● Revelation.

Differing Versions?The Christian canon (New Testament), then, contains 27 books, yet agreement has not been reached concerning its content. Some branches of the Syriac Church do not include 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude and Revelation. Certain Protestants (after Martin Luther) do not accept Hebrew, James, Jude and Revelation. They argue for a true core of the Christian Scriptures, ‘a canon within a canon’. Such debate has led not only to different canons but also different versions of the Bible.

The facts that Jesus was Jewish and that God was revealed to the Chosen People are significant for, and valued by, Christians as part of their tradition. The Hebrew Scriptures (known as the Old Testament to Christians), therefore also became part of the Christian canon.

A close look at the Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and Jewish canons of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Christian Old Testament) identify some of the key differences between them –

● Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians have forty-six books in the canon, Protestants have thirty-nine and Jews have twenty-four.

● Certain Jewish books are described as non-canonical or not in the canon of that particular tradition. The Christian term for this is apocryphal. The Roman Catholic version of the Old Testament is slightly larger than the Protestant, because it includes seven books that are considered apocryphal by the Protestant churches – Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch. Originally, this term (apocryphal) referred to works claiming to be of a sacred origin, but supposedly hidden for generations. Later the term came to refer to a body of literature with scriptural or quasi-scriptural pretensions though not genuine, composed during the two centuries before Christ and the early Christian centuries. Today, in Protestant editions, these books are often included in a section at the end of the Old Testament.● The Orthodox canon was established at the Orthodox Church’s synod of Jerusalem in 1672 CE.

● The Hebrew or transliterated titles of Jewish books often follow the opening or key words of that book.

● Two books of the Catholic canon, Esther and Daniel, are longer than the versions found in the Protestant and Jewish scriptures.

Summary Points: Sacred Texts Students learn about: The Bible

Students learn to: Identify the importance of the Bible in ChristianityThe books in the Bible are divided into two main collections, the Old Testament also known as the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament The Deutero Canonical or Apocryphal books contained in the Old Testament are accepted by the Catholic and Orthodox denominations, however they are not accepted by Protestant groups

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The Bible is considered to be the word of God as it is inspired by God and thus provides deep spiritual insights for Christians into their religion The exact nature of the inspiration is a topic of contention. Fundamentalist Christians interpret Biblical inspiration in a literal sense, in that the inspiration of scripture amounts to God dictating a word for word account which was then recorded and passed on into the Christian communities Catholic and Orthodox denominations, together with High Church Anglicans and some Protestant denominations believe that the Holy Spirit inspired human beings who came to an enlightened understanding of God and recorded these reflections as a way of passing their faith onto the community. Therefore, the Bible contains all that is necessary for human salvation however the Bible should not be understood in literal terms The Bible is important because it contains salvation history, the account of the history of creation that shows the action of God in human history culminating in the life and ministry of Jesus. The Bible is normative for Christianity, highlighting key beliefs and determining the practical application of legal, ethical and ritual dimensions The Bible is seen to provide guidelines for ritual, prayer and worship The Bible provides the model for life action particularly in relation to ethical guidance The Bible underpins theological studies The application of the Bible differs across the spectrum of Christian denominations Catholic and Orthodox denominations believe that tradition illuminates the meaning of scripture, in that the revelation of God comes through scripture in the light of tradition Protestant groups follow the teachings of Luther, who taught that the only source Christians should turn to for inspiration is the Bible. The belief in "bible alone" is known as sola scriptura The belief in sola scriptura is particularly strong amongst evangelical Protestants High Church Anglicans believe that tradition and scripture go hand in hand

Students learn about:The Bible

Students learn to:Examine extracts from the Bible which demonstrate the principal beliefs of Christianity

The divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ Matthew 16:13-20 - Jesus is the Son of God and therefore Jesus is fully divine

John 1:1-14 - Jesus is fully human as well as being co-eternal with the Father, in that he existed alongside God throughout all of eternity

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Hebrews 4:14-16 - Jesus is fully human and is thus able to understand the exact nature of the human condition. Yet, he is also fully divine and thus able to intercede for human kind. In other words, he has both the power to save and the compassion to empathise with human need

The nature of God and the Trinity Luke 3:21-22 - Luke's description is testimony to the three persons of the trinity in relationship at the time

of the baptism of Jesus John 16:5-16 - This segment of Jesus' prayer focuses on the interrelationship between the three persons in the Trinity, especially the subsequent coming of the Spirit following Jesus' departure John 5:1-12 - This passage speaks of the interrelationship between the three persons of the Trinity. Firstly, there is a close relationship between the believer through the Holy Spirit that flows from the Father and the Son and secondly the Holy Spirit gives testimony to the truth of Jesus

Revelation John 20:30-31 - The Scripture is recognised as a key vehicle of revelation, in reflecting the faith of the

early Church community and inviting the audience to embrace the same faith 2 Timothy 3:15-16 - The scriptures are a source of wisdom and lead us to have faith in Jesus who brings us the gift of salvation. Scripture is inspired by God 2 Peter 1:20-21 - The Holy Spirit inspires people to write the Scriptures with the intent of encouraging faith and not necessarily to provide historical and scientific evidence of God

Salvation Matthew 25:26-31 - Eternal salvation is integrally connected to the treatment of others especially those

who have the greatest need John 3:16-17 - This verse highlights the fundamental Christian belief that salvation comes through Jesus Rom 5:1-11 - Salvation comes through faith in Jesus, whose death reflects God's saving action and hence God's love of humankind

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CORE ETHICAL TEACHINGS

Students learn about Students learn to

Core Ethical Teachings

the Ten Commandments

New Testament ethicsthe BeatitudesJesus’ commandment of love

outline the principal ethical teachings in:the Ten Commandmentsthe BeatitudesJesus’ commandment of love

describe the importance of ethical teachings in the life of adherents

DEFINITIONS YOU MUST KNOW

ETHICS A system of standards of conduct and practical judgements that contribute to the achievement of the fullness of humanity.

MORALITY the study of the rightness or wrongness of actions by an individual or group.

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Ethical SystemsEthics usually refers to a system of standards of conduct and practical judgements that contribute to the achievement of the fullness of humanity.

Morality typically refers to the study of the rightness or wrongness of actions by an individual or group.

Whereas ethics usually refers to a system of thinking, morality focuses on people’s actions.The central issue for ethics is to establish a criterion to determine what actions contribute to the achievement of the fullness of humanity. There will be differing ethical systems because there are different understandings of what it means to be human.

THE BIBLICAL FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN ETHICSThe Scriptures are a primary source of Christian moral teaching.Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christian morality. The moral life of Christians is based around his central teachings, especially his commandment of love of God and love of neighbour. These teachings are found in the New Testament. The Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5) is the central ethical discourse in Matthew’s gospel. It commences with the Beatitudes and goes on to give details of Christian moral living. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor in spirit, the merciful, the peace makers. Jesus proclaims his law of love, calling for more than the law requires. Following the example of Jesus, Christians are meant to ‘bring good news to the poor’ and work to overcome unjust social structures. Christian moral living is also characterised by hope. The Reign of God transforms the world: the followers of Jesus participate by working for justice in the world.The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) presents God’s Law in terms of the Ten Commandments in the context of the covenant between God and God’s people. Christians have used the Ten Commandments as organisers for Christian ethical teaching.

THE BASICS OF CATHOLIC ETHICSCatholic moral teaching is based on the Scriptures and on moral reasoning. Moral reasoning is informed by The Catholic traditionThe authoritative teachings of the bishops and the Pope.

Moral reasoning recognises the importance of God’s plan, revealed in the Scriptures and the Catholic tradition and teachings, and natural law. Natural law enables humans to distinguish between good and evil, and to uphold the dignity of the person without reference to religion. Catholic tradition and teachings acknowledge natural law, but go one step further by insisting that certain actions, irrespective of intentions and circumstances, are wrong.

Moral reasoning is seen as a life of ongoing conversion and growth towards God. The person is called to develop that habit of doing good, that is, to live according to virtues, and to act with justice and compassion.

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CATHOLIC AND OTHER CHRISTIAN RESPONSES TO MORAL ISSUES I. Sanctity of Life

supports human life and condemns genocide, homicide, abortion, euthanasia, and suicide.promotes peace and non-violence, and sees war as last resort requiring just cause.

II. The Integrity and Dignity of the Personpromotes human dignitysub-human living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, slavery, prostitution and trafficking in men, women and children are offensive to human dignity. so too are degrading working conditions, failure to pay a just wage, and the treatment of workers as mere instruments of profit.mutilation, physical and mental torture and attempts to coerce the spirit violate the integrity of the human person.

III. Honesty and Truthhonesty and truth in relationships and business is a consequence of the Gospel. Theft, dishonest business practices, untrue statements, disregard for just laws, failures to keep professional secrets and abuses of confidentiality are contrary to the Gospel.

IV. Sexual Behaviourcalled to a life of sexual responsibility, of chastity before marriage and fidelity in marriage.rejects homosexual acts, but condemns no one on the grounds of their sexual orientation.A valid marriage is indissoluble and remarriage is not allowed after divorce.Artificial contraception wrong because it sets aside the capacity for procreation encourages modern methods of fertility awareness (natural family planning)

V. Care of Creationsince creation manifests God’s presence, people must care for the environment.

VI. Conscienceconscience is the practical judgement by which a person recognises rightness or wrongness of an act

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person must always obey judgment of his or her consciencewhile judgement of conscience is supreme, it can lead to wrong decision, because of error in person’s moral reasoningto avoid error, the Catholic person’s conscience is informed by Scriptures, Catholic Tradition and Church Teaching

VII. Conscience and Church Teachingfreedom to follow one’s judgement of conscience requires that a person has searched sincerely for moral truth this is not a solitary taskconvictions are shaped and obligations learnt within community may appear to be conflict between person’s conscience and Church Teaching on particular issue. Appropriate study, reflection and prayer must be brought to any situation of apparent conflict, but ultimately one must act according to the moral judgement of an informed conscience.Mature moral decision making involves taking responsibility before God for one’s decision. having the courage to live by one’s convictions and to do what one knows is right.


Suggested Strategies:Conduct an exegesis of the two versions of the ten commandments using reliable bible commentaries Draw a series of cartoon frames to illustrate each of the 10 commandments Compare the content and layout of the Jewish Tenach to the Christian Old Testament. Make a list of similarities and differences. Make a list of modern day crimes which would be governed by the teachings of the ten commandments

The major source of ethical guidance for Christians is the New Testament which contains the Gospels. Thus, the teachings of Jesus Christ lie at the core of Christian ethics. Additionally, the Ten Commandments, contained in the Old Testament, and also know as the Decalogue are an important source of ethical guidance for Christians. There are two versions of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament. One is found in Exodus 20:1-17 and the other in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Given that Christianity branched off from its parent religion Judaism, it is not surprising to find that the two tradition share common elements of scripture, namely the Tenach or the Old Testament. The ten commandments are at the heart of the covenant tradition in the Old Testament and provide and important background and context for the ethical teaching of Jesus found in the New Testament. NATURE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTSThe first three commandments state the importance of worshipping God and God alone. Accordingly the use of magic and the worship of idols are forbidden. The third commandment relates to the importance of observing the Sabbath and keeping it sacred for God. The nature of the relationship between God and human beings mirrors the path that human beings should take when relating and

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interacting with each other. The remaining seven commandments present guidelines for human interaction and how human beings should treat each other. These commandments emphasise the importance of human life and the need to respect family and personal integrity.

IMPORTANCE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTSThe Ten Commandments are a succinct summary of Christian ethics. They are frequently used as a framework for the key principles of Christian ethics. The Ten Commandments were not explicitly prominent in the teaching of the early Church possibly because Jesus did not explicitly cite each of the commandments. However, he did use the Ten Commandments as a backdrop for his own ethical teachings. Not only did he refer to and make use of these commandments in his teaching, he also used them as a means to highlight the requirements of the new covenant. This use of the commandments is particularly evident in his sermon on the mount (Mt 5-7) which is a foundational element of New Testament ethical teaching.

APPROACHES TO LEARNING

Suggested Strategies:Conduct an exegesis of the two versions of the Beatitudes using reliable bible commentaries Draw up an elaboration of the Beatitudes so that each of its aspects are developed into two or three practical applications or personal qualities Use a class debate to evaluate the practical implications of the Beatitudes, Jesus' commandment of love and the golden rule Choose a contemporary ethical issue and present a case for moral action based on the teaching of the Beatitudes and Jesus' command

The New Testament contains some of Jesus' most significant ethical statements. That is, the requirement to love God with all your heart, soul and strength and to love your neighbour as yourself, and the requirement that love is the basic condition of the Christian life. The voluminous mass of Christian ethics can be distilled into these core principles.

BEATITUDES The Beatitudes are regarded as a foundational passage for Christian ethics. The Beatitudes is the name given to the famous and definitive part of the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes, as noted in Matthew 5:2-12 and Luke 6:20-26 describes a life directed towards saintliness and holiness. Thus, the Beatitudes provide a model or a template for the Christian life. The Beatitudes provide an ethical stance which stands in contrast to the dominant culture. They point to an inversion of values whereby the things that are often regarded as having no value according to the dominant culture are celebrated and affirmed in the reign of God. In another sense they provide a warning against an approach to life which values only material strength and power. The inference is that such values are illusory and temporary.

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SERMON ON THE MOUNTThe Sermon on the Mount provides other important guidance for Christian ethics. For example Luke 6:27 asks us to "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you". Similarly Mathew 5:39 instructs us that "When a person strikes you on the right cheek, turn and offer him the other". In essence, Christian ethics can be summed up as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31) This passage, known as the golden rule, is the key concept which underpins all Christian ethical teachings.

JESUS' COMMANDMENT OF LOVE Jesus' commandment of love can be distilled into two categories, love of God and love of neighbour. Christianity draws on two central texts of the Old Testament to understand the covenantal notions of love of God and love of neighbour. Leviticus 19:18 advises the reader to "Love your neighbour as yourself". Deuteronomy 6:4-6 urges the reader to "Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts". Mark 12:31 affirms that "there is no commandment greater than these". Love of neighbour is taken to a new level

In the ministry of Jesus this commandment to love your neighbour is raised to a new level when Jesus says that, "You have heard that it was said, 'love your neighbour and hate your enemy'. But I tell you 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you". (Matthew 5:43-44) Thus Christians are called to model their lives on the love of Jesus which in itself fulfils the requirement of love. Paul notes that love is the element which fulfils the law.

Love is the identifying characteristic of the Christian life The requirement to love is conveyed in terms of a new commandment in John's Gospel. To love one another, as God loves each person is seen as the identifying characteristic of the Christian life which sets Christians apart from the rest of the world. The Gospel of John instructs Christians; "A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another". (John 13:34-35) To love is to share the essence of God, as seen in 1 John 4:7-8, "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love". Similarly, Paul identifies love as the essential quality that gives life and meaning to all other virtues. In other words, all other virtues are futile, when they are separated from love. Thus, he calls Christians to live a life motivated by love. This can be seen in the famous and oft-quoted passage, 1 Corinthians 13. "I can speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal". Thus, Jesus' commandment of love offers fundamental guidance for Christians in the area of ethics.

DIFFERENCES IN THE APPLICATION OF GENERAL BIBLICAL PRINCIPLESThere are no identifiable differences among the various Christian denominations concerning their understanding of Jesus' commandment of love since all Christian denominations base their ethical guidance on Biblical teachings. There are some differences, however, regarding the application of these principles to particular ethical issues. But these differences are not overly significant. This difference stems from the fact that the Catholic and Orthodox denominations place a greater emphasis on the teaching tradition of the Church. Ethical teaching among the Protestant denominations is more directly

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linked to Biblical teaching. Hence there is a more direct application of the Biblical principles in Protestant Churches.

APPROACHES TO LEARNING

Suggested Strategies:Research a contemporary ethical issue and document the elements of ethical teaching which underpin the

guidance given Examine a contemporary ethical issue through the use of popular media - music, film etc Choose a contemporary ethical issue and present a case for moral action based on the teaching of the

Beatitudes and Jesus' commandUse small groups to examine a range of ethical issues – sexual, bio-ethical, economic, environmental, etc.

Identify the common core principles which underpin Christian teaching in relation to these issues.

Followers of the Christian religion can be expected to place considerable value on the ethical teachings of the tradition in determining their response to a wide range of issues. These teachings provide guidance which enable to adherents of Christianity to make informed moral choices according to the principles of the tradition. The guidance that is provided and the way in which adherents respond can be in general or specific terms and may be in a direct sense or through a broad overall direction. GENERAL GUIDANCEIn the first instance the general direction of life for adherents of the Christian tradition will be provided through examples such as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21), the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2-12 and Luke 6:20-26) and the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31). Texts such as these can be seen as the foundational principles underpinning the Christian ethical system. Accordingly it would be expected that Christians would strive to live their lives in line with the principles espoused in such passages. In this way it can be seen that the ethical teaching of Christianity provides broad, overall guidance to the followers of the tradition. Life and ministry of Jesus

Another form of ethical guidance for Christians is found through the use of the example of the life and ministry of Jesus. Christians seek to model their lives on the life and ministry of Jesus and as such the ethical standards practised by Jesus in the course of his life become guides for the actions of Christians. In general terms the Christian ethos of caring for those in need can be directly attributed to the example of Jesus. Other examples from the life and ministry of Jesus include opposition to oppression and advocacy for the vulnerable together with qualities such as love and forgiveness.Specific guidance

On a more specific level guidance is also given through the teaching of the Christian tradition in relation to current ethical issues. Traditionally Christianity has been depicted as presenting ethical teaching on a fairly narrow range of issues usually associated with sexual morality and bio-ethics. While it is true that sexual morality and bio-ethics have been the focus of a considerable amount of Christian ethical teaching they are far from the only areas of concern.

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Other areas of concern in recent times have been in the field of international economics including debt, trade and other instances of business ethics. Ecological concerns have also been the focus of a considerable amount of ethical teaching in the Christian tradition as has the use of force international conflicts. In general terms Christian ethical teaching in areas such as sexual morality and bio ethics has been in line with conservative forces in society. In contrast the ethical teaching on issues of economic, ecological and military significance are more in line with progressive elements in society. This diversity makes it difficult to gauge the effect of Christian ethical teaching in an overall sense. In reality it is common to find examples of Christian adherents embracing the teaching on one issue while rejecting it on another. Thus while Christian adherents are usually influenced by Christian ethical teaching in terms of broad principles there is a great deal of diversity in the acceptance of ethical teaching on specific contemporary issues.

Summary Points: Core Ethical TeachingsStudents learn about:

The Ten Commandments New Testament ethics The Beatitudes Jesus' commandment of love

Students learn to:

Outline the principal ethical teachings in:The Ten Commandments The Beatitudes Jesus’ commandment of love Describe the importance of ethical teachings in the life of adherents.The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Decalogue) contained in the Old Testament is a critical source of ethical guidance for Christians The Ten Commandments are a succinct summary of Christian ethics, and emphasise the importance of human life and the need to respect family and personal integrity Christians frequently use the Ten Commandments as a framework for the key principles of Christian ethics. The Beatitudes The fundamental source of ethical guidance for Christians is the New Testament, which contains some of Jesus’ most significant ethical statements.

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The Beatitudes which describes a life directed towards holiness is regarded as a foundational passage for Christian ethics. The Beatitudes provide a model for the Christian life because it warns against an approach which values only material strength and power, by pointing to an inversion of values whereby things that are often regarded as having no value according to the dominant culture are celebrated in the reign of God.

Jesus' commandment of love Jesus’ commandment of love can be distilled into the primary covenantal notions of love of God and love of neighbour. In the ministry of Jesus, the commandment to love your neighbour is taken to a new level because Christians are required not only to love their neighbour but also to love their enemies. John’s Gospel conveys this requirement to love in terms of a new commandment as love is identified as the defining characteristic of the Christian life. Love is seen as the fulfilment of the law because love is the essential quality that gives meaning to all other virtues. The Golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto do, is said to sum up Christian ethics. There are no identifiable differences between the various Christian denominations in how they understand Jesus’ commandment of love. In terms of applying these principles, differences do arise between the different Christian denominations in relation to the emphasis that should be placed on Church authority however these differences are not overly significant. The importance of ethical teachings in the life of adherents. Christians are expected to place considerable value on the ethical teachings of the tradition in determining their response to a wide range of issues General ethical guidance is provided by the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes and the Golden Rule The life and ministry of Jesus provides a model for life action of Christians. This is reflected in the Christian ethos of caring for the needy and the vulnerable Specific guidance is also provided in relation to contemporary ethical issues such as sexual morality, bioethics, international economics, ecological concerns and the use of force in international conflicts Generally speaking, Christian ethical teaching in areas such as sexual morality and bioethics have been in line with conservative forces in society Ethical teaching on issues of economic, ecological and military significance are more in line with progressive elements in society This diversity makes it difficult to gauge the effect of Christian ethical teaching in an overall sense

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Specimen Questions Outline the main ethical teachings of Christianity and assess their role in guiding the lives of adherents.Analyse the relationship among the principal elements of ethical teaching in Christianity.

Sample Responses

Outline the main ethical teachings of Christianity and assess their role in guiding the lives of adherentsThe main ethical teachings of Christianity can be found in the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31), the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-7 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21) and the Beatitudes. The voluminous mass of Christian ethics can be distilled into the covenantal requirement to love God, and to love your neighbour, which is expressed in terms of a new commandment in the Gospel of John. In essence, this requirement of love can be further simplified as the Golden Rule.

These main ethical teachings are of critical importance in guiding the response of adherents to ethical dilemmas by offering a general model for Christian life that is founded on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. These general ethical principles arose out of the context of Jesus' advocacy for the vulnerable and core values from his ministry such as love and forgiveness. There is little difference in the understanding of these fundamental ethical teachings across the spectrum of Christian denominations. Differences arise, however, regarding the specific application of these general principles because of the different emphasis placed on the teaching authority of the Church in illuminating the specific meaning of these ethical principles.

All followers of the Christian religion can be expected to place considerable value on the ethical teachings of Christianity in guiding them to make informed moral choices. The application of the key ethical principles varies across the denominations in terms of what sort of specific ethical guidance it provides. Catholic and Orthodox denominations place a greater emphasis on the guidance of Church authorities in the area of ethics. This is because they believe that the revelation of God comes through scripture in the light of tradition. In other words, tradition illuminates the meaning of scripture. In contrast Protestant denominations place greater emphasis on the central role of the bible in providing ethical guidance. Even within Protestant denominations however, there are subtle variations regarding the way in which scripture guides the lives of the adherents. High Church Anglicans have an approach that is similar to the Catholic and Orthodox denominations in their belief that scripture a nd tradition go hand in hand. In contrast the Low Church Anglicans take a more fundamentalist approach to the Bible.

Despite these differences of application, there are very few identifiable differences across the Christian spectrum regarding the understanding of the primary ethical teachings that guide adherents. The general direction of life for adherents is contained in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. The Ten Commandments offer a succinct summary of Christian ethics stressing the importance of human life and the need to respect family and personal integrity. The commandments also known as the Decalogue provide the backdrop for an understanding of New Testament ethics.

In the New Testament the Beatitudes is a critical passage that underpins the Christian ethical system. The Beatitudes, which are found in the context of the Sermon on the Mount, provide a model for Christian life by describing a life of advocacy for the poor and vulnerable and thus stressing the values of kindness, mercy, compassion and justice. The emphasis in the Beatitudes on an ethical stance which stands in contrast to the dominant culture, that values material strength and power, mirrors the counter-cultural nature of Christian ethics. For example, Jesus teaches us that the wealth of Christian ethical

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laws can be distilled into two primary categories, love of God and love of neighbour. Love therefore, as Paul notes in Letters to the Corinthians is the requirement that fulfils the law as it is the element which gives meaning to all other virtues.

This requirement of love is taken to a new level in the ministry of Jesus where the commandment to love your neighbour is extended to love for enemies. This can be seen in Luke 6:27 which urges us to "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you". The importance of this core requirement of love is evident in that the requirement is conveyed in terms of a new commandment in the Gospel of John. Here, love of neighbour as God has loved us is seen as the identifying characteristic of the Christian life. This requirement of love can be summed up as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31). This concept, also known as the Golden Rule provides a broad principle that guides the lives of the adherents.

What is evident is that the main ethical teachings of Christianity are based on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Accordingly then, another primary source of ethical guidance for Christians is the life of Jesus. Jesus is the embodiment of the primary Christian virtues mentioned above. These virtues flowed into his life of advocacy for the weak and vulnerable members of society. Therefore, it is safe to say that the general Christian ethos of caring for those in need is directly attributable to the example of Jesus.

The main ethical principles of Christianity readily flow into specific teachings and guidance on current ethical issues. Traditionally, many believe that Christianity only offers ethical advice on a narrow range of issues, usually associated with sexual morality and bio-ethics. This sort of teaching has been in line with more conservative forces in society. Other areas of teaching, however, teaching on issues of economic, ecological and military significance are more in line with the progressive elements in society. Considering the enormous diversity of issues traversed by Christian ethics it is difficult to accurately assess the overall effect of Christian ethical teachings.

In conclusion it is evident that there are significant similarities regarding the interpretation of the main ethical teachings, relating to the love of God and neighbour, love as the identifying characteristic of the Christian life and the Golden rule, a role reversal principal. This is because all Christian denominations base their ethical guidance on biblical teachings, and especially the New Testament which contains the four Gospels.

Accordingly, Christian adherents are guided in terms of broad ethical principles. When it comes to the specific application of these overall principles, however, there is an enormous diversity regarding the acceptance of ethical teaching on specific contemporary issues. On top of this, the different views regarding the acceptance of Church teachings on ethical principles means that there is an even greater diversity on how the general ethical principles are applied to specific situations Nevertheless, it is clear that Christian ethics do play a significant role in helping adherents make informed moral choices according to the principles of the tradition.

Outline and explain the principal ethical teachings contained in the Ten Commandments and the New Testament (scaffold)

Introduction (193 words)The chief source of ethical guidance for Christians is the New Testament and the Gospels. The Old Testament, which contains the Ten Commandments, forms the background upon which Christians come to understand the ethical requirements of the New Testament. While the Ten Commandments underpin the principal beliefs in Christian ethics, the New Testament offers a further distillation of the ethical laws contained in the Old Testament into love of God and love of neighbour. Furthermore, the New Testament takes the underlying covenantal requirement of love to a new level where firstly, Christians are required to love one's enemy and secondly, because of this, love becomes the identifying characteristic of Christian life. The Beatitudes are a widely used source of ethical guidance for Christians and the Golden Rule is said to sum up Christian ethics. There is little recognisable difference amongst the Christian denominations regarding the importance of the main ethical principles. However, there are some differences of application when broad principles are employed to specific issues due to the differing opinion between the Protestant and Catholic Churches regarding the emphasis that should be given to the teaching authority of the Church.

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Section 1 (150 words)

Give a brief summary of the contents of the Ten Commandments and state that the Decalogue is held in common by Jews and Christians alike. Explain the importance of these commandments in the context of Christian ethics. Explain the relationship between the nature of the commandments as a succinct summary of Christian ethics and the way it is used to structure Christian ethics in general. Evaluate the importance of the Ten Commandments by stating that they were not used regularly by early Christians, but were used more frequently in later Church history.


Emphasise the fact that the fundamental source of ethical guidance for Christians is the New Testament because it contains the Gospels. Provide a succinct summary of the key ethical statements contained in the New Testament, such as the Golden Rule and the requirement to love your neighbour and to love God. Link this to a brief statement about the role of the Bible as providing a model for life action.


Evaluate the importance of the Beatitudes by emphasising its role as a foundational passage in Christian ethics. Locate the Beatitudes, as being the definitive passage within the Sermon on the Mount. Give a brief summary of the contents of the Beatitudes and link this to the role of New Testament ethics as setting out a template for Christian life. State that the Sermon on the Mount also contains the Golden rule and cite the passage in the Bible for this principle. Evaluate the importance of the Golden rule by stating that it is considered to be the summation of Christian ethics.


Explain Jesus' commandment of love as the distillation of Christian ethics into love of God and love of neighbour. Provide a brief explanation of what these terms mean by citing relevant passages from the Bible. Link this to the question by demonstrating how these principles relate to the application of Christian ethics for believers.


Discuss how this requirement to love is conveyed in terms of a new commandment in John's Gospel. Evaluate the importance of this requirement as the identifying characteristic of Christian life and cite relevant Biblical passages to demonstrate this point. Provide further explanation regarding the importance of this requirement of love, by showing that love is considered to be the essential quality which gives meaning and life to all other virtues. Cite relevant Biblical passages to strengthen this point.


Evaluate the importance of these principal ethical teachings in relation to their application by the different Christian denominations. Emphasise the fact that there are no identifiable differences among the different denominations concerning their understanding of these principles, rather these differences relate to the application of this knowledge to specific situations. State that Protestant denominations make more direct use of Biblical authority, whereas the Catholic and Orthodox Churches place a greater emphasis on the teaching authority of the Church. Briefly explain the reasons for the Protestant stance on Biblical authority by relating it to the causes of the Protestant Reformation.

Conclusion (184 words)

In conclusion, it can be seen that the major source of ethical guidance for Christians are the Ten Commandments and the New Testament, which contains the distillation of Christian ethics into the love of God and neighbour and the Golden Rule. This requirement to love is taken to a new level because love is seen as the identifying characteristic of Christian life. The Ten Commandments provide a backdrop to understanding the ethical

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teachings contained in the New Testament. The ethical requirements contained in the New Testament are an attempt to move away from a legalistic application of the law in its emphasis on the underlying principles of love, mercy, compassion, justice and peace. Another distinct characteristic of Christian ethics is its emphasis on love of neighbour and love of enemy. Whilst there are some recognisable differences amongst the different denominations regarding the specific application of the ethical principles these differences are not overly significant. It is clear that the principal ethical teachings are of great importance to all Christian denominations and that there are very few identifiable differences in their understanding of these concepts.

PERSONAL DEVOTION

Student learn about Students learn to

Personal Devotion

Prayerdescribe the different types of personal prayer

Approaches to LearningThe approaches suggested below indicate a range of strategies that may be undertaken to allow students to engage with the requirements of this part of the syllabus. Teachers may wish to use one or more of these approaches in addressing this area of study. The suggestions are intended as a guide only and are not exhaustive.

Research the spirituality of the founder of the school or of a significant religious leader

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Develop a personal prayer resource using a variety of prayer forms

Set a writing task to outline a variety of prayer forms

Complete a review of a published prayer resource

Prayer Prayer is a human response to God who calls us into relationship. In prayer the person attempts to gain a greater sense of wholeness in life. Prayer is a personal relationship, expressed in the mind and heart, with the living God. A recognition of the existence of God is therefore a prerequisite for prayer.

Prayer can be understood by considering why people pray. Prayer may be praise of God; it may be thanksgiving for gifts received; it may be sorrow for sin; or it may be intercession for things needed.Prayer can be understood by its context. When people prayer alone, it is personal prayer. When prayer is prayed with others it is communal.

Prayer can be understood by the methods it uses:● Mental prayer may or may not use words.● Vocal prayer uses a set text, either spoken or sung.● Bodily gesture such as dance can be prayer.● Meditation is a reflective awareness of God’s presence.● Centring prayer often uses a mantra to focus on the presence of God. A mantra is a chant that is repeated continuously.

Jesus taught about prayer and gave a model for prayer: The Lord’s Prayer.

Use of imaging, icons, symbols, music, art and texts are effective supports for prayer.

Prayer has always been part of the experience of the Catholic tradition. It is Trinitarian – it is centred on Christ and enabled by the Holy Spirit (without the Holy Spirit, we cannot pray). It comes from the Church and is expressed within the Church. It is directed towards union with God at the end of time.Christians are called to be people of prayer following the example of Jesus. Prayer was at the heart of the ministry of Jesus and those who follow Jesus seek to also live a life of prayer. All Christian denominations have communal prayer rituals which play a very significant role in their tradition. The most important of these is the Sabbath or Sunday service which is the focal point for the life of the community. Beyond the communal times of prayer there are a wide range of personal prayer forms which are undertaken by Christians in various denominations.

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Traditional and Formal PrayersThroughout Christian history, various people have composed prayers which have become widely used. Many of these prayers recite or adapt biblical texts. Such traditional prayers cover a wide range of occasions and needs.

The Lord's PrayerImportance of the Lord's PrayerThe best known and most widely used of these prayers is the Lord's Prayer also known as the Our Father. This prayer is taken from the occasion in the gospel where the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). Jesus' response is known as the Lord's Prayer. It is used throughout all Christian denominations and is commonly included in liturgy as well as personal prayer. Lord's Prayer provides outline for an approach to prayerThe Lord's Prayer has also been analysed and presented as an outline for an approach to prayer. This analysis reveals different aspects to the prayer which can be seen to represent different types of prayer. For example the word "hallowed be thy name" can be seen to represent praise. "Give us this day our daily bread" can be seen to stand for prayers of petition. "Forgive us our trespasses" can be seen to indicate a prayer of repentance. In this way the Lord's prayer can also be used as an outline indicating the different types of prayer which Christians are taught to use.

The RosaryAnother traditional prayer which is well known in the Catholic community is the Rosary. This is another prayer which draws heavily on biblical texts. The Rosary is organised into 5 decades each containing 10 recitations of the prayer known as the "Hail Mary". Each decade is begun with the Lord's prayer and concludes with a short prayer of praise known as the "Glory Be". In the course of each decade of the Rosary, the person praying is encouraged to meditate on one of the "mysteries". These are organised into three groups and are based on events in the life of Jesus.

Intention of the RosaryThe intention of the Rosary is that a person can meditate on the events of the life of Jesus from the perspective of Mary the mother of Jesus. This approach takes its inspiration from the biblical text where Mary is described as pondering events in her heart (Luke 3:51). The Rosary is often prayed communally, however, it is also a widely used form of personal prayer.

The Divine OfficeUse of the Divine Office in religious communitiesAnother form of traditional prayer commonly found in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions is the Prayer of the Church or the Divine Office. The Divine Office has its origins and basis in the life of religious communities. It developed in conjunction with the monastic rule of Benedict of Nursia. The rule of Benedict has been the most influential rule governing religious life.

Use of the Divine Office in personal prayerBeyond its use in religious communities, the Divine Office is also widely used as a personal prayer and has particular appeal to people who wish to pray in conjunction with members of religious communities and to share in a prayer being offered throughout that day by Christians in all parts of the world.

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Divine office is based on scriptureThe Divine Office is almost entirely based on scriptural texts. It is based very strongly in the praying of the Psalms which forms the heart of the prayer. It also includes the Lord's prayer, the Canticle of Zechariah also know as the Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79), the Canticle of Mary also known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and the Canticle of Simeon also known as the Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2:29-32). The Divine Office also includes a scripture reading and prayers of intercession.

Timing of the Divine office The Divine Office is organised daily into a number of times of prayer to mark the day from early in the morning until late at night. Most people who use the Divine Office are likely to only use the morning and evening prayer and perhaps the night prayer rather than the prayer for the different hours of the day. The Divine Office follows a cycle which connects to the Liturgical seasons of the year and also includes prayers for feast days.

Informal and Spontaneous PrayerChristians across a range of denominations use a variety of informal and spontaneous forms of prayer for different occasions and times.

Morning and Evening PrayerPurpose of morning and evening prayer Christians have been traditionally taught to begin and end each day with prayer and accordingly the pattern of morning and evening prayer is widely followed. Typically a morning prayer is one of dedication to God. It often also includes petitions relating to events in the coming day or pressing matters of concern. Evening prayer or night prayer is typical a prayer of thanksgiving for God's providence during the day. It also often includes prayers of blessing for family and other loved ones.

Some Christians would make use of prayers prepared for these purposes while others will pray spontaneously using their own choice of words to express their prayers. A strong emphasis of reading of the bible particularly among Protestant denominations has led to many Christians including bible reading as part of their morning and evening prayer.

Grace at mealsPurpose of Grace at meals A prayer before and/or after eating meals is another widely practiced custom among Christians. This prayer at meal times is known as Grace and it usually takes the form of expressing gratitude to God for the provisions of the necessities of life. On many occasions Grace at meals provides an occasion to pray for a blessing on those who have provided and prepared the food. It is also often an occasion to pray for the needs of those who suffer through the lack of provisions for the necessities of life.

Quiet timesTiming of quiet time

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Christian denominations urge their members to find time during the pressures of normal daily routines to spend a period of time in prayer. This is often referred to as quiet time. Many Christians will find that prayer at the beginning and/or end of the day is the best opportunity for such quiet time. However, others find it important to deliberately set aside a time during the day to pray. The timing of this is dependent upon other commitments. For example a person who works at home may take time out when the rest of their family has left for the day. A university student may find time between lectures. An office worker during their lunch break etc.

Purpose of quiet timeThe form of prayer used during quiet times will vary greatly. However, common elements may include prayer of praise and thanksgiving, bible reading, quiet reflection and prayers of petition. The choice of prayer will often change depending on circumstances. For example a person with a seriously ill relative or friend is likely to have that need as a major part of their prayer. The type of prayer may also depend on the individual's disposition at the time and also the type of spirituality they prefer. For example, a person who follows Pentecostal and Charismatic spirituality is likely to be inclined more towards prayer of praise. Likewise person who feels particularly blessed by God through life's circumstances is also likely to be inclined to pray prayers of praise and thanksgiving.

Prayers of Intercession and PetitionThe biblical tradition of Jesus teaching about prayer includes a strong encouragement for Christians to ask in prayer for their needs and the needs of others (Luke 11:10-13). These "asking" prayers are known as prayers of intercession and prayers of petition.

Prayers of intercession and petition take many forms Prayers of intercession and petition can include many forms. The Lord's prayer for example includes elements of petition and many forms of formal or traditional prayer include such prayers. There are also many prayers of petition written in books of prayer. Some books of prayer are arranged with prayers of petition grouped according to the type of need. They may include prayers for the sick, prayers for guidance, prayers for strength during difficult times etc. Many people will choose their own words in prayers of petition and intercession. These are known as spontaneous or informal prayers. Saints

In some branches of Christianity, such as Orthodox and Catholic there is a strong belief in the Communion of Saints. This belief includes aspects where those who have gone before are able to intercede to God on behalf of the people on earth. Thus in some cases Christians will offer their prayers to a particular saint. The use of saints in prayers of intercession is one of the points of division among Christians stemming from the reforms of Martin Luther at the time of the Reformation. Thus intercession through the communion of saints will be seldom used among Protestant Christians.

Intercession on behalf of othersAnother form of intercession is when one person offers prayers or intercedes on behalf of others. Such intercessions are common throughout all denominations of Christianity and people frequently ask others to pray for them.

Exact nature of God's response to prayer is a mystery

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While Christians are assured that God hears and answers their prayers, the exact nature of the response of God to these prayers is a matter of some conjecture among theologians. Indeed the way in which God responds to prayers of petition is very much at the heart of the mystery of God's involvement in human history. Some Christians believe that the degree or quality of a person's faith has bearing on the response, others believe that God's providence and wisdom are the most critical elements. Despite the differences in understanding regarding the exact nature of God's response to prayer, Christians nevertheless agree that God hears and answers all prayers.

Prayers of Reflection and MeditationMethods of reflection and relaxation Another type of prayer commonly used is that of meditation and reflection. This practice involves finding a time and place free from distraction and centering one's thoughts on God. There are many aids that have been developed and many methods proposed to assist people in meditating and reflecting. Some methods involve a process of relaxation, some involve controlled breathing, still other music or other sensory aids. In some forms of meditation a number of aids are used in conjunction with one another. A large variety of resources have been developed in recent times to assist people in undertaking prayers of meditation and reflection. Some of these resources draw on the wisdom of Eastern religious traditions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

Purpose of prayers of reflection and meditation The main purpose of prayers of reflection and meditation is to create an inner stillness which allows a person to deeply contemplate the nature of God. This contemplation may involve the use of a biblical image, an aspect of creation or other aid. Another purpose of reflective prayer is to contemplate the meaning of events and circumstances of life. In this context the person praying will meditate on certain aspects of life in order to more clearly see and understand their meaning in the light of God's love.

Bible Reading and ReflectionMany of the types of prayer practiced by Christians draw heavily on biblical texts. In addition to these biblically based forms of prayer there is also a strong emphasis in most Christian denominations on the reflective reading of the bible as a form of prayer.

Strong tradition of Bible reading in Protestant denominationsThe strongest traditions of bible reading are found among the Protestant denominations of Christianity. These denominations, drawing on Martin Luther's doctrine of "sola scriptura" meaning scripture alone, have a strong tradition of reading scripture. In more recent times this tradition has influenced other Christian denominations so that bible reading and reflection is now a widely used element of prayer across the spectrum of Christian denominations.

Purpose of Bible reading and reflection

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When using the bible as an aid to prayer Christians seek to find inspiration and guidance through the words of scripture. Thus they may use the text by reflecting on or repeating a short phrase from the text. They may also choose a passage which describes an event from the life of Jesus or in the community of the early Church. In this way they pray seeking to gain greater insight into the meaning of the passage and deepen their understanding of the Christian way of life.

Prayers of Praise and ThanksgivingPrayers of praise and thanksgiving take many formsPraise and thanksgiving are important elements of Christian prayer. They find expression in many forms. Praying the Psalms is one of the most widely practiced and traditional forms of praise. It has already been noted that the Lord's Prayer also contains elements of praise.

Pentecostal and Charismatic movements emphasise praise of prayer In recent times the growth in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements has brought a renewed emphasis to the place of praise in Christian prayer. In these movements praise is an integral element of prayer and is seen as a way into a prayerful state. Most gatherings of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians would include a sustained period of praise and thanksgiving, usually at the beginning of the gathering. Personal prayer for Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians would also normally involve a strong emphasis on praise.

Purpose of prayers of praise and thanksgiving The purpose of praise in Christian prayer is to allow the person the opportunity to acknowledge the person of God. This acknowledgement includes an expression of the greatness of God which takes the form of praise. Thanksgiving prayer which is often closely related to prayers of praise has the function of acknowledging God's actions in human history and in particular in providing for the needs of the person offering the prayer.

Schools of Prayer and SpiritualitySchools of prayer widely used by many ChristiansThroughout Christian history various notable individuals have developed approaches to prayer which have been adopted by others. These approaches represent classical wisdom in their approaches to prayer. They have existed in the Christian tradition for centuries and are still widely used today. Other approaches are more modern and reflect the issues and concerns of individuals of contemporary Christians. Such approaches to prayer are referred to as schools of prayer because they represent an approach adopted by significant number of Christians. They also usually provide a more substantial approach than simply a style of prayer. Thus they are recognised as a form of spirituality which people can adopt to assist them in their spiritual journey. A few examples of schools of prayer and spirituality are introduced briefly below.

Ignatian SpiritualityOriginsBased on the inspiration of Spanish soldier and priest Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556). Ignatian spirituality is based on the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius which provide a program of meditations, prayers, considerations and contemplative practices.

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UseThey are often used by individuals in a retreat environment because of their 30 day program structure. Many however, use the spiritual exercises in an ongoing way, adapting the idea of the 30 days to address the various stages and movements in daily life.

PurposeThe spiritual exercises of Ignatius Loyola are designed to allow personal journeys and life experiences of individuals to be brought into relationship with God in a spiritual connection.

Teresian SpiritualityOriginsTeresa of Avila (1515-1582) is one of the most famous leaders in the Christian mystical tradition. Her own spiritual experiences are documented in her most well known work "Way of Perfection".

PurposeTeresian spirituality seeks to follow the example of Teresa of Avila in her own spiritual journey seeking to emulate the experiences of Teresa and in particular her own profound meditations on the passion of Christ.

Taize PrayerOriginsTaize is a small village in France which is home to a well known ecumenical community founded and led by Br Roger Shutz. The community arose from Br Roger's concern for the pervading sense of disillusion in post World War II Europe. The community that developed at Taize was to be one of hope and renewal. The ecumenical dimension was an important element highlighting the urgent need for unity.

UseFrom the Taize community a simple, meditative prayer form has emerged which is now known as Taize prayer. It involves a process of contemplation based on the chanting recitation of simple mantras. Taize prayers also include a strong focus on justice, peace and ecology.

Creation SpiritualityOriginsWith the increased emphasis on environmental concerns there has also been a significant development in the fields of theology and spirituality. Through the work of writers and lecturers such as Thomas Berry and Matthew Fox a spirituality has emerged which is loosely described as Creation Spirituality. While Creation Spirituality is generally thought of as a modern movement it is certainly not entirely new. Famous medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen was very evidently a forerunner of the modern movement of Creation Spirituality.

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PurposeCreation Spirituality celebrates the spiritual dimension of creation as the expression of God's love and seeks to highlight the goodness of creation as a gift of God. Given the concerns for the environment that are felt by many Christians today, Creation Spirituality provides a helpful vehicle for many to relate to this in a spiritual sense.

ACTIVITY:

1. Using the information above, complete the mind-map (over the page).

2. Look up the following readings from the Bible, and match them with the correct context of the reasons why people pray.

Luke 1:46-55;

Philippians 1:3-5;

Psalm 108:3-4;

Judges 10:10;

1 Kings 3:5-14;

Ephesians 1:3

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METHODS

CONTEXT

WHY

Summary Points: Personal DevotionStudents learn about:

Prayer

Students learn to:

Describe the different types of personal prayer

Prayer plays a significant role in the tradition, as all Christians are called to be people of prayer following the example of Jesus

Traditional and formal prayers encompass a wide variety of occasions and are often adapted from biblical texts

Lord's Prayer (Our Father) - this prayer is taken from the occasion in the Gospel where the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray

The Lord's Prayer is used throughout all Christian denominations and is commonly included in liturgy as well as personal prayer

The Rosary is a prayer that draws heavily on biblical texts and is commonly prayed communally or as a form of personal prayer by the Catholic community

The Rosary is organised into 5 decades each containing 10 recitations of the prayer known as the "Hail Mary"

The intention of the Rosary is that a person can meditate on the events of the life of Jesus from the perspective of Mary, the mother of Jesus

Divine Office (Prayer of the Church) is a traditional prayer that developed from the monastic rule of Benedict of Nursia and commonly used in Catholic and Orthodox religious communities

The Divine Office is also widely used as a personal prayer

The Divine Office which relies heavily upon the prayers in Psalms, is organised daily into a number of times of prayer to mark the day from early in the morning until late at night

Christians across a range of denominations use a variety of informal and spontaneous forms of prayer for different occasions and times

Morning and evening prayer is commonly used across the spectrum of Christian denominations, with morning prayer typically being a dedication to God and evening prayer often being a prayer of thanksgiving for God's providence during the day

Grace before and/or after meals is a widely practised custom of expressing gratitude to God for the provisions of the necessities of life

Christian denominations urge their members to find time during the pressures of normal daily routines to spend a period of time in prayer. This is often referred to as Quiet time

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The time for prayer and the form of prayer used during quiet times will vary greatly, however, common elements may include prayer of praise and thanksgiving, bible reading, quiet reflection and prayers of petition

Prayers of intercession and prayers of petition are prayers where a person requests their needs and the needs of others

Prayers of intercession and petition encompass many forms of prayer ranging from formal prayers such as the Lord's prayer to informal and spontaneous prayers

In the Orthodox and Catholic communities the belief in the Communion of Saints means that in some cases Christians will offer their prayers to a particular saint, who is believed to intervene on behalf of the person on earth

Prayers of reflection and meditation involve finding a time and place free from distraction and centering one's thoughts on God

The main purpose of prayers of reflection and mediation is to create an inner stillness which allows a person to deeply contemplate the nature of God and the meaning of events and circumstances in life to more clearly see these events in the light of God's love

There is a strong emphasis across the spectrum of Christian denominations but particularly amongst the Protestant denominations on the reflective reading of the bible as a form of prayer

Praise and thanksgiving which allows an individual to acknowledge the greatness of the person of God, finds expression in many forms such as praying the Psalms

In recent times the growth in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, where praise is an integral element of prayer has brought a renewed emphasis to the place of praise in Christian prayer

Throughout Christian history various notable individuals have developed approaches to prayer which have been adopted by a significant number of Christians. These are known as schools of prayer and spirituality

Ignatian spirituality, which is based on the inspiration of Spanish priest Ignatius of Loyola, offers a 30 day programme of meditations, prayers, considerations and contemplative practices that it is commonly used by individuals in a retreat environment.

Teresian spirituality traces its origins to the spiritual experiences of Teresa of Avila as documented in her most well known work "Way of Perfection"

Taize prayer is a simple, meditative prayer that emerged from the French Taize community led by Br Roger Schutz

It involves a process of contemplation based on the chanting recitation of simple mantras

Taize prayer which is steeped in the notions of hope and renewal in response to the post World War II disillusionment adopts a strong emphasis on justice, peace and ecology

Creation Spirituality is generally thought of as a modern movement that celebrates the spiritual dimension of creation as the expression of God's love and thus seeks to highlight the goodness of creation as a gift of God

Creation spirituality as seen in the works of Thomas berry and Matthew Fox grew out of modern ecological concerns

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Specimen Questions Explain the ways in which personal prayer in the Christian tradition draws on the life and ministry of Jesus as a model for Christian life Outline different types of personal devotion in Christianity and assess their role in the lives of adherents

SAMPLE RESPONSES

Outline different types of personal devotion in Christianity and assess their role in the lives of adherents Prayer plays a central part in the day to day lives of adherents of Christianity. Following in the footsteps of Jesus who frequently communed with God in a familiar and intimate manner Christians also place a significant emphasis on living a life of prayer. Since Christians model their lives on the example of Jesus it follows that the role of personal prayer rituals plays a very significant role in the tradition. Personal prayer whilst diverse in its nature is nevertheless significant and is commonly undertaken by Christians across various denominations for vastly differing occasions. Traditional and formal types of personal prayer are widely used as they cover a diverse spectrum of needs and occasions. Some types of traditional prayers such as the Rosary and the Divine Office however are more commonly used in certain communities. Informal and spontaneous prayers on the other hand are widely used by adherents across the spectrum of Christian denominations. However, even within the category of spontaneous and informal prayer, different denominations are more inclined to use certain forms of informal prayer. There are two major categories of personal devotion in Christianity, traditional and formal prayer on the one hand and informal and spontaneous prayer on the other. Traditional and formal prayer covers a wide range of occasions and needs and generally involves the adaptation of biblical texts. The best known and most widely used of these prayers is the Lord's Prayer also known as the Our Father. This prayer is significant because it is the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Consequently, it is widely used throughout all Christian denominations both in formal liturgies and in personal prayer. The importance of the Our Father cannot be underestimated as it has been deconstructed and analysed as an indicator of how Christians should approach prayer in general. From this single prayer the elements of praise, petition and repentance can be found and understood as being reflective and representative of different aspects of prayer and different types of prayer.

While the Lord's Prayer is universally used across the spectrum of Christian denominations, the use of the Rosary some other traditional prayers are restricted to the Orthodox and Catholic communities. Within the Orthodox and Catholic Church the Rosary is a well known prayer that draws heavily on biblical texts. The Rosary is organised into 5 decades, each containing 10 recitations of the "Hail Mary". The Rosary is structured so that the person can reflect upon one mystery for each decade of the Rosary. These mysteries are chronologically organised and are based on the life events of Jesus. Thus, Christians can contemplate and ponder over the events in the life of Jesus from the point of view of Mary, his mother. The Rosary is sometimes prayed communally but is also a widely used form of personal prayer.

The traditional and formal prayers discussed so far are widely used in the lay community. The Divine Office, another traditional prayer is most frequently used in religious communities. Its origins can be traced back to the monastic rule of Benedict of Nursia, who exercised a significant degree of influence in running and governing religious life. The Divine Office like many formal prayers relies heavily upon scriptural texts. In fact the core of the Divine Office is strongly based on the praying of the Psalms. Apart from its use in religious communities it is also used in the broader community as a personal prayer. It is generally used by those who wish to pray in conjunction with members of religious communities or to share in a prayer being offered throughout that day by Christians in all parts of the world.

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Informal and spontaneous prayer whilst it is more varied in its nature is nevertheless highly significant as it is well suited to a vast number of different occasions and times. Morning and evening prayer is widely used by Christians across a range of denominations. Morning Prayer is a prayer of dedication to God and often includes petitions relating to events in the coming day. Evening prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving. Amongst Protestant denominations in particular the reading of the Bible is a definitive part of morning and evening prayer. Similarly grace at meals is intended to express gratitude to God for providing for daily needs. It is another form of prayer that is common practice amongst Christians. Christians model their patterns of prayer upon the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus commonly retreated to a quiet place away from the pressures of daily life Christians are encouraged to incorporate quiet times into their personal prayer. The form and time of prayer will greatly vary however. For example, a person who belongs to a Pentecostal or Charismatic Church movement will be more inclined to include praise in their prayers. In recent times the growth in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements has brought a renewed emphasis to the place of praise in Christian prayer. Prayers of intercession and petition are another important type of personal prayer that is heavily drawn from the teachings of Jesus. There are many forms of prayers which contain this element of petition ranging from formal prayers such as the Lord's Prayer to spontaneous and informal types of prayer by people praying for guidance and strength during difficult times. Some strands of Christianity, particularly the Orthodox and Catholic communities will pray to a particular saint in the hope that the saint will be able to intercede to God on behalf of the person on God. This practice is not prevalent in Protestant denominations as they do not hold a strong conviction regarding the Communion of Saints.

Prayers of reflection and meditation are another important and common form of personal prayer. By retreating to a still, quiet area people can reflect and contemplate the meaning of life events and see more clearly the work of the loving hand of God. The numerous types of prayers discussed above often draw their inspiration from biblical texts. Therefore it can be said that there is a strong emphasis across all Christian denominations on Bible reading and reflection. Amongst Protestant denominations however, and particularly amongst Evangelical Protestants there is a very significant emphasis on the reading of biblical texts. This practice stems from the teachings of Martin Luther who stressed the concept of "sola scriptura" or Bible alone. This influence has been felt within contemporary Christianity with numerous Church denominations now placing a greater emphasis on Bible reading and reflection. Today therefore, the use of bible reading and reflection is a common element of prayer across the spectrum of Christian denominations. Within types of personal prayer there are schools of prayers and spirituality which are adopted by a significant number of Christians. One such school of prayer is Ignatian spirituality which includes a program of meditations, prayers, considerations and contemplative practices. Due to its 30 day program structure it is commonly used by individuals in a retreat environment. Another school of spirituality that is based on an influential individual is Teresian spirituality. Yet another school of prayer, Taize prayer, is particularly applicable to contemporary concerns as there is a strong emphasis on justice, peace and ecology. Similarly creation spirituality with its emphasis on celebrating the spiritual dimension of creation as the expression of God's love is highly applicable to modern society with our ecological concerns. However, like Taize prayer the relative modernity of these schools of prayer means that their influence is somewhat restricted.

In conclusion the enormous variety and adaptability of personal prayer to a vast range of issues and concerns reflects the notion that prayer is a central and important part of the daily lives of adherents. Personal prayer for Christians is modelled on the life and ministry of Jesus who taught us how to pray. The enormous diversity in the types of personal prayer means that some types of prayer will be more applicable to the beliefs of certain segments of the Christian community. Where certain types of prayers such as the Rosary are restricted to certain strands of the Christian tradition, other types of personal prayer such as bible reading and reflection are

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becoming increasingly common in all denominations. Despite the enormous diversity of types of personal prayer it is clear that prayer is a foundational part of the everyday life of the adherents.

Explain the ways in which personal prayer in the Christian tradition draws on the life and ministry of Jesus as a model for Christian life Introduction (142 words)

Prayer in the Christian tradition is essentially based on the example of Jesus who lived a life of prayer. Since prayer was at the heart of the ministry of Jesus those who follow Jesus also seek to live a life of prayer. The life and ministry of Jesus provides an example of how to approach prayer, the times in which Christians should pray and why Christians should pray. From this the various types of personal prayer developed some of which draw heavily upon the direct teachings of Jesus as recorded in the scriptures and other less formal prayers attempt to model the approach Jesus took towards prayer. Consequently, it can be said that the way in which Christians pray and the importance that is placed on living a life of prayer can be directly attributed to the life and ministry of Jesus.


The first instance of how Christians draw on the life and ministry of Jesus as a model for Christian life is by repeating and reciting the direct words of Jesus and the scriptures. Discuss the use of the formal prayers, that is the Lord's prayer, the Rosary and the Divine Office and draw explicit link between these prayers and how they draw on the life and ministry of Jesus as a model for Christian life. Include reference to bible reading and reflection as a type of prayer.


Christian prayer draws upon the life and ministry of Jesus as a guide to approaching prayer. Introduce the different approaches to prayer with reference to the Lord's prayer and how this prayer reveals the different aspects and principles to prayer which are seen to represent different types of prayer.


Jesus taught Christians to thank God and to dedicate their lives to God. Examine this point with reference to morning and evening prayer, grace at meals and prayers of praise and thanksgiving. Make clear links between the attitude to prayer demonstrated by these informal prayers and the life and ministry of Jesus. Evaluate the importance of the life and ministry of Jesus as a model for Christian prayer by recognising that the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements has brought a renewed emphasis to the place of praise in Christian prayer.


The biblical tradition of Jesus teaching about prayer includes a strong encouragement for Christians to ask in prayer for their needs and the needs of others. Consider prayers of intercession and petition as an example of how Christians draw upon the life and ministry of Jesus for a model of life action.


By examining the life of Jesus, we can see that Jesus often withdraws from the pressures of daily life to pray in a quiet place and does so especially as he approaches key moments in his ministry such as the calling of his disciples. Similarly, Jesus is found at prayer in times of personal crisis as well as in the face of the needs of others. Examine the use of quiet times and prayers of reflection and meditation in the Christian tradition as an example of how Jesus taught Christians to pray particularly as they reach critical moments in life.

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The centrality of prayer during the life and ministry of Jesus is reflected through Christian history where various notable individuals have developed approaches to prayer which have been adopted by a significant number of Christians.

Conclusion (113 words)

In conclusion, it is clear that prayer in the Christian tradition draws significantly from the example of the life and ministry of Jesus. Prayer is a central and important part of the Christian life because prayer was at the heart of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus taught Christians how to pray, the key principles of prayer and the different types of prayer to be used at different times. Despite the variations in the types of prayer used throughout different Christian denominations all Christian groups affirm the importance of prayer as part of the Christian life. The belief in the importance of prayer can be directly traced back to the centrality of prayer in life and ministry of Jesus.

TEACHER RESOURCESTexts

Beck Margie et al Exploring Religion, 1999, Melbourne, Oxford University Press.

Hayward Patricia Christianity in Australia: and the Traditions Which have Shaped it, 1998, Concord, Anembo Books

Lovat Terence and McGrath John (ed) New Studies in Religion, 1999, Katoomba, Social Science Press.

Morrisey Janet, et al Living Religion, 2005, Melbourne, Pearson

InternetNational Council of Churches of Australia

www.ncca.org.au

Powerpoints on RE Common DriveCommon/RE program/Powerpoints for RE/Preliminary/Christianity….

Early Development of Christianity Brief History of ChristianityHow Christianity Developed under Roman RuleFormation of the Christian Scriptures Catholic Worship and PracticeChristian Symbols

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Download - The focus of this study is Christianity ... - Web viewexplain why Jesus is the model for Christian life. describe the early development of Christian communities after the death of

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