Q1 L5: Christianity

• Christianity developed out of Judaism in the 1st century C.E
• Christianity originated on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
•  those who follow Jesus are called "Christians
• Christianity has many different branches and forms with associated variety in beliefs and practices. The three major branches of Christianity are Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism
• Traditional Christian beliefs include the belief in the one and only true God, who is one being and exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the belief that Jesus is the divine and Messiah sent to the save the world. Christianity is also noted for its emphasis on faith in Christ as the primary component of religion
• The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible, including both the Hebrew scriptures (also known as the Old Testament) and the New Testament. Fundamental to Christian practice is the gathering at churches for worship.
• Roman Catholicism is a worldwide religious tradition of some 1.1 billion members. It traces its history to Jesus of Nazareth, a roving preacher in the area around Jerusalem during the period of Roman occupation, in the early 30s of the Common Era. Its members assemble in a communion of churches headed by bishops, whose role originated with the disciples of Jesus.
• , the bishops spread out across the world to form a "universal" (Greek, katholikos) church, with the bishop of Rome (traced to the apostle Peter) holding primacy. Today Vatican City — and specifically, Saint Peter's Basilica — stands over the grave of Peter, and the pope is considered Peter's successor.
• •325 A.D. — Council of Nicea. The first post-apostolic ecumenical council of the Christian community at which Church leaders formed a creedal statement of belief recognized universally.
• •381 A.D. — First Council of Constantinople. This council amended and ratified the Nicene Creed, resulting in the version used by Christian churches around the world.
• •440-461 A.D. — Pope Leo I. Many historians suggest that Pope Leo is the first to claim universal jurisdiction over the worldwide Church, thus initiating the rise of the papacy, a uniquely Roman Catholic structure.
• •451 A.D. — The Council of Chalcedon. This is the first occasion of an institutional division within Christianity, as those who did not adhere to the conclusions of the Council (referred to as Oriental Orthodox) separated.
• •1054 A.D. — The Great Schism. Though the Eastern and Western branches of the Church had long been divided over theological, cultural, linguistic, and ecclesiological disputes, the separation was formalized in 1054, thus creating the first large-scale division within Christendom.
• •Eastern Orthodox Church, a branch of Christianity also known as Eastern Orthodoxy, Orthodox Christianity, or the Orthodox Church, categorizes its origins in the early Church, particularly as it developed within the Greek-speaking eastern branch of the Roman Empire. The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts the first seven Ecumenical Councils (which were held between 325 and 787 C.E.), and regards itself as the True Church.
• •The Eastern Orthodox Church is organized with an episcopal structure including the Four Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem (the Patriarch of Constantinople is the first of equals) and consecrated bishops (whose lineage is believed to be traced back to Jesus' apostles). Their worship is highly liturgical and extremely iconographic, both of which are central to the Church's life, history, and practice
• •The central principle of Christianity is the belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah (Christ).
• Christians believe that Jesus, as the Messiah, was anointed by God as savior of humanity and hold that Jesus' coming was the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament
• •According to the canonical gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born from the Virgin Mary.
• •Betrayed by disciple Judas

  •Put on trial for being a revolutionary & a political threat to Roman and Jewish authorities

  •Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate

  •condemned and put to death by means of crucifixion

  •The following Sunday, He appeared to his followers as a triumph over death

  •Later ascended into Heaven
• modern Lutherans and other Protestants tend to teach that salvation is a gift that comes to an individual by God's grace, sometimes defined as "unmerited favor", even apart from baptism
• •Depending on the specific denomination of Christianity, practices may include baptism, Eucharist (Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper), prayer (including the Lord's Prayer), confession, confirmation, burial rites, marriage rites and the religious education of children. Most denominations have ordained clergy and hold regular group worship services.
• •Baptism – to signify repentance and cleansing

  •Last Supper - Eucharist (communion): symbolic meal of Jesus’ last meal with disciples; taken in thanks and celebration

  •Confirmation – a blessing of initiation after baptism

  •Reconciliation – someone confesses his/her sins

  •Matrimony – where two people commit themselves with each other for life with God as the centre

  •Ordination – where someone commits himself to priesthood

  •Anointing – taken usually by the sick person
• •16th century — The term "Roman Catholic" is not generally used until the Protestant Reformation, and some historians see the Council of Trent (1545-1563) as a centralizing movement within Catholicism that enhanced the authority of Rome.