RELIGIOUS STUDIES

• Monotheism


  Belief that there is only one God
• Creed


  Statement of Christian beliefs
• Catholic Catechism


  A compendium of the official teaching of the Catholic Church
• Sacraments


  Outward signs of an inward blessing through which invisible grace is given to a person
• Apostolic Tradition


  The faith taught by Jesus and the apostles
• Heresies


  Religious opinions which contradict official Church teaching
• Adoptionism


  The heresy that the Son of God was adopted by God and not begotten of God
• Arianism


  The heresy that the son of God was created by God after the creation
• Consubstantial


  Of one substance
• Original sin


  The sin of the first humans (symbolised by Adam and Eve) inherited by humans as mortality and selfishness or the sin that all humans are born with which is washed away at baptism, although its effects remain, such as a mortal nature and selfish will
• Creator


  Used with a capital C to describe God as the Creator of the universe
• Benevolence


  Being all-good, all-loving
• Omnipotence


  The quality of being all-powerful
• Dominion


  Power and authority over the earth
• Stewardship


  Looking after something so it can be passed on to the next generation
• Incarnation


  The belief that God became a human being as Jesus
• Virgin birth


  The belief that Jesus was not conceived through sex
• Salvation


  Deliverance from sin and its consequences or saving from evil, of healing a broken relationship with God
• Paschal


  Relating to Easter: the death and resurrection of Jesus
• Ascension


  The return of Christ to heaven
• Sin


  An act that is against God's will
• Heaven


  A place of infinite peace in the presence of God
• Purgatory


  A preparation for heaven, a place of purification and healing
• Hell


  A place of eternal separation from the love of God
• Resurrection


  A belief that the body will be raised again to life but in a new, spiritual, transformed way
• Catholicism is monotheistic, i.e. they believe in One God. This belief is mentioned in the Bible, ("I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God" Isaiah 45) and in the Creed ('I believe in One God')
• Catholics believe that this One God is known in three different 'persons'. God has three divine natures, 3 in 1. Ultimately how God can be three 'persons' (a term given to the trinity that describes Father, Son, Spirit) is a mystery, but the Bible does reveal that the 'One' God is seen as Father, Son, Spirit
• The word 'trinity' is not used in the Bible, but the doctrine (teaching) of the Trinity came about early in the church, and was officially articulated at the council of Nicea (325 AD) which stated that Jesus is God, along with the Father, who are both eternal (this was to teach against a man names 'Arius' who believed Jesus was a 'demi-god' created after the Father)
• This creed was added to at the council of Constantinople (381 AD) which affirmed that the Holy Spirit is God
• Biblical references to the trinity

  • At the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17)
  • In John 1:1-18 it mentions how the Word, Jesus, has always been present with the Father and the Holy Spirit
  • In creation God says "Let us make humankind in OUR image" (Genesis 1)
  • Jesus says "The Father and I are One" John 10
  • The 'great commission': Jesus sends out his disciples to the world, telling them to Baptise the nations "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" (Matthew 27)
• Roles of the persons in the Trinity

  • The Father: Creates just like our own fathers; continues to show this love; Jesus teaches us to call God 'our father'- he provides
  • The Son: Jesus is God made man, the incarnation; the Son has lived among us and made God the Father known; He brings salvation; He shows complete love
  • The Holy Spirit: the Holy Spirit communicates with humanity today; it inspired the Bible and the Church today; the Holy Spirit helps Catholics live holy lives today; it is present in the world now
• At baptism Catholics use the Trinity to bring members into the Church
• During the Mass the sign of the cross is said at the beginning which again reminds us of the Trinity
• We profess One God in three persons: 'CCC'
• Genesis 1 shows the power of God the Father; how He creates out of nothing. It shows His benevolence, how what God creates is good. The eternity of God is also shown; He is there before the heavens and the earth
• Genesis 2 & 3 shows how humanity disobeys God, leading to sin
• Divergent beliefs on creation

  • Catholics: Catholics view the creation story as a metaphor. It teaches Catholics of the power of God, but they believe that the world was caused/created by the Big Bang. It is God who brings it about. Furthermore creation teaches Catholics of the need of God and how we turn away from God
  • Creationists: Many traditional protestants believe that the Bible is the Word of God, everything in it is true. Therefore the world was made in 6 days. The Big Bang and Evolution is not accepted
  • Mainstream Protestants: The Bible is the Word of God, but the 6 days are meant as millions/billions of years. Big Bang/Evolution accepted
  • Other Christians see creation as a myth/metaphor and therefore is not true, but just a story which has messages in which can be understood
• In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth: 'Genesis 1'
• Humanity are made in the imago dei

  • Human beings are rational
  • Human beings have free will and conscience
  • Human beings can relate to God
  • Human beings can give and receive love
  • Human beings are answerable to God
• Humanity also has a duty of dominion and stewardship of creation/the world. God orders that humanity is to rule over the world. Whilst at the same time is to cultivate and treat the planet with love as its stewards. Cafod is a catholic charity who aims to promote this