Re- Catholic Christianity

• The trinity


  The belief that God is one God in three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit
• Catholic Christians


  • Monotheistic, believing in only one God
  • Believe in the trinity - one God as three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit
• God


  The all-powerful creator
• Jesus


  The Son, God in human form
• Holy Spirit


  The active presence of God in the world today, and what inspired the apostles during the event called Pentecost
• "Christians are baptised in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy Spirit": 'Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 232)'
• The faith of all Christians rests on the trinity
• The trinity


  1 God as 3 persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - with 1 shared divine nature
• Analogies for the trinity

  • Shamrock - 1 leaf, 3 parts
  • H2O - different forms (liquid, solid, gas)
• Some Roman Catholics believe that all three persons of the trinity are present in the gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism e.g. Mark 1:9-11
• God the father


  Seen in the Old Testament as the creator in the book of Genesis and references to God as the creator is seen elsewhere e.g. Psalms and as the lawgiver in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy
• God the father


  Seen in the New Testament e.g. at Jesus' baptism
• Catholics believe that Isaiah's prophecies refer to Jesus as son of God describing a child who will be mighty God and prince of peace
• The idea that Jesus is God


  Seen in the New Testament e.g. at the annunciation when angel Gabriel tells Mary she has conceived God's son
• The voice of God the father


  Refers to Jesus as his son at his baptism
• Roman Catholic teaching says that the spirit that surrounds the unformed world at the moment of creation is the Holy Spirit
• Creation


  An expression of God as omnipotent (all powerful)
• God's relationship with humans


  God created humans to have a special relationship with him where they obey his commands
• Catholic belief about humans

  God made humans the stewards of creation with a responsibility to look after the world he made
• The Book of Genesis has two accounts of creation
• Genesis 1 account of creation

  1. Men and women are the last things to have been created

  2. The process of creation is set out chronologically over a period of seven days

  3. On the 6th day God says "Let us make man" (Genesis 1:26)
• Genesis 2 account of creation

  Adam man is created before animals
• CCC 293: 'The world was created for the glory of God'
• Genesis 1:1 (NIV): 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth'
• Genesis 1 is mainly focused on the physical act of creation, leading up to the creation of human beings in Gods image
• God commanded humanity to rule over the rest of creation
• Incarnation


  The doctrine that Jesus was God in human form, with both a divine nature and a human nature
• The four gospels


  • They are the only books that tell of the life and time of Jesus
  • They are the accounts by Matthew, Luke, Andrew and John
• Annunciation


  The birth of Jesus was announced by an angel before he was born, therefore he was not a prophet (called by God as an adult) but was identified as being sent by God before his birth
• Virgin Mary


  Jesus was born to her, therefore his conception is proof of a divine nature rather than a human nature since he was born to a Virgin
• Jesus


  His name translates to 'saviour' and this is mentioned in Matthew's account to make it clear Jesus is sent to save people from their sins
• Mary: 'Here I am the servant of the Lord let it be with me according to your word'
• Joseph: 'Did as the angel of the lord commanded him'
• Matthew


  Writes for Jews as a Jewish writer, writes about Joseph's side of the story as at the time the testimony of women were not accepted in court and therefore he had to give the male perspective
• Jesus


  For Jews, the father holds the duty to choose the name for the child and therefore when the name Jesus is given to Joseph by God then God is the true father of Jesus
• Emmanuel


  Means 'God is with us', Matthew refers to this Jewish prophecy to explain the incarnation to his Jewish audience
• Luke


  As a Gentile, he writes to non-Jews and therefore does not refer to Old Testament prophecies, instead calling Jesus the "son of the most high" and the Eternal Son of God
• John's Gospel


  Parallels the creation in Genesis 1, equating Jesus with the word of God that brings about creation
• In the beginning was Word (Jesus) shows Jesus is an eternal being not one was that was created but one that existed from the beginning. 

  “The word was with God,” shows us that God and Jesus are distinct but co-exist 

  “The word was God” words are self expression , can be interpreted that Jesus is Gods self expression and without him not one thing came into being 

  “And the word became flesh” the idea that God took on human flesh in Jesus

  Jesus brought Gods truth and grace to humans 
• Incarnation


  The doctrine that Jesus was God in human form, with both a divine nature and a human nature