World Religions, Sixth EditionWarren Matthews

Chapter Nine:

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Major Centers of Christianity in Europe

Judaism and the New Covenant

Christians view Jewish history as part of their own

Before Jesus’ birth, as the “Old Covenant”

After Jesus’ resurrection, as the “New Covenant”

View Jews as having rejected the Covenant by rejecting

Jesus

Christians are the ongoing inheritors of the promises of the Bible

The Holy Land of the New Testament

John the Baptist

History of Jesus

Prophet in Old Testament Jewish pattern

Prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah (Christ)

Preached repentance and nearness of God's Kingdom

Condemned for doing wrong (breaking Ten

Commandments)

Baptized for repentance and forgiveness of sins

Introduced Jesus to people

Baptized him

Directed his disciples to Jesus

Life of Jesus

History of Jesus

Born as a descendant of David, thus rightful King of Israel

Raised in the city of Nazareth, in the area of Galilee

Preached across Palestine, inhabited by Jews

Used parables (common life stories explaining religious truths)

Argued that the righteous person goes beyond letter of law

Stressed inward piety instead of outward shows of holiness

Said God's Kingdom is here with His presence

The Baptism of Jesus

Life of Jesus

History of Jesus

Healed the sick

Told the poor that God cared for them

Offended rich and important religious leaders

Said wealth was a barrier to being God's person

Denounced hypocrisy of rabbis (religious teachers)

Denounced misuse of temple grounds (for buying and selling)

Life of Jesus

History of Jesus

Condemned to die as a rebellious criminal

Had Last Supper with his apostles

Was executed by the Romans in a crucifixion

Disciples abandoned him in despair

They shared testimony of the reality of his death

After the crucifixion, Jesus’ disciples reported experiencing him

as alive, having conquered death

Appeared to multitudes during forty days after his resurrection

He claimed to share this victory with his followers

Engraving of the Last Supper and the First Eucharist

The Crucifixion of Jesus, and the Women Who Were Witnesses

Christian History

History of Jesus

The New Testament is the record of Jesus’ life and the early

years of the church that followed his teachings

The first four books are the eyewitness accounts of Jesus' life

(as codified by years of retelling them first)

Other books include early church history and letters to foreign

churches

Concluded by a prophetic book, Revelations, describing the

last days of the world

Christian History

New Testament Origins

Traditional dating of the New Testament

First three gospels and most epistles by 55 BCE

John's Gospel and letters in the 90s BCE

Liberal dating of the New Testament

Pauline letters by 65 BCE

Imitations of Pauline letters over the next twenty years

Gospels written by 90s BCE

Revelations in 95 BCE

Early Growth of the Church

The early growth of Christianity

Ten days after Jesus left the physical presence of Christians,

God proclaimed his continuing presence among the believers

with an event at the feast of Pentecost

Signs included slips of fire over each person, the sound of wind

Experiences empowered believers begin to share the message of

Jesus' life

Crossing language barriers

Willingness to ignore personal danger and persecution to talk

to others and spread the message

Early Growth of the Church

The early growth of Christianity

Many “regular” Jews joined these new teachings

Many leaders rejected the teachings and the new followers

Official leaders (priests and rabbis) tried to suppress Christians

Saul of Tarsus was a leader in this violent suppression

Suppression resulted in spreading of Christians away from

Jerusalem, moving through many areas populated by Jews

Under God's direction, Christians began to admit non-Jews

Christians do not insist upon keeping the Jewish rules of life

Saul/Paul

The early growth of Christianity

Saul of Tarsus (a Roman city in Turkey)

A Roman citizen, was called Paul among the Romans

A Jewish Pharisee and intellectual opponent to those Jews

who followed Jesus’ teachings

Met Jesus in a vision on the road to persecute Christians

Became as supportive of Jesus as he had been opposed

Spent years away from Jewish centers

Asked to serve congregation in Antioch as Pastor

The Conversion of St. Paul

Saul/Paul

Saul of Tarsus

Asked to serve as a “missionary” to non-Christians

Started a practice still prevalent in Christian communities

Usually began in Jewish communities

Often ended by opposition within the community

In Greece, started a change in the local religion

Presented Jesus as one crucified for the listener’s benefit

Stated that participation comes by trusting in Jesus

Saul/Paul

The early growth of Christianity

Jesus' disciples are thought to have traveled to many places:

Peter to Rome

Thomas to India

John to Ephesus

James stayed and preached in Jerusalem

Everywhere the disciples and missionaries went, they established

and/or strengthened the Christian community

Roman Persecution

The early growth of Christianity

The early church ended with the Roman persecution under the

emperor Nero

Blamed Christians for the burning of Rome (probably falsely)

Executed the Christian leaders Peter and Paul in Rome

Christians were persecuted at various times over next 200 years

The end of the New Testament, “Revelations,” or “Apocalypse,”

was written around 95 CE during such persecutions, for the

encouragement of sufferers

Roman Persecution

Christians refused to worship the emperor as God

All other religions did so

Jews were given an exemption

Yet Christians were regarded as traitors to the emperor

As traitors, the Christians were often subject to a policy of

persecution

Christians accepted persecution as being treated like Jesus

People who died faithfully (martyrs) were regarded as heroes

Roman Emperor Constantine (307-336 CE) made Christianity legal

Developments in Christianity

As Christians became the majority religion in the Roman Empire, the

empire began to insist on standardization of Christian teachings and

practice

Empire-wide councils were convened

Led by the recognized Church communities

Differences in understandings were debated and decided

The nature of Jesus

The relationship between Jesus’ divinity and humanity

The relationship of Jesus to God

Developments in Christianity

Christians debated and studied Greek philosophers

Clement and Origen accepted some of the teachings of Plato

Especially focused on the allegorical study of the Bible

Ambrose and Augustine used some of Plato's ideas

Thomas Aquinas used some of Aristotle's methods

Developments in Christianity

Christians desiring further ways of living a life devoted to God

developed monasticism

Monastery life was a way of living separated from the world and

devoting oneself to serving and worshiping God

Some lived alone in the desert

Some sought a mystical union with God

Some formed communities of monks and nuns

St. Benedict’s rule

St. Francis’ rule

St. Dominic’s rule

St. Francis of Assisi

Developments in Christianity

Early Christians in East and West

Distributed sacraments as God given

Copied Jewish synagogue worship patterns

Organized under a bishop and helpers (elders and presbyters)

Cities were organizing units

Cooperated in theology and practice

Developments in Christianity

Christians in the East

Greek speaking

Center of Greek power was in Constantinople (later called Istanbul)

Focused on the mystical union of believers with God

Christians in the West

Latin speaking, center of the Latin power was in Rome

Focused on intellectual relationship of believers to God

Others

Coptic in Egypt

Syriac in Syria and Iraq

Main Altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome

Hagia Sophia (Saint Sophia), Christian church from 532 C.E. Constantinople

Developments in Christianity

Differences between East and West grew until 1054

Different view of humans

Different view of governance

Some different expressions of devotion

Split became permanent

Each division excommunicated the other

Tried to heal breach during Crusades

This attempt failed due to military non-cooperation

A Greek Orthodox Service on Good Friday

Crusades

Jews, Christians, and Muslims revered the Holy Land, Palestine, and

the city of Jerusalem

Since the 600s, the Muslims controlled Jerusalem

Pilgrims were being mistreated

Muslim attacks on Byzantines were somewhat successful

Pope Urban II encouraged military expeditions of Western

Christians to safeguard these important areas for pilgrimages

Eight or more crusades were led between 1095-1270 CE

For almost 200 years, the Crusades resulted in a Latin Kingdom

in the Holy Land

Later Christian Developments

Christians in the East were under Muslim governance

Their problems concerned survival under persecution

Christians in the West were sick, angry, and fearful about the Church

Corrupt priests

Waste of revenue from local parishes

Conflicts between princes of the world and officials of the church

Later Christian Developments

Martin Luther

Objected to indulgences as against God's will

Translated the Bible into German for the people

Taught that monastic vows were improper

Taught that Christians are saved by faith, not the church

Was excommunicated by the Pope

Sparked an extensive Reformation in Europe

Formed a Protestant sect known as “Lutherans”

Catholic Church responded in the Council of Trent

Later Christian Developments

John Calvin

Began as a humanist

Experienced God through reading the Bible

Recognized as the leader of French Protestants

Founded the Protestants known as “Reformed”

John Knox led “Reformed” in Scotland as “Presbyterians”

Later Christian Developments

Henry VIII

King of England

Separated the Church in England from Papal governance,

primarily for personal reasons (such as divorce)

Church of England ended up between other Protestants and

Papacy

Later Christian Developments

Catholic Reformation

Jesuits

Founded by Ignatius of Loyola

Scholarly, focused on mission

Led counter-Reformation which Catholicized parts of Europe

Xavier

Founded Catholic missions to the New World and Asia

Founded Christianity in Japan

Diversity in America

Protestant proliferation

Belief that the individual reads the Bible for him/herself

Baptists practice baptism by immersion

Quakers seek a quiet life

Puritans, Lutherans, and others

African-American church

Church as center of life, service in the community

Leaders included Ralph Abernathy, Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther

King Jr., and Andrew Young

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Diversity in America

Christian Science (Mary Baker Eddy)

Attempted to meld science and Christianity

Deny the reality of evil, use only their own healers

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Joseph Smith)

Successfully established in Salt Lake City, Utah

Initially practiced polygamy (since has been forbidden)

Published the Book of Mormon, formed Mormon faith

Mormon Temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Roman Catholic Revision

Bishops pressured to recognize modern rationalism and materialism

They revised Roman Catholic teachings during two Vatican Councils

held in 1869-70 and 1963-65

Confirmations of beliefs and new understandings included:

God as personal, natural, and supernatural

Papal infallibility in matters of doctrine, prominent role of bishops

Local vernacular languages for scripture and in rituals

Openness to all baptized Christians

Reconciliation with Eastern Church

Jews were no more responsible for Christ’s death than Christians

Worldview: Christianity

Absolute

God is one (a complex trinity)

Jesus is the revelation of God's love and salvation

Jesus lived as a human, died, and rose (conquering death)

The World

God created the world as good, but humanity invited evil in

Humans

Captured by sin

Rescued by God's intervention

Capable of good activities if helped by God

Worldview: Christianity

Problem and solution

People are enslaved to evil

God's intervention enables escape

Community and ethics

Christians live in Jesus through his ways

All Christians are brothers and sisters

Christians try to better the world in which they live

Worldview: Christianity

History

All history is subject to God

Jesus is the central point of history

There will be an end

God will destroy the present world and make a new one

Worldview: Christianity

Rituals and symbols

The cross, recognized universally as Christian

Baptism, the entrance to Christianity

Weekly worship together, often with the Lord's Supper

Easter and Christmas as festival celebrations

Lent as a preparation for Easter

Worldview: Christianity

Life after death

A resurrection to life for Christians

A dismissal to hell for non-Christians

Other religions

Christianity holds that all people should be considered children of

God so they ought to become Christians

Christianity has sought converts among all peoples

The Second Vatican Council addressed tolerance for other

religions and brotherly attitudes toward all people

Worldview: Christianity

Baptism and communion are common rituals for most Christians

Some Christians enact a wide range of other ritual practices

Forms of authority and accountability regarding teaching, ritual,

religious life, and ethics vary widely among Christians

They continue to see all history in terms of before and after Christ

They believe He continues to reveal himself through the Holy Spirit