Christianity Revision BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS. Denomination

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1 Christianity Revision BELIEFS AND TEACHINGS Denomination Note: Ecumenical refers to the worldwide Church Trinity The name for different branches of the Christian Church. Examples include: Catholic (the largest Christian group - based in Rome with the Pope as the leader - don t forget that Jesus apostle Peter, was the first Pope) Protestant (a branch of Christianity that broke away from Catholicism) Church of England (an Anglican, Protestant group established by Henry VIII) Methodist - (a branch of Protestant Christians) Orthodox (a branch of Christianity usually found in Eastern European countries like Russia) Quakers (known as the Society of Friends - a pacifist group of Christians) The belief in one God in three forms: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Holy Attributes/Charac teristics/nature of God Father - Christians say that God the Father is the powerful creator of the universe who knows everything and is the source of all holiness. Son - Christians say that God became incarnate and is the loving word of God. Holy Spirit - Some Christians say that when they worship they feel the presence of the holy spirit. The role of the holy spirit is to help Christians in their prayers and influences them to do kind deeds. Special and set apart for a special purpose by God Absolute - God is unchanging and eternal Omnipotent - God is all powerful Omniscient - God is all knowing Benevolent - God is loving Just - God is fair Transcendent - God is beyond the world Immanent - God is involved in his creation Evil and Suffering Christians accept that there is suffering in the world, some caused by nature and some caused by humans (suffering deliberately caused by humans is a moral evil). The problem is that if Christians believe God exists, why does suffering take place at all. Some answers to this question are: The devil tempts people to take morally evil actions - e.g. Jesus temptation in the desert Natural suffering (e.g. cancer) is a test of faith and human kindness God is transcendent - he created the world but doesn t control it in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Creation Incarnation Sin Immaculate conception The belief that God created the world. Different interpretations of the creation story from Genesis: 1. The world was created in 7 24-hour days - this is a literal interpretation - it is the word of God 2. In hebrew the word day (yawm) means means a long period of time - so the world was created in seven ages (this could be millions of years) 3. The world was created by God but the creation story is just used to illustrate the creation idea Additionally, many Christians believe that God works through science. Charles Darwin = Evolution was made possible by God. Thomas Aquinas = First Cause Argument - God instigated the big bang. God becoming flesh and taking on human form (God the Son) Incarnation proves God s love for us because he sent his son to the world It helps Christians to understand God and how he wants us to live because Jesus is The Word of God Sin - A sin is an immoral act e.g. breaking one of the 10 commandments. Christians believe that sin separates humans from God. However, Christians also believe that God sent his son to the world to bridge the divide between God and man and to enable human sins to be forgiven. Original Sin - The story of original sin is in Genesis - Adam and Eve are tempted to eat forbidden fruit. Christians believe all humans descend from Adam and Eve and have an inbuilt tendency to be tempted by the devil to disobey God. The belief that Mary (Jesus mother) was born without original sin. Therefore, she was pure, free from sin and suitable to be the virgin mother of Jesus.

2 Virgin birth Crucifixion Resurrection Ascension Afterlife Salvation Mary became pregnant through the intervention of the Holy Spirit - not through sexual intercourse. Jesus capital punishment on the cross. He was convicted of blasphemy as he claimed to be the son of God. Jesus rising from the dead on Easter Sunday. This shows that Jesus was incarnate, it proves that sins can be forgiven and it proves that there is life after death. Jesus going back up to heaven 40 days after Easter. Judgement - Christians believe that they will be judged based on their life on earth. People will be separated as set out in the parable of the sheep and the goats. Heaven - a state of being with God after death Hell - a state of not being with God (or being with the devil) after death Purgatory - a state of spiritual cleansing of the soul in preparation for heaven. Don t forget that some Christians think that all good people can achieve eternal life with God in heaven. Whereas some think that you have to live a morally good life (e.g. following the 10 commandments) PLUS have faith in God - this is due to the bible quote: God so loved the world, that he have his only son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. The idea that souls can be forgiven their sins through faith and by good deeds. It can be achieved through law or grace and spirit: Law - Some christians think that salvation is achieved by obeying the law because of the quote the authorities that exist have been established by God Grace and Spirit - Some Christians believe that salvation is possible simply because of God s love for us (grace means God s love and blessings). Christians believe that if they believe in God and have his spirit within them, they will achieve salvation/forgiveness for any wrongdoing. Atonement - Some Christians think that salvation is achieved through atonement which is the action of making amends with God for wrongdoing. For example: Repent (sometimes called penitence) - to feel regret and be truly sorry for your own sins Reconciliation - the process of making people in conflict friendly again (this is also the name of one of the 7 sacraments where some Christians confess their sins to a priest and do an act of penitence to make things right with God and earn his forgiveness). Names of Jesus The Word - meaning that Jesus spoke the word of God Messiah - the promised one (although Jews do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah) Miracles Gospel Saint Paul Agape Events that have no scientific explanation. Some were performed by Jesus. The collective name for the four books of the Bible that detail Jesus life. The books were written by and are named after: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Originally called Saul. He used to persecute Christians until he received revelation from God. He then went on to teach Christianity to others and changed his name to Paul. A term that refers to unconditional Christian love. Practice questions Give two different ways that Christians believe that salvation can be achieved. (2 marks) Briefly explain one characteristic which describes the nature of God. (2 marks) Explain two ways in which the nature of God influences Christians today. (4 marks) Explain two ways the trinity influences Christians today. (4 marks) Explain two Christian beliefs about the nature of God. (5 marks) Explain two Christian teachings about judgement. (5 marks) Explain two Christian teachings about the Incarnation. (5 marks) If God was loving, there would be no evil and suffering in the world today. (12 marks) Life after death is impossible. (12 marks)

3 PRACTICES Worship The Bible Prayer Sacraments Ceremonies where God s grace is given to people. There are 7 in total, but you need to know 2: Liturgical worship - a church service that follows a set structure or ritual Non-liturgical worship - informal structure found in some church services Informal worship - a type of non-liturgical worship that is often charismatic or spontaneous by nature Private worship - individual prayer The Bible is always the focus of Christian worship because it is considered to be the word of God and it is the main source of authority. It is used in the following ways: Sections of the Bible are read out during worship Priests often explain sections from the Bible during sermons (speeches in Church) Words from the Bible are included in hymns (Christian songs) Prayer is talking and listening to God. It is important as it allows Christians to: Give thanks to God Confess their sins and say sorry to God Pray for others who are in need and for the self When Jesus was asked how best to pray he taught his followers the Lord s prayer. Baptism - the sacrament through which people become members of the Christian church. Water is used as a symbol of washing away sin. It follows Jesus example after he was baptised in the river Jordan by John the Baptist. Infant baptism - Babies or children become members of the church. The infant is freed from sin and becomes part of a Christian community. Their parents usually make their baptismal promises on their behalf. Water is poured over the child s head as a symbol of new life. There are also prayers and Bible readings. Believers baptism - Some Christians such as Baptists think that babies are too young to understand baptism. Therefore, only adults are baptised by immersion in water when they are willing to live a full Christian life and when they are ready to make their own baptismal promises. The adult is freed from sin and becomes part of a Christian community. Holy Communion (Eucharist) - the sacrament that uses bread and wine to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. The bread represents the body and the wine represents the blood of Jesus. This first took place at Jesus own last supper before he was taken to his death. For Catholics and Orthodox Christians - the bread and wine become the body and blood and that Jesus becomes present at the ceremony of worship ( transubstantiation ). This ceremony is sometimes called Mass. For other Christians such as protestants - the bread and wine serve as a symbolic reminder of Jesus words at the last supper and of his sacrifice on the cross. There are also prayers and Bible readings. Different Christians celebrate Eucharist in different ways: Some Christians celebrate Eucharist daily because it is so important. Whereas others celebrate it only on special occasions such as Easter or Christmas so as to maintain its importance. Some Christians celebrate Eucharist with flat unleavened bread during a set liturgical worship based on the words of Jesus last supper. Whereas, others simply share bread and wine among themselves as part of informal worship. Reconciliation Repenting (being sorry) and asking forgiveness for sins and making things right. This is also a sacrament during which some Christians repent for their sins. Pilgrimage (a journey made for a religious reason) Reasons Christians go on Pilgrimage: 1. To show devotion to and strengthen their faith in God 2. To experience a holy place and reflect on one s life 3. Meet others who share their faith 4. Seek a cure for an illness or to assist other pilgrims who are disabled or ill 5. To give thanks to God and to ask for forgiveness for sins Lourdes - A small town in France where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette near the River Gave. Mary told Bernadette to pray and to encourage others to do so in procession. Bernadette s friend s dislocated arm was healed in the water of the River Gave. Christians now go to Lourdes to pray in procession as instructed by Mary through Bernadette. They also ask for physical and spiritual healing because the water is thought to have miraculous healing qualities due to Bernadette s friend s miracle cure.

4 Festival 1 CHRISTMAS Festival 2 EASTER Role of the Church in the community Importance of the church worldwide Iona - An island in Scotland with an old monastery used as a tranquil Christian retreat. The original monks promoted a life of prayer, stewardship and peace. Christians now go to Iona to follow in the monk s ways of quiet prayer, stewardship to the environment and peaceful living. Christians go home feeling renewed in their faith to live a better life in the modern world. Advent - a time of preparation leading up to Christmas. The period of advent is not a set number of days. It begins the fourth sunday before Christmas. Christians often display advent wreaths with candles. The wreaths are made in a circle shape with evergreen leaves to show that God has no beginning or end. Christmas - commemorates the incarnation of Jesus (God becoming human). Celebrated on the 25th December. Christians celebrate by decorating their trees with lights that represent light coming into the world. Many Christians display nativity scenes showing that Jesus was born into poverty. Many churches hold special services, nativity plays and Masses to celebrate Christmas. Epiphany - The Christmas celebrations last for 12 days and end on the Epiphany. The Epiphany represents the day that the wise men visited Jesus. The tradition of giving presents and cards at Christmas is symbolic of the gifts given by the wise men to Jesus. Lent is a period of 40 days and nights (excluding Sundays) leading up to Easter, when Christians remember the time of preparation and fasting that Jesus went through prior to his crucifixion. Christians try to give something up during lent so that they are sharing in Jesus time of fasting and preparation leading up to Easter. Easter is the most important Christian festival. It celebrates the day when Jesus rose from the dead (resurrection), after having been crucified on Good Friday. The death and resurrection of Jesus is significant because it symbolises that Jesus sacrificed his own life to take away Christians sins. The significance of the resurrection: it proves he was incarnate; it shows that sins can be forgiven; it proves that there is life after death, including heaven. Charitable acts - Examples include: The Trussell Trust - food banks run by Christians Oasis Project - a community centre offering employment advice and a food bank Street Pastors - they patrol in teams of men and women, usually from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on a Friday and Saturday nights, to care for, listen to and help people who are out on the streets. Evangelism - the church has a role in spreading the word of God so that Christianity will continue to grow and develop. This is known as the mission. When Christians spread the word of God, they are known as missionaries and evangelists. Alpha course - an example of a Christian initiative to tell others about the Bible. The Church working for reconciliation - some Christians work with governments to bring about reconciliation between countries who have been at war.e.g Corrymeela Community seek to bring about harmony following wars. The Church s response to persecution - some Christians believe that when they suffer persecution because of their beliefs that they share in a unique way with Jesus suffering. Christians are encouraged to show love in response to persecution. E.g. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian charity that aims to put a stop to any religious persecution in a peaceful way. The Church s response to world poverty - Christians try to follow Jesus example by helping out those in poverty throughout the world. E.g. CAFOD an example of a Christian charity which provide oversees support for people affected by famine or natural disasters etc. See their website for further information: Practice questions Give two features of liturgical worship. (2 marks) State two examples of sacraments in Christianity. (2 marks) Explain two contrasting ways in which the Bible is used in Christian worship. (4 marks) Explain two contrasting ideas about what happens to the bread and wine during the Eucharist. (4 marks) Explain two contrasting ways the Eucharist is celebrated in Christianity. (4 marks) Explain two ways in which worship is important for Christians. (5 marks) Explain two reasons why the sacraments are important in Christianity. (5 marks) Christian worship should always have no structure. (12 marks) Pilgrimage is the best way to show devotion to God. (12 marks)

5 Bible quote God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life. Nothing is impossible with God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. When Jesus was baptised, a voice from heaven said you are my son. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Love your neighbour as yourself. Love one another as I have loved you. Treat others as you want to be treated. Blessed are you when people... persecute you because of me. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Love God and love one another. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." He is not here, he is risen. This is my body, broken for you, do this in memory of me. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God." "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Link to key words - there are many more ways you can use these quotes too! Trinity; Crucifixion; Resurrection; Benevolence; Heaven is reserved for believers Creation; Omnipotent. Incarnation; Jesus sometimes referred to as The Word Proof that Jesus is the Son of God; Trinity; Incarnation Sacraments; Baptism; Trinity. Sacraments; Holy Communion/Eucharist; From the Sheep and the Goats parable. people in the community. people. people. Often referred to as the golden rule. Christian response to persecution Christian response to persecution When Jesus was asked which was the most important of the commandments, he summarised them in this quote. Path to heaven Resurrection Eucharist. Peace/harmony Immaculate conception, Incarnation Parables from the Bible that you may refer to (stories with a hidden moral meaning) The Sheep and The Goats - Jesus said that humans will be judged by God and separated just like a shepherd separates sheep and goats. Those who have done good deeds such as feeding the hungry or visiting the sick will inherit the kingdom of God (get to heaven). The Prodigal Son - Jesus told a story of a man who had two sons, one of whom spent his inheritance on loose living. The father forgave his son, just as God would forgive us when we have done wrong but seek to make amends. The other brother is also encouraged to forgive, just as all humans are expected to forgive one another. The Good Samaritan - Jesus told the story of a Samaritan who stopped to help a Jew who had been attacked. The moral message of the story was to show that we should show kindness and compassion to others, even if we do not know them or get on with them.