The Christian Religion

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The Christian Religion
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The Life and Death of Jesus

• Who was Jesus of Nazareth?
• He is believed, by Christians, to be the Messiah.
  He was a young Jew who spread the word of God
  throughout Southwest Asia.
• What religion did Jesuss family practice?
• Judaism! Remember, Jesus was a Jew!
• Who are the followers of Jesus?
• Christians are the followers of Jesus!
• What holy book is used by the followers of Jesus?
• The Holy Bible is used by the Christians. They
  use both the Old and New Testaments.

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The Life and Death of Jesus

• 5. Explain Jesuss early life.
• Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary. Although
  Joseph raised Jesus, Christians believe that God
  was his actual father. Jesus grew up in Nazareth
  and was raised to be a carpenter. Around age 30,
  Jesus began traveling and spreading the word of
  God.
• 6. Why was Jesus crucified?
• Jesus was crucified because political and
  religious leaders believed he was a threat to
  their authority. They were afraid that he might
  take their positions in society.
• 7. What do Christians believe happened after the
  Resurrection?
• Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead
  and spent 40 days and 40 nights teaching and
  instructing his disciples before rising into
  heaven. This act is commemorated between Ash
  Wednesday and Easter in the Christian religion.

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The Acts and Teachings of Jesus

• Why did people believe Jesus was the son of God?
• People thought Jesus was the son of God because
  of the miracles he performed, such as healing the
  sick, turning water into wine, having the ability
  to feed many off of very little, etc.
• What are parables?
• Parables are stories that teach lessons about how
  people should live. They are very similar to
  fables.
• Why were the parables important to the followers
  of Jesus?
• Jesus used the parables to compare his teachings
  to things that happened in every day life. This
  made his teachings more important!

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The Acts of Teachings of Jesus

• 4. Give an example of a parable.
• 5. How did Jesus connect his teachings with the
  Jewish religion?
• He taught that your should love God and others,
  two teachings that can be found in the Torah.
• 6. What did Jesus expect of his followers?
• He expected his followers to love everyone!
• 7. How have the interpretations of Jesuss
  teachings affected the Christian religion?
• Many denominations have come about (ex. Catholic,
  Anglican, Episcoplian, Baptist, Methodist)

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Jesuss Followers

• Describe the people who helped pass on Jesus
  teachings.
• These people were known as the Apostles (or the
  Disciples). They were 12 people that followed
  Jesus and passed on his teachings after his
  death.
• Why is the word of the Apostles considered so
  important?
• They were his closest followers and spent the
  most time with Jesus.
• Who was Peter?
• Peter became the leader of the Apostles after
  Jesus died. He was responsible for spreading
  Jesus teachings.
• What are the Gospels?
• The Gospels are the accounts of Jesus life and
  teachings.

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Jesuss Followers

• 5. Who wrote the Gospels and what do they say?
• Matthew, John, Luke, and Mark wrote the Gospels.
  These can be found in the New Testament of the
  Christian Bible. They talk about Jesuss life and
  teachings.
• 6. Why was Paul of Tarsus so important to the
  Christian religion?
• He helped spread the Christian religion. He also
  encouraged many people to become Christians.
• 7. What is a saint?
• A saint is a person known and admired for his or
  her holiness! Some examples are St. Peter, St.
  Paul, and St. Patrick.
• 8. Describe how Paul became a follower and
  teacher of the Christian religion.
• Paul was against the Christian religion until he
  heard the voice of Jesus/God. After that, he
  spread the word of God.

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The Spread of Christianity

• What helped spread Christianity throughout the
  Roman Empire?
• Christianity was spread because Christians wrote
  down the teachings of Jesus and then shared those
  teachings with the people around them.
• Why were many Roman leaders opposed to
  Christianity?
• The Roman leaders were afraid that their
  authority would be challenged by Christians.
• How was the early church organized/governed?
• Since they could not practice the religion
  publicly, Christians looked to bishops that lived
  in the cities. Once Christianity became more
  acceptable, they elected a Pope as the highest
  official.

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The Spread of Christianity

• 4. Explain the path to leadership within the
  Christian community.
• The bishops stayed in the cities, and the Pope
  ruled over everyone. This local and national
  leadership helped make the church stronger.
• 5. Why did the Roman Emperor Constantine convert
  to Christianity?
• Constantine was preparing for battle and saw a
  cross in the sky, which made him believe he
  needed to convert.
• 6. How did Constantines conversion change
  Christianity?
• Constantines conversion to Christianity made the
  religions more acceptable throughout the Roman
  Empire..
• 7. What happened after Constantine died?
• After Constantine died, Christianity spread
  around the world.