Christianity

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Christianity

• Chapter 16

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Who was Jesus?

• born a Jew in Bethlehem during Augustuss reign
• studied the scriptures and eventually (age 30)
  traveled around Palestine preaching

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Jerusalem
Bethlehem
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What did he teach?

• One god (monotheistic)
• God created all people
• God loves all people
• People should love all people
• Sinners who are truly sorry will be forgiven by
  God

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How did he teach?
A parable is a story in prose or verse that is
told to illustrate a (perhaps covert) religious,
moral, or philosophical idea.
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Good Samaritan

• (30) And Jesus answering said, A certain man went
  down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among
  thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and
  wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
• (31) And by chance there came down a certain
  priest that way and when he saw him, he passed
  by on the other side.
• 32) And likewise a Levite, when he was at the
  place, came and looked on him, and passed by on
  the other side.
• 33) But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed,
  came where he was and when he saw him, he had
  compassion on him,
• (34) And went to him, and bound up his wounds,
  pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own
  beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care
  of him.
• (35) And on the morrow when he departed, he took
  out two pence, and gave them to the host, and
  said unto him, Take care of him and whatsoever
  thou spendest more, when I come again, I will
  repay thee.
• (36) Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was
  neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
• (37) And he said, He that shewed mercy on him.
  Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou
  likewise.

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How did he die?

• Jesus and disciple went to Jerusalem to celebrate
  Passover
• hailed as a messiah, which threatened Romans
  and Jews, as well
• Convicted and crucified (executed on a cross) of
  treason, which was usually left for only
  criminals
• According to his followers and those who believe
  in him, he rose from the dead
• Anyone who believes in him and follows his
  teachings, will know eternal life
• Disciples called him Christ (Christos) meaning
  messiah

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How did Jesus teachings spread?

• Many Palestinian Jews were looking for a
  political Messiah (to deliver them from Roman
  Rule) and not interested in Jesus
• Believers met outside of Palestine and were
  taught by the disciples
• Paul was first missionary, spreading Christianity
  to gentiles (non-Jews) outside of Palestine

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Why was Christianity gaining momentum?

• New faith appealed to people because they did not
  have to follow rituals, just believe in
  Christs teachings to assure salvation

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Pax Romana

• allowed Christians to move peacefully across
  Roman lands
• roads made travel easier and safer

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Obstacles

• Allowed to worship freely, but must include
  emperor in that worship
• Christians and Jews refused
• Christians refused to serve in army, criticized
  Roman festivals, taught equality blamed for
  plagues, famines, and fire that ripped through
  Rome
• even though they were legal citizens, many
  leaders ignored this

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Why it succeeded

• appealed to the poor and enslaved
• promised better life after death
• Romans grew tired of war, wanted peace, love, and
  kindness offered by Christianity

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Constantine I

• 312 accepted Christianity in the midst of battle
  (flaming cross)
• ordered soldiers to paint crosses on shields
• issued the Edict of Milan, giving religious
  freedom to all, made Christianity legal
• built churches, paid for Christian schools, and
  gave special privileges to church leaders
• exempt from military
• no taxes
• Theodosius made it official religion in 392

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church

• small groups of worshipers waiting for Christs
  return
• shared possessions
• took turns leading worship
• visited by Apostles who gave advice and offered
  some unity

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Structure of Church
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New Testament

• Four accounts written by Mathew, Mark, Luke, and
  John about Christs life
• several letters written by other disciples also
  included
• helped form church doctrine (statement of faith)
• also identified heresy (false doctrine)

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Monasteries

• started by Basil
• men of faith gathered together to live pious life
• called monks
• women were called nuns, lived in convents

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Monasteries

• Basilian Rule
• named after Basils rules for living in religious
  communities
• became model for Eastern Orthodox religious life

• Benedictine Rule
• Italian who created his own rules
• monks must give up all earthly possessions, live
  simply, could not marry, follow abbot, attend
  services every day (7x), work hard, all to serve
  Christ

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Monks

• essential to spread of Christianity
• preserved many early writings of the Romans and
  Greeks
• few places where education flourished

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Judaism

• Not a race, though birth is important
• Religion, though some who claim to be Jewish
  arent

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Rambam's thirteen principles of faith

• G-d exists
• G-d is one and unique
• G-d is incorporeal
• G-d is eternal
• Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and to no
  other
• The words of the prophets are true
• Moses's prophecies are true, and Moses was the
  greatest of the prophets
• The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible)
  and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the
  Talmud and other writings) were given to Moses
• There will be no other Torah
• G-d knows the thoughts and deeds of men
• G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked
• The Messiah will come
• The dead will be resurrected

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Abraham

• According to Jewish tradition, Abraham was born
  under the name Abram in the city of Ur in
  Babylonia in the year 1948 from Creation (circa
  1800 BCE). He was the son of Terach, an idol
  merchant, but from his early childhood, he
  questioned the faith of his father and sought the
  truth. He came to believe that the entire
  universe was the work of a single Creator, and he
  began to teach this belief to others

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• Abram tried to convince his father, Terach, of
  the folly of idol worship. One day, when Abram
  was left alone to mind the store, he took a
  hammer and smashed all of the idols except the
  largest one. He placed the hammer in the hand of
  the largest idol. When his father returned and
  asked what happened, Abram said, "The idols got
  into a fight, and the big one smashed all the
  other ones." His father said, "Don't be
  ridiculous. These idols have no life or power.
  They can't do anything." Abram replied, "Then why
  do you worship them?"

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• Eventually, the one true Creator that Abram had
  worshipped called to him, and made him an offer
  if Abram would leave his home and his family,
  then G-d would make him a great nation and bless
  him. Abram accepted this offer, and the b'rit
  (covenant) between G-d and the Jewish people was
  established. (Gen. 12).

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• Abram, raised as a city-dweller, adopted a
  nomadic lifestyle, traveling through what is now
  the land of Israel for many years. G-d promised
  this land to Abram's descendants. Abram is
  referred to as a Hebrew (Ivri), possibly because
  he was descended from Eber (Gen. 11) or possibly
  because he came from the "other side" (eber) of
  the Euphrates River.

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• But Abram was concerned, because he had no
  children and he was growing old. Abram's beloved
  wife, Sarai, knew that she was past child-bearing
  years, so she offered her maidservant, Hagar, as
  a wife to Abram. This was a common practice in
  the region at the time. According to tradition,
  Hagar was a daughter of Pharaoh, given to Abram
  during his travels in Egypt. She bore Abram a
  son, Ishmael, who, according to both Muslim and
  Jewish tradition, is the ancestor of the Arabs.
  (Gen 16)

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• When Abram was 100 and Sarai 90, G-d promised
  Abram a son by Sarai. G-d changed Abram's name to
  Abraham (father of many), and Sarai's to Sarah
  (from "my princess" to "princess"). Sarah bore
  Abraham a son, Isaac (in Hebrew, Yitzchak), a
  name derived from the word "laughter," expressing
  Abraham's joy at having a son in his old age.
  (Gen 17-18). Isaac was the ancestor of the Jewish
  people. Thus, the conflict between Arabs and Jews
  can be seen as a form of sibling rivalry!

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• As centuries passed, the descendants of Israel
  became slaves in Egypt. They suffered greatly
  under the hand of later Pharaohs. But G-d brought
  the Children of Israel out of Egypt under the
  leadership of Moses.

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• G-d led them on a journey through the wilderness
  to Mount Sinai. Here, G-d revealed Himself to the
  Children of Israel and offered them a great
  covenant if the people would hearken to G-d and
  observe His covenant, then they would be the most
  beloved of nations, a kingdom of priests and a
  holy nation. (Ex 19). G-d revealed the Torah to
  his people, both the written and oral Torah, and
  the entire nation responded, "Everything that the
  L-rd has spoken, we will do!" According to Jewish
  tradition, every Jewish soul that would ever be
  born was present at that moment, and agreed to be
  bound to this covenant.

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Islam