4 - world religions

Question 1

what is the syllabus dot point

Answer 1

• the characteristics of the major divisions of denominations within a world religion

Question 2

what are religious denominations

Answer 2

• groupings that can be the result of different priorities, interpretations of belief, differing approaches to leadership, history and culture

Question 3

are there Christian denominations

Answer 3

• Christianity has divided into numerous denominations
• each denomination has its own distinctive beliefs or practices, but they are considered branches of the same religion because they agree on such fundamentals

Question 4

what are some Christian denominations

Answer 4

• Catholicism, Anglican, baptist, Protestant, Presbyterian

Question 5

similarities of beliefs between Roman Catholic and orthodox

Answer 5

• apostolic succession (ensures continuity with the church that Christ founded)
• the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ as revealed in the scriptures and attested too in other sacred biblical texts
• the bible (new and Old Testament and deuterocanonical’s)
• seven sacraments (Catholicism set is fixed, unlike Eastern Orthodox)

Question 6

differences of beliefs between Roman Catholic and orthodox

Answer 6

• belief of original sin / creation
  
  • C: Adam and Eve eating fruit = original sin, humans inherit
  • O: Adam and Eve eating fruit = death, humans inherit
• Jesus’s purpose on earth
  
  • C: resurrection is the hope for eternal life of the saved
  • O: goal of salvation is deification, union with God
• life after death / eternal life (EL)
  
  • C: after death, saved experience purgatory before inheriting EL
  • O: EL sustained solely by the grace and resurrection of Christ
• Virgin Mary
  
  • C: conceived immaculately without burden of original sin, obedient to God by grace, mother of Jesus in incarnation
  • O: didn’t need to be immaculately conceived to surrender herself to God in incarnation

Question 7

differences of practice between Roman Catholic and orthodox

Answer 7

ritual of sacrament of communion:

• C: use cold wine, unleavened bread, before consecration emphasising the Passover / last supper legacy
• O: leavened bread, warm wine, emphasising resurrection context of Christian Eucharist (he rose / was warm (alive))
• practice of fasting
  
  • C: act of weekly fasting / fasting before communion has been relaxed, if not abandoned
  • O: still practice fasting and feasting in relation to calendar
• priests and celibacy
  
  • C: priests and clergy members must practice being celibate (not deacons)
  • O: priests and deacons may marry before ordination, not after, bishops must be celibate or widowers

Question 8

leadership / organisational structure of Roman Catholics and orthodox

Answer 8

Both have a hierarchy / several levels of priesthood, leaders heads of churches is quite different
- C: organised in a strict / overlapping hierarchy (pope, cardinals, archbishop, bishop, priest, deacon)
- O: patriarch, bishops (different types), major order of presbyter /priest, deacon
Head of the churches
- C: pope, head of church, Christs representative for Catholic Church on earth
- O: patriarchs (head of a given geographic region), all equals, same authority