Beliefs and Practices: Christianity

Question 1

True or False: According to the New Testament, the earliest Christians did not build church buildings.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

What was the worship of the Christians in the Pre-Constantine Era?

Answer 2

• As a small movement, they gathered in private dwellings, organized around a shared meal, without permanent places.
• They usually met in houses due to persecution,a nd home meetings were the most viable option
• The more organized worship usually took place in the larger homes of the community’s wealthiest members.

Question 3

What is Insula?

Answer 3

In the urban setting of the ancient Rome, early Christians are known to have met and worshipped in warehouses or the upper levels of the multi-family dwelling spaces known as insula (similar to modern day’s apartment building).

Question 4

True or False: Early Christians did not own building specifically dedicated as church.

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Did early Christians share worship space with Jews?

Answer 5

no

Question 6

When did the “domestic” model of Christian worship spaces continue until?

Answer 6

well in to the Constantine era

Question 7

What change from the 2nd century onward with Christian worship spaces?

Answer 7

From the 2nd century onward, some houses used for Christian worship were re-modelled to accommodate as many as 75 people.

Question 8

Describe the house church

Answer 8

• Rooms were added to accommodate rituals such as full-immersion baptism
• the house had one small room serving as a bapistery

Question 9

What is the earliest archeologically identified Christian church?

Answer 9

A house church, at Dura Europos on the Euphrates River in eastern Roman Syria, founded between 233 and 256. In 256, it was destroyed by the Sassanian Persians.

Question 10

When did the trend of worshipping in homes continue until?

Answer 10

Constantine legalized Christianity as official religion of the Roman Empire.

Question 11

When were Christians granted the right to build larger house of worship?

Answer 11

in the 4th century, once th rulers recognized Christianity

Question 12

What are the basilicas?

Answer 12

Constantine and his mother Helena contributed to the construction of much larger and grander worship spaces known as basilicas

Question 13

What was ‘basilica’ first used to describe?

Answer 13

An ancient Roman public building, where rulers conducted the business of government.

Question 14

True or False: Basilica, at first, had nothing to do with Christianity.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

What two rituals were critical for the formation of Christian communities that were performed in the Basilicas?

Answer 15

1) Baptism (the rite of initiation into the Christian community)
2) Eucharist or the shared symbolic meal, with became part of the weekly worship life of the community

Question 16

What is the ritual that early Christians inherited from Judaism?

Answer 16

Baptism

Question 17

How did early Christians develop their baptism?

Answer 17

in keeping with the story of Jesus’ baptism

Question 18

What is the story of Jesus’ baptism?

Answer 18

Jesus, according to the Synoptic gospels, was baptized by his cousin John the Baptist. This understood to signal the beginning of his public ministry

Question 19

What did baptism, later, reflect in Christianity?

Answer 19

Later, baptism ritual in Christianity also reflected the influence of two Greco-Roman customs: the newly baptized were anointed with oil and given milk and honey

Question 20

What is Eucharist modelled on?

Answer 20

Jewish gathering for prayer and worship

Question 21

How did early Christians usually gather?

Answer 21

Around a shared meal, during which scripture was read, prayers were offered, and finally, the consecrated bread and wine were distributed.

Question 22

Describe the practice of the Eucharist in the Synoptic gospels?

Answer 22

In the night before his arrest, Jesus is known to have shared meal with his companions. He then said: “This i say body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” and “this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22: 19-20).

Question 23

What became central to Christian life and worship?

Answer 23

the ritual act of remembering Jesus’ life and death

Question 24

Describe the worship in the early medieval period?

Answer 24

The life of the church was increasingly restricted to the clergy, limiting the opportunity for ordinary people to participate

Question 25

When did portions of the liturgy that had been spoken in vernacular increasing performed in Latin?

Answer 25

during the medieval period

Question 26

What changed regarding the Eucharist and confession in the medieval church?

Answer 26

The rules of governing th eucharist were rightened to require a complex process of confession before receiving the sacrament.

Question 27

How did Church architecture contribute to distancing lay people from the life of the church in the medieval period?

Answer 27

The priest used to face the people, but after pushing the alter against the wall, the priest now turned hi back on the masses.

Question 28

What are the benefits to house church organizations (the reasons why there are Christians who supported the idea that the Christians should return to the old practice to meet in houses)?

Answer 28

• Meeting in houses was the practice intended by Jesus Christ
• House church organizations is preferable to public meetings in dedicated buildings because it is a more effective way of building community and personal relationships
• It helps the community to engage in outreach more naturally

Question 29

What is monasticism?

Answer 29

Monasticism is the devotional practice of individuals who live ascetic and dedicated lives to worship

Question 30

What is the word monasticism related to?

Answer 30

“monk” which originated from the Greek word “monos” meaning “alone.”

Question 31

Where did monks live at first?

Answer 31

not in monasteries; rather they lived alone in the wilderness

Question 32

What led to monks furthering their ability to observe an ascetic life?

Answer 32

the more and more people who joined them, leading the group to form into communities in order to further their ability

Question 33

What are those living the monastic life known by the generic terms of nowadays?

Answer 33

• monks (male)

- nuns (female)

Question 34

What did monastic movement emerge as a response to in Christianity?

Answer 34

Many factors, mong others, the growing influence of bishops in politics, heavy tax imposed upon individuals, and individual tendencies to live the life in solitude.

Question 35

When did Christians begin to ask: should the church occupy a position of influence in place of social power? Could the church fill that role without losing some of its moral agency and independence

Answer 35

with the monastic movement

Question 36

True or False: the ascetic tradition in monastery is unique to Christianity

Answer 36

false

Question 37

What are 3 examples of ascetic tradition that is NOT in Christianity?

Answer 37

• There were ascetic Jews who refused to fight during the Maccabean revolt
• The Essence was an example of a high organized ascetic community during the first century of common era
• Even the ‘pagans’ had their own ascetic displace: there were philosophers who embrace solitude

Question 38

What is an anchorite?

Answer 38

someone who withdrew from secular society

Question 39

What does the term “anchoritic” refer to?

Answer 39

hermits; people who devoted their lives to silence, prayer, and mortification of the flesh

Question 40

What type of life was understood to be the way of detachment or letting go in anchoritic monasticism?

Answer 40

desert life

Question 41

What is the earliest example of anchoritic monasticism?

Answer 41

St. Anthony of Egypt. He was a wealthy person, but gave up all his belongings and retired to the desert in search of communion with God.

Question 42

Describe the anchoritic monasticism and their goal.

Answer 42

Through silence, continuous recitation of prayers, and a simple lifestyle, the anchorite sought to move more deeply into ascetic life.

Question 43

What does ‘cenobitic’ mean?

Answer 43

communal

Question 44

Why did cenobitic monasticism arise?

Answer 44

Since solitary living did not suit everyone, the monastic individuals began to live in a community with others committed to same religious vision

Question 45

Who is the ‘father of Cenobitic monasticism’?

Answer 45

St. Pachomius

Question 46

Who is St. Pachomius? Describe.

Answer 46

• a former pagan, he gan his Christian life as a hermit; later in his life, he built a monastery to allow others to join him
• the monastic further developed by later generations; among others, St. Benedict

Question 47

What was eventually developed with monasticism, and example being Regula Benedicti?

Answer 47

A rule (code of discipline) to govern communal life.