Christianity

Question 0

General common belief

Answer 0

Uniqueness of Jesus and that he provided for the redemption of mankind by his death and was himself ressurected from the dead

Question 1

largest religion in the world

Answer 1

2 billion followers

34,000 denominations

Question 2

Virgin birth

Answer 2

“Immaculate Conception”

- Source of contention

Question 3

Sadducees

Answer 3

Wealthy aristocrats who held powerful positions. The majority of the 70 seats of the Sanhedrin were Sadducees

Denied the resurrection of the dead, the after,ice and the existence of the spiritual world. Didn’t believe in spiritual things. Self-sufficient

Question 4

Pharisees

Answer 4

Popular middle-class businessmen
Held a minority number of seats in the Sanhedrin, but were powerful because of the support of the people

Question 5

Zealots

Answer 5

Group of Jews who were passionate upholders of a policy of armed rebellion against Rome. Believed that meek submission to Roman slavery meant forsaking God

Question 6

Paul

Answer 6

• Important missionary
• miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus
• Wrote 14 of the books in the NT
• “the Second Founder of Christianity”
• organized the beliefs of early Christianity
• provided guidance for new churches

Question 7

Judaism vs. Christianity

Answer 7

For Christians, a belief in Jesus replaced the need to follow the laws of Moses (Judaism)
Christians allow Gentiles to become Christians without first becoming Jewish

Question 8

Eucharist

Answer 8

At first it was a simple event of commemoration of the death of Jesus, but it evolved into a symbolic ritual in which the bread and wine represented the body and blood of Christ

Question 9

Gnostics

Answer 9

• Believed that divinity existed within all human beings and that a redeemer figure would come to reconnect humanity’s divinity with its maker
• Labeled as heretics since they denied the humanity of Jesus, saying rather that he was purely spirit

Question 10

Nag Hammadi library

Answer 10

• Nag Hammadi is a city located on the West Bank of the Nile in Egypt
• most famous book in the library = the Gospel of Thomas

Question 11

Augustine

Answer 11

Confessions & City of God

Original sin, the fall of man, and predestination

Question 12

Early Christians in Roman Empire

Answer 12

Persecuted because they didn’t accept and worship the Roman gods

Question 13

Thomas Aquinas

Answer 13

Reconcile faith and reason
Said there is a point when you need divine revelation
–> book “Summa Theologiae”

Question 14

Reformation

Answer 14

16th century movement

–> Martin Luther
• founder of the Protestant Reformation
• 95 Theses

–> John Calvin
• the greatest and most influential mind of the movement

–> Ulrich Zwingli
• Switzerland
• theology = simpler (when compared to Luther and Calvin)
• said the Bible was the absolute authority

Question 15

Catholic Counter-Reformation

Answer 15

• reaffirm principles that had been under Protestant attack…

• -> role of good works in salvation: grace is NOT enough for salvation. Need works too
• -> seven sacraments: Protestants accept 2 only
• -> transubstantiation: the changing of bread and wine INTO THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS
• -> purgatory: the place where the souls of sinners are purified after death and before entering heaven

Question 16

7 sacraments

Answer 16

Baptism, confirmation, penance, Eucharist, extreme unction, marriage, & holy orders

Question 17

Immaculate Conception

Answer 17

–> Catholics
• Mary not only conceived as a virign, but was born without the taint of original sin
• controversial topic

Question 18

Methodist Church

Answer 18

John Wesley

Question 19

Ecumenical movement

Answer 19

Attempted to close the gap between the various Christian branches and move towards a reunification of Christianity

Question 20

Eastern Orthodox Church

Answer 20

• Allows its priests to marry
• doesn’t consider itself under the authority of the church
• use icons to decorate church
• doesn’t believe that Mary was born sinless

Question 21

Pentecost

Answer 21

• Commemorates the Holy Spirits descent upon the disciples fifty days after Jesus’ Ressurection
• also recognized in Judaism, though they use the holiday to commemorate the giving of the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai

Question 22

3 main branches

Answer 22

1) Roman Catholic Church
2) Eastern Orthodox Church
3) Protestant Denominations

Question 23

Orthodox Church

Answer 23

• do not recognize the pope’s supremacy
• do not accept the Holy Spirit to be on the same level with the other 2
• priests may marry
• allow infants to receive communion
• churches highly decorated
• believe in transubstantiation
• combination of grace and works (like Catholics)

Question 24

Protestant denomination

Answer 24

• Grace alone as the source for salvation

* Jesus is present only symbolically in the Eucharist

Question 25

Catholics

Answer 25

• Combination of grace and works for salvation

* transubstantiation in the Eucharist