Christianity

Question 1

What kind of religion is Christianity (animistic, polytheistic, monotheistic)?

Answer 1

Monotheistic

Question 2

What does “the priesthood of the believer” mean?

Answer 2

No intermediaries between God and humankind
Many thought priests were corrupt
Spirit of the New Testament
Translatin of the Bible to the vernacular - could be read by every Christian

Question 3

What are the 7 sacraments?

Answer 3

Baptism
Confirmation
Penance (confession)
Eucharist (communion)
Extreme Unction (last rites)
Marriage
Holy Orders (dedicating oneself to the life of a monk or nun)

Question 4

What is Christmas?

Answer 4

Celebrates the birth of Christ

Question 5

What is advent?

Answer 5

Celebrated over the 4 weeks before Christmas.
Read from scripture
Light advent candles
Prepares of Christmas

Question 6

What is Epiphany?

Answer 6

12 days after Christmas: January 6th

Commemorates the wise men who came to Bethlehem to find baby Jesus`

Question 7

What is Easter?

Answer 7

Celebrated the Sunday after Good Friday. Joyous celebration commemorating the Resurrection.
Early Christians used Easter as a time to receive new members with baptism and new robes.
Tradition of new clothing has continued in many modern Christian communities.

Question 8

What is Lent?

Answer 8

“Celebrated” by abstaining from a certain food or habit as a reminder of the need for repentance.
Includes Ash Wednesday and the Holy week

Question 9

What is Ash Wednesday?

Answer 9

A reminder of burden of sin. 40 days before Easter.

Question 10

What is Palm Sunday?

Answer 10

Commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem

Question 11

What is Maundy Thursday?

Answer 11

Day of Jesus’ last supper; some Christians partake of communion; some practice the ritual of foot washing

Question 12

What is Good Friday?

Answer 12

Christians remember the trial, execution, and burial of Jesus

Question 13

How is the date for Easter determined?

Answer 13

Established according to a lunar calendar - connected to the vernal equinox

Question 14

What are some of the different branches of Christianity?

Answer 14

Catholic
Mormons
Protestants: Evangelical, Baptist, Methodist, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Church of England, Mennonites/Amish/Quakers

Question 15

What is the Apostle’s Creed? Why was it written?

Answer 15

A statement of faith

To counter “heretical” groups

Question 16

Who wrote most of the books of the New Testament? What is the general nature/content
of these books?

Answer 16

Paul

Advice to the early church on doctrine, leadership, and worship, as well as Paul’s understanding of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus including events of Jesus’ life

Question 17

How do Protestant branches of Christianity differ from the Roman Catholic Church?

Answer 17

Protestants emphasize scripture as the soul word of God; Catholics consider tradition coequal with scripture

Catholics maintain that the church wrote the scripture, therefore, their traditions are at least equal to it while Protestants do not.

Question 18

How does the Eastern Orthodox differ from the Roman Catholic Church?

Answer 18

Roman Catholic Church: 
Pope is religious and political leader
Concerned with political realities of a decaying world
Allowed statues as well as icons
Used sprinkling of water for baptism
Priests and monks practiced celibacy
Worship performed in Latin

Eastern Orthodox:
Didn't recognize authority of the pope
Developed most of the thinkers and leaders of the early church
Allowed only icons
Baptism by full immersion
Allowed marriage before ordination
Worship performed in Greek

Question 19

What general content comprises the remainder of the Christian New Testament?

Answer 19

The Hebrew Bible, Letters of Paul, and the Gospels

Question 20

What is a gospel? Which are the four gospels that made it into the Christian bible?

Answer 20

A gospel is the historical context of Jesus’ life

Mark, John, Matthew, and Luke

Question 21

When did Jesus’ followers begin to preach?

Answer 21

The Festival of Shavuot (now known as Pentecost)

Question 22

What caused the rift between Jews & Christians?

Answer 22

Paul saying that one could become Christian without being Jewish first. Christianity could then become an independent universal religion rather than a sect of Judaism.

Question 23

When & why did Christianity become the official religion of Rome?

Answer 23

337 CE when Constantine was baptized and converted as he lie dying

Question 24

What was the nature of the medieval papacy? How did it lead to the Protestant Reformation?

Answer 24

Christianity was basically the only religion of Europe and Roman Catholic was the only church for Western Europeans. It became the only secure leadership in medieval Europe.

The church’s role in politics led to abuse (went to war, gathered land and wealth, church offices being given to those favored) so they tried to revolutionize the church and destroy the hold of the catholic church.

Question 25

How did the Protestant reformation begin? How did the printing press aid the Reformation?

Answer 25

It started with Martin Luther. He called for moral reform by protesting sale of indulgences: could buy forgiveness for the living or dead; release sounds from purgatory

Luther wrote the Ninety-Five Theses as grounds for debate on this and the printing press helped circulate his ideas

Question 26

How did the Roman Catholic Church respond to the Protestant Reformation?

Answer 26

With the Catholic Counter Reformation and defined “what is Roman Catholic”

Question 27

What was Vatican II? What did the Catholic Church decide during Vatican II?

Answer 27

A response to modernity.

Non-Catholics recognized as true Christians
Vernacular allowed in mass
Index of prohibited books abolished
Congregational participation encouraged
Church officially declared jews not responsible for the death of Jesus

Question 28

Who is Jesus?

Answer 28

A messiah

Question 29

Where and how was Jesus born?

Answer 29

Bethelem- home of David from divine conception

Question 30

When did Jesus begin to preach?

Answer 30

At age 30 after being baptized

Question 31

What was Jesus’ first significant public act?

Answer 31

His baptism by John the baptist

Question 32

Who did Jesus believe he was? Who did others believe he was?

Answer 32

A rabbi or teacher

Question 33

What are the events of the last week of his life?

Answer 33

He entered Jerusalem on Sunday. He partook in his final meal on Thursday with is disciples. He went to the garden of gethsemane to pray for a few hours. Betrayed by Judas and was arrested. Tried by the Jewish high court then had a hearing before points pilate. Crucified and died.

Question 34

How was he greeted when he entered Jerusalem the last Sunday before his death?

Answer 34

With acceptance and acclaim. He was celebrated by palms being waved at him.

Question 35

What was the last supper? What did Jesus tell his disciples during the last supper?

Answer 35

His final meal with his disciples. He said he received a vision showing that Peter would deny him three times and that Judas would betray him. Spoke of the Temple of Solomon being destroyed

Question 36

When was Jesus arrested? Where was he arrested? Who tried him?

Answer 36

Thursday, the day before his crucifixion.

The garden of gethsemane

Jewish high court then Pontius Pilate

Question 37

When was Jesus crucified? Why was he crucified?

Answer 37

The next friday morning from the day he was tried. The Jews voted and they wanted him to be executed due to the fear of him overthrowing Rome

Question 38

When did Jesus rise from the dead?

Answer 38

The Sunday after his death

Question 39

Who is Paul? Why is Paul important to Christianity?

Answer 39

The founder of Christianity. A theologian. He attempt to systematize the beliefs of Christianity and is the author of 14 books in the New Testament. He traveled across Europe preaching.

Question 40

Who was Martin Luther? What was his contribution to Christianity?

Answer 40

Teacher of theology. Lectured on Paul’s letters. Called for reform of the Church and started the protestant reformation

Question 41

What is transubstantiation?

Answer 41

An understanding of how Christ can be truly present in the eucharist

Question 42

What is “original sin”? And why does it matter?

Answer 42

Adam and Eve. It symbolizes all of humanity’s first sin. Sin transformed human nature in a way that was bound to affect their descendants.

Question 43

What is the Christian concept of grace?

Answer 43

The ultimate expression of God’s love.

Question 44

What is the Christian concept of salvation?

Answer 44

Jesus Christ had acted to bring salvation from sin to the world.

Question 45

What is the Holy Trinity? How did it attempt to solve the problem of monotheism?

Answer 45

Father, son, and holy spirit/ghost. It’s seen as three persons in one substance and God is a single divine substance made up by three subsistences

Question 46

What is the “kingdom of God”? What are some of the different ways it is understood in Christianity?

Answer 46

A new era of peace and holiness.
For Jesus, it was not an ordinary realm but the state of affairs that exists when human beings recognize God’s authority over the world and respond in love and obedience to God’s will.
Or it mean she e world as it ought to be, a world in which God’s love and righteous rule are fully realized
Or a future event to be heralded by dramatic signs such as a darkening sun and stars falling form heaven.
Or is already present within Jesus and his followers