Christianity PAPER 1 Flashcards
What type of religion is christianity?
A monotheistic religion
What do Christians believe what God is like?
Eternal- he is without being or end
Atemporal- he is without time and so is in control of the world
Omniscient- he is all knowing
Transcendent- he exists outside time and space
Immanent- he is involved in the world and with human lives
Omnibenevolent- all loving
Omnipotent- he is all powerful
What are the different views on the nature of God?
The Plymouth brethren: believe that only those who are part of the Brethren (community) truly know the oneness of God
Amish Community: God has provided us with salvation through his death and resurrection of Jesus and so we must live within the laws told to us in the Bible in order for salvation
Baptist Churches: God is directly accessible for humans and that everyone has a personal relationship with God as God is immanent
What does trinity mean.
Means triad or three united as 1
What are the 3 distinct parts of the 1 god?
The father- God
The son- Jesus
The holy spirit- unseen
What do christians believe as God the father?
He is the creator of the universe
He is seen as the protector for his followers
What doe christians believe as God the son?
Jesus in human form
Jesus is completely human but completely god also
Why did Jesus come to earth?
To reveal himself to the people, showing his love and power and teaching people how he wants them to live
To sacrifice himself on the cross, receiving Gods punishment for human sin
To rise from the dead to show Gods power over death, that he is eternal
What are the beliefs on God as the holy spirit?
The spirit of God of which we all have inside of us and helps us to love in the way that God wants us to
Do all christians believe in the concept of the trinity?
Most christians do believe in it as it explains how God can be human through Jesus but his eternal power through the holy spirit
Some denominations do not as they think that it puts the idea of monotheism of christianity in danger and see it as going against the wishes of God as being one
What is the nicene creed?
One of the most widely accepted statements of faith among christian churches
Used by Catholics, anglicans and most protestant churches
What are some quotes from the nicene creed?
We believe in one god, the father, the almighty
We believe in the holy spirt, the lord, the giver of life
We believe in one Lord, jesus christ
What does the account of Genesis 1 tell us about?
God brings the world into existence and which all christians agree on
It demonstrates Gods power and purpose as all that he creates is described as ‘good’
What are quotes of the account of creation in genesis 1?
In the beginning god created the heavens and the earth
And god said: let there be light
What is the account of genesis 2 about?
A second account of creation where adam and eve are created
What is the role of the holy spirit in creation?
Described as ‘the breath of God’ in psalms and is therefore the agent of God in creation
The holy spirit is not only the creator of the physical form of man but also the lifegiver
What occurs in the story of the fall?
Adam and Eve use the free will that God has given them to disobey God. Eve initially eats the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and then convinces Adam. By eating this fruit, they have committed sin for the first time in the world- original sin. This broke the relationship between god and humanity
What was the result of the fall?
It was the cause of the move by humans out of a perfect relationship with God and so believe that every christian is now born with original sin and so are in need of his salvation to bring them back into the relationship so that they can receive eternal life with God
What are literal interpretations of the Bible?
Believe that the Bible is Gods actual words and that the historical accounts are perfectly accurate- a creationist approach
Reject that any science had anything to do with the world and that God word is infallible, unlike human knowledge
What do liberals interpret the creation story as?
As a myth- so it conveys important truths but isnt meant to be taken literally due to scientific evidence that opposes some lf the factors of the account
Some will believe in Theistic evolution that life developed through evolution but evolution was started by God
What is natural evil?
Suffering created through no direct fault of humans
Includes natural disasters such as earthquakes
What is moral evil?
When suffering is caused by the actions of human beings
What does mackies inconsistent triad consist of?
Shows the problem of evil as if god were omnibenevolent, then he would care enough to stop the suffering caused by evil but he hasnt, so maybe he is not omnipotent.
If he is omnipotent he should also be able to stop evil yet he hasnt and so that means that he doesnt care enough and therefore he is not omnibenevolent
What is a theodicy?
An explanation to prove gods existence
What is Iranaeans theodicy?
Soul making theodicy
Argued that God allows evil and suffering to exist and that the world was deliberately created with both good and evil in order for humans to choose what is right and good
Through suffering we can learn and develop spiritually and so god allows suffering
States that God cannot interfere with human experiences as that would be affect human free will
What is st Augustines theodicy?
God made a perfect creation and that evil is the absence of goodness. Due to Adam and Eve disobeying god, that brought evil into this world and so it is therefore due to human free will that evil comes into existence
What do christians today think about evil and suffering?
Conservative Christians- suffering is a result to humans sinful nature (relates to st Augustine theodicy) however this doesnt explain why natural evil occurs and God does nothing to stop them
Some other christians see the world as a test and human evil is something we should be able to deal with and allows us to show our love and care for others especially when natural evil occurs (relates to irenaean theodicy)
What are christians beliefs on jesus as the son of God?
Jesus was God incarnated- God in human form
He was conceived by the holy spirit and the holy spirit caused mary to become pregnant without the need for a human father
What is the sermon on the mount and what does it contain?
Recorded in matthew 5-7 and contains many of jesus teachings about how christians should live in order to please God Divided into: The beatitudes Jesus and the law True discipleship True righteousness The narrow gateway Building on solid foundations
What is the beatitudes and give examples of quotes from the beatitudes?
Beatitudes means blessings, jesus describes the attitudes or qualities that God wants his followers to develop. These qualities include meekness, mercy and peacefulness
Blessed are the poor in spirt, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of god
What does Jesus and the law tell u about and give examples?
God gave Moses the 10 commandments but jesus taught that it was thoughts as well as actions that were important
Do not kill Do not steal Do not commit adultery Honour your parents You shall have no Gods before me
What is true discipleship?
Jesus focuses on what it means to be a true follower and that is to be sincere in all they do and everything for god, not for the praise of humans
The lords prayer is an example prayer of which God likes as it is straight to the point
How do christians follow Jesus example?
Christians will show this love and forgiveness and practise it in daily life just as Jesus did. They will forgive each other and help people when in need as this is what Jesus did
Christians will also share their message of Jesus through preaching and through their actions and will evangelise as this is what Jesus has taught them
They work towards the creation of Gods kingdom as he wants to see people become believers and part of Gods kingdom
What are the different christian beliefs on Jesus?
Literal christians believe the bible literally so will take every account as Gods message and is therefore infallible
However due to modern scientific knowledge, it makes it difficult for some to believe that Jesus was able to do healing miracles and the resurrection itself
Therefore, liberal christians will look for the meaning behind these events and so the miracles Jesus did are merely parables and are just meant to teach us about how jesus put christians love (agape) into action
What is the incarnation?
Jesus is gods incarnate and so is not affected by original sin as a result of the fall.
The incarnation refers to the life Jesus spent on Earth where he performed miracles due to his omnipotence. However the main purpose for his incarnation on Earth was to die, take punishment for human sin and restore the broken relationship between humans and God
What is Jesus crucifixion?
Jesus was crucified, nailed to a wooden cross and hanged
Jesus suffered the real human pain but christians believe that his death was an atonement sacrifice as his death had a purpose that benefits all humans
What is Jesus resurrection?
3 days after his crucifixion, christians believe he rose from the dead
Demonstrates Jesus power over death and is also evidence that Jesus was gods incarnate as no other human being has power to do that
Also shows that God approved of his sacrifice and that it was sufficient to pay for the human sin
Christians find hope in the resurrection ad they believe that they will be raised from the dead and spend eternity with God
What is the ascension?
Refers to when Jesus ascended back up to heaven which occured 40 days after he was resurrected
Different christian views on the ascension?
Some christians believe that his ascension signified the end of his life and work on Earth
But his work still continues as Jesus said that he was going to prepare a place for believers in John 14:2
What is the Apostles creed and give some quotes in it?
Written by the 12 apostles
Sums up christian doctrine and challenging any heresies
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our lord
I believe in the holy spirit, the Holy Catholic church
What are the different Christian beliefs about the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension?
Christians see them as having a huge significance for humans as they are examples of God working in the world
Conservative christians take the view that these events actually took place as described while others may see them as metaphorical
Different denominations may emphasise these events more than others
The use of crucifix in worship allows them to focus on the meaning of death and his suffering
What is salvation?
The saving process of which our relationship with god can be saved
What is atonement?
A word to describe something that makes amends or pays for having done something wrong
What is gods grace?
Humans have his blessing even if they are imperfect and sinful as long as they have faith in christ
What is redemption?
Describes what God has done for them and is the process of paying off a debt and so christians believe that by god offering salvation is him actually offering us to pay the debt of sin
What are the different christian views on salvation?
Many christians believe that Jesus was a sacrifice that paid for human sin
An alternative view is that Jesus death was a ransom which paid for the release of human sinners
Another view is that by Jesus becoming human, god also enabled this to work the other way so that humans could achieve a union with God allowing them to be saved
What are the different christian views on how individuals receive salvation?
Roman catholics believe that they can be saved by being baptised and belonging to the church. Their ongoing participation in the sacraments is key for receiving salvation
Evangelicals believe that it is faith in Jesus in Jesus is what will allow us to be saved
Some other christians believe that it is the way they act is key to salvation and that by doing good deeds they will be able to enter heaven
What were the apocalyptic ideas in the Early Church?
First christians believed that although Jesus left earth and went to heaven, he would return and establish a new world order to replace the evil world they lived in- this eschatological belief is called Parousia
Christian beliefs in Hell?
Some christians believe today that hell is a place of eternal punishment
Some christians believe that hell is a place of complete destruction so as to no longer exist so the soul ceases to exist
Other christians believe that hell is a way of expressing an eternal existence without Gods presence and blessing
What are the christian beliefs in Heaven?
Christians believe that heaven means being in the eternal presence of god
The bible describes heaven using many images, including those of singing and beauty
Heaven is believed to be a place where suffering and evil no longer exist
The belief in heaven encourages christians to serve God and obey him and it may also be a comfort in times of suffering.
What is purgatory?
A Roman Catholic belief that if you die in a good spiritual state, in friendship with God, you will go to heaven
However some people are not pure enough to go to heaven and so will undergo purification to achieve holiness- this is called purgatory
Therefore catholics believe that if you die, you are not beyond help as there prayers can help people in purgatory
What are different christian beliefs about life after death?
Have different views on eschatological ideas.
All christians believe and have faith that the events in the world are not random and uncontrolled and are planned by God
Catholics believe in purgatory
Many christians believe that at the end of time, all the dead will be raised again to be judged by God
What is worship?
Describes how they feel about and a physical act towards God to show their belief, adoration and respect for god
What is a congregation?
The word used to describe a group of christians meeting for worship
What is communal worship/ congregational worship?
Working with others who share the same beliefs and attitudes
What is liturgical worship?
Worship in churches that are more formal in organisation and use set patterns for their services
The roman catholic, orthodox and church of england all use liturgical worship
For some christians, the familiarity of the service snd words can help them reflect ore deeply on their meaning and siginificance
How are colours used in some churches?
White and gold- special celebrations like easter and christmas
Red- used on days to recall the suffering and death of jesus and used on pentecost and confimation
Green- used during ordinary time as it reflects hope
Violet- used in advent to remind christians that it is a time of preparation for the coming of christ
What are the 2 types of service in liturgical worship?
The eucharistic service
The service of the word
What is the eucharistic service?
Focuses on the eucharist, the celebration of remebrance of jesus suffering and death
During the eucharist service, the cingregation receive bread and wine, which represent the body of jesus and the blood of jesus
They will hear readings from the bible, hymns and a short sermon
At the end, they will participate in prayer, confession and thanksgiving
What happens in the service of the word?
Focuses on Bible readings and the sermon which will be longer and more developed than a Eucharist service
What occurs in a roman catholic worship?
Use an order of service written in a book called a missal
Similar structure to church of england service
Catholics believe in transubstantiation- where the bread and wine transform in jesus body and blood. This is different to anglicans
Give an example of the types of things that may happen in a eucharist service?
- The gathering- congregation join together and have a prayer to all read
- The liturgy of the word- nicene creed is said, prayers of intercession are spoken
- The liturgy of the sacrament- bread and wine are for collection on a table, there is a eucharistic prayer, the breaking of the bread and people receive the bread and wine which represent jesus body and blood. (Consubstantiation)
What is a Quaker meeting and what occurs?
Their worship is called a meeting for worship
They will sit in silence and so are able to reflect, think and listen
No songs, no set prayers, reading or talks and there are no ministers as they believe in equality and that each person has their own relationship with god
However, during the worship, people may choose to speak, pray or read aloud- this is called ministry and it is listened to in silence
What occurs in Greek Orthodox worship?
Eucharist is called the Divine Liturgy
The service is divided into 2 parts: liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the faithful
The liturgy of the word involves hymns, prayers and readings from the bible
The liturgy of the faithful involves the nicene creed being read out by the congregation and the bread and wine are consecrated
What are non-liturgical services and what occurs in them?
They are more spontaneous and dont follow a set structure for their worship.
A minister leads the service but any member of the congregation can pray in their own way
This form of worship is done by protestant churches and non-conformist churches
For these christians, it ensures that they dont get stuck in a rut and allows everyone to choose how they pray and their own preferences
What is charismatic worship and what does it involve?
Charismatic worship is a reference to the gifts of the holy spirit.
Charismatic christians may believe that they receive similar gifts of the spirit that can be used in worship, including speaking in tongues (glossoladia)
This type of worship does not follow a set pattern and often includes dancing, clapping and singing
Worshippers are lead by the holy spirit and is usually used in pentecostal churches
What is a sacrament?
A ritual through which the grace of god can be received
In the anglican book of common prayer- it is defined as- an outward and visible sign on an inward and spiritual grace given to christians
What are the 7 sacraments that Roman Catholics believe in?
Baptism Eucharist ( Holy Communion) Confirmation Reconciliation Marriage Holy orders Anointing of the sick
What are different beliefs on the sacraments held bu different denominations?
Orthodox- regard the 7 sacraments but call them holy mysteries
Protestant including church of england- only recognise 2 sacraments, Eucharist and baptism as they have a more direct link to jesus
What are the different ways between christian denominations as to the way in which jesus is believed to be present in the eucharist?
Transubstantiation- Roman Catholics believe that the bread and wine are actually transformed into Jesus body and blood, even though the appearance nor taste changes
Consubstantiation- Anglicans believe that Jesus is spiritually present in the bread and wine as his sacrifice is celebrated
What is the importance of the Eucharist?
Reminds christians of the sacrifice Jesus made and the salvation that they received
It is a sacrament and so the believer is obeying the command and receiving Gods grace (blessing) sharing the experience of the last supper
What is baptism?
Symbolises a persons admission into the Christian Church
Involves water being sprinkled over a persons head or being immersed in water, both of which symbolise purity
What is infant baptism and what christian deniminations recognise it?
Roman catholics and Church of england and orthodox recognise infant baptism
It is called a christening
It is a ritual for being able for the baby to receive Gods grace and the babys parents will make promises to raise the child as a christian
Baptism is seen as a way to get rid of the original sin of which is believed to be in everyone when the6 are born due to the fall
What is believers baptism?
Non conformist denominations, the emphasis of a baptism is place on the person making a conscious decision to be baptised
Therefore they do not agree in infant baptism and believe in adult baptism
In most denominations, a person needs to be baptised in order to be able to take part in the Eucharist or Communion
What is the importance of baptism?
Symbolises a persons admission to the church
Washes away any sin from original sin and allows you to receive Gods blessing
A holy sacrament pledging your faith to christianity
Seen as necessary for salvation to end up with God eternally in
heaven
Allows someone to take part in the Eucharistal service
What are the Quakers beliefs on baptism?
Do not practice baptism as they feel that they receive Gods grace inwardly and there is therefore no need for an outward ceremony
What is prayer?
An act of worship where christians believe that they can communicate with God as they believe that he is immanent and personal to each and everyones lives
What is the importance of private, individual prayer and why do christians do it?
Allows a christians to deepen their own personal relationship with God
The refection allows christians to opportunity to feel at peace as well as to listen to the voice of God on their own
They are more easily able to pray for people who they know
Allows christians to ask for guidance and support on a particular even in their own personal lives
Their own faith deepens as they develop a closer relationship with God
What are the 4 types of prayer?
Adoration- prayers that focus on Gods character and adore him for who is, helping them to establish Gods omnipotence and his love for them
Confession- prayers that allow christians to say and apologise fir any wrongdoings they have caused and to ask for forgiveness- it is an example of repent
Intercession- prayers on the behalf of others to help them in a time of need
Thanksgiving- thanking god for all the he has done for them and allows the person to continue to remain grateful
What is a pilgrimage?
A physical journey that will take a person to a place of religious significance that helps to bring them closer to god due to the lack of distractions helping them spiritually
What are examples of Pilgrimages to go to?
Lourdes- a place of pilgrimage, known for its 7,000 healings that have been registered and which 69 have been confirmed as miracles
Jerusalem- where Jesus lived towards the end of his life and it is where he died, was buried and was seen alive after his resurrection. Enables christians to feel the presence of God and deepen their own understanding of the bible
Walsingham
Rome- the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church
How do christians celebrate christmas?
Christians see the celebration of advent as a part of the celebrations of christmas
Christians may have advent wreaths with 4 candles on them and each sunday on the run up to christmas, each will be lit. They may use advent to develop spiritually for Christmas
At midnight on christmas eve, many christians go to a special service of eucharist (midnight mass)
On christmas day, many christians go to the services held by church and celebrate Jesus birth there by singing carols, readings and nativity plays
How do Orthodox christians celebrate christmas?
Christmas is celebrated on the 7th January
Many orthodox christians will fast in this day to help shift their focus from them onto others as they spend more time in devotion to God and the poor as well as the idea that they can appreciate and truly celebrate the birth of christ
Why is christmas important to Christians?
It is the celebration of Jesus incarnation
His birth is the point in time that christians believe gave humanity hope for a new beginning as the reminder of a restored relationship woth god
Christians also believe that Jesus will return on e more to Earth (parousia) and so must live to what Jesus commanded them to
It is a time to reflect on the need for peace in the world and is also a time for helping the less fortunate just as Jesus did when he was incarnated onto earth
What is Easter?
A significant time for reflection for all christian denominations and recalls how through his death and resurrection, Jesus brought about human salvation and restored the relationship between human and god
Takes place at the end of the holy week
What is the holy week?
The week leading up to easter and replicates the main events in the last week of Jesus life
What is lent?
Followed by the catholic, orghodox, church of england and protestant churches that recognise the 40 days before the holy week.
It is a time of fasting replicating when Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert
Helps them to resist temptation just as Jesus had done so when satan tried to tempt him
What is the name of the day that starts lent?
Ash wednesday
What does the holy week consist of?
Palm Sunday Maundy Thursday Good friday Holy saturday Easter sunday
What is palm sunday and its significance?
The start of the holy week and is the sunday before the easter weekend
It is currently celebrated by small crosses made of palm leaves being given out as reminders of his death next week
It is important as it is time for christians to reflect upon their own faithfulness to Jesus
What is Maundy Thursday and its significance?
A time for christians to remember his last supper with his 12 disciples and his commandment to love one another just as christ loved them
On this day, a church services ar held such as the washing of peoples feet by a minister or their may be a Eucharist to celebrate the last supper and to remember his death
It is important as it marks the day where Jesus had his last supper and reminds us that Jesus came to Earth to serve
What is good friday and what is its importance?
Marks the day where Jesus was crucified and is a time for serious reflection
There will be services where people can meditate to remember the death of Jesus and passion plays- plays about his death
On this day, christians believe and recall that his death was a redemptive act and without Jesus death, the debt of sin owed by humans to god will still be unpaid
Christians will also reflect on their own life and their own sins seeking gods forgiveness and strength
What does Holy saturday and Easter sunday commemorate and what is its importance?
A time for joy as jesus is resurrected and the victory over sin
The cofe and catholic church keep an easter vigil on the saturday evening and the churches on easter sunday will be fully decorated
A paschal candle is put out to represent the 5 wounds that jesus felt
Baptisms may occur and the whole story of salvation is read to the congregation
Hymns will be sung as we celebrate the victory over evil
This time of celebration is the most important as it was Jesus resurrection that enables them to be saved by God
Paradise is open again for humans
