Expressions of religious identity

Question 1

Mission of the Church

Answer 1

• Right from the very start of its existence, the Church has been a missionary Church
• Matthew 28:19- ‘Go forth and make disciples of all nations’
• The New Testmant relates how in the early days of the Church’s existence Christians were and are still involved in: Evangelism, Mission to the Christian community and mission to the poor and disadvantages

Question 2

Mission as evangelism

Answer 2

• Evangelism in the early Church: In less than 30 years after the ministry of Jesus, the story and meaning of his life, death and resurrection had been taken through the Mediterranean world. This evangelism was carried out through Jesus’ disciples and other converts
• Evangelism in the 19th Century: Evangelism continued throughout the succeeding countries but took on a new dimension in times of colonisation. In 19th century Britain there were a number of societies who sent out trained missionaries to these colonies to convert. The missionaries learend the language of the people and also provided medical care and education- social action and mission happen in parallel
• Evangelism in the modern day: Focus now is often less on conversion from other faiths to supporting local Christian communities in outreach projects. Throughout the 20th century, the number of Christians attending Church began to decline- Alhpa course (discussion about Jesus and meal) and Fresh Expressions (alternative forms of church e.g. in a pub). As society becomes more secular, conservative Christians adapt their methods- more informal e.g. radical attempts to rework Church worship in secular buildings and contexts

Question 3

Mission to the Church community

Answer 3

• In the 19th century the industrial revolution led to thousads of people moving to towns and cities and the Church’s missionary focus in the UK was in providing money to build new Churches
• Decline of church goers in the 20th century, Churches are working together to find new ways of providing for the needs of their congregations e.g. Spring Harvest
• There is growing emphasis on ecumenism, which is the drive to promote unity between denominations
• e.g. during Lent, Christians from different denominations may have a Bible study together to learn together and grow closer to God
• They also work together in caring for the community e.g. running joint day care centres for those who are house bound
• In some places they share buildings for worship- learn that what unites them is far greater than what divides them

Question 4

Mission to the poor and disadvantaged

Answer 4

• In the early centuries the Church was noted for its care of those in need e.g. when famine broke out in Jerusalem, the Christians of Antioch in Syria sent money
• From the start the Christian community has felt called to collapse social divisions through charitable giving
• Examples: foodbanks (practical help given to the poor), Church Urban fund (addressing hate and prejudice by encouraging community cohesion), CAFOD (agencies providing long term aid, campaign for social justice and encourage sustainable practice in LICs) and childrens society (provide homes with a loving family for homeless children)

Question 5

Mission discussion

Answer 5

• This discussion depends on the eschatological beliefs about the afterlife
• Christianity starts conservative- salvation depends on the belief and sacrifice of Jesus and repentance. Mission for Conservatives down history means evangelism: John 14:6
• As Christianity develops and biblical criticism changes, appraoches to the Bible and Christians live in plural communities with many faiths and represented it becomes more liberal. Liberal ideas about salvation are more universalistic: everyone goes to heaven therefore mission is about social action

Question 6

Holy Communion- Roman Catholics

Answer 6

• Sacrament: A rite or action that has spiritual efficacy because the Holy Spirit works directly through it to create supernatural change. For the sacrament to work, the bread and the wine must be consecrated by a priest. The Priest has been made holy, set aside by God at his ordination so that he can be ‘in persona Christi’ at the Eucharist
• **Transubstantiation: ** Corinthians 11- ‘This is my body’. Priest performs certain symbolic actions when raising the bread and breaking it (the Fraction) and lifting the cup. The Real Presence of Christ is brought into the bread and wine and their substances change into the body and blood of Jesus. Aristotelian metaphysics- accidental nature (bread and wine) remains unchanged but the essential nature of the bread and wine changes into the body and blood of Christ
• 1 Corinthians 11: Contains a warning- do not take communion if you are unworthy, you will get ill. Catholics say that you can take communion if you only commit venial sins- say sorry in the service. If you have committed mortal sins you must go to confession. The warning suggests communion has a supernatural quality
• Youcat 208: Holy Eucharist is the sacrament in which Jesus Christ gives his Body and Blood himself- for us: At Holy Eucharist the sacrifice of Jesus for human sin is re-enacted, Jesus gives his body and blood. Catholics give themselves to him and become united with him- they become joined with the body of Christ, the Church. This will have a positive spiritual effect- the communicant will be strengthened morally and physically so they can serve

Question 7

Evaluation of Roman Catholic views on Holy Communion

Answer 7

• At the Last Supper, Jesus knew he was going to die and ascend to heaven. The Holy Spirit was going to be sent to Earth to enable believers to directly connect to God. Legitimate for Catholics to identify communion as a place of direct encounter
• However 1 Corinthians 11 must be interpreted very literally for it to mean that there is some kind of susbtantial change occurring in the bread and wine for it to cause a direct encounter with God
• Sacramental interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11 came later when the catholic church had established a priesthood and levels of hierarchy between the people and God- brings in levels of power and control

Question 8

Holy Communion- Baptists

Answer 8

• Baptists reaction should be understood as both a reaction to the errors they perceive in RC theology and as an expression of key aspects of Protestant theology
• Ordinance: a rule put down by Jesus when he says ‘do this in remembrance of me’. It is a deeply meaningful remembrance service
• Its spiritual ‘power’ is in its capacity for reminding the believer of Jesus’ sacrifical death, the means by which the believer is ‘saved’
• The closesness between the believer and God caused by communion is as a result of this act of remembrance
• It is a ‘deep prayer’ caused by a symbolic re-enactment of the Last Supper- Baptists believe that this is a more coherent interpretation of Jesus’ words. ‘This is my body’ was an entirely symbolic phrase- a profound spiritual metaphor not reference to a literal supernatural presence in the bread
• Baptist view removes the significance of a priest and the power of the priesthood to mediate between God and the congregation, causing supernatural change through ritual action. Certain symbolic rites and actions do not have spiritual, supernatural efficacy in themselves
• Pass round the communion bread and will serve communion wine in individual glasses to each other- about an individual act of remembrance which is a direct encounter with God

Question 9

Evaluation of Baptist views on Holy Communion

Answer 9

• Protestant reading of 1 Corinth 11 is more coherent theologically
• Jesus’ intention was to institute a symbolic act of remembrance that would connect a believer with himself in a deeply prayerful act of faith
• It was not to draw attention to substantial change in the bread and wine, nor was it to point out the need for a priest to cause supernatural, substantial change in the bread and wine so that the communicant could consume his body and blood
• More ordinary, symbolic Protestant reading therefore liberates a Church congregation from the need for a priesthood whilst maintaining the significance and ‘power’ of HC as a place where God is encountered

Question 10

Significance of infant baptism in the Roman Catholic Church

Answer 10

• Baptism is a sacrament- it effects a real inner change in the baptised persons soul
• Catholics practise infant baptism for a number of reasons: cleanses the child of original sin, first rite of initiation which opens up the way to the other rites of initiation and sacraments

Question 11

Significance of baptism in the Baptist Church

Answer 11

• Baptists refer to baptism as an ordinance as they do not believe in the idea of sacraments. The ordinance of baptism is based on Matthew 28
• They reject the idea of infant baptism for a number of reasons: There is no NT evidence for it, Jesus himself was baptised as an adult, there is no such thing as original sin so there is nothing that needs to be removed as soon as possible after birth, Gods grace is available to all it is not limited to baptism, Baptism is a statement of public commitment to faith using autonomy

Question 12

Evaluation of infant baptism

Answer 12

• Baptism is a sacrament- it has spiritual efficacy- it causes an irreversible metaphysical change in a person. Principally, this change is about the removal of original sin understood in the way Augustine first describes it: all humans are seminally present in Adam inheriting a sinful nature from their parents.
• Joining with Christ at baptism is the only answer to this spiritual problem
• Following Augustine’s theology, the Catholic and Orthodox traditions see the metaphysical change baptism causes as something God alone brings about. It does not depend on the individual concerned and therefore does not matter if they are an infant
• If this metaphysical change is seen as necessary for salvation because the removal of original sin is seen as a prerequisite, then it will be important to baptise people as early as possible

Question 13

Evaluation of believers baptism

Answer 13

• Great Commission- Infants cannot become disciples, discipleship requires both belief and choice- strength as it is much more consistent with the NT pattern
• Baptists would go as far to say that, by removing the significance of both the beliefs and the choice of the person being baptised, infant baptism distorts the meaning of baptism as it is presented in the NT
• Baptists also reject the concept of original sin so fundamental to the Catholic view that infant baptism is essential
• Augustines ideas are based on an excessively literal interpretation of 1 Corinth 15:22. For Baptists this verse is simply a generalised, symbolic comment on the sinfulness of human nature not the start of a systematic belief- original sin- which has traditionally condemned infants to a rejection by a loving God if they die unbaptised