Expressions of religious identity Flashcards
describe the origins of baptism
- Jesus’ baptism exposed his relationship with god and marked the start of his public ministry
- John’s gospel: ‘I say to you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of god’. Jesus saw baptism as both a physical and spiritual event
- the bible says that the baptised: die with Christ to their old self, rise to new life with christ in a living community
describe the significance of baptism for Catholics
CCC; ‘by baptism all sins are forgiven’
- The CCC says that baptism is the gateway to life in the spirit and the door that gives access to the other sacraments. through baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of god, members of christ incorporated into the church and made sharers in its mission. ‘baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word’
- they believe that the sacrament has a profound and irreversible change to the person’s spiritual existence which washes away the stain of original sin by Lin king them with Jesus cheisat/
describe catholic infant baptism
- through a formal ritual that links the child with christ, the soul of the infant is washed clean of original sin/ the priest makes the sign of the cross on the child’s forehead to symbolise the child belonging ti christ , the child’s head is dipped in water symbolising the washing away.
describe the arguments in favour of infant baptism
1) baptism as a sacrament: catholics believe it is a SACRAMENT (something god does to the individuals soul, here through the symbol holism of water and words_. those who are baptised don’t have to do anything because the key effect (change to the soul_ doesn’t depend on their own actions but rather god’s grace therefore ti can occur to even a newborn baby
2) baptism as a mystery: catholics believe what happens at baptism depends on god’s grace rather than human understanding - we can’t understand him or anything he does - god’s grace is always a mystery. if humans had to wait until they fully understood god in order to be baptised no one would ever be patsies because no one can fully ear understand god. therefore anyone can be baptised regardless of understanding
3)Baptism as the remedy for original sin: catholics believe all humans are created with the stain of original sin inherited due t the Fall. catholics dont believe in a literal Adam and Eve, but they see it as a way of explaining the tendency of humans to disobey what they know god wants for the world. through baptism. humans are freed from the taint of original sin so they can rise and live forever with god after the death of their bodies. babies have never sinned themselves but still need to be cleansed from original sin so they can go to heaven if they die early
4) baptism as the start of christian life: by baptising infants and giving parents and godparents the responsibility to raise them as christians the church ensures that children will be brought up as members of the church community. the intention is that they will be taught to tell right from wrong and learn how to live a christian life following Jesus’ teachings - attending church regularly and learning about him - they can confirm their baptismal commitment at Confirmation
5) Jesus’ teaching about children: Jesus ‘let the children come to me…for such belongs the kingdom of god’ - Jesus was happy for mothers t bring infants for blessing, the same should apply for baptism
6) baptism in the early church: it seems to have practiced baptism.
describe baptism in the baptist tradition
- baptists = protestants. they dont ebleoive in sacraments, believing symbols aren’t necessary and christians instead should read the bible to learn about the life of christ, and then copy what Jesus did to live a life as god wants. the baptist church teaches that Jesus showed people how to live a lie in accordance with god\s plan, and so humans must imitate Jesus and follow his instructions.
- baptists believe that Jesus gave a specific instruction: ‘make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’
- these direct instructions = ordinances which must be taken seriously
- baptists try to do things lie Jesus therefore Theydon baptise infants as Jesus was baptised as an adult. they also dont believe in original sin - so baptism is instead seen as a a ceremony of membership and commitment as someone prepares to start their adult ministry in the world. it is a public confirmation that a person believes and trusts in god and has been admitted to membership of the church/ to is therefore called believers’baptism/credobaptism/
- those who wish to be baptised study christianity beforehand - baptism can only be meaningful when those who are being baptised know and understanding fully what they are committing to. during this period of preparation they spend extra time In study and prayer with a ‘sponsor’
- the candidate enters baptismal pool, confirming they turn from sin and accept Jesus as saviour - fully immersed. after baptism, a person is a full member of the baptist church with rights and responsibilities, continuing to study the bible and share in worship alongside the work/ministry of the church
- infants aren’t baptised but are instead welcomed into the church community shortly after birth - ‘infant dedication’
describe the arguments against infant baptism
1) baptism as an ordinance: Jesus told the disciples to make disciples/baptise them - a baby cannot be a disciple and they are too yuan to understand the faith. to do as Jesus commanded there should be instead a emphasis on educating young children about faith, its adults being a good example of how tp live a chirsitan life - the church community can ‘make disciples ‘ in this way
2) baptism as following the example of Jesus -Jesus was probably around 30 when he was baptised = christians who want to follow in his footsteps aim to imitate what he did - Jesus’ baptism came after he had a good understanding of faith/learning. we should follow this model by studing/building a relationship first, then fully committing to faith through baptism when they are ready to begin their adult role.
3) baptism as a washing away of sins: baptists dont believe in original son, but recognise that people behave isn ways that are sinful. it is only natural that children nd young people do things that are against god’s wishes, and only when they are adult enough to regret them can they be washed away; for baptism to be meaningful, people have to be mature enough to really understand what sin is , and they have to be able to make a free choice to live a life avoiding sin - children can’t do this
4) everyone is included in god’s grace: from the moment any baby is born, it recieves god’s grace in all aspect of life - part of the christian community thrugh its bond with its parents. new babies are welcomed into the church and the whole church shares in responsibility of raising them with christian bleiefs/values/supporting parents. however the child cannot fully understand how to approach god/faith until he/she is mature enough to understand and choose it. it is therefore wrong t suggest that baptism is the start of christian life
5) Jesus’ teaching about children: baptists believe all children are welcome in church and can share one verytnig eg holy communion - Jesus didn’t baptise infants or instruct disciples to baptise babies
6) no biblical books describe infant baptism
describe the different understandings of holy communion
- catholics = sacrament. it is often called Mass, reflecting the words of dismissal at the end of the service in latin (its, Missa est) reflecting an understanding that the people who have shared in the service take the effects of it out into the world in their daily life.
- protestant = ordinance. in Church of England it may be called ‘eucharist’ - reflecting the nature of the service as a prayer of thanksgiving
- quakers/salvation army - dont celebrate, believing instead christians should express their faith by living good lives in their communities rather than symbolic worship services.
- orthodox = called ‘divine liturgy’ - holy work of the people in a ritual form. focus on holiness and mystery of the communication with god that happens at holy communion
- baptist churches = ‘lords supper’ - baptists see its importance as a community meal remembering the last supped Jesus shared with his followers
describe the scriptural significance of communion
- last supper was the final meal shared by disciples and Jesus - the occasion of the institution of the eucharist
- letters of Paul and Acts of the Apostles demonstrate that the early christians believed that this institution included a mandate to continue the celebration as an anticipation in this life of he joys of the banquet that was to come in the kingdom of God
- ‘this is by body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of me… for as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup you proclaim the lord’s death until he comes’ - Jesus directly instructed it
- it was custom for a lamb to be sacrificed at passover - Jesus os the sacrificial lamb
- ## a new covenant is created through his sacrifice
describe the significance of holy communion for catholics
- they believe Jesus was celebrating passover. the actions of words of Jesus are reenacted by the priest in Church during mass when he makes symbolic actions whereby the bread and wine are transformed into the Real Presence of Christ through transsubstantiation. ‘this cup is god’s new covenant sealed with my blood which is poured out for you’. Jesus is making the point that he is making a promise between god and humanity which involves him sacrificing his life.
- it is a sacranent (physical words/actions as signs oaf grace acting upon human souls)
- always performed by ordained priest, only those who are baptised and admitted to communion can receive it
- priest uses specific words/rituals. service involves reading scripture, bread/wine offered at the alter - reenacting Jesus’s sacrifice for human sin
- prayer of consecration - priest makes symbolic actions to call down the Holy Spirit and genuflects to show reverence.
- they believe in transubstantiation - Jesus is really present in the consecrated bread/wine. therefore in receiving the bread and wine, catholics are literally receiving Jesus, uniting them with him and making a real spiritual change - a foretaste of the heavenly kingdom of god. many even fast beforehand, or confess their sins. any leftover bread/wine remain holy, no leftovers thrown away
- the mass for catholics is a re-enactment of the sacrifice of christ on the cross for human sin - with the breaking of the bread (fraction) symbolising the breaking of his body. it also involves the sharing of peace
- after holy communion, members of the congregation are sent out into the world spiritually stronger to share their faith and live better christian lives
describe the significance of holy communion for baptists
- baptists focus christian life and worship on the bible which they regard as god’s communication with humankind - place importance on the studying of the bible. therefore, holy communion is of less importance than studying and reading the bible.
- they celebrate holy communion because Jesus said ‘do this in memory of me’ therefore it is an ordiance/
- it is a community memorial meal - focused on remembering the actions and words of Jesus during his last meal with the disciples before death - therefore there is little symbolism/ritual attached
- conducted by a minister - readings from the Biel, sermon. a table prepared with cubes of bread/broken loaf, cups of wine. no altar - but often a communion table
- the words of Jesus from Paul’s account of the last supper tis read, then members of the congregation pass round the bread to serve each other - no restriction on who can receive
- they dont believe that there is any spiritual change or physical change to the bread/wine - so leftovers can be thrown away. the main value of the lord’s supper is to bring the community together in a special memorial meal to remember the life/death of Jesus and the way his death offers salvation from sin - so baptists have a ‘memorialist’ understanding of H.C
Explain the significance of Luke 22:17–20 - Jesus’s actions at the last supper
- a passover meal - he took the symbolic elements of the passover meal and gave them a deeper extended meaning - telling his disciples that through his death he bread would symbolise not just freedom from lsavery but also freedom from sin. wine would symbolism not just restoration from exile, but also the relationship between god and humankind
- Luke’s account is important as it was written for early christians 3ithout a jewish heritage, referring to the new covenant - anew contract between god and humankind symbolised by the breaking and sharing of bread.
- for some christians today, the passover symbolism and the holy communion symbolism is important - therefore HC is about freedom from slavery, freedom from sin, restoration from exile and restoration of the relationship with God. for baptists, HC is an uncomplicated meal acting as a reminder of Jesus’s sacrifice
- catholics believe Jesus was instigating a formal ritual where the bread/wine would forever have a deep spiritual significance. their highly ritualised/symbolic words of Jesus and carefully crafted actions help to imbue HC with a special status. once consecrated the bread = embodiment of actual presence of god. mass is celebrated reulalh and catholics often receive HC regularly. because they believe it has a special effect on the soul, they want to receive it at key momenta in their life eg marriage/death/importanrt event.
- baptists however dont attach as much spiritual importance. the members of the local congregation value the celebration of the lord’s supper as an aspect of the worship of the community, but it has no extra symbolic role in the life/church. it is an ordinance and studying the bible, is more important, because leading a good christian life and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others are ways that people can help to bring about god’s plan for the world. for baptists it isn’t celebrate often, and it is largely considered an optional extra
describe the idea of the mission of the church - background
- Jesus instructed his disciples to ‘make disciples of all nations’, and in the Parable of Sheep and Goats he made clear christians were expected to do good things for the less fortunate
- Catholics therefore believe they are called in the same way as the disciples were. as Jesus said: ‘as the father has sent me, even so I send you’
- mission is therefore at the heart of christian religious identity, with christians believing they have been sent out to do god’s work in the world.
describe evangelism pre-20th century
- in less than 30 years after the death of Jesus, his life, mission and teaching had been spread throughout the medditeranean. this evangelism was carried out by the disciples
- in the 19th century, it continued with the colonisation of different continents. societies sent out trained missionaries to try and convert the colonised people
describe developments in mission as evangelism in the 20th century
- in the early 20th century it was common for local churches in the UK to support missionaries financially and in prayer to receive newsletters about the work going on. this meant that the members of a church could also feel like they were involved in missionary work
- the focus of the Church Missionary society is now less on conversion from other faiths, to supporting other christian communities eg assisting the cathedral of Cairo in their work helping those who seek to survive by recycling rubbish in their work in rubbish dumps. christians are a minority in Egypt so the mission helped them with their living conditions but also regarding staying firm in their faith.
- some missionaries are supported by UK churches work in secular organisations and also teach the gospel to those who wish to hear it - eg The Evangelical Alliance Mission - working in secular organisations in countries where christianity is a minority
- throughout the 20th century church attendance declined. 1977 - Alpha Course started - christians invited non-churchgoers out to discuss faith after a meal. Not unlike a business pitch - aims to convince people they want to ‘buy in’ to the Christian faith. Fresh Expressions similarly is a movement which seeks to provide alternative forms of church by going to where people are rather than expecting them to come into an existing church building
- evangelism was therefore originally about converting people of other faiths, by direct preaching and teaching, however it has become increasingly something that happens as much in secularisation Britain as around the word
describe developments in mission to the poor and disadvantaged
- over the centuries, charity schools were set up for the poor financed by bequests from wealthy christians . church of england children’s society formed to look after orphaned children - still active, providing day centres and campaigning for social justice
- in the 1980s, the Faith in the City report identified considerable urban poverty and the church urban fund was set up to address considerable poverty it identified in towns and cities - working in local organisations/communities, addressing hate and prejudice by encouraging community cohesion and providing a safe space, and setting up financial services to aid debt
- from the 1990s and today, practical aid has been established with food banks which churches are often involved in the management of
- Jesus: ‘truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of one of these brothers and sisters you did for me’
describe developments in mission to the christian community
- in the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution prompted migration to cities and the church and to build new churches , train clergy ect.
- in the 20th century church attendance declined - churches had to find new ways of providing for their congregations
- there is a growing focus on ecumenism ( the drive to promote unity between the different christian churches) . during lent, christians from different groups may have bible study/lent course together , and they often work together in caring for the community , or even share buildings for worship
- an exception to this however is the rapid growth of evangelical charismatic christianity which has led of the building of new churches and to more traditional forms of evangelism - eg large-scale ‘healing’ events in football stadiums . they also run spring harvest - holiday camps in popular holiday resorts, children and young people learn more about faith
christian denominations who don’t engage in evangelism
Quakers believe that god speaks directly to the hearts of people, therefore evangelism is wrong because it interferes with god’s work in the lives of individuals
Salvation Army sees its role as serving the poor and needy, and so they focus the most on this form of mission
