Lecture 5: Christianity 1 Flashcards
how did Christianity begin?
as a branch of Judaism
What is the Professors thesis in the first lecture on Christianity?
- one aspect of the material dimension that sets Christianity apart from Judaism and Islam is the role that visual art plays in the Christian tradition
- as the early Church communities established the canon and statements of orthodoxy, visual art flourished, including painting, sculpture and engraved sarcophagi(coffins) depicting scenes from the life of Jesus
- Christian art and theology allow for the presentation of the infinite in the finite realm
Christians believe Jesus is fully _____ and fully _____.
Human and Divine
early Christian art reflects what models?
Greco-Roman models
- most is funerary art
what do peacocks represent?
eternal life
Who was Constantine?
one of the most important emperors in the Eastern Roman Empire
- he ended the persecution of Christians in the empire
who do Christians believe Jesus was?
the Messiah that was anticipated in the Hebrew Bible
- Jews reject this
What was Jesus’ religion?
He was a Jew
Most Christian art is about?
Jesus or the Virgin Mary
The Christian New Testament contains how many books?
27 books
What are the four gospels of the New Testament?
- they are accounts of the life of Jesus
1. Matthew
2. Mark
3. Luke
4. John
5. Pauline Epistles (a series of letter written by the Apostle Paul to various early Christian communities)
Jesus’ public ministry happened between his age of?
30 to 33
When and where was Jesus born?
in Palestine around 3 BCE
for the 3 years of Jesus’ public ministry, what did he do?
he chose and gathered followers who accompanied him from place to place, teaching and preaching as well as healing, casting out demons, and on occasion, raising the dead(Lazarus)
at age 33, what happened to Jesus?
he was arrested by the Romans, was condemned, nailed to a cross(crucified) and left to die
two days after Jesus’ death, his followers claimed that?
he rose from the dead and showed himself to them
- he commissioned them to carry on the work started (his twelve disciples)
what is the story of Annunciation in regards to the Virgin Mary?
the angel came down to the Virgin Mother Mary and told her she would be pregnant with the child of God
when was Jesus baptized and by whom?
at age 30 and by John the Baptist
what are the two most important rituals in Christianity?
Baptism and Eucharist
who were the twelve disciples?
the first 12 followers of Jesus
all four gospels include what that describes Jesus’ sufferings during his betrayal, trial and execution by crucifixion?
“passion narratives”
why did the Romans want Jesus crucified?
- they thought he was plotting against the Roman Empire
- he was calling himself the King of the Jews
- authorities saw him as seditious
the four gospels fit into where in the 27 books of the New Testament?
they are the first four books
what is the Old Testament(part of Christian Bible) based on?
a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible known as the Septuagint
what does the the Christian Bible comprise of?
the Hebrew Bible, which Christians refer to as the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament (books are in a different order)
what does the Christian New Testament begin and end with?
the birth of Jesus and ends with the apocalypse (end of times)
- linear trajectory
what is the Pentecost?
event in the New Testament
- first depicted in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit comes down and ‘in spirits’ the disciples who begin speaking in unintelligible languages
what is the fastest growing branch of Christianity?
Pentecostal
- prevalent in Global South
the main sources of information on the life, teachings and intention of Jesus are found where?
in the New Testament especially in the four Gospels
which Gospels are referred to as the synoptic Gospels? why?
Mark, Luke and Matthew
- because they can be seen together
- a little differences but roughly the same stories
why is the Gospel of John different from the other three?
because it is a more mystical oriented text and his purpose is to set out not just the narrative but the cosmic significance significance of the narrative
- John proclaims Jesus as the messiah and saviour
Key doctrine in Christianity regarding Jesus?
Jesus is a saviour
Christianity is a salvific religion. what does this mean?
it is focused on salvation
- Christians repent of their sins and they believe that Christ has died in their place
what does logos mean?
reason, rationality
the document known as the Didache, “Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles by the Twelve Apostles” was probably written where and when?
in Syria in the first century
- it is the first known example of the Church Order
The Apostolic Traditions is a work often attributed to?
Hippolytus; who give us our earliest example of the full text of the Eucharistic prayer
what are the Apostolic Constitutions?
eight treatises relating to Church Orders, including teaching on discipline, worship and doctrine
how long did it take for Christianity to evolve from a movement within Judaism to an organized religion in its own right?
approximately four hundred years
who put an end to the persecution of Christians?
Emperor Constantine
By the 4th century, the Roman Empire split in two, the Western and the Eastern. Where were the seats of each?
Western Empire: Rome
Eastern Empire: Constantinople (Istanbul today)
When did Constantine (r. 306-337) issue the Edict of Milan that gave Christians liberty to practice their religion, and eventually granting them state support and patronage.
313
what statement was formulated by the Council of Nicaea in 325?
a statement of belief was formulated that came to be called the Nicene Creed which affirms the humanity and the divinity of Jesus in one person
what is a creed?
an official statement of belief, of doctrine
In Christianity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is?
One God because they are all made of one essence (or substance)
- The Holy Trinity
what did the Holy Spirit do?
came upon the Virgin Mary and then she gave birth to Jesus
filioque is the Latin word that translates to?
and the son
what did the Council of Chalcedon do?
they tried to settle the controversy Nestorianism which is Jesus having two natures. One fully human and one fully divine. but his Fully Human and Fully Divine are reconciled in the Holy Spirit
