Origin of the Church Flashcards
What is the Church?
It’s a Christian concept, an institution
It’s not the Church OF the UK, because it’s nothing else than a concept, we talk about the Church in the UK.
“Christianisme” en anglais
Christianity
“Chrétienté” en anglais
Christian dom
What is the Scots word for Church
Kirk
During the 4th Century, what language was used by Christians?
Greek
What is the Greek word for Church?
Ecclesia
(Root of “Eglise”)
Ecclesia meaning
It’s the word for Church, but it also means “of the Lord”, refers to an assembly of citizens
its meaning passend through Celtic and Latin langnuages, and then from Latin to Romanic languages
Epistle
- a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter.
- The letters in the New Testament from Apostles to Christians are usually referred to as epistles
St Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians
originally written in Greek, it was translated to those Gaelic tribes.
it’s about the relation of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in the church & the justification through faith
What is the Old Irish word for Church
Eclais (Eaglais today)
What does “Kuriakon” mean?
“belonging to a lord.”
The Greek root of the word Church
The Septuagint
The Greek Old Testament, translated from Hebrew in 72days by 72 interpreters, hence its name.
It talks about the Kingas the man (Kurios?) guaranteeing Justice, the man that makes right again, a man that offers shelter in a hostile environment.
“Kurios” = “Lord” refers to God in the New Testament, adapted by the Saxon = Church, which explains the shade of meaning behind it, different from Ecclesia.
The different “bodies” in the English Church
The Church of England
The Church of Scotland (Kirk)
The Roman Church (The Roman Catholic Church, its headquarter is in Vatican City = The UK is outside Roman jurisdiction, but is present in the UK.)
Archbishops
There are : 4 Roman catholic provinces in England, one in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.
Each of these provinces is under the management of an archbishop.
The Archbishop of Westminster
He is a cardinal. He supervises the Roman Church in the UK with the Duke of Norfolk, a lay member (who is not in Church orders)
diocese
- a district under the pastoral care of a bishop in the Christian Church
- 30 in the UK, divided in parishes (3000)
Which Church is the largest, in term of active membership?
The Roman Church = 2 million active participants
mostly urban working class, Irish decent and the Hammiltons in Scoltand (almost a dynasty).
Roman catholicism is greatly present in England and Ireland and has been given complete freedom of worship since the Victorian era.
Free Churches
- “Dissenters”, “Levellers”, Non conformists, Christian Protestant groups that broke away from the Lutheran Reform. ==> Puritans
- They broke away from the Established Churches of England and Scotland sometimes found new opportunities of the life of Godliness in foreign land, such as America.
- They came from the Anabaptist movement in the 60’s
About the Puritans, their view on religion
- They all value their origins and independence very much
- Their levelling or egalitarian beliefs have political and social overtones which played a part in the formation of the Labour party and dthe Lib Dem.
- Taste for simplicity reflected in their buildings and ways of life
- Mostly Northern, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland working class
Archbishops
There are : 4 Roman catholic provinces in England, one in Scotland, one in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.
Each of these provinces is under the management of an archbishop.
The main free Churches
The Methodists, The Baptists, the United Reformed Church and the Salvation Army.
Evangelical Churches
- Enthusiastic Christians whith a hint of fundamentalism.
- A literal understanding of the words in the Bible.
- They enjoy colourful worships → dancing and singing.
the Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal Church
emphasizing the miraculous, marvellous, and spiritual side of the New Testament rather than doctrinal tenets/elements about sin and salvation.
> mostly people of West Indian descent (afro Caribbean origins)
The Church of the latter-day Saints
The Mormons
The religious society of Friends
- the Quakers
- founded in the 17th century by Georges Fox & William Penne
William Penne who founded Pennsylvania, and he had the Declaration of Indulgence (religious toleration) passed. - A religious society and not a Chruch because no ministers/organised services, only members gathering.
The Methodist Chruch
- the largest of the free Churches
- worldwide membership of several million
The Baptists
- association of Churches “the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland”
- Originally formed into a Church (early 17th) after they had broken away from the Brownists
- Started with English Puritanism
The Brownists
a radical protestant group who wanted to overthrow the Established Church (Anglican Church)
- Considered close to Anabaptists by the English government
The Anabatists
- Started from the Radical Reformation
- They rejected infant baptism and propelled a confidence in pacifism. They don’t recognize the Baptist statute of justification by faith alone rather they emphasize a “life of good works.”
The Anabatists
- Started from the Radical Reformation
- They rejected infant baptism and propelled a confidence in pacifism. They don’t recognize the Baptist statute of justification by faith alone rather they emphasize a “life of good works.”
John Smith
Baptised himself and formed the first English Baptised Church in Holland.
from that local Baptist Churches appeared.
