redemption Flashcards
what are the two main purposes of the church?
1) provide a space where people can meet to worship together
(altar = central focus)
2) provide a space for individual prayer (church should provide a quiet, peaceful space that inspires people to pray to God)
how does the care put into the design of the church inspire worship?
it shows devotion to God, and helps people feel that God is respected
how do the statues of saints inspire worship?
encourage and inspire christians to follow their examples
how do the stations of the cross inspire worship?
inspire christians to reflect on jesus’ sufferings
how does the layout of the church inspire worship?
side chapels are smaller areas where believers can pray in a quiet space
churches built before 1965:
-facing east towards jerusalem, as this is the city where Jesus died and rose again
-in the shape of a cross, as a reminder of the cross on which Jesus died
-mass was said by the priest in latin, who spoke quietly with his back towards the congregation (people attending mass did not feel very involved in the service)
churches built after 1965:
-ensure that as many people as possible can see and join in with the mass
-altar more towards the centre of the church
-seats for the congregation some/ all the way around the altar
lectern
-where bible readings are given
-at least 2x readings given from lectern every mass
-as jesus is the word of God made flesh, christ is truly present when the word of God is said
-should be in a prominent place in the church, so people can see and hear the word of God
readings from OT vs NT
-readings from OT remind christians how God has guided his people from the beginning
-readings from the NT tell christians about jesus’ actions and teachings
crucifix
-a cross with jesus crucified on it
-reminds christians of the suffering that jesus went through to save humanity
- inspires gratitude & love for all that christ has done for humanity, including the forgiveness of their sins
altar
-place of sacrifice, where the bread and wine are offered to God at mass
-during the consecration, the offering joins with christ’s offering of himself to the father through his death on the cross, and the bread and wine become the body and blood of christ
-the father strengthens the lives and faith of believers when they receive the body and blood of christ
tabernacle
-box where the consecrated bread is kept after mass
-it houses the real presence of christ
-the bread that is saved in the tabernacle can be taken to people who can’t get to mass (eg: sick people)
using an altar vs a table in mass
table:
-where people eat from
-using a table at mass reminds the congregation that mass is a re-enactment of the last supper
-during the last supper, jesus told his disciples to eat his body and drink his blood
-by giving himself to his disciples in the form of bread and wine, jesus was giving his disciples a share in the effects of sacrifice
-using a table at mass is a reminder of this belief
altar:
-place of sacrifice and thanksgiving
-for catholics, the most important altar is the cross
-use of an altar is a reminder that christ’s sacrifice is being made again through the offering of bread and wine
cross
-a cross without christ on it
-a symbol of christ’s victory over sin and death
-christ is not on the cross because he has risen.
-emphasises jesus’ resurrection and the fact that christians should be people of new life
risen christ
-focuses on Christ as the risen, glorified saviour
-reminds catholics that in holy communion, they receive the body, blood, soul & divinity of the risen christ.
-the risen christ emphasises Jesus’ resurrection
the relationship between free will & sin
1) God made all of creation perfect, but God also gave humans free will as he wants humans to choose him, rather than follow him because they can’t do anything else
2) humans can use their free will to sin
3) all people are born with the tendency to commit sin (original sin)
4) sin has broken the relationship between God, humanity & the whole of creation, God the son became jesus to help the perfect relationship with God to be restored
how did the death of jesus restore the relationship between
God and humanity?
death:
-jesus lived his life in total obedience to the father, both in life and through his sacrifice
-this helped to restore the relationship between God and humans that had been broken by sin
how did the resurrection of jesus restore the relationship between
God and humanity?
resurrection:
-because Jesus showed total obedience to the father and never sinned, he was not held away from God by death & sin
-3 days after his death, jesus was raised back to life by the Father
-this destroyed the ultimate power of sin and death, people are now able to be with God after they die
how did the ascension of jesus restore the relationship between
God and humanity?
ascension:
-40 days after jesus was resurrected, he rose up to heaven to take his place beside the father as the son of God
-jesus’ resurrection and ascension have helped to restore the cosmic order, by making the whole of creation as perfect as God intended it to be
salvation in the past:
-jesus’ death and resurrection were essential to humanity’s salvation
-these events defeated the ultimate power of sin and death, and made it possible for people to enter heaven after they die
salvation in the present:
-an ongoing process.
-while jesus’ death and resurrection offered salvation to everyone, people still have to choose to accept it, by resisting sin
-the HS guides people to work towards salvation
salvation in the future:
-salvation will be completed at the end of time
-when the kingdom of God is fully established, the power of sin and death will be completely destroyed
heavenly banquet
-the victory celebration that will happen when salvation comes
-represented by the idea of everyone in heaven joining together for a meal
jesus as the example
-jesus knew how much suffering his crucifixion would cause him, he still went through with
-jesus set an example for all people to follow
jesus as restorer
jesus’ death restored the relationship between God and humanity
jesus as victor
-jesus experienced pain, suffering and death as a human & was victorious over them
-he made it possible for all people to share in the final defeat of suffering and death
st irenaeus on redemption
(trees)
-adam and eve disobeyed God by eating from the tree
-the tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought death, by separating humans from God
-jesus obeyed God by dying on the tree
-jesus’ acceptance of God restored humanity’s relationship with God
-the tree of the cross brought life, by offering the possibility of eternal life in heaven to all people
st anselm on redemption
-in the slave trade, a slave could be freed if someone paid a ransom to their owner.
-st anselm said that after the fall of adam and eve, humanity became slaves to sin
-only way to atone for this is by showing total obedience to God
-through his total obedience to God, jesus ‘paid a ransom’ for the sins of all humans, allowing them to be freed from the effects of sin
strengths vs weaknesses of st anselm’s & st irenaeus’s theories
strengths:
-shows the parallels between the fall of adam and eve and jesus’ death (i)
-reflects the idea that many Christians see themselves as slaves or servants to Christ (a)
weaknesses:
-not all christians agree with st irenaeus’ interpretation of the story of adam and eve (i)
-it’s not clear who the ransom is paid to, some christians think this implies there is someone greater than God (a)
conscience
the voice of God in a christian’s heart and soul, guiding them to do what is right
quote about conscience
‘the most secret core and sanctuary of a man’
two sides of the conscience:
natural instincts:
-people are born with an understanding of right and wrong
-this understanding helps to guide
catholics to instinctively do good & avoid evil
needs education:
-conscience needs to be shaped, developed and educated
-catholics can only do the right thing when they have enough knowledge to make the right decision
the start of mass
-catholics come together to celebrate the mass (the congregation represents the body of christ
on earth, catholics believe that christ is present when they gather)
-catholics apologise to God and each other for their sins (this strengthens their relationship with God and each other as they accept that God has forgiven and redeemed them)
the readings
at least two readings are given from the bible, one always from the gospels (the readings remind catholics that God has guided his people, the gospel shows how God loves, heals, restores and forgives all people
the offertory
the bread and the wine are brought to the altar
(brought to God as thanksgiving)
the eucharistic prayer & consecration
-the priest repeats the words that jesus said at the last supper
-at the end of the prayer, jesus is truly present in the bread and wine, these are offered up to God the father
communion
-the priest offers the bread and wine to everyone in the congregation (catholics are binded to christ and the new covenant, they receive God’s grace, which gives them the strength and guidance to resist sin and to follow jesus’ teachings)
the end of mass
-the priest blesses and dismisses the congregation (catholics leave the church to share the presence of christ with everyone they meet)
the mass as the source & summit of christian life
summit:
-the offering of christ on the cross is the highest form of prayer to God
-mass re-enacts christ’s sacrifice so it’s the highest form of prayer for catholics
source:
-christ’s body & blood give life to the soul
orthodox christians & the eucharist
-they believe christ is fully present in the consecrated bread & wine
-more emphasis is placed on symbolism & ritual
-the consecration takes place behind the iconostasis - (a screen that divides the holy part of the church from the congregation)
-the consecration is too holy to be seen directly by the congregation
anglican christians & the eucharist
-some anglicans think the bread & wine become the body & blood
-many believe the spirit of christ is received when communion is given
-christ is spiritually present but the bread & wine don’t literally become the body and blood of christ
quakers/salvation army & the eucharist
-these groups do not celebrate the eucharist
-they believe that christ is present through the HS, who inspires their prayers and actions
-they do not practise the sacraments as they believe the whole of life is a sacrament
nonconformist christians & the eucharist
-the eucharist is a memorial of the last supper
-christ is present in the bible readings
-christ enters peoples’ lives when they receive communion
words of institution
-the words said by jesus over the bread and wine at the last supper
-the priest repeats these words at mass to transform the body & blood
the bread and wine become the body and blood of christ
-the bread and wine look the same but the reality of what they are changes
angus dei
lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (ref to exodus, lamb of God is now jesus)
eucharistic adoration
-adoring or honouring the real presence of christ in the consecrated bread and wine
-catholics believe the bread and wine become the body and blood of christ, they treat it with great reverence and respect
