Section III Christianity Flashcards
Describe ONE significant practice within
Christianity drawn from:
– Baptism
– Marriage ceremony
– Saturday/Sunday worship
Baptism is a significant Christian initiation rite which admits a candidate into the Christian community. It is usually performed by a bishop, priest or deacon, celebrated during or after the Sunday worship. The candidate in a baptismal ceremony is sealed with the oil of chrism, as a sign of being ready to serve and then has in water poured over them or they are immersed water, signifying the death of the old sinful self and the rebirth into a new life as an adherent of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Trinity is called upon in the baptising of the person “I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Following this, the baptismal candle is lit to represent the light of Christ burning within. These all signify the candidate being freed from Original Sin, receiving the Holy Spirit and gaining salvation from God. In essence, the rite of Baptism is uniquely expressed across denominations.
In the Baptist and Pentecostal churches adult Baptist is practiced, where the candidates make a conscious decision to join the Christian community and experience full immersion. In Anglican and Catholic churches, it is infant baptism which Is practiced, where the baby will have the water poured over them, and their godparents will make their baptismal promises on behalf of the child.
In summary, Baptism is an important initiation rite in which candidates become members of Christ, becoming incorporated into the Church and sharing in the Church’s mission, living a life guided by the Holy Spirit
Demonstrate how the chosen practice expresses the beliefs of Christianity
The initiation rite of Baptism heavily reflects the principal beliefs of Christianity: the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ, the holy trinity, salvation, revelation and the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Salvation, the deliverance from sin and its consequences, is intrinsically connected to Baptism as the candidate being baptised is removed from all Original Sin. The pouring of water within baptism signifies this, symbolising the death of the old sinful self and rebirth into a new life as an adherent of Jesus Christ. Baptism is therefore regarded as necessary for salvation, particularly by the early church community as depicted in Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This is because baptism was a sign of their repentance, proclaimed their forgiveness from sin and allowed them to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In addition, the holy trinity is emphasised through the rite of Baptism as candidates are baptised “In the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28). This acknowledgement of the trinity can be seen through the water being poured over the candidate’s head three times in Catholic Churches and the candidate being immersed three times in Orthodox Churches.
The death and resurrection of Jesus is synonymous with the practices of Baptism. This is indicated in “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?” (Romans 6:3). This ultimately shows that through baptism, Christians become dead to sin in order that they, like Jesus, may be resurrected into a new life in Jesus Christ. This is reflected in the baptismal ritual of pouring of being immersed in water, which mean regardless of how applied, emerging from the water symbolises the new life that the believer has experienced as a result of becoming a Christian.
As well as this, the divinity and humanity of Jesus is expressed through the practice of Baptism. This is because while in human form, John the Baptist baptised him, shown in “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John” (Matthew 3:13). This emphasises Jesus’ human form as well as reminding adherents of his divine form when he received the divine call from God.
Revelation, the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans, can be seen through Baptism through the reading of sacred scriptures. Through these scriptures it can be understood that baptism directly adheres to God’s command and Jesus’ intentions, indicated in Matthew 28 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them.”
Therefore, the core beliefs of Christianity are embedded into rite of Baptism.
Analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and the Christian community
The rite of Baptism is highly significant for both the individual and community of Christian adherents as it is an innate expression of Christian beliefs and values, and admits a candidate into the Christian community.
Baptism is highly significant for the individual, as it is a rite of passage in which they establish a relationship with Christ and are initiated into the Church as well as being freed from original sin and receiving the Holy Spirit. Following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus commanded his disciples to baptise, reiterated in Matthew 28 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Thus, by being baptised, individuals follow Jesus’ teachings and honour his intentions, bringing them closer to God and henceforth establishing a relationship with Christ. It is also significant as they become part of the Church as followers of Christ, making a commitment to the Christian faith. Different variants of Christianity practice in varying ways, each with their own significance. In Baptist and Pentecostal churches where adult baptism is practiced, it is of significance as the candidates themselves make the conscious decision to get baptised and be apart of the Christian community. In Catholic and Anglican churches where infant baptism is practiced, the parents and godparents make commitments on behalf of the child, which is significant as the child is able to grow up as members of the Church with the Holy Spirit within them. Particularly, the rite of Baptism is important for individuals as it initiates them into the Christian life and introduces them to life guided by the Holy Spirit, as well as freeing them from original sin and allowing them to be reborn as a son or daughter of God. The Christian scriptures emphasise this importance, encapsulating how baptism is necessary for salvation and forgiveness of sins. This is indicated in Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” as well as “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved” (Mark 16) which emphasises the aspect of salvation ie when the water is washed over them, symbolising them being removed from sin. Thus, the practice of Baptism is highly significant for the individual, where they are able to be initiated into the Church as members of Christ. They are able to receive forgiveness for their sins and receive the Holy Spirit.
As well as this, Baptism also has communal significance. As baptisms are generally conducted at Sunday worship, members of the community are able to witness the baptism of the new adherent into their church community and thus they appreciate their responsibility to help the individual’s faith grow. For example, the appointment of godparents provides the child a set of spiritual parents who will watch his or her religious growth. Additionally, the community are given the opportunity to renew their baptismal promises, therefore they reaffirm their beliefs and rekindle their faith in God. This challenges them to reflect on their vocation as Christians and the significance of their own baptism. The communal significance is increased as the community comes together as sponsors, godparents and supporters and together are able to honour Jesus’ intentions. The communal significance of baptism can be further summed up in the Christian Scriptures, in 1 Cor:13 “Uniting through baptism all are equal….challenges Christians to look for common good.” Furthermore, Baptisms are of significance to the community as members re-establish their beliefs and appreciate their responsibility to help the individual’s faith grow.
Therefore, Baptism is of both individual and communal significance.
Explain the contribution to the development and expression of Christianity of ONE significant person OR school of thought, other than Jesus, drawn from:
- Paul of Tarsus
Following his conversion to Christianity on the road to Damascus, Paul of Tarsus, both as a missionary and as a theologian, significantly contributed to the development and expression of Christianity. This is clearly evident through his missionary expeditions across the Mediterranean and his several letters to early Christian communities which form the basis of early Christian doctrine. It is unlikely that Christianity would have developed into the world religion it is today without the contribution of Paul of Tarsus.
Paul of Tarsus’ significant contribution to the development of Christianity can be seen through his missionary journeys and establishing of early Christian communities. As Paul was a Roman citizen, he was able to travel freely throughout the Roman Empire, allowing him to lead three missionary expeditions throughout Asia Minor and Greece, visiting key places such as Thessalonica, Antioch and Cyprus. He preached the Word of God to both Gentiles and Jews, where often he would be met with opposition from the Jews but had success among the Gentiles, where many converted to Christianity. His missionary work culminated in the establishment of churches in the western world, for example in Rome, Antioch and Corinth, thus ensuring Christianity’s development and survival. In addition, Paul often wrote letters to these Churches and communities as a way of explaining the Christian faith and encouraging their discipleship to Christ. For example, he writes to the Corinthians about the meaning of following Christ, the significance of his sacrifice in 1 Cor 15 “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” In addition, Paul had strong participation in the Council of Jerusalem in AD 50, where it was argued that Gentiles did not need to adhere to all of the Jewish laws in order to be Christian. This was backed up through Paul’s missionary journeys and letters, where he intended to convert Gentiles to the Christianity and support these communities and their churches in their newfound faith. For example, he makes it clear that you did not need to be a Jew to be Christian in Galatians 3 “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”. Thus, through his extensive missionary journeys, preaching to the Gentiles and support to the churches, Paul of Tarsus fuelled the rapid expansion of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, freeing it from its Jewish roots and enabling it to develop into its own world religion with its own adherents and teachings.
As well as this, Paul had a profound impact on the expression of Christianity, seen through his contribution to the new testament, with 13 out of 27 writings attributed to him. Some of his letters were addressed to specific communities such as Corinthians, Romans and Thessalonians and others were written for particular individuals, such as 1 and 2 Timothy, but were often simply intended for the church at large. These writings and letters are an important summary of the Christian faith, forming the basis of teachings and beliefs and often considered one of the primary sources of early Christian doctrine. It is acknowledged that many beliefs about Jesus, later adopted by Christianity, stemmed from his writings: such as the ascension of Jesus after his crucifixion, original sin and the Resurrection of Jesus, as they all made their first appearance in his letters. They outline how to live a Christian life and the basics of Christian thought, for example in Romans 6:13 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” which emphasises that Christians will receive salvation having been set free from sin and death by Jesus’ resurrection. He also deals with ethical issues, such as love in Romans 13 “Love does no harm to its neighbour, therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.” In addition to this, Paul writes of salvation in Romans 5 “therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God’ and he also manifests a strong doctrine of the Holy Spirit in “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians) in which these references would later take shape as the doctrine of the Trinity. Therefore, these writings and letters by Paul formed the foundation for Christianity.
Describe and explain Christian ethical teachings on bioethics OR environmental ethics OR sexual ethics
Christian Bioethics deals with the morality surrounding the giving, taking or altering of human life according to Christian teachings. All ethical teachings are underpinned by the Christian principle of the sanctity of life, the idea that as life is made in the image of God, it is sacred and therefore must be protected in all circumstances. Other teachings that influence Christian perspectives on ethical issues include: the belief that all life begins at conception, and the ten commandments / God’s greatest commandment.
Christianity’s opposed stance to abortion is influenced by Christian ethical teachings, however variants of Christianity may have differing responses.
General Christian teaching supports the idea that as life is made in the image of God, it is sacred and therefore must be protected in all circumstances. As stated in Genesis 1:27 “God made mankind in his image” which suggests humans have a responsibility to dignify the life that God as the Creator has given. Therefore, abortion is strongly condemned as through the process they are deliberately terminating life human life – having disrespect for the sacredness of life and inconsideration for God as creator.
Christians hold in regard the principle that life begins at conception, therefore it has to be protected and safeguarded from that moment. 2270 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.” This is further emphasized in Jeremiah 1:5 which stipulates “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” which indicates that as an individual is already considered a person known to God from the time of conception, it should be treated as a human and not discarded as something meaningless
In addition, the commandments state “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20) illustrating the immorality of taking away another life. As Christians believe human life begins at conception, the fetus is considered a person before it is born; so essentially to terminate it would be regarded as murder.
Furthermore, the Catholic teachings on abortion are interconnected with the two greatest commandments, which “all the law and the prophets hang on.” (Matthew 22:40). This is because, through the Catholic’s anti-abortion stance, they are reflecting the need to “love your Neighbour as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) as it is imperative to love the child in the womb by granting them the right to live, thus recognizing its status as a human being. The Catholic Church’s position on the issue also reinforces the need to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Matthew 22:37) as adherents are loving God by honoring his teachings that life must be dignified from the moment of conception. Despite the majority of Christian variants sharing similar views, some churches may adopt a more liberal approach to the ethical issue of abortion. The Uniting Church of Australia, for example, while still adhering to the beliefs of sanctity of life, affirm that “there are circumstances in which the decision to have an abortion is a responsible decision to make.” According to the President of the Uniting Church, Reverend Dean Drayton, “Respect for the sacredness of life means advocating for the needs of women as well as the unborn child.” (Uniting Church In Australia Assembly, 2005). Therefore, this intrinsically connects to the need to “love your Neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:39) as loving the mother means responding to the situation with compassion by understanding and supporting women’s needs, particularly in cases of rape, danger to the mother’s health and extreme fetal disabilities.
