semester 2 Flashcards
what is a religious structure
Organisation of a religion and its leadership
Complex, needs to be seen as a system
Well established and formal or less defined and informal
what is a religious process
- How things are done in a religion
- Give expression to structures
- Well defined or less formal
explain 1 religious structure and its processes
Churches Magesterium:
Composed of the pope and bishops
Definition: (ordinary and extraordinary)
- Extraordinary: ecumenical councils e.g. second Vatican
council
- Ordinary: homilies at mass
Origins: apostolic succession (explain further in exam)
Purpose: authentically teach the Christian message and carry out 3 functions:
provide for growing holiness of believers
teaching and safeguarding of Christian message
governing the church in Jesus’s names
• it does this through the 4 levels of teaching
- Infallible teachings of the church
Teachings found in what God has revealed and the church’s understanding of them are guided by holy spirit, relating either to faith or the essential requirements for Christian morals, and fulfil the promise of Jesus.
e.g. creeds, 7 sacraments, the virgin Mary - Definitive catholic teaching
Define a person’s faith, consciously agreed to and lived out by Catholics.
e.g. person who doesn’t believe can’t be forced to worship, deliberate abortion and euthanasia go against the fifth commandment - Teaching which help understand revelation
Purpose to explain God’s revelation, point out how teachings are consistent with what God has revealed, warn about ideas that conflict with what God has revealed.
e.g. those related to issues of social justice and dignity of every human person - Teachings on contemporary new issues
Spirit guides understanding about the gospel in order to respond and teach with the best available knowledge about contemporary issues. Calls for conscious religious acceptance.
e.g slavery to capital punishment, nuclear weapons, moral use of medical technology
how does reconciliation relate to the lives of people
• Deepens people faith
• Provides comfort and guidance
• Desire to restore relationship
• Desire to relate to God
• Frees a person from being a slave to sin
• We become free to relate to God and others in
loving ways
describe the key features of the sacrament of reconciliation
Individuals confess their sins to a priest to be absolved
Purpose: Provides healing for the soul and regain the grace of God
Priests are given the authority by Jesus to forgive sins on earth in Jesus’s Holy Name
Reconciliation focuses on conversion – a continuing process of acknowledgement and turning towards God
We respond to God call to conversion by restoring our relationship with God and others
Sacrament allows the Holy Spirit to restore people to greater intimacy with God and have a greater sense of belonging in the Church
For true reconciliation 2 things are necessary:
- The genuine conversion of the individual
- The forgiveness of God
4 step process of reconciliation:
1. Contrition: sorrow for sins with the firm resolve not to
commit them again
2. Confession: owning up honestly about sins
committed and accepting responsibility
3. Satisfaction: doing whatever’s possible to repair the
harm caused by sin
4. Absolution: forgiveness of sin by Jesus
name and describe an important event in the history of a religion in Australia
Second Vatican Council
Most significant 20th century event in the Catholic Church
Most recent ecumenical council to be held to its conclusion in over 400 years
Composed of Catholic Bishops, Patriarchs, Cardinals and Abbots nominated by the Pope
Announced January 25th 1959
what are the 3 most profound changes of Vatican II
constitution of the sacred liturgy - 1963
decree on ecumenism - 1964
pastoral constitution of the church in the modern world - 1965
describe the place of religion in Australia today
Secular: Religious institutions are separate from political institutions, religions is largely seen as a private matter
Multifaceted and diverse: Growth of new religions - Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh
Religious organisations play a significant role in public life: Protestant and Catholic churches pay integral role in welfare, education and health services
Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas are public holidays
- 2% of Australian reported as Christian in 2016 census
- 1% stated no religion
