ppt- CHRISTIANITY as one of the world religions

Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems - Christianity

1. CHRISTIANITY INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS Mrs. Karen Mariel Sable- Gayramara

2. Overview a religion that is very familiar to Filipinos because the Philippines has become predominantly Catholic since the Spaniards occupied the country from the 16th to the 19th centuries, with the spread of Catholicism as one of their enduring legacies to the Filipino people. It is considered the world’s largest religion, a religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who is considered the Son of God and the Messiah or Savior.

3. overview Followers of Christianity are called Christians. As of 2010, there are more than 2 billion Christians all over the world, which make up more than 30% of the world’s population of 6.9 billion. According to the Global Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Christian Population (2011), 10 countries with the largest number of Christians are the following:

4. symbols THE CROSS serves as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s victory over sins when He died on the cross for humanity’s redemption and salvation. Christ died on the cross and the cross serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by God in order for humanity to live.

5. symbols THE CROSS Roman Catholic churches the crucifix is a regular feature, with the image of Christ nailed on the cross This aims to emphasize Christ’s sufferings for humanity.

6. symbols THE CROSS Protestant churches often feature only the cross without the image of the body of Christ, to emphasize Christ’s resurrection and not His suffering.

7. symbols THE FISH it was used by persecuted Christians as a secret sign when meeting other Christians Because Christians were threatened by the Romans during the time, they had to make a secret code to avoid persecution.

8. symbols THE FISH The word “fish” also has a secret meaning, for Christians made an acrostic from the Greek word for fish, which is ichtys : Iseous Christos Theou Yios Soter , meaning Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

9. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Christianity developed in Palestine around 100 C.E. It was founded by Jesus, considered to be the Son of God and Messiah or Savior. Regarded as an offshoot of Judaism, Christianity has survived and even surpassed Judaism and other religions in terms of number of adherents.

10. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND THREE MAJOR SECTS OF CHRISTIANITY Roman Catholicism, Greek Orthodox Church, and Protestantism

11. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Judea - the mountainous southern part of Palestine -the home of Christianity -during that time, Judaism was the dominant religion in Palestine.

12. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Empires who conquered West Asia (including Palestine) Assyrian Empire Babylonian Empire Achaemenid or Persian Empire the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great Roman Empire (Jerusalem, 63 BCE)

13. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND When Jesus was born, Palestine was still under Roman rule. Christianity was born in an era when Palestine was ruled by a foreign power, the Romans.

14. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Concept of Messiah was promised in Judaism as the one who will liberate them from the evils of the world proved to be very attractive for a group of people being colonized by a foreign power

15. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Concept of Messiah Social conditions cooperated with the relatively free atmosphere created by Agustus ’ Pax Romana or Roman Peace the birth of a man who was considered as the fulfilment of the prophesy among the Jews that God will send His Son to liberate the people from sufferings and sins paved the way for the development and spread of a new religion called Christianity

16. Jesus as the founder of Christianity lived and preached teachings that served as criticisms of Judaism, although he himself was a Jew. His ministry began when he was in his early thirties. Preaching and healing in the villages, he started to preach teachings which were considered revolutionary at that time.

17. Jesus as the founder of Christianity Preaching He criticized the uprightness and insincerity of religious officials and emphasized that God values service and love. He also taught about the new covenant that God will bring to humanity: that of sending His begotten son to save humanity from their sins and restore the people’s relationship with Him.

18. Jesus as the founder of Christianity Preaching He criticized the uprightness and insincerity of religious officials and emphasized that God values service and love. He also taught about the new covenant that God will bring to humanity: that of sending His begotten son to save humanity from their sins and restore the people’s relationship with Him.

19. Jesus as the founder of Christianity Preaching He was sent by God to fulfill this goal by dying on the cross, then resurrecting to life after three days to prove that God’s plan had succeeded Hearing these messages, Jesus soon attracted a group of followers who became his disciples and who called Him their teacher.

20. Jesus as the founder of Christianity Christianity started with a prophecy in the Old Testament: that God will send his only begotten Son to save humanity from eternal damnation. Jesus was seen by his followers to be the Messiah they were waiting for. Jews did not accept this to be true; instead, they are still waiting for the promise to be fulfilled.

21. Religious leaders Pope the head of the Catholic Church, the inheritor of Peter has his headquarters in the Vatican, an independent state in Rome. is responsible for the general supervision of the church. is the head of the Catholic Church and the head of the Vatican. has the authority to appoint administrative and religious officials in the Vatican

22. Religious leaders 2. Cardinals are appointed by the Pope represent the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church in different parts of the world serve as advisers to the Pope and elect a new pope as the need arises, thus they have the power to choose the successor of the outgoing pope. The body comprising the cardinals is called the College of Cardinals

23. Religious leaders 3. Archbishop is a bishop who governs a diocese strictly his own, while he presides at the same time over the bishops of a well-defined district composed of simple dioceses but not of provinces.

24. Religious leaders 4. Bishops are teachers of the doctrine, priests of sacred worship, and ministers of church government provide pastoral supervision for a diocese and serve as representatives of the Church. is ordained to his station, just like priests.

25. Religious leaders 5. Priests are ordained ministers responsible for the administering of the sacraments, such as the Eucharist, Marriage, Baptism, and Confirmation. They may belong to particular religious order, such as Jesuits, Dominicans, Augustinians, among others, or they may be committed to serve a certain congregation

26. Religious leaders 6. Deacons Two Classifications transitional deacon - is a seminarian who is studying for the priesthood permanent deacon - who can get married and serve as a priest’s assistant in administering some of the sacraments.

27. Deity/god Christians believe in one God God is seen as the creator and maintainer of the universe, and is believed to be omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (all-present), and omnibenevolent (all-good). God is also sacred, moral, unchangeable, compassionate, graceful, and timeless.

28. Holy trinity God is composed of three persons: God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of the Holy Trinity was affirmed at the Council of Nicea in 25 C.E. where it was agreed upon that the Son has the same substance with the Father, therefore they are both eternal.

29. Holy trinity The doctrine of the Holy Trinity was Christianity’s way to end the controversy generated by Arianism, a teaching by Arius which claimed that Jesus Christ was not actually a God. The concept of the Holy Trinity was never mentioned in the Old Testament. The New Testament, although it never implicitly mentioned the term, gives some references to it.

30. Holy trinity In Matthew 28:19, it is stated that: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In 2 Corinthians 13:1: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

31. Holy trinity Christian churches that rejected the holy trinity: The Church of the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Jehova’s Witnesses Christian Scientists Unitarians the Unification Church the Christadelphians Oneness Pentecostals

32. Sacred scriptures OLD TESTAMENT is considered the original Hebrew Bible, written between 1200 and 165 B.C.E . is composed of 39 books which are arranged in three parts: The first five books - are considered “The Law” or Torah which may refer to guidance or instruction.

33. Sacred scriptures OLD TESTAMENT 2. “The Prophets” - is divided into two parts, the earlier prophets and the latter prophets. -the book of former prophets is considered historical while the book of latter prophets contain sayings and stories of the prophets.

34. Sacred scriptures OLD TESTAMENT 2. “The Prophets”

35. Sacred scriptures OLD TESTAMENT 3. “The Writings,” - include Psalms (songs, prayers, and worship liturgies), Proverbs (wise sayings), Job (a drama that explores the nature of suffering), and the five scrolls ( Megiloth ) which were grouped together for their associations with a particular religious festival.

36. Sacred scriptures NEW TESTAMENT was written by Christians around 100 C.E. is composed of 27 books written around 50 to 100 C.E. is composed of two sections: The Gospels which tell the story of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John);

37. Sacred scriptures NEW TESTAMENT 2. the Letters (or Epistles), written by various Christian leaders to serve as guide to the early Christian communities.

38. BELIEFS/DOCTRINES Christianity has certain beliefs and doctrines that serve as moral guidelines for its followers. Christians should follow these teachings strictly if they want to redeem God’s promise of eternal life. 1. Ten Commandments (Decalogue)- are a set of laws given by God to the people of Israel at Mt.Sinai through Moses

39. BELIEFS/DOCTRINES 2. Seven Sacraments Baptism - is meant to remove the guilt and effects of Original Sin and welcome the baptized to the Church Confirmation - is meant to complete Baptism and bring the baptized the graces of the Holy Spirit that were given the Apostles on Pentecost Sunday.

40. BELIEFS/DOCTRINES 2. Seven Sacraments c. Holy Communion - entails the reception of Christ’s body and blood which helps Christians grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ. d. Confession - is meant to reconcile Christians with God by confessing their sins e. Matrimony - the union of a man and a woman for the purpose of procreation and mutual support.

41. BELIEFS/DOCTRINES 2. Seven Sacraments f. Holy Orders - s is considered the continuation of Christ’s priesthood which He passed on to His apostles g. Anointing of the Sick - also known as Extreme Unction or Last Rites - is administered to those who are on the verge of death or are seriously ill, or about to undergo a serious operation, for physical and moral strength.

42. BELIEFS/DOCTRINES 3. Eight Beatitudes known as the “Sermon on the Mount” 4. The Apostle’s Creed - is believed to have developed in the 100 or 200 C.E. and was influenced later by the Nicene Creed

43. Story of creation and big bang theory which narrates how God created the universe in six days, is found in Genesis 1 of the Old Testament. Big Bang Theory - states that the universe began as an incredibly hot, very dense point in space about 14 billion years ago. It then underwent rapid expansion in no time and, as it cooled, led to the creation of stars, galaxies and planets

44. Story of creation and big bang theory which narrates how God created the universe in six days, is found in Genesis 1 of the Old Testament. Big Bang Theory - states that the universe began as an incredibly hot, very dense point in space about 14 billion years ago. It then underwent rapid expansion in no time and, as it cooled, led to the creation of stars, galaxies and planets

45. Worship and observances Advent refers to the season of waiting for the birth of the Messiah, hence its celebration lasts for four weeks, beginning four Sundays before Christmas and ending on Christmas eve. it is not only the birth of Christ which is anticipated but the Second Coming of the Savior as well. To reflect on the significance of the birth of Jesus

46. Worship and observances Advent The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus , which means “coming” or “visit.” also features certain colors, such as purple/dark blue , which symbolizes seriousness, repentance, and royalty; and pink , which signifies joy.

47. Worship and observances 2. Lent refers to the season observed by Christians in preparation for Easter, a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Ash Wednesday signals the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days before Easter. to prepare for Easter by following certain rituals, such as fasting, repentance, moderation, and self-discipline

48. Worship and observances 2. Lent a time to reflect on the suffering, sacrifice, life, death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ time for prayer, penance, sacrifice, and good works as a way of remembering the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

49. Worship and observances 2. Lent The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon words lencten , meaning “Spring”, and lenctenid , which means “Springtide” and also the word for “March,” the month when Easter is usually celebrated.

50. Worship and observances 3. Pentecost is celebrated as a holiday to commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early Christians. is also celebrated as the birthday of the Church. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word pentekostos , which means “fifty,” pertaining to the Jewish holiday celebrated every fifty days from the end of Passover to the beginning of the next holiday (also known as Shavuot)

51. Worship and observances 3. Pentecost - The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, which narrates how the first Christians came together in one place when suddenly they heard a sound coming from heaven and tongues of fire rested on their heads. They were said to be filled with the Holy Spirit which enabled them to speak other languages, after which Peter stood up and delivered his first sermon.