Christianity

1) Using the first two pages of the handout briefly describe the main tenets of the religion using the headings in the reading:

Christianity

Christianity originates from the belief in the life, death and resurrection, and ascension of Jesus—a Jew who was believed to be the Son of God. The New Testament, which is what Christianity is understood as, holds the letters, doctrines and other early writings portraying him as the Messiah.

The early Church

Initially, the Body of Christ was a metaphor for many equal parts under one Head, and was eventually changed into a Roman metaphor, ending up in Roman Catholicism—with a pop, cardinals, bishops, priests, monks and nuns. Other bodies of Christianity still try to hold the earlier democratic model of the Body.

Divisions

There are many different divisions of Christianity because Christians have never agreed on faith and practice. Creeds were used in the earlier centuries to establish statements of true belief—two are still used today (Apostle’s creed and Nicene creed) but still have not successfully reunited Christians.

Christian Life

Prayer and worship are the two fundamental elements to Christian life. Other important aspects include holidays that celebrate Jesus’ life, death, Resurrection, and Ascension. It is important to commit to the poor by bringing education and healing to the world, in order to please God and express total generosity of self and substance.

Answer the following questions based on each section:

2) The Incarnation

Comment on the importance / significance of the idea of Incarnation in Christianity.

Incarnation is the belief that God came to earth as a man—this man was Jesus. The importance of this belief is that it is the foundation of their faith—Christians believe that God’s unchanging nature was bound to the humanity of Jesus, and that he was both truly God and truly human.

Using one of the Biblical quotes on the page, deduce / define the meaning of the quote in relation to the idea of incarnation.

(John 14:9) says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” This is the clearest way of defining the unity of God and Jesus as a man. It implies that the man that was born to Mary was the same being as God in heaven, and whoever has seen Jesus in person has theoretically seen God as well.

Describe some of the significant roles women play in Christianity.

‘The role of women in Christianity is profound’. This idea originated when Mary, mother of Jesus, was given the grace of God and encountered an angel that then lead to her faithful obedience and the birth of the Savior. In His lifetime, Jesus was repeatedly cared for by numerous women, and it was to women that He first appeared after He was risen. Christian women have since played a huge role in the work of salvation and are continually gratified by way of Mary.

Looking at the specific comments related to the different images on the page comment on two particular points you found interesting.

a) The comment regarding The Virgin Mary in the image in the middle of pages 152 and 153 was interesting because it recognizes the symbolism Mary holds of the power of God. Whether or not it is historically accurate to say that Jesus was born to Mary even though she was a virgin, the belief that she was a virgin and bore child exemplifies God’s ‘restoration of the lives of all people to the state in which sin and death are overcome’.

b) The comment about the Praying Figure is interesting because it showcases the importance of prayer in relevance to Christian tradition. It says prayer is ‘way of entering into or sharing the life of the Trinity’. It could also be representing the idea that man is made in God’s image, because children are told to address their parents as “Abba” similar to Jesus’ use of the word to address God in prayer.

3) The Life of Christ

What do you think was the most important aspect, action or belief of Jesus' life? Explain.

The most important aspect of Jesus’ time on earth would have to be the healing of the sick. Although it seems to be an obvious choice out of all of the actions recorded, it was the most effective in winning over the fidelity of the people he preached to. This is because of the element of supernaturalism it brought—it convinced the people that Jesus was not just an ordinary man, but He was capable of performing miracles and caring for them enough to heal the sick.

Using the image / painting (and the associated text) in the middle of the two pages, explain the importance of two of scenes from Jesus' life portrayed in the painting and how they exemplified the role of Jesus.

The painting of Jesus healing the sick is important because it represents one of the most important aspects of His person. It shows the amount of people that gathered around Him just to see Him perform miracles.

The painting of Jesus’ power over the elements is also important, because it is a display of the power of God through Jesus. Jesus was seen as having power over the elements, which displayed the higher power He brought with Him to the earth.

Comment on one of the following: The Gospels, Jesus and Jairus's daughter or caring for outcasts.

Jesus was particularly empathetic towards those with leprosy, which was a horrible disease that spread very easily and made entire groups of people social outcasts. His care for outcasts was one of many aspects of Jesus’ person that showcased his selflessness and care for the human race.

4) The Last Supper:

Analyze the significance of the last supper in Christianity.

The Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples prior to his death, symbolizing what he has ‘poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’ This is significant in Christianity because it is believed that Jesus’ death opens up the way to eternal life for all, and the Last Supper is when Jesus announced his care for them for the last time.

Using the image of the sculpture in the middle of the page, comment on two aspects of the imagery. (Use the text sections surrounding the image)

The expressions of the men in the sculpture well-represent the pain the disciples felt at the Last Supper—confusion as to why Jesus was acting the way He was, and somberness because of the fact that He could be leaving them forever. Another interesting aspect of the sculpture is the fact that they are all looking up as if they were praying--however, they were looking at Jesus. This could represent the unity of God and Jesus, and shows the belief of the disciples in that unity.

Describe one of the following: The changing role of the Eucharist or the section titled "This is my body".

The Last Supper, in Catholicism, is known as ‘mass’. This represents the idea that there was only one sacrifice of Jesus and each Eucharist “is a sacrifice because it represents, that is makes present, the sacrifice of the cross…the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are on single sacrifice”.