Christianity 101
Dale Hathaway
Nov. 27, 2017
Winthrop University
Origins of 3 Religions of Abraham
Judaism
| Judaism | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| Life without a temple | 587-500 bce | synagogues, written Torah |
| growth apocalyptic and Messianism | 250 bce - 135 ce |
| conflict over influence of Hellenism | 300 bce - 100 ce | What means to be Jewish in foreign culture? |
| Qumran community - Dead Sea Scrolls | 200 bce - 150 ce |
| Judaism (cont.) | Dates | beginning of modern Judaism |
|---|---|---|
| Schools of Rabbis | 100 bce - 250 ce | writing Mishnah, e.g. Hillel & Shammai |
| Diaspora | commentary on Mishnah (Gemara) - Talmud |
Christianity
| Christianity | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| letters (chiefly Paul) | 50-60 ce | |
| Gospels written | 70-90 ce | |
| 70-100 ce | Parousia is “delayed” | |
| 100 ce - 200 ce | break with Judaism | |
| 70 ce - 300 ce | missionary spread throughout Empire | |
| 300-400 ce | Official religion of Empire |
Islam
| Islam | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| Life of Muhammad | 570 ce - 632 ce | No “Quest for historical Muhammad” as there is for Jesus |
| Qur’an revealed to M. | “mid-life” | “as it stands now, a composite work” tho' little critical work |
| retreat to “City of the Prophet” | 622 | Medina, “Hegira” |
| growth of Islam – “submission” to will of Allah | 622 ff. |
| Islam (cont) | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| Following his death: both church and state | No separation of … | |
| M. = “judge, spiritual guide, military, political” | parallels leadership in Islam | |
| expansion | by 750 | to the borders of China & within striking of Paris |
5 Pillars of Islam
| 5 Pillars of Faith | |
|---|---|
| Profession of faith | There is no god but God and Muhammad is his envoy |
| Pray | 5 times daily, in community at noon Friday |
| Almsgiving | service to widows, poor, etc. |
| Fasting | esp. month of Ramadan |
| Pilgrimage (hajj) | where practical to Mecca |
Christianity 101
Introduction
Figure 1: Children of Abraham
- Judaism 101: Judaism 101
- Islam 101: Islam 101
- World Religions: graphs etc.World religions graphs etc
- Timelines:
- 3 religions timeline
- basic timeline
History
- Christianity as one among several sects of Judaism – ending after Rome crushes the rebellion
- Missionary expansion throughout empire – Paul – Early Church prezi
- Gradual establishment of orthodoxy, orthopraxis, – who is in and who is out
- With the Constantinian establishment everybody was in
- Growth of monasteries to house serious Christians – providing continuity for future centuries
- Renaissance – Reformation – Connections & Break with the past
- Renaissance prezi
- Reformation prezi
Geography
Middle east:
Roman Empire
Growth of Islam
European expansion – cf.
European expansion prezi Christianity no longer European only
New World – a tarnished light on a hill
Issues of great contention
Jewish or Christian?
monotheistic? Trinity?
nature of Christ
how interpret Bible? How incorporate surrounding culture?
Church & State
- relation church & state
- model of US is unusual and only quite recent
Only the Bible (grace, faith, etc.)
- sola scriptura, sola gratia -
Sacraments
- sacraments,
- ritual,
- iconoclastic controversy,
- Puritan cleansing - one
Church & Culture
- one body, one church? - Does Jesus speak Mandarin? or Swahili?
Issues of challenge
- Conversion, "missiology"
- Peace? War?
- Poverty? Wealth?
- Creeds cf. Creeds & Confessions
Early Christian Creeds link
- Apostles' Creed
- Nicene Creed (A.D. 325)
- Athanasian Creed (A.D. 500)
- Chalcedonian Creed (A.D. 451)
- Canons on the Council of Orange (A.D. 529)
- Statement of faith of the 3rd Council of Constantinople (A.D. 681)
Reformation Confessions
- Luther's 95 Theses (A.D. 1517)
- Augsburg Confession (A.D. 1530)
- Belgic Confession (A.D. 1561)
- Heidelberg Catechism (A.D. 1576)
- Canons of Dort (A.D. 1619)
- Westminster Confession (A.D. 1647)
- Westminster Shorter Catechism (A.D. 1647)
- Waldensian Confession (A.D. 1655)
- Second London Baptist Confession (A.D. 1689)
Issues of Identity
- Bible: Old/New Testaments – nature of interpretation
- Sacraments? Priests/Presbyters?
- Authority: local?, pyramidical? dispersed? sacerdotal?
- Individualism