Christianity: 101

Dale Hathaway

Created: 2020-07-23 Thu 13:46

Circle graph of world religions
Proselytizing: Built on premise of expansion of Judaism (evangelize)
A religion that appropriated another's sacred text
Prophetic, Sacramental, and Mystical
Sacred text not essentially in original language (translations)
Anchored in history i.e. linear history that is fulfilled, brought to perfection,
progress is built into the foundation of the religion
4 gospels ,and many other issues, leads to a critical reading of scripture

Jesus was not the first Christian. He was a Jew.
Paul's writing were the earliest testimony to the emerging Jewish sect
Paul established the pattern of evangelism
Only after the destruction of the temple by the Romans and dispersion (Diaspora) of the Jews did synagogue and church (ecclesia) separate

All of the writers of the NT understood the Bible to be what we would call the Old Testament
consensus on what was in the New Testament was not reached until 4th-5th c.
while the Rabbis pruned their Hebrew Bible, Christians continued to use the Jewish Bible from 300 BCE
Reformation (16th c. and following) brought new standards for what was in the Bible

Christianity displays each of the 3 patterns from Sacred Quest:

From the beginning of Christianity there has been conflict and division with Judaism
in teaching the Old Testament I came to realize that that text is the only one I am aware of that is sacred to two different religions
interplay of how Jews interpret the text and how Christians approach it differently

eschatological
fulfillment of linear history (progress)
controversies over historical data are somehow peculiar to a particular brand of Christianity
importance of rise of historical / critical

the "good news" were each written to bring about new followers
relatively few details that are common across all 4 gospels
harmonizing vs. parallel
Some places to explore: http://www.gospelparallels.com/ http://sites.utoronto.ca/religion/synopsis/

Paul established much of groundwork of early Christianity, but he's not the only one
Bishops, presbyters, deacons and growth of Orthodox Church
reputation as pacifist, care for widows and orphans, unwillingness to worship idols
in the 4th c. CE persecution pivoted to status quo after Emperor Constantine
need for uniformity led to creeds and orthodoxy, establishing canon of NT, theology, liturgical practice, etc.

"Dark Ages": slow recovery of classical thought, science, literature
Rise of Islam: spreading advanced knowledge from engineering, medicine, and more
Dissolution of Roman Empire
Competition with local expressions of Christianity (Celtic)
splintering of Protestantism
religious wars
from pacifism to blessing battleships
current struggle for place of Christianity in a world of diversity