What does “Christ” mean?
“Christ” comes from “christos,” the ancient Greek word for “messiah” or “anointed one.” It is a title, not a name.
When and where was Christianity founded?
Around 33 A.D. in Palestine, not long after the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth
How many Christians are there in the world today?
Approximately 2 billion, making Christianity the world’s most popular religion
What are the three major divisions in Christianity?
- Roman Catholicism
- Eastern Orthodoxy
- Protestantism
What is the Old Testament?
The first section of the Bible
- Nearly identical to the Hebrew Bible
- Narrates history beginning with the creation of the world
- Also contains poetry and the writings of the Jewish prophets
- Christian interpretation of the Old Testament often involves finding signs that predict the coming of Christ
What is the doctrine of the Incarnation?
A doctrine common among all major Christian sects
- Jesus was God in human form; he was not half-man and half-God, but fully both
- As God incarnate, Jesus provides the perfect example of a life properly lived in subservience to God’s will
- What was wildly new about this idea: a God concerned enough about human affairs that He was willing to take human form and suffer human agony
What is the doctrine of the Trinity?
A doctrine common among all major Christian sects that stipulates that God is one, but has three forms: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost
Because of this doctrine, people sometimes question whether Christianity is truly monotheistic.
What symbol did early Christians famously use to direct worshippers to their underground meetings, and why?
A fish, with its head pointing toward the location of the secret meeting
This symbol was chosen because the ancient Greek word for “fish” (ichthys) contains the initials of the phrase, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”
List some of the distinguishing characteristics of Roman Catholicism.
- Dominant Christian sect in the Western world: over 1 billion adherents, about half of all Christians
- Head of the Church is the Pope in Rome
- Seven sacraments
- The saints and the Virgin Mary are honored
- Belief in purgatory
- Doctrine of transubstantiation
- Use of rosary beads in prayer
When did Christianity split into Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy?
1054 A.D.
What are the seven sacraments?
Rituals that mark important life milestones in the Catholic Church:
- Baptism
- Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Holy Matrimony
- Holy Orders (dedication of life to God)
- Sacrament of the Sick (preparation for death)
- Reconciliation (confession of sins)
What is the doctrine of papal infallibility?
God prevents the Pope from making any mistakes when speaking officially on matters of faith and morals
- Central doctrine of Roman Catholicism
- This is often misconstrued to mean that the Pope never makes mistakes in any way
- In fact, his infallibility applies only to faith and morals, and only when he has consulted thoroughly and is making an official statement
List some of the distinguishing characteristics of Eastern Orthodoxy.
- Dominant sect of Eastern Europe (Greece, Romania, Slavic countries)
- Head of the Church is Patriarch of Constantinople
- Places authority in the Seven Ecumenical Councils, all convened before 787 A.D. to interpret scripture
- Encourages followers to find personal truth, rather than subscribe to Church-mandated doctrines
- Elements of mysticism
What is Pentecost?
Christian feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit
- A few months after the death of Jesus, his followers were gathered in an “upper room” in Jerusalem
- Suddenly tongues of fire appeared over each follower
- They began to speak in tongues and were filled with the Holy Spirit
- This event added the Holy Spirit to the Father and Son, completing the Trinity
- Now an important feast celebrated 50 days after Easter
List some of the distinguishing characteristics of Protestantism.
- A reaction to medieval/Renaissance practices of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly the sale of indulgences
- The Bible is the final source of authority, not church officials
- Salvation through faith alone, not through good works
- Sacraments are unnecessary
When did the Protestant Reformation begin?
In 1517 A.D., with the publication of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses
What is the New Testament?
The second section of the Bible, consisting of 27 books
- Begins with the four gospels, which narrate the life of Jesus Christ
- Acts of the Apostles describes the actions of Jesus’ followers shortly after his death
- The Pauline Epistles are a collection of letters written by the Apostle Paul to specific churches
- The Catholic or General Epistles are a collection of letters addressed to a general audience
- Ends with the Revelation of John, a vision of the apocalypse
Who was Saint John the Baptist?
Jewish prophet who led a baptismal sect during Jesus’ lifetime
- By some accounts (like the Gospel of Luke), a relative of Jesus
- Recognized Jesus as the messiah and baptized him, beginning Jesus’ ministry
- Herod Antipas, king of Galilee, promised his stepdaughter Salome anything she wished; she requested the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter, and Herod obliged
What is Gnosticism?
A persecuted sect of Christianity that emerged in the first and second centuries A.D.
- Believed that the God from the Bible was actually an ignorant, imperfect being (the demiurge), unaware of the true God
- Gnostic myths turned the story of creation on its head
- Emphasis on gnosis, personal knowledge of God, rather than faith
- Information about Gnosticism had been almost completely lost until discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945
What is the parable of the Good Samaritan?
In reference to the commandment “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” a man asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
The parable of the Good Samaritan was Jesus’ reply:
- A Jew was robbed and left to die at the side of the road
- A priest and a Levite saw the wounded man but passed him by
- Finally, a Samaritan (from Samaria, a nation hostile to the Hebrews) stopped and helped the man
- “Good Samaritan” now refers to anyone who performs an act of kindness for a stranger
Who was Paul the Apostle?
Early Christian missionary whose writings make up a large portion of the New Testament
- Originally a Jew named Saul (Latinized to “Paul”) who was a persecutor of Christians
- Experienced a vision of Christ as the risen messiah and subsequently devoted his life to spreading Christianity
- His writings (or writings falsely attributed to him) make up a large part of the New Testament
What is apostolic succession?
Doctrine that all ordained bishops have inherited the spiritual authority of those who came before them, stretching all the way back to the Twelve Apostles who received their authority from Jesus Christ himself
- Upheld by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, as well as the Anglican Communion and some Lutheran Churches
- Opposed to apostolic succession is the belief, held by most Protestant churches, that the authority of the apostles belongs to them alone, and cannot be passed on to others
What role did Emperor Constantine play in Christian history?
- He converted from the official pagan religion to Christianity after seeing a vision of the cross in the sky with the words, “In Hoc Signo Vinces” (In this sign, you will conquer)
- In 313 A.D., issued the Edict of Milan, establishing religious tolerance throughout the empire
- Persecution of Christians ended almost overnight, and Christianity spread rapidly
- In 380 A.D., Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire
What is the Annunciation?
Announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she was to give birth to the Messiah
