1LA 150 FAITH, RELIGION AND SOCIETY

SPRING 2019
TEXT READINGS AND QUESTIONS ASSIGNMENT FOUR
CHRISTIANITY
SMITH’S WORLD RELIGIONS AND NOVAK’S WORLD’S WISDOM

Your name: Noah Riccelli

Course Name & Section Number: SLA 150-04
Date Assignment is due: 12 November 10, 2019

SMITH, CHAPTER EIGHT

[Note: See the separate file called Homework Guidelines for instructions]

1. What historical event (actually, it is a series of events) is the most important, key
moment in the formation of Christianity as a religion?

The formation of Christianity as a religion is predominantly linked to the life of of Jesus Christ.
Something from the text to support this is, “The most important of these is the life of a Jewish
carpenter who, as has often been pointed out, was born in a stable, was executed as a criminal at
age thirty-three, never traveled more than ninety miles from his birthplace, owned nothing,
attended no college, marshaled no army, and instead of producing books did his only writing in
the sand” (317-318).

2. Briefly, name and describe the three major branches of Christianity which Smith
delineates.

Roman Catholicism: “focuses in the Vatican in Rome and spreads from there” (346) and
“Beginning with the Roman Catholic Church, we shall confine ourselves to what are perhaps the
two most important concepts for the understanding of this branch of Christendom: the Church as
teaching authority, and the Church as sacramental agent” (347).

Eastern Orthodoxy: In most ways it “stands close to the Roman Catholic, for during more than
half their histories they constituted a single body. It honors the same seven Sacraments and
interprets them in fundamental respects exactly as does the Roman Church” (352). In comparison
to making decisions at the highest level, “The Eastern Church has no pope” (353). Another
distinction is “The Eastern Church encourages the mystical life more actively” (355).

Protestantism: There are two important distinctions about Protestantism. The first relates to faith.
“Faith, in the Protestant conception, is not simply a matter of belief, an acceptance of knowledge
held with certainty yet not on evidence. It is a response of the entire self.” (357). The second is
the Protestant Principle. “Stated philosophically, it warns against absolutizing the relative. Stated
theologically, it warns against idolatry” (359). This means that you should not worship any other
forms of God (idols).

NOVAK, CHAPTER SIX

[Note: See the separate file called Homework Guidelines for instructions]

3. #7b. “Healing a Paralyzed Man.” What is the core meaning of this account? That is,
what is the most important lesson to be learned from Jesus’ actions here?

The core meaning of this account is that Jesus really is the Son of God, or “Son of man” (232).
Thus, he has the power and authority to forgive sins and instigate miracles on Earth (232). The
Pharises were initially questioning Jesus and claiming that God is the only one who can forgive
sins.

4. #31b. “One in Christ Jesus.” What point is the author, St. Paul, making here? What
does it say about how Christianity views different people?

The point being made here is that God views every single individual as a son of God.
Christianity views people equally regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, etc. “All of you are one in
Jesus Christ” (255).