Introduction to World

Religions & Belief Systems

CHRISTIANISM
GENEROSO C. ZARADOLLA
Teacher III
OBJECTIVES:

1. Recite the Apostle’s creed, The Lord’s Prayer, or the Beatitudes.

2. Interpret the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

3. Explain that the core teaching of Christianity is the message that a loving God
sent His begotten Son in order to redeem humankind from eternal damnation.

4. Interview a Christian parent or people on why they are Christians and what
beliefs and practices they adhere to.
TOPICS:

1. Historical background.

2. The Holy Trinity, Sacred Scriptures, and Doctrines.

3. Subdivisions.

4. Selected Issues.
 HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND

The cross is not just a symbol but a reminder of

sacrifice and selflessness for Christians.
The Cross

 Serve as a symbol Jesus Christ’s victory over sins when He died on the cross for
humanity’s redemption and salvation.
 Historical Context

 Judea, the mountainous part of Palestine, was the home of

Christianity.
 Palestine was considered by the Jews as the land
promised to them by God.

 Born in an era when Palestine was ruled by a foreign power, the Romans.

 The concept of Messiah (which was promised in Judaism as the one who will liberate them
from evils of the world).

 Social conditions cooperated with the relatively free atmosphere created by Augustus’ Pax
Romana or Roman Peace.

 The birth of a man who was considered the fulfillment of the prophecy among the Jews that
God will send His Son to liberate the people from sufferings and sins..
 Jesus as the Founder of Christianity

 Began His ministry when He was is His early

thirties.

 Preaching and healing in the villages, He started

to preach which were considered revolutionary.
 THE HOLY TRINITY, SACRED SCRIPTURES, DOCTRINES, AND
SUBDIVISIONS

Holy Trinity

 Christianity is considered a monotheistic religion.

 God is seen as the creator and maintainer of the universe, and believed to be omnipotent (all-
powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (all-present), and omnibenevolent (all-
good).

 God is also sacred, moral, unchangeable, compassionate, graceful, and timeless.

 Holy Trinity means that God is composed of three divine persons: God the Father, the Son
(Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.
 This doctrine of the Holy Trinity was affirmed at the council of Nicea in 45 CE where it agreed
that the Son has the same substance with the Father, therefore they are both eternal. To end the
teaching of Arianism that Jesus Christ in not actually a God.
 Some Christian churches rejected
this teaching.

The Holy Trinity is believed by Christians to be the divine persona of God.

 Sacred Scriptures

 Considered the sacred scripture of Christianity.

 A collection of songs, stories, poetry, letters, history, as

well as literature.

Two main parts or section

The Old Testament

 Also called the Hebrew Bible, composed of 39 books which are arranged in three parts:

1. First five books – considered “The Law”or Torah which may refer to guidance or
instruction.
2. “The Prophets”. – divided into two parts, the earlier prophets, and the latter prophets

3. “The Writings”. – composed of psalms (songs, prayers, and working, worship

liturgies) Proverbs (Wise sayings), Job (a drama
 The New Testament

 Composed of 27 books written around 50 to 100 CE and is

composed of two sections

1. The Gospels – which tells the story of Jesus (Matthew, Mark,

Luke, and John)

2. The Letters – written by various Christian leaders as a guide to

the early Christian communities.
 Written to tell the life and teaching of Jesus.
 Acts of Apostles
 Revelation – last book of the New Testament.
Considered and epistle and apocalyptic literature.
 Doctrines

The Ten Commandment  Also called the Decalogue, it is a set of laws given by
God to the people of Israel at Mt. Senai through
Moses.

 Appeared twice in the Bible (Exodus 20:1-17 and

Deuteronomy 5:7-21)
 Eight Beatitudes

 Comprise what is known as the “Sermon on the

Mount” recorded in Matthew 5:5-12.

 The eight saying of Jesus at the beginning of the

“Sermon on the Mount”.
 Apostle’s Creed

 Believed to have developed in the 100 or 200 CE and

was influenced by the Nicene Creed.

 A letter written by the Council of Milan in 390 CE is

the earliest historical evidence of the existence of the
Apostles’ Creed.

 It is not written by the apostles themselves but it

serves as a summary of their basic teaching.
 SUBDIVISIONS

 Roman Catholic Church

 Greek Orthodox Church

 Protestantism
 SELECTED ISSUES

Ecumenism

 Adopted by the Roman Catholic Church, it

refers to the effort of the church to sponsor
activities and initiatives to promote mutual
understanding and unity among all Christians.
The gathering of different subdivisions of Christianity in this
ecumenism mass is seen as a symbol of unity.

 Can also be described as the promotion of worldwide Christian unity (Brodd 2003).
 It is based on Vatican II’s Decree on Ecumenism which state that:

“The restoration of unity among Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican
Council. Christ the Lord founded one Church and one church only. However, many Christian
communions present themselves to men as the true inheritors of Jesus Christ: all indeed profess to
be followers of the Lord but differ in mind and go their different ways, as if Christ Himself were
divided. Such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages
the only cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature”.
 Sexuality

 Refers to sexual orientation, sexual activity, and sexual feelings.

 Catholic Church has conservative view of human sexuality.

 Procreation
 Christian advocates natural family
planning

 Abortion
 Homosexuality

 Refers to attraction to members of the same sex.