Origins of Christianity

Basic Beliefs, Observances and Symbols

Basic Beliefs Central figure of Christianity

Most popular religionStory told in Luke, 3rd book of New Testament

• Visited by shepherds who followed a new Star

• 3 Wise Men come to find the baby for King Herod, who wants to dispose of Jesus

• Angel tells Joseph to flee to Egypt; Herod orders death of all male children under 2

• Family returns to Nazareth after death of Herod

Jesus Christ

• Birth– Angel Gabriel told Virgin Mary she

will give birth to son named Jesus– Jesus will be Son of God and Holy

Spirit will make birth possible• Called the Immaculate

Conception

– Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to pay taxes

– Gave birth in stable and placed Baby Jesus in manager

Basic BeliefsMiracles

• Walks on Water– Walked on water to still raging

sea

• Raises Lazarus from Dead– 2 sisters sent word that

brother, Lazarus, had died– Jesus came 2 days later and

commanded Lazarus to rise from the dead, and he did

• Turns water to Wine– During wedding servants fill 6 stone

water pots with water, which turned to wine

• Heals the Leper– Touched leper’s face and was

healed– Told to tell no one except the priest

• Healing on the Sabbath– Forgave sins of paralyzed

man and man walked– Pharisees said only God had

power to forgive– Jesus said power of

forgiveness is also for man• Loaves and Fishes

• Thousands of people came to hear sermon

• Fed them with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes

Basic Beliefs

• Passover– Jesus traveled to

Jerusalem; was proclaimed to be the Messiah

– Pharisees began plotting against Jesus

• Last Supper– Dinner with Apostles – Gave final commandment

• Love One Another

Jesus Christ

• Ministry– Began at age 30– Apostles

• Met brothers and Simon and Andrew

• 12 followers who helped Jesus teach

– Sermon on the Mount• Given on mountain in Judea to

thousands of people• Includes the Beatitudes

Basic Beliefs

• Resurrection– Means ‘rebirth’– 3 days after Crucifixion,

Jesus was resurrected– Continued to teach for 40

days before ascending to Heaven

– Spread of Christianity began

Jesus Christ

• Garden of Gethsemane– Betrayed by Judas– Arrested and tried for

organizing revolt against Rome– Sentenced to death by

crucifixion

• Tomb– Body wrapped in linen and

placed in sealed tomb

New Testament (Bible)

• Most famous book in history

• Translated into every majour language

• 27 books that tell story of Jesus and Christianity

• 4 books (Old Testament) also included

Monotheism• Most basic belief

– Mono = one– Theism = belief in God

Hebrew word = anointed

Holy Trinity• Father, Son,

Holy Ghost• United as one,

each with special purpose

ObservancesThe Lord’s Prayer

• Principal prayer for Christians“Our Father who art in heaven,

Hallowed be the name.Thy kingdom come, They will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, as we

forgive our debtors;And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil:For thine is the kingdom, and the

power, and the glory, forever, Amen.”

Baptism• Began with John the

Baptist• Occurs a few days after

birth• Often given a name;

called christening

Forgiveness• Central to teachings of Jesus

SymbolsCross• Symbolic of crucifixion

and resurrection of Jesus• Found atop most

Christian churches around the world

• Many variations

Icthus• Greek word for ‘fish’• Secret symbol for Christians

fearful of persecution– Acronym for “Jesus Christ,

God’s Son, Saviour” in Greek

• Used in the late 2nd century

Dove of Peace• Symbolizes God’s spirit

at baptism of Jesus

Linked Circles• Stand for the

unity of God• Sometimes the

Holy Trinity

HolidaysEaster• Lent

– 40 days before Easter– Time of repentance

for sins and mistakes

• Ash Wednesday– First day of Lent– Cross made of ashes

of foreheads; symbolic of mortality and purification

• Holy Week– Week before Easter

Christmas• Celebrates birth of

Jesus• Begins on December

24th

• Traditions– Gift giving– Christmas Tree– Carols– Nativity Scene

Christianity Today

Branches of Christianity• Has divided into many

separate churches– Each with own set of beliefs

and practices

• Great Schism, 1054 CE– Eastern Orthodox Church– Roman Catholic Church

• Reformation, 1522 CE– Protestantism

• Divided into hundreds of branches

Catholic Conclave,

2013

Write you answers in complete sentences, and explaining clearly. Do your own work and do your best.

• http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/come-si-elegge-il-papa/

After watching the presentation, answer the following questions with the best possible answer. Write the questions out.

• Who: Who elects the new pope? (List three things you know about them.)

• What: What do they use to elect the new pope?

• When: When can a conclave take place?• Where: Where does the conclave take

place (city and building)?• Why: Why does the Catholic Church have

a pope?• How: How do they determine who they

will elect as the next pope?

The Frontrunners

• Peter Turkson– Ghanaian, son of miner and

vegetable seller– Attended seminary in New York– Conservative on sex and Islam– Very ambitious

• Luis Antonio Tagle– Filipino, second youngest cardinal– Uses social media and in tune with

modern culture• 200,000 likes on FB page• Elections “are not a popularity

contest or a reality TV race where the winner with the most text votes wins”.

• Angelo Scola– Italian, well liked and

close to Benedict– Loves crowds and

connects with younger people

• Marc Ouellet– Canadian conservative who

has taken on liberal politicians

• Timothy Dolan– American conservative from

New York– great sense of humour– Has dealt with sexual abuse

cases, bad priests and Obama

The End