Abrahamic Religions

Those religions that share a common origin in Abraham, the biblical patriach who established monotheism

(Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Baha'ism)

Sin

To commit some action that goes against the will of God

Salvation

The saving of the soul from consequences of sin or wrongdoing

Venial sins

Sins of little consequence

Mortal Sin

Places the eternal life of the individual that has comitted the transgression into jeopardy

Jesus

Central Figure of Christianity whose life and teachings from basis for the religion; considered the Son of God by Christians

New Testament

Second hald of the christian bible including gospels, acts of the apostles, the pauline, and other epistles and revelation

Apostles

Important early teachers oof Christianity, also the orginal 12 disciples chosen by christ to preach his gosple

Messiah

In Judaism the "anointed one" who will reestablish the kingdom of israel and create an earthly realm of justice and peace

Nicene Creed

A formal statement of Christian belief adopted at the first Council of Nicaea in 325

History of Christianity

• world's largest religion has humble origins
• formed from a small band of jews following a messianic leader who preached a message of hope and everlasting life
• founding figure is Jesus of nazareth
• arose in the Roman province of Judea amoung jewish followers

Early Period

• Apostolic church (30-64 CE)
• Execution of jesus in 30 CE is considered signal event of christian history
• disciples closest to jesus began to organize a community in jerusalem of jews who believed jesus was the messiah
• under leadership of peter
• community of in jerusalem was given to jesus' brother james the just
• stephen-first christian martyr stoned to death by heresy
• Apostles
• Movement of apostolic church by gentiles and pagans
• movement spearheaded by jew named paul
• paul undertook the conversion of non-jews to christianity- paul pursued it tirelessly
• peter became first bishop of rome
• Roman persecutions (64-312 CE)
• actions taken against christians by roman governors were usually in accordence with wishes of local synagogues
• in 64 CE rome burned for 6 days and 1/3 of the city was destroyed
• emperor nero blamed christians for fire to take heat off of himself
• trajan said christians shouldnt be hunted down, but if troublesome should be punished (98 CE)
• marcus aurelius took more active role in persecution in 161
• State Religion (312-636)
• 310 great persecution was failing 
• christians kept getting stronger w/ more followers
• 312 constantine the great died and the goernment considered how powerful it would to be to make christianity a state religion
• 313 edict of milan was issued=tolerence for all christians
• 325 nicene creed was created that summarized the beliefs of christianity and arianism was denounced
• 380 edict of thessalonica was established by emperor theodosius making nicene christianity as state church of rome
• barbarians accepted christianity on their own initiative and converted their subjects
• 476 western roman empire fell
• Ostrogoths (italy), visigoths (spain), and vandals (north africa) became christian kingdoms in 476
• clovis I (481-511) became 1st christian king of what today is france
• 500 all roman empires were gone by christianity still remained dominant religion in all former territories
• challenge of islam (636-800)
• 636 the first islamic state exploeded out of arabia conquering everything in its path (umayyad caliphate)
• defeated christian byzantine empire and annihilated the zoroastrian persian empire
• 711 north africa had fallen to the muslims
• 720 spain fell to the muslims
• christianity seemed to be on the edge of extinguishment
• 732 religious fate of europe was decided in battle of tours
• fought between charles martel of france and abdul rahman al-ghafiqi of umayyad caliphate
• muslims were defeated and spread of muslims was halted

The Apostles

• Bartholomew (son of tolmai)
• martyred by king astyages of armenia by being skinned alive and beheaded
• James (son of zebedee and salome)
• fisherman
• jesus referred to james and his brother as son of thunder
• imprisoed and behaded by herod agrippa
• Andrew
• fisherman
• younger brother of simon (peter)
• formerly a disciple of Jhon the baptist
• martyred in patras (greece) by being bound to an X shaped cross
• considered 1st bishop of Byzantium
• Judas (Iscariot)
• corrupted by sicarii a band of sealot assassins to which he may have belonged
• betrayed jesus
• hung himself
• replaced by Matthias who was martyred in Hyrcania (Iran) by crucifixtion
• Peter (son of John)
• fisherman
• originally known by simon
• jesus renamed him "the rock" petra
• leaders of the apostolic church
• imprisoned by herod agrippa (escaped and fled)
• martyred in rome under nero by upside-down crucifiction
• considered the 1st bishop of rome and of antioch
• John
• fisherman
• younger brother of james
• identified as the "beloved disciple"
• known later as the "divine"
• survived being killed
• "evangelist" (credited w/ authorship of a gospel"
• lived to an old age exiled on the island of patmos
• Thomas
• known as "the twim"
• remembered as the douting thomas for his initial disbelief in the resurrected jesus
• according to tradition martyred in Madras (india) by stabbing and beating
• James (son of alpheus)
• not likely related to matthew
• poassibly brother (or father) of jude (thaddeus)
• martyred by crucifixion
• Philip
• formerly a disciple of John the Baptist
• martyred in Hierapolis (turkey) by upide down crucifixion
• Matthew
• tax collector (or customs official) under herod antipas
• son of alpheus
• originally known by name of Levi
• known later as "the evangelist" (credited w/ authorship of a gospel)
• martyred under uncertian circumstances
• Jude
• also identified as Lebbeus Thaddeus
• possibly brother (or son) of james
• possibly member of the zealots
• martyred along w/ simon in Persia by being clibbed and beheaded
• Simon
• called "the zealot"
• martyred along w/ jude in persia by being cut in two

Icons

A painting of christ or other holy figured employed as an aid to devotion in the orthodox church

Pope

The head of the roman catholic church, also the bishop of rome

Great Schism

In Christianity, the breach between the eastern and the western churches in 1054 over doctrinal issues

Crusades

Military expeditions in the 11th and 13th centuries when Christian Europe tried to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims

Imperial Church

• The Christian Empires (800-1054)
• controversy that dominated the politics of the Byzantine Empire piror to the year of 800
• Iconography- production of icons (for 200 years it had been 1 of the most popular art forms in christendom)
• eastern christians viewed icongraphy as a form of idol worship and a violation of the second commandment
• icon-breakers advocated outlawing iconography and destroying icons
• 717 Leo III seized power in the byzantine empire and instituted a policy of icon-destruction
• absence of imperial direction from constantinople the bishope of Rome became increasingly important in western christian affiars
• Eastern and Western Christians started to alienate from one another
• 800 on christmas day constantinople demonstarted his independence by crowning pope Leo II emperor of roman empire (international insult)
• signaled the end of byzantine influence over western affiars and represented the emergence of a new paradigm in christianity
• Seperation of the East (1054-1309)
• alteration in the nicene creed was the last straw for the east
• western europ supported the pope
• cleaved into 2 orthodox and catholic
• qucik to recncile in order to handle any threat fromarmies of islam
• crusades most violent period in christian history
• goal of crusades would eventually change from aiding Byzantines to conquering Jerusalem and Palestine for Christendom
• crusades proved instrumental in bringing down the Byzantine Empire itself
• Control of the Papacy (1309-1517)
• Pope Clement V established a papal enclave in Avignon rather than rome
• 1377 Pope Gregory XI moved back to rome
• kingdoms of europe declared pope in rome legitimate many others we in favor of pope in Avignon
• western schism-where two popes ruled in europe for 30 years
• council of constance in 1417 resolved the 2 pope issue
• 16th east failed while west continued to grow

Major Crusades

• 1096
• 1st crusade
• most of Asia Minor is reclaimed for the Byzantine empire
• christians capture Jerusalem
• most successful crusade
• resulted in the establishment of crusader states in the holy land
• 1147
• 2nd crusade
• turkish forces in asia minor defeat christian armies
• crusaders blame defeat on the byzantines
• 1189
• 3rd crusade
• led by richard the lionhearted and fredrick barbossa
• christian forces have a nominal success against the muslims under saladin
• are unsuccessful in recapturing jerusalem
• lost after second crusade
• 1200
• 4th crusade
• crusaders do not even reach the holy land
• hopelessly in debt to venice
• crusaders seek canstantinople and help destory the byzantine empire
• pope excommunicates them
• 1212
• childrens crusade
• disatrous attempt by children to march across europe to the holy land
• most details unclear and most stories apocryphal
• 1219
• 5th crusade
• unsuccessful attempt under king of hungary to recapture Jerusalem
• battles are fought both in turkey and egypt
• 1229
• 6th crusade
• fredrick II of germany reclaims jerusalem for 15 years thur diplomatic maneuvering and minimal fighting
• 1248
• 7th crusade
• egyptian forces capture louis IX of france and his army

Reformation

A movement started by martin luther to reform western christianity over doctrinal issues and the authority of the pope that led to the creation of Protestantism between 14th and 17th centuries

Martin Luther

German theologian who initiated the Protestant Reformation; argued that salvation is granted on the basis of faith rather than deeds or works

Reform Period

• Protestant Reformation (1517-1648)
• 700 years of christian rule had caused lots of riches and corruption
• by 16th century church was the richest entity in western europe
• martin luther was disturbed by the practice known as buying indulgences (members would pay money for the remission of their sins)
• 30 year war between protestants and catholics was ended in 1648 by the peace of westphalia
• Age of Enlightenment (1648-1781)
• philosphers wanted a seperation of church and state
• 17th century christianitys role in government was deminished

New Testament

Holy Ghost

3rd part of the christian trinity; also called holy spirt

Trinity

Christian doctrine of the union of god the father, his son jesus christ, and the holy ghost in one godhead

Second Coming

reappearance of jesus as judge for the last judgement as prophesied in the book of revelation

Gospels

4 books (Matthew, mark, luke, and john) in the chrsitian new testament that tell the story of christ's life and teachings

Sacraments

formal religious ceremonies or rites conferring a specific grace on those who receive them

Communion

christian service where bread and wine are concentrated and shared

Golden Rule

the precept; do to others what you would have them do to you

beatitudes

those blessings listed by jesus in the sermon on the mount

The Lord's Prayer

the prayer jesus gave his disciples in the sermon on the mount

Original Sin

christian doctrine postiting an innate state of sin, present in each human birth, resulting from adam's disobedience to God in the garden of eden

Key Beliefs

• beliefes are based on the teachings and the life of jesus
• teachings of jesus provide the fundamental message of the christian faith
• christianity inherited many of judaisms beliefs embodied in the old testament
• God is three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost*—the concept of theTrinity*
• 
  Jesus is of the same immortal substance as GodJesus is the Son of God
• Jesus is both fully human and fully divine
• Jesus is the fulfillment of the messianic promise; the messiah, the savior
• Jesus is the redeemer of all mankind, Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus has saved the world from sin, death, and God's anger by dying on the cross—the concept of salvation
• Jesus will bring about the kingdom of God by hisSecond Coming*
• Love of neighbor is as important, if not the same, as love of God, and is justifiably carried to the extent of self-sacrifice
• The message of the Gospels* must be written in the human heart as a law of love and liberty, not merely as a legal code; this is a matter of receiving God's grace, which inclines the heart to follow God's will
• Materialism must be renounced, as it hinders mankind's service to God
• The sacraments* are beneficial and powerful, especially the rites of baptism,communion*, and penance

Nicene Creed (as 381 CE)

We believe in one God the Father almighty—

And in one Lord Jesus Christ—

And in the Holy Spirit—

And one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.

We confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

We expect the resurrection of the dead

Amen.

The Beatitudes

Sin

• inherits general concept of sin from judaism
• sin is a rejection of the will of god or a violation of his commandments
• believe evil is the consequence of misusings ones free will
• actual sin judge on the basis of its seerity

Cardinal Sin Chart

Old Testament

1st half of the christian bible including sacred scripture of hebrew bible

Pauline Epistles

letters to various churchs, written by the spostle paul, consisting of 9 books

Pastoral Epistles

Letters to individual pators written by the apostle paul consisting of 5 books

Catholic Epistles

universal letters addressed to everyone consisting of 8 books

The Revelation of John

an apocalyptic vision

Catholicism

christianity as guided by the pope which adheres to the historic doctrine and the practice of the western church

Orthodox christianity

christianity which orginated in the greek-speaking church of the byzantine empire not accepting the authority of the pope and using acient forms of service

Protestamtism

christianity which seperated from the roman chatholic church during the reformation and the believes in justification by faith alone and the priesthood of all believers and the primacy of the bible

Charismatic Movement

christian renewal movement stressing action of the holy spirt in both catholic and protestant churches

Ecumenical Movement

Attempt to bring unity to the christian churches that began in the early 20th century

Apostolic Succession

catholic doctrin of uninterrupted transmission of spiritual authority from the apostles through successive popes and bishops

Transubtantiation

catholic doctrine that the elements of communion are transformed into the actual body and blood of christ