Jesus Christ & ChristianityHumanities: a class for all the cool kids.

What are the Gospels?The four major sources of information about Jesus.

Written by four different writers

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

“Gospel” derives from an Anglo-Saxon word

Meaning: “Good News”

Who wrote the four Gospels?

Matthew: Tax Collector

Symbol: human face or figure, often as an angel

Focus: Jesus is the Messiah with God’s authority, who fulfills prophecies, Jesus inaugurates the kingdom of God

Mark: Interpreter of PeterSymbol: Lion, often with wings

Focus: the good news is Jesus Christ, the authority of Jesus in healing and teaching that comes from God, suffering and discipleship

Jesus’ miracles

Said to be the first of the gospels

Luke: Beloved Physician Symbol: Winged Oxen

Jesus compassionate, cares for poor & oppressed, activity of Holy Spirit, good news is for those not highly regarded

tax collectors, samaritans, gentiles, and women)

John: Beloved Disciple Symbol: Eagle

John was a friend of Jesus’ and “...was eyewitness to all these things and wrote them down” ( John 20:31)

Focus: the good news is Jesus Christ, the authority of Jesus in healing and teaching that comes from God, suffering and discipleship

Non-Synoptic gospel

Difference between John the Disciple and John the Baptist

Jesus’ Cousin; Baptized Jesus

What is Synoptic?

The three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke can be looked as synopsis because they share much of the same material.

Jesus and his enemiesJesus’ identification with the poor and powerless antagonized Jesus’ enemies

Jesus’ enemies were the leaders of his own religion and governing authorities of Romans

What is the meaning of “Christ” or “Messiah”?

Anointed one

Christ=Greek translation of Hebrew

Messiah

A brief look at The Passion

Events in the last week dddd of Jesus’ life

Christ is Crucified

Jesus has last supper

MICHELANGELO

Resurrection Belief in Jesus’ Resurrection is the foundation (centerpiece) of the Christian faith, the reason why, among the many interpretations of what Jewish faith and practice might be, Christianity became a new and different religion.

The belief that Jesus died on the cross and yet was alive after his death is the reason why the New Testament books were written and why Christianity exists

Jesus=Christ

Mark: No post resurrection stories

Saul of Tarsus: PaulBecame the most important figure in the development and spread of the Christian Church after the death of Jesus

Insisted Christians did not have to adhere to the Jewish custom of male circumcision

PaulOriginally a persecutor of the Christian people

Known to arrest those practicing Christianity

Was said to have a dream in which God spoke to him, encouraging Christianity

He changed his faith to Christianity and became a missionary, spreading the word of Jesus as our savior, Jesus being the Son of God

Had sermons in public places

How did Christianity Spread?Peace in the Roman Empire

Easy Travel

Safe roads

Common Language

Converters were not being persecuted to a fearful extent

Emperor Constantine Issued in Milan a decree of toleration for Christianity

312 CE

Legalized Christianity

313 CE

PietasA virtue that meant a combination of duty and devotion to others

Early Christians failure to express pietas to the Gods lead to their early persecution

One of the chief virtues among ancient Romans

Apologists A person who offers an argument in defense of something controversial

Christian writers of the 2nd C. wrote about the moral code of Christianity, their beliefs and reasons they could not worship Roman deities

Frescos Wall painting on wet plaster

SymbolsThree early symbols of Christianity

Anchor=Hope

Dove with an olive branch=Peace

Fish=Christ (#15)

Remember Jonah and the fish?

What’s with the Fish?The Fish is the “Stenographic way of confessing faith”

considered an anagram for the phrase “Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior”

Symbol of Christ in the role of netting followers

Chi-Rho Monogram

Chi-X, Rho-P

+ =

Symbol of Jesus drawn from the New Testament, book of Revelation

St. Peter’s Basilica

Basic Shape: Cross

Name of the central portion, between the side aisles: Nave

Name of the area intersecting the nave at right angles: Transept

Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and remains one of the largest churches in the world.

Burial site of St. Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ

Became the first Pope

Located in the Vatican City in Rome where St. Peter was buried

St. Peter’s Basilica

Christian SitesImportant Christian sites that are located at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Calvary: where Jesus was Crucified

Rock: where Jesus’ body was placed

What did they believe?Sadducees: make the best of a bad situation, accommodate themselves to Hellenistic culture and Roman rule

Essenes: world is too corrupt, withdrew into communes, devoted to piety

Pharisees: remained in society, sought to revitalize Judaism by adhering to Mosaic Law, holiness code

Jesus stood closest to this group

Although Jesus followed closest to the Pharisees, while they stressed Yahweh’s holiness, Jesus stressed Yahweh’s compassion

Three Major Divisions

Christianity is divided into three major divisions.

Roman Catholic

Eastern Orthodoxy

Protestantism

Roman CatholicismThe Roman Catholic Church portrays itself as the one legitimate heir to New Testament Christianity, and the pope as the successor to Peter, the first bishop of Rome. While those details are debatable, there is no question that Roman church history reaches back to ancient times.

Largest Christian Church

More than 1 billion member worldwide

• Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/Roman-Catholicism.html#ixzz3PDDVJBKO

Eastern OrthodoxyIdentifies its roots in the early Church, particularly as it developed within the Greek-speaking eastern branch of the Roman Empire. The Eastern Orthodox Church accepts the first seven Ecumenical Councils (which were held between 325 and 787 C.E.), and regards itself as the True Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church is organized with an episcopal structure including the Four Patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem

Second largest Christian Church

Origin: Eastern Germany

No Pope

Protestantism

Protestantism is a form of Christian faith and practice which originated with the Protestant Reformation, a movement against what its followers considered to be errors in the Roman Catholic Church. It is one of the major divisions of Christendom, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Origin in Germany

■ Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ3AFZXXX-k

Martin LutherDisagreed with the Catholic Church

Posted 95 Theses on church door to protest offenses of the Church

Translated the Bible into the language of the people because he believed all people should read it

Began Protestantism in 1517

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ3AFZXXX-k

Martin LutherBelieved

Each Christian should be in charge of his/her own relationship with God

Each Christian should read, discuss, and interpret the Bible

Treat every profession as a calling--not just the clergy

The Last Supper

The Eucharist

Consubstantiation vs.

Transubstantiation Consubstantiation

Transubstantiation