 | Demonstrate knowledge of key narratives in the Christian Scriptures and
identify their importance for the life-decisions of Christian people. |
| Demonstrate knowledge of key events in the history of Christianity that
still influences the churches today. |
| Evaluate the role of the Christian scriptures in expressing the importance
of the life and teaching of Jesus. |
| Explain the importance of the historical development of the Church and its
contemporary self-expression. |
| Examine the origins and differences between the Apostolic and Nicene
Creed. |
| Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of the ecumenical movement and
recent developments between the different Christian churches and the
Catholic Church. |
| Explain the key events in the story of the Catholic Church from apostolic
times to the modern era. |
| Understand the role of symbol in the formation of religious communities. |
| Identify the role monasticism played in the history of Christian
spirituality. |
| Explain the connection between religious worship and art |
| Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of the Christian
faith. |
| The New Testament Gospels are our primary source of
information about the life and message of Jesus. |
| The word "Christ" comes from the Greek word
meaning "Anointed One". |
| According to St. Luke and St. Matthew Jesus was the
first-born son of the Virgin Mary and a carpenter named Joseph. |
| Little is written of Jesus’ early life, but he is
believed to have followed his father’s trade of carpentry. |
| Jesus was born a Jew, and remained a practicing Jew his
entire life. |
| At the time of Jesus’ birth Palestine, including
Jerusalem was under the rule of a procurator who reported to the Roman
Emperor. |
| Was a time when Catholicism flourished but was also a time
when the church hierarchy engaged in corrupt practices. |
| Crusades ( 1096-1270 ) |
| Military expeditions pursued by the church to take over
control of the holy land from the Muslims. |
| Cathedrals were constructed |
| Monasticism |
| A lifestyle, emphasizing community, simplicity, prayer,
celibacy, became very influential. (Dominicans and Franciscans) |
| Saint Francis of Assisi lived during this time. He was the
founder of the Franciscans and cared for the poor and also loved nature.
They worked for food and begged for the basic necessities. |
| St. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican who argued that reason
and faith did not have to be separate. Ultimately, reason can prove the
existence of God. He wrote the Summa Theologiae |
1054
When the final break occurred between the Eastern Orthodox
Church and Roman Catholic Church. Pope Leo IX excommunicated the leader of the
Greek Church and the patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated the Pope.
Chi - Rho
The oldest known
monogram of Jesus Christ
Formed from the
Greek letters chi (X) and Rho (P)
X and P are the
first letters of the Greek word
"XPICTOC"
(Pronounced
Christos), which means Christ.
ICTHUS
ICTHUS is the Greek word for "FISH"
In Greek characters it looks like this
I Χ
Θ Υ Σ
Each letter of the word І
Χ Θ Υ Σ begins
a Greek word of the phrase:
Jesus Christ God’s Son and Saviour
I Χ
Θ Υ Σ
The symbol of the fish was used by early
Christians to recognize each other
during times of persecution.
The Christian Cross
The Latin Cross
This most common of all cruciforms reminds us of the supreme sacrifice
offered by Jesus for the sins of the world. The cross is empty to remind us of
the resurrection and the hope of eternal life.
The Latin Cross (
Ω Α)
The Latin Cross combined with the alpha and omega remind us that Jesus is the
beginning and end of all things.
Papal Cross
The official emblem of the papal office. The three bars represent the Pope’s
three realms of authority: the Church, the world and heaven.
The Baptismal Cross
The Cross is super imposed on a Creed "chi" the first letter of the
Greek work for "Christ". The eight outer points of this cross are
symbolic of regeneration.
The Eastern Cross
This form of the cross is primarily used in the Russian Orthodox Church. The
upper bar represents the inscription "INRI" that Pilate had placed
above Jesus’ head. The middle bar represents the crucifixion of Christ. The
last slanted bar forms St. Andrews cross. St. Andrew is believed to have
introduced Christianity to Russia.
Byzantine Cross
Used by the Greek Orthodox Church
Celtic Cross
An ancient cruciform that is used by Celtic/Irish Christians
Maltese Cross
Eight outer points are symbolic of regeneration. The cross was the emblem of
the Knights of St. John, who were driven from Rhodes to the island of Malta by
the Turks.
Christianity’s
Core Doctrines
The Doctrine of the Trinity
- The center of Christian theology and practice
- States that God consists of three persons
God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
- The three persons of God are distinct from one another, and yet have
the same essence.
- The shamrock was used by St. Patrick to explain the Trinity.
- We can also visualize the trinity as the Sun shining through a
window. The sun represents God the Father, the rays represent God the
Son and the heat/warmth represents the Holy Spirit.
- The concept is very difficult for the mind to comprehend and is
regarded as a mystery.
- God is neither male nor female, but the people of the ancient
Jewish culture used the male image to refer to God.
The Doctrine of the Incarnation
- The Doctrine that states that Christ is fully divine and fully
human.
- John’s Gospel identifies Christ as the Word (Logos in Greek), who was
with God from the beginning.
Read the passage to students 1:1-18
- Because God became human our salvation is possible.
- Jesus was actually human and did not just appear to be human.
- Jesus was human in all ways except sin.
- Council of Nicea – Jesus and God are one "homoousious"
Read the end of Paul’s letter to the Philippians 2:5-11.
- The Incarnation is an act of Love.
Questions for the Students:
Can you recall a passage in the New Testament/Gospels where Jesus’
humanity is expressed?
Can you recall a passage in the New Testament/Gospels where Jesus’
divinity is expressed?
Why do Christians believe that the Incarnation is an act of love?
Ecumenism
There have been ongoing calls for unity between the Christian churches
Ecumenism is the promotion of worldwide Christian unity.
"The restoration of unity among all 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 [people] as the true inheritors of Jesus Christ; all indeed
profess to be followers of the Lord but they differ in mind and go their
different ways, as if Christ himself were divided."
(Decree on Ecumenism, number 1)
Questions to consider:
What are the benefits of Ecumenism?
Why is religious separation contrary to the message of Christ?
Do you think that the Christian community will ever be one unified
group again? Why or Why not?
