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Christianity
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Hello Learners! This module is intended to keep you informed and abreast of
one of the world’s famous religions, Christianity. Know its founder and brief history,
core teachings, beliefs and practices, varieties and some issues and concerns. Enjoy
and learn as you explore the world of Christianity!
ll. OBJECTIVE
For easy understanding of this module, you must be familiar with the terms or
words that you will encounter as you go along this learning journey. Take a look at
the words with the given definitions. Come on and let us start!
Word Definition
- the belief in a God or in a group of Gods.
Religion - an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules to
worship a god or a group of gods.
- the religion that is based on the teaching of Jesus Christ.
- the religion derived from Jesus Christ, based on the Bible as
Christianity
sacred scripture, and professed by Eastern, Roman Catholic
and Protestant Bodies.
- a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of
Doctrine knowledge or system of belief.
- a set of ideas or beliefs that are taught or believed to be
Please write inside the circle the words or concepts you can associate with
Christianity. Please do it in your journals.
Religion
Faith Beliefs
CHRISTIANITY
Faith in
God and in History
Jesus
Christ
Culture
Congratulations! How did you find the activity? I’m sure that you have stock
knowledge about religions particularly along Christianity.
One of the world’s biggest religions with about 2.1 billion followers worldwide,
Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in Israel some 2,000
years ago.
Do you want to know more about Christianity? Well let’s find out.
TASK 1
Please read the poem from the letter of Paul to the Philippians that gives an
idea about Christianity. After reading the poem, answer the questions following it.
Write your answers in your journal.
I hope you enjoy the activity, but before we end the session for today, please
share your insights by completing this statement. Write your answers in your journal.
Vl. DEEPENING
Welcome back my dear students! We are now on the second day of our
module.
Can you recall the previous activity? Well, this day will be another exciting
journey toward understanding Christianity.
Today, you will learn about the origin, core teachings and basic practices or
beliefs and some issues on Christianity. Please read the passages and do the task.
What is Christianity?
Christians also believe in the life after death. After death, the soul of a person
will be judged according to his/her deeds in his/her life in the world and will either go
to Heaven, to dwell with God, or to Hell and be separated permanently from Him.
There is also a belief in Purgatory, where there is temporary punishment for those
who do not yet deserve to go to either Heaven or Hell. But there are also some
Christian groups who believe in the establishment of the Kingdom of God with the
creation of the new heaven and the new earth where they would dwell. At the end of
time, there is agreement that all souls will be reunited with their bodies, just as Jesus
resurrected from the dead, and there will be final judgement (Molloy 2005, 364).
Apart from centering their lives on Jesus, Christians, especially Catholics are
also devoted to Mary, the Mother of God. Catholics, Orthodox and some Protestants
feel close to Mary, and consider her their mother. Mary has also been viewed as the
helper of those who suffer. Even Martin Luther retained veneration for Mary in the
salvation story of his reformed Protestantism (O’ Collins and Farrugia 2003, 370-
371).
Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus in the 1st century Roman
province of Judea. According to the Gospels, Jesus was a Jewish teacher and
healer who proclaimed the imminent kingdom of God and was crucified c. AD 30–33.
While the main tenets of Christianity originated with Jesus Christ, it was His
12 disciples, and eventually apostles who institutionalized and established the
bureaucratic structures of the religion. We see in the Book of Acts, the book after the
The early Christian Church in Jerusalem was composed of many Jews. Both
Judaism and Christianity were strong religions for about 40 years after Jesus’ death,
but with the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., they
disappeared. The non-Jewish early Christians were spread through the Roman
Empire through the missionary, Paul (Molloy 2005, 352).
Jesus of Nazareth
Much of what we know about Jesus Christ could be found in the Gospels.
Even though he knew the Hebrew Scripture well, he was not a scholar, nor a writer
(Molloy 2005, 349).
We know little of His childhood, except perhaps when He was found by His
parents speaking with the teachers in the Temple of Jerusalem. He was 12 years old
then. The next account of Jesus in the Gospel was during His baptism and His
temptation in the desert for 40 days, which happened when he was “about 30”. From
there, He began His public ministry, teaching the people of Israel.
Since He was raised as a Jew, Jesus obeyed the Laws and learned the
Hebrew scriptures. Nonetheless, He still thought independently, questioning the
people on strict adherence to the teaching at the cost of injustice and lack of love.
Perhaps His greatest emphasis was on universal, unconditional love. He taught that
we must forgive people endlessly (Matthew 18:22). He even asked for forgiveness
for those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). He asks us to love everyone, even our
enemies (Luke 6:27) (Molloy 2005 348).
Jesus was condemned to death due to His unorthodox teachings, through the
initiative of the chief priests and Pharisees He was criticizing. His passion and death
is commemorated during the Holy Week, which culminates at Easter, where he
supposedly rose from the dead.
Jesus used parables – short stories with hidden messages – in his teachings.
Some of the main themes that Jesus taught, which Christians later embraced,
include:
• Love God.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.
• Forgive others who have wronged you.
• Love your enemies.
• Ask God for forgiveness of your sins.
• Jesus is the Messiah and was given the authority to forgive others.
• Repentance of sins is essential.
• Don’t be hypocritical.
• Don’t judge others.
• The Kingdom of God is near. It’s not the rich and powerful – but the weak and
poor–who will inherit this kingdom.
Christianity began in the 1st century AD after Jesus died, as a small group of
Jewish people in Judea, but quickly spread throughout the Roman empire. Despite
early persecution of Christians, it later became the state religion. In the Middle Ages
it spread into Northern Europe and Russia.
Time Event
c. 4 B.C.E.-c. 29 C.E. Life of Jesus
c. 4-64 C.E. Life of Paul
Issuance of the Edict of Toleration by Constantine
313 C.E.
making Christianity legal
354-430 C.E. Life of Augustin
476 C.E. Collapse of the Roman Empire of the West
c. 480- c. 547 C.E. Life of Benedict
638 C.E. Muslim Conquest of Jerusalem
Practices
Although there have been different forms of Christianity, much of their rituals
are shared. The most important among them are believed to be signs of God’s
grace, called sacraments.
During the Last Supper, Jesus broke the bread and shared the wine to
represent His Body and Blood, and the Apostles were sharing His sufferings. This is
commemorated through the sacrament of the Eucharist, where Christians gather in
the church, and share the Body and Blood of Christ. Some churches use literal bread
and wine, while others interpret it symbolically (Molloy 2005 404-405).
These two are the most important sacraments in Christian practice. Others
include confirmation which is a blessing of initiation after baptism; reconciliation,
where someone confesses his/her sins and gets absolution; matrimony, where two
people commit themselves with each other for life with God as the center; ordination,
where someone commits himself to priesthood; and anointing of the sick, which is
usually taken by a sick person (Molloy 2005, 405-406).
Core Beliefs or
Religion Founder Origin
Teachings Practices
Christianity
TASK 2
Christianity is divided into three major divisions which are Roman Catholic,
Eastern Orthodox and Protestantism.
The reading that follows deals with varieties of Christianity and some issues
on this religion. Be able to analyze and tell your opinions regarding the issues along
Christianity. Write your answer on your journal.
For about 300 years since the death of Peter and Paul, the Romans
persecuted Christians. “Christianity was declared illegal, and many Christians died
for their faith.” But when Constantine became the first Christian emperor of the
Empire (East and West), Christianity was more and more accepted, until it became
the religion of the Roman Empire at 380 CE (Brown 1991,36). Constantine ruled as
an emperor of both Western and Eastern until his death in 337 CE. He transferred
the capital from Rome to Byzantine, which he renamed Constantinople (Higgins
2007,76).
With the capital in Constantinople, the Eastern Roman Empire flourished, but
at the cost of the political and military power of the Western Empire (Higgins
2007,76). When the Latin-speaking Western Roman Empire fell in the 5th century
BCE, Western Christianity developed independently. The Greek-speaking Eastern
empire developed its own form of Christianity until 1453. This Eastern Church is
called Orthodox Church because they settled on traditional beliefs throughout its
reign (Molloy 2005, 374).
Protestant Reformation
With the successful spread and development of the Western Roman Church,
they earned financial and political support from the people. At one point, during the
construction of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the papacy was asking for
contributions, in return for “indulgence,” which shortens the time that a soul would
spend in purgatory. Martin Luther, a German priest, “opposed the idea that anything
spiritual can be sold” (Molloy 2005, 386-388). As such, he posted on the door of the
Castle church of Wittenberg his proposed changed and reforms, in the form of 95
theses. Luther was asked to retract his statements, but he refused to do so. He
“affirmed the supreme authority of the scripture and rejected both the papal authority
and the binding force of decisions rendered by ecumenical councils” (Higgins 2007,
88).
Luther pushed for “the right of every individual to radically question and
reinterpret Christian belief and practice, “which was called the Protestant Principle
(Molloy 2005, 388). There are many kinds of Protestants and here are some of them.
Martin Luther translated the Christian Bible into German, to allow the liturgical
practices to be more open to the people who do not understand Latin. “Over the
years, Lutheranism has retained Luther’s original enthusiasm for the Bible, a trust in
God, and excellent church music” (Molloy 2005, 389)
1. What is the important concept that you value from the discussion?
For me the important concept are the three form of christianity and how
____________________________________________________________
these beliefs and pratice should have.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________.
2. What have you discovered about yourself in relation to the beliefs in
Christianity?
I discovered myself about relation to the beliefs in christianity based on that
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
topic what is stated, i see the similarities in my life.
____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.
Vll. APPLICATION
Interview a couple in your neighbor about their religion. Ask why they prefer to
belong to such religion and what beliefs and practices they value.
After studying the module, I hope that you have learned and enriched your
knowledge and understanding about Christianity.
Examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and
related issues of Christianity through the statements below. Determine if they are
True or False. Write T or F on the blank.
T
__________ 1. Christianity is a religion which originated with the ministry of Jesus
and was spread through his disciples and apostles after His death.
T
__________ 2. One of the practices to be taken into consideration to become a
Christian is to undergo baptism which is one of the important
sacraments in Christianity.
F
__________ 3. Christianity is a pluralistic form of religion because of its belief in the
Trinity.
T
__________ 4. The basic teachings of Jesus as the founder of Christianity can be
summarized into two things: Praise and thanksgiving to God and Acts
of love to humankind.
T
__________ 5. Having three major varieties or types of Christianity is one of the
issues that this religion encounters.
T
__________ 6. Christianity is a religion that is meant to be universal because Jesus
intended His teachings not just for the Jews but for all the world as His
command to the disciples “Go and teach all nations”.
T
__________ 7. The Eastern Orthodox is a variety of Christianity which settled on
traditional beliefs.
F
__________ 8. The sacrament of the Eucharist is only practiced among the Roman
Catholics.
T
__________ 9. The practices and beliefs among the types or varieties in Christianity
varies but they are one in centering their lives to Jesus and His
teachings to love God and his mankind.
F
__________ 10. Christianity enters the Philippines in 1965 as reflected in the
timeline of significant events in the history of Christianity.
Write a short essay about your religion and tell the beliefs and practices that
you value in life as core teachings of your religion.
Points Criteria
CONGRATULATIONS!
You have finished exploring the world of Christianity. I hope that you will do the same
in the succeeding topics on religion.
Good luck!
PRE-TEST
POST-TEST
1. T
2. T
3. F
4. T
5. T
6. T
7. T
8. F
9. T
10. F
• Webster’s New Dictionary for School, Home and Office Philippine Edition.
Merriam and Webster Bookstore, Inc. Manila Philippines
• https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/hHistoryofChristianity
• https://www.history.com/toppics/religion/history-of-christianity#secton3
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eastern-Orthodoxy
• https://www.jnka-architects.com/worship/protestant-churches/
RELIGION - Christianity
FOUNDER -Judea
ORIGIN -originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish teacher and healer who proclaimed the imminent
kingdom of God and was crucified c. AD 30–33 in Jerusalem in the Roman province of Judea.
CORE TEACHINGS -The essence of Christianity revolves around the life, death and Christian beliefs on the
resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe God sent his son Jesus, the messiah, to save the
world.
BELIEFS OR PRACTICES -Belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit.
The death, descent into hell, resurrection and ascension of Christ.
The holiness of the Church and the communion of saints.
Christ's second coming, the Day of Judgement and salvation of the faithful.
> ANSWER ME
1.Eastern Orthodoxy, official name Orthodox Catholic Church, one of the three major doctrinal and
jurisdictional groups of Christianity. It is characterized by its continuity with the apostolic church, its liturgy, and
its territorial churches. Its adherents live mainly in the Balkans, the Middle East, and former Soviet
countries,Reformation, also called Protestant Reformation, the religious revolution that took place in the
Western church in the 16th century. Its greatest leaders undoubtedly were Martin Luther and John Calvin.
Having far-reaching political, economic, and social effects, the Reformation became the basis for the founding
of Protestantism, one of the three major branches of Christianity,Roman Catholicism, Christian church that has
been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. Along with Eastern Orthodoxy and
Protestantism, it is one of the three major branches of Christianity.
2.Because these three is form or part of christianity religion.