Source: Pew Research Center

https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/07/Pew-Research-Global-Attitudes-
Project-Balance-of-Power-TOPLINE-July-18-2013.pdf

CHRISTIANITY
Introduction to World Religions and Belief System
➤ Origin:

➤ Jesus
the belief in Jesus Christ
was born in Nazareth and lived
ORIGIN
around 7 BC to 30 CE.
➤ Jesuswas later on referred to by his
followers as “Jesus Christ” (or Jesus the
Christ) in recognition of his being the
Messiah prophesized in the Old
Testament of the Holy Bible (the sacred
book of the Christians). The
term Christ is Greek for the title “The
Anointed One”, which in Hebrew is
translated as “Messiah”.

➤ While Jesus was born as a human, most

Christians believe that Jesus was not just
ORIGIN
human but also God.
➤ Jesuswas accompanied by his 12 apostles:
Simon (also called Peter), Andrew
(Simon’s brother), James (son of
Zebedee), John (James’s brother), Philp,
Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax
collector), James (son of Alpheus),
Thaddaeus (or Judas, son of James),
Simon (the Zealot), and Judas Iscariot
(who later betrayed Jesus).

 SACRED WRITINGS
1. The Holy Bible
- divided into two parts: the Old Testament
and the New Testament.
Gospels - “evangelium”; Matthew,
Mark, Luke, John
Acts of the Apostles - early Christian
community
Epistles - 21 letters
Revelation - battle between good and
evil would end is revealed through
visions

➤ The Nature of God:

he is a pure spirit therefore, he
DOCTRINES AND
does not change; he is simple MORAL TEACHINGS
in that he cannot be divided
into parts and that he has no
gender
he is eternal
omnipotent, omniscient,
omnipresent
has three persons

➤ The belief in Jesus Christ:

Jesus is God
DOCTRINES AND
Jesus has two natures: human and MORAL TEACHINGS
divine
Jesus is the Messiah
Jesus was born through virgin
birth
Jesus is sinless
Jesus resurrected from the dead
Jesus ascended into heaven

The Five Arguments of St. DOCTRINES AND

Thomas Aquinas to prove
God’s Existence:
MORAL TEACHINGS
1.Argument of the First Mover
2.Argument of Causation
3.Argument of Contingency
4.Argument of Degree
5.Argument of Final Cause

➤ The Human Person DOCTRINES AND

Humans are made in the image
and likeness of God.
MORAL TEACHINGS
humans are made to resemble
God’s eternal and spiritual nature
by possessing immortal souls
humans are accountable for their
actions
God’s rewards and punishments
extend to the afterlife

➤ Resurrection of the Dead and the Last

Things DOCTRINES AND
In Summa Theologiae, resurrected
bodies will be in the state of
MORAL TEACHINGS
impassibility, subtility, agility, and clarity.
When humans die, it is believed that
they immediately undergo a particular
judgment on whether they should go to
heaven or hell or purgatory. There will,
however, be another judgment, the Last
Judgment
Four last things: Death, Judgement,
Heaven, Hell

 DEATH

Particular Judgement

Heaven Purgatory Hell

Parousia,
Last Judgement

ETERNITY
“SUPREME GOOD IS THAT IT CONSISTS OF A
LIFE OF VIRTUE PURSUED BOTH FOR ITS
OWN SAKE AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE
OTHER GOODS OF LIFE, THE GOODS BOTH
OF BODY AND SOUL.”
ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

➤ The Angels DOCTRINES AND

Angels are spiritual beings
created by God to serve him
MORAL TEACHINGS
and help humans.
Angels have free will
Three spheres; Gabriel,
Raphael, Michael, Uriel
Avieternal
Fallen angels

➤ Two Great Commandments

Love the Lord your God with all DOCTRINES AND
your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind.
MORAL TEACHINGS
Love your neighbor as yourself.
➤ Primacy of Love
Jesus emphasized love as the
proper attitude towards God and
our neighbor, instead of focusing
on following certain rules on
how to relate with God and our
neighbor.

SYMBOLS AND RITUALS

1.Baptism
2.The Last Supper /
Eucharist / Holy Mass
3.Lenten Season
4.Christmas

1.Ascension and Pentecost

2.Other practices:
➤Devotion to the Blessed Virgin
Mary
➤Nativities

➤Veneration to the Saints and

Martyrs
➤All Saint’s / Soul’s Day
➤Other forms of inculturated
faith

 CHALLENGES: DENOMINATIONS
Christianity
Western Churches Eastern Churches
➤ Roman Catholic ➤ Eastern Orthodox
➤ Protestant (Greek, Russian,
(Lutheran, Calvinist, Serbian, Romanian,
Baptist) Bulgarian)
➤ Anglican ➤ Others: Armenian,
(Church of England and Egyptian, Coptic,
other Anglican Church) Ethiopian,
➤ Non-Traditional Nestorian
(Mormon, Jehova’s
Witness, Unitarian)








LET’S TALK ABOUT…

➤ CCC 1010: “Because of Christ, Christian death has a
positive meaning: ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain.’
➤ CCC 1033: “We cannot be united with God unless we
freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we
sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against
ourselves…”
➤ CCC 1037: “God predestines no one to go to hell; for
this, a willful turning away from God is necessary, and
persistence in it until the end.”

KARL RAHNER’S ANONYMOUS CHRISTIANITY

1.Christians believe in universal salvi c will of God.
Necessity of faith in Christ and membership of the
Church for salvation.
2.If membership is the reason then, membership
must be a possibility for all. If membership is not
possible for some, then some other kind of
membership.

fi
KARL RAHNER’S ANONYMOUS CHRISTIANITY
1.For not professed Christians or those that did
not come accross Christianity are o ered the
grace of Christ in depths of their experience.
Wherein, without recognizing it to be that, they
accept it.
2.Although, the o er of grace only reach fullness
by the expression of Christianity

ff
ff
➤ Saint Augustine: Doctor of the
Church
EVIL IS PRIVATION
Argues that: OF GOOD
1. All nitely good things are
corruptible
2. All things are good even if
they are corrupted
3. All that is corrupted is
thereby deprived of good.
fi

“ The things we love tell us

what we are.

St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelic Doctor of the Church

 REMINDERS
1. Updated schedule:
➤ February 6 - Islam discussion
➤ February 9 - Graded Recitation on Abrahamic
Religions
➤ February 13 - Hinduism
➤ February 16 - Quiz 1
➤ February 17 - Submission of Comparative Analysis 1