Christianity Study Notes

Significant
People and
Ideas
explain the  Contributed to Christianity both historically and theologically
contribution to  One of the first great organisers of the Christian Church
the  First significant writer of Christian scripture
development Missionary journeys (growth/expansion)
and expression  Introduced a systematic plan to take Christianity to gentiles, establishing and
of Christianity of strengthening many churches
Paul of Tarsus - Once he set up a community, he would guide them to spread Jesus’ message
 Three major missionaries all over Europe beyond Jerusalem; Israel, Asia Minor, Greece,
Corinth, Rome, etc.
 He spoke Greek and was a Roman citizen
- this enabled him to promote Christianity to Corinth, Rome, etc,
- enabled him to put Jewish ideas into the language of gentiles which lead to the rapid
expansion of Christianity
 His leadership kept the small but developing Christian communities together
 Spread the news of Jesus and taught his ideologies
- “And when he (God) decided to reveal his son to me, so that I might preach the Good
News (gospel) about him to the Gentiles.. (Galatians 1:15-16).
 Changed the basic nature of the emerging Christian faith by freeing it from its Jewish roots
and transforming it into a universal movement
Teachings (expression/interpretation)
 Gives practical wisdom by providing a coherent set of beliefs and practices that can be
adopted by communities (a pastoral approach)
 In his epistles, Paul encouraged Christians to move away from their Jewish habits and be
welcoming of gentiles
- Less concerned with laws, such as dietary, that plagued Judaism
 Wrote a large proportion of the NT
- Letters provide evidence of how communities were organised an functioned
- Shaping future communities
 Vision expressed in his letters goes far beyond the communities he served – forever
stamping Christianity with the growth of knowledge and understanding on Christian
teachings
 Influenced the articulation of salvation
- Argued salvation could be achieved through good faith in Jesus as opposed to through
good works which was the apostle’s original teaching
- Influenced later Protestant teachings
- ‘universal salvation’ – taught to believe in Jesus as a universal saviour to model life on
 He took teachings of Jesus, explained them, then applied them to new situations
 Influenced ethics, predominantly in Corinthians, as centres on:
- Strong views on Christs’ call to a life of freedom and responsibility (Galatians 5:14)
- The primacy of agape and selfless love
- Membership of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13)
 - The physical self as the temple of the Holy Spirit
 His letters effectively present adherents with interpretations of Jesus’ teachings. For
example, in 1st Corinthians 13:4, Paul builds on the Jesus’ Commandment of love where he
portrays God’s love as “patient and kind.” This is continually vitalized in modern times as it
is often used as a reading in Christian marriage ceremonies. This understanding has made
a significant impact upon the ethical expression among Christian communities as it has
greatly contributed to become a loving and sharing community where all adherents are
expected to envision Jesus as a life model.
Theology (development/form)
 Developed theology concerned with individual belief and ethical behaviour
 Christianity would not have been as widespread in the Roman world without his energy
and undying faith
- Strenuously fighting that the gospel was for all and no barriers should be put in the
way of the gentiles
 Romans became the foundation of Christian theology
- it provides a comprehensive outline of Christian thought
- was written to “all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be Saints” (Rom 15:7)
 Established rituals and rites in communities still used to today, such as Eucharist and
baptism
- In 49 AD, at the Council of Jerusalem, Paul successfully argued a person did not need
to first be a Jew to become Christian
- In this way, Paul established baptism as the means of entry into the tradition, moving
Christianity beyond the boundaries of Judaism
- Because of Paul’s focus on the Eucharist, it developed as the replacement of Jewish
synagogue services in Christianity
 Greatly influenced biblical scholars such as Martin Luther
- Luther formulated belief in justification by faith alone not faith and good works
(influenced by Paul)
 One of Paul’s significant teachings is the concept of agape or selfless love. This enforces
core Christian ethical teachings of respect, selflessness and kindness. He emphasises that
love does not seek its own interest, but leads the faithful to hold everything in common
which is illuminated in 1 Corinthians 13:45; “Love is.. never rude or selfish, it does not take
offence, and is not resentful”. The significance of this is that it encourages Church
communities to share with each other, to work for the good of the entire community and
to live a life modelled by Jesus.
analyse the Impact on Ethics:
impact of Paul  Paul wanted Christians to be:
of Tarsus on - Honest
Christianity - Monogamous
- Heterosexual & married
- Faithfully committed
- Sexually moral
 Thessalonians- “abstain from sexual immorality”
 Hebrews- “give honour to marriage”
 He was a great upholder of the 10 commandments
Impact on Marriage:
 Marriage is the union of a man and a woman who make a permanent and exclusive
 commitment to one another
- Paul: “a man will unite with his wife, and the two will become one” (Ephesians 5:31)
 Intends that the couple will conceive and nurture children together, raising their offspring
in an environment which promotes the Christian faith and its ideals
- Paul: “raise them with Christian discipline and instruction” (Ephesians 6:4)
Ethics
describe and  Ethical issues underpin Christian ethical teachings of what is morally right and wrong
explain Christian  Marriage is the ultimate framework to live a sexually ethical life, because it is:
ethical - Heterosexual
teachings on - Open to pro-creation
sexual ethics - Honest and faithful by abstaining from adultery
 Consequences of being immoral/not following sexual ethics:
- No family structure (leads to immature families)
- STD’s
- Chaos as there is no committed relationships
Ethical Teachings:
Christians are guided to perform sexual actions that promote this conduct:
 Value for humanity
 Honesty
 Fidelity
 Faithfulness
 Reverence for life (procreation)
 Respect for God’s creation, bodies, and other life (people)
- Morality of the body was created by God
 Monogamy
Ethical Issues:
Adultery
 Adultery is a crucial issue that goes against Christian sexual ethics as it defies key teachings
of faithfulness and monogamy.
 Adultery is when one partner in a marriage sleeps with another person outside the
marriage.
 This act is seen as unacceptable because marriage is sacred and mirrors the love of Christ,
and adultery does not honour this.
- This is shown explicitly in the Bible with the 7th Commandment “thou shall not commit
adultery”.
 Majority of variants, such as Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant, agree that adultery is
unethical.
- For example, the Orthodox church frowns upon any sexual actions outside of marriage.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practiced polygamy or plural marriage
from 1852, however this was terminated in 1890 and the church’s standard doctrine is
now monogamy.
 The condemning of adultery is shown through St Paul’s discussion of adultery in
Corinthians stating “none who are guilty of adultery will possess the kingdom of God”. -
---- This shows the Christian stance on this issue; that it is seen as a sin in the eyes of God
and will lead to ascending to hell after death.
 Therefore, committing adultery contradicts Christianity’s ultimate framework to live by
which includes an honest and faithful marriage to respect others and God’s creation of
 morality of the body.

Contraception
 Contraception is the practice of preventing a child from being conceived.
 Contraception defies the traditional teachings of the Christian church because it
contradicts the natural law of procreation, encourages immorality and alienates adherents
from God’s intentions.
 Every Christian denomination believes that sexual immorality and being promiscuous
leads to instability and is preventing life when Christians should be welcoming it.
 Despite this, there are still points of difference in responses to this issue by
denominations.
- Strict variations, such as Orthodox and Catholic, abhor most forms of contraception as
they believe that it defies God’s plans to “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28).
- Natural forms, such as the ‘rhythm method’ are accepted.
- More liberal variants, such as Protestant and Uniting, accept contraception as they
believe it is important to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and to put an
end to unwanted pregnancies which results in abortions.
- The Uniting Church is particularly liberal in their view towards contraception as they
believe that the purpose of sexual intercourse is to unite a loving couple rather than to
facilitate reproduction.

Homosexuality
 Christian sexual ethics in relation to homosexuality exist to ensure the longevity of society
through protecting the sacred act of sexual intercourse which was traditionally thought to
only be for the purpose of procreation.
 The core Christian teaching of respecting God’s creation includes the body, which is seen
as a gift from God that should not be misused.
- Any other use of sex organs, such as for pleasure, is seen as morally wrong.
 Therefore, homosexuality practices the misuse of sex organs and goes against the natural
order of the world as it does not allow for procreation to occur.
 Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians warns against homosexuality as he says that
“sodomites will be excluded from the Kingdom of God”.
 Within the Bible, homosexuality is condemned due to the way in which it defies the
concepts of heterosexual marriage and procreation.
- This idea is evident in Leviticus 18:22; “you shall not lie with a male as with a woman”.
 However, some Christian churches are taking a positive approach to include homosexuals,
such as the Uniting and some Anglican churches.
- These churches are particularly accepting and don’t discriminate against members’
sexual preferences, with some ministers even being homosexual.
- On the other hand, Orthodox churches strongly condemn homosexual practices as it
defies God’s plans for us to create life and therefore threatens the longevity of the human
race.
 With its emphasis on marriage and procreation, Christianity is in essence against
homosexuality, yet some denominations are becoming more accepting due to modern
world views on sexuality.
Significant
practices in the
life of
adherents
Describe  Marriage is the union of a man and a woman who make a permanent and exclusive
marriage commitment to one another
ceremony - Paul: “a man will unite with his wife, and the two will become one” (Ephesians 5:31)
 Intends that the couple will conceive and nurture children together, raising their offspring
in an environment which promotes the Christian faith and its ideals
- Paul: “raise them with Christian discipline and instruction” (Ephesians 6:4)
 Marriage ceremony is the process of publicly acknowledging a commitment to this
intended relationship
 Is the foundation of the basic institution of society – family
 Vital in the fulfillment of Christian values and the will of God
 Is a life-long companionship that is faithful and excludes divorce and remarriage
- “A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery” (Mark
10:11-12)
 Catholics believe that marriage is forever, due to this won’t recognise a second marriage
of a divorcee
 In Anglican marriages a key part of the ceremony is the Reading of the Banns where:
- the congregation is asked if they know any reason why the couple should not be
married
- readings are taken from the Bible
- the couple explain their reason for marrying each other
demonstrate  The Nupital Blessings of a Catholic marriage are believed to symbolise the love between
how marriage the couple as God’s ideal state for his people & the public faithfulness between the couple
ceremony  The everlasting love of God for his church & his people is reflected as marriage portrays a
expresses the lifelong coming together of man and woman incorporating love & trust
beliefs of  The lifelong relationship that entails the shared experiences of joy, sadness, and suffering
Christianity are a representation of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
 God’s covenant with his people is reflected within the commitment of marriage
- 1 Corinthians 7:4; “The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her
husband” and vice versa
 Orthodox follow exchanging of rings and the recitation of marriage vows like Anglican &
Catholic, however have differing traditions such as the crowning
- The crowning of the wreaths upon the couples heads demonstrates that they are king
and queen of their family which is a reflection of the Kingdom of God
- Couple joins hands & circles the table, representing marriage like a circle, which has no
end
Belief/teaching Practice/expression
Love/ agape/ selfless ‘through sickness & in health, good & bad’
Love forever ‘till death do us part’
Monogamy ‘take you to the exclusion of all others’
Sharing Orthodox sharing of wine symbolises the troubles halved
Procreation The continuity & longevity of the faith- e.g. Catholic ‘will you accept
children lovingly from God?’
analyse the Individual:
significance of  A rite of passage for individuals and a legal process
marriage  Reflects the relationship between Jesus and the Christian Church
ceremony for  The depth of the couples love strengthens their relationship with God
both the  Couple endeavours to recreate the teachings of Christ and his actions
individual and  Structure for the way the couple lives as they share their home and a responsibility toward
the Christian each other and their new family
community Community:
 Marriage is a means of identification within denominations and the community of
believers with the married couple given the opportunity to become closer with their faith
- E.g. giving their children a Christian upbringing – fulfils the continuance of Christianity
- E.g. a married Catholic couple are likely to baptise their child in the Catholic Church
 Connects the Christian community
- E.g. through scriptures and prayers in the ceremony that the congregation say for the
couple
 Rite of marriage is a means of reflection on the couple’s participation within Christianity
and their ultimate purpose – to grow in holiness through their relationship
- Opportunity to express their dedication to God through their services to each other
 Orthodox adherents focus on continuing the Christian faith
- In Genesis it is stated “God blessed them, saying, be fruitful and multiply” which
Orthodox Christians have interpreted as key to marriage as procreation can only take
place in marriage as outlined by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians
 The new couple is vital to the community as they become:
1. A new faith formation structure
2. Destined to procreate (continuity)
3. Raise their children in faith