Chapter 6: Christianity "The Way of Salvation"

Christian practice soft monotheism

believe in one God who appears in human form, as distinct from the strict monotheism of Muslims and Jews

What do Christians affirm?

that their own bodies will be ressurected when Jesus, the Second Adam, returns in his Second Coming at the end of days

The universal church of Christians is divided into 3 main branches:

1. Roman Catholicism: looks to authority of the pope in Rome

2. Protestantism: traditionally emphasizes faith over works and biblical authority over church tradition

3. Eastern Orthodoxy: honors the Patriarch of Constantinople (Istabul)

What is the problem in Christian tradition?

the problem is sin, the violation of God's commandments - wrong thoughts and evil deeds

Actual sins vs. Original Sin

Actual Sins: what we do

Original Sin: what is inherited. original sin is a fallen state or condition passed down via Adam and Eve to all of humanity like some genetic mutation; death

What is the cure to sin so that Christians may enter heaven?

salvation

What does Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians affirm about the gift of salvation?

that the gift of salvation offered by Jesus on the cross has to be accepted by human beings, and this acceptance involves both faith and works

Christianity at a Glance

Problem: sin

Solution: salvation from sin

Techniques: faith and good works (for Roman Catholics); faith alone (for Protestants)

Exemplars: saints (for Roman Catholics); knights of faith (for Protestants)

What is Christianity?

a tradition in which followers of Jesus Christ are saved from their sins by faith in Jesus Christ or some combination of faith and good works

Who is Christianity's second founder?

Paul

What is the room of the word Christianity and where ddi it first appear?

The root is “christianismos’ and first appears in the early second-century letters of Ignatius of Antioch

What did the “Great Awakening” provide?

a sense of a collective “us” among colonists preparing the way for the American Revolution

What did the Second Great Awakening contribute?

Contributed to America’s religious illiteracy, by shifting the focus of Protestantism from doctrine and intellect to experience and the emotions

What did Paul’s teachings demonstrate?

That salvation comes by other-help rather than self-effort