RE Exam Notes
I. Key concepts
Know the sacraments
CHAMBER
· Confirmation -> Confirmation is the sacrament that gives people courage: courage to do what they know is right, courage to defend the truth and courage to profess their faith in Jesus.
· Holy orders -> the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time.
· Anointing of the sick -> celebrates our faith in the healing touch of Christ in our lives.
· Marriage -> Joins a man and woman in a covenant for life, for the good of the spouses and the procreation of children.
· Baptism -> Joins a person to Christ's Church. By this sacrament, the baptised person is cleansed of all sin and receives sanctifying grace.
· Eucharist -> Stands as the greatest proof of God’s love, for when we receive the Eucharist, Christ actually becomes one with us.
· Reconciliation -> God works through his Church to offer us healing and a way to clear our consciences. Through this sacrament, we are given an opportunity to turn back to God.
Know the history of the Catholic Church.
Council of Jerusalem
v Around 48-49 CE, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem for a conference.
v The main issue was whether the Gentiles were part of the church or not.
v However, the discussion centred on circumcision, Jewish dietary laws, and whether or not Jews could share a meal with Gentiles (which was forbidden under Mosaic Law).
v The decisions reached by this conference were very important.
Ø The Decree is common sense.
Ø The conclusion is focused on fellowship.
Ø The Decree allows Jews and Gentiles to interact, both being respectful of the other.
Ø Nothing is said at the Council about connecting salvation to Jewish law.
v They all seemed pleased with their decision.
Constantine
v In the year 312AD, Constantine was emperor, and he was a pagan (worshipped the Roman gods).
v One day, he was riding to a battle. Suddenly, he saw a religious sign in the sun. Constantine heard a voice say, ‘You are to conquer in this sign’.
v Constantine had his soldiers decorate their shields with this sign.
v The sign is made up of the first two letters of ‘Christ’ in Greek (Chi-Rho).
v After winning the battle, many thought Constantine became a Christian, although he wasn’t baptised until he was on his deathbed.
v Under Constantine, Christianity grew a great deal. Christianity influenced the empire.
Ø Roman coins began to have not only pagan symbols but Christian symbols as well.
Ø Sunday became the official day of rest.
Ø Sins against marriage, such as adultery and prostitution, were punished more severely.
Ø Priests and bishops were excused from being in the army.
Ø Slaves, orphans, children and the needy were to be treated better.
Council of Nicea - 325ad
v For a long time, the church had grappled with how best to describe the nature of Jesus as the logos (word becoming flesh).
v Some emphasised the full humanity of Jesus, whilst others stressed the full divinity of God the Son.
v The council was the first ecumenical council of the church
v The Council of Jerusalem AD48 provided a template for it
v Constantine invited all 1,800 bishops around the empire and paid for their journeys and accommodation
v Adopts baptismal creed of Eusebius of Caesarea with key amendments
v This promotes the trinitarian formula as an orthodox
v The term “homoousios” (Consubstantial) is added to speak of the Son of God: The Son is of the same substance (ousia) as the Father
v Rejects the position of Arius
v He and two bishops who had voted against the Creed were banished
v It also produces an anathema at the end of the creed, which sets out heresy
Know about sin
Conditions of sin
v Was the thought word or action against God’s law?
v Did I know that it was against the law of God?
v Did I freely choose to go against God’s law?
Know about conscience/moral decision-making.
Ideals
v The standard or moral principle to which ppl aspire.
v E.g. loyalty to friends, honesty, courage.
Elements in Moral Decision
v The action itself: Actions that obey God’s law are morally good – and vice versa
v The intention: It is morally wrong to perform an action for the wrong intention, even if the action is good.
v Circumstances: Sometimes, an action can be morally right but wrong in some circumstances.
Principles of conscience
v Everyone is obliged to form their conscience: every one is obliged to by discipline to form or mould their conscience through discipline, training and instruction.
v Everyone is obliged to follow a sincere conscience: God created humans to be good - people are obliged to obey what their conscience tells them is the right thing to do.
v Conscience does not decide right or wrong: only God knows he determines what is right or wrong, conscience is to discern where the action conforms to God’s Law.
v A good end does not justify immoral means: in every case that requires moral judgment, you need to consider not just the good end but the way you have achieved it.
Difficulties obeying Moral conscience
v May feel pressured by peers, expectations of others, social trends, and attitudes.
Challenges to recognising the voice of conscience
v Peer pressure: encouraging people to speak, act or dress in ways against what they want to
v Social Trends: people follow trends easily, which can influence their ideas or right and wrong
v Strong emotions: makes people unable to make judgements
v Habits, virtues and vices: people can react to situations repeatedly, causing habits to form → do without thinking and can be good or bad (virtues and vices)
v Inadequate moral formations: causes people to be unable to recognise moral conscience → Do not know right from wrong
v Guilt and Rationalisation: Guilt makes people fail to realise their behaviour is because of an emotional habit - causing them to not ask themselves how to change this
v Neglect to develop Charity: people neglect their daily charity →, praying daily and church on Sunday. This causes charity to be unable to empower them the way God planned
Know about the Protestant and Counter-Reformations
v Protestant Reformation- a religious movement in the 1500s that split the Christian church in Western Europe and led to the establishment of several new churches.
Ø People grew displeased with the churches…
§ Financial Corruption
§ Abuse of Power
§ Immorality
How it began
v Pope Leo X needs money to build St. Peter’s Basilica…so he sells indulgences!
Ø Indulgences- were pardons issued by the pope that people could buy to reduce a soul’s time in purgatory = (People could buy forgiveness)
Ø Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses
Other Reformations
v Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland
Ø Theocracy
§ A government in which church and state are joined and in which officials are considered to be divinely inspired.
v John Calvin in Switzerland
Ø Predestination
§ God knows who will be saved, even before people are born, and therefore guides the lives of those destined for salvation.
v John Knox in Scotland
Ø Laid grounds for Presbyterian Church
Counter-Reformation
v The Catholic Church’s series of reforms in response to the spread of Protestantism in the mid-1500s to the early 1600s.
Council of Trent
v 1545, Church members decided to redefine some religious doctrines of the Catholic Church.
v Clarified Catholic teaching
Ø Addressed Abuses
Ø Addressed Corruption
Ø Training of Priests regulated
Ø Addressed Financial Abuse
Ø The sale of Indulgences was abolished
v Council reaffirmed:
Ø Transubstantiation (Literal presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist)
Ø Sacraments
v The basic structure of the Church was reaffirmed.
Reformers
v Charles Borromeo
Ø Archbishop of Milan (1560 to 1584)
§ Implements Council of Trent reforms
· Build a school to educate Priests
v Francis of Sales
Ø Implemented a missionary program in Savoy (Italy). He returned many to the Catholic Church.
Inquisitions
v Two different Inquisitions:
Ø Roman Inquisition (1542)
Ø Spanish Inquisition (1478)
v The Roman Inquisition tried people for:
Ø Being Protestant
Ø Witchcraft
Ø Breaking with Church Law
Know about the 10 Commandments
I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
Honour your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.
You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.
Catholic charities
v For 60 years, Caritas Australia has been working with vulnerable communities affected by natural disasters, conflict and displacement. Your generous support can help change lives today.
v Catholic Mission is the Pope’s international Mission agency in Australia -> An international organisation that partners with communities, helping them to flourish by supporting grassroots projects, including healthcare, education, and spiritual care. Our network of religious and lay missionaries operates in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas.
Know about justice and Catholic Social Teaching(s)
v Justice
Ø Another word for justice is fairness.
Ø Our sense of fairness develops from a young age.
Ø A sign of maturity is when we are concerned that others are treated fairly.
Ø Throughout history, there are many examples of people’s basic rights being violated by those in power. People can be treated unfairly because of their colour, race, opinion, gender or religious beliefs.
Ø Mature people are concerned about this unfairness and do whatever they can to bring about change.
v Original Justice
Ø The state of harmony between humans and God and between humans themselves. It's often described in terms of the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before they chose to disobey God.
Social Justice
v Social justice from a Catholic perspective means treating everyone fairly and with respect, ensuring that all people have their basic needs met, like food, shelter, and education.
v It teaches us to help those who are poor or in need and to work together to create a society where everyone can live a good and happy life.
v Catholics believe that we are all made in God's image, so it’s important to stand up for the rights of others and promote equality and fairness in our communities.
v Quote
Ø For it is from within, from the heart, that evil intentions emerge’ (Mark 7:21)
v Social Justice issues
Ø Poverty
Ø Homelessness
Ø Racism
Ø Abortion
Ø Euthanasia
Ø Asylum seekers/Refugees
Ø Religious Prejudices
Four Harmonies
Through Original Sin, this state of harmony was destroyed.
By the grace offered to us through Jesus Christ, this harmony has been restored, and we are called to holiness through Jesus so that our relationships will be restored to their original state:
v We were created to live in harmony:
Ø With God -> Complete happiness comes when we have a personal relationship with God.
Ø Our relationship with God is developed through Prayer, Worship and God’s will (living in)
Ø With others -> People who are at peace within themselves tend to be at peace with others. When we see Christ in our brothers and sisters, we begin to recognise and respect every person's inherent dignity and worth. This leads us to love others.
Ø With ourselves -> A Right relationship with God leads us to experience inner peace and direction in our lives. With God’s strength, we can resist temptation and avoid sin, which leads to harmony within ourselves.
Ø With all of creation -> Our first parents were created in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). They appreciated creation for its goodness and continued as partners with God in its development. We are called to do the same today.
II. Definitions
Define Conscience
v Conscience is at the core and heart of every person
v The call to goodness is a part of human nature, and people cannot repress it.
v The most secret core and sanctuary
v A person’s most ‘secret core and sanctuary’ (Gaudium et Spes 16)
Vocation
v The particular life calling of every person by God. Vocation can lead to different lifestyles, e.g., marriage, religious life, and single life.
Natural Law
v The law inscribed in human nature
God's law
v Criteria for deciding whether an action is right or wrong
v Summarised in the Ten Commandments.
Magisterium
v The teaching authority of the Catholic Church. It consists of the Pope and the Bishops throughout the world.
Old Testament
v Establishes God’s relationship and covenant with the Jewish people. It consists of the first 46 books of the Bible.
New Testament
v It consists of the last 27 books of the Bible and tells of Jesus's life and teachings and the growth of the Church.
Apostolic Succession
v The passing on of the spiritual gifts from the Apostles to the bishops. Peter was the first bishop of Rome (Pope).
Sin
v Any deliberate thought, word or action against God’s law. E.g. killing someone, swearing, vanity.
Venial sin
v A sin that weakens a person’s relationship with God. E.g. a little lie, swearing
Mortal sin
v A sin that completely turns a person away from God. It destroys the gift of charity. E.g. murder, adultery, theft.
Encyclical
v a papal letter sent to all bishops of the Roman Catholic Church.
Ecumenism
v The principle or aim of promoting unity among the world's Christian Churches.
III. Extended Response
v Impacts of John Paul II
Ø During his pontificate, he went on 104 pastoral visits outside of Italy and 146 within Italy as part of his ‘New Evangelisation’ to spread the Gospel.
Ø He also established the World Youth Day because of his special love for the youth. During his pontificate, 19 WYDs were celebrated. The WYDs brought together the Christian youth from all over the world.
Ø He also initiated the World Meetings of Families in 1994.
Ø As a part of his teachings about the universal call to holiness, he put a lot of emphasis on this as he beatified 1,340 people and canonised 483 saints during his papacy.
Ø Pope John Paul II also managed to maintain good relationships with other religions.
Ø John Paul II was the first head of the Catholic Church to visit the death camp of Auschwitz in 1979.
Ø He was the first pope to enter a Jewish synagogue (Great Synagogue of Rome on April 13, 1986)
Ø In 1986, Pope John Paul invited leaders of the world’s religions to Assisi, Italy, to pray and fast for world peace. In so doing, he becomes the first prominent religious leader in history to convene such a gathering.
Ø On March 13, 2000, he placed an apology for the actions of the Church throughout the centuries against Jews at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.
Ø On March 23, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited Yad Vashem in Jerusalem to remember the victims of the Holocaust.
Ø He was also the very first pope to enter and pray in a mosque (the Olmayyad Mosque in the centre of Damascus).
Ø During his papal visit to Thailand in 1984, the Holy Father was invited to a Buddhist temple.
Martin Luther
v Martin Luther was born in 1483 in Eisleben, Saxony.
v He decided to join the monastery despite his father’s wishes for Luther to enter the field of law. Luther took his vows and was ordained after only nine months in the monastery.
v It was in his early years that he realised his disagreements with scrupulosity.
95 Theses
v Martin Luther pinned his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg Church on the 31st of October 1517.
v Luther made it in hopes of informing people that the selling of indulgences had become corrupt.
v He questioned the idea that buying a trinket could shave time off of your time in purgatory.
v The theses were met with mixed responses but were not immediately condemned as students began rallying behind Luther and praising his bold ideas and criticisms.
Bible translation
v While in hiding at Wartburg Castle in 1521, Luther began the task of translating the bible into German as he believed that everyone should be able to read the word of God.
v This translation helped bring the bible to the masses, where the printing press made it more affordable to the public.
This encouraged German citizens to learn to read as he translated it into a more ‘household’