Sacraments and Baptism Study Notes

Unit 1 Study Guide – Erickson - 2025

Intro to the Sacraments

  • Definition of Sacrament: Understanding the three key components that define a sacrament.
  • Sacrament vs. Sacramental: Distinguishing between a sacrament and a sacramental, focusing on their nature and purpose.
  • Need for Outward Signs: Understanding why outward signs are necessary in sacraments, connecting to human nature and perception.
  • Why Sacraments Make Sense:
    • Connection with Jesus: How sacraments are intrinsically linked to Jesus Christ.
    • Connection with God's Creation: Understanding how sacraments align with the way God created humanity and the world.
  • Sacraments Instituted in Christ: Exploring the meaning of sacraments being instituted in Christ.
  • Primordial Sacrament: Identifying who or what is considered the primordial sacrament (Jesus Christ).
  • Universal Sacrament: Identifying what is considered the universal sacrament (the Church).
  • Jesus as a Sacrament: Understanding how Jesus himself embodies a sacrament.
  • Grace:
    • General Definition: Defining grace in a general sense as God's favor and help.
    • Sanctifying Grace: Understanding sanctifying grace as a habitual gift that orients us to God.
  • Sacramental Grace: Defining sacramental grace as specific graces received through each sacrament.
  • Sacraments as Tools: Comprehending how sacraments serve as tools for receiving God's grace.
  • Hierophany: Defining hierophany as a manifestation of the sacred.
  • Covenants vs. Contracts: Understanding the difference between covenants (sacred, binding promises) and contracts (legal agreements).
  • Old and New Testaments and Covenants:
    • Understanding the relationship between the Old and New Testaments in the context of covenants.
    • The Greek translation relating to covenant, connecting to its significance.
  • First Word for Sacraments: Identifying the original term used to refer to sacraments.
  • St. Augustine's View: How St. Augustine viewed the sacraments and comparing it to the modern understanding.
  • Donatism:
    • Defining Donatism as a heresy that claimed the validity of sacraments depended on the moral character of the minister.
    • Understanding why refuting Donatism is crucial for a proper understanding of the sacraments.
  • Aquinas' Clarification: Understanding how St. Thomas Aquinas clarified the understanding of sacraments.
  • Nominalism:
    • Defining Nominalism as a philosophical view that affected the view of the Sacraments.
    • Understanding how it impacted the understanding of sacraments.
  • First to Spell Out 7 Sacraments: Identifying who first specified that there were only seven sacraments.
  • Council Declaring 7 Sacraments: Identifying which Church Council first formally declared the seven sacraments and the roles of later councils.
  • Three Types of Sacraments:
    • Identifying the three categories of sacraments: Initiation, Healing, and Vocation.
    • Listing which sacraments belong to each category.
  • Jesus Acts in the Sacraments: Understanding how Jesus is present and active in each sacrament.
  • Sacraments Change Everyday Life: Understanding how the sacraments influence and transform daily life.
  • Sacraments Preserve from Suffering: Examining whether sacraments prevent suffering.
  • Working with God's Grace: Understanding how individuals cooperate with God's grace received through sacraments.
  • Sacrament in Augustine's Sense: What can be considered a sacrament in the broad sense, according to Augustine's perspective.

Baptism

  • Baptism as the Basis: Understanding why baptism is considered the foundation of Christian life.
  • What Baptism Does: Understanding the effects and significance of baptism.
  • Baptism and Identity: exploring how baptism shapes Christian identity.
  • Significance of Water: Exploring the symbolism and importance of water in baptism.
  • Baptism, Scripture, and the Church: Understanding the scriptural basis for baptism and its role within the Church.
  • Rituals Baptism Developed From: Identifying the historical rituals that influenced the development of baptism.
  • John's Baptism vs. Jesus' Baptism: Understanding the differences between the baptism practiced by John the Baptist and the baptism instituted by Jesus.
  • Why Jesus is Baptized: Why Jesus underwent baptism, despite being without sin, connecting it to solidarity with humanity.
  • What Follows Jesus' Baptism: Understanding the events and significance that follow Jesus' baptism, potentially referring to the descent of the Holy Spirit and affirmation from God.
  • Necessity of Baptism for Salvation:
    • In the Bible: References to Jesus' teachings in the Bible regarding the necessity of baptism.
    • In the Catechism: Understanding the Catechism's teaching that God has bound salvation to baptism, but He is not bound to the sacraments.
  • Baptism by Blood and Baptism by Desire: Defining baptism by blood (martyrdom) and baptism by desire (desire for baptism without receiving the sacrament).
  • Jesus and Nicodemus: Relevant teachings or understandings derived from Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus about being born again.
  • Concupiscence and Original Sin: How concupiscence (the inclination to sin) and original sin relate to baptism.
  • Effects of Baptism:
    • Understanding the transformative effects of baptism, such as becoming a child of God, a member of the Church, and a new creation.
    • Beginning of our Christian life, the start of new life in Christ.
    • Identifying specific effects of baptism.
  • Indelible Mark:
    • Understanding the concept of the indelible spiritual mark (character) conferred by baptism.
    • Emphasizing that baptism cannot be repeated.
  • Matter of Baptism: Identifying water as the matter of baptism and understanding its symbolism.
  • Form of Baptism:
    • Identifying the Trinitarian formula used in baptism (e.g., "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit").
    • Recognizing who first said these words.
  • Essential for Valid Baptism: Identifying the essential elements required for a baptism to be considered valid.
  • Ordinary Minister of Baptism: Who is the typical minister of baptism and who can perform baptism in emergencies.
  • Who Receives Baptism: Who typically receives baptism.
    • Infants: the effects of baptizing infants.
  • Catholic Bible Dictionary on Baptism (handout):
    • Types of baptism in the OT : Understanding their significance.
    • Jesus’ baptism:
      • How is the trinity involved?: How does this reveal the Trinity at work?. (Father's voice, Son being baptized, Holy Spirit descending).
      • How does it relate to John the Baptist?: What was John the Baptist's role in relation to Jesus' baptism?
      • What is the prototype of Christian baptism?: Understanding Jesus' baptism as the prototype for Christian baptism.
      • What theme is addressed in all 4 gospels?: Identifying the theme of Jesus' baptism.
    • Jesus’ command about baptism: Explore Christ's explicit instructions regarding baptism (e.g., the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19).
    • Effects of Baptism: Describing the transformative effects of baptism.
  • Catechism on Original Sin (handout):
    • Why does Adam’s sin result in the baptism of infants?: Addressing the question of why infants are baptized due to Adam's sin.
    • How does Adam’s personal sin become original sin?: Understanding how Adam's personal sin is transmitted as original sin.
    • Original Sin is …. And not ….: "contracted" and not "committed".
    • Original sin is the deprivation of what?: The deprivation of original holiness and justice.
    • What is concupiscence?: Defining concupiscence as the inclination to sin resulting from original sin.
    • What is the ultimate result, to all of human history, of original sin?: Exploring the far-reaching consequences of original sin on human history and the need for redemption.

Overarching Questions about the Intro to the Sacraments

  • Why would God leave us sacraments, and how does this especially tie to the way he created us, his nature, the way he has revealed himself to us, and the way he loves us?

Overarching Questions about Baptism

  • Why do we baptize? What is the purpose, how does it tie to the Jewish roots of baptism and to the baptism of Jesus?
  • How does sin connect with our need for baptism, and how does it especially connect with the practice of baptizing babies?

Priority in Studying

  1. Study Guide
  2. Making Flash-Cards, Quizzing, Writing Practice Short Questions and Answering
  3. Making Review Games
  4. Playing Review Games
  5. Re-Reading your notes.