Basis for Christian Religion:
Mary Pat Fisher says, “Christianity is a faith based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus.” (LR, p. 295. Emphasis is mine.)
Variety in Christian Religion:
Christian faith, with conflicts and consensus, is lived under over 21000 different denominations that could be put into three broad spectrums of churches – Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant that emerged from a Church divided into Eastern and Western Churches! (Consult World Christian Encyclopaedia, edited by David B. Barrett, 1982.) It is useful to look at the timeline for Christian Religion provided by Fisher in LR page 307.
Major Branches of Christian Religions:
There were two main branches:
A. Western Christianity – Centered in Rome
(i) Roman Catholicism
(ii) Protestantism
B. Eastern Christianity – Centered in Constantinople
For diagrams discussed in the class consult the following:
a. LR, p.336.
b. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ChristianityBranches.svg
c. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other_Christians
Number of Adherents:
Catholics 968, 000, 000
Protestants 395, 867, 000
Other Christians 275, 583, 000
Orthodox 217, 948, 000
Anglicans 70, 530, 000
Source: http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html
Sources to Study Christian Religion:
a. LR, pages 295-375. This is a required reading.
b. Cory, Catherine A., and David T. Landry, editors, The Christian Theological Tradition, Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2003. This book summarizes well the subjects that we would explore in the next nine lectures on Christianity.
c. Keen, Ralph, The Christian Tradition, Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2004.
To explore the “Christian Faith that subsists in church communities” mentioned above you may want to explore volumes of:
Mary Pat Fisher says, “Christianity is a faith based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus.” (LR, p. 295. Emphasis is mine.)
Variety in Christian Religion:
Christian faith, with conflicts and consensus, is lived under over 21000 different denominations that could be put into three broad spectrums of churches – Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant that emerged from a Church divided into Eastern and Western Churches! (Consult World Christian Encyclopaedia, edited by David B. Barrett, 1982.) It is useful to look at the timeline for Christian Religion provided by Fisher in LR page 307.
Major Branches of Christian Religions:
There were two main branches:
A. Western Christianity – Centered in Rome
(i) Roman Catholicism
(ii) Protestantism
B. Eastern Christianity – Centered in Constantinople
For diagrams discussed in the class consult the following:
a. LR, p.336.
b. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ChristianityBranches.svg
c. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other_Christians
Number of Adherents:
Catholics 968, 000, 000
Protestants 395, 867, 000
Other Christians 275, 583, 000
Orthodox 217, 948, 000
Anglicans 70, 530, 000
Source: http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html
Sources to Study Christian Religion:
a. LR, pages 295-375. This is a required reading.
b. Cory, Catherine A., and David T. Landry, editors, The Christian Theological Tradition, Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2003. This book summarizes well the subjects that we would explore in the next nine lectures on Christianity.
c. Keen, Ralph, The Christian Tradition, Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2004.
To explore the “Christian Faith that subsists in church communities” mentioned above you may want to explore volumes of:
a. Commentaries on the Scriptures. (Into this you may include sermons as well!)
b. Histories of different Churches. (Into this you may include biographies!)
c. Theological treaties’ on various themes and doctrines!
d. Liturgies, creeds and catechisms!
e. Art and artifacts of these communities!
Looking at individuals from different church communities may also give insight to our subject matter. Students are expected to explore the following persons discussed in LR and be able to write short accounts on these persons and their faith inclinations.
a. David Vandiver – LR, p. 304.
b. Theodosius and Sergius, two who are considered “saints”, and discussed under the title “Russian Orthodox Kenoticism” – LR, p. 324.
c. Blessed Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity – LR, p. 348.
d. Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu – LR, p. 368.
Questions to Explore:
1. Discuss the major Christian concerns of the following persons: David Vandiver, Blessed Teresa, and Desmond M. Tutu.
2. Explain the term “kenoticism” from the exemplary lives of the Russian saints Theodosius and Sergius and discuss its relevance in the context of the North American plenitude.
