Christianity Test

Identify some acheivements of Catholicism in the Middle Ages.

1) fortified institution with spiritual authority 2) great cathedrals constructed 3) Monasticism reached a new height 4) Established communities of monks and nuns were reformed 5) creation of Dominicans and Franciscans

What is the meaning of of the Greek word from which we get the word "Catholic"?

Universal

Describe how Paul came to be an Apostle of Christ.

While traveling on a road to Damascus, Paul experienced the risen Christ.

What is Christ called in the first chapter of John's Gospel?

Word called "logos"

Who was Augustine, and what great theological masterpiece did he write after the fall of Rome?

Augustine was the Bishop Augustine of Hippo. He wrote The City of God where he argues that all governments and nations are corrupt and have fallen to sin.

What did King Henry VIII play in the Protestant Reformation?

Broke with the Church and declared himself head of the Church of England.

Define Christianity's two core doctrines.

Christianity's two core doctrines are the Incarnation, which asserts Christ is both fully divine and fully human, and the Trinity, which says God is of three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Who was John the Baptist, and how was he important in Jesus' life?

Cousin of Jesus. preached coming of God. Baptized Jesus.

To what was Jesus likely referring when he spoke of the Kingdom of God?

God's intervention in history to right the wrongs in the world. ...

What does the term gospel mean?

Good news.

Name a distinctive practice of Eastern Orthodoxy and identify the tradition's theological focal point.

Great emphasis on icons and early Christian Saints. Incarnation encourages a mystical union with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Briefly describe the political situation in Palestine during Jesus' lifetime.

Palestine was conquered by Romans in 63 BC. When Jesus was young, most of Palestine, came under direct control of Roman Emperor, Pilate.

What are parables? Name two well-known.

Parables are stories cast in language and settings familiar to his listeners but proclaiming radical lessons intended to disrupt conventional ways of thinking. Two well-known parables are the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.

What does Paul say about the second coming?

Paul emphasizes that salvation comes through God's grace- God's presence freely given.

When was the Second Vatican Council held, and what were in general aims?

The Second Vatican Council was held from 1962 to 1965. Its general aims were to reflect on Church teaching so the Church would respond appropriately to the needs of the modern world, and to promote Christian unity.

What was decided at the Council of Jerusalem?

The apostles and elders decided Gentile Christians were virtually free from the requirements of the Jewish Law. It distinguished the Christian Church from its parents, Judaism.

What is the origin of the term creed?

"credo" I believe.

What significant event occurred in the year 1054?

- Pope Leo IX excommunicated the leader of the Greek Church, the patriarch of Constantinople, who in turn excommunicated the pope.

What is the doctrine of the Incarnation?

- The Incarnation identifies Christ as the Word, who from the beginning was with God and was God active in the creation of the world.

What is the focal point of the Gospel of John?

- The Incarnation is the focal point of the Gospel of John.

What two creeds were formulated by the year 325?

- The Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed were formulated by the year 325.

What is the doctrine of the Trinity?

- The doctrine of the Trinity is the centerpiece of Christina belief and theology. By definition, the Christian God is a triune God, three Persons- in one Godhead.

What is the primary focus of the Gospel of Matthew?

- The primary focus of the Gospel of Matthew was obedience to the Law. It presents Jesus as the new Moses who reveals the fulfillment of God's Law through spiritual obedience.

What were the three distinct offices in the Church by the early second century? Briefly describe the role of bishop in the early Church.

- The three distinct offices in the Church were bishops, presbyters, and deacons. Bishops were seen as successors to Jesus's Apostles and therefore were highly esteemed. Each bishop was the overseer of his church, and the bishop performed the chief task of administering the Eucharist. Pope is considered the direct successor of St. Peter.

In what ways does the Gospel of Luke portray Jesus as reaching out to a diversity of people?

- This Gospel gives women more attention, and many of its parables characterize outcasts in the favorable light. Jesus reaches out to people of all segments of life.

What are the primary sources of information about the life of Jesus?

-The New Testament Gospels such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the primary sources of information about the life of Jesus.

Identify the seven sacraments of Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

1) Baptism 2) Confirmation 3) Eucharist 4) Holy Orders 5) Matrimony 6) Anointing of the Sick 7) Reconciliation

How much of the world's population is Christian? Where is Christianity the dominant religious tradition?

1/3. Americas, Europe, and Australia. With significant followings in Asia and Africa.

Where, and in what century, did the Protestant Reformation take place?

16th century England mainly through Germany, Switzerland, and England.

What did Paul say the Church is meant to be?

A unified body of people.

Why did worship on behalf of the Roman emperor bring Christians into conflict with the empire?

Act of disloyalty against Roman state.

Explain apocalyptism.

Apocalypticism is when the world had come under the control of evil forces.

How does the Gospel of John emphasize both Jesus' divinity and humanity?

Apostles' Creed refers to each of the three Persons in the Trinity.

What is ecumenism?

Ecumenism is the promotion of worldwide Christian unity.

What were the central rituals of the early Church?

Eucharist and Baptism.

What did Luther's NInety-five Theses protest against?

He protested against the selling of indulgences.

According to the first epistle to the Corintians, what is Paul's Gospel message?

He refers specifically to the Gospel or "Good News".

What are heresies?

Heresies are opinions or doctrines at variance with an accepted doctrine.

Other than the establishment of Protestatism, what were two major effects of the Protestant Reformation?

Led up to the Catholic Reformation and the Thirty Years' War.

What is Jesus' radical commandment on love?

Loving one's enemies.

What are the four main branches of Protestantism?

Lutheran, Calvinist, Baptist, and Anglican.

What is one distinctive characteristics of Roman Catholicism?

Its reliance on both the Bible and Tradition as the means of handing on God's revelation of Christ.

Why was Jesus crucified?

Jesus was crucified because of the radical nature of his teachings and his ministry, and the agitated crows of followers he attracted got Jesus in trouble with the authorities. Pontius Pilate ordered his execution.

Historically speaking, what was the most critical point established at the Council of Nicea?

Jesus, the Son and God the Father are "one in Being". God became flesh in the person of Jesus but in no way is Jesus a lesser being. He is the same being.

What does Paul emphasize about salvation?

Power of Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection is source of salvation.

What has Protestantism historically tended to protest against?

Protested against anything that stood in the way of the Christian's relationship with God through Christ.

What challenges does Eastern Orthodoxy face as a result of recent changes in the world and in the Church?

Revitalize traditions and challenge traditional ways. Breakup of SU. Membership makeup is changing. Membership of other groups.

Name and briefly describe the varieties of Judaism at the time of Jesus, including their responses to Roman rule.

Sadducees= wealthy aristocrats who controlled Jersualem Temple were conservative and friendly w rulers. Essenes= fled from trouble lading lives of discipline and purity in desert communities. Pharisees= moderate, obeying commandments of Judaism and developing Torah. Zealots= believed only way to achieve Jewish independence was through armed rebellion.

Identify elements leading to schism in Church that divided the eastern and western parts of Roman Empire.

The distance between Constantinople and Rome caused communication difficulties, the Eastern Church used Greek, and the Church in Rome used Latin. There was also a gradual loss of political unity when the western part of the Roman Empire fell, and the eastern part survived in the form of the Byzantine Empire. Finally, there was the Eastern Christians' refusal to accept the authority of the pope in Rome.

Why did the early Christians settle on Sunday as their primary day of worship?

To commemorate Christ's Resurrection and to distinguish the Church from Judaism.

What are the literal and symbolic meanings of the Greek word ixthus?

fish. Each letter of which begins a word of the phrase "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."