Christianity

While Protestants rejected all of the sacraments except baptism and communion, the Council of _______ reaffirmed Catholicism's belief in seven sacraments, including __________, a giving of last rites to prepare a Catholic for death.

Trent, Extreme unction (Extreme unction occurs when a priest anoints the dying with oil and hears the last confession, thus properly preparing the Catholic for death.)

The man most associated with the Reformation in Switzerland.

Ulrich Zwingli (Zwingli was a Catholic priest in Zurich. In 1519 he was appointed to the most powerful ecclesiastical position in the city, People's Priest. That same year he became fully convinced of the truth of Luther's message and began to preach it throughout the city.)

Developed in the late eighteenth century and spread to the United States in the early nineteenth century; rejects the Trinity, original sin, predestination, and the infallibility of the Bible.

Unitarian

The _____________ of 1870 defined the doctrine of papal infallibility, though the concept had been in practice since the beginning of the Church. According to this principle, the Pope speaks infallibly when he proclaims a doctrine of faith and morals. Not all pronouncements of popes bear this weight.

Vatican Council

The Council of Trent made reforms but it also reaffirmed a number of doctrines that the Protestant Reformation opposed. One of these is the ____________ of saints, relics, and sacred images. Catholics honor and pray to them to intercede with God for them but do not worship these people and objects.

Veneration

Even before the schism, there were cultural and linguistic differences that evolved between Christian churches in the two parts of the former Roman Empire. The ______ spoke Latin and was influenced by Roman culture, whereas the ______ had been deeply influenced by the Greeks and spoke Greek.

West, East

The __________ were a group of Jews during Jesus' time who were passionate upholders of a policy of armed rebellion against Rome.

Zealots (The Zealots were an organized group of Jewish patriots who believed that meek submission to Roman slavery meant forsaking God.)

The Eastern Orthodox Church also does not recognize the Pope as the head of the Church, rather believing Jesus Christ is the only head of the Church. They also do not believe that man is "born into sin", but that man is inherently ______, even though the propensity to sin is there. They do not believe that everyone has original sin.

good

There are two major doctrinal differences between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism: the Protestant belief in ______ alone as the source for salvation and Jesus is present only ___________ in the Eucharist. Catholics believe that salvation comes from a combination of grace and good works and that Jesus, through the mystery of transubstantiation, is fully present in the Eucharist. (The Orthodox Churches also believe in transubstantiation and the combination of grace and good works as the path to salvation.)

grace, symbolically

Jesus of Nazareth is a ___________ figure; he lived and died in the first century CE in Judea. He began preaching around the year 30 and quickly gained a following. His message was one of piety and the abandonment of sin and material things.

historical

Instead of statues, Eastern Orthodox often venerates ______, which they consider to be more theologically "correct" than statues, as statues are more human-like. Finally, priests in the Eastern Orthodox Church are allowed to marry, which is strictly against the rules of the Roman Catholic Church.

icons

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the day of Jesus' resurrection. He rose on the _____ day after his crucifixion. Easter is preceded by Lent, which is a 40 day period of fasting, repentance, and prayer.

third

The ___________ were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas. These were the 12 men who followed Jesus in his travels and wrote about his teachings.

twelve disciples

After Paul, perhaps the most influential of the early Christians was __________. Born in 354, he would write the classic books of Christian literature Confessions and City of God.

Augustine (The best known theological formulations of Augustine include the ideas of original sin, the fall of man, and predestination.)

The Catholic Counter-Reformation followed the Reformation and also sought reform. However, this movement attempted to reform from within the Catholic Church while also reaffirming principles that had been under Protestant attack--such as the idea of the Roman Catholic Church being the sole __________ on Scriptural interpretation.

Authority (On the one hand, the Counter-Reformation did correct the sales of indulgences and other challenges put forth by Protestants. On the other hand, it also reinforced its defense against Protestant attacks regarding the Catholic Church's authority and its veneration of sacred images.)

All the Gospels agree that when Jesus began his ministry, his first public act was his __________ by John.

Baptism (John the Baptist used baptism as a symbol of repentance. After being baptized by John, Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days to ponder his ministry and be tempted by Satan. He then returned to Galilee, where he began to preach.)

Two additions early Christianity made to the Jewish worship service were __________ and the _________, or communion meal.

Baptism, Eucharist (The Eucharist meal started as a simple event of commemoration of the death of Jesus, but it soon evolved into a symbolic ritual in which the bread and wine represented the body and blood of Christ.)

The __________ denomination was founded by Separatist John _____- in Holland; spread to England and then to the American colonies during the First Great Awakening and later to the United States during the Second Great Awakening; agreed-upon theology and practices vary widely.

Baptist, Smyth

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus laid out a moral code, known as the __________, for his followers.

Beatitudes

The city that Jesus is said to have been born in, as well as David. It is now in Palestine, but has one of the highest concentrations of Palestinian Christians of the entire region.

Bethlehem

One of the most influential is the traditional belief that Simon Peter, whom Jesus had singled out to be the foundation of the future church, was the first __________ of the Roman church.

Bishop (The Church of Rome was built upon a tradition of strong bishops that began with Simon Peter, whom Christ had predicted in the Gospels would become the cornerstone of the church.)

In the second century, The title "________," meaning "universal," came to identify the body of teachings of this church and included the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the Epistles of St. Paul.

Catholic

__________ is known for creating the Holy Roman Empire and becoming its first emperor.

Charlemagne (In the 4th century, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The Church worked to expand its influence and power over the next few centuries, and its efforts culminated in the year 800 AD with the formation of the Holy Roman Empire, a Christian state in which the Church and state were more closely intertwined than ever before.)

This denomination was founded on the ideas of Robert Browne; evolved from the Nonconformist movement in Great Britain that also fostered the Separatist or Puritan reform movement; important in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Congregational

The word of Jesus Christ and his teachings found receptive audiences wherever the new missionaries went, and, by the first century CE, they had attracted the attention of the government. At that time, the emperor was worshiped as a god. Christians mindful of the one God refused to obey and a period of persecution began, which continued more or less until the conversion of the Emperor __________ to Christianity in 312. By the end of the _____ century, Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Constantine, 4th

In addition to adopting Christianity, Constantine established a new capital for the Roman Empire at the ancient site of Byzantium and named it ___________. Ultimately, his decision would lead to a schism in the Catholic Church in 1054 when the Western and Eastern branches split over doctrinal issues.

Constantinople

It should be noted that the Catholic Church answered the calls for reform generated by the Protestant Reformation with the _____________ that lasted from 1545 to 1563. Among the changes that the Council made were bishops had to live within their dioceses and preach regularly, seminaries to educate priests were to be erected in every diocese, and parish priests were to be better educated and actively minister to their parishioners. However, the Council also reaffirmed a number of doctrines that were at the root of the Protestant reformation.

Council of Trent

The Gospels place the majority of responsibility for Jesus' __________ upon the leaders of the Jewish community.

Death (Though the Romans actually crucified Jesus, the Gospels mainly blame the leaders of Jewish groups such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots for his death. This impression would set the stage for centuries of anti-Jewish sentiment.)

The _________ Scriptures, which were a series of 12 books, were found in 1945 at Nag Hammadi by a villager. The writings were gnostic treatises, with some volumes dictating early Christian history.

Gnostic

_________ faiths believe that humans are connected to God and are actually divine themselves. In order to leave this imperfect world, a redeemer has to come in order to bring the divinity inside humans together with the divinity of the creator.

Gnostic

The Council of Trent made reforms but it also reaffirmed a number of doctrines that the Protestant Reformation opposed. One of these was the role of __________ in salvation: Grace, alone, as taught by several Protestant churches, was not enough for salvation.

Good Works

The best source of information we have regarding the life of Jesus are the __________. These books are biographical accounts about Jesus, focusing mostly on the last few months of his life, his death, and his resurrection.

Gospels (Though they provide little information on his early life, the Gospels nonetheless provide the best information we have about Jesus. There is a notable lack of non-Christian accounts of Jesus and creating an accurate historical account of his life is difficult.)

In 1324, the second Avignon Pope John XXII excommunicated the Holy Roman Emperor, Ludwig IV (1282-1347), who four years later set up an antipope in Rome. After the papacy returned to Rome in 1377, dispute over the papal election led to a division known as the __________.

Great Schism (Two churchmen claimed the title of Pope. These disputes caused the church to be criticized a great deal and reduced its power.)

The Eastern Orthodox Church has its roots in ________ during the Byzantine Empire. As such, much of its background, language, and practices come from Greek influences rather than Latin as in Rome.

Greece

This denomination was founded by Martin Luther; doctrine of justification: belief that salvation comes through faith alone and the gift of grace; that is, good works are not counted.

Lutheranism

The seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic church are baptism, confirmation, penance, eucharist, extreme unction, __________, and holy orders.

Marriage (These sacraments are ceremonies that mark important and sacred events or moments as a Catholic.)

Who said, "Here I stand; I can do no other."? He said this as the Diet of Worms.

Martin Luther (When young Martin Luther was called before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms, he gave his famous "Here I stand" speech in defense of his decision to remove himself from the Roman Catholic Church and stand for his beliefs.)

Many of the Catholic traditions are highly ritualized, and there is also a significant veneration of Mother ____, as compared to Protestantism.

Mary

In addition to disbelieving the infallibility of the Pope, the Eastern Orthodox Church also does not believe that __________ was born sinless.

Mary (The Eastern Orthodox Church believes Mary was chosen to be the mother of Christ as a result of her virtuous life. The Roman Catholic Church believes Mary was born without original sin.)

In 1854, Pius IX formally declared the Immaculate Conception as dogma. This dogma stated the Catholics' long held belief that Mary not only conceived as a virgin, but had been born without the taint of __________.

Original sin (The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a controversial dogma. Among Protestants, some are beginning to even doubt if Mary was a virgin when she gave birth.)

Beginning of Holy Week; commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem before his crucifixion.

Palm Sunday

Jesus often used a teaching device called the __________ which taught powerful, spiritual lessons through simple stories about everyday people and events.

Parable (Jesus is well known for his use of the parable. Some of his parables such as the stories of the prodigal son and the Good Samaritan are among the world's best known religious teachings.)

The stories told in the Bible that give lessons or show biblical principles are known as __________. They were often stories told by Jesus as a means of explaining a concept.

Parables

A Roman citizen who became one of the most famous apostles of the early Christian Church. Originally a great persecutor of early Christians, he was converted and founded many churches throughout Europe and Asia Minor. His letters to those churches were turned into books that are in the New Testament

Paul of Tarsus

_________ was a Jew but believed that it was a new religion that should be preached to everyone. Once a persecutor of Christians, he had converted in 35 CE after a vision and became a zealous missionary among gentiles.

Paul of Tarsus

The Church of the Latter Day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormon church, is a branch of Christianity. They accept both the Bible and texts written by Joseph Smith. The books written by Joseph Smith include ______________ and Doctrines and Covenants.

Pearl of Great Price

A famous theologian at the time of Saint Augustine, who greatly disagreed with Augustine's way of thinking. He said that man was perfectly capable of doing good deeds without the need for God, and that the free will humans enjoyed was not tainted by the original sin. He was later declared a heretic by the First Council of Ephesus.

Pelagius

_________ and his followers believed salvation was something initiated and mainly carried through by human will.

Pelagius (Pelagius rejected Augustine's teachings on predestination and believed mankind was free to act as it would.)

At _________, fifty days after Easter (Christianity's most important holy day and the one that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus), the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles and they began to preach the message of Jesus.

Pentecost

Sunday fifty days after Easter; celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the beginning of the Christian church.

Pentecost

During the time of Christ and the New Testament era, the ____________ tended to be wealthy Aristocrats who held powerful positions. They denied the resurrection of the dead, the afterlife, and the existence of a spiritual world.

Sadducees (At the time of Christ, the positions of chief priest and high priest, and the majority of the 70 seats of the Sanhedrin (ruling council) were all held by Sadducees.)

Not only was Paul an important missionary of early Christianity, but he can also be considered the religion's first great theologian, writing _____ of the books in the New Testament.

14 (Paul is sometimes known as the "Second Founder of Christianity." His systematic attempts to organize the beliefs of early Christianity helped determine the doctrinal position of the young religion.)

The __________-century movement called the Reformation revolutionized the Western church, destroying its hold on Europe and challenging its religious authority.

16th (Though named the Reformation, the movement presented challenges that went well beyond simple reform. In fact, the Western church never recovered the same position and status that it held before the revolution.)

After the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476 and during the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was often the most stable and unifying force in Western Europe as nomadic peoples moving out of Asia and Vikings from northern Europe invaded. By the _____ century, the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in the West had amassed large fortunes, lived less than pious lives, and competed with temporal rulers for power. Into this mix, add disputes over doctrinal issues, and the time was ripe for the ______________.

16th, Protestant Reformation

Christianity is the largest religion in the world. With nearly _____________ followers, it accounts for almost one-third of the earth's population.

2 Billion (Having so many followers, Christianity obviously encompasses a number of beliefs and practices. It is estimated that there are nearly 34,000 Christian denominations. Christianity is also one of the fastest growing religions in the world.)

The focus of Christians is on the future: the redemptive power in their own lives of Jesus' resurrection. This message has resonated with millions of people since ____ CE, when Jesus was reported to have died for humankind's sins and then risen again. Today, there are over 2 billion Christians in the world belonging to three branches and more than a dozen denominations. Christianity is a continuation of the promise of the ____ Testament but with a difference.

33, Old

The first of the Gospels were written shortly after _____ CE. Some speculate that Rome's squelching of the Jewish rebellion in the city of Jerusalem that year might have prompted early Christians to begin recording their memories of Christ.

70 (In 70, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed along with several of the witnesses to Christ's life. With fewer and fewer Christians able to recall Jesus' life, the need to create authoritative accounts became clear.)

Considered the founder of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther nailed his ______ Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church in 1517.

95 (The most central ideas found in the Theses and subsequent work of Martin Luther are that every Christian has the authority to interpret Scripture and that the pope and church officials are not superior to individual believers.)

_______ most nearly means 'coming', or 'expectation'. The Advent period for Christianity extends from the 4th Sunday before Christmas. Traditions during advent include fasting, prayer, and music, and are intended to celebrate the coming of baby Jesus.

Advent

There are now more Christians in __________ than Muslims.

Africa (Another example of the rapid growth of Christianity is in South Korea, which has traditionally been Confucian and Buddhist--there, Christianity is growing at the rate of ten percent per year.)

The religious groups that were directly formed as a result of the Anabaptist movement were the _____, Hutterites, and ___________. The Anabaptist groups were actually persecuted and discriminated against by the Roman Catholics and Protestants into the 17th century.

Amish, Mennonites

The __________ branch of Protestantism includes the Baptists, the Mennonites and the Amish.

Anabaptist

The ________ are members of the Christian radical reformation in the 16th century, and is literally translated as "one who is baptized again".

Anabaptists

__________ is the original English church, and the ___________ church is the U.S. counterpart. It split from the Roman Catholic Church when the Pope refused to allow King Henry VIII to divorce and remarry. Little changed in hierarchy or practice until the reign of Henry's third child, Elizabeth I. The Anglican Church is still closest in theological doctrine to the Roman Catholic Church.

Anglican, Episcopalian

_________ was a major center for early Christianity in the 3rd and 4th century. Currently, the city is still a patriarchate of orthodox churches, and is a meeting place for leaders of the church (bishops, archbishops) to discuss.

Antioch

At various times and as early as the third century CE, the Church called councils of bishops and scholars to debate and affirm church doctrine. Among the results were such statements of dogma as the ________ Creed and the _________ Creed, which established certain precepts that Catholics had to accept.

Apostles, Nicene

Forty days after Easter Sunday; memorializes Jesus' ascent into heaven.

Ascension Thursday

Christianity has seen the most growth in the past several decades in the ______ continent. _________ has had the most recent growth in Christianity. The Christian population grew from roughly 5% in the early 1980's to over 29% today. On the other hand, the proportion of Christians in the European and American populations has been on the decline since the 1980's.

Asian, South Korea

One of the earliest theological controversies faced by Christianity centered around the group called the Gnostics. Although this group was diverse in its beliefs, most believed that __________ existed within all human beings and that a redeemer figure would come to reconnect humanity's divinity with its maker.

Divinity (The Gnostics were labeled as heretics since they denied the humanity of Jesus, saying rather that he was purely spirit.)

Catholicism is further divided into two primary branches - _____________ and Roman Catholic. This happened because of fundamental differences in beliefs and practices and the two officially split in the 11th century.

Eastern Orthodox

The most noteworthy Christian movement in the twentieth century was the __________ movement, which attempted to close the gap between the various Christian branches and move towards a Reunification of Christianity.

Ecumenical (Although the Ecumenical movement made gains in bringing the Protestants and Catholics closer together, the Eastern Orthodox Church remains aloof towards the Western church.)

Over the first few centuries, Christianity continued to undergo periods of severe persecution during the reigns of certain Roman Emperors. This ended with the reign of Constantine, who became the first Christian Roman emperor and issued the _____________.

Edict of Milan (In 313, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, giving Christianity the same status and privileges as other religions. When he was dying, he was baptized and officially became a Christian.)

Celebrates the visit of the three Magi to the infant Jesus; twelve days after Christmas.

Epiphany

The Christian Bible is made up of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament and the New Testament. The New Testament contains the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and other writings, including the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, and the Book of Revelation, as well as thirteen pieces in the Hebrew Apocrypha. The _______ are of special importance because they were written by Apostles and others to early Christian communities, discussing their issues and problems.

Epistles (Depending on the branch or denomination of Christianity, the Bible is either considered to be the exact words of God or to have been inspired by God)

Martin Luther separated from the Catholic Church after being __________ for his 95 propositions.

Excommunicated (After reaching the conclusion that men could only be saved, or justified, by faith, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of a church. He believed that every man could attain forgiveness independent of a priest. Also, that no matter how good a man was, he could not become righteous by his own works, but relied on the righteous and perfect works of Jesus Christ. This idea, of course, the Church could not agree with. He was excommunicated, and consequently started a religious revolution that would spawn into the Protestant groups. Some of the other conclusions that he reached were that the communion did not become the physical blood and body of Jesus Christ, Mary was not to be worshipped (though she should be honored), and that purgatory was just a doctrine of the Catholic Church.)

Martin Luther's translation of the first Bible from Greek and Hebrew into __________ greatly influenced the local language even to this day.

German (The Luther Bible is a German language Bible translation from Hebrew and ancient Greek by Martin Luther. The New Testament was first published in 1522 and the complete Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments and Apocrypha, in 1534. Thanks to the recently invented printing press, the newly translated Bible was widely disseminated and contributed significantly to the development of today's modern High German language.)

The earliest New Testament writings were likely the Epistles of Paul. In these letters, Paul offers __________ to the early Christians spread across various parts of the Roman world.

Guidance (Paul wrote these letters to early Christian congregations in the 50s and 60s of the first century. They represent the first systematic understanding of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Fourteen of the current twenty seven books of the New Testament are letters Paul wrote to the Christian congregations he had established.)

In order to define its beliefs in the midst of early __________ groups, early orthodox Christians developed a statement of faith. Because it was purported to have originated with some of Jesus' original followers, it is called the ___________' Creed.

Heretical, Apostles (Although most do not believe that the apostles actually authored the Apostles' Creed, it does have a long history and was central to defining early Christian doctrinal belief. There are several reasons behind the ascendancy of the Church of Rome and the pope.)

The ____________ is the Father (God), the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. They are the most important figures in all of Christianity. However, many branches of Christianity, including Catholicism, place great importance on the Mother/Virgin Mary, as the vessel of God.

Holy Trinity

Holy Thursday, which recognizes the Last Supper; Good Friday, which commemorates Jesus' death on the cross.

Holy Week

Forty days of fasting and prayer before Easter; begins on Ash Wednesday when Christians are reminded that "thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return".

Lent

The New Testament book of Acts was probably written by the same author who wrote __________'s Gospel. It describes the activities of the early Christians following Jesus' resurrection and ascension.

Luke (The Book of Acts seems to have been intended as a sequel to Luke. It records the early meetings and preaching of Christians in Jerusalem, their persecution, and their missionary journeys.)

The place of Jesus' death and the traditional seat of power for Jewish Kings. During Jesus' lifetime, it was the location of the Roman government and was the location of his trial and death sentence by crucifixion

Jerusalem

After Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, his followers began to preach about Jesus and his mission, initially only among ______. However, there were two schools of thought about the nature of Christianity: Was it a version of Judaism or a new religion? Some believed that it was a form of Judaism and should be presented only to Jews. Others wanted to preach to the ________.

Jews, gentiles

________ is a theologian and pastor who wrote "The Institutes of the Christian Religion". He was a prominent pastor, and another branch of Chistianity called Calvinism was founded after him.

John Calvin

Luther may have started the Reformation, _________ is usually considered the greatest and most influential mind of the movement. His writings formed the basis for later Protestant theology.

John Calvin (In his writings, John Calvin attempted to return to what he felt was the Christian faith before it was corrupted by the Roman church. His theology and his emphasis on thrift is still felt today in the many branches of Calvinist religion. Calvin wrote The Institutes of the Christian Religion which became the classic text of Protestant theology.)

It was the actions of a monk named ________, who was selling indulgences with the proceeds to be split by the Pope, who was interested in rebuilding St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, as well as the local Archbishop in debt, and a bank, that drew Martin Luther's attention and precipitated the Protestant Reformation.

John Tetzel

Jesus was killed in the Roman province of ________ in Jerusalem, and was condemned by Pontius Pilate, a Roman prefect. According to the Bible, Pontius Pilate found no fault with Jesus and was going to let him go, but the Jewish leaders at the time demanded his death.

Judaea

As Christianity developed, one of the positions that was both a strength and a weakness for the religion was its decision to allow Gentiles, or non-Jews, to become Christian without first converting to __________.

Judaism (Christianity's decision to allow gentiles to become Christians without first becoming Jewish led to the religion's quick growth. On the other hand, it caused a major schism between Christianity and the Jewish faith.)

The official language of the Church is _____, rather than Greek like the Eastern Orthodox Church, and statues are heavily used by the Roman Catholic Church. Yet another difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Church is ___________. In the Roman Catholic Church, baptisms can be performed by pouring water over the head three times. According to the Eastern Orthodox religion however, pouring water is not enough. They believe that baptism must be performed by a total immersion in water three times.

Latin, Baptism

The Gospels contain very little information about Jesus' early life. Both _________ and __________ agree, however, that Jesus' birth was unique because he was born of a virgin.

Matthew, Luke (The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all tell Jesus' story, but only Matthew and Luke mention the birth of Jesus, which is unique for his birth by a virgin. The story of the virgin birth of Jesus has been a source of contention between Christians and Jews for centuries. The Hebrew word for virgin can connote either "virgin" or, more generally, just a "young woman.")

Jesus was seen as the _______ promised by Yahweh, the Supreme Being, to the Jews, although they expected a kingdom on earth, whereas Jesus talked about a Day of Judgment when the good would be rewarded and the evil punished. (The word "messiah" translates as "christos" in Greek and Jesus became known as Jesus Christ, that is, Jesus the Messiah.)

Messiah

John Wesley founded the __________ Church. In the eighteenth century, this form of Protestantism experienced massive growth in colonial America due to its broad appeal to the lower and middle classes.

Methodist (Though Wesley did not want to break from the Church of England, it became clear by his death that his Methodist Church was too different to remain a part of the English church. Methodism remains the second most popular Protestant denomination in America after the Baptists.)

The ________ denomination was founded by John _________ as a way to reform the Church of England; believes in the Trinity, accepts Baptism and the Eucharist as sacraments.

Methodist, Wesley

Books that are considered sacred exclusively by the Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter Day Saints are the Book of _________, the Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and _________.

Mormon, Covenants

Though in the early years of Christianity it was considered a sect of Judaism, Paul's preaching that belief in Jesus replaced the need to follow the laws of __________ caused the separation of Judaism and Christianity.

Moses (Though Christianity was considered heretical and was persecuted by the rest of the Jewish community, it was considered a sect of Judaism for many years after Jesus' death. It was not until Paul declared the Dietary Laws and Laws of Circumcision as declared in the Laws of Moses as null and void that a true separation formed.)

The most famous book contained in the __________ library is the Gospel of Thomas.

Nag Hammadi (Nag Hammadi is a city located on the west bank of the Nile in Egypt. In 1945 local farmers discovered thirteen leather-bound books in a sealed earthenware jar which included a large number of Gnostic scriptures.)

In general, Christians share a common belief in the uniqueness of Jesus of __________, that he provided for the redemption of mankind by his death and was himself resurrected from the dead.

Nazareth

Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ) is the primary figure in modern day Christianity, and is the Son of God according to the Bible. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a manger next to the sheep, but raised in ________.

Nazareth

The early Christians living in the Roman Empire were __________ because they did not acknowledge the state religions, leading to a charge of Atheism.

Persecuted (Because the Christians did not accept and worship the Roman gods, they were persecuted by laws like the edict of Severus, the edict of Decius, and the edicts of Valerian. The edict of Severus, issued in the early 3rd Century, made conversion to Christianity illegal and killed many recent converts. The edict of Decius, issued in 250 A.D. required everyone to profess their faith in the Roman religion; those who did not were tortured until they did. Valerian's edict in 257 confiscated property, forbade worship, and killed many church leaders.)

_______ was one of the first disciples of Jesus, along with his brother Andrew. He was Jesus' "right hand man", and was a fisherman before becoming a disciple. He is now known as the founder of the Catholic Church.

Peter

Prior to his conversion, the Apostle Paul was a __________ who violently persecuted the followers of Jesus.

Pharisee (At the time of his conversion Paul was on his way to arrest Christians and bring them to Jerusalem. He experienced a miraculous vision on the road to Damascus and became converted to the very religion he had worked so hard to destroy.)

At the time of Christ, the __________ were popular with average people and consisted mostly of middle-class businessmen.

Pharisees (Even though the Pharisees held a minority number of seats on the Sanhedrin they were a powerful group as a result of the support they had from the common people.)

The _________ denomination was founded on the ideas of John ________; emphasizes the doctrine of election: belief that God foreordained who would be saved (the elect) and who would not

Presbyterian, Calvin

Christianity over the centuries has developed three main branches: the ______________ Church, the ____________ Church, and more than a dozen Protestant denominations.

Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox

In the second century, Christianity had developed a formal organization of bishops and was centered in ______. Peter had been the first bishop of Rome, and later popes would claim supremacy over the church as successors to Peter, citing Jesus' words: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." The Eucharist as a celebration of the Lord's Supper had also developed as the central ritual.

Rome

Before his conversion to Christianity, the Apostle Paul was known as ______ of Tarsus.

Saul

The most recent council was the _______________ held between 1962 and 1965, which sought to modernize Church practices and doctrines, including allowing Mass to be said in vernacular languages rather than Latin and eliminating the requirement that Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays.

Second Vatican Council

The Council of Trent made reforms but it also reaffirmed a number of doctrines that the Protestant Reformation opposed. One of these was the reaffirmation of the _________. Not all protestant churches accept all seven of these.

Seven Sacraments

Established in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century; observes Saturday as the Sabbath; believes that the Second Coming of Christ is near; accepts the Trinity and the Bible as infallible.

Seventh-Day Adventist

Jesus proclaimed himself the ____________. When Jesus attacked the practices of some of the Jewish leaders, and as the crowds following him grew larger, the leaders determined to put a stop to his preaching. They convinced the Roman governor that his preaching was dangerous; the governor arrested Jesus and had him crucified like a common criminal.

Son of God

____________ believed that humans were 'drowning in sin' and in desperate need of God's grace. His work and teachings are considered the foundation of western Christianity and was adopted by the Roman Catholic branch of Catholicism, though rejected by the Eastern Orthodox branch. He also wrote many books on the concept of original sin: meaning all humans were born with sin.

St. Augustine

Originally one of the seven deacons or "servers" chosen to assist the Apostles, __________, d. AD c.36, became an important preacher and the first Christian martyr.

Stephen (According to Acts 6-7, Stephen's charge before the Sanhedrin that the Jews had persistently disobeyed God so enraged his Jewish audience that they stoned him to death.)

The Christian Sabbath day is on the 7th day of the week, or _______. According to the book of Genesis, 'By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.' On the other hand, the Islamic Sabbath day is Friday.

Sunday

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the __________ Gospels, because they all share the a similar chronology, outline, and message.

Synoptic (The synoptic Gospels were all written during the 70s. The other Gospel, John, was not written until the 90s, and it differs markedly from the first three.)

The greatest medieval Christian thinker was __________. His attempts to reconcile faith and reason resulted in Summa Theologiae, a massive work that became the theological basis for the Roman Catholic Church.

Thomas Aquinas (Thomas Aquinas made great attempts to christianize Aristotle, even using Aristotelian argument to try and prove God's existence. In the end, however, Aquinas decided that reason was limited and that divine revelation became necessary after a point.)

________ refers to a means of church taxation, in which followers belonging to a church, synagogue, etc, give a portion of their monthly earnings to the church. Although many religions have some sort of tithing or taxing system built into the doctrine as a means of supporting the administration, an organized taxation system is not considered a sacrament or central part of a religion.

Tithing

The changing of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus during the act of consecration at Mass.

Transubstantiation

When compared to the writings of Luther and Calvin, __________'s theology was considered by many to be simple.

Zwingli (While both Calvin and Luther wrote prolifically on a variety of different religious subjects, Zwingli focused on only a single theme, the Bible as absolute authority. Whenever he spoke or wrote Zwingli emphasized that Christians should believe and practice only those things stated specifically in the Old or New Testament.)

The Protestant branch of Christianity is one of two major branches, the other being Catholicism. It was founded in the early 1500's as a reaction to old doctrines and practices. Catholicism, in comparison to Protestantism, requires the performance of good deeds and sacraments to be saved. On the other hand, the Protestants believed that grace could be obtained through just __________ and faith. The Protestant Church is considered to have been founded by ___________.

baptism, Martin Luther

The Pentecost holiday refers to when the Holy Spirit descended onto the 12 disciples and other followers of Jesus. It occurs 7 weeks, or roughly 50 days, after Easter and is regarded as the __________________ (because that is when the Father first came into humans).

birthday of the Church

The belief that some or all members of the clergy are required to be unmarried

clerical celibacy

The basic elements that connect the various Protestant denominations reflect on the importance of ________ and the power of the _____ experience of God. In general, Protestants believe that salvation comes through God's gift of ______ alone, accept the Bible as revealed and infallible truth, and do not require their priests or ministers to be celibate. Some faiths also accept female and gay clergy, unlike the Catholic Church. Statues and saints are not important and may not even be part of a denomination's theology. The emphasis is on preaching and singing, and services tend not to be daily.

community, direct, grace

There are number of doctrinal differences and practices that separate the Orthodox Churches from the Roman Catholic Church: 1) The Roman Catholic Mass is said _____, whereas the Orthodox liturgy is not necessarily celebrated daily. 2) The Roman Catholic Mass is only sung if it is specifically a High Mass. The Orthodox liturgy is always _____.

daily, sung

There are number of doctrinal differences and practices that separate the Orthodox Churches from the Roman Catholic Church: 1) Orthodox churches are highly ___________, especially with icons and gold decorations, whereas the typical Roman Catholic Church is less ornate. 2) Orthodox churches accept the seven sacraments as the major sacraments, but believe that whatever the _______ does is sacramental.

decorated, Church

An __________ is a remission of the temporal punishment that a priest has given a penitent to perform as a result of sinning. If not performed by the sinner, the sinner would suffer in purgatory. Beginning in the Middle Ages, sinners could give a small amount of money, considered _____, in exchange for an indulgence. By the time of the Reformation, indulgences had been extended to include those who had already died and were presumed to be suffering in purgatory. Indulgences had also become a lucrative way of raising money for the Church and Church leaders by preying on the fears of the faithful that they or their loved ones would languish in purgatory.

indulgence, alms

Even before Martin Luther's protests, many others were denouncing the Church's sale of __________. This practice, the church claimed, would pay for sins committed either by the living or by the dead who were in purgatory.

indulgences

The Southern Baptists do not believe in __________ baptism, a practice of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches.

infant (Many Baptist churches emphasize a believer's baptism, which is performed after a profession of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. They reject the idea of infant baptism because they believe that a parent cannot make the decision of salvation for an infant. The Roman Catholics and others support infant baptism because they believe that even infants are sinful and in need of salvation.)

The dates for all holy days, as well as specific saints' days and when different parts of Scripture should be featured in religious ceremonies, are determined annually by the ______________.

liturgical calendar

There are number of doctrinal differences and practices that separate the Orthodox Churches from the Roman Catholic Church: 1) Priests may ______ in the Orthodox Churches before ordination, whereas the Roman Catholic Church forbids married priests. 2) The Roman Catholic Church does not allow people to receive communion, that is, the Eucharist, before the age of seven, considered the age of reason. The Orthodox Churches allow ________ to receive communion.

marry, infants

The second Vatican council lasted for 3 years from 1962-65. It was convened to decide on policies for the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and ______ world. This was due to increasing modern pressures and technology change that was changing the way people thought about the Church.

modern

The Council of Trent made reforms but it also reaffirmed a number of doctrines that the Protestant Reformation ________. This includes the transubstantiation, purgatory, clerical celibacy, and indulgences.

opposed

The Catholic Church is the '________' church of Christianity. They believe in the necessity of good deeds and sacraments to be saved. Sacraments include: - Baptism - Anointing of the Sick (or Extreme Unction) - Holy Orders - Eucharist - Penance - Confirmation - Matrimony

original

Doctrines such as transubstantiation, the position of Mary, original sin, and infant baptism vary from religion to religion. For example, Catholics believe in ________ sin; it is the sin that Adam committed, and, because of it, all humans are born with this sin on their souls, but baptism removes it. For this reason, Catholics are baptized in infancy. (However, infants who die before they can be baptized are thought to be taken into heaven.) On the other hand, the Orthodox churches reject the concept of inherited guilt associated with original sin. The Orthodox churches also practice infant baptism, as do most Protestant churches. Some Protestant churches (e.g., branches of the Baptist denomination) generally practice ______ baptism, believing that people are saved through God's gift of grace and baptism.

original, adult

Some denominations support religious, or ________, school systems, whereas others rely on religious instruction of the young during Sunday School sessions.

parochial

There is no single Orthodox Church in that there are several national churches, for example, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. The Orthodox churches are overseen by a network of __________, and there are a number of commonalities among them.

patriarchs

The Roman Catholic Church is that which is based out of Rome. In the Roman Catholic religion, the _____ is the single, head of the church on earth and is the final law on matters of disagreement.

pope

There are number of doctrinal differences and practices that separate the Orthodox Churches from the Roman Catholic Church: 1) The Orthodox Churches do not recognize the primacy of the ______. 2) The Orthodox Churches do not accept the ________ to be on the same level as God the Father and God the Son, as Catholics do.

pope, Holy Spirit

The place where the souls of sinners are purified after death and before entering heaven.

purgatory

Factors which influenced the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire included cities and __________, a common language (Greek), political stability, and no official religion.

roads

Until the ______ in 1054 between the Catholic Church in the West and the East, the history of Christianity was synonymous with the development of the Catholic Church. As noted above, the organizational structure of what became known as the Roman Catholic Church began as early as the first century CE with positions of priest and bishop. In time, the structure became increasingly ___________. The position of bishop of Rome was elevated to supremacy over all other bishops and was called "Pope." The position of cardinal, who oversaw a number of bishoprics, was added.

schism, hierarchical

Christians believe that Jesus was crucified for humankind's ____ and rose from the dead on the third day. He remained with his disciples, teaching them for forty days, and then ascended into heaven. Jesus is seen as God made Man and, depending on the form of Christianity, as part of the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

sins

Among the factors that caused the schism were the claim of the ____________ of the Pope of Rome in matters of faith and morals; the doctrine that raised the Holy Spirit equal to God the Father and God the Son; and an eighth-century controversy over the use of _______, highly ornate depictions of Jesus, Mary, and the saints.

supremacy, icons