KEY TERMS FOR CHRISTIANITY

Fletchers responses to genetic engineering

1) proper controls must be put in place to prevent abuse and exploitation. 2) rules and principles are based on outdated and irrelevant, we refuse to be bound by the religious laws. 3) there will be a time where the genetic modification of humans is needed to enable them to live, allows enhancement therapy as there is no reason why humans should not be redesigned to improve the species. 4) "man is maker and selector and a designer"

Hick's universalism

1) purpose of human life is soul making and spiritual growth 2) in life after death there will be a world which enables the spiritual growth which will result in eternity with God 3) rejected everlasting suffering and so rejected Jesus' teaching of the sheep and the goat

diversity of faiths in Britain today

1) 2011 census - 59% Christian, 25% No religion, 5% Muslim, 4% other and 7% not stated 2) some areas of Britain are still monocultural

Hick's use of story of the blind men and the elephant

1) 3 blind men touching aspects of the elephant and all made out to be different things 2) the blind men represent the major religions of the world each in contact with the same "elephant" without knowing it.

Relegation of religion to the personal sphere

1) Increasing secularisation meant that faith is seen as an entirely personal choice and a private matter 2) But Christianity still plays a significant role in Britain as The Church Of England is the established Church in England and the National Anthem is religious as the opening word is 'God'.

Jesus as the Son of God

1) Jesus is God incarnate and so Jesus has authority from God and he can access that authority at any distance 2) Jesus in the Nicene Creed 3) Gospels: 'Son of Man' 4) Sermon of the Mount - Jesus's authority as voice of God

Positives of the Sanctity of life

1) promotes respect for human life 2) encourages protection of the vulnerable 3) weak see moral complex issues

Justification by faith and works

Catholic church 1) justification is God's gift to humanity. 2) The power of the Holy spirit enables us to live good lives. 3)Living in a way that pleases God is a part of the process of salvation. 4) 'ought to walk in the same as which he walked'

Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion

Attacks religion in a number of ways: 1) God hypothesis is irrational and contrary to good science 2) religion is primitive, harmful and has spread like a virus 3) religion encourages discrimination and is a major cause of conflict 4) teaching children religion is a form of mental abuse 5) people can be morally good without religion

McGrath's defence of Christianity: The Dawkins Delusion

Dawkins arguments are fundamentally flawed: 1) wrong in his assumption that good science is bound to result in atheism 2) Challenges his claim that science disproves religion by discussing the relationship between the two, he claims that religion and science are 'partially overlapping magisteria', they come at a world from two different but equally valid perspectives, which can intertwine and be enriching. 3) criticises for assumption that all Christians adopt the view of God and the Bible which are only held by Fundamentalists - limited understanding shown 4) Dawkins is bias in supporting evidence that agrees with his position which is unscientific

The ecumenical movement view on other denominations

Ecumenical movement is aimed at fostering the relationships between Christian denominations and promoting unity. 1) UK, annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2) 1948 - the World Council of Churches was set up, which seeks to promote dialogue between the member Churches and greater shared understanding of the Christian faith, Catholic Church is not a member

Catholic Church view on other denominations

Following are important for the Church: 1) Apostolic Succession 2) Sacraments are the gifts bestowed on the Church as an act of divine grace Relationships with non-Catholic Christians: 1) Adopt a closed inclusivism approach 2) other denominations reflect aspects of Christian faith 3) Only Catholic Church has true authority

Predestination

God decides who will be justified as he is omnipotent and omniscient. 1) Augustine: God infallibly knows who will be saved 2) Calvin: 'double predestination' - God decided before creation who would be for salvation and others for hell

Sanctity of life

Human life gives intrinsic value as we are all created in the image of God and that God breathed life into him. Therefore life is holly.

The value of wealth and possession

Materialism is a key feature of modern secular lifestyle as it views material possessions, wealth and personal comfort as more important than any spiritual beliefs or practices but seen as opposition to the values of Christianity

Christian responses to the issues of freedom of religious expression

Christians have been given the right to express their religious belief and views in British society but it is not an absolute right as if it was viewed as harmful to . other, would cause a breach of the peace or express racial or religious hatred that would be a breach of the law. 1) Evangelical Christians emphasis the importance of personal commitment to God and so allow a great measure of religious expression. Christ's kingdom is not of this world as so secular rules have no important, they are irrelevant only person faith matters. t 2) Others see themselves as working for transformation society and so you should contribute to moral and socail debates within society

The Mission of the Church

Christians were involved in three aspects that are still typical of Christian mission: evangelism, mission to the Christian community and mission to the poor and disadvantaged

Weak sanctity of life application

Church of England view. Embryo research acceptable as of the 14 day cut off point. Abortion is acceptable if it is the lesser of two evils.

Assessments of Hick's views

Not accepted: 1) claim that apparent incompatibilities between religions are significant is not a valid one 2) Traditionally Christian though would reject universalism 3) reject the view that religion is about self-transformation Hicks ideas do promote interfaith and interdenominational relations: 1) view on universalism could strengthen interfaith 2) encourages to think about the one-ness of human religious understanding

The Church Of England view on other denominations

Wide range of views but could be said to be inclusivist for the following reasons: 1) its ability to hold together Christian varying widely in outlook, through discussion and a willingness to compromise on non-essentials 2) recognition of other Churches 3) unwillingness to exclude other Christians from the possibility of salvation

human genome project

an attempt to map all the human chromosomes with a view to isolating the genes responsible for conditions

Justification

being counted as righteous before God. 3 main views: justification by faith, justification by works and predestination (all human events a have decided by God from eternity).

genetic engineering

engineer a unique set of genes for the genetic modification of humans, animals and plants and has the potential to sure conditions.

transhumans

humans genetically engineered to have advanced intellectual, physical and psychological powers.

Dominion

humans having power over the rest of the created world

therapeutic genetic engineering

intended to repair genes in order to correct/ eliminate them

Militant atheism

the view that all religion is a bad thing that must be actively fought against

scientism

the view that science alone can give true knowledge of reality, that it alone can determine what is meaningful and that it will eventually explain everything. Dorkhins - 'science is the poetry of reality'

Significance of infant baptism in the Catholic Church

1) Baptism is a sacrament 2)Catholics practice infant baptism because: cleanses child of original sin. water is a symbol of God's grace, it enables the Holy Spirit to begin the work of transformation in the child's life, child becomes a member of the Christian Church, it is the first rite of initiation which opens up to the other sacraments

weapons of mass destruction

1) Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons that can cause a massive number of deaths in a single use. 2) Weapons of mass destruction could thus never fulfil the Just War criteria of discrimination and proportionality and the probability of success.

God as personal

1) God can be 'related to' a person 2) Personal God would be immanent within the world 3) God answers prayers 4) Holy spirit in the believer

Heaven, hell and purgatory as physical

1) Jesus was physically resurrected, the disciples could touch his hands. 2) God is all powerful, resurrected flesh before like Jesus and Lazarus 'I may awake him from sleep' 3) Augustine states that heaven is metaphysical so need body to experience, 'gnashing of teeth'.

Against ordination of women

1) Lacks catholic consent 2) Religious change is not dedicated by culture 3) 'Father' in God

Justification by faith

1) Luther states that to be justified is to be counted by God as righteous and able to have a relationship with God. 2) Eschatological - events at the end of time

Jesus as Son of Man

1) Old Test - it could mean 'I', a human being, a representative of humanity or a supernatural figure bringing God's judgement. 2) Jesus' preferred title for himself and used it to describe his role as the 'suffering servant; spoken of in the Old Testament and to his God-given authority in the present and the future. 3) 'you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One...'

Daphne Hampson

1) Rejects Christianity: - patriarchal imagery: uses male metaphors, father-son is dominant -if Christianity is methological then why make it sexist

Assessment of predestination

1) the doctine of double predestination makes God unjust. 2) Free will does not work if God knows our foreknows our actions. 3) it cannot be reconciled with Jesus' portrayal of God as unconditionally merciful, forgiving and loving.

Holy Communion

1)Catholics - sacrament 2) Protestants - ordinance 3) Quakers and Salvation Army - do not practice

Strong sanctity of life application

Catholic view. Embryo research is wrong in itself as it is sinful. Abortion is unlawful.

Strong sanctity of life principle

all humans have absolute right to life and must never be taken away

stewardship

responsible care for the rest of the created world, humans are God's agents

Spiritual resurrection

1) "It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body" 1 Corinthians (PAUL) 2) Due to the body rotting away, physical resurrection is hard to grasp. What condition would the body be in? 3) PAUL says resurrection is a chance at a new relationship with God that was no longer damaged by original sin. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God"

The significance of baptism

1) 'Baptise' means 'to dip' and for many religious people it is an initiation into the faith as it is marked by pouring water over someone or immersing a person into it. 2) Catholic, Anglican and Methodist practise infant baptism. 3) Baptist and Pentecostal practise believers' baptism only . 4) Quakers and Salvation Army reject all outward symbols and rituals.

Different names given to Holy Communion

1) 'Holy' refers to the sacred nature of the consecrated bread and wine and the ceremony as a whole. 2) 'communion' means fellowship, those sharing the meal enjoy fellowship with one another and with Christ. 3) Also called the Eucharist, Mass, Lord's Supper and Divine Liturgy (Orthodox churches) 4) Jesus shared bread and wine with his followers and instructed them to 'do this in remembrance of me'. 5) Breaking of the bread symbolises sharing with one another as the bread is broken and distributed; symbolises unity of the community

Protestant view of the roles of women in the church

1) 'priesthood of all believers' 2) egalitarian - in the United Reformed church women have been ordained since 1917

Jesus as the son of God

1) 'son of' means 'reflecting the nature of/like' 2) in Old Testament 'kings' were meant to have been adopted by God at their accession and reflect Gods justice and mercy in rule 3) Marks gospel Jesus is referred to as "son of God"

Views on homosexuality

1) 2005 civil partnership, 2010 equality act. 2) Old Testament - it is a sin that is punishable by death 'do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a women' 3) Evangelical - detestable as Bible is the infallible word of God 4) Protestant accept changes in the law 5) Catholic accept but must be celibate.

Baptism in the Catholic Tradition

1) All human beings were born with the stain of original sin. 2) only way to free someone from sin is to link them with Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross overcame the consequences of original sin. 3) Catholics believe this mystical change happens to an infant's soul during baptism and so practice paedobaptism

Physical resurrection

1) Augustine said the human soul was stained with sin. Following the example of Christ's resurrection, it must be a physical resurrection where the spiritual and physical effects of sin would be removed. 2)If it can happen for Jesus (Physical ascension and resurrection) then God can do it for us.

Christian monotheism

1) Belief in one God and he is worthy of worship 2) Developed in the thinking of the Israelite prophets; Isaiah: 'I am He. Before me no God was formed, nor shall there be any after me' 3) Before OT Israel believe in many gods: "Who is thee, O Lord, among the Gods?" Also uses the word 'Elohim' which means gods and Yahweh's council.) 4) From Shema, Jesus states 'the Lord our God is one'. 5) ) Shown the the Sinai covenant (agreement between Moses and God) has the ten commandments and love of God is the greatest commandment.

God as omnipotent controller

1) Bible - God as 'king', the king has control over everything 2) 'God sustains the universe' and so also omniscient (ethical monotheism) 3) Three approaches to Gods omnisciences: -Theological determinisms (God controls everything) -God exists beyond space and time (Aquinas) so humans have free will. -Swinburn (God able to predict as he exists within time and knows what is logically possible.

Catholic' view on authority of the Church

1) Bible and Tradition are equal in status 2) The Magisterium is the guardian and interpreter of both the Bible and Tradition 3) Bible was passed on in the written form by the Apostles and others, then tradition was passed on in oral form by the apostles, the Apostolic Tradition who passed down authority to new leaders (bishops) , receives authority from God to give an interpretation of both the Bible and Tradition that is authentic, and its teachings must be obeyed.

Catholic view on the nature and authority of the Bible

1) Bible is inspired by God and written by human beings 2) distinguish between the key messages in the Bible regarding salvation, which they believe are without error, and the account of the individual authors who were products of their time and culture, and need to be understood in that context 3) Genesis is not a scientific or factual account of the origins of the universe. 4) guidance in interpreting the Bible comes from Tradition and the Magisterium as well as the use of individuals to inform conscience and reason.

For ordination of women

1) Biblical writers are inspired by God and it was a product of their culture 2) God as a mother in the Bible (the metaphor) 3) Gender should have nothing to do with the Apostolic Succession

Rosemary Radford Ruether

1) Catholic and liberal theologian and feminist: - Jesus is androgynous - Christianity is an eschatological faith - you interpreit it yourself

arguments for Baptism in order to be Christian

1) Catholics - Jesus was and so it is a sacrament, washes away sin and brings a person closer to God 2) Baptists - people should live in accordance with Gods plan and so to be Christian you must imitate Jesus and follow his instructions

Views on celibacy

1) Celibacy is not just live without sex but devoting ones self to God 2) if sexual urges were too strong Paul says you are allowed to marry 3) Catholics celibacy is positive 4) Orthodox accepts married men as priests

Catholic view on the ordination of women

1) Complementarian - different roles. 2) Apostolic succession only passed on from men to men 3) But Florence Li Tim Oi ordained in 1944!

The doctrine of the Trinity

1) Connects sin and atonement as Jesus was sent to repair original sin through crucifixion and the Holy Spirit works within believers giving them hope for eternal life. 2) Explains that God is both transcendent and immanent 3) 'I and the father are one'

Evangelical Protestants view on the nature and authority of the Bible

1) Fundamentalist view 2) Bible is the infallible word of God 3) apparent contradictions are due to limitations of the human intellect 4) Two types of Genesis story of creation: Young earth creationists and old earth creationist. 5) Young earth creationists - literalist approach to the Bible and reject any theories that contradict the literal meaning of Genesis e.g. creation in six days, scientific theories rejected as products of limited and mistaken human intelligence, etc. 6) Old earth creationist - regard Genesis as giving a scientifically correct account of the universe e.g. not literalist as the Hebrew word for day has more than one meaning, creation in six stages, etc.

Transgender issues

1) Fundamentalists- God decides gender 2) Liberals - accept as everyone has the right to life 3) Catholic rejects - 'let Mary go away from us for women are not worthy of life' Peter

To prepare for judgement (the meaning and purpose of life)

1) Genesis 2 - humans were created for fellowship with God but disobeying would led to alienation 2) God restored the relationship through the supreme act of reconciliation. 3) the final act of this reconciliation if judgement that all humans will face. 4) Parable of sheep and goat: be sheep 5) heaven is a reward for good behaviour

objective immortality in process thought

1) God and the universe are uncreated and eternal 2) God is not omnipotent and God and the universe exist pantheistically. 3) Objective reality that is the belief that after death, all living things exist for every in the mind of God - a sense that we never die. 4) Avoids the anthropocentrism of Christian thought. 5) Reject the idea of objective immortality because it is meaningless as a person no longer has individual experiences and one feature of life after death is that innocent suffering will be redeemed so if a person is simply in the mind of God then there will be no awareness of this having been done.

Transcendent and unknowable

1) God is eternal and limitless 2) God's aseity (self-existing God) 3) Moses 'I am who I am'

God in Process Theology

1) God is not the Creator as the universe all ready existed (without form and void) 2) God and the universe exist pantheistically (exist together) 3) God not omnipotent as does not have unlimited power. 4) View supports science, gives an explaination of why God cannot control evil

God as Father

1) God revels himself to Moses as 'God of the Fathers 2) 'Abba' - father 3) Apostles' Creed - God as the father as the creator and as the father of Jesus 4) I believe in God, the Father...'

Weaknesses of process theology

1) Goes against the traditional Christian view 2) Hicks soul making theodicy explains evil 3) Creates an unworthy God to worship

Heaven, hell and purgatory as spiritual

1) Hick, what form will a physical body take? 2) Paul - 'it is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual one' 3) Cannot make sense of physical resurrection as of the temporary nature of the body. Protestant uses crenation.

Significance of the Last Supper

1) Holy Communion originated from the Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples in the upper room of a house in Jerusalem on the night before the crucifixion 2) Passover is an annual celebration of the Exodus - the escape of Moses and the Israelites from slavery in Egypt thanks to the miracle of ?God by crossing of the Red Sea. 3) At Last Supper Jesus gave bread and wine as a new significance before his death. 4) Mass celebrates freedom from the slavery of sin

To glorify God and have a personal relationship with him (the meaning and purpose of life)

1) Humans cannot know the nature of God 2) Old Testament refers to God's glory and God's glory refers to the infinite beauty and splendour of God. 3) Humans are created in the image of God and so should reflect God's glory in their lives. 4) Living a life that glorifies God means that Christians will experience the Kingdom of God (the rule of God) in this life as well as beyond death.

Mission to the Church community

1) In the past there has been significant conflict between different Christian denominations however in the past years Churches Together gives opportunities for Christians from different backgrounds to meet and engage together 2) growth for ecumenism - promote unity between the different dominations

Role and status of women in the New Testament

1) Jesus regarded women highly: 'there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ' 2) Pauls' letter: respect Phoebe as she is a deacon Paul's letter: 'women should remain silent in the churches' 3) Sodom and Gomorrah: 'I have two daughter who have never slept with a man' 4) Timothy: 'a women should learn in quietness and full submission' 5) Luther: 'women should sit at home'

Evangelism

1) Jesus' last instruction to the disciples was that they should 'go and make disciples of all nations' which means to spread the good news about Jesus to people. Christians fulfil this teaching by supporting missions either in person or financially 2) The Church Missionary Society founded in 1812 set up churches to train local people as ministers to ensure Christianity continues to develop 3) TEAM - 'the evangelical alliance mission send qualified doctors and nurses and teachers to set up schools and hospitals in countries where Christianity was not the local religion 4) fresh expressions - alternative forms of Church by people go to other buildings such as pubs, cafes and skate parks.

Biblical background of baptism

1) John the Baptist baptised people in the River Jordan to symbolise their penitence for their sins, God's forgiveness of their sins and a new start in readiness for the Kingdom. 2) Jesus saw baptisim as a powerful symbol of spiritual rebirth and as a sign of entry into the Kingdom of God. 3) After Jesus' resurrection, he instructed his disciples to baptise converts and therefore became an important rite of initiation for converts to Christianity 4) Matthe - "go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."

Neo-orthodox view on the nature and authority of the Bible

1) Karl Barth - Bible is not the word of God but contains the word of God 2) writers are the product of their time and subject to limitations of intellect 3) the way through which humans experience God, realising their need for forgiveness and divine mercy shown through Jesus

Biblical criticisms

1) Liberal -Bible should be studies like literature 2) BUT: Karl Barth states Bible passes on judgement to human reason 3) Fundamentalists - the Bible is the infallible word of God 4) Roman Catholics: Bible passed down by Apostles (egalitarians and complementarins) 5) Protestant: 'priesthood to all believers' the Bible is universal and self-interpreting.

Heaven, hell and purgatory as psychological realities

1) Life after death lacks empirical evidence 2) Process thought: God and the universe are uncreated and eternal. 3) God created order in the universe not created out of nothing. 4) God is not omnipotent 5) God and the universe exist pantheistically (God is the soul of the universe. 6) Life after death means that all humans remain as 'objects in the mind of God (objective immortality).

Protestant' view on authority of the Church

1) Martin Luther - Sola scriptura - the Bible alone has authority, salvation comes from faith, Church has no authority 2) people interpret what it says to them in their situation through prayer and in the light of their conscience

Holy Communion in the Catholic Church

1) Mass - sacrament 2) In the Eucharistic Prayer, the bread and wine are consecrated. 3) Then after the Lord's prayer, the sharing of the peace and the ritual of breaking the bread known as the Fraction, Catholics go to the priest to receive Communion. 4) Always receive bread and the priest consumes any remaining consecrated elements rather than throwing them away. 5) Mass ends with a blessing from the priest and the words 'Go forth, the Mass is ended'

God as omnipotent creator

1) Matthew 'with God anything is possible' 2) Three views of the methods of creation: -universe come EX DEO (out of Gods own being) - universe come EX NIHILO (by God out of nothing, shown in Genesis 1 'let there be light and there was light') -God put the chaos into order and then God worked on ordering it (Process theology)

Ethical Monotheism

1) Monotheism in the Bible. 2) Good moral conduct is at the heart of the covenant between Israel and God 3) Moral obedience is at the heart of salvation.

God as Love

1) Omnibenevolent 2) John - God is love 3) Agape is part of the nature of the Trinity, because they are created in God's image, human relationships have agape at their hearts.

Significance of baptism in the Baptist Church

1) Ordinance - a rule deriving directly from the Bible and particularly from the teaching Jesus. 2)Reject the idea of infant baptism: no New Testament evidence for it, no such thing as original sin, God's grace is available to all as it is not limited or tied to baptism, baptism is a statement of public commitment to faith as it makes the coming a member of the Christian community. 3) Practice 'believers baptism' (credobaptism) 4) Baptism is a public testimony to their faith in Christ 5) they declare their repentance of sin and their acceptance of Jesus as Saviour 6) They are then totally immersed in a baptism pool, and the minister says, 'I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit' 7) Then rejoin the congregation as full members of the Church community

For transgender issues

1) Paul - 'there is neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female...' 2) COE - pragmatic, can be ordained as the importance is a persons qualities 3) 'his image and likeness' - changing gender is just emphasising one aspect of God' image over the other

The implications fro Christians of the global environmental crisis

1) Pope Francis' letter 'Laudato Si addresses the environmental crisis and rejects anthropocentric attitude and urges responsible care. 2) A Rocha is an international environmental organisation - eco-theology

key rituals of infant baptism in the Catholic Church

1) Priest, parents and godparents sign a cross on child's forehead - a sign that the child belongs to God. 2) anointing of child on chest with holy oil - symbols of strength that baptism gives to fight against all that is wrong 3) blessing of the baptismal water - so the child can be 'born of water and the Spirit' 4) affirmations of faith 5) dipping child three times in the water with the spoken words ' I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the SOn and of the Holy Spirit - the washing away of sin and the union with Christ in his death (being immersed in the water) and resurrection (being lifted out of the water) 6) anointing the child with the oil of chrism - this deals the child as a member of the Body of Chritst and it is a sign that the child is chosen for a special task, it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit 7) giving a lighted candle to a parent for the child and a special prayer - a sign that the child shared in the risen life of Christ the light of the world and a prayer that the child will be open to hearing the word of God and proclaiming it 8) concluding words, the Lord's Prayer and blessing of child, parents and congregation - a reminder of the meaning of baptism and of the parents' duty to ensure the child receives the other two rities of initiation

arguments against Baptism in order to be Christian

1) Quakers - something of God in everyone and humans have unique worth. A person who lets life be guided by God will achieve a full relationship with him. The Bible is an inspirational book and so do not follow the creed. Do not regard Baptism as more sacred then other activities. 2) Salvation Army - protestant domination - beliefs based entirely on Bible but do not believe that sacraments are necessary as people have become to attached to rituals as outward signs of spiritual grace. They put personal emphasis on personal faith and on a spiritual relationship with God which does not depend on any eternal factors.

Views on marriage

1) Seen as a sacrament and raising a family is good 2) Catholics only remarry if an annulment is given 3) Orthodox allow remarry after divorce

The importance of Mass for Catholics

1) Transubstantiation - when the bread and wine are consecrated (when the priest makes it 'holy' by invoking the presence of the Holy Spirit), their substance is changed and they become the Body and Blood of Christ. 2) It is a sacrament as they receive Christ into their bodies. 3) Three aspects to a sacrament: form - the ritual actions and words used at the consecration, matter - bread and wine, intention - the priest celebrating Mass. 4) The Mass is a re-enactment of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for human sin as the fraction symbolises the breaking of Jesus' body on the cross, the sharing of peace as a sign of unity and at the end of Mass Catholics are sent back to their homes to spread to everyone the word and action the love of Christ that they have experienced

Catholic church view about the afterlife

1) Two types of judgement: particular (immediately after death) and general (end of time) 2) If free from sin go straight to heaven 3) Mortal sin go directly to hell 4) venial sin directed to purgatory (make them fit for heaven)

arguments for infant baptism

1) baptism is a sacrament that is a gift from God and so even babies can receive it 2) baptism removes original sin and gives the gift of eternal life, so should be available to babies 3) the story of Jesus welcoming children supports infant baptism 4) the New Testament refers to whole households being baptised, this includes children 5) babies need to be cleansed of sin in case they die before they are old enough to profess faith themselves.

arguments against infant baptism

1) baptism is an ordinance 2) it is a symbol of the believer's desire to start a new life as a member of the Christian community and so babies cannot understand or choose to do this. 3) Jesus was 30 when baptised 4) Baptists reject the doctrine of original sin 5) the household probably referred to all adults including slaves

Jesus' authority as only human

1) based on the claim that Jesus was not divine 2) Liberal Christians take this view. 3) Adoptionism - Jesus was not divine by Nature - God 'adopted' him as his 'son' at the baptism. 4) Unitarianism - deist view of the world - God created the world and then had no further connection to it - Jesus was just a spiritual leader. 5) Liberal Christian views - Gospels were products of several decades of thinking and the stories and teachings could have been altered and exaggerated - science rejects miracles so Jesus just a human

Justification by faith from Paul

1) because of original sin it is impossible to earn a good relationship with God. 2) only God's grace can make this possible. 3) it is not faith that justifies the believer but only God can justify. Faith is a response to the gift of grace (generous free love) 4) the believer is at peace with God

The Just War Theory

1) belief in the sanctity of life underlies the Christian version of the Just War theory 2) Ius ad bellum - refers to criteria for deciding when going to war might be justifiable e.g. just cause, legitimate authority, right intention, probability of success and proportionality. 3) ius in bello - refers to criteria for deciding how a war, once started must be fought e.g. discrimination and proportionality of means to ends

Baptist Church' view on authority of the Church

1) combine special revelation ('sola scriptura' approach) with the use by the individual of reason and conscience (general revelation) 2) New Testament takes priority over old and reject authority of the church

Negatives of the Sanctity of life

1) ignores modern science that states humans are from animals 2) promotes anthropocentric view of the universe 3) strong lacks compassion

Holy Communion in the Protestant Churches

1) it is a memorial of Jesus and his sacrifice for mankind, do not believe in transubstantiation but rather that the bread and the wine are symbolic of Jesus' sacrifice. 2) Celebrate weekly

Feminist theology

1) liberal - religion is full of patriarchy 2) biblical - the importance of women in Gospels 3) radical - Christian story is a myth

The problems with anthropomorphic language

1) limits God 2) portrayal of God suggests someone like us who is changeable and therefore not reliable and so no worthy of worship. 3) God is beyond human understanding 4) many metaphors are male

Service of credobaptism

1) person being baptised makes a short speech called a testimony which outlines how they believe God has been working in their life. 2) Enter the baptismal pool, usually fulled clothed and confirms that they turn away from sin and accept Jesus as their saviour 3) minister says, 'I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit' 4) then a full member of the Church community with the rights and responsibilities

To bring about God's Kingdom on earth (the meaning and purpose of life)

1) purpose to live in such a way that the values of the Kingdom are realised fully on earth, building a community that totally and correctly lives out God's will. 2) Lords prayer - 'your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven' 3) some see hope of establishing God's kingdom as eschatological (end of time) 4) others see it as something established in our present reality.

Holy Communion in the Baptist Church

1) readings from the Bible 2) holy table is prepared with bread and grape juice or wine 3) the minister reads out a passage and people pass round the bread and wine, serving one another 4) any age can receive communion as it is for 'those who love the Lord Jesus'. 5) It is an ordinance, no spiritual change, its main value is to bring the community together to remember what Jesus did.

Justification by faith from Luther

1) sola fide (justification is by faith alone). 2) justification comes from what God achieves through the atoning death of Jesus as faith of the believer is passive. 3) good conduct is the expression of a person's faith.

The belief that Christians have dominion over animals

1) some believe they have virtually unlimited power over animals and the environment e.g. damaged cause by industrial revolution, intensive farming... 2) anthropocentric view of the universe: Aquinas thought that animals were irrational , but opposed being cruel to them as would encourage humans to be cruel to one another. 3) 'power over' as humans described as being 'little less than God', 'in the image of God', 'let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air...'. 4) After the flood God made a new covenant with Noah and he said that he gave all animals, fish and plants for Noah to use.

Debates about gender-specific language

1) the Bible is culturally conditioned and reinforces patriarchal stereotypes 2) but if remove all gender-specific references from the Bible it would lose many insights and so just needs to be understood in that culture

God as King

1) the kingdom of God - God's rule as King on the universe and in Kingdom of God there will be no pain or hunger there will be peace. 2) Prophet Isaiah saw God seated on a throne (the Ark of the Covenant was thought of as God's throne) and he feared he would die, 'for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord'. This vision is one of God's power over everything.

Jesus' authority as God's authority

1) traditional view from the Nicene Creed and based on acceptance of the New Testament claims about Jesus is true. 2) according to the Gospels, Jesus claimed to have divine authority. The authority is seen in his teachings, miracles and titles used such as Son of God and Messiah (anointed one). 3) Jesus was God incarnate 4) 'all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me' 5) 'people were amazed at his teaching because he taught them as one who had authority' - Mark - made people convinced that his authority came from God

Weak sanctity of life principle

All life is sacred but not absolutely. In circumstance life-saving treatment can be withdrawn as of the quality of life (dignity etc)

Justification by works

James: faith on its own is useless as it doesn't keep a poor person warm and even demons believe in God. 1) faith is expressed through works as shown with Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God. 2) 'as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead'. 3) sheep and goat parable from Jesus, judgement is based on a persons help.

Christian views on the application of Just War theory to weapons of mass destruction

Opposition: 1) ABC weapons are intrinsically evil 2) Pope Francis has urged the abolition of nuclear weapons 3) Most UK Churches are opposed to it Acceptance: 1) some see modern conventional warfare is almost as bad as ABC warfare 2) such weapons should be reduced in umber by international agreement 3) they cannot be un-invented 4) Fletcher - implied that the 1945 nuclear attack was the most loving action in that particular situation as of his agape calculus with justice.

The importance of good moral conduct in the Christian way of life

Range of views: -should obey the teachings contained in the Bible as it is the word of God. -Kingdom of God will be realised when Christians care for each other on earth. -Christians give glory to God by the way in which they live. -Individual good conduct will be re-warded with eternal life in heaven.

What is the Bible?

The Old and New Testaments together which form the Canon of the Bible. Old Testament refers to the covenant that God made with Israel through Moses. The New Testament refers to the covenant made by God with humanity through the death of Jesus.

Liberal' view on the nature and authority of the Bible

Wide range of responses: 1) texts where guided by God 2) Bible is entirely a human document 3) product of the culture and age 4) Bible is not inspired by God but may be inspiring to individuals 5) Sea of Faith Network - faith is purely human creation, so the Bible has no authority other than what the individual might choose to give it.

What is a sacrament?

an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace and there are three aspects to it: 1) the form in baptism is the anointing of the child, the pouring of water and the words accompanying the pouring of water. 2) the matter in baptism is the use of two blesses oils and blessed water 3) the intention in baptism is the intention of the priest to baptise the child

Mission to the poor and disadvantaged

1) CAFOD AND Christian Aid are two charities that are widely supported by church communities that help LEDCS 2) Children's society in 1980s provided homes with a loving family environment for homeless children

God as omnipotent

1) Descarte states God can do anything 2) God can do anything that is logically possible

The role of Christians as stewards of animals and the natural environment

1) Interpret Genesis 1 and Psalm 8 in terms of stewardship and so humans are the guardians of creation, caring for it on behalf of God and the roles entails responsibility rather than privilege. 2) Place importance on the intrinsic value and the natural environment for example Genesis 1 "God saw and it was good". 3) Linzey the created world is theocentric and so it is God-centred.

Ordianation for females

1) Libby Lane - COE in 2015 2) Flying bishops for those who object women's ordination and provides pastoral care

Religious pluralism as a feature of modern secular states and its influence of Christian thought

1) Britain is a secular state and so contains many different faiths and cultures 2) religious pluralism is embraced is characterised by: exploring on another's traditions and helping one another and respecting differences However, there are many criticisms of multiculturalism and religious pluralism: 1) threatens social cohesion as there is no sense of a common identity 2) immigrant cultures might flourish without being assimilated, which can lead to a sense of isolation or discrimination 3) certain practices carried out by cultures such as forced marriages and female genital mutilation are illegal under British law and cause tension 4) multiculturalism assumes that no culture can claim to be the best, but a major reason for belonging to a particular religion is the conviction that it offers the best way of life 5) the existence of statements of belief may make it impossible for someone to accept that the teaching of two or more religions are true at the same time

Relationship between Christian belief and wealth in modern society

1) Bruderhof: set up in 20th century, see materialism as one of the main reasons for the problems the world is facing today, live in communities without any personal property and make certain vows like to live a simply life. 2) Prosperity Gospel - USA - evangelical Christians that view wealth, power and status as rewards fro God for strong faith and good works. 3) Mainstream Christian denominations denounce prosperity theology and they think that there is nothing wrong in having wealth but possession of it entails great responsibilities: Christian are responsible stewards of their wealth, sharing it generously and sacrificing with those in need.

Christian responses to the rise of science

1) Deism - belief that a deity (God) 'set things off' and then left the universe to work according to the laws he created it with , but without acting on or influencing it any further. 2) Against Deism as it is not compatible with Incarnation, the immanence of God in prayer (God's involvement in the universe, God as personal) and the miracles of Jesus seen in the Gospels 3) Existentialism - Kierkegaard - there is no conflict between religion and science as the two disciplines are asking different questions about the world. Reason and science cannot give us all the answers, we must make a 'leap of faith' if we give our lives meaning, purpose and passion. Only hope we have is Jesus, faith gives purpose and meaning

Christian responses to the Big Bang theory

1) Deism - the deity 'set things off' (e.g. the Big Band) and then left the universe to work according to the laws of nature which he created. 2) God of the Gaps - anything they cannot explain scientifically is explained by God. As the scientific knowledge of the world increases, there is less 'scope' for 'God' to be used as an explanation for what we do not understand but when science knows all there is to know there will be no place for God at all to fill the 'gaps'. God retreats further and further into the gaps of our knowledge and so God is reduced down to the 'God of the gaps' . 3) Creationism - Young earth creationists reject the Big Bang Theory as incompatible with the six day creation story in Genesis 1. 4) Catholic Church accepts the Big Bang Theory 5) it suggests that there was a beginning to the universe, but that demands explanation and God is more likely an explanation than chance.

The emphasis on evidence and reason in science

1) In the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods rise in scientific thinking: an empirical approach (scientific hypothesis arose out of evidence that came from experiments or observation) and a rationalist approach ( the use of reason was needed to interpret the evidence) 2) rationalism - reason and the processes of human thought that are much greater importance than sense experience in guiding our knowledge. 3) empiricism - experience from our senses is the fundamental source of knowledge. Offer forms of justification in order t achieve truth from our beliefs

Criticism of Karl Rahner's concept of 'anonymous' Christians

1) Fundamentalists - condemned its inclusivism approach 2) Liberal Christians, Hick, accused it of paternalism: - it is insulting other faiths, which should be respected and not in terms of what they have in common with Christianity - Hick implied that other religions are flawed

Ethical issues raised by science

1) Genetic modification - what are the limits to where people change God's world, would Christians justify in seeking indefinite life extension when creating some kind of cyborg, etc. Does the Bible provide any answers? 2) evolutionary ethics - Nietzsche states we need a whole new ethics that helps the human race advance into the nest stage of evolution 3) environmental ethics

Darwin's development of agnosticism

1) Gnostic - God of the old and new testament are two different Gods. Rejects God of the Old Testament

Against transgender issues

1) God is the perfect creator 2) Catholic church against homosexuality, so if transgender women sleeps with a man it is wrong. 3) Oppose surgery

Darwinism as an alternative to Christianity

1) Humankind just an accident , not God's supreme creation 2) the idea of God having purpose in creation is challenged 3) how can humans have a unique soul of be uniquely in the image of God 4) Christ's work is unnecessary if Adam and Eve and the Fall was not real 5) The concept of God as the designer is challenged - just chance 6) the authority of the Bible is diminished

Criticisms of exclusivism

1) Limits God's unconditional love and forgiveness by tying him to a fundamentalist interpretation 2) conflicts with the teaching of Jesus recorded in Luke's Gospel as he showed unconditional friendship 3) God is free to do what he wants, it is illogical to say he can't act through other religions or none 4) depends on a literalist interpretation of the Bible

Examples of Christian responses to the issues of freedom of religious expression

1) Nada Eweida - wearing a lapel cross on British Airways uniform - expression of her faith would cause no harm / displays of religious affiliation inappropriate in workplace 2) Margaret Jones, a registrar said she could not conduct same-sex weddings- expression of her Christian beliefs about marriage did not affect any couples. She was willing to register the marriage, simply leaving the other person on duty to perform the ceremony / conducting a ceremony did not prevent the essential feature of her faith: her right to worship as she wished - council had not investigated ways of accommodating her concerns, been dissmissed for gross misconduct

How Christian denominations view one another

1) Never uniformity in the Church: the Acts of the Apostles and Paul's letters show that even in the early days there were disagreements. By end of the first century there were 40 different communities. 2) 312 CE - Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion. 3) 325 CE - Nicene Creed was formed. 4) Great Schism in 1054, when the Orthodox Churches split from the Catholic Church, there were many councils of bishops to try and deal with disagreements 5) Reformation, there has been more splits 6) Disagreements cause of many issues like authority, traditions, interpretations of the Bible, Church organisations, forms of worship, questions relating to the Creeds, etc

Catholic responses to genetic engineering

1) approves therapeutic genetic engineering in order to cure human diseases, but is hesitant over germline therapy (correct genetic disorders by modifying the sex cells) as unforeseen bad effects would be passed onto children 2) allows GE in plants and animals as it can help feed the hungry and so keep an ordered society 3) rejects transhumans as goes against 'God created mankind in his own image' 4) somatic-cell therapy is encouraged as responsible use of God-given skills, providing undue risks are not taken and the benefits justify the costs 5) "for everything created by God is good, nothing is to be rejected" 6) "before I formed you in the womb I knew you"

The belief that science is compatible with Christianity: Polkinghorne

1) No evidence that the multiverses exist, so the argument against God fails. 2) explanation is needed for the fact the world is intelligible, the fact we can suggest things about the universe was all apart of Gods plan 3) the anthropic principle (elements in the universe which are essential for humans) needs explaining 4) the idea of providence is at the heart of God's relationship with the world and humankind e.g. God creates, cares and sustains life for a purpose, God does this in a way that humans cannot detect 5)Bible gives claims about Christianity which can be rationally examined just like a scientific theory but science is repeated and Jesus made an unrepeatable series of events 6) claim that there is a God is made on the basis of evidence like a scientific claim and so Christianity is compatible with science in that they both have different ways of understanding reality.

Karl Rahner's concept of 'anonymous' Christians

1) Non-Christians are able to experience grace and salvation. 2) Reflects the inclusive teaching and lifestyle of Jesus. 3) Non-Christians may be saved through good moral conduct 4) God's power transcends human limitation caused by ignorance, error and evil inclinations

Migration to Britain

1) People migrated from Eastern Europe after WW2 2) Indians and Pakistanis migrated after Indian Independence was declared in 1947, continued to come to UK peaking in 1972 3) 1950 - Wind Rush Movement 4) 1980s many Somalis came to escape the civil war 5) 1990 - Balkan conflict 6) Immigration has continued in the 21st century as a result of: - expansion of EU - migrants crossing into Europe from North America

The growth of materialism

1) Post-Reformation vies on the value of family life lead to a reassessment of attitude to wealth and possession like secure family depends on possessing worldly goods 2) development of capitalism lead terrible financial poverty 3) materialism is now seen in everyday British society: those who are wealthy acquire more wealth and those who are poor see the acquisition of money and possessions as the key to happiness

Britain as a secular society

1) Pre-Reformation Europe, people's lives and thinking were strongly controlled by the Church 2) Tudor England and Stuart England after the Reformation: the monarch dictated the official religion and those we went against were liable to torture and death 3) Reformation encouraged a more individualist approach by encouraging people to study the Bible and so religion become more personal and less of something that was imposed by authority 4) 18th century, the emphasis on reason, evidence and scientific thought further encouraged a more individualistic approach to religion. It was now possible to be an atheist or agnostic. 5) 19th century laws that permitted greater religious freedom, the horrors of two World Wars in the 20th century and the challenge to authority experienced in the 1960s decreased further the number of those who attended church and who regarded themselves as 'practising' Christians 5) Late 20th century, squabbles and scandals within the church have lead to growing disillusionment with traditional Christianity

Rise of secularisation in the UK

1) Until Renaissance, the Church teaching was considered to be the source of truth, basis for all moral values and religion not individual choice. 2) Renaissance people rediscovered classical thought like Aristotle. 3) Protestant Reformation in the 16th century means individuals could interpret the scripture 4) 17th and 18th century rise of scientific thinking 5) 19th century people came to see faith asa matter of personal commitment and so religious was optional 6) Religion became something functional and moral attitudes were accepted on the basis of reason - Feureback saw religion as a dangerous illusion 7) 20th Century - humanism occurred meaning people can live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs

Pluralism with reference to Hick

1) Religious pluralism and that the religion of an individual is almost always am accident of birth. 2) relationship between humans and what he though of as the ultimate reality is shaped by history and culture 3) rejected the concept of hell as it is incompatible with belief in an omnibenevolent God 4) distinguished between the concept of ultimate reality and the widely differing views that humans have of that reality 5) religion is about self-transformation rather than about believing certain teachings and practices are true and so the differences and so called incompatibilities between religions are insignificant

Christianity's continuing relevance to a secular society

1) Still view religion as socially relevant: - major times of disasters people turn to the church - helps local communities - teachings are socially and politically relevant

Fresh Expressions

1) The movement set up in the Church of England 2) The evangelical aim in seeking to share Christian thinking, but it is not aimed at drawing people into traditional church communities 3) shared with those who have no contact with Church communities 4) works alongside traditional churches 5) it is about listening to the life experiences of ordinary people in their everyday situation and considering how the life and attitudes of Jesus might give meaning to those experiences, rather than preaching traditional beliefs

God of the Gaps argument: religious responses

1) Tillich - God should be described as 'being-itself' rather than a 'being'. God is both immanent and transcendent. God is by the means by which the whole world exists. Any God of classical theism cannot be found in the God of the gaps. 2) Flew - people hold their beliefs in a Christian God in spite of the evidence to the contrary e.g. the Parable of the Garder' shows Christian God goes beyond empirical evidence but instead the believer has faith in God 3) Polkinghorne - the quest for science and God is the same. God intervenes in the world at a quantum level because such activity there would be undetectable for humans. God is active in the world and so there would be no gap to fill as everything in the universe is effected at a quantum level. 4) Wiles - God is active, all the time, everywhere within and beyond the universe. Creation is an ongoing process. God will always be the answer, God is the gap.

New Testament attitudes to wealth and possessions

1) Time of Jesus wealth was regarded as a good thing as it was a sign of God's approval. 2) Jesus' teachings challenged this: - told a rich man if he wished to gain eternal life he must give everything to the poor (Mark) - Parable of the rich man and Lazarus - poor man left begging for scraps of a rich man's table, both die, the rich man goes to a place of suffering and poor man enjoys the comfort of heaven. Value the importance of caring for the poor and other values. - Early Christians shared everything - Famine in Jerusalem, Syria collected money to send to those in need - possession of wealth was not wrong but the attitude mattered - "for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" Timothy

Darwin's theory of evolution

1) based on inductive reasoning 2) natural selection refers to the way in which individuals better suited to their environment to survive to adulthood and reproduce, passing on their characteristics to their offspring. 3) Over a long period of time, the characteristics of a species are modified to enable the survival of the species in the environment, which ultimately leads to developments of new species. 4) Those less suited to the environment will die out: survival of the fittest 5) genetic mutation + natural selection = evolution 6) the peppered moth example

Exclusivism

1) belief that one's own religion is the only true religion and that others are invalid 2) Bible supports this: John - salvation depends on absolute and explicit commitment to Jesus: truth is to be found exclusively. Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life" 3) some exclusivists make exceptions - children who die before they are able to make this commitment can be saved and so allow emergency baptism and those who die never having heard Jesus will be judged on their lives. 4) Fundamentalists - salvation depends on declared belief in christ, which means that evangelism is an absolute priority. The belief that God was uniquely revealed in Christ is seen as a central truth of Christianity that is threatened by any dilution of exclusivism. No salvation outside the Catholic Church.

Three kinds of philosophical arguments

1) deduction - conclusion is logically entailed in the premise 2) induction- the conclusion is likely to follow but not logically entailed 3) abduction - arguing from a conclusion to a possible cause.

Big Bang Theory

1) developed from observations of the universe 2) galaxies are moving away from one another and the further away the faster they move apart 3) the speed of expansion makes it possible to work of the age of the universe 4) about 13.8 billion years ago, there was a sudden burst of energy that marked the creation of time, space, matter and energy 5) rapid expansion of a point of infinite density

Rahner responses to the theory of evolution

1) human beings are made wholly by evolution 2) human beings are also made by God 3) evolution works by the natural biological and physical laws which were all put in place by God as part of the design of the universe. 4) reasonable to believe that God is the author of the laws of nature and therefore the author of evolution 5) natural selection is part of the mechanism of how God works

responses to multiculturalism in the past

1) immigration as a threat to traditional British values 2) emotive and inflammatory language was used such as 'being swamped' in Powell's speech in 1968 3) some see it as an opportunity for enrichment, desire to protect all cultures, seen as promoting tolerance and equal opportunities

Freedom of religion as a human right in European law

1) it is against the law to prohibit or restrict religious practice which allows religious pluralism in British society. 2) it is against the law to do anything that may provoke violence or racial hatred

Christian responses to the theory of evolution

1) it rejects the idea of all living things being distinct creations 2) rejects the idea of the essential separateness of humanity from the animal world 3) suggests that evolution of new species was due to random mutations, removing idea of purpose 4) Fundamentalist - dismiss the theory as human error since it conflicts with the word of the Bible 5) Liberal - they reject any literalist interpretation of Genesis and so welcomes the theory 6) Old earth creationists - accepts the explanation of similar life forms but humanity is the result of special creation by God 7) see natural selection to the way in which God works, evolution works by the laws of nature which were derived from God 8) Catholics reject creationism but sees Christian beliefs and the theory of evolution as compatible

The problem with scientific facts

1) never absolute certainty as offers degrees of probability 2) science relies on inductive arguments 3) it is always open to correction and revision 4) they are entirely naturalistic 5) Nietzche - human understanding is limited and all from our perspective

the replacement of religion as the source of truth and moral values

1) traditionally ideas of right and wrong were closely linked to religion: the source of morality seen as Bible 2) development of social sciences has weakened the notion of objective morality and the links with religion like anthropologists saw concepts of right and wrong affected by culture 3) humanism occurred meaning people can live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs

The possibilities offered by genetic engineering

1) treatments for incurable diseases such as cystic fibrosis and Down's syndrome could be developed 2) possible for designer babies 3) modify animals to produce food for humans 4) crops modified to produce larger crop yields "Christians are given power by God, and with great power comes responsibility'

Inclusivism

1) view that although one religion is true, other religions may show aspects of that one true religion and so other religions have beliefs that are the same of compatible with Christianity. 2) Open inclusivism - one religion has a better grasp of the truth than others but not all aspects, so it can learn from others 3) closed inclusivism - one religion does contain all truth but that other religions have some aspects to it 4) inclusivism can be interpreted in a number of ways: - Pauls letter showing God has no favouritism, salvation is open to all. - Barth's view based on the belief that all human nature has been so corrupted by the Fall that everyone, regardless of religion, is totally dependent for salvation on God's grace. - Catholic Karl Rahner - 'anonymous Christians'

Seventh Day Adventist Church responses to genetic engineering

4 areas of ethical concern for genetic engineering 1) sanctity of life 2) protection of human dignity 3) acceptance of social responsibilities 4) the stewardship of God's creation

Protestant evangelical churches view on other denominations

Adopt exclusivist position, based on the primacy of faith: 1) salvation come by the grace of God through faith, which is a personal commitment 2) sacraments are viewed as unbiblical and so Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Churches contain error 3) those who do not make this personal commitment to God have rejected God's offer of salvation

Liberationist approaches: supporting the poor and defending the oppressed

Late 20th century, extreme poverty cause political corruption and suppression of any attempt to seek justice elicited two approaches to the problem: 1) Catholic church - Pope- advocated a non-confrontational and non-violent response 2) Catholics joined forces with secular protest groups which became the liberationist approach (analysing the situation of the poor and oppressed and then use the gospel to challenge the cause of poverty and oppression). - Oscar Romero denounced the government's oppression of the poor and violation of human rights in El Salvador, which led to his assassination in 1980. The resulting global publicity raised international awareness of the situation - Aims summed up by the phrase 'the preferential option for the poor', which was at the hearts of Jesus' ministry and refers to the teaching of justice; it is about giving the marginalised in society the justice that is due to them. 3) Britain - 'Faith in the City', the COE set up the Church Urban Fund, which gave grants to both secular and religious organisations to tackle the problem of poverty

The House Church movement

This movement views secularisation as largely hostile to the Church and sees a parallel in the circumstances of Christianity in the first three centuries of existence and in the early days of the Church, Christians met in private houses and the House Church movement seeks to replicate this practice. It is a movement away from meeting in conventional church buildings with evangelical and charismatic traditions (worship directly inspired by the Holy Spirit) and has the following feature: 1) Fundamentalist approach to the Bible 2) focus on the individual experience of God calling to them to a particular lifestyle of a form of worship. 3) British New Church Movement developed which is a charismatic movement modelled on the type of worship practised in Christian communities: prophecy, glossolaia, etc

Multiculturalism

presence of, or support for the presence of, several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within society