RELS 202 Test 1
Roman Catholicism in American history
Americans were predominantly protestant and were fearful of catholic immigration in the 19th century and were prone to discrimination of roman Catholics. This discrimination was mainly due to fear of the pope because Americans were and still are ignorant to other religions. Argue that Catholics are loyal to Rome and not America. The first Catholic President elected was JFK and even then it was controversial.
Roman Catholicism in American History
JFK president
major figures (1st GA)
Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield
exodus in american practice
america is egypt not israel for slaves civil rights movement, malcolm X, MLK (he's moses), Obama
exodus in american political/cultural thought
american revolution "liberty, slavery, british pharaoh" -king of england paralleling pharaoh of egypt manifest destiny the covenant ppl on a mission from God -U.S. needs to expand westward by Gods ordinance (parallel to Israelites destiny of promiseland)
Second Great Awakening (early 1800s) began bc
anxiety, unease/unrest in American society bc of social, political, and economical changes -decreasing church attendance, renew social stability
what form of grace do Roman Catholics beileve in
because all people are born with sinful nature, grace is necessary to be saved from the path to hell. Grace is earned by infusing it into you by infused righteousness through the sacraments. The only way to achieve grace is through access to the sacraments, therefore the only way is if you are a part of the Catholic church
sola Christus
by Christ alone, trusting jesus alone for salvation (not in mary or the saints)
sola gratia
by grace alone, only God can change your heart (not church)
Explain the protestant belief in Solus Christus and how it contrasts with Catholicism
christ alone, grace from christ alone is contrasting with catholicism because Luther said that christ is the only merit to gain grace from and not Mary or the saints.
What is one of the dangers that result from religious illiteracy
discrimination based on religion
What does Soli deo Gloria
glory of god alone, only glory to god and to priests or the pope, this is where luther broke from the catholic church completely because he challenged the idea of praising the pope.
What is the theological significance of the Plagues of the Exodus
god brings plagues upon Egypt to prove how powerful he is
What is the theological significance of Moses' commission to return to Egypt in the Exodus
god reveals the divine name. "I am who I am, tell them that I am who sent you"
What does sola gratia mean in Protestantism
grace alone- people can not do anything to gain god's grace, only god can reach down and change someone's heart to change them from a sinful god hater to then a lover of god. This does not come from people seeking god. Grace is alone and not from man's actions
Protestantism in American History
has been the majority religious perspective from the beginning most dominant since 13 colonies
institutions and structure (Roman Catholic)
hierarchical: -Pope -cardinals -archbishops -bishops -priest
What is Gaustad' argument
it is important to recognize the religious illiteracy problem for civic reasons, "you need religious literacy in order to be an effective citizen"
theology (2nd GA)
long lasting impacts of institutional bodies addressing social issues -burned over district -egalitarian sensibility -joseph smith -emphasis on human free will -utopian
what are the three basic characteristics of man (roman catholicism)
man is stamped with Imago Dei mankind is above other creations the fall of mankind (original sin of Adam and Eve) everyone has free will (to turn back to God to get forgiveness)
God (Roman Catholicism)
monotheistic 1 being and 3 persons (the trinity); Father, Son, Holy spirit creator and creature
God (Mormonism)
polytheistic-plurality of God (other worlds have Gods) no creator/creation distinction since He didn't create the world or new existences, but can reorganize existing matter
First Great Awakening, (mid 1700s) began beacuse
ppl walking away from christian faith puritans need for renewal revival
Billy Graham
preached in stadiums for individual conversion -punishment of hell, repent for sins, faith in jesus, free will
Charles Finney (2nd GA)
preacher traveled around cities & industrialized areas, promoting tent revivals -concerned with personal conversion, get ppl individually converted, turn from sins -created social reforms (anxious bench, nightly services, etc.)
Continuities of American revivalism
same motivations of rediscovering God and indv. salvation -fearing afterlife -deliverance of messages in mass meetings -addressing social and church issues -emotional outbursts -performativity
who is jesus (Roman Catholicism)
son of God 1 person with 2 distinct natures of fully divine and fully human
ultimate authority (roman catholic)
the Bible- perfect the word of God Tradition-ensure understanding of things in the Bible through Church fathers Pope- teaching authority of church
What is the irony of the lack of religious knowledge in American culture
there is a very high percentage of the country that identifies as religious
Why do catholics hold concern with Sola Fide
they think it will lead to moral anarchy because people will think they do not have to do good works or anything to be saved. But Luther says no, that the saved person does good works out of his love for god after god changed their heart and they will want to naturally want to do good works due to gaining god's grace.
Frontier camp mtgs (2nd GA)
thousands of ppl travel miles for centralized and emotional meetings -multiple sermons @ once, ordinary ppl -God's spirit is moving among them
Salvation (Roman Catholic)
to be in God's presence you must receive grace as humankind has sinned sacraments (infuse God's grace into you so you can stand in front of Him) -baptism, confirmation, marriage, holy orders, last rights, mass/last supper, penance
What is Thesaurus Meritorum mean to Roman Catholics
treasure of merit, is of infinite value which holds Christ's merits of god, so man can be forgiven of their sins, in the treasury the good works and sacrifices of man are valued into righteousness or merit, first by Jesus' works and the virgin Mary, and the saints. The church (pope) has the keys the treasury of merit and can distribute the merit to those worthy from sacraments.
True of false: Catholics and Protestants have the same views as to who is god meaning they both believe in: The holy trinity/ being and person distinction, the creator of all things, and the creature vs creator distinction
true
The exodus in the Tanakh (Jewish)
-10 commandments (morality) -Moses being most significant prophet -Story of Israelites in Promise land continues -constant reminder of God's actions to help them (keep promises with Him) -passover today-state of Israel
Impacts (first great awakening)
-America's first national even, bringing unity -melting pot experience -liberty, virtue, tyranny
differences of 1st GA
-God does revival in heart -in town preachers -exclusively religious -highly educated leaders
The exodus in New testament (christian)
-remembrance of God's faithfulness -10 commandments -jesus fulfillment of passover by dying on the cross - jesus' being the parallel of moses -communion
the exodus in Puritan new england
-repeated themes -portrayed as new israel (parallels of going to new world)
Similarities of 1st & 2nd GA
-respond to sense of lack, calling ppl from something lost -emphasis on individual conversion -performatives roles and dramatic elements
discontinuities of American revivalism
-tactics and methods -changing of being either God's will or free will
Who is God (Protestantism)
1 being & 3 persons (trinity) God is creator, makes creations
significance of the exodus
-a lot of political usage involving it -gives hope -deeply influential -international relations btwn Palestine/Israel -deeply connected to Jewish Scriptures/OT -deeply connected to Christian practice of NT -compelling storytelling, most widely read/cited
who is christ (Protestantism)
1 persons and 2 natures (fully divine and fully human)
edwards and whitfield both
-believed God causes a conversion -preached for conversion -turn from sin, trust Christ, emotional appeals
Jonathan Edwards (1st GA)
-calvinist - most influential sermons, chief theologian -God alone is the source of one's conversion -preached on the horrors of hell and sweetness of mercy (wrath & glory of God) -caused emotional outpouring in congregations
theology (1st GA)
-emphasis on individual salvation and conversion -call to repentance and faith -God is the one to change hearts, but individual is responsible to doing what He asks of -communal experience but indv returns to God
Pentecostalism (azusa street)
-emphasized miraculous works of holy spirit -speaking in tongues -William Seymour; black man leading revival attracting whites, thousands filling the street
What is the focus and argument of Prothero's book
- Focus of the book: religious illiteracy in America - Points out that Christians in America barely know any more about their own religion than those who are not religious - A huge percentage of Americans identify as religious and yet they are all mostly illiterate to religion completely - Found that people are unable to have big picture conversations about religion without the baseline understanding of the various religious groups and their history and politics. - Points out that you can do religious studies or you can be religious, can you do both?
George Whitfield
-englishmen preacher -thousand listeners, powerful speaker (non-christians came), preached hours w/o notes -a conversion experiences requires an act of God in your heart
Differences of 2nd GA
-free will (human decision) -mile preachers -addresses social issue -ordinary ppl as leaders
salvation (mormonism)
-law of eternal progression -(4 levels) eternal existence celestial,terrestrial,telestial, outer darkness
What are the three omni's of roman catholicism
- Omnipotent- all powerful - Omnipresent- he is everywhere - Omniscient- all knowing
Why does protestantism matter to American History
- One of the most dominant religions in America - 13 colonies were mostly protestant and were escaping from the catholic church for religious freedom and basically founded America on Protestantism. - Protestant colonists view themselves to be a new Israel and separate covent of god in the new land of America
What is the historical "Tridentine" of Catholicism
- Tridentine: name comes from the counsel of Trent which lead the direction of beliefs for the Roman Catholic Church mainly during the Reformation. Set up under roman Catholicism from the defense against Luther and the protestant reformation to the mid 20th century up to the second Vatican - Was created because Reformation was the birth of Protestantism and was challenging the Catholic church
themes of the exodus
-oppression, Deliverance, Justice, Punishment -God's faithfulness to Covenant -Redemption -God's self glorification -one true God -Passover
What are the three big reasons for why Americans have this widespread religious illiteracy
1. Embarrassment- fear of not knowing enough to talk about religion, also not wanting to be offensive to others by speaking about their religion—afraid that disagreement on religion will result in disrespect and argument 2. Ignorance- religion is not being taught because the older generation does not have the necessary knowledge to be able to pass in schools. 3. Confusion- the confusion on the supreme court's legality of the no practicing of religion in public school instruction has resulted in teachers not even wanting to mention religion in public schools at all because they are afraid of getting in trouble. So now no teaching of religion is the norm in order to avoid the "practicing of religion".
What three things make salvation achievable in Roman Catholicism
1. Grace 2. Sacraments 3. Thesaurus Meritorum
What are the 8 major events in the Exodus
1. Israel's oppression and literacy setup 2. Moses' commission and return to Egypt 3. Oppression and promises of deliverance 4. Plagues and Passover 5. Exodus and crossing the red sea 6. Wilderness journey to Sinai 7. Sinai, covenant, and the 10 commandments 8. The golden calf, Moses as intercessor
What are the themes of the Exodus
1. Oppression to deliverance, justice, punishment 2. God's covenant faithfulness 3. Redemption 4. God's Self-glorification 5. 1 true god 6. Passover
What are the significances of the Exodus
1. Political usage 2. Personal meaning- hopeful 3. Deeply influential for old testament and new testament 4. International relations 5. Great literary work
Name all five solas
1. Sola scriptura (scripture alone) 2. Sola gratia (grace alone) 3. Sola fide (faith alone) 4. Solus Christus (Christ alone) 5. Soli Deo Gloria (to the glory of god alone)
What are the two major distinctions in Christianity established under Roman Catholicism
1. The difference between being and person. 2. The difference between creator and creature
What are the sacraments of Protestantism
1. The lord's supper 2. Baptism These are just ceremonial to bring up followers of god and they do not gain any salvation through these sacraments
church structure (mormonism)
1. hierarchical 2. president of church 3. quorum of 12 apostles 4. stakes of zion 5. wards 6. man
What are the equal legs of ultimate authority in Roman Catholicism
1. the bible 2. tradition 3. the pope
salvation (Protestantism)
5 Solas: Scriptura, Gratia, FIde, Christus, Soli Deo Gloria Grace and Sacraments (lords supper and baptism)
What are the seven sacraments?
Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony
What is the difference between being and person in Roman Catholicism
Being is a single entity that is not necessarily a person. God is one being but defines person as different. The bible teaches that there is one god but in the new testament god appears as different people. As Jesus mainly. Jesus is god but in different form and so is the Holy Spirit
church structures (Protestantism)
Bible (no supreme head)
ultimate authority (mormonism)
Book of Mormon Doctrine of Covenants Pearl of Great Price King James Bible correctly translated
What is the major break from the Catholic church that Protestants have when it comes to what is man?
Catholics believe in the free will of man to recognize sin and turn to god for salvation but in the reformation, Protestantism broke from this and affirmed "bondage of the will"
What is the church structure (Ecclesiology) of Protestantism
Different by denomination, less hierarchical than Catholicism, tends to be mutual pastors or priests and not one sole leader like the pope, usually elders or deacons that save-guard the teachings of the bible by they do not have ultimate power
continuation of American Revival Tradition
Dwight Moody, Pentecostalism, Billy Graham
sola fide
Faith Alone, continue to do good things and listen to God's commands (does not save or add to salvation)
What is Sola Fide to protestantism
Faith alone- grace of god comes by way of faith alone, not by doing good works.
True of False: Protestants disagree with Catholics' belief of christ being one person with two natures: a divine nature and a human nature
False
True or False: Catholics believe in the fall of man and Imago Dei but Protestants do not
False
Joseph Smith and Mormonism history
First vision-no true church has been established, God chose who receives revelations, golden plates become the Book of Mormon american religion bc america is like places of bible
Soli Deo Gloria
Glory to God alone, everything is done to god's glory alone (other solas build up for ALL glory given to God)
major characters in the exodus
God (main Prot.), Moses. Aaron, Israelites, Pharaoh (main ant.)
what is man (mormonism)
God is an exalted man with exalted wives and spirit children jesus is our spirit brother and first born spirit child of Elohim
What is the difference between creator and creature established under Roman Catholicism
God is the creator who created all creatures but he is not the same creature as any of the ones he creator
What is the Pope's role in Roman Catholicism
He is apart of the ultimate authority and symbolizes the teaching authority of the church in the present. The pope is considered to be the head of the church because he is the successor of peter the main apostle of Jesus and Rome. The pope is believed to be infallible which means when he makes a declaration from the ex-cathedra (seat of peter) the declaration is infallible and ultimately true.
what is man (Protestantism)
Imago Dei (image of God) fall of mankind bondage of the will (only God can change your heart-entirety of God's work)
Dwight Moody
Led revivals in US/UK massive crows concerned with gaps in denominations baseline of evangelical chirstianity
What is the fall of man in roman catholicism
Mankind was created perfect, with a perfect relationship with god. The story of Adam and Eve or the fall of man/humankind was the temptation of the apple to Adam and Eve and once they ate the apples man was then born with sinful nature and sin and wickedness is punished by god. Because of this original sin by Adam and Eve, all people are bon sinful and on the path to hell. According to Roman Catholicism, man still has enough freewill that any individual can turn to god and embrace God's grace to be saved from the path to hell.
What does the Protestant's believe in "bondage of will" mean in terms of what is man
Means that mankind is born into sin and do not have to ability to turn to god because man do not have the will to do so on their own. Every person is born as an enemy of god—loves sin and hates god. Mankind is in bondage to sin. And no person can turn to god unless god reaches into that person's heart and guides them to god.
secular
Non-religious
Why is religious literacy important in a political context
Religious literacy is necessary for Americans to even understand their politician's narratives such as "good Samaritan", "my brothers keeping", and "turn the other cheek" are all biblical allusions commonly used
What is the ultimate authority (Epistemology) of protestantism
Sola Scriptura- scripture alone
ultimate authority (protestantism)
Sola Scripture
Sola Scripture
Scripture alone, perfect, highest authority, future contradictions are incorrect
What are the principles of salvation in Protestantism
The 5 Solas
exodus in american rhetoric
The Slave Bible & pro slavery preaching -dangers of slaves being free if whole exodus story is existent to them
What is religious literacy according to Prothero
The ability to understand and use in one's day to day life the basic building blocks of religious traditions- their key terms, symbols, doctrines, practices, sayings, characters, metaphors, and narratives
what is the holy trinity as believe by Roman Catholics
The father, the son, and the holy spirit: - One being of god and three different "persons" that all participate in the one single being of god.
Purpose of Exodus
To show God's power
What was the Protestant Reformation against Roman Catholicism?
• Martin Luther's 95 theses were posted on the Wittenberg church on October 30th 1517 - Thesis called for the reformation of the Catholic church, the initial 95 theses was mainly concerned with indulgences - His intent was not to break from the catholic church initially
What does "man is stamped with Imago Dei" mean in Roman Catholicism
• means the image of god in Latin - Means that humankind is special to god and is elevated above the rest of god's creatures
