HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

The Birth of Christianity

•Jesus was born 2000 years ago in Palestine

Brought up a Jew
Followers were Jews
No extraordinary childhood
His followers were Jews
•Believed they were entitled to the promised land and waited for a messiah. Most
expected a violent leader to overthrow the Romans and did not accept Jesus.
•They accepted the Messiah, but never thought they were leaving Judaism
Love your neighbour contradicted some Jewish teaching
•There were two groups – “Waiters on the Messiah” and “Believers of the Messiah”
Waiters attacked believers and believed it was blasphemy to call Jesus the Messiah
The Roman empire made it safer to spread the message
•Saul rejected Jesus and was present when Stephen was stoned
He was blinded and turned to Jesus
He spread the message of not needing to obey the rules
•Saint Paul felt it was his mission to convert Gentiles and give religion to everyone,
not only the chosen race.
He believed all that was needed to enter heaven was faith
Moses' teachings were guidelines
•Jews began to leave Christianity because
The church had no significance to Gentiles
In 66 AD, Jews and Romans were at war when Christians remained uninvolved
Palestine fell and Rome became a Christian and Gentile centre
•Romans tried to force Christians to believe in their God and Christians were forced
into secrecy
A religion following a convict was growing at an alarming rate
•Romans killed people who refused to offer incense to their Gods
Romans saw crucifixion as failure
Christians continued to build their church
•Christianity spread east and west and 300 years after Jesus, Constantine was born.
He saw a cross before entering a battle he won and converted
He made it illegal to not be Christian in the Roman Empire, unless you were a Jew

The Great Schism

•In 1054, there was a split between the Catholic and Orthodox Church
•The Catholic Church believed the Pope was its supreme leader as the successor of St.
Peter
•The main reason for the Schism
Catholics believed the Holy Spirit came from the Father and the Son
Orthodox beliefs stated the Holy Spirit and the Son came from the Father
•Cardinal Hubert of France excommunicated Michael Cerularus of Constantinople,
the leader of the Orthodox Church
During High Mass in the cathedral of Santa Sophie, Constantinople

The Counter Reformation

•The Counter Reformation was the Catholic church attempting to change itself for the
better with a balance of reform and reaction to protestants.
•It was to close the thirty year war between the Protestants and the Catholics
•The five main areas of change were
Doctrine
Structural Reconfiguration
Religious Orders
Spiritual Movements
Political Dimensions
•Changes included the change of seminaries for the proper training of priests in
traditions of the church
Focus on devotion and a personal relationship with Christ
New life for the clergy without 'indulgences' or corruption
•A council known as the council of Trent was set up by Pope Paul III
Stopped abuses such as indulgences
Banned the sale of church offices
Built seminaries in each diocese to represent the new doctrine
•Church tried to make itself more accessible to followers
Music was changed from complex polyphonies to allow the average person to
understand it
Art was changed to make it less confusing and simplified
•The counter reformation was too late as protestantism was a major religion now

The Ecumenical Movement

•It is the name of the belief that all churches should unite and forget their differences,
encouraging worship together
•Four things that divide the church are
The authority of the pope
The ordinance of women
The Eucharist and transubstantiation
The Bible and whether it is literal
•The World Council of Churches was set up in 1948, after the shock of World War 2,
in 1948
Promotes Unity
 Acts as the worldwide Christian voice
Helps bring peace and justice in accordance with Christians
All major churches, apart from the Roman Catholic, belong to the WWC
Aims to let the churches listen and learn from each other
Discuss issues such as refugees, the arms race and medical ethics
•Many Churches want to work together because without unity they seem very
hypocritical. Also, a single church has greater power than small denominations.

BELIEFS MODULE

Trinity

•Means Tri-Unity or three-in-one which expresses the concept of three persons in one
being.
•Is made of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit
•Can be represented by the Shield of the Trinity or the Triangle which
helps people understand the trinity for it has
3 sides to one triangle and without any side, it is
incomplete. Father Son
•Each member of the trinity has a role
oTHE FATHER = CREATOR GOD
oTHE SON = SAVIOUR
oHOLY SPIRIT = HE WHOM BRINGS NEW LIFE
•At confirmation, students are asked if they believe in the Holy
individual parts of the Trinity. Spirit
•At the baptism of Christ, the Holy Spirit came upon him
and the father then spoke, which is one of the few moments
where the trinity is fully present.
•A common misconception is that the Trinity is three masks
of God, not three parts.
•The trinity is beyond human understanding as the father is
fully God, the son is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully
God and remains a theological mystery.

The Creed

•The point of a creed is to act as a yardstick of correct belief

•The creed is a declaration of faith where the church declares what it believes in
•There are three major creeds in the church and in the Roman Catholic Church says
the Nicene Creed
•The Nicene Creed was created to distinguish believers and deniers at a time when
Christian doctrine was debated (325AD)
•The purpose of the creeds was to show agreement in God throughout the Christians.
•The creeds unify people by their beliefs
•The creeds are not a definite and exhausted list of Christian beliefs by far.

Sin and Judgement

•Sin is defined as someone’s inner actions, not a defined list of do’s and don’ts
•An example of our constant temptation is Adam and Eve
•There are three types of sin
oVenial Sins – Least serious such as lying which can be confessed to God privately
oMortal Sins – Most serious sins such as murder, these MUST be confessed to God
through a priest in order to gain forgiveness.
oOriginal Sin – Sin passed throughout the human race by Adam and Eve, but also the
negative impact we have had upon the earth.
•Some Christians need to believe in judgement in order to give meaning to their
actions
•Judgement helps cast a black and white line between good and evil which many
people often need in their life, however many Christians are uncomfortable with the
concept of a God of love being a God of judgement.
•Fires of hell are sometimes thought to be symbolic of purification, therefore hell is a
place of without God, not of flames and many even believe hell is a preparation for
heaven.

The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount

•The ten commandments were the foundations of Jewish beliefs

•When Jesus was asked of the greatest commandment, he said “Love your neighbour
as you love yourself and love the lord your God”
•These were positive commandments from the Torah which meant that they were
demanding as his followers had to assess the situation.
•The Sermon on the Mount is in chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew
•The sermon may not have been all at once, but this is how it was arranged in the
bible.
•The importance of the mount is it symbolism of Jesus replacing Moses
•The Sermon on the Mount was a sermon to guide Christians in how to live their lives
correctly with points on anger, adultery, divorce, revenge, charity and judgement.

Charismatic Movement

•It is a fellowship of Christians that believe that the Holy Spirit is manifested today as
it was described in the Bible in Acts 2:4
•The movement is ecumenical and also works at bridging the gaps between Christian
denominations
•It is related to Pentecostalism and is sometimes referred to as neo-Pentecostalism
however it is not the same as many Charismatic Christians refuse to speak in tongues
•Their worship often consists of informal services; simple, modern songs; joyful
worship and dancing
•They believe strongly in the gifts of the holy spirit which are
oTeaching
oEvangelism – Passing on the holy Spirit
oPasturing – Caring for spiritual needs
oProphecy
oSpeaking in Tongues
oDiscernment – Understanding
•Many Christians are uncomfortable with the charismatic movement due to it’s
outwardness

WORSHIP MODULE

Non-Conformist Church

•Members of the Non-conformist church include:

Presbyterians
Methodists
Salvation Army
United Reformed Church
Baptists
Congregational
•They are Christian protestants who are not apart from the Church of England
•Most Services are pulpit centred with a focus on preaching and the bible
•The Salvation Army covers the aims of worship:-
Organizing itself similarly to the military
Led by an ‘officer’ though other people are also invited to lead
Members often worship with dance, music and drama
•Do not follow sacraments such as confirmation or communion
•Not set out like conventional churches due to the belief of not paying to pray
•Are not ritualistically based like conventional churches
•Concept of free church – No price to pay

Quaker Worship

•Started in 1650 and known as the society of friends

•There are 210,000 members worldwide
•The are 400 meetings every week in Britain
•They believe God’s light is in everyone and anyone can have a direct relationship
with God without a priest
•Quaker Meetings are held in circles without priests to show equality
•They wait on the holy spirit and begin when two or more worshippers gather
•It is often bible centred and is used for discussion and sometimes homework

Liturgical Worship

•Old style of worship in most Christian denominations involving the sacraments

•Shows and shares faith while looking to God in awe and wonder
•Congregation based
•Build on strength from God
•Observe brief silence in acknowledgement of God’s presence
•Scriptures are read on the Sabbath or Sunday
•The Introductory Rite is ritual
•The Liturgy of the word is composed of Readings, a Creed and a Responsorial
Psalm
•Money is given at offertories
•Liturgy of the Eucharist when the events of the last supper are remembered
•Altar centric and Eucharist centric

Charismatic Worship

•Charismatic is a theological position and there are three types of charismatic

worship:
Pentecostals – Belief in waiting on the holy spirit, speaking in tongues and
emphasizes on the spiritual gifts
Charismatic – Defined as those with spiritual gifts, but are still part of the main
church
Neo-Charismatic – Concerned about physical and spiritual gifts at the same time
•Started with the appearance of the holy spirit from the word ‘charisma’ which
means gifts
•The Pope acknowledged them in 1981 where he met with the leader of the church
•Reformed Charismatic focus on the gospel and the cross. Focus is on gifts such as
preaching, teaching and speaking in tongue
•Informal and often dances take place as the holy spirit is very present
•Has simple modern songs, physical and emotional healing
•Catholic Charismatic is Eucharist based

THE BIBLE

Sacred Writings

•Old Testament
The Law or “TORAH” is the first five books of the Old Testament
Taught about punishment, rights, debts and sacrifice
Many believe they are outdated
The History
Tell the history of the Israelites
The Prophets
Hardly ever told the future
Had messages from God
Contain Christian morals
The Writings
Various poems and psalms for worship
•New Testament
History or Gospel
Five books about the life of Jesus and the apostles acts
The Letters
 Most is composed of letters of Christian leaders writing to communities, telling them
how to live their lives
A Prophecy
The Book of revelations that foretells the future
•Apocrypha – 15 disputed writings that were symbolic at a time of Jewish rebel
•Canon – Books chosen to be in the Bible

Types of Christians on the Bible

Fundamentalism- The belief that the bible was dictated by God and everything is
literally true
Conservative – The bible is an interpretation of what happened with leeway for
science and that miracles were probably true
Liberal – Feels the bible was interpreted, but sometimes wrongly and that most
miracles were symbolic and literally untrue

How was the bible constructed?

•The Old Testament

Passed down by Oral tradition
Stored on scrolls next to the Ark of the Covenant
At the end of the 5th century, the Penteuch was complete
Judas Maceubus brought the books together
•The New Testament
Jesus did not write the books
Eyewitnesses spread the Bible by Oral tradition
Letters by Paul was the first written scriptures
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the Gospels as eyewitnesses began to die
Other books were added later for public use

Uses of The Bible

•Worship and Liturgy

A lectionary
Catholics - Gospel is carried into the centre of the congregation and readings are
explained in the homily
Protestants – Read extracts of the Bible
•Family Prayer
Christian groups use it as a focal point to understand topics
Focus for family prayer in daily life
•Learn about loving God
God revealing himself to us and letting us get closer to him
•Guide for life
When we have problems in life, we often search through the bible for answers
•Bible study
Study in groups and discussions
•Meditation
Picking a single verse from the bible and reading it for reflections
•Authority
Catholics believe the church is the highest authority
Protestants believe the Bible is the highest authority

RELIGION IN THE COMMUNITY

Christian Teaching on charity and concern for others

•Christians are taught Agape which is unselfish love for all other people
•St. Paul teaches that love is unfailing and unbreakable and we must treat each other
with love
•Jesus condemned religious leaders because he believed they were fuelled by greed,
not love
•Quotes
oLuke 3:11 – John answered ‘ The man with two tunics should share with him who
has none, and the one who has food should do the same’
oJames 2:14-17 – What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith, but no
deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and
daily food. If one of you says to him, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed, but do
nothing about his physical needs. What good is it? In the same way, faith is useless,
unless accompanied by action.
•Christian teaching
oWe must take action in any situation possible
oIf we have more than we need, it must be given to others
oIn today’s world, we have more than we require and should donate therefore
oPeople should not be greedy
oPeople should help the less fortunate
oLove is the greatest feeling
oWe must love unselfishly
•We must know that Jesus healed the sick, the poor and the outcast
•The weak and powerless in society are:-
oChildren
oThe Elderly
oThe Mentally Handicapped
oThe Physically Handicapped
oSingle Parents
oDrug Users
oPrisoners
•We should care for these people because as Christians we are all God’s family
•Events and groups
oSocial Responsibility Sunday – Think especially for our neighbours in need and
schemes are run for Christian volunteers
oSalvation Army – Shows concern for the outcast, reacting with charity to all those in
need
oSociety of Friends – Set up amnesty international which looks to help the prisoners
of the world

Religious Congregations and Communities

•Matthew 19:16-30 – A man goes to Jesus and asks how he may enter the kingdom of
heaven and Jesus tells him to obey the commandments. The man says he has fulfilled
all of the commandments and asks what else he could do and Jesus replies by saying
he should sell all his possession. The man goes away sad because he is very rich .
Jesus tells his disciples “I assure you it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven
•This man was invited to be perfect, not commanded
•Though the invitation was too much for the man, he was invited to serve God and
was not forced
•We are taught to find balance, Jesus does not say it is wrong to be wealthy, but it is
often hard to find a balance between possessions and God
•An example of a man who achieved this balance was St. Thomas More who never
took bribes, but was very rich
•A common concept is that possessions are the rival of God

Types of Community

•All religious men and women are consecrated by three vows:-

oPoverty – Vow not to have any possessions
oChastity – Vow to be in a relationship only with God
oObedience – Vow to do exactly as God tells them
•There are two types of order: Contemplative and Apostolic
•Contemplatives’ live a hidden life dedicated to prayer and work, in enclosed orders
such as Cathusians, Cisterians and Camelities. An example of a contemplative is St.
Benedict.
•Apostolics’ live a public life of prayer and community work for the sick, the poor,
the elderly and teaching. An example of an apostolic order is the Christian brothers
and example of an apostolic person is Mother Teresa.

The Marriage Ceremony

•Introductory Rite – The priest opens the mass with a prayer and explains why the
congregation is gathered
•Liturgy Of the Word – Readings are said which are often in relation to the marriage
and are read by friends and family.
•Rite Of Marriage – The couple are asked to give themselves to their partner, to love
and honour each other and to embrace children from God. They are them asked if
there is a lawful impediment to prevent their marriage and then are asked to say their
vows as proof of their marriage
oTo have and to hold
oFor better and for worse
oFor richer and for poorer
oIn sickness and in health
oFor richer and for poorer
oTo love and cherish till death
•Blessing of the rings – the rings are then blessed and given as a sign of love and
fidelity
•Prayers of the Faithful – Bidding prayers for the love and prosperity of the couple by
the family
•Signing of the register – The register is signed to prove the couple is officially
married and the service continues, the priest is the registrar
•Liturgy of the Eucharist – The Eucharistic prayer, but also prays for the protection of
the couple
•Rite of Communion – The Lord’s Prayer is said and communion is had
•Nuptial Blessing – The priest asks for the protection and love on the couple of God
•Lighting of the candles – Two candles are lit and are used to light a single candle as a
sign of unity
•Concluding Rite – Usually, it is aimed at the married couple

Believer’s Baptism

•What happens?
Before the service, the person is taught about the bible teachings on baptism and
living as a Christian on a baptism course.
There are no sponsors
Often friends are asked to help or pray during the service
A testimony is made about why they wanted to join the church – this could be a
speech or an interview
Baptism can be done by a minister or pastor or an elder in an independent church
The minister usually gives the person a bible quote relevant to them
The believer is totally submerged in water to show death to the old lifestyle and re-
birth to a new lifestyle

•Who is baptised like this?

Pentecostals
Asians
Baptists
Brethren
Independent Evangelists

•Symbolism
Symbolises being buried in water and dying to sin
Being raised from the dead in the glory of Jesus Christ
White symbolises richness and kingliness
White symbolises purity
God has forgiven you and allowed you to be ‘clean’
People do this to show they are happy to be party of God’s family
Roman Catholic Baptism

•Reception – Font is at the door and the priest is met outside of the church and the
god parents are asked if they are prepared and the baby is given the sign of the cross
to show it belongs to God.
•Liturgy of the Word – The reading is related to the baptism
•Exorcism and Anointing – The devil is cast out and the baby is freed from original
sin. The baby is anointed with oil as a sign of strength and healing.
•Baptismal Promises – Child is brought to the font and the God parents and parents
renew their faith. They then make the promises for the baby.
•Baptism – Water is poured over the baby as a sign of cleansing, life and death. This
is the sacrament
•Anointing with Chrism – Signifies a king in the Old Testament. Shows a new faith
and a new life with Christ
•White Garment – Is given as a sign of new life, rejecting all sin and association with
innocence, richness and purity
•Baptismal candle – Given to one of the parents as a sign of the resurrection and that
Jesus is the life of the world
•Conclusion at the Altar – It occurs, the Lord’s Prayer is said at the altar and three
blessings are made. One for the father, the mother and the congregation.
•The baby is now a member of the Church and does not have original sin. They can
then confirm this at Confirmation when they are older.
•The sign of the cross shows the child is branded in Christ
•The water signifies purity, new life and death to sin.

Funeral

•Catholics hope to receive Holy Communion before they die

◦Viaticum – Food for the journey
•After death, the body is sprinkled with holy water
•Priest dresses in white robes – New life
•Begins with “I am the resurrection and the life”
•Prayers are offered to the deceased and a talk by the priest
•A friend or family member will usually say a Eulogy
•Body can be buried or cremated
•Belief that death is not the end
•Funerals are a chance to say goodbye and mark souls moving from earth to heaven

PILGRIMAGE

Why will a place become a place of pilgrimage

•May be connected to a particularly holy person

•A place were a miracle has occurred
•A place where a vision has been seen
•A place where a relic of a saint is kept
•A place connected

Why do people go on pilgrimage?

•To feel some holiness

•To come closer to God
•To seek God's forgiveness
•To show devotion to God
•To ask for and receive God's help

Lourdes

•Bernadette saw Our Lady 18 times

•People come to Lourdes to pray to the mother of God to thank her and asked her for
spiritual favours and blessing
•Our Lady said “I desire that people come here, go drink from the spring”
•Pilgrims are touched by the unique healing power of Lourdes
•The first pilgrims were neighbouring tourists
•Pilgrims come from worldwide
•Our Lady wanted a permanent reminder of the people of Lourdes, a church if the
united faithful
•What do people do in Lourdes?
Visit the grotto
Bathe in the holy water
Drink from the springs
Visit the stations of the cross
Take part in the candlelit procession
Pray to Mary
Pray for healing
Feel part of the Catholic Community

Israel

•Bethlehem owns the Church of the Nativity where Christians believe the birth of
Christ occurs
The mosaic over the entrance shows three wise men and the star in the east is
supposedly where Jesus was born
•Nazareth is the place where Jesus grew up
Two places of interest are the basilica of the Annunciation and the Greek Orthodox
Church of St. Gabriel
Both claim to be the place of the annunciation
•Jerusalem is a pilgrimage site because it is the place where the events of Easter
occurred
The Church there is called the Church of the Sepulchre
It is thought that Jesus was crucified there
FESTIVALS

•Sunday
Christians are expected to go to mass every Sunday
Sunday begins on Saturday night
Sunday is a day of rest as it is the day God rested in Genesis 2:2
Sunday is appreciated by Christians as it is distinguished from the Jews
In the modern world, it has become a day of recreation and leisure
During Mass we are reminded of commemorable Sundays in the past
Sign of the Cross – We are branded in Christ
Communion – Reminds us of Maundy Thursday and the last supper
Offertory – Gifts of bread and wine as a sign of respect to God
Our faith is celebrated after the homily in the profession of faith
•Holy Week
Last week of Lent starting on Palm Sunday and ending on Sunday the week later
Christians remember the last week in the life of Jesus
Palm Sunday
First day
Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey and people lay down palms
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”
Fig Monday
The day Jesus cleansed the temple
Traders were selling in front of the temple
One of the rare times Jesus showed the human trait, anger
Holy Tuesday
The day the Jewsh leaders attempted to trick Jesus into disputing the Roman taxing
system
“Give Caesar what you owe him and give God what you owe him”
Maundy Thursday
Altar is stripped
Celebration of the last supper
Special Eucharist where all the congregation can have Holy Communion
Washing of feet takes place
Good Friday
Mass is not celebrated
Mourning takes place
There is no Eucharist or hymns
Day of fasting
The passion is often done in role-play
Holy Saturday
Jesus is laid in the tomb
Easter vigil where every parishioner carries a candle
Half of mass is often celebrated outside of the church
Easter Sunday
Jesus' resurrection
 Mass begins with no light and then the whole church is lit after a special blessing
The liturgy of the word and the Gospel are based on when the women find the tomb.
Symbols of new birth (Eggs, Chicks, Rabbits0
Easter biscuits and cakes
•Pentecost (Whitsun)
7 days before Easter
Birthday of the Church
When the Apostles were given the gifts of the holy spirit as tongues of fire
descended on them
Favourite day for baptism of new converts
50 days after the passover
Popular for confirmations
Whit Walks where people take walks of witness
Happy festival – Red vestments
Hymns of the holy spirit
Symbol of a Dove to represent the holy spirit
Wind – represents an invisible source of uncontrollable power
Fire – Warmth
•Christmas
Celebrates the birth of Jesus
Many visit the nativity to pray
Celebration of Jesus in a human form
No one knows the date – Pope Gregory set it
Many churches have a carol service
Gifts are shared
Christians make an effort and share meals with the homeless
Presents – The symbols of sharing and the three wise men
Trees – Evergreen to represent infinite life
Candles – Light of the world
God in flesh
The main symbol of Christianity, the birth of a Saviour