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I. Introduction
127
b. Spiritual Ferment and Culture of Religious
Exploration Paved Way for a Missionary Religion
to take Hold
c. Rise of Many New Mystery Cults Pave Way for
Christianity
(1) Cults were Egalitarian
(2) Cults Based on Secret Initiation Rituals and
Communal Meals
(3) Christianity able to Build Itself with Many
Converts from Cults
B. Christianity’s New Testament: Biased but Still the Best Source for
Information about Jesus
128
e. After Baptism Jesus Went into Judean Wilderness
to Fast and Pray for Forty Days, Tempted by Satan
f. Jesus Returns to Galilee to Preach and Gather a
Circle of Disciples who Consider Him a Rabbi
g. Jesus Preached Publicly for One-to-Three Years
h. Jesus Preached in Galilee and in Judea / Jerusalem
i. Jesus Taught with Both Simple, Direct Sayings
(Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor …
Blessed are the meek …”) and with Parables (i.e.,
short, easy-to-remember stories with very human
characters, for example “The Good Samaritan”)
j. Jesus Worked Miracles, Usually Healings,
Exorcisms, and Feeding Hungry People
k. Some of His Followers before His, and All of them
After, Identified Jesus as the Jewish Messiah
l. Opposition to Jesus Grew as He Became Known in
Galilee and Judea
(1) Pharisees (a liberal-progressive group of
synagogue oriented rabbis that accepted
more than Pentateuch as Scripture) Opposed
Jesus; Many of Jesus’ Followers, and
Perhaps Even Jesus Himself, were
Originally Pharisees) Oppose Jesus
(2) Sadducees (aristocratic-conservative group
associated closely with Temple and its
priesthood) Oppose Jesus
(3) Zealots (revolutionary group of Jews who
seek to end Roman imperial rule of
Palestine; some of Jesus’ followers might
have been Zealots) Oppose Jesus
m. In Jerusalem On Eve of His Death Jesus Has a Last
Supper with His Followers, Possibly a Celebration
of the Feast of Passover
(1) Jesus’ Words at Last Supper Considered
Some of Most Important in the Bible
(2) Catholics and Protestants Disagree on How
to Interpret Last Supper Words “this is my
body … this cup … is … my blood” (see
Luke 22:17-20)
n. Jesus Betrayed by Judas, One Member of His Inner
Circle of Followers
o. Jesus Arrested in Some Joint Conspiracy of Jewish
Leadership and Roman Government
(1) Gospels Focus Much of Blame for Jesus’
Unjust Death on Jewish Leaders and Jewish
Crowds in Jerusalem that Convinced Pilate
129
to Execute Him, Thereby (Inadvertently)
Encouraging Centuries of Christian Anti-
Judaism
(2) Roman Political Authority Also Shares
Major Blame for Jesus’ Unjust Execution
p. Jesus Interrogated by Jewish Leaders
q. Jesus Interrogated by Roman Imperial Governor of
Palestine, Pontius Pilate, Who Suspected Jesus was
a Zealot
r. Jesus Given Death Penalty by Crucifixion on a
Friday Afternoon
s. Jesus Placed in a Tomb
t. Jesus’ Followers Find Tomb Empty on Sunday
Morning, Claim He was Resurrected from the Dead
u. The Risen Jesus Appears to Followers for a Period
of Time and then Ascends to Heaven
130
3. New Testament book Acts of the Apostles Chronicles Early
Years of the Christian Movement
131
Did Not Think Gentiles Needed to Follow Jewish
Circumcision Laws to become Christians
g. Paul’s Openness to Gentile Converts Allows
Christianity to Grow, but Distances it as a Religion
from its Parent Religion, Judaism
h. Paul Arrested by Romans, with Encouragement of
Jewish Leadership, Brought to Rome in Chains and
Given Trial
i. End Details of Paul’s Life Uncertain; Possibly Died
in Roman Prison, Executed (perhaps with Peter)
During Persecution Campaign by Caesar Nero
132
b. As Time Passed, the Need for Organized Structure
Necessary for the Survival of the Religion
133
a. Today Scholars Think Not All Fourteen Letters
Traditionally Attributed to Paul Actually by Him
b. Paul’s Letters a Mixture of Practice Advice on the
Life of Faith and Theological Opinion about the
Meaning of Jesus’ Life, Death, Resurrection
134
d. Redeemer from Unknown Spirit God Must Come to
Give Human Souls Secret of Escape from Material
World
e. Jesus the Redeemer Cannot Really be Human in the
Flesh, Must be Pure Spirit Appearing to be Human
f. Jesus’ Life, Public Teachings, Death, Resurrection
Matter Little
g. Jesus’ Secret Teachings on Soul’s Method of
Escape from Material World Matter Most
h. Gnostics Syncretism: Blending of Esoteric Ideas
from Jewish, Greek, Persian, Egyptian Religions
i. Mainstream Christianity Resists Gnosticism and
Defends Goodness of Material World and Full
Humanity of Jesus
j. Many Original Gnostic Manuscripts Discovered in
1945 Nag Hammadi, Egypt
135
G. Mainstream Christianity Resists Heretical (partisan) Groups
D. Augustine (354-430)
136
4. Under Influence of Bishop Ambrose of Milan Augustine
Converts to Christianity
137
a. Bishop of Rome Saw Self as Only Figure Capable
of Unifying Fractious Eastern Patriarchs
b. Eastern Church Leaders (Patriarchs) Oppose
Perceived Arrogance of the Bishop of Rome
138
3. Aquinas, Dominican Friar, Writes Influential Theological
Synthesis of Christianity and Aristotle’s Philosophy
1. Causes
2. Consequences
139
2. Bohemia: John Hus (1374-1415 C.E.)
a. Influenced by Wycliffe
b. Denounced Evils of the Papacy
c. Denounced Indulgence System Whereby People
Paid Money to Church to Buy Forgiveness for the
Sins of Those in Purgatory
d. Condemned by Council of Florence in 1415 and
Burned at the Stake
140
7. 1521 Luther Goes into Hiding from Political and
Ecclesiastical Enemies
141
a. Sets Forth Ideal Christian Religion Untainted by
Roman Corruption
b. Deeply Influenced by Augustine’s Theology
c. Teaches Predestination
142
2. The Council of Trent (1545-1663 C.E.)
143
C. Vatican II (1962-65)
2. Methodists
144
e. Encounter Moravians, Begin to Emphasize
Conversion as Central to Faith
f. Emotional, Pious Intensity Appeals to Working
Class, Lower Class English
g. Movement Spreads to American Colonies, Becomes
Second Largest Religion in America
A. Sunday
145
B. Advent, Christmas, Epiphany
C. Easter
D. Pentecost
146
XI. Christianity Today
B. Liberation Theology
C. Fundamentalism
D. New Christianities
147
(1) Long Lost Sacred Book Written on Golden
Tablets in Strange Ancient Language
(2) Moroni Guides Smith in Interpreting Words
on Golden Tablets
(3) Tablets Tell Story of Nephite
Prophets—Ancient Israelites who Migrated
to the Americas
(4) Tablets Recount Story of Risen Christ
Appearing to Native American Descendants
of the Nephites
(5) Smith Records Further Revelations
Concerning Doctrine and Ritual in
Doctrines and Covenants
(6) Third Mormon Scripture Known as Pearl of
Great Price
d. Mormons Consider Selves Only True Christians,
Consider First Nineteen Hundred Years of
Christianity an Long Age of Apostasy
e. Early Mormons—Including Smith—Preached and
Practiced Polygamy
(1) Teachings on Polygamy Led to Persecution
by Other Christian Groups
(2) Early Mormons Migrate from Ohio,
Missouri, Illinois, Settle in Utah in 1847
f. Later Mormonism Claimed God Gave New
Revelation Forbidding Polygamy
g. Mormons Aggressive Missionaries, Leading to
Phenomenal Growth of their Denomination
2. Protestant Mega-Churches
148
Key Names, Concepts, and Terms
149