Search for Meaning 2015

The Search for MeaningReligion & SocietyArea of Study 1

Foundational Religious BeliefsFoundational religious beliefs are those that are central in the belief system of a specific religious tradition and from which other (ancillary/secondary) religious beliefs are directly or indirectly derived.

Foundational Religious Beliefs (cont.)The foundational religious beliefs of any religious tradition are the theological basis upon which that tradition establishes its uniqueness.

Foundational Beliefs of the Catholic Christian TraditionThe Ultimate Reality:The Trinity three persons in one God:1) The Father2) The Son3) The Holy Spirit

Foundational Beliefs of the Catholic Christian Tradition (Cont.)CreationIncarnationResurrection

Foundational BeliefsThe foundational belief of the Incarnation is expressed in the Nicene Creed: And Jesus Christ is the only son, our Lord.The doctrine we are examining, the Incarnation, means becoming flesh of God adherents believe that God the Son became a man.

Foundational Beliefs (cont.)The Incarnation God the Son, the second person of the blessed Trinity, the eternal God, at a certain moment in time became man without ceasing to be God.

Foundational Beliefs (Cont.)Jesus was therefore both God and Man. We understand that in the one divine person, Jesus Christ, there are two natures: 1) the nature of God which He shared with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and 2) the human nature which He holds in common with all of us.

Foundational Beliefs (Cont.)Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the blessed Trinity and equal to both the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Foundational Beliefs (Cont.)Jesus is also the son of Mary, a real human like each one of us. The name Jesus comes to us from the Greek and Latin meaning saviour. The name Christ comes to us from the Greek, Latin and Hebrew, meaning the anointed one.

Foundational Beliefs (Cont.)So Jesus Christ means the anointed saviour.Person someone altogether unique.Nature something we all have in common.Jesus is both God and man equally.

The Eight Typological Aspects of Religions

How does the tradition shape the behaviour or culture of an individual and society?The Search for Meaning: It is an investigation of foundational beliefs and how they shape the tradition and interact with society.

Aspects of Religions (cont.)The beliefs of a tradition is the structure/template an individual applies to make sense of a complex modern world.These beliefs are expressed by the eight aspects. They give an individual insight into the foundational beliefs of the tradition.

The Eight AspectsBeliefs are connected to existence, to the purpose of life and provide the principles for the individual to comprehend a complex society.The beliefs act as templates to understand and inform daily behaviour.

What makes a religious tradition?

There must be a belief in an ultimate reality (in the Catholic Christian tradition this is God).

A religious tradition must have each of the following:

Beliefs: for example the formal statements made in creedsMyths and other storiesSacred text & other religious literatureRituals

A religious tradition must have each of the following: (cont.)

SymbolsSocial structuresOral or written codes of behaviourReligious experience and spirituality

Which of the eight aspects applies?

God the Father: BeliefsGenesis:MythsThe Bible:Sacred textStations of the Cross:Religious ExperienceHierarchy / structure: Social StructureTen Commandments:Codes of BehaviourSign of the Cross:Ritual

BeliefWe believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.Amen. Nicene Creed

Sacred TextReligious texts, also known as scripture, are the texts which various religious traditions consider to be sacred, or of central importance to their religious tradition. Many religions and spiritual movements believe that their sacred texts are divinely or supernaturally inspired.

Sacred Text (cont.)In the Catholic tradition the sacred text is the Bible. The Bible is made up of the Old and New testaments. Old Testament : Hebrew ScripturesNew Testament: Christian Scriptures

Sacred Text (Cont.)In his Encyclical on Sacred Scripture Pope Leo XIII writes: By supernatural power (the Holy Spirit) so moved and impelled them (the sacred writers) to write. He was so present to them that the things which He ordered, and those only. They first rightly understood, then willed faithfully to write down, and finally expressed in apt words and with infallible truth.

MythsA non-historical story which may have arisen in a religious society providing a constituent part of its sacred foundations an absolute expression of its institutions, experiences and ideas is a myth.Myths does not mean a fairy tale. It means a literary style to explain a truth of God.

Myths (Cont.)The Book of Genesis could be understood as a myth. In fact there are two creation stories which in part are contradictory.This is not to suggest they are untrue, rather they were written with the historical and scientific knowledge of the human authors at the time.

Statement of BeliefsReligious beliefs there must be defined beliefs that adherents can identify.In the Catholic tradition one of the statements of beliefs is the Nicene Creed (the Catholic profession of faith). The Apostles Creed is an earlier statement of belief dating back to the early second century.

RitualsRituals a behaviour which occurs within a society either on a regular basis or at certain times of peoples lives when actions, not words, are used to convey meaning.Rituals often clearly identify adherents of a religious tradition. For example a ritual in the Catholic tradition is the Sign of the Cross.

SymbolsSymbols are visual representations which express the moral values of a society or the teachings of the religion; foster solidarity among adherents, and bring adherents closer to their object of worship.Religious symbols must be identifiable to adherents and must relate to the religious beliefs of the tradition.

Symbols (Cont.)Symbols are used to foster a deeper connection to God. They are used to focus adherents and prompts reflection through prayer and meditation.Religious symbols are usually tradition specific in the broader sense. For example: the Christian symbol of the Cross.

Social StructureClearly identifiable formal structure in Roman Catholic tradition: PopeCardinalsArchbishopsBishopsPriestsReligious Nuns & BrothersLay people

Codes of BehaviourCodes of behaviour - a set of rules/laws/guidelines that followers must consider and/or adhere to In the Catholic tradition these are set out in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They can also be found in other sources such as the Ten Commandments the Decalogue.

Religious ExperienceReligious experience and spirituality are characteristic ways of thinking and behaving in the light of beliefs.This means the different ways the adherents encounter God. It also reflects that because you are a follower of a religious tradition you will act in line with those beliefs and thus have experience that would not occur without the religious belief.

Religious Experience (cont.)In the Catholic tradition one such religious experience is the Eucharist. That is the belief that you are literally receiving the body and blood of Christ.Transubstantiation bread and wine changes in substance to the body & blood of ChristWithout the life, death and resurrection of Jesus this experience would not be possible.

The Ultimate Reality God TranscendentGod is beyond our limitations as humans. God has become known in different forms: the burning bush; the eagle; shepherd; human; spirit; the Eucharist.

Transcendent (cont.)God can never be fully understood:Omnipotent all powerful.Omniscient all knowing.Omnipresent present everywhere at the same time.Omnibenevolent all goodness.

GodThe Catholic Church believes that God is the creator of everything that is seen and unseen. That is, nothing would exist if it wasnt for God wanting to share his creation - what we see today. God is omnipotent and to acknowledge Gods power has a great bearing on our lives. Gods power is love.

God (cont.)God who created everything also rules everything and can do everything (CCC 268). God is so powerful He is capable of things beyond human comprehension. God is the Alpha and the Omega.Nothing exists without Gods knowledge in Gods Trinitarian love.

God (Cont.)God is monotheistic and is represented as three parts/persons/beings in one the Trinity.God is our Father and through his great love he decided to share that and create us, with the ability of having our own free will. This is assured in Gods own glory. (CCC 204)

Why the Incarnation?

Why did God become human?How is it that God who is utterly good allows evil?Surely God could have simply made a better world?God did make the world and God saw that it was good. Humans undid the good.

The Fall

Through his Church God has revealed that man was once very different to what he is now. Man was full of control, without inner conflict between higher and low, the good and bad. (See Romans 7:15-25).

The Fall (cont.)

Genesis describes sin as eating the forbidden fruit. The actual sin itself is not important.The temptation was so you may be like God (Gen. 3:5) that is, to be above the law and deciding for oneself what is right and wrong.

The Fall (Cont.)Man disobeyed God original sin and the results were catastrophic complete loss of control of self death and suffering entered the world. Man offended God making the Incarnation necessary. Before the Fall, man was in a state of original justice, sharing in Gods life, enjoying Gods friendship, able to do what God wanted of him.

The Fall (Cont.)Things without Gods grace we would not have been able to do. These are what he needed to inherit the eternal reward.Since the Fall man lost Gods grace. Man could not pass on to his descendants what they did not possess. Grace the ability to do what God wanted of them.

The Fall (Cont.)After the Fall, the entire human race was destined to be born lacking the essential revealed qualities needed to go to Heaven. They were in need of a saviour to redeem them. The prophets foretold that one day the One would come to redeem humanity.

SinMan has offended God and is unable to make up for it. Man has been enslaved by sin and needs to be saved from it God becoming man provides the answer. With sin, it is God who is offended God is of course infinite.

RedeemerMan is capable of committing offence sin. Mankind is not able to repair the damage.Only a divine person can make adequate restitution for an offence against God.Restitution to make things right, to achieve reconciliation.

RedeemerSo God became man Since He became man he can make restitution by his death on the cross Since He is also man he can make restitution on behalf of humanity.

Restitution: act or instance of restoring of a thing to its proper owner.

ResurrectionJesus suffered death, was buried, and rose again on the third day.The Church is based upon this extraordinary event / experience the first proclamation of the gospel (the good news): This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. (Acts 2:32)

Resurrection (cont.)Christian faith is linked with the religious truth Paul declared: and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and our faith has been in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:14)

CCC 638We bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this day he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus. (Acts 13:32-33)

CCC 638 (cont.)The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal Mystery along with the cross:Christ is risen from the dead! Dying, he conquered death; To the dead, he has given life.

Resurrection Why?It was necessary for Jesus to rise again to manifest the justice of God.For it was most fitting that He who was degraded and loathed with ignominy through obedience to God, should have been exalted by God.Ignominy: disgrace, dishonour, public contempt.

Resurrection Why? (cont.)Furthermore, He rose with the purpose of confirming our faith, which is necessary for our justification. The resurrection of Christ from the dead by His power gives our faith its principal argument for His divinity.

Resurrection hope:The resurrection also nurtures our hope, for, as Christ rose again, we are established in the certain hope that we too shall rise again:For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. (1 Thessalonians 4:14)

Peter A Living HopeBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

Salvation and RedemptionThe resurrection of our Lord was necessary to complete the mystery of our salvation and redemption.Christ liberated us from the slavery of sin by his death and restored to us, through his resurrection, the most important privileges which we had lost by sin.

Salvation and Redemption (Cont.)It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. Therefore, so that nothing will perfect the work of our salvation, it was necessary that as He died, He should also rise again from the dead.