What do Christians believe?. God: supreme (only) & divine being. Omnipotent Creator of Heaven & Earth. Jesus (of Nazareth): Son of God. The man.

WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY?What do Christians believe?

DO NOT COPY THIS – ATHEIST VIEW OF CHRISTIANITY

KEY WORDS/FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS God: supreme (only) &

divine being. Omnipotent Creator of Heaven & Earth.

Jesus (of Nazareth): Son of God. The man who reconciled the sins of the world and God.

Holy Spirit: Spirit of God

KEY WORDS/FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS

Grace: blessings bestowed upon us by God.

Trinity: Divine, human, and spiritual sides of God. i.e. God (Father), Jesus (Son) & Holy Spirit.

Denomination: different groups within same religion

KEY WORDS/FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS Salvation: belief that

Jesus came to Earth to save us

Crucifixion & Resurrection: belief that Jesus was executed and rose again

SIN & REDEMPTION Sin: An action or thought that separates you from

God. (WWJD) - humans have FREE WILL

Atonement: forgiveness, achieved though repentance, confession, penance, etc.

Original Sin: inherited (Eve), cleansed through Baptism

REFLECTIVE PERSONAL ESSAY What are your sins? How can you

realistically stop sin in your life?(Tip: go through the “7 deadly sins” & “10 commandments”)

SIN & REDEMPTION (7 DEADLY SINS)SLOTH: Physical & spiritual laziness

WRATH: Intense feelings of rage, hate, anger

ENVY: Like jealousy, but more coveting

PRIDE: Like hubris, arrogance, feeling more

important than others

SIN & REDEMPTION (7 DEADLY SINS)

LUST: Intense desire for money,

fame, power, sexual pleasure

GLUTTONY: Over-indulgence Sins of

Excess

GREED: Excessive pursuit of

material possessions

SIN & REDEMPTION (10 COMMANDMENTS)

A BRIEF HISTORY

Jesus as Messiah: Born / died as a

Jew. His followers become the first Christian–Jews

Jesus represents NEW covenant (agreement) with God

replaces previous ones from Old Testament)

A BRIEF HISTORY

Early days of Christianity Christian-Jews persecuted by Romans

(martyrs) Referred to as apologists (defenders of

Christianity)

A BRIEF HISTORY Christianity becomes dominant religion

because Constantine converted to Christianity (312 AD)

The Great SCHISM (1054 AD) – Major Split

Irony: began to persecute other religions.

Christians debate divinity of Jesus, split occurs.

Catholics Orthodox West (Spain, France, Italy) East (Greece, Russia and

Serbia) Pope No pope

A BRIEF HISTORY

Corruption People paying church to get

into heaven or reduce their (or their loved ones‘) time in purgatory

(1517) Priest Martin Luther upset, declared his 95 theses

Printing Press: the capability to reproduces texts en masse and in different languages e.g. Bible

Catholics & Protestant Reformation (16th century)

A BRIEF HISTORYFocus of

Protestants: a) read Bible

yourself

b) personal relationship w/ God (no papacy)

THE HOLY BOOKChristian Bible: It said to be the Word

of God and the stories of God and His people.

66 books in the Bible

2 sections: Old Testament (39) New Testament (27)

Book broken down by chapter and verse (i.e. John 3:16)