INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGION AND BELIEF SYSTEM

CHRISTIANITY
INTRODUCTION:
Christianity is considered the most popular region in the world with the most
number of adherents among all religions. Starting around the 1st century C.E., it
developed out of Judaism during the reign of the Roman Empire in West Asia. It centers
on the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the Messiah
or Savior of humanity. The most common symbol of Christianity is the cross, for
Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humanity from their sins
and to restore people9s relationship with God the Father. Christians also believe
in the Holy Trinity, which means God has three aspects- Father, Son, and the Holy
Spirit. It is believed that God the Father sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth to redeem
humanity from their sins for them to avoid the eternal flames of hell. This module will
discuss about brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and related
issues of Christianity.
Christianity is a religion that is very familiar to Filipinos because the Philippines have
become predominantly Catholic since the Spaniards occupied the country for 16th to the
19th centuries, with the spread of Catholicism as one of their enduring legacies to the
Filipino people. It is considered the worlds largest religion, a religion based on the
teachings of Jesus Christ who is considered the Son of God and the Messiah or Savior.
Here are some of the basic facts about Christianity:
Symbols
The symbols shown above are the most common symbols associated with Christianity.
The cross serves as a symbol of Jesus Christs victory over sins when He died on the cross
for humanity9s redemption and salvation. Christ died on the cross and the cross serves
as a reminder of the sacrifices made by God in order for humanity to live. In Roman
Catholic churches, the crucifix is a regular feature, with the image of Christ nailed on the
cross. This aims to emphasize Christ s sufferings for humanity. Meanwhile, Protestant
churches often feature only the cross without the image of the body of Christ, to
emphasize Christ9s resurrection and not His sufferings. Meanwhile, the fish symbol is as
old as Christianity itself, for it was used by persecuted Christians as a secret sign when
meeting other Christians. Because Christians were threatened by the Romans during the
time, they had to make secret code to avoid persecution.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Christianity developed in Palestine around 100 CE. It was founded by Jesus, considered
to be the Son of God and Messiah or Savior. Regarded as an offshoot of Judaism,
Christianity has survived and even surpassed Judaism and other religions in terms of
number of adherents. Today Christianity is divided into three major sects Roman
Catholicism, Greek Orthodox Church, and Protestantism. These major Christian sects are
further subdivided by Christian denominations that differ in certain beliefs and practices
but are united in worshipping Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS

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The Pope serves as the head of the Catholic Church, the inheritor of Peter. He has his
headquarters in the Vatican, an independent state in Rome. He is responsible for the
general supervision of the church. He is the head of the Catholic Church and the head of
Vatican. He also has the authority to appoint administrative and religious officials in
Vatican. Next to the Pope are the cardinals, who are also appointed by the Pope. The
cardinals represent the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church in different parts of the
world. They serve as advisers to the Pope and elect a new pope as the need arises, thus
they have the power to choose the successor of the outgoing pope. The body comprising
the cardinals is called the College of Cardinals. The Bishops also form part of the
hierarchy. Bishops are teachers of the doctrine, priest of sacred worship, and ministers of
church government. They provide pastoral supervision for a diocese and serves as
representatives of the Church. The Pope himself is a bishop. A bishop ordained to his
station, just like priests.

DIETY/GOD
Christians believe in one God, therefore Christianity is a monotheistic religion. God is
seen as the creator and maintainer of the universe, and is believed to be omnipotent (all-
powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (all-present), and omnibenevolent (all-
good).god is also sacred, moral, unchangeable, compassionate, graceful and timeless.
HOLY TRINITY
Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, which means that God is composed of three
persons: God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of the
Holy Trinity was affirmed at the council of Nicea in 25 C.E. where it was agreed upon that
the Son has the same substance with the Father, therefore they are both eternal. The
doctrine of the Holy Trinity was Christianity9s way to end the controversy generated by
Arianism, a teaching by Arius which claimed that Jesus Christ was not actually a God.
SACRED SCRIPTURES
The Bible considered the sacred scripture of Christianity. It is a collection of songs,
stories, poetry, letters, history, as well as literature. It is composed of two books, the Old
Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is considered the original
Hebrew Bible, written between 1200 and 165 B.C.E. the New Testament was written by
Christians around 100 C.E.

The Old Testament

The Old Testament, also called the Hebrew Bible, is composed of 39 books which are
arranged in three parts: the first five books (Genesis to Deuteronomy) are considered
‘The Law or Torah’ which may refer to guidance pr instruction; they are called as such
because they serve as guidelines on how people should live their everyday lives, as well
as other legal necessities. Later these books were called the ‘Pentateauch’ which were
attributed to Moses. Meanwhile, the second part of the Old Testament is called <The
Prophets= which is divided into two parts, the former prophets and the latter prophets,
the book of former prophets is considered historical while book of the latter prophets
contain saying and stories of prophets. The third part is called
<The Writings=, which include Psalms (songs, prayers, and worship liturgies), Proverbs
(wise sayings), Job (a drama that explores the nature of suffering), and the five scrolls
(Megiloth) which were grouped together for their associations with a particular religious
festival.

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The New Testament
The New Testament is composed of 27 books written around 50 to 100 C.E. and is
composed of two sections: The Gospels which tells the story of Jesus (Mark, Matthew,
Luke and John); and The Letters (or Epistles) written by various Christian leaders to serve
as guide to the early Christian communities. They were written to tell the life and
teaching of Jesus. The Acts of Apostles and Luke tell how Christianity developed from a
small group of Jewish believers to becoming one of the world9s major religions.
Revelation is the last book of the New Testament, traditionally attributed to the apostle
John, which is considered an epistle and an apocalypse.

Seven Sacraments
The Catholic Church has seven sacraments which are considered signs of inner kindness
given by God for Christians to live a genuine human life. The seven sacraments include
Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Marriage, Holy Orders, and the
Anointing of the Sick.

Eight Beatitudes
The Beatitudes comprise what is known as the <Sermon on the Mount= recorded in
Matthew 5-7. The Beatitudes refer to the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the
<Sermon on the Mount=. Here are the Eight Beatitudes mentioned in Matthew 5-7.

Apostles Creed
The Apostles Creed is believed to have developed in the 100 or 200 C.E. and was
influenced later by the Nicene Creed. A letter written by the Council of Milan in 390 C.E.
is the earliest historical evidence of the existence of the Apostles Creed. It is not written
by the apostles themselves but it serves as a summary of their basic teachings.

WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES

Christians have certain religious observances in which they commemorate particular
events in the history of Christianity. Some of the most important Christian observances
are Advent, Lent, and the Pentecost.

KEEP IN THIS MIND!

According to Christianity, since human beings are created in the likeness and image of
God, they are intrinsically good; but they are also given free will so they are considered
prone to sin and in need of grace. The goal of every individual is to have eternal life of
the soul after death. For those who have become good Christians, the reward is eternal
life in heaven; for those who lived a life full of sins, the punishment is eternal damnation
in hell. Death means the physical body is separated from the soul, and the soul goes
either heaven or hell, depending on how one lived his life on earth. Heaven is a paradise
with no more sadness and pain, while hell is a place where sinners were thrown by devils
into flames.

TASK 1: APPLICATION OF LEARNING

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Read one of the most known stories told by Jesus, the parable of ‘The Lost Son which found in
the gospel of Luke 15:11-32.
The Parable of the Lost Son
11
Jesus continued: <There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 8Father,
give me my share of the estate.9 So he divided his property between them.
13
<Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there
squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole
country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent
him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one
gave him anything.
17
<When he came to his senses, he said, 8How many of my father9s hired servants have food to
spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of
your hired servants.9 20 So he got up and went to his father.
<But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he
ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21
<The son said to him, 8Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer
worthy to be called your son.9
22
<But the father said to his servants, 8Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on
his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let9s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For
this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.9 So they began to celebrate.
25
<Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So
he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 8Your brother has come,9 he replied,
8and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.9
28
<The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But
he answered his father, 8Look! All these years I9ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.
Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has
squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!9
31
<8My son,9 the father said, 8you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate
and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.9=

Do a personal reflection on the following questions:

1. What is the impact of the parable on you?
2. Why was the younger sons leaving offensive?
3. What made him go back to his fathers house?
4. Do you have any similarity with the younger son?
5. If you were the eldest son, would you react to your fathers mercy toward your brother? Why?
6. Which is the lost son? Why do you say so?

Task 2: Choose to do one of the following in a short bondpaper:

1. In our daily lives, we encounter different kinds of Christians. In what way did he live out or
practice the core teaching of Jesus? Write the story below.

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2. Look for a news report, article or story about a Christian/group of Christians who made a
positive contribution in a community. Paste it below and describe in what way he or they live out or
practice the core teaching of Jesus.

CHRISTIAN IN ACTION

REFLECTION ESSAY:
Answer the following questions:
1. What do you think is the most important message imparted by Christianity?
2. How does the Jewish view of Christ differ from that of Christians?

PREPARED BY: JESSIE F. PERALTA JR., LPT

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