Christianity

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Christianity

• Basic Beliefs and Early History in Middle East
  and Beyond

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Christianity

• Worlds largest religion
• Central Belief
• Jesus Christ was the son of God, died for the
  sins of all humanity, was resurrected and
  returned to heaven
• Must believe this in order to go to heaven
• Different branches and denominations
• Catholicism
• Protestantism
• Eastern Orthodox Christianity

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Holy Trinity

• One God with three parts
• Father Creator, Master Planner, Holy
• Son (aka Jesus) Needed as a sacrifice for
  humanitys sin
• Holy Spirit Active, sent to fulfill God the
  Fathers plans

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Foundations in Judaism

• Jesus and the Apostles were Jews
• The first Christians began as Jews
• The story of Creation, the first people, the Ten
  Commandments, stories of judges and kings of
  Israel, and books of prophets are important and
  read

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Difference from Judaism

• Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah
  foretold by the Old Testament prophets
• Jews believe that the Messiah has not come
• Some ethnic Jews do believe that Jesus was the
  Messiah (they are a minority though)

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The Bible

• 66 Books in the Bible
• Old Testament 39 Books, before Jesus came to
  Earth
• New Testament 27 Books, after Jesus came to
  Earth and went back to heaven, letters of advice
  on how to live for early Christians (no Bible was
  organized yet)

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Old Testament

• Creation and first people (Adam, Eve, Noah,
  etc.), Original Sin
• How God set apart the nation of Israel
• Exodus and giving of the Law of Moses
• Conquest of Canaan with Joshua Creating Nation
  of Israel
• Nation of Israel (Judges then Kings) Jewish
  history
• Cycle of sinfulness, punishment, repentance
• Conquest by enemies (Assyrians, Babylonians) and
  captivity
• Return to homeland, rebuilding of Jerusalem

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New Testament

• Gospels 4 versions of Jesus life
• The Book of Acts (Acts of the Apostles)
• Epistles of Paul and other epistles (Romans,
  Corinthians, Galatians, etc.)
• Revelation Apocalypse, Second Coming of Christ,
  Armageddon, Judgment, the New Jerusalem

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Parts of Jesus Christs Life

• Incarnation and childhood (birth through 12 years
  old)
• Public Ministry (30 33)
• Passion (events surrounding his crucifixion)
• Resurrection and Ascension

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The Twelve Apostles (Disciples)

• Jesus chose 12 close confidants but had many
  other followers
• Here are the Twelve
• Peter (orig. Simon) Andrew (brothers)
• James John (brothers)
• Philip Bartholomew
• Matthew Thomas
• James, son of Alphaeus Thaddeus
• Simon the Zealot Judas Iscariot

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Apostles Confusion Was Jesus the Messiah?

• He was a great leader, teacher, healer, miracle
  worker but the Messiah?
• Could he be Moses, Elijah, or someone else
  reincarnated?
• Peter the first to recognize him as Messiah
  privilege of being the rock on which Christ
  will build his church (the body of Christian
  believers), holds keys to heaven

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Betrayal of Jesus/The Kiss of Judas

• Part of the Passion
• Jewish religious leaders did not want to arrest
  Jesus in public
• Judas goes to them and offers to help them
• Pharisees give him 30 pieces of silver
• Judas leads them to the Garden of Gethsemane
  where Jesus liked to bring the Apostles to get
  away from crowds
• Judas leads a group to arrest him, identifies
  Jesus by greeting him with a kiss
• Guilt Judas commits suicide

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Christian Practices

• Celebration of Easter
• Prayer
• Going to church
• Bible reading the Word of God
• Communion
• Baptism in Water
• Baptism in the Holy Spirit

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Sin

• Anything displeasing to God based on Ten
  Commandments and other commandments given by
  Jesus (building on Ten Commandments
• Examples?

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Ten Commandments
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•  13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to
  be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge
  the flesha rather, serve one another humbly in
  love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in
  keeping this one command Love your neighbor as
  yourself.b 15 If you bite and devour each
  other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each
  other.  16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you
  will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For
  the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit,
  and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.
  They are in conflict with each other, so that you
  are not to do whateverc you want. 18 But if you
  are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
  
•  

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• 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious sexual
  immorality, impurity and debauchery 20 idolatry
  and witchcraft hatred, discord, jealousy, fits
  of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
  21 and envy drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I
  warn you, as I did before, that those who live
  like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
•  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
  peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
  faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.
  Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who
  belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
  with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live
  by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the
  Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking
  and envying each other.

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Forgiveness

• Seek forgiveness from God through the blood of
  Jesus Christ
• FORGIVE OTHERS
• Do not judge others, judge yourself

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Essential Belief

• Nicaea Creed
• Jesus Christ is the son of God, born of the
  Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, was crucified
  and buried and rose again on the third day and
  ascended to be at the right hand of the father
• He will come again to judge the living and the
  dead

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Focus on Heaven

• Salvation by faith in Jesus Christ
• Not a blank check to sin Think of God as
  literal father and friend Would you keep
  hurting/insulting your father or friend?
• Obeying commandments
• Love God with all heart, soul, mind, and strength
  (first four commandments)
• Love neighbor as you love yourself
• These sum up Ten Commandments

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Differences among Christians

• Different denominations have different views
• Salvation by faith alone (Protestant) vs.
  Salvation and Good Works (Catholic) faith
  without works is dead it does say this in the
  Bible
• Women as priests/ministers
• Biblical interpretation Literal (fundamentalist)
  vs. open/metaphorical
• Views towards the Sabbath, gays, abortion/birth
  control, drinking, enjoyment of pop culture

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Why is it significant to understand Christianity
in History of Middle East?

• Jerusalem is holy to Christians site of Jesus
  crucifixion and resurrection
• Christians believe that Armageddon, the final
  battle between good and evil, will occur in
  Israel.
• Control of Holy Land influences Crusades, which
  greatly damages relations with Muslims

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Constantine the Great (272 337 CE)

• First Christian Roman Emperor
• Mother Helena was Christian
• Claimed to see a vision of cross of light in sky
  before a battle with inscription In this sign
  you will conquer.
• Legalizes Christianity Christians were being
  persecuted
• Promotes Christianity as major religion

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Significance of Byzantine Empire

• Moves capital to Byzantium and calls it New Rome
  residents call it Constantinople
• Byzantine Empire Eastern Roman Empire western
  Europe falls to barbarian invasions but east
  remains.
• Byzantine Empire had control over the Holy Land
  (Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Mount Sinai)
• Byzantine Empire follows Orthodox Christianity
  established as the state (official) religion by
  Constantines successors

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Map of Byzantine Trade Routes
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Was Constantine a true Christian?

• Textbook calls him a nominal Christian
• Had rivals killed so that he could consolidate
  power
• Colossal image of himself resembling the Roman
  god Jupiter in a basilica in Rome
• Baptized on his death bed (although not uncommon
  for early Christians
• If he really wanted to accept Christianity,
  wouldnt he have behaved following Christs
  example?

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Council of Nicaea

• Meeting called by Constantine (about 300 bishops
  present from all over the Roman Empire)
• Answers questions and builds consensus on who
  Christ was this becomes the Orthodox view
• Christians, who had different views, were labeled
  heretics and persecuted as if they were rebelling
  against the empire

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Icon of Constantine and the Church Fathers

• They are holding a slightly modified form of the
  Nicene Creed (Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed of
  381).

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Christian Dissident Groups

• Arians believed that Jesus was divinely sired
  and inspired, but was not on the level of God
  (arose in Alexandria priest called Arius)
• Nestorians through that Christ was two people
  one divine, one human (When the church of Ephesus
  condemned them, they fled to Persia) arose in
  Antioch
• Monophysites opposite view of Nestorians and
  Arians Jesus was only one being and was only
  divine (not human) - arose

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Heretics, Christian Arabs, and Muslims

• Because the Orthodox view of Christianity
  persecuted Christians with different view points,
  how would that hurt the Byzantine (Eastern Roman)
  Empire?
• Christianized Arabs felt greater loyalty to their
  culture over the Byzantine Church.
• Heretics became enemies of the Byzantine Empire
  and fought alongside Muslim armies in the 7th and
  8th centuries.

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Official View of Church

• Council of Nicaea determined the proper view of
  Christ
• Created a common prayer (Nicene Creed)
• Decided what books/writings would make up the
  Bible (Why did they choose some books over
  others?)
• Jesus Christ was 100 man and 100 God contained
  in the body of one man

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America, Christianity, and Middle East

• America, while having freedom of religion, is
  heavily influenced by Christianity many
  lawmakers identify themselves as Christians.
• Christians, because of ignorance on Islam, side
  with Israel because of Judaisms connection to
  Christianity.
• America often favors Israel (sharing of
  technology, military and financial aid) an
  important ally in the Middle East

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Radical Christian Hope for End of World and
Christs Last Judgment

• Belief that conflict in Middle East will hasten
  the day of Christs return
• Finally, they will be able to see Jesus and live
  in heaven
• Better to side with Israel then Islamic nations
• Demonstrates misunderstanding of what Islam is
  really about