Islam

Quick Quiz

1)     Fill in the blanks in these sentences.

The words Muslim and Islam both mean  Submission.

Muslims believe that  Allah  made everything.

The Muslim holy book is called the Qur’an.

A star and crescent moon is the symbol of Islam.

2)     Why should a Muslim Submit to Allah?

Because Allah is their God who made everything and they believe he should be given authority.

3)     Explain what Muslims think about Muhammad

He was the last and greatest of the prophets and believe he received messages from Allah through the Angel Gabriel.

4)     Draw the symbol of Islam. Explain why it is used.

 This symbol is used to reflect upon the idea of guidance through the dark desert, believing that their religion shows them how to live just like the moon and stars.

5)     Islam began in the Middle East. Find out the names of two Muslim Countries.

Saudi Arabia

Pakistan

The New Testament

Matthew

Matthew's gospel is placed first in the canon of the New Testament, not because it was written first, some of Paul's letter's and the Gospel of Mark were written before, but because it is a bridge between the Old and New Testament.

The main point and argument of Matthew's 28 chapters is to convince the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah King, the Anointed One, the Christ, the Son of God and founder of the kingdom of God.  Matthew's account uses the  word "kingdom" 50 times, and the "kingdom of heaven" 32 times.

Mark

Mark's account is unique in many ways.  It is the shortest account and seems to be the earliest.

Mark displays both Jesus' divinity and his humanity. For example, Mark tells us that Jesus is "the carpenter". Matthew softens it a bit by saying that Jesus is the "carpenter's son" Mark even tells us about Jesus' emotions.  Jesus was moved with "compassion".  Mark also adds vivid details that the other gospel writers leave out. Mark's gospel was most likely intended to be read aloud in the Christian assembly, rather than privately.

Luke

It was likely written between 63-70 A.D.

 Luke is the only New Testament writer who was not a Jew (Gentile). He intended his gospel for the Gentile Christians as he wanted to give an account of the gospel to a non-Jewish audience who were not accustomed to Jewish beliefs and practices. Luke wrote his gospel in the common Greek of the day and used 1^st person in which was unique to the other three gospels.

Luke’s gospel emphasizes the role and work of the Holy Spirit. Luke also gives special emphasis to prayer and to the power of intercession.  He shows Jesus at prayer on many occasions Luke gives a special place to women in his gospel account.  More women appear in Luke than the other gospels.

 John

Traditional Christian scholarship has dated the composition of the gospel to the early 60s, while higher criticism dates it to the later decades of the 1st century

 Certain popular stories, such as the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan, are found only in this gospel. This account also has a special emphasis on prayer, the activity of the Holy Spirit, women, and joyfulness. Luke presented Jesus as the Son of God, but turned his attention especially to the humanity of Jesus, featuring His compassion for the weak, the suffering and the outcast.

The Life of Jesus

Miracle:

The Gospel of Matthew recorded a miracle in which Jesus miraculously healed two blind men who followed him, asking for mercy.

Crucifixion:

Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross.

Resurrection:

The resurrection of Jesus is the belief that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. In the New Testament, after the Romans crucified Jesus, he was buried in a new tomb but he rose from the dead and appeared to many people over a span of forty days before his return to heaven. Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, the third day after Good Friday which marks his crucifixion

Parents:

Jesus’ Parents were Joseph(carpenter) and Mary (known as a virgin).

Christianity Webquest

How many followers are there of Christianity worldwide?  2.1 Billion

Place of Origin:  Jerusalem

Founder:_  Jesus____

Sacred Text:_Holy Bible (New Testament)__________

Name the two major Christian festivals: Christmas and Easter.  (Assumption, Lent, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday.)

What are the four names that Jesus is known by? Lord, Christ, Son Of God, Messiah.  (Savior, Emmanuel)

What is the name of the people who believe in Jesus Christ and follow His teachings?___Christians___

Christians believe that there is only one God, but that this one God consists of 3 “persons”.  Name the three persons:

Father Son and Holy spirit. (The trinity)

The place of Christian worship is called a ____Church_____

Name the writers of the Gospels,: _____Matthew, Mark, Luke and John____,

Draw and name the three Christian symbols:

                                  Fish                                          

The Cross








Dove with olive branch

Christian events

The seven Sacraments:

Baptism

Reconciliation

Confirmation

Holy Communion

Matrimony (marriage)

Holy orders

Anointing of the sick

Shrove Tuesday

Ash Wednesday

Palm Sunday

Holy Thursday

Good Friday

Easter Vigil

Stations of the Cross

Pentecost

Corpus Christi

The Assumption

Advent

Epiphany

Christmas

Christianity

Introduction

·         Christianity (“Christ”), literally means “anointed one” and is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New testament.

·         Christians believe Jesus is the son of God having become man and the saviour of humanity. Christians, therefore, commonly refer to Jesus as Christ or Messiah.

Christian Beliefs

·         There is one God

·         The belief in the Trinity

·         God created the world and it is good

·         Man is created in the image of God

·         Jesus, the son of God, was sent to save mankind

·         Belief in God brings salvation

·         The Holy spirit directs the Church

·         Man has free will

Denominations/variants

Christianity contains three main branches which are;

·         Roman Catholicism

·         Orthodox Church

·         Protestantism

Catholic Church

The Catholic Church compromises those particular churches, headed by Bishops, in communion with the Pope, the bishop of Rome, as its highest authority in matters of faith.

Orthodox Church

Comprises those churches in Communion with the patriarchal Sees in the East, such as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

In the 11^th Century, the Catholic Church in Rome splits with the Eastern Church of Constantinople (known as Turkey today.)

This split is called the Great Schism, as a result the Orthodox Church was formed

Protestantism

In the 16^th Century, Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Calvin inaugurated what has come to be called Protestantism. There are many different forms of Protestant religions

Protestantism is a branch within Christianity, containing many denominations with some differing practices and doctrine, hat principally originated in the sixteenth- century Protestant Reformation.

Task:

Choose and name two Christian variants and answer the following questions:

·         Orthodox Church

·       Protestantism

1)      How many worldwide followers does the variant have?

Orthodox: 225-300 million

Protestantism:  370 million

2)      What are the key central beliefs?

Orthodox:

·         Holy Tradition is an important and distinct source of faith. It describes how the Holy Spirit infuses the life of the church, providing continuity and unity among the faithful.

• Holy icons (consecrated pictures) are important elements in both public and private devotion.
• Orthodox Christians believe that saints, created through the process of canonisation, can intercede with God on behalf of people who are alive and petition for their memory.
• Orthodox Christians do not believe in the Catholic teaching of the eucharist or of the immaculate conception of Mary.
• The Virgin Mary is honoured as theotokos (Mother of God).

Protestantism:

• Doctrine should not be based upon church tradition. Protestants base religious authority solely on the 66 books of the Old and New Testament.

• “Justification by faith alone” which asserts that salvation is achieved individually through the merit of faith, and not faith plus the efforts of oneself and others. This means that Protestant Churches do not create saints and saints are not considered capable of interceding with God on behalf of believers.
• Baptism and Eucharist are the central sacraments.

3)      What is the logo of the church? Draw this

The crucifix

4)      Who is the head of the church?

The Pope

5)      What are two features of this church?

The redemption and atonement of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Variants in Judaism

What is a Variant?

Two or more people or things that have slight differences in opinions.

The three major variants or streams in Judaism are Conservative, Orthodox and Reform (Liberal or Progressive)

Orthodox:

·         Very strict/many rules

·         Men and women do not sit together in synagogues

·         Women do not participate in some rituals

·         They wear long black coats, kippahs and have long beards

·         Speak in Hebrew

·         Following kosher dietry laws

·         Do not marry to other religions

Conservative:

·         Moderate

·         Believe Jewish laws can be changed

·         Women and men separates in synagogue

·         Men and women are allowed to sit together during prayer and synagogue services

·         Believes that God's will is made known to humanity through revelation.

Progressive:

·         Relatively new (19^th century)

·         Regards the torah as able to evolve/adapt to the modern world.

·         Allowed to marry other religions

Can you categorise these statements?

1)      Relaxed and fits into society      P

2)      Individual praying and occasional conversation in services     P

3)      Traditional beliefs but addressing contemporary needs     C

4)      Men and women sit separately in the synagogue      O

5)      Men and women sit together and participate fully in service, prayers and rituals      P/C

6)      Women do not practice in all rituals     O

7)      English used for part of service      P

8)      Strict dress and dietry law     O

9)      Always worship in Hebrew     O

10)   Women can lead services and can become rabbis      P