Make-Up: March 20th - Christian Denominations

Make-Up:

We ask you to read the material below. The material will include "deep thought", our key words (definition), scripture (link - please read) and some general thoughts and video(s). We ask you to read all material and then comment in the comments section. Share one key thought or concept that came to you and how it will make a difference.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

On March 20th, we had our lesson on Christian Denominations. At the same time (after the lesson), we had two teens who live in our community share with us during a question and answer time. One of them was a practicing Jew and one was a practicing Muslim. They were able to share their perspective and help us understand a little more from last weeks lesson (World Religions).

Christian Denominations

Bible Text:
Matthew 16:13–20; John 17:6–21; Ephesians 2:1–22

Lesson Focus:
The various Christian denominations share core beliefs.

Big Question:
If we all worship the same God, and Jesus is Lord of all, where did all of the different "churches" come from?

Key Words:
PROTESTANT, CATHOLIC, ORTHODOX, CREED, ECUMENICAL, INFALLIBLE, INERRANT

Definition of Key Words

PROTESTANT: refers to the multiple reform movements started within the Roman Catholic Church of the 15th and 16th centuries. These reform movements resulted in many denominations within the Christian church.

CATHOLIC: with a capital C, refers to the Roman Catholic Church; with a small c, refers to the union of all believers in Jesus Christ.

ORTHODOX: Means "correct" or "true" belief. The Eastern Orthodox Church began the process of Christian councils to determine which teachings were true to the Christian faith and which would be considered outside the faith or heretical.

CREED: A statement of faith. Creed comes form the Latin word credo, meaning "I believe." Three ecumenical creeds are accepted among Christian denominations—the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athenasian Creed.

ECUMENICAL: A reference to partnerships, joint discussions, and shared ministries among Christian denominations.

INFALLIBLE: Means that it cannot be wrong. This term is used to describe certain teachings from the papal office and also to describe the teachings of the Bible.

INERRANT: Means that there are no errors. Similar to the idea of infallibility, this term is used to describe scripture as handed down from God without any human mistakes included.

Lesson Overview

The history of the Christian church shows that Christians tend to agree about the core teachings of the faith. At the same time, they disagree about how to implement those teachings in the lives of the faithful. Interpretation of scripture is at the heart of many of these disagreements.

The first major split in the Christian church came in A.D. 1054—the "Great Schism" between the Eastern and Western faith traditions. While several matters were being debated at the time, the central conflict was about the Holy Spirit's relation to the other two persons of the Trinity. The wording in the third article of the Nicene Creed shows the heart of the matter. The Eastern church was saying the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father," while the Western church was saying the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son." This difference in how scripture speaks about the Holy Spirit in relation to the Father and the Son led to angry exchanges between the bishop of Rome and the patriarch of Constantinople. Eventually these leaders excommunicated each other and their supporters. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church were separated and have remained separate for 1,000 years.

Both the Eastern Orthodox tradition and the Roman Catholic tradition trace their heritage back to Simon Peter. The Orthodox expression begins with Peter's founding of the church in Antioch. The Catholic expression sees Peter as the first bishop of Rome. This office became known as the papal office, and the bishop of Rome (the pope) is seen as the shepherd of the church—the teacher of other ordained leaders.

As the Roman Catholic Church continued through the medieval period, a variety of corrupt practices made their way into church teachings. The 15th century saw the beginnings of organized attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings. Some early reformers were executed as heretics. Others went into hiding. The 16th century brought some success to the goals of the reformers. Changes began to sweep through the European churches. This reform movement spread to England and to other continents as colonies were established by the various countries.

The Protestant movements grew, split further, came together, and developed into families with shared ideas and practices. Among the most prominent families found today are Anabaptist/Baptist, Anglican/Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed, and United Church of Christ.

Reminder

Our world has become a global neighborhood. The people that we encounter on a daily basis are very diverse in national origins and in faith traditions. You have already begun to learn how to meet and work with people of these diverse backgrounds. You have also seen, and perhaps been taught, stereotypes of other peoples that are far from accurate. We encourage you to seek out accurate information whenever you encounter new ideas and perspectives. Jesus treated people whose faith differed from his own and to respond to all people with respect, kindness, and fairness.