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Christianity - Beliefs and Teachings - Coggle Diagram
Christianity - Beliefs and Teachings
Nature of God
Omnipotence
belief
God is all powerful with unlimited authority - nothing he can't achieve
God has power over evil
Jesus' triumph over death
God has power over nature
Jesus' miracle calming the storm
God has power over sin
Jesus' miracle casting out demons from someone
influence
gives Christians confidence that God has power to grant eternal life
gives Christians comfort when in difficulty - God is powerful enough to answer their prayers+help them
gives Christians confidence in miracles, creation+resurrection which require God's omnipotence
examples in Bible
'Nothing is impossible with God' (Luke)
Omnibenevolence
belief
God is all loving - he embodies 'agape' love (selfless+unconditional)
sacrifice of Jesus to atone for sins of humanity
God is all loving so humanity will be forgiven no matter what they do - as long as they truly repent
influence
gives Christians confidence that if they accept Jesus' sacrifice, sin can no longer destroy their lives
God forgives those who faithfully ask for forgiveness
provides inspiration to live a good life - using God's agape
charity/campaigning
Mother Teresa
Martin Luther King
examples in Bible
Parable of the Prodigal Son
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son" (John)
"Love your neighbour" (Matthew)
"Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew)
Just
belief
God is always fair and judges humanity fairly
God will never support injustice, ill-treatment, prejudice or oppression of any kind
influence
gives Christians confidence that if they obey God's law they will be judged fairly+go to heaven
provides inspiration to live a good life - using God's agape
charity/campaigning
Mother Teresa
Martin Luther King
encourages Christians to believe that doing good works
fighting against injustice is God's will and will be rewarded
e.g. Martin Luther King
examples
"Let justice roll like a river" (Amos)
"...and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats..." (Matthew)
"...and he will come to judge the living and the dead" (Apostles' Creed)
Monotheism
belief
there is only one god
who sustains+creates all that exists
he guides+inspires for the good of all people
God is holy and set apart from everything else
God is worthy of worship
God is universal despite there being different denominations
influence
Problem of Evil
problem
challenges concept of omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient God
inconsistent triad - God is omnipotent, omnibenevolent and yet evil exist?
it is logically impossible for the classical theistic God to exist
but free will means God is not responsible for moral evil - can be traced back to original sin
evidence of evil is too great to overcome and is varied - moral+natural
all suffering has a purpose - Jesus' sacrifice
natural evil can't be explained by free will - must have been part of design if God is omnipotent
balance of world was affected by Original sin - can be traced back to human disobedience to God
logical problem - different qualities of God do not fit together consistently
evidential problem - evil is in evidence (moral and natural) and can't be denied
solutions
FREE WILL - humans are responsible for moral evil, not God
ORIGINAL SIN - Adam and Eve committed the first sin and the guilt has been passed on to all humans, now we are likely to sin
JESUS - God maintained our free will and gave us a way to save ourselves through Jesus' sacrifice
influence
gives Christians an understanding of why suffering exists
God has a purpose for all suffering (shown in Jesus' suffering)
they can trust God even when things appear to be going wrong
Christians may find some natural/moral evil causes them to reflect on their beliefs, defend them or not or find new justification for them
Trinity
belief
3 persons in 1 - triune
still monotheistic
each person is fully God
they are not the same, they are similar but distinct
father, son, Holy Spirit
father - created, omni-God
son - incarnate, fully human, fully God, salvation
Holy Spirit - sent to influence, guide and sustain life, unseen power of God at work
Lord's Prayer "our father who art in heaven..."
"for God so loved the world he gave his only son" (John)
"I baptise you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" Baptism service
influence
gives Christians a way to visualise God
gives Christians a more personal relationship and connection with God even though God is a difficult concept to understand and is beyond human understanding
gives Christians an understanding of the importance of the Son and Holy Spirit - God interacting with his creation in a loving, inspiring, guiding way - agape
helpful idea as it described God as a loving relationship of persons and allows Christians to connect with God
adds to confusion as God is one but also three - confusing concept of monotheism
agape is central feature of trinity - crucial to heart of Christianity ( sacrifice of Son)
raises question of how Jesus could die if he is God and is simultaneously all parts of the Trinity - wouldn't that mean God died with him on the cross, even if briefly?
Creation
belief
Christians believe in creation by a God who existed before the universe did – an act which brought the universe into being
Christians believe that all persons of the Trinity were present at creation
– father (chose to design and create the earth and all life on it)
the Word, or son (active in the creation)
the Holy Spirit (active in creation)
Creationist Christians (Fundamentalists) believe in a literal understanding of creation as described in Genesis – God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th.
liberalists - most - believe in a symbolic understanding of the Genesis creation story.
not literally true but contains truths which are important – God created the world out of love for humanity and wants a relationship with them.
This is compatible with modern scientific theories (e.g., Big Bang or evolution) as God uses them as methods of creation
Most Christians believe that creation was good when God created it
influence
Gives Christians confidence that God is omnipotent – he is powerful enough to create the universe
Gives Christians confidence that God is omnibenevolent – he created the universe so that he bring about humanity whom he loved
stewardship - gives Christians reason to look after all living things and the environment
Gives Christians cause to have confidence in scientific theories about creation - not incompatible with Biblical truths about the nature of God and his relationship with humanity
Gives Christians the belief that they have a purpose in the world – as God made them intentionally and in ‘imago dei’ – so they must make the most of being alive
quotes
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis)
“...the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis)
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...Through him all things were made.” (John)
problems
fundamentalists/creationists believe Bible is literal word of God - creation literally took place as in Genesis
but the red shift, background radiation are all proof of Big Bang creating the universe - not like in Genesis
evolution and natural selection - we weren't perfect or just created as humans - plenty of fossil evidence.
genesis lacks evidence
if genesis is wrong does that unravel our entire faith in the Bible?
solution - genesis answers why not how, Big Bang+science answer how. Genesis shows stewardship+purpose of christians
Salvation through Law and Works
Obey God’s law (e.g., Decalogue) and do good things in the world (e.g., charity) in order to achieve salvation
belief
Most Christians believe that God will grant salvation if they follow the law – salvation is earned by using their free will to follow God’s law and obeying him
Most Christians believe that God will grant salvation if they follow Jesus’ agape teachings (e.g., love your neighbour)+ do good works in the world - salvation is earned by putting these thoughts into action in their lives
influence
Gives Christians confidence that if they obey the law (Decalogue etc) then they will be saved and receive eternal life)
Gives Christians confidence that if they try to help those who are in need they will be following the Holy Spirit in their hearts (e.g., campaigning for equal rights or volunteering for charities) – showing agape as Jesus did
Gives Christians confidence that God loves them even when they feel that they don’t deserve it as he has given them the opportunity to be redeemed and achieve salvation
Gives confidence that God is guiding them towards doing what is right, even if it is the most difficult decision – guidance can be found in Jesus’ teachings
quotes
“For God so loved the world that he sent his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John)
Parable of the Prodigal Son
Parable of the sheep and the goats
“...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James)
Salvation through Grace and Spirit
Salvation is not earned it is given - gift from God, accepted through faith (this would often lead to good works)
Some argue this salvation is gifted to all, and some argue that it is given only to some (Augustine’s view)
belief
Some Christians believe that salvation is possible through grace – through God’s unconditional love. God loves humanity regardless of their flaws. Despite everything human beings do – there is no need to earn salvation, it is given freely
Some Christians believe that God shows his unconditional love for humanity in the gift of salvation to all who believe in Jesus as the Son of God – through his atoning death.
His actions made possible reconciliation with God by forgiveness of the sins of the world
(this can be seen as an exclusive belief – salvation is available to all who believe in Jesus)
Some Christians believe that they receive God’s grace through the presence in their hearts of the Holy Spirit which guides them, allowing them to show love as Jesus did. This can be seen in their actions in the world daily – it is universal salvation (as all people, even those who don’t know it, have God within them)
influence
Gives Christians confidence that if they try to help those who are in need they will be following the Holy Spirit in their hearts (e.g., campaigning for equal rights or volunteering for charities) – showing agape as Jesus did
Gives Christians confidence that God loves them even when they feel that they don’t deserve it as he has given them the opportunity to be redeemed and achieve salvation
Gives confidence that God is guiding them towards doing what is right, even if it is the most difficult decision – guidance can be found in Jesus’ teachings
Gives them reassurance that God is omnibenevolent because his grace is given to all people
quotes
“For God so loved the world that he sent his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John)
Parable of the Prodigal Son
Parable of the sheep and the goats
“For it is by grace you have been saved...” (St Paul)
problems
Without salvation, humanity would have to pay the price of human sin
many people would question whether God can really be omnibenevolent if he demands the death of his son in payment for human sin (that seems cruel and barbaric)
Salvation is an important way that Christians believe that God’s love for humanity is expressed (through grace – it is unconditional)
Atheists don’t believe that there is a God who saves, nor that there is a need for salvation – human beings must self-improve by reflecting on and controlling their behaviour
Salvation through works encourages people to do good in the world and this is a positive thing
BUT it doesn’t seem to be the right motivation for doing good (just so you receive something in return – like moral dessert) – you should do good because it is right not because you will be rewarded
Salvation through law and grace mean that people recognise the importance of the sacrifice of Jesus . BUT it seems less than omnibenevolent to reject people of other faiths, or those who do good but are not religious, because they are not Christians – an exclusivist view of these theories about salvation means that all those people would be sent to hell
Life after Death
Bodily resurrection and immortality of the soul
belief
Some Christians (RCC) believe in bodily resurrection – after death, the body and soul stay together. Jesus’ physical resurrection is seen as evidence for this. On Judgement Day, God will resurrect them in a spiritual body (which cannot perish) to be judged and receive life in heaven
Christians believe that after their death in this world, they will be reunited with God for eternal life.
influence
Gives Christians confidence in the love of God – he loves them enough to offer eternal life
Gives Christian confidence in the face of death
Gives Christians hope of a future with God
Gives Christians inspiration to live life the way God wants them to (follow law, do good works, accept Jesus) so that they can remain in his presence in this life and the next
quotes
“The body is sown perishable, it is raised imperishable.” (St Paul)
“I believe...in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.” (Apostles’ Creed)
“Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke)
problems
Promise of eternal life is a good way to motivate people to behave in a moral way
BUT is it really ethical to reward to good behaviour if it is only done in the expectation of moral dessert
Evidence can be found in the Bible for life after death
BUT it is unhelpfully misleading – different types of life after death are discussed and so it can be confusing and the different ideas are unclear
God gives everyone a hope of receiving eternal life – it makes sense of the suffering that people experience
BUT surely an omnibenevolent God would not use suffering as a test to put people through in order to see whether they deserve life after death
judgement
belief
Christians believe that God decides the fate of those who die. They will be judged in terms of their life, and whether they have followed the teachings and example of Jesus
Many Christians believe that the most important thing they will be judged on is whether they have ‘served’ other people – Jesus makes clear that when you help the needy and vulnerable, you are helping God. This is a belief held by those who think life after death is given to all not just Christians , as anyone can be compassionate and demonstrate agape
Many Christians (who believe in bodily resurrection) believe in a Judgement Day when Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. At this time, Christians believe their souls enter a different dimension about which little is known
influence
Gives Christians inspiration to live life the way God wants them to (follow law, do good works, accept Jesus) so that they can remain in his presence in this life and the next
Gives Christians confidence in the love of God – he loves them enough to offer eternal life
quotes
Parable of sheep and goats (Matthew)
“I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John)
problems
Promise of eternal life is a good way to motivate people to behave in a moral way
BUT is it really ethical to reward to good behaviour if it is only done in the expectation of moral dessert
Evidence can be found in the Bible for judgement day
BUT the idea of physical resurrection is questionable – we know the body rots after death
Jesus says that he is the only way to eternal life
BUT he also says that serving people is the best way to be judged fit for heaven – this is potentially confusing and unclear about something very important
Heaven, Hell and Purgatory
belief
Christians believe that heaven is either a physical place or a spiritual one where there is peace, joy, freedom from pain and a chance to be with loved ones
Some Christians believe that only Christians (those who accept Jesus) enter heaven (fundamentalist, exclusivist view)
Some Christians believe that all those who are searching for meaning in the world through religion, even if that’s not Christianity, can enter heaven (RCC, inclusivist view)
Some Christians believe all those live a good life and try to help those around them can enter heaven (liberal, pluralist view - universalism)
Some Christians see heaven as a reward for both faith and actions – not just one of these – parable of the sheep and the goats
RCC believe in purgatory – an intermediate state where souls are cleansed in order to enter heaven
Some Christians believe in the idea of hell – a state of existence without God – some see it as a physical place (the traditional view of fire, brimstone and the devil) while others see it as an eternal state of mind of being cut off from the possibility of God
influence
Gives Christians confidence in the love of God – he loves them enough to offer eternal life and has created heaven for them
Gives Christians inspiration to live life the way God wants them to (follow law, do good works, accept Jesus) so that they can remain in his presence in this life and the next
quotes
Parable of the rich man and Lazarus
Parable of the sheep and the goats
“I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” (John)
“...and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats...” (Matthew)
“...and he will come to judge the living and the dead.” (Apostles’ Creed)
problems
God is just and so some people must be punished and some must be rewarded
BUT this means God has planned hell for some people and this doesn’t seem omnibenevolent
Some Christians argue that you need only be good to get to heaven – it doesn’t require belief in Jesus
BUT where is the incentive to believe in the gospels or be Christian at all?
Promise of heaven is a good way to motivate people to behave in a moral way
BUT is it really ethical to reward to good behaviour if it is only done in the expectation of moral dessert, and also the punishment of hell is extreme (are all people who didn’t pay their TV license in the same place as murderers?)
God gives everyone a hope of entering heaven – it makes sense of the suffering that people experience
BUT surely an omnibenevolent God would not use suffering as a test to put people through in order to see whether they deserve heaven or hell – we are flawed and make mistakes. God made us so must know that
Jesus
Incarnation+Jesus as the son of God
Matthew and Luke mention virgin birth and announcement of pregnancy from an angel
belief
Jesus was God incarnate – God in human form – fully God and fully man – 2nd person of the Trinity – virgin birth
Jesus was God incarnate sent to save humanity from its own sin – reconcile God with humanity by atoning for their sin and creating a means for salvation
Jesus is referred to as Christ or Messiah – expectation that he would bring an age of global peace – Christians believe Jesus was a spiritual Messiah not a political one
influence
Gives Christians an example to follow – agape – self-sacrifice – must demonstrate selfless love to each other
Gives Christians hope for eternal life as Jesus died to reconcile them with God
Gives Christians strength to believe that God loves them as he sacrifices his Son to save them
Gives Christians a closer connection to God who has lived as a human in the world
Makes it easier for Christians to explain and accept as truth some of his actions whilst on earth, including miracles and his resurrection.
quotes
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son.” (John 3:16)
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John)
“...she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew)
“When Jesus was baptised, a voice from Heaven said ‘You are my Son’” (Mark)
“Again the High Priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus.” (Mark)
problems
Crucial to those who believe in authority of Bible – word of God – Jesus was God incarnate
Many challenge the idea of literal truth of Bible and there is no other proof of Jesus being divine
Virgin birth is evidence of God incarnate – nativity story celebrated every Christmas – God showing himself as a human being in order to save them - salvation
Not credible form of evidence – biologically impossible -
Many no longer believe in a historically accurate Christmas story – this may raise questions about the concept of God incarnate - Mark and John don’t even include a birth narrative in their Gospels
If a story isn’t historically accurate, it doesn’t mean that we should dismiss it – it may include important Christian truths about love, salvation, hope and the nature of God. Mark and John didn’t include the birth narratives but they were both clear that Jesus was God incarnate
Crucifixion
how did Jesus die
Stripped, beaten and nailed to cross
Jewish leaders convinced Pontius Pilate to punish him for treason
Took 6 hours to die
Jewish leaders found him guilty of blasphemy
Joseph of Arimathea offered his tomb for Jesus to be buried in
No time for body to be anointed as it was the Sabbath
belief
Jesus had to die fulfill God’s plan. Without his death humanity could not be reunited with God and enter heaven. He atoned for the sins of humanity, reconciling God and man.
Jesus’ death had destroyed the barrier of sin that separated man from God, therefore making it possible to access God. Demonstrated in Mark’s Gospel when the temple curtain is described as tearing in two when Jesus dies.
Christian teaching about forgiveness is reinforced by the crucifixion. Jesus was fully God but also fully man which meant he suffered during his death yet he forgave the guards who crucified him.
influence
Gives Christians comfort when faced with difficult or painful times because they know Jesus suffered too – he shares in our suffering
Gives Christians strength to cope with difficult or unfair situations because Jesus suffered even though he was innocent
Gives Christians confidence that if they accept Jesus’ sacrifice, sin can no longer destroy their lives because God forgives those who faithfully ask for forgiveness
quotes
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son.” (John 3:16)
"Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke)
problems
Without Jesus’ crucifixion, God would not have been able to rise from the dead – and there would be no Christianity. For Christians, Jesus’ death shows that he was indeed God incarnate and enables him to complete the greatest miracle – resurrection. This belief is essential to Christianity today.
Not the most important moment in Christianity as it is the resurrection which demonstrates Jesus’ divinity and saving power
Unlike other aspects of the Biblical account of Jesus’ life, we know that Jesus was crucified as many others were in Roman times.
The most important part of the crucifixion is the way that Jesus demonstrates the key message of Christianity – forgiveness and love. He forgives those who are crucifying him, offers the promise of salvation to those being crucified with him (thieves), and shows that suffering has an ultimate purpose
resurrection/atonement
what happened?
Placed in tomb late on Friday
Women came to anoint his body on Sunday morning
Body missing – women observe either the risen Jesus or an angel and are told to spread the word of the resurrection
Jesus appears to several people over the next few days
Disciples had gone into hiding after the crucifixion fearing arrest – but came out of hiding to tell people about the resurrection
belief
Jesus was God incarnate – God in human form – fully God and fully man – 2nd person of the Trinity – shown in his power over sin and death
Jesus was God incarnate sent to save humanity from its own sin – reconcile God with humanity by atoning for their sin and creating a means for salvation – only possible through his resurrection
Jesus had to defeat/ atone for sin to fulfill God’s plan. Without his resurrection humanity could not be reunited with God and enter heaven. He atoned for the sins of humanity, reconciling God and man.
Jesus’ resurrection had destroyed the barrier of sin that separated man from God, therefore making it possible to access God – by going ‘through Jesus Christ’ (Lord’s Prayer)
Christian teaching about forgiveness is reinforced by the resurrection. Atonement means sins are forgiven – Christians believe their sins will be forgiven if they truly repent
influence
Gives Christians confidence in a belief in life after death as it is proved by Jesus’ resurrection
Inspires Christians to live a good life (obeying God’s law) so that they can be rewarded with eternal life
Gives Christians an example to follow – agape – God sacrificed his own son because he loved human beings so much
Gives confidence to Christians to face death without fear as it is not the end but the beginning of a new life with God
Gives confidence in the belief that Jesus is the Son of God – shows his divinity in triumphing over evil/ death
presents women as important - they witnessed the most important moment in the Bible - essential
quotes
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John)
“He loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John)
“I believe in the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.” (Apostles’ Creed)
I am the way, the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John)
“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith...so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians – St Paul)
problems
Risen Christ wasn’t an illusion – showed wounds to his disciples/ ate with them
Biblical accounts – literal word of God
Stories of resurrection appearances were exaggerated by authors to ‘sell’ Christianity
Some Christians believe in the immortality of the soul and this rises, not the body – shown where Jesus says he will see the thieves in paradise that day
Resurrection is the central miracle of Christianity – without it salvation, reconciliation is not possible. Plus it provides evidence of Jesus’ divinity
Christianity does not stand or fall on the resurrection – it has symbolic meaning even if it isn’t literally true (agape, forgiveness, compassion, God’s love for humanity)
Ascension
what happened?
After meeting with his disciples and asking them to carry on his work (known as the Great Commission), Jesus left them for the last time
Successful completion of mission of the Son of God
Returned to his Father in heaven – on the 40th day after his resurrection
belief
Ascension marks the completion of God’s act of salvation - Jesus was God incarnate sent to save humanity from its own sin – reconcile God with humanity by atoning for their sin and creating a means for salvation
Christians believe that Jesus ascended to return to God the Father but will return as a judge on judgement day – referred to as the second coming. He will return in the same way he was taken up to heaven.
influence
Gives confidence in the belief that Jesus is the Son of God – shows his divinity in Heaven and shows his part in the Trinity
Gives Christians encouragement to follow God’s law as Jesus will return to judge them
quotes
“A cloud received him from their sight.” (Acts)
“He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father” (Apostles’ Creed)
“....the Word was God’ (John)
problems
Mark and Luke both include the ascension – literal Word of God – Biblical authority
Not included in other Gospels so perhaps not as important – work on earth is more important (resurrection etc)
Important in establishing Jesus as part of the Trinity – present at creation as the Word, then incarnate on earth, then returns to God
Whether the idea of God incarnate is literally true or not, the message still stands and is important – the idea of love and forgiveness is the central belief and purpose of Jesus and can be understood without the ascension
Sin
what is it?
Sin is best understood as any action or thought that separates people from God
Sinful thoughts can lead to sinful actions (illegal – murder etc, and legal – adultery)
The most significant teaching about sin is that of ‘original sin’
belief
Some Christians believe that human beings are born with an inbuilt tendency to do wrong which stems from our connection to the original sin committed by Adam and Eve. The tendency to sin wasn’t created by God but by humans
Some Christians believe that the result of the original sin was for humanity to be separated from God and for death to be introduced
Christians believe that the only way to overcome the “wages of sin” (St Paul describes the price of sin to be death), is to believe in Jesus’ resurrection
Some Christians believe that God gave people free will so that they could freely choose to obey God’s law and overcome sin by bringing themselves closer to God
influence
Gives Christians confidence that if they obey the law (Decalogue etc) then they will be saved and receive eternal life)
Gives Christians confidence that if they accept Jesus’ sacrifice, sin can no longer destroy their lives because God forgives those who faithfully ask for forgiveness. Inspires Catholics to attend confession to seek forgiveness
Gives Christians confidence that God loves them even when they feel that they don’t deserve it
Gives confidence that the Spirit is within them and guiding them and that they must listen to it to help them be guided towards doing what is right, even if it is the most difficult decision
quotes
“For God so loved the world that he sent his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John)
“....deliver us from evil...” (Lord’s Prayer)
“I believe....in the forgiveness of sins...” (Apostles’ Creed)