CHRISTIANITY

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CHRISTIANITY

• PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• The Divinity and Humanity of Jesus
• Question arose over how Jesus could be both
  divine and human.
• Such questions came to a head at the Council of
  Nicea in 325 CE.
• Here the doctrine (teaching) of the Holy Trinity
  was formulated

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• This saw God to be one but within were three
  distinct persons Father, Son and the Holy
  Spirit.
• So this allowed Jesus to be seen as human, who
  did all things that humans do, yet at the same
  time is also the divine Son of God who died and
  rose again.

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• As the gospel of John expresses it And the Word
  (the divine Son of God) became flesh and dwelt
  among us (became human), full of grace and truth
  we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only
  Son of the Father.
• John 114

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus
  Christ.
• The exact details of Jesus final days are not
  available to us, but it seems to be that he was
• - arrested, briefly examined, taken to Golgotha
  outside Jerusalem and put to death by
  crucifixion.

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• Thus the earthly life was ended, but this was not
  the end the gospels affirm that Jesus not only
  rose from the dead but was also seen by many of
  his followers.
• (Mt 28 1-15 Mk 16 1-8 Lk 24 1-12
• Jn 20 1-18
• As well as the resurrection narratives, there is
  the ascension of Jesus to heaven

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• From the very beginning, Christians believed in
  the resurrection of the body that each believer
  will one day be completely human but transformed
  body and soul for all eternity, and share in
  the glorious life of Jesus Christ
• This belief is based on the event that is the
  heart and foundation of all Christian beliefs

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• The resurrection of Jesus Christ should be
  understood not as a historical event, but as a
  transhistorical event one that occurred
  beyond the limits of time, space and human
  understanding.
• Discussion and debate about the exact meaning of
  this central Christian belief is certain to
  continue

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• The nature of God and the Trinity
• Christians believe that God is One and the
  Creator of all things.
• This same God is also known as three persons
  Father, or Creator of all Jesus the Son of God
  and the Holy Spirit or Sanctifier

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• This is known as the mystery of the Holy or
  Blessed Trinity this is the central dogma
  (teaching) and mystery of the Christian faith.
• The origins of this model of God appear very
  early in the history of Christianity.
• The Trinity traditionally has been described in
  relation to three key functions

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

1. Creating bringing Gods new life to all
   creation
2. Sanctifying blessing and making holy all
   creation
3. Redeeming turning all creation from sin and
   darkness and more fully towards God

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• Revelation
• Put simply, revelation, is the transmission of
  knowledge from the divine to the human.
• It includes not only biblical revelation but
  revelation evident throughout the whole of human
  history.

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• In other words, revelation is knowledge given by
  God to human beings about persons, events and
  things previously hidden or only partly known.
• Through this revelation, God calls human beings
  to respond in faith and action today, not just
  intellectually or by accepting certain doctrines
  or beliefs.

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• Gods fullest revelation takes place through the
  words, deeds and events associated with the
  person of Christ.
• It continues to happen as God continues to speak
  throughout human history through historical
  events, through Christianity..

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• Salvation
• Is a belief that human beings require deliverance
  by God from the power of sin and darkness.
• It is also the process or way in which human
  beings are saved or brought to fullness of life
  in God.

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• For Christians, salvation has three main
  features
• It is here and now (present life) but not yet
  fully complete (heaven)
• People cannot achieve it by themselves. It is
  only through the grace of god that humans can
  attain salvation

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PRINCIPAL BELIEFS

• 3. Jesus Christ is central to salvation, for it
  is through the life, death and resurrection that
  God has offered salvation to all humanity.
• Christians believe that to experience Gods love
  is to experience the essence of salvations
  meaning and mystery.