WORLD
RELIGIONS: Figures and Terms
|
Person or Term |
Identify |
Religious Importance |
|
Jesus |
-Jesus
Christ was born of the Virgin Mary (He was conceived by the Holy Spirit) in -He
was born in a manger because his parents, Mary and Joseph, couldn’t find any
other place to stay -in
Jesus’ early life his family settled in -according
to the Bible, when Jesus was older He was baptized by a prophet named John
the Baptist in the -Jesus
started His ministry when he was thirty and preached from a Jewish viewpoint
but also challenged accepted views -as
Jesus’ followers grew in number, so did His enemies, and after His Last
Supper, He was arrested in -He
was to be sentenced by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, but Pilate found
nothing wrong with Jesus -but
since the crowds were so demanding, Pilate decided just to bow down to the
requests of the crowds and He ordered that Jesus be crucified -Roman
soldiers then led Jesus to the Place of the Skull were He was crucified (He
died after being nailed to a cross) -however,
according to the Bible, three days after Jesus died He resurrected from the
dead and He then visited His apostles and told them to baptize all nations
and spread His word -forty
days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven |
-Jesus
is the founder of Christianity -according
to Christians, God had promised to send a Messiah (a Saviour)
to the world and the Messiah was Jesus, who was the son of God -Christians
believe that Jesus performed miracles -Jesus’
crucifixion brought about the forgiveness of sins -Jesus
enabled there to be a “bridge” between sinful humans and perfect God |
|
Baptism |
-the
ritual or sacrament that involves the sprinkling of water on a person or the
a person’s full immersion in water |
-this
is a sign of washing away sin and entering the Church -it’s
getting rid of your “old life” and entering a “new life” (because your sins
are washed away) -baptism
cleanses one’s soul |
|
Holy
Spirit |
-one
of the three persons in the Holy Trinity of God -the
Holy Spirit came to Jesus immediately after He was baptized |
-the
Holy Spirit is recognized by Christians as being the life-giving presence of
God -Christians
believe the Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts upon certain individuals -Christians
also believe that the Holy Spirit enters into believers |
|
Last
Supper |
-Jesus’
last meal (which was a Passover meal) with His twelve disciples before He was
crucified |
-Jesus’
Last Supper marked the origin of the ritual of Holy Communion |
|
Crucifixion |
-the
event where Christ died on a wooden cross, in the method of the Romans |
-Christians
believe that the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life was
brought about through Jesus’ crucifixion -Jesus’
crucifixion is commemorated by Christians on the holiday that’s known as Good
Friday |
|
Resurrection |
-the
significant event of Christ rising from His tomb on the third day after His
crucifixion |
-this
event fulfilled many prophecies -it
also proved Jesus was the Son of God |
|
Ascension |
-marks
the bodily passing of Christ from earth to heaven on the fortieth day
following His resurrection |
-this
event ended Christ’s time here on earth and installed two millennia of
Christianity -it’s
recognized to be a very holy day |
|
Pentecost |
-a
Christian festival that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit -the
Holy Spirit came on the feast called Pentecost (which was fifty days after
Easter) |
-it’s
believed that during the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit bestowed the apostles
with particular spiritual gifts and this allowed them to go into Jerusalem
and declare their faith enthusiastically -Pentecost
is also recognized as the birthday of the Church |
|
Holy
Trinity |
-the
Holy Trinity are the three parts of God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus)
and God the Holy Spirit |
-the
Holy Trinity is the key belief of Christians -Christians
must believe that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are
separate but one |
|
Last
Judgment |
-the
day of God’s final judgement -it’ll
occur at the end of the world |
-this
is the day where people are either rewarded with perfection in heaven or
punishment in hell (depending on their faith) -it’s
perhaps one of the most intriguing and controversial statements of the Nicene
Creed |
|
Holy
Communion |
-a
holy ritual which involves Christians eating/drinking bread and wine (or
grape juice) during a communion service |
-this
ritual commemorates on Jesus’ Last Supper where His disciples participated in
the first communion -the
bread is to represent Jesus’ body and the wine is to represent Jesus’ blood |
|
Cross |
-
Jesus was crucified on a cross -the
cross is the most significant Christian symbol -crosses
take different forms, such as the Latin cross, the Greek cross, the Maltese
cross, etc. |
-the
symbol of the cross reminds Christians that Jesus’ painful death was for
human salvation -it
also reminds Christians that God loved humans so much that He offered us His
one and only Son to die for our sins |
|
Christmas |
-the festival that celebrates the birth of
Jesus Christ |
-it’s marked by special Church services,
greetings, and gifts |
|
Easter |
-the Christian festival which celebrates the
resurrection of Jesus Christ -worshipers celebrate this festival with a
song-filled liturgy |
-known to be the holiest period on the
Christian calender -Easter Sunday is the most holy of all
Christian celebrations -Easter recognizes the triumph over sin and
death |
|
Lent |
-forty
weekdays between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday |
-a
period of repentance for sins and fasting -many
|
|
Confirmation |
-the
anointing with oil, along with the laying on of hands by a minister, bishop,
or priest, are common features of this ritual |
-this
rite is a component of the initiation process into the Christian faith (which
commences with baptism) |
|
Eastern
Schism |
-the
division of the Eastern Church into
separate groups because of differences in their opinions |
-this
was the significant point in which the Church (mainly in |
|
Roman
Catholic Church |
-the
-the
central role of the pope is the main characteristic that sets the Roman
Catholic Church apart from the rest of Christianity sects or denominations |
-today,
the Roman Catholic Church has more than one billion members |
|
Protestant
Reformation |
-during
the 16th Century, there was religious movement in -this
was the second great division in the Church that occurred almost 500 years
after the Eastern schism -this
was where a German monk named Martin Luther challenged many of the Catholic
medieval practices and called for a simpler “inner peace” |
-Martin
Luther’s faith theories led to the establishment of the Protestant Churches -the
Protestant Reformation also caused the Catholic Reformation, which began in
1543 in response to the criticisms of the Protestant reformers |