...Church In History and Major Christian Denominations Martin Luther, Church in History: Martin Luther created an immense impact and a turning point on the Western Civilization and to the history of the Catholic Church through his 95 theses, they challenged the Pope, Rome and the Catholic Church and ultimately lead to others taking a stand against the churches way and actions therefore leading to a religious revolution. Martin’s impact on the church began when he devoted his life to becoming a monk and joining a monastery however, even though Martin devoted and dedicated himself to the monastery and God, peace with God still eluded him. He spent most of his time in the study of the Holy Book and soon Luther realised the true meaning penance and righteousness and it was in 1510 when Luther was sent to Rome on an errand for his order that he saw and recognised the wrong doing of the Church, the sale of indulgence, the lack of morality and piety of the local clergy and the luxurious lifestyle of the Pope Leo X, all of this wrong-doing of the Chuch lead to Luther writing his 95 theses. Luther was shocked by the fact that Christians payed for indulgence, believe that if they paid money their sins would be forgiven, and specifically wrote about it in his 95 theses, “46. Christians are to be taught he who sees a man in need, and passes by him, and give his money for pardons, purchases not the indulgence of the pope but the indignation of God” (Luther, 95 Theses 45th statement 1517)...
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...I attended a non-denominational religious ceremony this past weekend and I must say that it was not what I thought it would be. I became a Christian by way of the Pentecostal denomination and I learned the doctrine when I became a member of the Baptist congregation. I would say that I enjoyed the non-denominational ceremony more because it was a taste of both the Baptist and the Pentecostal forum that I am already accustomed to. I was always curious about the non-denominational ministries. Because to me it did not seem that they could conduct a service without any denomination. It seemed to me that the denominations were created to conduct the service in a particular order. The denominations were thought to be the guidelines of the service. I thought the services would be an indefinite “circus act” without the guideline to be followed. I am happy to say that the “circus act” was not the case. The service was not conducted for a very long time. The Sunday school service was over-extended into the worship service. The content, and the discussion were joyous to participate in. The Praise and Worship portion was very entertaining as everyone participated, including the children. The Pastor allowed whoever wanted to stand and testify the opportunity and the time to speak whatever they had to say. The members had received the message that they needed to hear before the Pastor stood up to speak. Therefore, she dismissed the congregation, without prolonging the service any longer...
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...it and it is accepted in the society. Today, the religious community are alarmed with the boom of divorce within their society. According to this, 20% of Catholics and Protestants and 40% of Jewish marriages end in divorce after 5 years. Also, the Barna Research Group stated that in the United States, 11% of the adult population is divorced, 25% of adults have had at least one divorce during their lifetime and divorce rates among Christians are significantly higher than those of other religious denominations, and much higher than atheists and agnostics. The results from their research about divorce rate by religion show that: 1. Non-denominational (Evangelical Christian congregations that are not affiliated with any specific denomination) – 34% have been divorce 2. Baptists – 29% 3. Episcopal – 28% 4. Pentecostal - 28% 5. Methodist – 26% 6. Presbyterian – 23% 7. Lutheran – 21% 8. Catholic – 21% Their research proved that the conservative Christians have the highest divorce rate, while the mainline Christians have a lower divorce rate. They found some new information that...
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...Topic: Christian Resources Purpose: Why do you need this site? I am creating this site to share information and other resources with members of similar Christian faith. The type of information or resources I am providing for members of the Christian faith are: Articles on Christianity (Historical and Biblical) and Christian Living, Prayer request form, FAQ, Bible Reading Plan and Daily Scriptures. Why do your visitors need this site? This site will provide resources for the enrichment of fellow Christian’s seeking to grow into their faith and also allow interaction with other members of the same faith. Audience: My intended audience will be those who are Christians and those who are not Christian’s. It is an open invitation to all without any prejudice. Brief description of target audience: Individuals whose way of life is based on the fact that they have a love for Jesus Christ and love for His people. These individuals are seekers for truth are committed to their personal integrity. General geographic location of audience: The geographical location for this audience is not limited to the United States, but may reach other Christians in other countries. Estimate number of people: Not yet known, need more details as to whether we are measuring daily, weekly, monthly or yearly data. Estimate average age: 15-75 Familiarity with computers and Internet: Not much experience or familiarity with computers or internet needed. This site serves as a informational...
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...of Christianity, and has also been contorted in many ways to describe nearly everyone who wears a cross without bearing a cross. It has also been misunderstood as pertaining to a Building instead of a Body which has removed much of the responsibility for changing the world to those in charge of the building, or even if granted to everyone, this responsibility only binds them to carrying out the duties of the “Church” when they are in the building. Therefore we see that semantics have a very drastic effect on how we live our lives. Etymology also has a profound influence on the meanings we attach to words and etymology between Hebrew to Greek and Greek to English has been a determining factor in wars and the division of the body into Denominations, especially when single verses are removed from context or single words are mistranslated, such is the case with the word “Church’ that has divided Christianity and its assemblies from Judaism and its Assemblies by creating separate name for the Building and the Body that is not found in the...
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...the author’s opinion of integrating psychology and Christianity is displayed to possess the client’s understanding that science and religion when integrated will promote a higher probability of healing. Christianity has been a part of the lives of mankind since the fall of Adam. Entwistle believes that God has given mankind a guideline to promote living a spiritual lifestyle that is beneficial to all mankind. Although there is not a connection with psychology and Christianity, when integrated both psychology and religion involves the appreciation and comprehension that will make an individual outlook on life meaningful and complete. The author relates throughout the book that there are no differences between sinful people and Christians when involving the truth. Since the fall of Adam we are taught good and evil exists and being sinful is part of our human DNA. The word of God in the Holy Bible shows that mankind sinful intentions can create barriers when integrating psychology and theology. The main intent of secular psychology and Christianity is to help individuals to overcome barriers they may encounter in their daily lives. People benefiting from secularism and Christianity must look past circumstances and find solutions to the troubled times in their lives. Entwistle (2010, p 51) states that the interactions of psychology and Christianity is interconnected due to patterns of each discipline understanding the mysteries of human behaviors and the healing...
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...Denominations Differ In Their Belief Concerning the Use of Alcohol. Discuss the Views of Any Two of These Denominations. There are various denominations with many different beliefs on different issues, including alcohol. There are some who believe that you should never take alcohol into your body, there are some who believe that it is okay to have an alcoholic beverage unless you get intoxicated or drink to get intoxicated, and there are also some who believe that drinking should only occur during communion. The Catholic denomination believes the Christians can drink alcohol. The use of the story where Jesus told the people at the wedding to fill the jars with water and Jesus turned that water into wine. They believe that it is okay to drink because it was used throughout the Old and New Testament. In Ecclesiastes 9:7 Salomon says, “Go eat your bread with joy and drink with a merry heart, because it is now that God favors your work.” They also say that Jesus had a glass of wine with is dinner. They believe that there is nothing wrong with alcohol and wine is a biblical acceptable beverage. In the Lord’s Supper bread was used to represent Jesus’ body wine to represent His blood. This is why the Catholic still use wine today unlike other churches today that use grape juice. Catholics do believe that and agree that it is true that we should not abuse alcohol and become intoxicated but you can sit and have an alcoholic beverage. Catholics believe that to totally forego...
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...there’s still time! Our Thanksgiving devotional is called Give Thanks: Biblical Stories About Gratitude. When you sign up, twice each week throughout November you’ll receive … Continue reading → Reformation Reading at Bible Gateway Looking to do some Reformation reading today? You may not realize it, but Bible Gateway’s got a strong library of Reformation-related material, all online and easily accessible. Here are some of our Reformation resources: The Geneva Bible: It seems fitting … Continue reading → Bible Gateway’s Rachel Barach at CNMAC13: Reimagining the Word in a Digital Age Bible Gateway’s general manager Rachel Barach will be speaking at the Christian New Media Conference in November! The Christian New Media Conference, taking place in London on Saturday, November 9, will bring together a variety of Christian leaders and visionaries … Continue reading → Five Bible Verses to Read on Reformation Day Are you ready to celebrate today? I’m not talking about Halloween—I’m...
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...My Spirituality and The Christian Tradition Though I cannot say I am a Christian, I can say that some Christian traditions and values have stuck with me throughout the years out of respect and habit. I still attend church and do prayer before eating when I am invited by some of the more religious members of my family. Holidays such as Christmas or Easter are still celebrated and still contain some religious flavoring depending on who I am celebrating with. Outside of holidays and dinners with devout friends and family, everything I do generally is secular. I now realize that I pretty much only partake in religious occasions when I feel it is necessitated to appease the more devout in my family and sphere of contacts. I cannot directly correlate my own spirituality with the Christian Tradition as I am not exactly a believer. I think of myself as more of a skeptic on the whole thing even though I was brought up as a Baptist. As stated before, I do celebrate Christian holidays but in a more secular family-orientated light. Some Christian values I do try to keep as they generally are in line with what I believe in such as "turning the other cheek" and unconditional love even when such relations are strained. I see them as more guidelines than a set rules as it is impossible to stay on the straight and narrow throughout life as things change so one most bend with the times but not so much as to forget the shape one once was. Outside of those few things I just try to be a good...
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...student also explicitly explored the idea that the teachings on peace are highly significant in the lives of adherents and she gives sound reasons why. The response shows, for example, that Christians are required to promote non-violence responses to conflict. She goes on to show how this call to peace has a significant impact on the decisions they are asked to make in order to adhere to that directive in their lives. Question: Evaluate the influence of Christianity in the lives of adherents in relation to their understanding and attainment of inner peace and contribution to world peace. The influence of Christianity in the lives of adherents is extensive and profound due to the religion’s emphasis on attaining peace through following the role model of Jesus Christ. Such a mandate permeates the entirety of a Christian adherent’s existence, entailing maintenance of right relationships with God and all people. Christians are required to reconnect with God through prayer and worship in order to attain inner peace, allowing for the regular renewal of Jesus as an example of unconditional and selfless agape love that contributes to both the achievement of inner harmony and the peaceful functioning of a global society. This interconnectedness of external and internal peace is apparent in the Christian churches’...
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... This was between the year 1829 and 1837. The reforms he did in his way of administration brought a change in the succeeding years, in America. This paper seeks to examine the widespread religious commotion of the Jacksonian age. Christian religion in Jacksonian era During this age, America was highly dominated by the ancient lines of the protestant doctrines and denominations. The state was in control of everything that happened in the church (Sellers 2006). However, when the church separated itself from the state, divisions emerged in the protestant denomination where every denomination considered themselves superior to the others. The Methodist, Presbyterians and the Baptists were the main denominations with Methodist being large in number. The difference between the denominations brought significance changes in the church. Revivalism spread all over America and was highly appreciated. Meetings held in camps were swept away; they no longer provided a social attraction as they did earlier. Instead, revival meetings took the centre stage. Prayers for salvation and faith were conducted in such gatherings, and many people were converted. Some revivalists from the Baptist denomination made it baptism a necessity for fulfillment of the conversion experience (Sellers 2006). Having been baptized the converts believed to have an assurance of eternal life, they then devoted themselves to the church. Though, the revivals were seen to be artificial...
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...Born December 10, 1830 to a wealthy family in Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily Dickinson was a bright young girl who was beloved by all throughout her community. She received the highest of marks at Amherst Academy and showed a promising academic future. Upon completing her schooling at the academy, at the age of 15, Dickinson enrolled at the Mount Holyoke female seminary to achieve her educational ambition. She studied there for only one year, after finding herself conflicted with the strict Christian teachings. However, Dickinson would not give up on her intellectual abilities. Entering a life of seclusion, away from the eyes of the Christian community, Dickinson would go on to write some of the greatest poetry of American literature. It is through these masterpieces that we can gain a glimpse into the world of Emily Dickinson, and better understand the extent of her seclusion and the reasons why during a time that was heavily dominated by Christian belief. The first example given to us by Dickinson is entitled, “340” or “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain”. With an opening line such as that, immediately the reader can infer from this that the author losing a part of herself. In the first stanza, the speaker can, “feel a funeral, in her brain” prompting the reader to think perhaps a part of her has died. Reading the second stanza, “My Mind was going numb-” also brings forth the idea that she is losing touch with a certain aspect of her mind. Within the third stanza, the line, “Then...
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...the first 40 pages of Life Together, the concept that is most applicable to my life is the importance of a Christian community. Like many other believers, I grew up in a Christian home. However, my parents never stressed the importance of being involved at church. I went to church on Sundays but I never invested in the community provided. I started becoming involved in church my freshmen year of high school by going to all of the camps and attending church on Wednesdays and Sundays. Over time, my youth pastor convinced me to join a small group because it was a great opportunity to have fellowship with ladies my own age. Together we supported each other in our walk and developed true interpersonal relationships and became more than friends—but sisters in Christ. We also learned how important it is to be a part of a community with similar beliefs, but we never knew how lucky we were to be able to practice these things. To have fellow followers of Christ there to pray and encourage you is a blessing I never fully comprehended. Bonhoeffer explains that Christian community is gift. The following sentence opened my eyes to how thankful I should be about community: “It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren” (page 20). After reading the first 20 pages, I immediately felt guilty about my view on community. I took Christian communities for granted never once thinking about people in different countries that get persecuted for joining...
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...How does this statement explain the significance of baptism for the Christian community and the individual? Baptism allows adherents of Christianity to acquire a deeper understanding and resonate with the beliefs of their religion. Baptism refers to the religious rite of passage involving the application of water in association with an individual’s admission to the Christian Church. It is a significant rite practiced by a majority of Christian adherents with the exception of Quakers and followers of The Salvation Army. In many denominations, baptism is performed on young children and is accompanied by name-giving, referred to as ‘Infant Baptism’. These denominational families include Catholics, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians and other Reformed denominations, Methodists and some Nazarenes, as well as the Moravian Church. Another form of baptism involves the initiation of adults and is referred to as ‘Believers Baptism’ practised by a minority of Christians including Protestants and followers of the Pentecostal and Baptists sect. A key concept in believer's baptism is that a credible profession of faith must be given by the recipient before baptism. The American Baptist Church, for example, declares: "We insist that baptism be administered only to those who have the maturity to understand its profound significance: resurrection to new life in Christ”. All major denominations use water as a part of the purification ritual. For some this may involve...
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...In this informative document the topic of discussion will mainly be about Christianity the life of Jesus Christ and the development of this religion over the years. Along with that other areas will also include the way people worship, practice, and different sectors of this religion. We will also discuss the birth and death of Jesus Christ and how his death affected this religion dramatically and why this religion continues grow till this day. Also discussed Christianity alongside Islam and compare and contrast the different between these religions and practices. Jesus born more than 2000 years ago in Israel as many believe him to be the form of god sent to earth as a human being in place for the sins man committed Jesus himself was no different than typical Israeli a working man that work as a carpenter in the town of Nazareth. When Jesus entered his thirties he began to spread his teachings and founded what we know today as Christianity. He toured northern Israel though never recorded traveling more than 200 miles from home Jesus drew followers worldwide he recorded unexplained miracles and teachings of love and strict moral principles in which he was able to accomplish publically for 3 years. With these miracles Jesus began to draw attention from Jewish leaders of this time although never convicted of any crime though being on trial many times. His crucifixion was ordered by corrupt officials for the crime of blasphemy or claiming to be god. This was viewed as a crucifixion...
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