The Church: Unity, Diversity, and Growth

Church Qualities

• The Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.
• The Church is the body of Christ.
• The Church's growth can be studied in five contexts related to its growth and expansion.
• The Church experienced upheaval and then renewal through the Protestant and Catholic Reformations.
• The Holy Spirit constantly renews the Church.
• There are different levels of teaching in the Church.

Unity and Diversity in the Body (Based on Scripture)

• The body of Christ, like a physical body, has many parts that form one entity.
• All were baptized by one Spirit into one body, regardless of background.
• The body consists of many parts, not just one.
• God placed the parts in the body as He willed.
• If the whole body were just one part (e.g., an eye), it would lack other essential functions.
• The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you." Weaker parts are indispensable.
• God put the body together to eliminate division, ensuring equal concern among parts.
• If one part suffers, all parts suffer; if one part is honored, all parts rejoice.
• Christians are the body of Christ, with each individual as a part.

The Five Periods of Growth in the Church

• Writing the date alongside each event.
• Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses initiating the Protestant Reformation.
• The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are written, forming the first four books of the New Testament.
• St. Paul completes missionary journeys and writes epistles to various congregations.
• Pope Urban II authorizes the First Crusade to retake Jerusalem from Islamic control.
• The Bible begins with God creating the universe, Adam and Eve eating the Apple, and their subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
• St. Paul completes missionary journeys and writes epistles to various congregations.
• St. Patrick returns to Ireland as a Catholic missionary after escaping slavery.
• Jesus Christ is crucified, resurrected, and Pentecost occurs after three years of ministry.
• The Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church split in The Great East-West Schism.
• The First Great Awakening in the United States brings a major increase in protestant activity.
• English King Henry VIII breaks away from the Catholic Church and starts the Church of England.
• Drawing on translations by William Tyndale, the King James Version of the Bible is published in England.
• Mother Teresa of Calcutta dies.

The Protestant Reformation: Causes and Effects

• Causes included money-generating practices like the sale of indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church, demands of Martin Luther, John Calvin, plus other European scholars.
• The invention of the printing press allowed religious ideas to spread widely.
• There as a desire for people to read the Bible in their own language, a desire to rely on the Bible for guidance and they believed forgiveness comes from God rather than good deeds + rulers breaking free from the Pope.
• Effects included the emergence of Protestantism, establishment of several protestant churches, translation of the bible into several languages.
• The Counter-Reformation within the Catholic Church reformed and revived itself and training for some Catholic priests improved.
• The sale of indulgences ended, and Protestant worship services used local languages rather than Latin.

The Council of Trent (1545-1563)

• Convened by Pope Paul III to address the Protestant Reformation.
• Goals included: codifying scripture, reforming abuses, denouncing Protestant ideology, and reaffirming the power of the Catholic Church
• Primarily addressed denial of Mass as a sacrifice and the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist .
• Recommended that people receive Holy Communion each time they attended Mass.
• Initiated effort to educate and prepare Priests, which led to seminaries being established to train Priests.
• The measures, plus new religious orders such as the Jesuits, helped re-establish and re-inspire Catholic Europe.
• A new Missal set out the ritual for Mass.

Ecumenism

• Ecumenism is movement that promotes spiritual understanding and unity among Christians and their churches.
• Additionally applies to efforts toward greater understanding and cooperation between Christians and members of other faiths.
• The word comes from the Greek oikoumene which means 'the whole inhabited world'.
• Includes the search for visible unity of the world's Christian Churches.

Levels of Teaching in the Catholic Church

• The Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church, exercised by the Pope and bishops guides in teaching practices.
• Infallible Teachings are seen as fundamental truths for Catholics taught by the Pope or an Ecumenical Council.
• Authoritative Teachings are not infallible but are essential for understanding faith and morals, requiring religious submission.
• Ordinary Teachings come from the bishops and the Pope can be reformed, and are intended to guide in understanding their faith.