Religious Education 25 Department Exam Review PDF

# Religious Education 25 Department Exam Review ## Unit 1 - **Objective Truth** - is the absolute truth - **Subjective Truth** - like an opinion, what we believe to be true, only has as much value as the evidence that supports it. - **St. Thomas Aquinas** uses faith and reason to find God. He firs...

# Religious Education 25 Department Exam Review ## Unit 1 - **Objective Truth** - is the absolute truth - **Subjective Truth** - like an opinion, what we believe to be true, only has as much value as the evidence that supports it. - **St. Thomas Aquinas** uses faith and reason to find God. He first formally put together the arguments for the existence of God. - **Argument from design** suggests that there were too many coincidences that had to take place for the universe to unfold the way it did. God guided this unfolding. - **The first cause argument** states that there had to be something eternal that started the universe. Christians call this God. - **Pascal's Wager** suggests that when we look at what there is to gain or lose with regards to belief in God, it is only reasonable to believe. - **Truth is a process** - once we arrive at what we believe to be true, we need to keep questioning to be sure that it is. - **Tools of truth** - Ways in which we learn the truth - are reason, experience, and belief. The one where we learn most of what we know is belief. Experience is the best teacher. - When **Catholics** read the Bible, the truth we are searching for is the religious truth. - **Catholics** have a hierarchy of truths: - **Dogma:** the essential beliefs, once elevated to this level, it cannot be changed, so we need to be sure, mostly the **creeds**. The doctrine of infallibility says that teachings that are "ex cathedra" or from the chair of Peter when means the Pope has used his full teaching authority which has only happened twice. - **Doctrine:** Official Church teaching, includes the **Catechism of the Catholic Church**. - **Belief:** These are reported miracles that the Church states are "worthy of belief" after investigation from the Vatican office known as the **Devil's Advocate**. - **Rules:** These are rules put in place for good order and can be changed if the Church feels there would be benefit. ## Unit 2 ### Scripture - This is a unit in **exegesis**: the study and interpretation of scripture - There are two main ways to interpret the Bible: **Literally** and **Contextually** - **Literal** interpreters, sometimes known as **fundamentalists**, interpret the Bible just as it is. - **Contextual** interpretation looks at the total context when understanding the Bible which includes: literary form, language used, historical setting, and author's purpose. - **Literary Form** - is the type writing: myth, letters, songs, gospels, prophetic, apocalyptic writings are some types found in the Bible. - The Bible was developed through the **oral**, **written** and **edited** stages. - Not all parts of the Bible carry **equal weight**. **Exodus** and **Gospels** carry the most. - The list of official books in the Bible are known as the **Canon**. The **Apocrypha** refers to books similar in content and origin, but do not belong in the Bible. - As a type of literature, **myths** are stories that explain deeper truths, even if they could not have happened. Myths are not false statements. Ex. **Creation Stories** ### **People we studied:** - Hagar - Abraham - Sarah - Ishmael - Moses - Isaac - Rebekah - Esau - Jacob - Leah - Rachel - Joseph - Joshua - Judges (Samson) - Saul - David - Solomon - Kingdom divides into **Israel (north)** conquered by the Assyrians and **Judah (south)** conquered by the Babylonians - **Persians** conquer the Babylonians and free the captives ### **Scripture Part A** #### Major Characters/Events in the Hebrew Scriptures ##### Genesis 1. **Creation Stories**- In the beginning... 2. **Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel**, Cain kills Abel and is punished... Genesis 4:9-16 3. **Abram and Sarah** were first to have a covenant with God, who promised them land and descendants that would number as the stars, and changed their names to **Abraham and Sarah**. The land was received right away, but the descendants were the problem. Sarah wasn't having any children and appeared to be barren, so according to the law, Sarai brought her slave girl **Hagar** to have a child in her place (Genesis 16:1-11). They had a child named **Ishmael** who became known as an ancestor to the Arabs and hence the Islamic faith. Later, when Sarah is very old, she conceives a son named **Isaac**, which is looked at as a miracle, as she was beyond the child bearing age. 4. **Abraham** was thrilled to finally have a son. However, when **Isaac** was a young boy, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. (Gen 22:1-18) Reluctantly, Abraham agreed and he prepared for the event as God had instructed. Just when Abraham was about to strike down Isaac, an angel appeared and told Abraham that God was pleased because he was faithful and he didn't have to strike down his son. Relieved, Abraham and Isaac sacrificed a ram in **Isaac's** place 5. **Isaac married Rebekah**, who bore two sons named **Esau** and **Jacob**. (Gen 25:21-27) **Esau** became "a skilled hunter", but **Jacob** was "a quiet man, living in tents". Isaac preferred **Esau**, because he enjoyed eating the animals **Esau** killed, but **Rebekah** preferred **Jacob**. One day after returning from a day of unsuccessful hunting, **Esau**, famished, traded his birthright as the first born to **Jacob** for a bowl of bean soup (Gen. 25:29-34). Because of this, **Jacob** became the next major character in the Hebrew Scriptures. Later, **Jacob** and **Rebecca outfoxed Isaac** to get **Jacob** the final blessing (Gen. 27:1-35). God changed **Jacob's** name to **Israel** and his descendants became known as the **Israelites**. 6. (Genesis 29:15-30) **Jacob** met and fell in love with **Rachel "who was graceful and beautiful"** (Gen.29:17). **Jacob** agreed to work for her father, **Laban**, for seven years so that he could marry **Rachel**. When it came time for the wedding, **Laban** put **Rachel's** older sister, **Leah** in her place. When morning arrived, **Jacob** had realized that he was now married to **Leah**. **Laban** explained that in his country the first born had to be the first to be married. **Laban** proposed that if **Jacob** worked for him another seven years, he could have **Rachel** as well to which **Jacob** agreed. Seven years later, **Jacob** and **Rachel** were finally married. **Jacob** had twelve sons and one daughter from his two wives and their maid servants: **Sons of Jacob / Tribes of Israel** | | Leah | Zilpah | Bilhah | Rachel | | :------- | :------------------------------------ | :------------------------ | :-------------------------- | :------------------------------------------ | | **(ca. 1700 BC)** | (elder sister) | (Leah's slave) | (Rachel's slave) | (younger sister) | | 1 | Reuben | | | Dan | | 2 | Simeon | | | Naphtali | | 3 | Levi | | | | | 4 | Judah | | | | | 5 | Issachar | | | | | 6 | Zebulun | | | | | 7 | Gad | | | | | 8 | Asher | | | | | 9 | Joseph | | | Benjamin | | 10 | | | | | | 11 | | | | | | 12 | | | | | #### **The Rape of Dinah:** (Genesis: 34:1-31) **Joseph**, son of **Rachel**, was **Jacob's** favourite of all his sons. Because of the special treatment he received, **Joseph's** brothers despised him. When he was 17, **Jacob** gave him a coat of many colours, which angered **Joseph's** brothers. One day, **Joseph** came to breakfast and described a dream he had: > "There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly, my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it., and bowed down to my sheaf." His brothers said to him, "Are you to reign over us? Are you to have dominion over us? So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words. (Genesis 37:6-8) **Joseph's** brothers then planned to kill **Joseph**. When they were out at work, they took **Joseph**, and ripped his colourful coat off him, then they threw him down a well were they expected him to starve or freeze. As they were about to desert him, however, they spot some travellers on the way to **Egypt**. Instead, they sell **Joseph** as a slave for 20 pieces of silver and he was taken to **Egypt**. The brothers ripped up **Joseph's** coat and stained it in the blood of an animal. They returned it to **Jacob**, who assumed that his son was killed, and was very sad. In **Egypt**, **Joseph** did very well. He served his master, **Potipher** faithfully - and even remained loyal when **Potipher's** wife tried to seduce him (Genesis 39:1-23). She blamed him for the incident, and he was thrown in jail, where he developed a reputation for interpreting dreams. **Pharaoh**, meanwhile had a dream and his advisors were unable to make any sense of it (Genesis 41:1-36). After hearing about **Joseph**, **Pharaoh** summoned him from prison. **Joseph** clearly interpreted the dream to mean that **Egypt** would be blessed for seven years, followed by a famine for seven years. Impressed with his wisdom, **Pharaoh** promoted **Joseph** to the position of Prime Minister and empowered him with saving up as much food as he could ### Scripture Part B **Moses** was born the son of a slave and his life was in jeopardy right from the beginning. The Egyptians were well aware of the risk the Israelites could pose if the Israelite numbers were greater than their own. So, periodically they would kill Israelite baby boys to keep their numbers down. Knowing the Egyptians were on their way to kill Moses, his mother in desperation places him in a basket and sends him down the river, hoping that by some miracle something good might come of her son. **Moses** is discovered by the Pharaoh's daughter who takes him in as her own. He is given the benefit of nutrition and education as he grows up in the palace. After he grows up, he realizes he is Hebrew and feels he should live with them. So, he goes and lives as a slave. One day at work, he sees an old man being beaten by a slave driver. He defends the old man by killing the Egyptian. Soon after, Moses flees Egypt because the Pharaoh wants him killed due to his crime. He escapes Egypt into the mountains. In the mountains, **Moses** gets married and works for his father in law as a shepherd. One day he encounters a burning bush. The bush was on fire, but was not being consumed, so Moses takes a closer look. He hears the voice of God, who tells him to go to Pharaoh to have the Israelite slaves freed. After initially protesting, Moses agrees. As directed by **YHWH**, he takes his brother **Aaron** with him who can help with speaking since Moses is "a poor speaker" (Exodus 6:30). Moses goes to Pharaoh and asks him to free the Israelite slaves to which Pharaoh refuses. Moses then says that God will hit Egypt with a plague, and he names it (the Nile will turn to blood). The Pharaoh promises to free the slaves if only the plague would stop. The plague stops, and the Pharaoh reneges. We see this pattern repeat itself several times. * **A list of the first nine plagues includes:** 1. the Nile changed to blood 2. frogs carpeted the land 3. gnats swarmed as thick as dust 4. flies buzzed everywhere 5. boils infected the people and the animals 6. animals toppled over sick 7. hail splintered trees and plants 8. locusts devoured what the hail had missed 9. darkness blanketed the land' ## Unit 3 ***Key understandings Unit 3: Jesus of History, Christ of Faith Part 1*** - No one's perspective is totally objective about Jesus - Divinity of Jesus (fully human, fully God) - Jesus of history meaning - Christian Scriptures are both Old and New Testament - Non-Christian sources who acknowledged existence of Jesus - Acts of the Apostles is about the Good News after Jesus' death and resurrection - Gospels focus on meaning of Jesus, not historical events - Gospels are above all testimonies of faith - Catholic Church bases its teachings on tradition and Christian Scriptures - Resurrection is central to Christianity - Roman rule involved selecting leaders from conquered people - John's Gospel describes Jesus as "the Word became flesh" - Matthew's and Luke's genealogy of Jesus - Matthew's story of Magi relates to Jesus the Messiah being accepted by non-Jews - Circumcision traces back to God's covenant with Abraham - Jesus probably spoke Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic - Jesus was subject to the following temptations by Satan in the desert: political, magical, economic power - Intended audiences and primary focus of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - Jesus' vision was not a political kingdom but the "Kingdom of God" ## Unit 4 1. Jesus' vision of an ideal future is called the kingdom of God 2. The Apostle Peter was a leader in the early community of faith 3. Jesus saw God as a caring parent who loves without conditions 4. Jesus understood the Kingdom as being communal in nature and as well between God and individuals. 5. A conversion is a change of heart 6. The Jewish Law during Jesus' time had become overly legalistic 7. The central event in bringing about the Kingdom was Jesus' death and Resurrection 8. The Gospels are the early faith community's reflections on and expressions of Jesus' life and message 9. Words that Jesus used: Amen, Abba 10. The ancient Jewish way of speaking was filled with symbolism, exaggeration, and figurative language 11. The word parable comes from a Greek word meaning word to the wise 12. Jesus himself is said to have taught this "formula" for prayer to his disciples: Lord's Prayer 13. John's Gospel uses many allegories 14. Jesus' parable about the lost sheep the shepherd risked his entire flock for the sake of the lost sheep 15. The father in the parable of the prodigal son throws a magnificent party to celebrate his son's return 16. The parable of the labourers in the vineyard demonstrates that God is overwhelmingly generous 17. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector illustrates the need for humility 18. Jesus' miracles can always be understood as signs of the healing and redeeming power of God's love 19. The ancient Jews believed that miracles were an expression of God's creative power 20. Jesus could not cure those who did not have faith 21. Jesus healed out of compassion 22. The chief lesson of Jesus' exorcisms is that God, in and through Jesus, conquers sin 23. In the context of Jesus' miracles, Jesus frequently mentions that the physical healing of individuals is directly linked to Jesus' forgiveness of their sin 24. Jesus washes the disciples' feet to show how service to others is necessary to a full celebration of the Eucharist 25. The first reactions of the witnesses to the empty tomb are shock and fear/riot among the Jews 26. The Resurrection of Jesus is mentioned in all four Gospels, the Letters of Saint Paul, the sermons in the Acts of the Apostles 27. The risen Jesus calls people to share knowledge of the Resurrection with others ## Unit 2 ### Numbers and Symbols in the Book of Revelation Numbers are not just quantitative, they have many other meanings too. - 7: totality or perfection - 6 (7-1): imperfection (six would fall short) - 12: represents Israel or the Church of the new Israel - 4: stands for the world (4 points on a compass) - 1000: implies immensity - 40: sufficient for the purpose **Other Symbols:** - **Lamb:** Jesus - **Horns:** Power - **Eyes:** Knowledge - **Lamb with seven eyes and seven horns:** Jesus, who is all-knowing and all-powerful - **666:** Caesar Nero ### Book of Revelations Q & A - **Describe the literary form or style of the Book of Revelation.** Ans. Prophetic-Apocalyptic - **Why does the author use symbolism in the Book of Revelation?** Ans. To help first century Christians understand what is happening to them and to enable them to cry out with joy. - **What is the Biblical notion of prophecy or prophet?** Ans. A prophet is a spokesperson for God. - **Describe the Book of Revelation's use of numbers in the symbolic form known as gematria.** Ans. Hebrew letters were assigned numerical values. When the numbers were added together, we get a number which represents the person. - **The Book of Revelation refers to a milennium. What does this time represent?** Ans. The period of time from the resurrection to the second coming of Christ. - **How do scholars interpret Satan's release, as mentioned in Revelation?** Ans. Evil remains in our midst, despite Christ's conquering. We need to convert over and over. - **What was the purpose behind writing of the Book of Revelation?** Ans. To encourage Christians during: - First century persecutions - End times - All times - **What is the setting (time and place) when the Book of Revelations was written?** Ans. The setting of the book of Revelation is first century Rome to Christians undergoing persecutions. - **Who are some people who have been historically (incorrectly) linked with 666?** Ans. Incorrectly linked to the 666 are: The Pope, Muhammad, Stalin, Hitler, West German Chancellor, etc.. - **Who does modern scholarship identify as the 666 beast?** Ans. Nero Caesar - **How do they come to this conclusion?** Ans. Caesar Nero's gematria adds up to 666 and he was persecuting the Christians at this time. - **The Antichrist is commonly referred to as someone who is coming in the end times. However, scholars disagree with this interpretation, saying the Antichrist has already come. Who do scholars say the "Antichrist was probably referring to?** Ans. Scholars feel the anti-Christ was probably referring to the pagan Roman Empire, the evil Caesar Nero, Nero returned in Emperor Domitian, or simply any force acting against Christ.