Unit 2 - Religion PDF

Unit 2: Faith Through Scripture and The Catholic Church Scripture, Tradition, Magisterium: Teaching Authority of the Roman Catholic Church: The Roman Catholic Church states that it has authority from God to teach ‘the Truth’, to guide its people, and to lead them to goodness and heaven...

Unit 2: Faith Through Scripture and The Catholic Church Scripture, Tradition, Magisterium: Teaching Authority of the Roman Catholic Church: The Roman Catholic Church states that it has authority from God to teach ‘the Truth’, to guide its people, and to lead them to goodness and heaven Understanding the faith comes through Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium The necessary ingredient for this is faith and reason What is Scripture? Is the inspired word of God It is the primary source, as it contains the record of God’s self-revelation and in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus – the Gospels Tradition: What is passed on to the current community from the ancestors in faith starting with the apostles and those who have succeeded them This is an oral tradition in words, action and practice. Not everything was recorded in scripture. Example of Church tradition included; Creeds, Treatises, and theological works of scholars Magisterium: The teaching office of the Roman Catholic Church holds the authority and power of the Catholic Church to teach religious truth It consists only of the infallible teachings of the Church The teachings of Popes are believed to be infallible (incapable of making mistakes) when they are speaking ex cathedra The Latin phrase ex cathedra (literally, “from the chair”) Divine Revelation: General Revelation: We all have access to general revelation Creation (i.e. Earth) The ability to love and see beauty Special Revelation: Stories in sacred texts Stories about Jesus Interpreting the Bible – Exegesis & Hermeneutics: What is Exegesis? Exegesis has existed for over two thousand years Studies the texts in their original context - It looks at the language - The historical context in which it was originally written - The religious traditions surrounding the text - The structuring of language - Literary genre - Other religious texts of the time What is Hermeneutics? Takes exegesis one step further. It tries to understand the texts not just in themselves but how they still have force today Texts need to interpret the meaning of the texts in the context in which they were written Both are required to understand the full meaning of the text as they were written centuries ago. Four Senses of Scripture: What are the Four Senses of Scripture? The Four Senses of Scripture are different ways of interpreting and understanding the meaning of the biblical texts in the Christian tradition. These include: 1. Literal Sense 2. Allegorical Sense 3. Moral Sense 4. Anagogical Sense Literal Sense: Refers to the straightforward and historical meaning of the text It involves understanding the events, people, and places described in the Bible in their literal and factual context. The literal sense serves as the foundation for all other senses of scripture. Allegorical Sense: Looks for symbolic meanings within the biblical text It involves seeking connections of Christ and his work in the OT For example: Events, people, or actions in the OT may be seen as foretelling Christ or events in the NT Moral Sense: Involves understanding the ethical and moral teachings found in scripture It aims to discern the moral principles and virtues that can guide individuals in living virtuous and righteous lives. Anagogical Sense: Focuses on the end of time or future aspects of scripture It seeks to understand biblical passages to point to the ultimate destiny of humanity and God’s plan for salvation, especially in terms of heaven and the afterlife Prophetic Voice - Call Story: Characteristics of a Prophet: Are people who speak on God’s behalf Have an experience – hear God’s word, receive God’s plan, speak God’s word Are critics who see injustice and suffering in the world and cry out against them Challenge those in power Always defend the poor and voiceless people in society Have enormous courage and conviction in speaking out against oppressive situations Are always persecuted and mocked as being out of touch with reality Characteristics of a False Prophet: Often seek personal glory and praise, and perhaps material reward  Often create conflict for its own sake or to serve the goals of a small group Seldom “go the extra mile” if confronted by the threat of harm to their person Despite their facade, they will eventually come across as selfish or in serious error about the true nature of the human person The Prophetic Call: 1. Confrontation/Encounter with God - Each encounter is different, illustrates the immense power of GOd - The call totally uproots their lives 2. Introductory Speech - God speaks first (usually), making a self-announcement 3. Imparting a Mission - “I sent you…” 4. Objection of the Prophet-to-Be - The person called doubts their own abilities and questions God in choosing them 5. Reassurance by God - God assured them that they are preaching God’s word, and therefore it is Truth 6. Sign - Not always clear and/or articulated The Early Church: How does the Early Church unveil Jesus? Apostolic Succession - The line of bishops stretching back to the Apostles Apostolic Tradition - Those traditions and teachings handed down to us from the Apostles through Apostolic Succession Jesus is the Father’s emissary (a representative sent on a mission or errand) - Jesus is the new covenant; his mission was to redeem people (in Catholicism) The Church is Founded on the Apostles in 3 Ways: 1. The Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles who were witnesses chosen by Christ and carried out his mission 2. The Church passes on the teachings of the Apostles. 3. The Church continues to be guided by the apostles until Christ’s return (with the help of the College of Bishops, assisted by priests). Acts of the Apostles: The Acts of the Apostles recounts the stories of the spread of the Christian faith from Christ’s disciples in Jerusalem, to most of the ancient world. Acts was written by the evangelist Luke. Acts shows the transformation that happens to Jesus’ followers as they come to terms with the reality of His resurrection. When they receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they gain the courage, strength, and wisdom to carry their new faith beyond the communities of their own people. This new faith was not for a specific people, but was to be shared with all the world. Letters:  The canon of the Catholic Bible contains 21 letters; most of which are attributed to St. Paul (13) or his followers. These letters were written to early Christians and Christian communities. Letters were written to encourage faith, to teach the meaning of Jesus, and sometimes to correct misunderstanding. Letters also helped manage relationships that existed over long distances. Evangelists like Paul founded Christian communities, lived with them for some time while teaching and healing, and then travelled on to the next destination. Church: We often think of the Church as a building in which we praise and worship God. To the first Christians, Church meant a committed group of followers of a man put to death, who proclaimed the good news of salvation; the “people of God.” The Catechism teaches us that the Church also refers to the “people of God”, the “Body of Christ” and “Temple of the Holy Spirit.” Characteristics of the People of God: This means that we are the people of God as opposed to God being the property of any one people We are members of the Body of Christ through Baptism The head of the people is Jesus Christ Each of us has dignity and freedom The law of the Church: To love as Christ loved The mission of the Church: To be salt of the earth and light of the world The destiny of the Church: The Kingdom of God Reign of God: Jesus came to serve, not to be served; therefore, the reign of God means we are to be servants of the poor and suffering Kingdom of God & The Beatitudes: Kingdom of God: The “Kingdom of Heaven/God” is not a place but a symbol or metaphor for God. Proclamation of the “Kingdom of God” portrays the nearness of God. Jesus wanted the kingdom to be among us: Healing, generosity, miracles... Jesus Proclaims What Comes Next: Jesus proclaims the fulfillment of the Torah in his Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives the platform for the life of disciples Platform is called: Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes The Beatitudes: The word Beatitude means “blessing” or “promise of true happiness”. Jesus gave us the eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. He offers us a way of life that promises eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven What is Eschatological? They promise of salvation – not in this world, but in the next All beatitudes have an eschatological meaning