We'll more or less wrap up our new material on Christianity today with a couple of activities. We're shooting for taking the multiple choice portion of the quiz on Monday, December 8th after we do some reviewing.
Denominations influenced by Christianity:
This is a tricky area. Generally speaking, members of these faiths
label themselves as Christians. Many "mainstream" Christians consider
these faiths to be on the "fringe," if they recognize them as Christian
at all. The issue of the "label" is probably of secondary concern to an
understanding of the beliefs themselves.
DO THIS: You will look at one on these three
groups. In addition to the web resources, be sure to get the
corresponding handout from me. (You can write on these or highlight
them if you want.) Note that these articles were written by adherents
(believers) of the faith, and be aware of the influence that might have
upon their positions.
You and you group members need to prepare evidence for both sides of this question: Should the (insert group) be considered Christians?
In other words, make the case for the faith being considered Christian.
In addition, show us the reasons why others may dispute that claim. You
should introduce us to the basics of the faith's history and founders,
key beliefs, and unique features during your discussions.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:
Although they are working to remove this label, these are the people commonly referred to as Mormons.
Official Website: This is the official webpage of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
lds-mormon.com: This site
claims to objectively discuss "the good, the bad, and the ugly"
regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There are a
number of resources linked here.
Jehovah's Witnesses:
Watchtower: Official Web
Site of Jehovah's Witnesses: As the title implies, this official site
is maintained by those who are Jehovah's Witnesses.
Watchers of the Watch Tower World:
An organization calling itself Free Minds, Inc. maintains this web
site, claiming to "keep an eye" on the Watchtower. The disclaimer at
the bottom reveals more about their mission.
Christian Scientists:
Note: This group is in NO way affiliated with the Church of Scientology. Do not confuse the two. In addition, this organization publishes The Christian Science Monitor,
a highly regarded daily newspaper. Its coverage of domestic and
international affairs is excellent, and the vast majority of it is not
in any way directed by a religious agenda.
The Church of Christ, Scientist: This is the official web site of the organization whose members are commonly referred to as Christian Scientists.
The Testimony of Carolyn Poole: This is an article written by a woman who explains her reasons for leaving the church.
Distinctive Christian Tenets:
Defining terms: Trinity, atonement, incarnation
Huston Smith describes these three unique tenets of Christianity in some detail.
- Trinity: Check out Smith (pp. 344-346)
- Atonement: Check out Smith (pp. 343-344)
- Incarnation: Check out Smith (pp. 340-343)
Think Again: The Catholic Church - Foreign Policy magazine does a feature each issue where they challenge the "conventional wisdom" on a particular topic. This issue it is the Catholic Church. We'll take a quick look at these.
Trends Within Modern Christianity: This is by no means a complete listing. Notice that we are largely avoiding denominational differences here.
DISCLAIMER: I suppose this probably isn't necessary, but I want to make it clear that these links are here to provide a variety of perspectives, and none of them carry any sort of endorsement by me or the class or the school or whatever... Consider them "primary" sources, and interpret them as you see fit.
Ecumenism: Ecumenical movements within Christianity strive to recognize the diversity among Christian groups and work toward reconciliation. (In its most idealistic format, an ecumenical movement may seek to do the same among different religious traditions.)
Evangelicalism: Broadly speaking, this refers to the teaching of Christian gospel in an attempt to convert others to Christianity. This tends to be associated with Protestant denominations. One modern manifestation of this movement has been the spread of "televangelists" with which many of you are familiar. Some of the most prominent (and controversial) have included Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, and Jerry Falwell.
Fundamentalism: Within any religion, a fundamentalist is one who interprets scripture and belief at a literal level. Again, this would be more commonly heard in reference to certain Protestant groups.
This contains a number of resources, both from within and outside of the fundamentalist viewpoint.
Liberation Theology: "What must be done? as opposed to "What must I believe?" This movement grew out of the Catholic Church in the 1960s. It attempts to address and redress inequalities and oppression through a Christian perspective. Most of the early focus of the movement was in Latin America, but it has certainly spread to other areas. Later, other groups adopted the principles of the movement to seek similar reforms.
HOMEWORK for Christianity - Day #6
You should be finishing the Christianity chapter in Huston Smith's The World's Religions.
Your Christianity Blog Entry should be posted by Monday's class.
We'll take the Christianity Multiple Choice quiz during the latter part of the hour on Monday.