''The Christian Church''

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

‘’The Christian Church’’

Part One:

I am going to look at the type and location of church furniture to learn about the beliefs of two different denominations. First I will look at the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church’s main furnishing is the altar. It is the most important furnishing of all. Altar means place of sacrifice. It is the name given to the communion table and is where the priest celebrates the Eucharist. Before the second Vatican the priest celebrated mass with his back to the congregation. But now the altar has been moved forward to be closer to the people and the priest faces the congregation throughout the mass. The altar is exact centre in most churches e.g. St. Oliver Plunkets Roman Catholic Church in Toomebridge. This makes it very available to the people. It makes it very easy for the children to see what is happening. The location of the altar gives a sense of togetherness with the priest standing amongst the congregation rather than above them. The altar is a symbolic furnishing as it is a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The sacrificial altar was a key feature of the temple at the time of Jesus, as it is a piece of furniture it is reminiscent of this. Catholics believe that they are rein acting the sacrifice of Jesus not just doing it in memory of. Catholics focus on ‘This is my body, this is my blood’

Inside the Catholic Church

The Catholic Altar

Baptist Church

The most prominent piece of furnishing in the Baptist Church is the Pulpit. The first thing you would see on entering the Baptist church would be the Pulpit. It is found on a platform at the front in the centre. Its position is significant because it shows how much the Baptists cherish the word of God. Baptists believe one of the main ways God communicates to us is through preaching. Pastors read from the Pulpit and help them understand the scriptures. ...