''Luther, more than anyone, was to blame for the schism.''
''Luther, more than anyone, was to blame for the schism.'' How valid is this assessment of Luther's role in the schism? It is fair to claim that Martin Luther's appealing arguments and truculent nature were largely to blame in ending the ecclesiastical supremacy of the Pope in Western Christendom, thus sparking off the German Reformation. He set in motion substantial changes to the culture and politics of 16th century Europe that, albeit unintentionally, helped shape the course of European history. However, we must remember that although the movement dates from the early 16th century, when Luther first defied the authority of the church, the conditions that led to his revolutionary stand had existed for hundreds of years. It is equally fair to argue that had the Catholic church not moved so drastically away from the teachings of Christ, the schism would not have happened at all, since there would have been no cause for it to. The papacy had become vulnerable to attack, because of the greed and ignorance of many of its officials. We must, therefore, thoroughly explore the condition of the Catholic church during Luther's challenge. It is also crucial that we acknowledge the many other interwoven factors and leading figures that played a part in the development of the Reformation. Thus factors such as the printing press, which allowed the rapid spread of Reformation ideals,
Muslim place of Worship.
Muslim Place of Worship "Truly the only way acceptable to Allah is Islam." (Quran 3:19) In 610 CE, Allah ordained the final Prophet He would send to Earth. This concluding Prophet was Muhammad ibn Abdullah. Though he was born in the Arabian Peninsula, he was sent to all human races. He was custom-made to deliver a message from Allah to Arabs and non-Arabs alike. The message was the same one, which Allah had sent down to the earliest humans. It contained an account of the way of life which Allah had customary for people to adhere to whilst they reside here on Earth. By agreeing to follow this way of life, people would effectively be surrendering themselves to Allah. The name of this way of life was simply 'submission'. In Arabic, this is Islam. The message of Islam transmitted in only two ways: in the form of a book, and in the living example of the Prophet. These two are the foundation for a way of life which is satisfactory to both the mind and the heart. Islam includes surrendering to Allah in the field of politics, economics, law, etc. Islam is based on five pillars:- (1) To bear witness that there is no God except Allah and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger, (2) The performance of Salah [prayer], (3) The giving of Zakat [charity] (4) The ritual of Pilgrimage, (5) and the fasting in the month of Ramadhan. From the above pillars the second pillar,
A study of the attitudes of Roman Catholic, Methodist and Anglican churches to homosexuality.
A study of the attitudes of Roman Catholic, Methodist and Anglican churches to homosexuality. Homosexuality is defined as the presence of a predominant and persistent psychosexual attraction towards members of the same sex. The term homosexuality has only been used since the 19th century. The three churches I shall be looking are the Catholic, Anglican and Methodist churches. All three churches look to the bible for their teachings on a range of topics since all three churches are Christian. The English term homosexuality was invented in 1892 to translate the German word used by psychologists to describe what they understood to be a pathology or psychological imbalance. A long time ago before modern science techniques, the three churches thought of all homosexuality as a sinful thing. They took at the time that homosexuality was only an act and that the person can be held responsible, as shown by St. Paul when he was writing his letters he only thought that there was an act and that homosexuality was a product of people committing idolatry. All three churches took this on and thought this was true. Until modern science, psychology revealed that it was rather orientation, people can have natural homosexual tendencies and so cannot be held responsible for that. With new science the act of homosexuality was changed form when it was thought that a homosexual was responsible for
How useful are the secondary sources provided in understanding Medieval Monasticism compared with the site of Fountains Abbey?
How useful are the secondary sources provided in understanding Medieval Monasticism compared with the site of Fountains Abbey? Medieval Monasticism refers to the reflection of the way of life that monks lead in an extremely religious time where the influence of the church was great and was incredibly stronger than the power that the church consists of today. The concept of self-imposed hard-ship was taken up in the 4th century, where under the guidance of St. Anthony, the first Christian monks lived in the Egyptian desert. After many objections that Christ's true teaching could not be entirely followed whilst on your own, solemn bishops and hermits created monastic rules. The most influential of these rules being that of St Benedict of Nursia, written around 530 which had an enormous impact upon western monks, including the Cistercians. Benedict's rule of living such an austere lifestyle was reformed in 1132 where Cistercians simplified liturgy, art and architecture and built a building as a place to introduce others to living in such a modified way and an area to practise their worship of the Opus Dei under demanding regulations. The erection of timber buildings began not long after a simple hut beneath an elm tree. There are four specific areas covering the general abbey and the actions that took place from when it was founded to the time of the suppression of the
Describe the development of the doctrines of Christ and of the Trinity during the Councils of the 4th & 5th centuries. What were the political and religious movements and ideas leading to the Councils of the 4th & 5th centuries?
BA Divinity First Year. Neil Lincoln. Module: Church History. 7 November 2002 Describe the development of the doctrines of Christ and of the Trinity during the Councils of the 4th & 5th centuries. What were the political and religious movements and ideas leading to the Councils of the 4th & 5th centuries? Introduction Through describing the Church history leading up to the 4th and 5th century ecumenical Councils this essay will attempt to outline the cause of the split over different perspectives of the Holy Trinity that eventually lead to the Great Schism of West and Eastern Churches. On closer reflection it is clear that the human element in any appraisal causes views that will differ. Over the years these views have had to be assessed, refined and concluded. After two thousand years this in reality has only partially been achieved and the schisms still exist although the basic theme may concur. The term Great Schism refers to either one of two schisms in the history of Christianity. Most commonly, "Great Schism" refers to the "great East-West schism", the split between the Eastern and Western churches in the eleventh century; the second schism, the "schism of the west" in the fourteenth century, refers to a time when three (claimant) popes were elected simultaneously (Great). But the main concern in this essay will be the split preconditions that
Team Nicaragua Journal, July 7-18, 2005
Team Nicaragua Journal, July 7-18, 2005 As Told in the words of Carolyn Williams, Team Journalist Wednesday, July 6, 2005 It is youth group tonight, the last night before the big mission. The day that we've been waiting for, for about five months, has finally come. We're all packed, we're all vaccinated, we're all mentally prepared and physically ready. Pastor Sean's message is appropriately titled "Go," talking about going on missions. The whole world is a mission field, not just foreign countries. All nations need to be reached, and every Christian needs to participate in missions, because we are all called to missions. Christ was the first missionary, and we are all followers of Christ. If the lost don't know about Christ, how can they receive him? How can the name of CocaCola be more famous than the name of Jesus? God's perfect will is for the whole world to know Jesus Christ and come to repentance. Romans 10:15: "How can they preach unless they are sent?" Missionaries need the funds to go, so we also need to give to Speed the Light, and make small sacrifices so missionaries can go farther and your gifts can save people. We all have the ability to go into the mission field, even at home just spreading the gospel wherever you may go. Every team member is at this youth service, and we are preparing for anything that may happen this comingweek and a half. None of us knows
What is meant by ‘ worship ’?
SECTION A ) WHAT IS MEANT BY ' WORSHIP '? Worship according to Cambridge Dictionaries Online is: "To have or show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God or a god." Or "To worship is also to have a strong feeling of respect and admiration for people or objects, often without being aware of their faults." What I understand by the word worship is when you praise, honour and respect something regarded highly by yourself and/or others. People can worship God or a god, or they can worship people or objects. If someone has a particular obsession, such as a football team, they could be said to worship them. Actions carried out in worship can be singing, praying, respecting by certain rituals, attending services or meetings, or having continuous thoughts about something. Muslims understand the word 'worship' to mean 'to adore,' 'people worship God by giving Him praise, thanksgiving, respects etc through prayer.' Prayer is the avenue for worship. Worship for Muslims means praying. 2) USING PICTURES AND/OR DIGRAMS DESCRIBE AND EXPLAIN THE MAIN FEATURES AND FURNISHINGS OF A MOSQUE. PRAYER HALL This is the most important part of the mosque and is a large carpeted space used for prayer. It has no seating at all for prayer, as all stand facing Mecca, the holy city of Islam, united together. Here the worshippers assemble in neat rows and are equal before God. Often
Holy Communion.
Holy Communion The clear link of Holy Communion with the life & death of Jesus has given the sacrament a unique place in the life of the Church. Early Christians regularly met together to break bread because they believed that Jesus had told them to do so- "Take this & eat it." The service brings together the human and the divine- God and humanity. The Catholics and Orthodox Churches believe that Christ is actually present in the bread and wine once they have been blessed (transubstantiation). The Mass becomes a sacrificial re-enactment of the actual death of Jesus at Calvary. The Eucharist The Church of England celebrates communion as the Eucharist as a service of thanksgiving. Two aspects are focused on: . Sufferings of Christ up to and during his death on the Cross. 2. Approach of the worshipper to receive the sacrament. A community meal in which every worshipper share on an equal basis. "Peace"- they hug and kiss one another with the words "The Peace of the Lord be with you." This enables them to go out into the world to share the Gospel of Christ with others. The Mass Mass is celebrated frequently in every Roman Catholic Church. The liturgy underlines four basic beliefs: . Service should mirror the Last Supper. 2. Mass is a sacrifice which is offered continually to God. 3. An act of thanksgiving. 4. Spiritually nourished through the Mass. People
The Progression of Christianity from The Apostolic era - The Lutheran Reformation.
Running Head: Christianity from The Apostolicera - The Lutheran Reformation The Progression of Christianity from The Apostolic era - The Lutheran Reformation (ROUGH DRAFT) Anne Milot (Summer School: 9:00 - 12 noon) History 330-254-LE: The Middle Ages in Europe Professor J. Slocombe June 16th, 2003 The Church was undoubtedly the greatest influence in medieval life, affecting not only the religious and moral codes of the period, but also the political and social climate, which in turn allowed the Church to flourish. The Christianity of the Middle Ages is a highly debated topic. Was it merely "a pragmatic religion, a matter of sensible insurance against the inevitability of death, fear of Hell and the penalties of Divine Judgment?" (Jones, p6) Or did it truly provide its participants with an inner peace, a knowledge that their salvation was assured in the eyes of God? Religion is often considered to be a helpful tool in the study of history, as it can illustrate the ideas, prejudices and wishes of a period. For example, the Middle Ages and the connections between Church and State. Churchmen maintained that their spiritual authority transcended political boundaries acting as an independent third party in disputes. Over time, however, this role seemed to change, with the Church taking on a more dominant role. There was a separation of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, who was
A place of Christian worship.
RE Coursework Option 1 - A Place of Christian Worship Introduction This coursework is about the place of Christian worship, and that is the Church. This project is split into 2 sections: facts about the Church, descriptions of the 10 main features in a church, and the role of a priest/vicar. The second part refers to the question, "You do not have to go to church to be a good Christian?" to be answered with five arguments for and five arguments against this question and with my own viewpoint. Section A Facts about the Church What is a church? People just think it is a building for Christians, but that is not entirely true. The closest translation of "Church" is from the Greek word "Ekklesia" and it means the "Lords House"; this was used to describe a place of Christian worship. Church can be attended by anyone, not just Christians. They come to worship Jesus and pray to God and to give thanks, to celebrate, or to request help. Celebrations are also held in the Church, as well as choirs and religious singing. The church is a unique design and a parish church is a cross-shaped building. How did the church begin? It all began after Jesus ascended. The twelve disciples met every day to talk about him, but no one really knew what to do. Jesus had been their friend and their guide and now they felt lost and frightened without him. On one particular day they were all together