Overview of the EDUQAS Component 1 Christianity

1. CHRISTIANITY

2. Theme 1 – Letter A – Birth Narratives
• Jesus’ birth is documented in two gospels – Matthew and Luke
• Matthew = Jewish / fulfilling prophecies
• Luke = gentiles / Greek / songs
• Harmonisation = idea that both accounts can be brought together – both are accurate
and happened at the same time
• Redaction = idea that the authors changed what they were writing to suit particular
audiences
• Redaction criticism is arguably important to explain the differences between the accounts
• Doctrine of incarnation = God is fully human and fully divine
• Substantial presence = God is present in Jesus as part of the doctrine of incarnation
• Kenotic model (kenosis) = Jesus emptied himself of God like qualities to experience life
as a human
• Both accounts say Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit , Matthew states he should be
called Immanuel
• Other parts of the Bible are arguably better suited to the doctrine of incarnation i.e.
baptism

3. Theme 1 – Letter B - Resurrection
• Jesus’ resurrection story is in John but in Matthew 10 Jesus warns to be afraid of the one who can
kill body and spirit
• Jesus appeared several times after his death; Mary Magdalen, his disciples, St Paul
• Bultmann: the resurrection story needs de-mythologizing to gain value of hope and a heroic
figure
• Wright: the resurrection must have historically happened for several reasons, one of which being
that many messiahs were claiming to have resurrected at the time, but people believed Jesus’
story
• Arguably the resurrection is historically reliable because many people witnessed Jesus after her
had risen, and wrote about it
• Death: Resurrection teaches that Christians can rise again
• Soul: Paul teaches that souls will be judged by God
• Resurrected Body: Paul says that this is different to a normal body (Corinthians)
• Arguably Jesus’ resurrection tells us the nature of the resurrected body will be different as some
didn’t recognise him. But does that make sense?
• Afterlife: Apocalypse, judgement day

4. Theme 1 – Letter C – Bible as Wisdom and
Authority
• The Bible tells the story of God’s plan to save humans from sin
• Moral Advice: These passages tell Christians that only God can judge
people.
• Eccl. 12 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed
into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or
evil.
• Luke 6 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.37 “Do not judge,
and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be
condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

5. • A guide to living. These psalms tell us that Christians should always follow God
and his rules/commands to have a happy and fulfilled life. These rules can be
found largely in the book of exodus and include the 10 commandments.
• Psalm 119:9-16 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living
according to your word. I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, LORD;
teach me your decrees.
• Psalm 119: 105-112 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have
taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.
• Arguably the psalms are somewhat useful but actually don’t give practical guides
of how to live ethically. These guides may better be found in books such as
genesis.
Theme 1 – Letter C – Bible as Wisdom and
Authority

6. • Teaching on the meaning and purpose of life. These passages tell Christians that
God has created them with stewardship and dominion. If they follow Jesus they
will be favoured and should enjoy life because of this.
• Genesis 1:26-28 “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they
may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all
the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
• Eccl. 9:5-9 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful
heart, for God has already approved what you do. 8 Always be clothed in
white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife,whom you
love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—
all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor
under the sun.
• The Bible is arguably really important for Christians as a text for the meaning and
purpose of life because it is inspired and explains that God is the beginning and
the end.
Theme 1 – Letter C – Bible as Wisdom and
Authority

7. • Comfort and encouragement. These passages tell Christians that they
should find comfort in God
• Psalm 46: 1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters
roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging
• Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is
not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26
Theme 1 – Letter C – Bible as Wisdom and
Authority

8. Theme 1 – Letter D – Bible as Wisdom and
Authority
• Old Testament Canon: different for Hebrew Bible, Catholic O.T and Protestant O.T.
Translated from Hebrew to Greek , although Hebrew is still the language for Jews today.
Oral tradition / writing on tablets / those texts that survived and agreed with what most
Jewish people believed.
• New Testament canon: Different versions of the Bible were in existence in the early
centuries. Some gospels were left out of the canonical texts (i.e. Thomas). Books that
became canon were the ones which survived, which agreed with the Christian
community and which fulfilled the Jewish prophecies.
• Inspiration: can be objectively the word of God (factual i.e. flute analogy), subjective
(humans play more of a role in inspiring) or Calvin’s theory accommodation (God
adapted his texts so that humans could understand it)
• Arguably, the Bible can always be regarded as the inspired word of God – it’s just whether
or not the human author has a more passive or active role which changes. The word
remains inspiring fro Christians either way.
• It is unlikely that the order of the Bible is inspired, as although it is claimed that they
follow importance rather than chronology – it is logical to have the order it does as it
follows a story with a beginning, a middle and an end….

9. Theme 1 – Letter E – The Early Church in Acts
• Kerygma = proclamation. In Acts 2&3 the early Christian apostles are proclaiming the
word of God and wanting others to make a decision to follow Jesus.
• C.H Dodd = claims there are 6 kerygmatas in the acts (Jesus was the fulfilling of the
prophecies, God worked through him, he ascended into heaven, the holy spirit has been
given to Christians, people should repent and be baptised, jesus will come again)
• Arguably, the kerygma does have value for Christians today as these core beliefs still form
part of the Nicene creed which is a core declaration in Christian masses
• Challenges to kerygma: The speeches given by Paul and Peter can be seen as historical in
the sense that what they said has been well documented in acts. BUT it does seem as
though Luke’s message and writing style is dominant. Paul’s speeches seem very
different to his letter style. Also, the kerygma is very well organised as a theme…seems
less raw and original and more of an organised work.
• To an extent, the speeches can still have an historical value because the kerygma could be
the inspired word of God, also Paul may have had one style for speeches and another for
personal letters.
• Bultmann: The only message of acts is hope and vision. The rest of the text needs to be
demythologised.

10. Theme 1 – Letter F – Two views of Jesus
• WRIGHT: His method of studying Jesus was to acknowledge worldviews of
the reader and adopt critical realism. This means, we need to acknowledge
our 21st century empirical bias. This will lead to us an understanding that:
Jesus was a Jewish prophet, who thought that end times were coming, he
was the messiah and was willing to die for the people
• Arguably, critical realism is a sensible approach for a reader of any text to
use as it forces us to acknowledge the object without the bias.
• CROSSAN: His method of studying Jesus was anthropology and critical
hermeneutics (used apocryphal gospels such as Thomas). He suggested
that Jesus was a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant who was: a social
revolutionist, who wanted to change this life, who served food to all
people, who socially accepted the outcast, who was itinerant, and cynical.
• Arguably, the apocryphal gospels are equally as valid as any other texts
from the time of Jesus, especially as some of the text can be harmonised.

11. Theme 2 – Letter A – The Nature of God
• Is God male?: Language in the Bible often refers to God as a male (Luke 19
– son of man/Psalm 103 – god is father). Jesus was also a male. Referring
to god as male has benefits (sovereign / father / powerful)
• McFague: we have started to worship the model not God. God is in fact
genderless. God should be referred to the model of a woman Mother /
Lover / Friend. Eco-feminist.
• Arguably, it is neither valid to refer to God as a male nor a female as God
doesn’t have a gender and both genders have assigned roles, but God has
all roles.
• Can God Suffer?: Impassibility of God means God as Jesus can’t suffer or
experience emotion because God is immutable
• Moltmann: Jesus would have felt pain as the crucified Jesus who suffers is
God. This allows for a theology of hope and solidarity.

12. Theme 2 – Letter B – The Trinity
• Trinity became doctrine at the Council of Nicaea in 325ad but formalised in Council of
Constantinople in 381ad ‘We believe in the Holy spirit, the Lord the Giver of Life, who proceeds
from the father’
• Council of Toledo 589ad ‘who proceeds from the father ‘and the son’ was added
• The need for the doctrine was to condemn the three heresies: Adoptionism, sabellianism,
Arianism
• Biblical support for Trinity: Genesis 1 – ‘Elohim’, John 1 – Jesus was the word and the word was
God, Matthew 28: Jesus sent disciples to baptise in the name of the father, the son and the holy
spirit
• Arguably, the trinity is still monotheistic because it remains one whole with three distinct parts
• The nature of Christ: he is Divine and pre-existed before his human birth
• Christian Church: state no words can express the reality of God, see God as a community
• The Fillioque controversy: the Latin western speakers accepted the addition of ‘and the son’, the
Greek speaking east did not. The addition as not added with the agreement of the 5 patriarchs of
the Church. This partly led to the great schism of 1054.
• Arguably, the doctrine of the trinity is not necessary to understand God because the trinity is never
meant to be understood anyway

13. Theme 2 – Letter C - Atonement
• Atonement = to repair the damage
• Genesis 3: Adam and Eve brought original sin into the world
• Theory 1 – Christus Victor: relates to early Christian ideas that humans could offer nothing of
value to redeem sin. Links with sacrifice and ransom of Jesus. Popularised by Aulen in 20th
century. Humans have been bound in hostile powers of death and evil. Only God could liberate
humans from misery of sin.
• Theory 2 – Jesus as substitution: Developed from the satisfaction model that only Jesus could
repair the damage. Jesus set humans free from punishment by taking the punishment on himself.
• Theory 3 – Cross as a moral example: first made popular by Augustine, the notion that Jesus died
not to appease God but because he loved humanity. His death leads to an improvement of
humankind.
• Arguably, these theories of atonement do overlap as they all state that original sin can be
banished
• Underlying assumptions: that original sin exists, that humans needs saving, that humans can’t
save themselves
• Conflict between wrath and love: Relates to the trinity – God’s wrath is in the punishment of
original sin, his love is in dying for humans on the cross
• Arguably, the theories show that God isn’t cruel IF you accept the trinity because jesus ultimately
died on the cross for humanity

14. Theme 2 – Letter D – Justification by Faith
• Justification by faith = to be made righteous by having faith alone in God. Luther
rejected the idea that salvation could be gained by doing good deeds (including paying
tithes) and being rewarded by the Catholic church. He used the following passages to
support faith alone as justification
• Romans 1-17: For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness
that is by faith from first to last,[a] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
• Romans 5:1: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
• Ephesians 2:8-9: 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
• Galatians 2:16: know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in
Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by
faith in[a] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one
will be justified.
• REJECTED James 2:24: You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and
not by faith alone.

15. • The Council of Trent in 1545ad REJECTED Luther’s theology and remained
confident that justification is gained through works
• They stated ‘by his good works the justified man acquires a claim to
supernatural reward from God’
• E.P Sanders: 20th century: Looked at Paul’s background as a Jew who
believed God had a covenant with the chosen people. Paul realised that
people are justified not through mosaic law but through Jesus’ cross.
Justification was earned by God but must be maintained by humankind
responding with gratitude and keeping the commandments (works)
• Arguably, both faith and works are needed for justification as both are
mentioned in Biblical teachings.
• Arguably, the New Testament letters support both faith and works IF you
read the Catholic new testament – James was excluded from the Protestant
version
Theme 2 – Letter D – Justification by Faith

16. Theme 2 – Letter E – Community of Believers
• Acts of the apostles: In the New Testament. Traces the early Christian
movement after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
• Acts 2:42-47: 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs
performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had
everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give
to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet
together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and
ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and
enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their
number daily those who were being saved.

17. Theme 2 – Letter E – Community of Believers
• This passage encouraged the development of the modern church. It
has key elements that a modern day church should emulate:
• A church should provide worship
• A church should provide religious teaching
• A church should do mission work
• A church should service and outreach
• A church should be a fellowship for the community of believers
• Arguably, Christians should follow the Acts model because they were
the followers closer to the truth of Jesus and knew how they wanted
his future ministry to be
• Arguably, the main role of the church is Christian teaching alongside
more social elements to live the message in actions (outreach)

18. Theme 2 – Letter F – Key Moral Principles
• The importance of love they neighbour
• Leviticus 19:34: The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-
born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
• Luke 10: Parable of the good Samaritan
• Arguably, love thy neighbor is the most important principle because God is found in the
neighbor and it is a message repeated
• God’s love as a model for Christian behavior to love and forgive
• Exodus 34: 6-7: 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the
compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and
faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and
sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their
children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
• John 4: We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a
brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they
have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this
command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

19. Theme 2 – Letter F – Key Moral Principles
• A regard for truth that God exists and we should tell the truth
• 1 Samuel: But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your
heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
• Ephesians 4: Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak
truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
• The role of conscience which helps us in moral decision making
• 2 Corinthians 1: Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we
have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with
you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on
worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.
• 1 Timothy 1: I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that
he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.
• Arguably, the conscience is the best way for a human to base Christian
morality as it is God given

20. • A need for forgiveness and to forgive others
• Matthew 6: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive
others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
• Colossians 3: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly
loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience.13 Bear with each other and forgive
one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you.
Theme 2 – Letter F – Key Moral Principles

21. Theme 3 – Letter A – Attitudes to Wealth
• The Bible has a contradiction on teachings of wealth. In some places, the Bible supports the
idea that wealth is dangerous in the following passages:
• Mark 10: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to
enter the kingdom of God.
• Matthew 6: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each
day has enough trouble of its own.
• Luke 12: Sell your possessions and give to the poor.
• 1 Timothy 6: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil
• Asceticism: The idea that wealth should be rejected based on these Bible passages. Simeon of
Stylites. Dessert Fathers.
• Stewardship: Uses Genesis 1 and Exodus 20 to suggest that humans should manage wealth rather
than reject it
• Prosperity Gospel: Part of the world faith movement. Use the healings of Jesus in the bible as
evidence to support the idea that Christians should be encouraged to seek wealth and health in
the name of God and it will be granted.
• Is wealth a sign of God’s blessing?
• Is asceticism compatible with Christianity?

22. Theme 3 – Letter B – Christian Migrants
• Most migrants to the UK are Christian. There are challenges with Christian
migration to the UK:
• Assimilation: Language barriers can prevent integration. Many Churches have
separate services in the language of origin which splits the congregation.
• Provision of Worship: Priests struggle to offer decent pastoral care due to
language barriers. Migrants may not understand the homilies.
• Style of Worship: These can be different between countries and may lead to
tensions i.e. English churches more reserved than maybe Spanish churches
• Issues of Culture: When priests visit houses there may be cultural differences.
Food served at church events may be different to what the migrants need.
• Is it easy for Christian migrants to assimilate into UK services?
• Reverse Mission: spreading Christianity from ex-colonial countries to the UK
where Christian numbers are dwindling.
• Should the UK be seen as a modern mission field?

23. Theme 3 – Letter C – Religion and Equality
• Feminist Theology has challenged the patriarchal roots of the Church
• Mary Daly: Unholy trinity. Women should leave the Church and no longer
worship the man God.
• Rosemary Reuther: Need to change our view of gender in the Church; this
is a prophecy. Models of male God have led to issues against women.
Women should stay in the Church and form base communities.
• Has feminist theology actually impacted Christianity?
• Ordination of women: Jesus didn’t choose any women as disciples.
Historical women were in leadership roles in the Church (Junia). Women’s
ordination began in 1970 globally and in 1993 in the CofE. In Catholicism
women can be deacons but not priests.
• Impact on the lives of believers: Argument is split. Many vicars left CofE to
become Catholic priests. Many parishioners left their parishes. Some feel
more comfortable with female pastoral care.
• Are men and women equal in Christianity today?

24. Theme 3 – Letter D – Challenges from
Secularisation
• Christianity is challenged by secularisation as less people identify as Christian in the
UK.
• Christian faith schools: Split opinion. They offer good pastoral care and get better results
but they have unfair admittance policies and can force people to go to Church
• Is UK a Christian country?: Many still identify as Christian but don’t worship regularly.
Many CofE churches are closing. Only 54% claim to be Christian on the Census and 12%
babies get baptised. However, Pentecostalism is rising.
• Beliefs contradicting with the laws of the land and restricted religious liberty: As UK
law is based on Christian values there aren’t too many clashes, but there are with regards
to homosexual relationships and wearing the cross.
• Declining status and role of Christianity: James Beckford states that Christianity is
becoming a choice rather than a duty. Charismatic Christianity is still popular. Christianity
still brings about social change. However, it is declining so are services such as marriage.
• Reduced impact in public life: Leaders such as Nick Clegg declares that they are not
Christian. Many media outlets criticise Christianity rather than endorse it.
• Does Christianity respond well to the challenges of secularism?
• Is the UK a Christian country?

25. Theme 3 – Letter E – Challenges from Science
• Richard Dawkins: Evolutionary biologist. Claims we aren’t designed
but naturally evolved through natural selection. States that Christian
argument for God is contradictory; how can a ‘simple personal’ God
be complex enough to design the universe? God of gaps with no
empirical proof he exists. States religion is an aberration and memes.
There is a wall between religion and science.
• Alister McGrath: Religion can’t be a virus of the mind as there is no
scientific evidence for this. No evidence that religion is an aberration.
Religion and Science or non-overlapping magistera (i.e. can’t use
science against religion). It isn’t the God of gaps – it’s simply the most
obvious solution.
• Does a scientist have to be an atheist?
• Has science reduced the role of God in Christianity?

26. Theme 3 – Letter F – Challenges from
Pluralism
• Religious pluralism: all religions reflect some element of truth
• Tolerance of religious diversity: accept other people have a different religion, but believe
that only your religion can lead to salvation.
• Christian Exclusivism is the concept that only Christians can achieve salvation is
through Jesus. They use the following Bible passages to support this. Traditional
Catholic teaching remains ‘extra ecclesiam nulia salus’
• Deuteronomy 6: Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength
• Joshua 23: If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you,
and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD’s anger will burn against
you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you
• John 14: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.
• Acts 4: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given
to mankind by which we must be saved
• Does the Christian Bible only promote exclusivism?

27. Theme 3 – Letter F – Challenges from
Pluralism
• Inclusivism: The idea that non-Christians can achieve salvation through
Christ
• Karl Rahner: All Christians have an implicit understanding of God, even if
they aren’t explicitly Christian. People can be ‘anonymous Christians’ if not
explicit Christians. Influenced modern Catholicism in Vatican II where it was
stated that God is not far distant from men of other religions.
• John Hick: Used the analogy of the sun and the revolving planets to
suggest that all religions get an angle of ‘light’ and truth. Also uses the
analogy of the blind men and the elephants to explain different truths.
Different to Rahner in that he sees the birth place of the child as key to
which religion they will then follow.
• Christian universalism: God, through Christ, will save everyone in the end.
This is still a popular belief in the CofE.
• Pluralistic Universalism: Salvation is offered in all of the major world
religions
• Can you be a committed Christian and a religious pluralist?

28. Theme 4 – Letter A – Baptism
• Different Christian denomination celebrate Baptism in different
ways:
• Infant Baptism: Catholics view from Augustine; all born with original
sin in need of salvation. Water cleanses this. Protestant view from
Zwingli; no original sin but need to become part of God’s family and
Christian parents welcome baby into church on their behalf.
• Believers Baptism: Popular in evangelical / Pentecostal / Baptist
churches. Have dedications for the baby but only baptise when
people can make their own decision and consent to become a
Christian.
• Karl Barth used Jesus’ own baptism (Matthew 3) as a guide
• Is baptism just a symbolic act?
• Is consent a necessary criteria for baptism?

29. Theme 4 – Letter B – Eucharist
• The Eucharist (holy communion) is celebrated in one way or another in all
denominations
• Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples at the last supper (which was the
Jewish Passover). Jesus instructed ‘do this in memory of me’
• Catholics: Celebrate Eucharist every Mass. Reject transignification (Christ is only
sacramentally present) and transfinalization (the purpose of the bread changes)
but accept transubstantiation (the actual bread and body change to become
Jesus’ flesh and blood).
• Protestants: Celebrate holy communion at least once a month. May believe in
consubstantiation (Jesus is spiritually present in the bread and blood) instead OR
see the Eucharist as a symbol and a memory of Jesus.
• Similarities in the traditions: Both eat bread and drink wine as instructed by
Jesus. Both appreciate the memory of the last supper.
• Is there any common ground with the different understandings of the Eucharist?
• Does the theoretical belief affect the practise of the Eucharist for the individual?

30. Theme 4 – Letter C – Diversity of Festivals
• Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus
• Similarities between East and West Churches: Both focus on the
doctrine of incarnation. Both celebrate the birth of Christ in ‘winter
time’. Both focus on ‘light’ and candles.
• Differences between East and West Churches: West (advent is
preparation of the coming / candles are lit / Christingle services /
o’antihons are sung / celebrate on 25th Dec / gifts are exchanged) East
(advent as nativity fast / fasting / forefathers of the church are
commemorated / celebrate on 7th Jan / all night masses on xmas eve
/ psalms and hymns are dung every hour of the day / candles and
white linen)

31. Theme 4 – Letter C – Diversity of Festivals
• Easter is the most important festivals for Christians and celebrates the
death and resurrection of Jesus. The date moves in line with the Jewish
Passover.
• Similarities between East and West Churches: Both focus on the
resurrection of Jesus who died and rose again.
• Differences between East and West Churches: West (lent is solemn before
easter / lent begins on ash Wednesday / fasting / different sundays have
meanings / Maundy Thursday / good Friday / easter Sunday / paschal
candle is lit) East (lent is the great fast which lasts three weeks / then holy
week / different weeks have different meanings / each day of holy week is
celebrated / easter Sunday begins at midnight when candles are lit)
• Is Easter a different celebration in East and West Churches?
• How important are these festivals for Christians?

32. Theme 4 – Letter D – Unification
• Ecumenical = the entire Christian world and unity between churches
• Development of the ecumenical movement
• 1910 The Edinburgh missionary conference: 160 different churches were
invited (Catholics weren’t) to discuss unity. Focussed on spreading the
Christian message
• 1920 league of churches: proposed by the orthodox patriarch of
Constantinople to discuss problems caused by WW1
• 1927 faith and order movement: met to discuss doctrinal divisions
between churches
• The World Council of Churches: began in 1948. Now has 348 bodies. Met
for three aims a) unity and mission b)Public witness and diakonia c)
ecumenical formation . Catholics joined as observers in 1961.
• Should the WCC be seen as a success or failure?
• Does the non-membership of the RC Church affect the aims of the WCC?

33. Theme 4 – Letter E – Charismatic Movement
• Charismatic church = where Christians believe they experience special qualities from
God through the Holy Spirit (i.e. speaking in tongues)
• Pentecostalism = early 20th century movement based on the fire of the holy spirit which
descended onto early apostles in acts.
• Charismatic movements: have become increasingly popular since 1960 in Pentecostal
churches. Biblical support for spiritual gift can be found in Paul’s letters, as well as Acts of
the apostles. Believe that healings can be made by God through the pastor. Congregation
feel filled with spirit and gifts. Became popular in CofE Churches in 1960s. Also a
charismatic renewal in Catholic Church since 1967 – 15% Catholics worldwide are
charismatic.
• Influence on believers and communities: Speaking in tongues / prophecy / healing /
inspiration in worship
• Philosophical challenges: can’t be verified (A J Ayer) that it is the holy spirit. May be
natural explanations (psychological / group mentality)
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Charismatic movement?
• Do natural explanations for the Charismatic movement undermine the religious value of
the experience?

34. Theme 4 – Letter F – Liberation Theology
• Liberation Theology developed in the 1960s in Latin America amongst the Catholic
Church.
• Political basis: Capitalism was exploiting poorer workers. Communism was spreading in
south America
• Ethical Basis: Capitalism was creating a two tier system with the haves and have nots.
Exploitation of workers
• Religious Basis: God should be a partisan God on the side of the poor and oppressed.
Jesus did this (interacted with the blind / the poor) and was angry with the temples
making money.
• Gutierrez: Influenced by Marx. Christ must liberate. Move to orthopraxy rather than
orthodoxy
• Boff: development of base communities God has a preferential option for the poor.
• Roman Catholic Response: Vatican II worried that liberation theology was too reductive
and was only about social issues as opposed to evangelism. Pope Francis is more
sympathetic.
• Are the political and ethical foundations for liberation theology more important than the
religious ground?
• Does liberation theology offer a cultural challenge to the Church?

35. Trump Cards
• Christianity: The trinity is evident at the Baptism of Jesus
• Christianity: Bultmann’s demythologising to gain real meaning
• Philosophy & Christianity: Empirical evidence – this is valued in the 21st century – Hume’s
fork
• Philosophy & Christianity: Epistemic distance – there is meant to be a gap between
humans and God
• Philosophy & Christianity: Religion can still have value even if not empirically verifiable
• Philosophy: Inductive arguments always have a gap – Swinburne says the most sensible
solution is to put God in the Gap – Hume and Dawkins don’t like this
• Ethics: Objective ethical theories arguably can never work as we would have reached a
global consensus now for ethical living
• Ethics: Absolutist moral principles are inflexible but you can’t predict the consequences
of teleological ethics