Who is my Neighbor?

1. Who is my Neighbor? A study of world religions Nov. 14, 2012 First Baptist Church of Pittsburgh

2. Week 2: What is a Cult? OCT. 10 - Megan • Scholarly vs. Popular Definition • Common Traits • Examples • Week 3: Hinduism Brief History OCT. 17 – Megan (Kittie will contribute TM materials) • Vedas • Shaivas, Vaishnavas, Goddess followers • Beliefs & Practice • Week 4: Buddhism OCT 24 – Megan • Brief History • Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana • 4 Truths, Eight-fold Path • Mahayana Sects (Zen/Chan, Pure Land, etc.) • Beliefs & Practice • Week 5: "Minor" Religions OCT. 31 - Megan • Zoroastrianism • Sikhism • Jainism • Taoism • Shinto

3. Week 6: Judaism NOV. 7 – Kittie • Brief history • Ancient vs. Modern • Orthodox vs. Reformed • Beliefs and Practices • Week 7: Christianity NOV. 14 - Kittie • Brief History • Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Other • Beliefs & Practice • NOV 21 – NO CLASS, BREAK FOR THANKSGIVING • Week 8: Islam NOV. 28 - Kittie • Brief History • Four pillars • Shiite vs. Sunni • Sufism • Week 9: New Religions (post 1800) DEC. 5 - Kittie • Mormonism • Jehovah's Witnesses • Scientology • Neo-Paganism/Wicca • Various New Asian Religions • Week 10: Overview/Summary: What Does All This Mean for Christians?

4. Continuing….Behind all faiths…..

8. Christianity • Demographics: • Today about 2.5 billion in the world are Christian • 1/3 of world population • About 38,000 different denominations • en.wikipedia.org

10. Christianity • Demographics: • Declining in the West (North America and Europe) with the exception of evangelical fundamentalism (megachurches) • rantingnewyorker.com • Sharply growing in the southern hemisphere (Central and South America, Africa, Asia); growth seen in charismatic sects particularly

11. Christianity • Basic beliefs: • Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah (anointed one) that God had promised the Israelites in the Old Testament, and whom the Israelites hoped would come save them from their (political) problems with Rome • kat.ph • Scriptural basis for claims from Old Testament 

12. Christianity • Basic beliefs: • Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. • Isaiah 37:31 Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. • Isaiah 11:10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. • (Plus hundreds of others Christians take as OT prophecy about Jesus)

13. Christianity • Basic beliefs: • Jesus is the Son of God, or God incarnate • Although there is belief in one God (monotheism), the belief is that God is three interpenetrating “persons” (Trinity) • Father (Creator) • Son (Redeemer) • Holy Spirit (Sanctifier) http://stchristophermv.org/Homilies/2008/trinity.jpg

14. Christianity • Basic beliefs: • Jesus of Nazareth was a Jewish carpenter and religious teacherin the 1st century C.E. • He taught and attracted many followers • He performed many miracles • He angered the Jewish authorities by challenging some Jewish practices (laws; e.g., healing on the Sabbath, or day of rest) • He was executed (crucified) by the Romans, died, and on the third day arose from the dead • He was then seen by his disciples • He ascended into heaven after 40 days, and promised the Spirit would come to his followers • The Spirit came to the followers in Jerusalem, causing them to speak in “tongues” • The followers then gradually formed the Christian church

15. Christianity • Basic beliefs: • Jesus’ life influences us through his teachings and examples • Jesus saves us from our sins (different theories) • Theories: • Legal: Pay-back for human sin • Spiritual: Christ took on our brokenness, so we could share in his (God’s) righteousness (union with Christ; spiritual explanation) • Moral: Christ is moral example

16. Christianity • Christian Scripture: • Hebrew (Old) Testament • New Testament (Gospels, Letters, and Revelation) • Without the Old Testament, you don’t have the New Testament • atheistconnect.org

17. Christianity • History: • Christians were persecuted by the Romans for the first 300 years • Then the Roman Emperor, Constantine, converted to Christianity based on a war vision, and made the whole Empire Christian • http://www.sspeter-paul.net/edge/pictures/Constantines%20Conversion.jpg

18. Christianity • History: • The Catholic church was the first to systematically develop • The (Eastern) Orthodox church split off ca. 1054 C.E., over several questions including “filioque” • http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQkXDs4Ey8w/T1KRxHg3AiI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/bMUS6EqdcK8/s400/Interior+of+St.+Peter%2527s+Basilica+by+Giovanni+Paoli+Pannini.jpg

19. Christianity • History: • The Protestants split with the Catholics in the 1500s, over questions of authority (Pope?) and other issues • http://moses.creighton.edu/harmless/bibliographies_for_theology/Images/CranachLutherJunkerJorg.jpg

20. Christianity Traditions: Christmas lostseed.com Easter http://www.jesuspictures.co/jesus-resurrection-92.jpg

21. Christianity • Traditions: • Otherwise many different traditions, depending on type and location of Christianity (recall: 38,000 denominations!) • http://www.calledtocommunion.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Denominations_As_Branches1.jpg

22. More about history of Christianity:Seen through lens of mission history(derived from Sunquist, Suffering and Glory, 2013unless otherwise noted)

23. Early Christian mission: Monasticism, 4th-15th centuries • Position of weakness. • Order minimal, community vital, and zeal boundless. • Mission kept alive from the margins. • Inspired by ascetics’ devotion, but concerned about self-satisfaction and isolation.

24. Early Christian mission: Monasticism, 4th-15th centuries • Major shift with royal support, e.g., Constantine. • With his guidance, monasticism began to be transformed from spiritual renewal and personal holiness to missional community for holiness and service. • Monk was role model (e.g. Athanasius’ Life of Anthony).

25. Mission and monks in middle ages • More wealth. • Cluny (10th-11th centuries) was call for return to simplicity. • However, overall, there was unholy alliance of prince and prior. • Missionary expressions limited to worship in Europe or Crusades in western Asia. • Monks began to support crusades.

26. Reform in monastic missional identity (early 1200’s) • Dominic: Prepare missionary friars to preach orthodoxy where heterodoxy threatened the church. • Francis: Evangelical poverty while preaching repentance and caring for the needy. Preach to all. • In general: Recovery of early monastic missionary identity. (Also Waldo, Protestant precursor.)

27. Aquinas and Scholasticism • Earliest missiology with systematic theoretical foundation: 13th century: Aquinas. • Need to explain Christian thought to non-Christians. • Scholastic, apologetic driven by a missiological heart and mind.

28. Scholasticism(wikipedia) • Method of critical thought that dominated teaching by the academics (scholastics) of medieval European universities from about 1100–1500. • Method in articulating and defending dogma in an increasingly pluralistic context. • Originated as outgrowth of, and a departure from Christian monastic schools.

29. Scholasticism • Dialectical reasoning, inference, and resolution of contradictions big. • Form is often disputation.

30. Scholasticism • As a program, began as attempt to harmonize medieval Christian thinkers, and to reconcile Christian theology with classical and late antiquity philosophy, especially that of Aristotle but also of Neoplatonism. • Main historical figures are Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abelard, Alexander of Hales, Albertus Magnus, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas. • Aquinas's masterwork, the Summa Theologica, is often seen as the highest fruit of Scholasticism.

31. Mission and early European overseas movements (1492-1848) • Two major shifts: • Spread of Christianity to Africa, the Americas, and Asia. • Division of Christianity into RC, Reformers, and Spiritual family.

32. Mission and early European overseas movements (1492-1848) • Earliest missionaries outside the Mediterranean world were monks, etc. • Went with the Spanish to the Americas and with the Portuguese to Africa and Brazil. • (Protestants not very active in the early part of this period.)

33. Mission and early European overseas movements (1492-1848) • Jesuits and the first modern missionaries: • Jesuit spirituality was centered in Loyola’s spiritual exercises. • Jesuits were activists, not contemplatives. • Founded colleges. Education central. • They studied non-European cultures as part of God’s creation. • They studied local culture. • Francis Xavier: first to be sent to Asia (1542).

34. More specificsColonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • 1492-1848: Christianity became global faith.

35. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • RC mission in Africa: • Portuguese went to northwest coast of Africa. • Set up port cities, trades in slaves, carried out Pope’s orders to establish church. • Approach was to reach rulers(as in Medieval Europe). • Brought promising African leaders (usually royal) to Europe (African Christianity should look like European Christianity). • Mixture of indigenous religions with Christianity. • Generally the Portuguese destroyed indigenous fetishes and architecture. I.e. cultural domination. Lack of long-term priest or catecetichal training.

36. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Latin America: Mission, conquest and resistance: • RC approach similar here. Differences: • Spanish soldiers (not sailors); conquered large land areas. • Both Iberian conquerors were racist. • Spanish established encomiendas(rulers were encomienderos, friars, rich. • Some monks protested.)

37. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Latin American, con’d: • Missionary resistance to empire, De Las Casas (b. 1484). • Argued for reforms.

38. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Latin America, cont’d: • RC mission influenced by Trent. • Catholicism transported like blanket across the seas. • Jesuit villages established with new crops, diet, books – basically transported European culture.

39. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Asia and mission to religious nations: • In Asia there were other well-developed religions. • In Indian there was the issue of “caste and Christ.” • Europeans viewed as lower caste (smelled, ate meat, wore leather). • There was also identity of nationality and religion, which complicated matters.

40. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • East Asia and mission conflicts: Massacres and expulsions of Christians in Japan, early 1600s.

41. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Adaptation and culture: Conflicts over how to adapt the Gospel: • Jesuits: adaptionist approach, expensive gifts. Relations with local rulers (mission from the top). • Franciscans: worked with the poor (mission from the bottom).

42. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • From royal missions to church missions: • Originally, missions funded by kings, per Pope’s orders. • In the 17th century, kings weren’t as rich. • Gregory XV brought missions under central Catholic church. • Transition took a long time.

43. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Unintended results: Renewing Asian religions: E.g., monotheistic Hinduism.

44. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Persecutions: Not so much in Latin America; more in Asia.

45. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Middle east: Re-centering the Orthodox: • RC goal was to bring the Coptic, Maronite, St. Thomas or Orthodox church under the Pope. • Work together to bring Muslims and other non-Christians to the faith.

46. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • North America: • Christianity here mostly spread by migration, not mission. • However, there was evangelizing of slaves (mostly evangelical Baptist, AME, etc.). • Evangelical churches were less hierarchical and more democratic. Suffering slaves “got it.”

47. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Protestant pioneers in India: • Frederick IV of Denmark, realized Portuguese were spreading religion to India. • He did the same, but based on the Pietist renewal movement (as in Caribbean, Greenland, North America and South Africa). • The earlier German pioneers here made language study and translations essential. • They brought the best of secular education, not just literacy and Bible study. • Goal was not schools or literature, but churches led by Indians.

48. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Protestant characteristics in mission: • William Carey (English Baptist) to India, 1793: similar patterns of missionary work as the Germans. • Role of revivals, awakenings in Germany and North America important.

49. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Excursus on the Enlightenment and mission: • Enlightenment focused on what is observable. • Optimistic and progressive (mission success measured by secular progress). • Rousseau: liberte’ (picture). Voltaire: crush superstitions.

50. Colonial Mission: Roman Catholic to Early Protestant (to 1848) • Roman Catholic Mission substantially collapses with the Enlightenment. • Also note that along the way, mission budgets became major financial issues for churches in Europe and North America.