Eastern Orthodox and Protestant Christianity
Define ‘unanimity.’
Unanimity is a consensus in a given situation for all individuals. Communities can use collective actions as a symbol of financial, political or institutional agreement, cohesion and unification. Unanimity can be directly considered following a majority vote or simply because of a lack of objections
Before what date were the Seven Ecumenical Councils held?
The seven Ecumenical councils were held before 325 because the First Council of Nicaea was held in 325.
Does the Eastern Church have a pope?
No. The Pope in Rome is believed to be the supreme leader by the Western Christians, but according to the Eastern Christians, they find the Patriarch together with a council of Bishops of Constantinople as well as the supreme authority.
How does the eastern church decide what is ‘God’s truth?’
The values and morals that regulate the members of the eastern church are documented in the holy word of God ‘the Bible.’ to determine whether something or someone is abiding by God’s truth are by assessing if they are in-line with the commandments in the Bible.
What does the Eastern Church ground its decisions in? (354)
Like other Christians, the eastern church also believes in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and most of their decisions are based on the teaching of Jesus and the values presented in the Bible.
How would you describe mysticism?
Mysticism refers to the practice of religious experiences or ecstasies during mind alterations or altered state of consciousness combined with all legends, ethics, myths, magic, ideologies, or even rites that are probably linked.
A key component of Protestantism is the statement of “Justification by Faith Alone.”
After Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, he left his disciples to spread the everlasting love of God for his people, and He is always ready to forgive and pardon the sinner through faith alone, regardless of one’s deeds and other works.
What does it mean that protestants reject absolutism?
The Protestants describe the doctrine surrounding the Pope as the symbolic leader of the worldly Church of Christ, the principle of deeds made virtuous by Jesus, and the Catholic notion of a treasury containing the goods containing Jesus and his saints, as a rejection that Christ is the only intermediary between a person and God.
Part Two / Jacob Neusner – World Religions in America
How many students out of 100 would say they are?
Protestant?
45
Jewish?
20
Catholic?
30
No religion?
5
What is the largest group of ‘protestants?’
Transdenominational organizations or bodies are often large and portray membership overlap compared to other global and state agencies.
What is the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world? Where is it located?
Located in the city of Vatican and the country of Vatican City, St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest Gothic cathedral with a capacity of approximately six thousand
Does the style of architecture help you group protestants or not?
Yes, because even though there has been no distinct architectural style for protestants over the years, there have been certain features such as banning religious statues and paintings as well as their large number of windows.
What does the abundance of Buildings actually tell you?
The number of individuals that have been converted to a particular religion worldwide is very many, and they widely vary.
What should you not say ‘sect,’ and instead, you should say ‘denomination?’
Although sect was initially used to refer and classify religious groups that had separated, the term can also refer to any other organization that separates itself from the core firm. Hence, denominations precisely refer to religious subgroups that function based on a collective identity, name, and tradition.
Why should you know the background of the protestants?
Protestantism is a religion inside the broader church of Jesus Christ, which, according to the Bible, is driven by a world’s leading desire for a spiritual relationship with God through Jesus.
Did Americans invent Protestantism?
No. Martin Luther first did the rise of Protestantism from Germany in 1517.
What does the word ‘reform’ mean in this context?
The word is linked with the European Reformation or Protestant Reformation, which is a movement that occurred in the 16th century within western Christianity.
When was the word ‘protestant’ invented? What word does the word ‘protestant’ come from? Why don’t Protestants like their name?
The word protestant was invented in 1517, and it comes from the protest or dissent. The protestants do not like their name because they preferred to be called the evangelical, which meant good news or gospel.
Even though the popes, kings, princes, and magistrates might disagree with each other, on what thing did they agree?
They agree that there is only one God and that he sent his son to save the humans because of his unconditional love.
What did the protestant reformers want to straighten out?
The practical and doctrinal abuses of the Roman Catholic Church precisely in the sales of indulgences, the practice of purgatory, Pope’s authority, and particular judgment.
According to the reformers, what should be the ultimate form of authority instead of the Pope?
Catholics believe in the Pope as the successor of Apostle Peter, and they have sacramental authority. In contrast, the reformers, especially Luther, believed that Jesus Christ is the only way to God.
What does the phrase ‘Changed management’ mean in this context?
The Catholic ways, practices, and traditions came to an end after the Protestants separated from the group forming their domination with different sets of management.
Why did America become Protestant and not Catholic?
This is because most colonies in the United States, such as Virginia, Plymouth, Carolina, Massachusetts Bay, and others, were introduced to Protestantism by colonies from Northern Europe in its reformed and Anglican forms.
What was the ‘Great Awakening?’ How does it still influence us today?
During the 1930s and 40s, many American colonies were impacted substantially by the Great Awakening, which was a religious revival that was experienced when the passion of religion had grown low because of secular rationalism. This has affected the current society because the norms and morals of religion have deteriorated more.
What is Enlightenment?
The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries that stressed rationality, egalitarianism, optimism, and science. Enlightenment philosophy helped develop deism, which is the idea that God resides but does not supernaturally interfere with the cosmos.
How did the most prominent of them (Jefferson, Madison, Washington, and Adams) think that God revealed himself?
Jefferson thought God revealed himself through prayers, even though his views on prays are ambiguous.
What amendment guarantees the ‘separation’ of church and state?
The first amendment of the US constitution
What is the ‘free market’ in religion? How did this actually help religion?
Religious value market or the principle of free choice illustrates that Christianity still has an impact in America and everywhere else when secularization appears to be “Eurocentric.” Humans are inherently religious because it serves human desires, the need for religion remains strong, while people are of various types
What are two volunteer organizations best known today from this time period of voluntary giving?
World Health Organization, and USAID
What is a creed?
The creeds are essential aspects of the Christian religion, so consistency is necessary for everyone as one is able to grasp the doctrine at a far deeper level by having the meaning of the creed.
Can your typical Protestant list the creeds of his church or group?
The creed is an explicit expression of what Christianity stands for.
What are the two things to be said right off about Protestant doctrine?
Protestants consider that belief in some other version of scriptural reality is moving away from the validity of the Bible. The Essence of Redemption: Protestants conclude that all that is required for redemption is trust in Jesus Christ and recognition of his crucifixion as punishment for our sins
What do Protestants make of their Bible?
The protestant Bible is made up of two chapters and sixty-six books
According to Protestantism, how does God show his grace?
Through the forgiveness of sins
How does doing good deeds flow from grace? (Hint: Which comes first, good deeds or grace?)
According to Protestants, grace is more important than good deeds because a person who has received forgiveness from God receives Enlightenment to do the right thing.
If humans choose to live apart from God, then what happens?
Apart from breaking the covenant instituted with their ancestors, order and love that exist within the societies will be lost too.
Give two examples of Protestant individualism.
Reading and interpreting the Bible individually and talking to God personally through Jesus Christ.
What are the two main groups?
Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church
What was ‘fundamentalism’ a reaction to?
Used originally to apply to American Christians who focused on the Bible’s inerrancy, the word fundamentalism was extended to a wide range of religious groups towards the turn of the 20th century.
Write two or three sentences explaining what the most exciting thing you learned about Protestantism is
Protestantism is exciting right from their beliefs and values to their mold movement in the reformation, the religion’s Bible is also impressive because it utterly omits some of the old testament writings that have not been included by the Jews.
Part Three / Jacob Neusner – World Religions in America
What shape are Orthodox churches?
Rectangular design
How many Orthodox Christians are there in the United States?
There are approximately one million Orthodox Christians in the US
How many different jurisdictions of Orthodox Christians are there in the United States?
Three types of jurisdiction
What two main groups are there of Orthodox Christians?
Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodoxy
How old is Eastern Orthodoxy?
The religion is as old as other religion as it is as a result of separation
What language did the major Christian theologians before Augustine write in?
Koine Greek, Latin
What was the language of Jesus?
Jesus spoke Aramaic
Name the process by which the eastern and western churches were divorced? (Four words. Bottom right 107)
East-West Schism
In what year did the two churches excommunicate each other?
1054
What does Orthodoxy/Pravoslavie mean? (Top left 111)
A doctrine or a form of thought recognized as valid or false. Conservative Church creeds, rituals, and organizations.
Where do you sit in an Orthodox Church?
Orthodox follows specific ways of behaving such as dressing appropriately, and no quarreling among the believers
What are the two opposite poles of faith? (Right side 111)
Trust and fear
Do you speak a standard religious service in Eastern Orthodoxy?
Yes, because Eastern Orthodoxy worship is considered to be one of the core activities.
What are the major musical instruments in an Eastern Orthodox service?
The church service of Orthodox does not utilize any musical instrument
Eastern Orthodoxy has a profound sense of tradition. Give me an example.
Traditionally, the Orthodox Church utilizes no instruments in the liturgy, but depends solely on choral music and chanting instead. By fact, all the vocabulary of the Orthodox rituals, except sermons and so forth, are either screamed or sang by the readers except the choirs, and where appropriate
What is the controversy over displaying images of Jesus?
There is no accurate explanation of Jesus’ physical presence offered in the New Testament, so it was problematic in the early church to represent Jesus in pictorial form.
Is there an Orthodox ‘Pope?’
No, because Eastern Orthodox does nor recognizes the supremacy of the Pope of Rome.
How is the Bible viewed in the Orthodox Christian Tradition?
The Orthodox approach to the understanding of the Bible can be described through Christ’s separating words on His ascension. In this passage, the focus is on the positive involvement and direction of the Holy Spirit in the Church of Christ. This Lordly vow is the cornerstone of Sacred Custom to His Church.
What is the difference in the Nicene creed which separates the Western and Eastern Churches? (Middle of 114)
The language is a further disparity between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. The services of the Catholic Church are in Latin, while the services of the Eastern Orthodox Churches are in the local languages.
How is the Orthodox Church structured as opposed to the Roman Catholic Church?
The papal supremacy and the filioque rule are the primary religious contradictions with the Catholic Church.
Traditionally Roman Catholicism has given its mass in Latin. (This changed during Vatican II) Is there one language that the Orthodox Church gives its mass in?
Yes, the Orthodox Church gives its mass in local languages.
What advantage does this give? (Not having one language of worship.) What disadvantage does this have?
The advantage of being able to speak and worship in different languages promotes an in-depth understanding of the gospel as it has been customized to one’s level of understanding. In contrast, its disadvantage entails different meanings extracted from the same reading.
What happened in 1917 that affected the Orthodox Church?
The Russian Empire was abolished, and the Tsarist regime was overthrown, which had given various rights to the clergy. The Bolsheviks seized over in October 1917 following a few months of internal instability and proclaimed a division of church and state. The army confiscated the Church lands.
What is the most important thing you learned about the Orthodox church?
The Orthodox Church practically holds a great deal with the other Christian Churches in the conviction that God expressed Himself in Jesus Christ, including confidence in Christ’s incarnation, his crucifixion, including redemption. The Orthodox Church profoundly varies in lifestyle and worship.
References
Neusner, J. (Ed.). (2009). World religions in America: An introduction. Westminster John Knox
Press.
Smith, H., & Marranca, R. (2009). The world's religions. New York: HarperOne.