In Christianity it is believed that Jesus Christ was the savior to all humanity and was sent to Earth by his father (God) to pay for the sins of all mankind. In Judaism on the other hand, Jesus was merely a prophet. Both Christianity and Judaism were established in Israel. Christianity was founded around 30 AD in contrast to Judaism which started around 1000 BC. Although a few sacred readings and the form that followers pray are similar in both religions they are also slightly different.
In general, there are similar ethical beliefs amongst Christians due to Judaism being the only root of Christian ethics. In general Christian ethics is deontological and authoritarian and what is deemed right or wrong is based on belief in God. The ethics of Christianity is based on the holy bible, which is a library of books that expresses Christian faith. As the bible was written over a long period of time and includes many different teachings and morals, there is no overall biblical morality that can be chosen therefore different denominations choose different parts of the bible to support their beliefs. For instance in Genesis it says that ‘God breathed the breath of man into Adam’s nostrils’ and from this Roman Catholics can argue that as God has given life, only he can take it away so things such as abortion, euthanasia and murder are absolute wrongs.
The Renaissance monarchs were growing impatient of the Church, and society was growing to become more humanistic and secular, as well as individualism. Various other religions were established as well, with Luther’s teachings leaving their mark well past Luther’s own existence. The Reformation in Western & Central Europe officially began in 1517 with Martin Luther (1483-1546) and his 95 Theses. This was a debate over the Christian religion. Luther’s arguments referred to a direct relationship with God and using the local vernacular to speak to the people.
Why do all Christians participate in these practices? What do they mean? What is so special about being dunked in water or sharing a meal of wine and bread? Does God require these strange acts for salvation? Let’s begin with baptism.
During the time of Beowulf, one specific occurrence that hindered or challenged the hero and many other townspeople was the rise of Christianity. While Beowulf was still a young excited warrior, Paganism was the main religion that the people of Britain praised. Though as illustrated in the story of Beowulf, one is able to identify numerous differences between the two religions and only some similarities. Of course the differences are many due to the extreme difference in religion; single god, different god, prophets, writings, etc… Although, some similarities do arise. Within the story of Beowulf, one is able to identify similarities between the two religions from the characters, as well as specific events.
There is evidence to suggest that all three Abrahamic religions have been influenced by the paganism as well as other religions, especially Zoroastrianism, that preceded them. Judaism begun as a polytheistic religion, but after contact with Zoroastrian monotheism, they too chose to worship only one God. Christian idea of metaphorical light and darkness representing good and evil may have also been derived from Zoroastrianism, as it is both mentioned in the Bible and the Avestan (Esposito). The idea of a messiah, that is shared by all three Abrahamic religions, is a concept that preceded them, and was evident in Zoroastrianism before the beginning of the 6th century BC. Islam also exemplifies the non-Islamic religious and pagan influences that have been intertwined with the religion.
English 11 10/18/12 Conflicting Beliefs in Anglo-Saxon Culture While reading through the epic poem Beowulf, I noticed many conflicting beliefs between Pagan and Christian values. The reason for this is when missionaries attempted to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity in year 596. By 650, most of Britain was Christian but still held on to some of their Pagan beliefs. In the next few paragraphs I will explain some of the conflicting beliefs in Beowulf. While reading, there were many Christian values in the poem.
The poem had to appeal to Anglo-Saxons and his fellow Christians precisely because they were attempting to merge their own beliefs and at times during the poem those beliefs appear to amalgamate. Actions and events will expose both beliefs as they appear distinct from each other throughout the story. The Christian influences were combined with early folklore and the heroic legends of the German tribes. As Christianity and paganism are intertwined in the poem Beowulf reveals both Christian and pagan influences. Therefore, it would be understandable to suggest that the original pagan scop, who sang of this epic poem, was influenced by Christian beliefs but then a Christian monk finally put it on paper.
For example, monotheism, the belief that there is only one God, spread from Judaism to the Western world. Western literature includes and often alludes to the Hebrew Bible and the Ten Commandments, sacred texts that originated in Judaism. Even the modern weekend has Jewish roots in the idea of a weekly day of rest. The oldest teachings in Judaism are recorded in the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. The books of the Hebrew Bible were written at various times; the most recent predate the 2nd century B.C.E.
| Worship and the Sacraments: The Development of the Eucharist | Lisa Thomisee Mayo | | | | July 13, 2012 | The teaching of the Christian church establishes the origin of the Eucharist at the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples. It was then that Jesus took bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples and instructed them to eat it as it was his body. Jesus also took a cup, gave it to his disciples telling them to drink from it as it was the cup of the new covenant in his blood. The purpose of this paper is to trace the development of the Eucharist within the Christian church. The earliest written description of the Christian Eucharist is found as explained in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20) and as the Apostle Paul explains it in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.