Download Chapter 6 Definitions Apostle: A title given in the gospels to the

Chapter 6
Definitions
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Apostle: A title given in the gospels to the twelve chief disciples of Jesus, and later also St. Paul.
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Church: The assembly or communion of the baptized followers of Jesus.
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Communion: The Body of Christ, both in its sacramental Eucharistic form of bread and wine, and also in the
assembly of the baptized followers of Jesus.
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Conversion: A radical transformation of values, a turning around, that takes place at the intellectual level as an
awareness and openness to truth and true knowing. “A change of heart.”
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Schism: The refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church
subject to him. (Know the schisms in Church history)
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Grace: The creative, sustaining and transforming self-gift of God that is constantly being pour out among
humanity. Having eyes with which to see God’s loving presence in our world.
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Gentile: A person who is not part of the Jewish faith, or not of Jewish ancestry.
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Magisterium: The official teaching office of the Church: the bishops in union with the bishop of Rome, the
Pope.
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Theologian: Individuals who interpret moral tradition. The bridge the gap between tradition and the present
time (Hermeneutics). They interpret the ancient tradition found in the Scriptures (Exegesis) and in the
teaching tradition of the church as well as contributing to the teaching mission of the Magisterium by
researching and interpreting moral issues that are a concern today.
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Mission: The task Jesus left his followers: to proclaim the Good News, that is, to proclaim Jesus to the world
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Sacrament: The sacraments are perceptible signs (words and actions) accessible to our human nature. By the
action of Christ and the power of the Gold spirit they make present efficaciously the grace that they signify.
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Ex-cathedra Statement: From the chair – when the Pope makes a solemn degree on faith and morals, it is
without error (papal infallibility). Ex-cathedra statements are rare. Some include the Trinity, the Incarnation,
and the Immaculate Conception.
The Church begins to take form
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Fifty years after Jesus’ death, many of the followers of Jesus had been loosely organized
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Christians would gather on the day after the Sabbath to break bread together as Jesus had taught them
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The communities were not structured and the prophets wandered from community to communities and as a
result, things became chaotic
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The Church leaders including the apostles began to organize the communities to ensure that the next
generation would remain to keep alive the memory of Jesus
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It was necessary to begin to plan and organize how the community could translate Jesus’ words and deeds
into practices, teachings, moral behaviour and worship
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A certain discipline needed to be established and decisions had to be made on many issues, for example, on
how to settle conflicts within the community
The Role of the Holy Spirit
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Although Jesus was no longer there to teach his followers in person, they were promised the constant
presence of the Holy Spirit who would help them find their own way of following Jesus
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The Spirit came upon the people in Jerusalem who had been with Jesus from the beginning and who had
experienced how God has raised Jesus from the dead
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The Spirit took hold of them, opening their eyes so that they could see and interpret the event of Jesus
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Through the Spirit people realized how God had been involved in the story of Jesus from the beginning and
they began to proclaim Jesus
Conversion of St. Paul
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Saul was a Shammaite Pharisee who believed he needed to act for God – to set things right in every way
possible, even by use of violence to rid Israel of the “polluters of the law.”
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On his way to Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around him, he fell of his horse and had a theophany
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He was blind for three days and was brought to Damascus and met Ananias, a disciple of Jesus who sent by
God
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Saul was cured from blindness and was baptized
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His name changed to Paul and he began to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah
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For the rest of his life he gathered communities of Christians into the church and became the Apostle to the
Gentiles because he was convinced that Gentiles were to play a part in fulfilling God’s promise.
Jesus as a Danger
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Shammaite Pharisees were very strict of the Torah and believed that only the sword can purify Israel
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They saw Sadducees and high priests as being corrupt
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Saul believed that Jesus and his followers were not taking the law seriously and they showed no reverence for
the temple
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They believed that God will only save them after everyone follows the Torah
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They also believed that Jesus was a false prophet and that God is not sending the real Messiah because people
follow the wrong prophets which means that they are not ready for the real Messiah
1. The Period of Jewish Christianity (AD 30 -130)
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Jewish Christians is Christians of Jewish origin with Gentile Christians.
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The Church first took root among the Jewish people with Jerusalem as the starting point for the spread of
Jewish Christianity.
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The disciples went on their missionary journeys, in order to convert Jewish people to Christians.
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There was confrontation with Jewish rabbis.
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The first period of the Church is known as a time of great enthusiasm and joy.
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Jewish people began to gather on the first day of week for the breaking of the bread.
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Jewish people shared possessions.
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Conflicts arose from the beginning, as reported in the Acts of Apostles.
2. The Period of Greek and European Christianity (AD 50-1964)
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The first encounters between Jewish Christianity and the Greco-Roman world took place within a few years
after the death of Jesus.
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These encounters raised all sorts of ethical and theological questions.
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The more the Church moved out of the Jewish world into the Greek and Roman world, the more it faced local
questions
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The second period of church history was dominated by Europe.
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Europe’s dominance had begun in ancient times under the conquest of a large portion of Asia by the
Macedonian King Alexander the Great.
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In the first century the Roman Empire took over from Greece and The Roman Emperor, Constantine.
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As a consequence, new moral questions arose.
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In 330, Constantine moved his capital to Constantinople, which became the centre of the Eastern Church.
The first encounter with Greek philosophy (2-5 centuries)
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Many Christian thinkers used Plato’s philosophy, or neo-Platonism.
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This philosophy introduced into Christianity ways of thinking.
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Christians began to create statues, paintings and icons of Jesus.
The evangelization of Northern Europe by Irish and Celtic monks (8-9 centuries)
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The Irish brought with them their fear of the supernatural.
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What characterized the Christianity of these monks were their new penitential practices.
The encounter with Islam and the rediscovery of Greek philosophy and civilization (8-13 centuries)
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Through the Arabs, thinkers in medieval Europe rediscovered the writings of Aristotle.
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The period was a rich period of expressing the Christian message with the aid of Aristotle’s theories of
knowledge and metaphysics.
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Islam was perceived as a constant threat.
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Past encounters had already led to the series of crusades against Islam.
Christianity divided
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The schism, which completed by the end of the Crusades, began to occur in 1054.
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In the sixteenth century, another parting of ways took place during the time of the protestant Reformation.
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This division between Catholic and Protestant Christians was so acrimonious.
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These were so violent that an exhausted Europe called for tolerance of religious differences.
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In 1531, Henry VIII declared himself supreme head of the Church of England because the Pope refused to
grant him an annulment from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
European empire
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At the turn of the fifteenth century Europe launched a series of voyage of discovery.
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Between 1492 and the end of the Second World War, Europe colonized virtually every continent in the world.
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Europe became wealthy through its colonies.
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It all but destroyed other civilizations.
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The Church, directed by Christ’s command to go and teach all nations; began to evangelize the world by
implanting the Church on every continent.
Age of rationalism
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The great counter-movement to the vision of the Church began in the seventeenth century.
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The age of rationalism had an enormous impact on the Church.
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In the nineteenth century the Church realized that it was losing the allegiance and hope of industrial workers.
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The Church also began recognizing in a new way its responsibility to the poor.
3. The Period of global Christianity
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Beginning in the twentieth century, the Church has moved in a new direction.
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The German theologian Karl Rahner had spoken of a true world Church.
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The Church is no longer to be centred in the dominated by one culture.
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Robert Schreiter, a U.S. theologian, says that to be catholic in this global sense.
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This is a Church where the local cultures and practices are not sacrificed to the global and where the
global is a celebration of the diversity of the local.
The Church and Moral Teaching
Even though the Church sometimes fails to its responsibilities, it is the agent who makes it possible to encounter
Jesus even today. The Church continues to build communion in the world through acts of love to others. The
church takes its task to pass on what Jesus taught in preserving the doctrine and in guiding moral life. Richard Gula
outlines
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The Church shapes moral character.
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The Church guards and maintains moral tradition.
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The Church is a community of moral deliberation whenever and wherever moral issues emerge.
1. The Church Shapes Moral Character
The Church’s position on ethical and moral issues is reported widely in its own publications, the press, television
and Internet, and is taught in churches, Catholic schools and Catholic homes. Moral character requires more than
ideas, but imagination as well. This includes rituals and images, art and architecture, symbols and stories, through
the Bible and the liturgy, through its social outreach programs, and through interacting with other Christians. The
liturgy is the primary tool through which the Church teaches. These events in liturgy shape our moral character
step by step until the story of salvation becomes our story.
2. The Church Guards and Maintains Moral Tradition
Over the years, the Church has been confronted by many moral issues. The Church’s teaching can be found in
many different documents, and is carried out by the people. Four different groups carry this moral tradition
forward: the faithful, theologians, priests and pastoral ministers, and the teaching authority of the Church.
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The Faithful: Our first teachers are our baptized parents and friends. By the example they set, they have an
enormous influence on our moral development as children. Catechists and schools also give important witness
to the moral truths. Faith is caught through example.
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Theologians: Theologians interpret this moral tradition, and play an important role by bridging the gap
between tradition and the present time. They interpret the ancient tradition and they contribute to the
teaching mission of the magisterium by interpreting moral issues today. Not official teachers of the church.
Their task is to present the ancient message using ideas and images that are accessible today. Hermeneutics.
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Priests and Pastoral Workers: Priests, deacons, pastoral assistants, administrators and catechists also strive to
make these teachings plain to ordinary believers. Seek to respond to the individual’s cultural, social and
personal needs. Preside and celebrate the sacraments. The seven sacraments are personal encounters with
the Risen Christ giving us grace.
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The Teaching Authority of the Church: The “official teaching” of the church on moral matters is called the
magisterium. It is made up of the Pope and bishops. It is their task to teach the faith and to ensure that
believers honour the values of tradition in their lives.
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a) Bishops delegate: Bishops designate others to teach as well, such as teachers and catechists in Catholic
schools.
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b) Bishops give a teaching mission to theologians: They approve certain books and other catechetical
materials for use in schools. This approval is called the imprimatur.
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c) Bishops also teach directly: They publish formal definitions of faith, together with Bishop of Rome,
promulgating the decrees of ecumenical councils. They write encyclicals, apostolic exhortations, pastoral
letters, and declarations under the authority of the papal congregations.
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d) There are two levels of magisterium, extraordinary and ordinary: Extraordinary is in effect in two
situations. The first, an ecumenical council, the college of all bishops united with the pope, pronounces a
solemn decree. The second, a solemn decree, when the pope speaks explicitly as the head of the Church.
Ordinary magisterium refers to the normal daily teachings of the bishops throughout the world. It
includes teachings of the pope in encyclicals and apostolic letters.
3. The Church is a Community of Moral Deliberation
Ethical positions emerge in response to events in a community and in the world. The bishops enter into dialogue
and debate on moral issues so that everyone may arrive at moral maturity. Ethical positions are developed through
open debate and consultation. Letters outlining views of the Church can be revised countless times before they are
released.