Christianity Dot Points
Christianity
Principle Beliefs
Outline the principal beliefs regarding the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ
The Christological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries were debates regarding the nature of Christ, and in particular the issue of his humanity versus his divinity. Docetism is a position which undermines the integrity of the humanity of Jesus because it claims that Jesus is fully divine but not truly human, because he is God merely adopting the appearance of being human. Arianism is the belief that Jesus is superior to the rest of creation but not equal to God because Jesus was created by God and thus is not eternal unlike God. The Council of Nicaea in 325 was called to fight against Arianism. The Council developed the Nicene Creed which states that the Father and the Son are of one essence and hence Jesus is fully divine. The Council of Constantinople reaffirmed this decision. Nestorius undermined the unity of Jesus by claiming that Mary was the Mother of the human Jesus but not the divine Jesus, to suggest that there were two persons within Jesus. The Council of Ephesus in 431 CE rejected this view and confirmed the notion that there was only one person in Jesus and therefore Mary could rightfully be called the Mother of God.
Explain the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for Christians
Christians have traditionally believed that Jesus died for our sins and this belief has given rise to some questionable explanations like the idea that God would be appeased with the execution of an innocent person. Other questionable inferences include the idea that Jesus became human simply for him to be sacrificed because he is the only person of sufficient value to pay a ransom to God or Satan. More adequate reflections on the death of Jesus highlight the notion that death is an integral part of the human condition and one which is shared by Jesus. Other ways of appreciating the importance of the death of Jesus include
Principle Beliefs
Outline the principal beliefs regarding the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ
The Christological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries were debates regarding the nature of Christ, and in particular the issue of his humanity versus his divinity. Docetism is a position which undermines the integrity of the humanity of Jesus because it claims that Jesus is fully divine but not truly human, because he is God merely adopting the appearance of being human. Arianism is the belief that Jesus is superior to the rest of creation but not equal to God because Jesus was created by God and thus is not eternal unlike God. The Council of Nicaea in 325 was called to fight against Arianism. The Council developed the Nicene Creed which states that the Father and the Son are of one essence and hence Jesus is fully divine. The Council of Constantinople reaffirmed this decision. Nestorius undermined the unity of Jesus by claiming that Mary was the Mother of the human Jesus but not the divine Jesus, to suggest that there were two persons within Jesus. The Council of Ephesus in 431 CE rejected this view and confirmed the notion that there was only one person in Jesus and therefore Mary could rightfully be called the Mother of God.
Explain the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for Christians
Christians have traditionally believed that Jesus died for our sins and this belief has given rise to some questionable explanations like the idea that God would be appeased with the execution of an innocent person. Other questionable inferences include the idea that Jesus became human simply for him to be sacrificed because he is the only person of sufficient value to pay a ransom to God or Satan. More adequate reflections on the death of Jesus highlight the notion that death is an integral part of the human condition and one which is shared by Jesus. Other ways of appreciating the importance of the death of Jesus include