Year 9 Religion

Summer Exam

Explain the split between Christian and Orthodox Chruch

Understand what Orthodox Christians believe and how they worship.

Branches of Christianity

Christianity is the largest of the world religions, with approximately 2.4 billion followers (one third of the world’s population) across the globe. Christianity began as a branch of Judaism, and Jesus himself was a Jew. As Christianity is such a large religion with an international following, it is not surprising that there are many different branches within Christianity. These groups have varying understandings of what it means to be Christian.

The various groups or branches within Christianity are referred to as denominations. Sometimes different Christian churches are also referred to as denominations. Historically, there have been several key events when divisions were created within Christianity. Examples include the Great Schism of AD 1054 and the Reformation in the 16th century.

Roman Catholic tradition

Roman Catholicism is the largest group within Christianity, having approximately 1.2 billion members.
Catholics accept the authority of the pope, who rules and guides the Church.
The pope is seen as the successor of Saint Peter and is regarded as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Catholics believe that there are seven sacraments, which aid humans in achieving salvation.

Orthodox tradition

Orthodox Christians reject the authority of the pope.
They do, however, believe that the sacraments are essential for salvation.
The Orthodox Church can trace its origins back to the first Church started by Jesus’ disciples in Jerusalem. Many Orthodox Christians believe that this gives them greater authority than other denominations and that they are following the right teachings.
Many Orthodox churches are organised on a national level, for example the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Church.

Know key facts about Martin Luther and Indulgences

A German monk called Martin Luther is credited with the beginning of the Reformation. This was the process which led many to split from the Catholic Church in the 16th century.

In 1517 Luther wrote a document called The Ninety-five Theses and nailed it on to the door of his local church in Wittenberg.

He was particularly concerned at the Catholic Church selling indulgences. An indulgence was a payment to the Church that bought forgiveness for sins.

As a result of his teaching Martin Luther was condemned as a heretic. A heretic is someone who teaches something against the Church, or something false about the Church or God. Many heretics faced terrible deaths, including being burnt alive.

In response to Luther’s teaching the Church called a council (a special meeting of its leaders) called the Diet of Worms.

As a result of the Diet of Worms, an edict (law) was published in May 1521. This stated that Luther was an outlaw whose writings were banned and he must be arrested.

Soon after Luther set up his own church. The general name for those who broke from the Catholic Church was Protestant. Luther’s new church was a Protestant Church that was called the Lutheran Church.

The services in the Protestant Church were conducted in German rather than Latin (a language which was normally used by the priest in the Catholic Church). The services in the Protestant Church included praying, singing, Bible reading and sermons.

In reaction to the Protestant Church, the Catholic Church initiated a Counter-Reformation. One of the most important events in the counter-reformation was called the Council of Trent.

As with any breakaway group, the Protestants could not all agree on a way forward. They knew they did not want to be part of the Catholic Church anymore, but they did not know exactly what that meant for them.

The Protestants began to split into different groups which focused on different beliefs and practices. This led to the various Protestant denominations – eg Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists.

Recall the history and traditions of the Anglican Church

Public worship focuses on praising God through preaching, Bible reading, prayer and music, especially in the Holy Communion service where people receive the bread and wine. Because this is liturgical worship, the words and actions to be followed are set out in the Book of Common Prayer. There are also services of morning and evening prayer.

Features of worship

The altar or Communion Table is the main focus and is where the Holy Communion service takes place. This is because Jesus' death is considered a sacrifice. There is also a pulpit where the sermon is preached and a lectern where the Bible is placed for reading aloud to the people.
There may be choir stalls and an organ to accompany hymn singing. Candles and a cross remind people of the death of Jesus and his resurrection. Many churches have stained glass windows that tell stories in pictures from the Bible.
Some Anglican services are very formal and similar to the Catholic Mass, but others are very simple and informal.
The priest leads the Holy Communion part of the service in many churches but in some a lay reader conducts them. At various points, people go to the altar to receive bread and wine, which represents the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
The congregation follows the service in the prayer book and responds to the prayers. Readings and some prayers usually change every week but others stay the same. Readings from the Bible are followed by a sermon that explains their meaning for people today.

The service usually ends with an opportunity for quiet reflection.

Know key facts about Lukes Gospel

Know key events of Holy Week

Garden of Gethsemane

On this occasion Jesus’ human nature and his divine nature are clearly seen.

Jesus goes with his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane, an olive tree plantation.

Jesus takes Peter, James and John (his inner circle of disciples) further into the garden with him.

Jesus is deeply distressed about what lays ahead. He says, “The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me.”

He instructs Peter, James and John to keep watch. Even though they are aware of his distress and realise that something important is about to happen, they cannot stay awake.

Jesus’ human nature is shown in that he asked that the cup of suffering be taken away from him. Perhaps he was asking God to bring about the Kingdom of God without him having to suffer.

However, Jesus showed his divine nature as he accepted God’s will, even though it meant his suffering and death, “Yet not what I want but what you want.”

The disciples did not appreciate the seriousness of what Jesus was going through. This meant that he had to cope with the mental suffering on his own. He asked them three times to stay awake and keep watch, but they were unable to do so. Jesus questions Peter, asking could he not even stay awake for one hour. He warns them not to fall into temptation, “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”.

Jesus can see the arrival of Judas with the chief priests, elders and the armed crowd. They are coming to arrest him. He says to the disciples, “The hour has come! Look the Son of Man is now being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”

Judas showed the crowd who Jesus was by kissing him on the cheek, a common way to greet a friend. He said “Peace be with you, teacher.”

Jesus replied, “Be quick about it friend.”

The crowd arrested Jesus. One of the people with Jesus drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus allowed himself to be arrested and demanded that the violence stop. The disciples were so afraid and shocked at what had happened that they all ran away.

Two trails of Jesus

Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57-68)

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to the house of the high priest, Caiaphas, where the teachers of the law and the elders had gathered together. Peter followed from a distance, as far as the courtyard of Caiaphas' house.

The Jewish leaders were looking for false evidence against Jesus to have him put to death, but they could not find any. Eventually, Caiaphas demanded of Jesus “Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus answered him, “So you say. But I tell all of you: from this time on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven!” Caiaphas declared this was blasphemy, so the guilty verdict was passed. Then they spat in Jesus’ face and beat him.

Jesus’ trial before Pilate (Matthew 27:1-2, 11-26)

The chief priests and the elders made their plans against Jesus to put him to death. They put him in chains, led him off and handed him over to Pilate, the Roman governor.

Pilate asked Jesus “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered “So you say”, but he said nothing in response to the accusations of the chief priests and elders, which surprised Pilate.

At every Passover festival the Roman governor could set free a prisoner chosen by the crowd. Pilate asked the crowd whether they wanted Barabbas or Jesus set free. The chief priest persuaded the crowd to ask Pilate to set Barabbas free and have Jesus put to death. They shouted for Pilate to crucify him. When Pilate saw that a riot might break out, he washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am not responsible for the death of this man!” The whole crowd answered, “Let the responsibility for his death fall on us and on our children!” Then Pilate set Barabbas free and handed Jesus over to be crucified.