2. 1. Christianity’s
origin story
Grows out of story of Jesus
Begun by Jesus’s followers after his
death (circa 33 C.E.)
Jesus himself didn’t attempt to
found a new religion
Jesus did attempt to seek a new
social order (Smith 206)
Starts in Jerusalem & Antioch
Spreads to Greece & parts of
Western Europe; spreads to North
Africa & Arabian peninsula
3. 2. The Historical Jesus
Born Palestine – 4 B.C.E. – during reign of Caesar
Augustus (Roman empire)
raised in Nazareth
Jewish
Adult public ministry can be understood in reference to
Jewish prophetic tradition
Question: Why is it important to understand “the
historical Jesus” & the context out of which he came?
4. 3. Historical Jesus the Prophet
Smith describes 3 examples of Jesus in Jewish
prophetic tradition:
(1) Baptized as prophet by John the Baptist (207)
Fasting & solitude access to divine power
(2) Utilized power of supernatural realm (divine) to
perform miracles – aim was to heal humanity (207)
Spirit > nature
(3) Sought to disrupt social order by emphasizing
Yahweh’s compassion (208)
Rejection of Jewish social order via Pharisaical
holiness code (social stratification) tearing down
social barriers
5. 4. Jesus Christ
Sought to do good (Smith 210)
Not about power
Reflection of divine
Speech was unexpected & extreme
(212)
E.g., “Love your enemies” or “Love
your neighbor as yourself”
Stems from view of God as personal,
absolutely loving & involved in
human affairs
Practiced what he preached (213)
6. “
”
…it seemed to those who knew him best that
here was a man in whom the human ego had
disappeared, leaving his life so completely
under the will of God that it was transparent
to that will.
HUSTON SMITH, 213
Smith reminds us that we don’t quite know what Jesus thought
of himself because he didn’t really talk much about himself.
7. 5. Jesus’s Death &
Ascension
Threat to both religious & political
authorities:
Betrayed (Judas), arrested, & tried
Found “not guilty” by Pilate, but
people ask for him to be crucified
anyway
Followers claimed to see him after his
burial
Faith in resurrection creates Christianity
i.e., founding event & belief of the
Church
8. 6. Gospel – “Good News”
Followers of Jesus told others the “good news” - about who they
thought Jesus was (Messiah)
Good news = persuasive because of what Christians were known for:
(1) love
“Absence of social distance” (Smith 215)
(2) joy despite persecution
9. 7. Humanity’s problem + solution
Problem: sin / disconnection
from God; misdirected or
misaligned affection
Solution: salvation through
faith/works/combo
Faith in God / salvific power of
Christ’s death & resurrection
Good works
Original sin:
Adam & Eve’s disobedience produced “sin nature” in all future generations
Manifests as a corrupt will
E.g., St. Augustine argued corrupted will means one cannot help but want to do
the wrong thing
11. 9. Picture of God / Humanity
Christianity’s picture of God & humanity is similar in some ways to Jewish
picture – shared tradition
Monotheistic God as personal, omnipotent (all-powerful), omnibenevolent (all-
good); omniscient (all-knowing)
Shared view of humanity as made in image of God (rooted in Genesis 1)
But it has significant differences from Jewish view:
Doctrine of Incarnation:
God became human (Jesus)
Therefore, Jesus = God
Doctrine of Trinity:
God is one and God is three – One eternal God existing in three persons:
Father (Parent), Son (Child), and Holy Spirit
Doctrine of original sin humans are corrupted; “sinners”
12. 10. What do these differences imply?
Unlike many of the other traditions we’ve looked at thus far,
belief is really important for Christianity.
Relatedly, theology is also important for Christianity.
(Theology = “systematization of thoughts about the symbols
that religious experience gives rise to,” (Smith 218)
13. 11. Incarnation
Jesus = 100% God; 100%
human
Implication for Jesus:
God took human form
Jesus is perfect example of
how to live a life (Smith 218-
219)
Implication for God:
Willing to submit to
limitations for the sake of love
(219)
14. 12. What is Atonement?
Atonement: “At-one-ment’ – explanation of the reconciliation of humanity
to God through Christ
Smith calls it a recovering of wholeness (220)
Smith offers two primary metaphors of atonement:
Legalistic (disobedience caused distance that must be rectified)
Bondage (to sin/self-love)
15. 13. Orthodox View of Atonement
Orthodox: Recapitulation Theory:
Jesus' death & resurrection restored God's image in humankind; healed the
relationship between God & humanity
focus on resurrection, unity of God & humanity through Jesus' 2 natures
Christians --> deification
16. 14. Catholic view of Atonement
Roman Catholic:
Ransom theory (earliest theory):
Jesus’ death and resurrection were the ransom for humanity’s souls on account of
their sin
Satisfaction theory:
Jesus’ death & resurrection satisfied God's need for justice in light of sin
focus on Christ's suffering
Christians --> repentance, following God's law
Moral Exemplar theory:
Jesus’ life was meant to be an example for people on how to live according to
God’s will; his death as a martyr would draw all people to model love
17. 15. Protestant View of Atonement
Protestant: Penal Substitution
Jesus’ death paid the price for sin – Jesus took humanity’s place as perfect
sacrifice
Focus on accounting for sin
Christians repentance + faith
Scapegoat/Mirror Theory:
Jesus’ death makes us confront our sin & violence that don’t get anywhere.
Humans repent and Jesus should be the last scapegoat.
18. 16. Mystical Body of Christ
Smith refers to the “Mystical Body of Christ”
(217); what does this mean?
Christians as the “body” of Christ
Christ as the “head” of the Church
What does this metaphor imply? What kind of
relationship is this?
Visible Church: fallible Christian people
Invisible Church: grace and love infused in
Christians through Christ & Holy Spirit
19. 17. Catholicism
“Teaching authority and
sacramental agent”
(Smith 222)
Jesus: came to
teach us how to
live
Bible: authoritative, but mystical &
esoteric
• Need a ”measuring stick”
Church
(institution) =
authority/”measur
ing stick”
papal infallibility (in
faith and morals)
Sacraments empower
individuals to be able to
live rightly
(1) baptism; (2) confirmation; (3)
marriage; (4) holy orders; (5)
sacrament of the sick; (6)
confession; (7) Mass/Eucharist
20. 18. Eastern Orthodox
Share with Catholicism idea of
teaching authority & sacraments
2 differences:
(1) fewer doctrines (dogmas) that
must be universal
(2) interpretation through
consensus (as opposed to
interpretation through the Pope)
Consequences of differences:
strong corporate view of Church
must work to sanctify nature and
history
21. 19. Protestants (Reformation)
Protestantism’s unique characteristics:
Justification by faith
“justification” – restored relationship with
God
“faith” = belief + love (for God/others) +
good actions
Faith is opposed to empty ritual
Protestant principle (root word: ‘protest’)
Don’t make universal & absolute those
things that are relative to
context/history/individual
Everything is up for critique
i.e., resist idolatry
E.g., bibliolatry, private religious experience