Group Presentations
Each person will write a brief response to one of the study questions from that week’s readings and post in on the blog.
In addition, each group will choose one or two primary source(s) from that week’s readings to present in section.
1. Summarize the source - who, what, when, where, and why?
2. Place it in political/economic/historical context of the period - tell us why it is important in the history of Christianity. What class themes does it represent?
3. Relate it to another source we have read previously in the course.
4. Create a discussion question for the class to answer.
ALEXAMENOS SEBETE THEON
Graffiti: Alexamenos worships his God, Palatine Hill, Rome, ca. 200 CE
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Bryan Kiang Group 1
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther, “To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation” (R 636-41) 2. What are the three “walls” supporting papal power that Luther names?
3. What is his argument against each “wall”?
Wall 1: Too much spiritual power over temporal: Luther argues that one of the biggest walls protecting papal power is that of their power over the temporal sphere of society. In his time, the popes of the Roman church held sway often over even the kings and emperors of their land. He quotes St. Peter and the Book of Revelations about how when we were baptized, we became priests. His main argument is that because we are all essentially one of the same, (all functionaries of Christianity). No Christian can be more “Christian” simply by deeming himself that way. The governance of a people should be vested in an elected official (a temporal authority).
Too much power in being the only Authority to Interpret Scripture: Luther’s argument is that there is no evidence in scripture that the authority to interpret scripture should be left to a pope; they, therefore, assumed this right by themselves. He argues that a Christian’s beliefs and values should be governed by a strict adherence to scripture rather than by a papal authority. Christians are their own priests and therefore should be allowed to interpret scripture themselves.
Too much power in being the only Authority to call a council: Luther’s argument here was that this wall essentially protected the spiritual authorities from having to deal with opposing views. Every Christian should have the right to call a council and attempt to change something if they feel it is wrong and needs to be changed. The situation would have been analogous to a modern democracy that did not allow its constituents to petition for change. Again, christians are their own priests, they are all equal functionaries under God and should thus have the right to change what they feel is immoral.
Parker Ashley, Group #? (Week 15)
ReplyDeleteSQ15 - #8:
What human trait made written scriptures necessary, according to Calvin?
John Calvin argues that it is within human nature to forget God and his teachings: to succumb to every error or sin, to lust worldly things, or to follow new religions. Calvin argues that written scripture (e.g. the Bible), “should neither perish through forgetfulness nor vanish through error nor be corrupted by the audacity of men” (Calvin 99).
Eric Wallace, Group #2 (Parker's group)
ReplyDeleteSQ15 #5
What is Luther's response to Zwingli? How does his method of reading the scriptural texts in question differ from Zwingli's?
Essentially, Luther takes a middle ground regarding the eucharist. While Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation, which is "the miraculous process by which the bread and wine used in the eucharist become the body and blood of Christ", Zwingli believed in the exact opposite (Nystrom 391). Zwingli argues that when Christ said, "This is my body", it was in a 100% figurative sense (BB From That These Words of Christ...). Luther says that for Zwingli to deny Christ's words, he is denying God. The middle ground that Luther takes is based on the way he interprets Christ's words. He concludes that Christ meant "This is a sign of my body", therefore Christ's words were somewhere between literal and figurative (BB From That These Words of Christ...).
who wants an answer to a study question? (me! me! me!)
ReplyDeleteSQ 15
Charles Wesley, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (R 424)
13. What images of Jesus predominate in Wesley’s hymn? What images of the Christian?
The hymn starts off by portraying God as a triumphant masterful being who conquers the forces of evil and sin in an amazing way. He uses images of celebration to exalt God's grace. He uses images of blood, death, and offerings. Christians are seen as deaf, dumb, and lame, as though worthless without the knowledge of God's grace that can make them listen, praise, and jump for joy.
Nemo Baker
John Calvin, “Institutes of the Christian Religion” (R 641-642)
ReplyDelete6. What are the two fundamental kinds of knowledge, according to Calvin?
There were two fundamental kinds of knowledge that Calvin focused on. These were knowledge of God and knowledge of man.
SQ 15
ReplyDeleteJohn Calvin, “Institutes of the Christian Religion” (R 99-101)
9. Calvin describes how people are vulnerable to being mislead without the Scripture. He then goes onto state that the Scripture has its authority from God, and not from the Church. He despises the people who think the Scripture's validity is determined by the Church. His main argument is that the Scripture came before the Church and thus laid the foundation for the Church, and that the Scripture bears its own authentication. On the whole, he believes that the Scripture is the real truth of God that is prioritized over the Church.
Wednesday 11 am Discussion (Group #2)
ReplyDeleteJohn Wesley, “The Scripture Way of Salvation” (BB)
11. What are the two parts of Christian religious experience according to Wesley?
According to Wesley, a Christian experiences justification and sanctification. Justification (another
word for pardon) is the forgiveness of all our sins and our acceptance with God. Right after
justification, sanctification begins where we are inwardly renewed by the power of God.
-Stephanie Chow
John Calvin, “Institutes of the Christian Religion” (R 99-101)
ReplyDelete8. Why human trait made written scriptures necessary, according to Calvin?
Humans have a tendency to forget things, commit error, and create artificial religions, which shows the necessity of written scriptures that can never perish through all those human tendencies
-Carlos Alamilla
1. How does Zwingli disagree with the radical Reformers, or Anabaptists, regarding the ritual of baptism? How does Zwingli disagree with Luther regarding the issue of the eucharist?
ReplyDeleteZwingli disagrees with the radicals as he believes in infant baptism, citing circumcision as a child's confession to God. He disagrees with Luther regarding the issue of the Eucharist as he only believes in it figuratively rather not "naturally."
-Andrew Lee