Christianity And evangelization

LEARNING GOALS Understand what evangelization is, and what purpose it serves Know a few key facts from various time frames throughout Christian history Know what interfaith dialogue is and how it can be of benefit to our society. Know what the Vatican II was and the purpose it served

EVANGELIZATION Means to proclaim the good news It refers to the Church’s mission to bring the good news of Jesus and his love to people in places where the Gospel has not been heard before, or where it has been forgotten. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John were the writers of the Gospels and were referred to as evangelists.

WHY?? Jesus revealed who God was by showing people God who healed people, loved the poor and outcasts, raised the dead to life, and set people free. The disciples felt compelled to proclaim what they had witnessed. They also believed that, through his resurrection, Jesus was the incarnation of God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

A short clip on modern day evangelization! DANGER! Telling people about what Jesus proclaimed was dangerous because it did not fit with the time. To people in the Roman Empire felt threatened as they worshipped the emperor and this did not fit. A short clip on modern day evangelization!

The spread of Christianity through evangelization! 1st Century Outreach done by the disciples following the example of Jesus 2nd Century Preachers and healers went into the cities of the empire People were drawn to Christianity because of its focus on love, acceptance, etc… Christian followers were a minority and had little education.

The spread of Christianity through evangelization!  3rd Century Great scholars joined the Christian movement and were able to translate the Christian message into Greek philosophy, the dominant philosophy of the Roman Empire. Christianity became the religion of the learned and gradually became the majority, despite the fact that Roman emperors continued to persecute Christians.

The spread of Christianity through evangelization! 4th Century Christianity was declared the sole legal religion of the empire   5th Century With the collapse of the Empire, Christianity began to fill the void. Bishops became civil leaders, judges, and rulers in the West. In the West, where the Byzantine Empire ruled, the Church was closely allied to the power of the court.

The spread of Christianity through evangelization! 600-1500 Christianity became the dominant religion of Europe

A QUICK RECAP VIDEO OF THE HISTORY OF JUDAISM TO CHRISTIANITY UP TO THIS POINT!

The spread of Christianity through evangelization! 1500-1950 Separation caused by the Protestant Reformation The PR was caused when some groups broke away from the church because they wanted major changes or reforms to the Church These groups became known as Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Anabaptist, etc… Christopher Columbus discovered new land with inhabitants and European Christians felt it was their duty to make these new people Christians. In their eyes, Christians believed that those of other religions were “wrong” and needed to know the truth about God.

The spread of Christianity through evangelization! 1950-Present Known as the age of dialogue as the Church believed that condemnation was not the way, but rather, dialogue. The Church realized that there was worthy elements to other religions, focus on socio- economic development, salvation in this world as well as the next, and focus on the community and society, rather than just the individual.

Interfaith dialogue INTERFAITH DIALOGUE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Catholics and Other Religions in the Twentieth and Early Twenty-First Centuries The Catholic Church’s relation with other religions has changed in the 21st century due to such things as telephone, radio, television, internet, etc… Religions have more contact with one another They realized that they must understand the difference so that they can live together The Vatican II strived to bring religious leaders together

VATICAN II Vatican II took place between 1962 and 1965 It was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church It was convened by Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI Its purpose was to provide a spiritual renewal of the Church and reconsideration of the position of the church in the modern world

A quick video summarize the Vatican Council VATICAN II One of its focus was to build the relationship of the church to non- Christian religions This document is called “Nostra Aetate”, 1965 Came up with guidelines that should be considered in dialogue with other religions A quick video summarize the Vatican Council