Christian Traditions, 2016

Christian Traditions Notes 2/23/2016

Some things to remember…

-Check out Lynn’s video on the blog!

-We have done a lot in the past few weeks yet we still missed some important events in Christianity– those will be covered in upcoming classes

-Check participation score on Moodle

·         Not happy? There’s probably much more you can do! Post on blog, attend participation events, pop culture, etc. Make sure you relate to Christian Traditions!

-Tomorrow there is a different event at 5:30 – “Christians & Muslims Worship the Same God” This event is NOT on syllabus.

·         Comes with pizza!

·         Lynn will be one of the speakers – pretty casual

-Check score on Dates, Places, Time Test. Class average was around an 86%. If you are not happy please talk to Lynn.

-Site visit/report before spring break is preferable! Lynn will provide feedback soon after you turn it in. However, it is up to you when you want to attend. Specific date is on the syllabus!

·         Going in small groups is perfectly acceptable! Lynn actually prefers that.

·         Better reports are usually written shortly after due to memory

·         Get it out of the way!

Early Christian Baptism in Context

-Early Christian Period

-Jensen starts talking about the Gospels in 1^st Century

-Her work goes into 6^th Century

Baptism in Context

-Historical Context

·         -Jewish Purification Rites

·         -Roman Bathing Practices/Rituals

-Early Christian Context

·         -Early Christian Imagery

·         -Early Christian Rites

·         -Early Christian Theology

Jewish Purification Rites: Second Temple Period

Ablutions for Ritual Impurity

·         -Three Types: Hands, Hands and feet, full body

·         -Not due to transgression, but a state of the human condition (menstruation, touching a corpse, sexual intercourse)

·         -Ritual purity/impurity boundaries=boundaries between life and death

§  No ritual actions should be taken

§  Something that people go through

§  Do what you need to do!

§  Different expectations for different people

·         Dominant understanding

Increase in Purity Concerns

·         Hellenization/Roman Presence

·         Identity and Boundaries

§  Find in uptake in rituals that are boundary markers during a blur of identity

§  Increase in practice of purity rituals

§  Ritual acts are what distinguish Jews from Gentiles

·         Numerous mikqva’ot (plural for mikvah)

-Lynn shows ruins of a residential neighborhood near Nazareth

·         Able to submerge yourself in a mikvah to say prayer, practice rituals, etc.

Moral Impurity

·         Ablutions for “sins”

·         Associated with John the Baptist

§  Talks about repentance of sins, calls for Baptism

·         Associated with early Christians

Communities of Purity

·         Essenes at Qumran

§  Dead sea scrolls are located here

·         Certain communities become focused on purity

·         Christianity is emerging

§  In concert with the broader context

·         Many people interested in moral purity

The Baptism of Jesus in Mark

·         Earliest Gospel

§  Matthew & Luke written later

§  Mark is the narrative backbone for Matthew & Luke

§  We believe Matthew & Luke borrowed from Mark

§  Places where Matthew & Luke are so similar they are drawing on a source

§  Quelle is German for source

§  These 3 Gospels together are called synoptic

§  Outlier of Gospels is John

·         Does not follow Mark

·         Jesus’s life is 3 years long

·         Order of events is very different\

§  It is possible to get a sense of how people are understanding different issues, including the issue of Jesus’s baptism

·         Mark 1

§  John baptizes people for moral impurity

§  People from all over are coming

§  Early Christianity baptism puts you in a particular group

·         Here, we are not sure what group people are being put in to

§  Another baptism is coming

·         A spirit baptism

·         Jensen points out even though early Christians are using Jesus’s baptism as a model, they are still keeping water baptism

·         Water & Spirit is kept as methods of baptism

·         End of Jensen’s text lists many steps Christians follow for baptism

·         People don’t bathe for 40 days

·         Anointing of oil

·         Exorcising demons

§  Women are most vulnerable

·         Cathecumen-person that has decided to become a part of the Christian tradition

§  Living a life of simplicity and abstinence

·         People are not as interested in children

§  Ages 12+ are no longer considered children

§  Mark 1 shares similarities with Matthew 3; John 1 does not discuss Jesus’s baptism

·         Debate on why Jesus was baptized

§  John questions Jesus why he (John) is not being baptized – isn’t Jesus supposed to be free of sin?

·         Water is made holy

·         Revelatory act

·         Showing Jesus’s humanity

·         Modeling baptism

·         If Christ is baptized and purified of sin, humans/human flesh can be saved and free from sin

 Hopefully everything is clear and makes sense. I am not a perfect note taker - please refer to Melina's notes if I left stuff out. Thank you!