Christian Traditions, 2016

Jenna Barone
Class notes
2/18/16
Christianity as a Missionizing Movement

I. Gospel v. gospel

            1. gospel = stories of Jesus (text), good news (literal translation)                     

            2. Gospel = Christian message, missionizing

            3. Greek words: evangellion gospel = evangelization

            4. Christianity is a proselytizing tradition, unlike Judaism

II. The Great Commission

            1. Matthew 28

            2. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name           of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”

            3. Biblical justification for missionizing

III. Paul and Peter

            1. Paul is associated with spreading the word to the gentiles, but Peter           contradicts in Acts

            2. Regardless, it spreads quickly by the end of the century all around the       Mediterranean

IV. Patrick in Ireland (400s)

            1. Gets captured by pirates as a teenager, where he is taken to Ireland to be an animal keeper

            2. He escapes from Ireland and goes back to England to become a cleric

            3. In a vision, he is told to go back to Ireland to proselytize

            4. Now considered a patron Saint of Ireland

                        a. usually the first to take a message to a region becomes the patron                           saint, whose job is to protect/keep their city before god

                        b. St. Patrick one of three Saints of Ireland

            5. Columba (563), another Patron Saint of Ireland, established monastery on            Iona

            6. St. Bridget is the third Patron Saint of Ireland

V.  716: Boniface missionizes Germanic tribes

            1. Eventually made archbishop over Germany, an important country in          Christian history

            2. baptized thousands

VI. 781: Nestorian Christians

            1. believe Christ has a dual nature—Jesus (human nature), and          Christ (spiritual nature)

            2. Evidence that Christianity has been present in Xi-an China for 150                                     years

            3. Popular in Persia, east of Turkey, and China

            4. language=seriac

            5. Stele found in China describes Christianity as the “illustrious religion”

                        a. written in both chinese and seriac

                        b. lots of artwork from the period blends artistic style of the                                         region w/ Christian iconography

VII. Pattern of Evangelization

            1. Evangelization moves East along the spice route between Europe and        China

            2. Does not occur in a linear fashion

            3. People went to great lengths to travel!

            4. 900s Christianity spreads into Poland, Russia, Iceland

            5. 1300s: Franciscan and Dominican missionaries go to India, Chia,      Java,    Borneo

            6. 1400s: conversion of Jews and Muslims in Italy and Spain

                        a. Were they given the choice, or were they forced?

            7. 1496: First Christians baptized on Hispaniola (Haiti/DR)

            8. 1504: Francis Xavier (Jesuit) lands in Goa, India

            9. 1500s: missionizing of much of central and southern north america and    japan, where there is resistance

            10. 1600s-1900s: Global missionizing with an emphasis on translating the NT           into every language (1700s)

VIII. John Wycliff

            1. 1382 translates new testament into English

            2. catholic, part of the Lollards (precursor to the reformation)

            3. deemed a heretic after he died

            4. Figure symbolic of the bible translation for missionizing movement

            5. emphasizes importance of using the vernacular in preaching

IX. 1492: First Baptized Christians in the Americas

            1. Santa Domingo founded by Bartoleme

            2. Dominican Republic and modern day Haiti “the new world”

X. Columbus Discussion

            1.Reasons for voyage: Evangelization, glory, money, competition for land, etc.

            2. Events linked to voyage: Spanish Armada

            3. Natives’ Response: negative

XI. Story of Conversion

            1. Different perspectives of the story—Converted Taino Christian, 2^nd hand   accounts, etc.

            2. Causes complex, cultural conflict

            3. Pane converted a few of the Taino people, but once he left, perpetrators    came and destroyed the relics of the Taino Christians

                        a. A vine then grows in the shape of a cross over the broken relics

                        b. matter of servant vs. Lord?

XII. Mar Thoma Church (India)

            1. Present when the Portuguese arrive in India, but forced to follow the        Roman church

            2. They declare their independence and associate w/ Syrian Orthodox          (another branch of Christianity) tradition

            3. Earliest Christian Church in India

            4. Traces itself back to St. Thomas in the first century

            5. Early tradition of Christianity presence in India (1^st century)