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The Church??

Christianity 101

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Why this topic?

1. Many students/academics react to the word “church” with a negative response. The church drags down the idea of God

2. Church is associated with the opposite of reason (emotion, dumb ceremony, yea-sayers)

3. We have lost the real meaning of the word “church”.

4. If we rediscover the real meaning, we find that the Church has a real purpose

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What most people mean by ‘church’?

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More meanings for ‘church’?

• I am Catholic (identity/cultural designation)• Baptists vs Presbyterians (point the

differences between us and them)• The place my parents made me go to every

Sunday (free at last!)• Not so funny: The institutional cover under

which pain and injury took place

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What is the real meaning?

• (Greek) ekkalein: to call out (Latin) Ecclesia= ‘the called out ones’

• They who follow Jesus or those who Jesus ‘bought with his own blood.’

• Those who congregate or assemble: “And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)

• Origin: A persecuted minority

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• Christians must face the bloody and abusive history of the church.

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The Checkered History of the Christian Church

• Under Roman Emperor Constantine (306-337AD) most of the Christian Faith merged with state power and abuse rose considerably.

• Spanish Inquisition, conversion at the point of a spear, material exploitation of the poor, sexual abuse, residential schools, crazy cults, etc.

• Statist Churches (RC, Anglican, Reformed, Greek and Russian Orthodox, TSPM/CPA) and non-statist (Baptist, Methodist, Mennonite) have mixed motives, competing interests, divided loyalties

• No Escape: Christians bring their sinful nature into the church

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But: the Church’s history glass is also Half Full

• Christian missionaries brought hope, schools, education, medicine and health care, equality rights, protection of women and minorities, etc.

• Christian learning advanced science and the academy and civil society

• The tables are turned: An Estimated 150,000 Christians martyred in China’s long history, Christians persecuted in 60 countries today.

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So, there is a purpose for the Church?Compare the Church and Academy

• A place of genuine study and learning (you want a comprehensive textbook?)

• A place of putting your money where your mouth is (you want to do good in this world and make a difference?)

• A place of learning and living by peer review (you want to be really accountable or actually want to be free to do your own agenda?)

• A place of truth to fend off error. (you think everything is subjective or relative?)

• A place of global and multicultural oneness

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Questions?