Judaism and Christianity pt. 2

Interesting Current Events:

Limony Snicket:

Historically, a story about people inside impressive buildings ignoring or even taunting people standing outside shouting at them turns out to be a story with an unhappy ending.

Republican Presidential Candidate Front-Runner Mitt Romney in his Financial Investment Company days. 

Blind Spots: Watch this video as a critical thinker. What's missing?



Cultural Diffusion: How many influences will we probably find in Judeo-Christian (and Islamic) beliefs?



10 min. prep for Discussion: Chart sources of conflict,  similarities and differences, between Judaism and Christianity. Include:

• Jewish and Christian scriptures (Hebrew Bible, "New Testament," Gospels)
• Who the "Chosen People" are to Jews? To Christians?
• Beliefs in afterlife: is there one? Who goes to Heaven? Who goes to Hell? Why?
• Different values re: Law, Good Works, Faith.
• Interpretation of Hebrew prophets (esp. Isaiah) to Jews, to Christians.
• Interpretation of "Messiah" to Jews, to Christians.

Terms you should know:
Judaism:
Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac
Monotheism

Covenant
Promised Land (Canaan and Palestine)
Hebrew Bible

Christian Bible: "Old Testament" and "New Testament"

Moses' Law 
Ethical Monotheism

Torah
Babylonian Captivity/Destruction of First Temple (586 BCE)
Writing of "Genesis" (500 BCE-100 CE) 

Prophets (especially Isaiah)
Persian Liberation/Second Temple Period
Here's your textbook chapters on Judaism and Christianity in a smaller file. Skim pp. 168-72 and find answers to these questions.

1. Is there much evidence of Jesus' life from non-Christian sources in the Roman Empire?

2.You know the Babylonians destroyed Israel's first temple, and that they rebuilt it under the Persians. When was the next catastrophe for the Second Temple?

3. Jesus died around 29 CE. How long did it take for Christianity to grow from a small cult in an unimportant corner of the Empire into a major religious movement? How can you explain its late growth?

4. How did Roman Religion die? Because everybody chose Christianity and just dumped Jupiter and Juno and all the other pagan gods? Or is there a political reason?

5. What institution grew in Christianity as it spread throughout the empire? How was it organized?

6. What is "orthodoxy" and "heresy"? Who defined these?

7. What did Augustine contribute to Christian dogma in the late 4th century? What effects would these have on people in Europe from this time on?

8. How did Christianity triumph in the Roman Empire? When?