27 Oct Formatting Guidelines ? When completing this written report, the following guidelines must be followed. Failure to do so will result in points being deducted from your grade: ? a.

Christianity Written Report Due: October 31, 2022, at 8 am Background Information When studying the different religions of the world we tend of focus on the distinctions between these religions and understanding what makes them unique, however it is important to note that although these religions are distinct and unique in their own way, there are common themes and structures that can be applied to them. Some of the common elements present in the different religions that we will be studying this semester are: – Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Writings o Divinely inspired writings that contain origins of the religion, essential beliefs, and major teachings. Some religions also revere writings of prominent figures throughout their history who have contributed to expounding the theology of the religion (ex: writings of the Christian saints) – Beliefs and Practices o Tenets of the religion that unify its community of believers on a variety of topics ranging from their relationship with the divine, soteriology, creation, eschatology, anthropology, etc. – Prayer and Worship o Liturgical practices that believers of the faith participate in throughout their daily lives. Some liturgical practices and rituals of prayer are performed in conjunction with the celebration of religious festivals at particular times of the week (ex: Sabbath) or times of the year (ex: Christmas) – Morality – Code of Ethics o Guiding principles that adherents of the faith abide by throughout their lives informed by the theology of the religion – History o Understanding how the religion was established and the advances of the religion throughout human history that shape the global image of the religion today while also recognizing changes in theology that have occurred throughout history due to major historical events Report Instructions In your readings of Chapter 1 – Beginning Your Study of World Religions and Chapter 11 – Encountering Christianity: The Way of Jesus Christ you have gained a better understanding of what a religion is and how it is classified as well as the various aspects of a religion and you have seen how those aspects of a religion are understood in light of Christianity. You will now use the information gleaned in these chapters to expand upon particular elements of Christianity enumerated below: 1. Christian Symbols – ½ page a. Identify and a common Christian symbol and explain its significance i. Consider the following: 1. History/Origins of the symbol 2. Important religious figure(s) associated with the symbol and their involvement with it 3. How the symbol is utilized by Christians today? a. Is it used during prayer/worship? b. Worn as an outward sign of faith?

2. Sacred Scriptures – ½ page a. Describe the Christian Sacred Scriptures and expound upon they are used in the life of the Church today 3. Beliefs and Practices – ½ page a. Articulate a central tenet of Christianity that involves one of the following categories: i. Creation ii. Soteriology – Salvation and Redemption iii. Suffering iv. Metaphysical beings – God and the divine v. Eschatology 1. Death and the afterlife 4. Prayer and Worship – ½ page a. Discuss the Christian notion of prayer and worship while addressing the importance of going to going to church and attending mass 5. Morality – Code of Ethics – ½ page a. Convey a Christian moral teaching based on one of the following: i. Sin and Forgiveness ii. Virtues iii. Freedom and Free will iv. Treatment of the marginalized in society v. How Christians conduct themselves in accordance with the laws of faith? 6. Christianity in Context – ½ page or more a. Select one of the principles of Christianity that you have written about in this report in sections 1 – 5 and explain why you think it is important to be cognizant of this tenant of faith when caring for Christians in your line of work. i. You may share a personal experience that you may have had with a Christian in your line of work based on this tenant of faith or how you think having a better understanding of this particular faith principle will shape your future interactions with Christians in your line of work Formatting Guidelines When completing this written report, the following guidelines must be followed. Failure to do so will result in points being deducted from your grade: a. This report must be typed in 12pt. font, double-spaced, & Times New Roman b. Each section of the report must: a. Include Section Title on a separate line i. Ex: Christian Symbols, Christianity in Context, etc. b. Be at least ½ page in length c. Incorporate at least 1 direct quotation from either the course text (World RELG4: Introduction to World Religions) or one of the databases/encyclopedias available through St. Thomas University Library with an appropriate citation i. When citing your sources, you must use Chicago Manuel Style