Community and Christianity

Religious Community

Religion is “inescapably social” Not primarily about individual belief,

but what the community values about the sacred and how this shapes individuals in the community

Religion vs. spirituality Liturgy: work of the people

Lex orandi, lex credendi

Types of Community

Church: invites all to join, engaged in well-being of larger society

Sect: demands conformity of members, exclusive in its membership, in tension with larger society

Cult: focus on personality of charismatic leader; claims new revelation; viewed with extreme suspicion

Breaks in the community Occur over disagreements about beliefs,

practices Reform: return to origins

Accepted when it focuses on recovering “authentic” core tradition

Rejected when seen to threaten core tradition Heresy: illegitimate doctrine or practice Schism: division without major doctrinal

disagreement Formation of new religions

Why three major branches of Christianity?

East-West split 1054 Over authority

Catholic-Protestant split 1500s Over doctrines

Eastern Orthodoxy

“Right worship” Sacramental Mystical Authority not centralized Most traditional

Roman Catholicism Sacramentality Mediation

Priesthood, saints Communion

authority [Somewhat] open to adaptation

while placing strong value on preserving tradition

Protestantism

Reform through scripture as norm Continuous need for reform

Salvation by grace through faith Focus on laity Varied ideas on sacraments Most open to adaptation