What is Christianity? Each person’s definition of religion is different. Each person’s faith is different. With ideals from of Catholicism from readings of James Martin and Dorothy Day to the similarities and differences of Christian beliefs of James Cone and Chun Hyun Kyung. With shared beliefs James Cone and Chun Hyun Kyung who feel their life has purpose or meaning. This feeling or belief that their life has meaning comes from outside of themselves, as well as within. Taking this one step further, these shared beliefs put into action in the form of worship can be seen as how they view God or the image of God.
Since Christianity was first introduced in the early Colonial Period, African-Americans have used their Christian beliefs to fight
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Chun Hyun Kyung view of God is imagined God as a woman and similar to her mother, having this view she also begin to accept her own body and her own womanhood in its fullness. In a video, she speaks of God as portrayed as mother and woman leading to having someone who is compassionate one who feels the suffering of humanity deeply, suffers and weeps with them. She states in the video, “But through long personal struggle, I realized one day my image of God now is like a middle-aged Korean woman, looking like my mother, very warm and affirming, very available and strong and down-to-earth. When I prayed, she came to me.” She speaks that it was was a hard connection to form because this was God that her intellectual side could not understand because it said God has no image because God is Spirit. But all her upbringing as a Christian in Korea, in the Korean church, which was founded by many Western missionaries, all the Sunday school education was based on this picture of God who looked like Moses in the movie Ten Commandments which did not serve to make a true connection like the female image of
Throughout American history, African Americans fought to establish their own culture. Even though they were silenced by white laws and stereotypes, African Americans created their own distinct culture, to a certain extent from 1800 to 1860. By mixing their African American traditions and Christian ideas, they formed a religion, their own version of Christianity. African American rebellions, though small and infrequent, were used to express their beliefs on slavery and add to their distinct culture. And, with the constant fear of being split up by being sold, African American families managed to form within plantations through marriages and children. Despite
The Christian religion finds its foundation on the Word of God and the work of Jesus Christ. Christianity finds its beginnings with Jesus Christ about 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came down to earth to teach, heal, and die for the sins of humanity. When God created man, he openly rebelled against God, causing a rift in their relationship. Since humans cannot save themselves, a perfect and completely innocent sacrifice was necessary in order to purify and restore mankind. Christianity is all about Jesus’ death and resurrection, as well as denying oneself and following Christ.
After living in the colonies a while, the blacks became Christianized. With this, the majority of these Christians embraced American Protestantism. In doing so, they created their own freedom through this faith by altering it to fit their situation and beliefs. Within their religion, they focused on the now. They realized that they were living in hardship and they decided
African Americans have a long and rich spiritual history, which predates their arrival in the Americas. Ancient African religions and customs survived and found themselves incorporated into Christianity in the New World (Hine, Hine, Harrold). As African Americans increasingly found themselves stifled by the Christian worship services they attended, they began to found their own religious organizations. These slave organizations gave rise to the first known African American churches which arose long before the beginnings of the American Revolution (Hine, Hine, Harrold).
During the early 1600s, the English colonist began using African slaves in the colonies. The slaves typically believed in Christianity, for that was the primary religion that English colonist followed. Furthermore, many of these slaves couldn’t talk to each other or organize themselves in many plantations where they resided; therefore, they sang Negro spirituals and hymns to each other. This was one of the forms of communication that slaves established. These spiritual songs of hope, faith, and courage that allowed these early “African-Americans” slaves to survive. As a result, it is understood that Christianity is what drives the African-American community to conquer their challenges.
The rise of African American churches played a vital role in advancing the Civil War because it brought the issue of morality into the slavery debate. Created in protest, the Black church, prior to the Civil War represented the first occasion of Black rebellion among the secret churches of the slave community, and in the liberated Black churches in the North. Black congregations nurtured a sense of hope and self-expression, laying the basis of Black power and freedom. They understood that the “…Christian Gospel was a gospel of liberation … and … refused to accept an interpretation of Christianity that was unrelated to civil freedom.” (Westley 1). Northern church members Richard Allen and Absalom Jones created the first African American church by walking out of a Methodist Episcopal Church in protest due to the discrimination they had experienced. They started the African Methodist Episcopal
Long before their contact with whites, Africans were a strongly religious, and deeply spiritual people. During the early history of slavery, the African American spirituality was often seen by whites as a pagan faith. These rituals and dogmas were seen by whites as Voodoo, Hoodoo, Witchcraft, and superstitions. They often commented on these "pagan practices," and fetishes, and were threatened by them. As a result, great effort was put on eradicating these practices, and many were lost within a generation.# Although tremendous efforts was placed on eradicating the “superstitious” religious beliefs of the African slaves, they were not immediately introduced to the religion of white slave masters, Christianity. Many planters resisted the idea of converting slaves to Christianity out of a fear that baptism would change a slave's legal status. The black population was generally untouched by Christianity until the religious revivals of the 1730s and 1740s. The Bible was manipulated to support the institution of slavery and its inhumane practices. Christianity was used to suppress and conform slaves. Slaveholders, priests, and those tied to the Church undermined the beliefs of the millions of African-Americans converts.# White Christianity was used to justify the enslavement of blacks. By the early nineteenth century, slaveholders had adopted the view that Christianity would make slaves more submissive and orderly.
Slavery varied around the world, especially in different cultures. What started in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 left a lasting impression on the United States of America and most certainty African-Americans for many years. Even after 246 years of being ‘free’, African-Americans still endured oppression. Slavery in the United States was about power and control for slave masters. Slave masters used religion – Christianity – to oppress their slaves. There were laws purposely put in place to limit their slaves from feeling ‘equal’ to their slave masters, or any white counterpart. Despite the hurdles of being prohibited to read, write or even be taught, the slaves found ways to seek the same religion that their slave masters tried to use against them and turn it around. Slaves didn’t give up the desire to learn how to read and write in order to read the Bible. Slave owners feared the idea of slaves’ rebellion against their slave masters. Slaves risked their lives whenever they went to participate in ‘hush harbors’ and ‘invisible institutions.’ Slaves found hope in the ‘Christianity of Christ’ instead of the ‘Christianity of the land.’ All slaves didn’t convert to Christianity, but instead kept their African and Islam beliefs. Many consider Christianity a white man’s religion, however the African immigrants combined their religions traditions with worship through hymns and songs. Many slaves spoke about and against the experiences they endured from their ‘Christian’ slave masters. Even doubted the God of the Bible because of their experiences. Douglass and Walker questioned the religion of the slave masters because of the acts they committed against ‘God’s people.’ Slaves looked to Christianity – especially the story of Exodus – for hope through the
African Americans have a long history with slavery in America. Many were brought over from their homeland through the slave trade and other means of transportation. During this time, the outlook on slavery was different. White supremacy held authority over African Americans because of their skin color and were considered property. The relationship between slave and slave owner was never at a balancing point, as power between the two were always imbalanced. It was during this time where slaves were put on the cotton fields, worked in houses, and various plantations. Treatment for these slaves was never good, as they were whipped, beaten, sold to other slave owners, and sometimes killed. Despite these conflicts, many of these slaves practiced some form of religion. Many slaves converted or were forced to convert to the religion their owner practiced.
All one needs to know about the Christian religion is in the very last chapter of the bible. Let me show you...
Christianity is the largest faith group in the world today. The word Christianity came from “Christ,” which meant the “Anointed One” and the central point of
Christianity is one of the oldest religions known to mankind. Christianity developed from Judaism in the 1st century C.E. It is known to be founded on the life, teachings,
The religion Christianity is grounded through the wisdom and miracles of Jesus Christ. Many may call him Jesus or Christ but in actuality Jesus is Christ which means anointed one. Jesus Christ was no average person, he is the God the Father who came to this world and fulfilled the Old Testament laws and prophecies, died on the cross, and rose from the dead physically. As savior that came on earth to restore his people he performed many miracles which were recorded in the Gospels by the eyewitnesses. Jesus Christ is the divine in nature as well as human. Thus, he has two natures and is worthy of worship and prayer. Christianity teaches that there is only one God in all existence. Although philosophies have tried to prove otherwise the reality is that God made the universe, the Earth, and created man starting with Adam and Eve. According to Genesis 1:27 it states that “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”. Image means the likeness of God 's character, rationality, etc. Since we are made in the image of God, every person has an opportunity to be more like him less like sinful ways of the world.
Christianity is the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Most followers of Christianity, called Christians, are members of one of three major groups--Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox. These groups have different beliefs about Jesus and His teachings. But all consider Jesus central to their religion. Most Christians believe God sent Jesus into the world as the Savior. Christianity teaches that humanity can achieve salvation through Jesus.
Christianity is a faith based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Fisher, 1991) Christianity is a one God religion as presented in the New Testament. Today, Christianity and the church are culturally diverse, even in the aspects of race. It is even said that Sunday mornings is the most segregated time in the world. There is one central belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, all Christians can come to this conclusion. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that we are all under the judgment of God because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Other religions may often depict that it is only necessary to do some good when it comes to God in order to