Exegesis of the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist. Landon Clime

Southern Baptist proclaim themselves to be the “people of the Book” (Elliff). Southern Baptists believe the Bible is the greatest teaching authority and put a greater emphasis on Bible study (Matthews 314). This stress on the importance of the Bible relates to the doctrine Sola Scriptura. Sola Scriptura can be directly seen in the practice of the Lord’s Supper in the Southern Baptist Church. The Southern Baptists’ exegesis of the scripture is that Jesus Christ ordered them to eat the unleavened bread and drink the wine as symbols of his resurrection. According to the Southern Baptist Convention, “The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming” (“The Baptist Faith and Message”). This act of remembrance is because of the way Southern Baptist interpret the Bible and the importance they place on it. Southern Baptists look towards the Bible to create their doctrines and structure their theological beliefs (Elliff). Specifically in 1 Corinthians, Paul proclaims that Jesus said to his disciples, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (New Oxford Annotated Version, 1 Corinthians 11). To the Southern Baptist, their exegesis of the Lord’s Supper is to solely do it in remembrance of Him, not to reenact the event. This interpretation of the Bible is why Southern Baptists have uniques views on grace, salvation, and faith.

Catholics infer from the Bible that the bread and wine are not merely signs of remembrance, but they are the true body and blood of Jesus Christ. Catholics do not take the Bible at its face value. Rather, they construct their doctrines and beliefs around the Patriarch’s view of the Bible. For example, the Catholics’ doctrine of transubstantiation was established in 1545 at the Council of Trent. A council of highly ranked Catholics had to congregate in order to come up with it; it did not solely come from the Bible. One of the most famous verses in the Bible that Catholics interpret as their proof of transubstantiation. Jesus claimed that “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. . . . For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (New Oxford Annotated Version, John 6:51-55). This verse reflects the exegesis Catholics use to view their sacred text. However, it is not solely a word-for-word reading of the Scripture. Catholics typically generate their doctrines during important conferences or from higher authority and then find the evidence within the Scripture. This type of exegesis stems from the importance of the Church in Catholicism. The Pope is infallible and is in works with the Holy Spirit, so his perspective on the Scripture is followed by others. Because Catholics have a more holistic exegesis of the Bible, including the input from high ranked church official, their beliefs are distinct from other denominations.

Word Count: 527.

 

Ellif, Tom. “Understanding Baptism.” Journal of the Southern Baptist Convention,
http://www.sbclife.net/Articles/2006/09/sla5. Accessed 7 December 2017.

Fay, William. “The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist: Basic Questions and Answers.” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/the-mass/order-of-mass/liturgy-of-the-eucharist/the-real-presence-of-jesus-christ-in-the-sacrament-of-the-eucharist-basic-questions-and-answers.cfm. Accessed 7 December 2017.

Matthews, Warren. “Christianity.” World Religions. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/
Wadsworth, 2008. 313. Print.

“The Baptist Faith and Message.” Southern Baptist Convention. http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp. Accessed 7 December 2017.

The Bible. The New Oxford Annotated Version, 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2001.

 

 

Unity School of Christianity-Landon Clime and Sarah Kelchner

Summary

-founded by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in the early 20th century
-denies deity of Jesus-Jesus was just a man and an example for how we should live our lives
-God is an invisible, impersonal principle, not a person
-God is a divine universal consciousness. Man is included in that universal consciousness, so therefore humans are divine as well.
-Holy Spirit is rarely mentioned–Unity School of Christianity refers to “God’s spirit” that lives within every human and states that during Baptism, an “inflow of the Holy Spirit” occurs. Other than that, the Holy Spirit does not play a large role
-belief in reincarnation: humans are born again on earth when they “put on Christ” and undergo a mental and physical transformation. Accordingly, Jesus was “reincarnated,” not resurrected
-believe that religious experience is a more important and direct way of experiencing God than reading the Bible
-Unity School of Christianity known as a “metaphysical group”

Slick, Matt. “Unity School of Christianity”. Christian Apolegetics and Research Ministery. https://carm.org/unity-school-christianity. Accessed 23 November 2017.

Matrimony in Catholic Church and EOC. Landon Clime

The sacrament of Holy Matrimony is a very important sacrament in the religion of Christianity. The greatest marriage ever was between Jesus Christ and the Church (Matthews 314). The meaning of marriage is highlighted in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (The Bible. Ephesians 5:25 ). This is the core for all marriages under Christianity. However, like most of the sacraments, there are difference among the denominations of Christianity.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church recognizes the wedding at Cana as a sign that marriage will be a reminder of Jesus’ presence (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1613). In Catholicism, the marriage between two Catholics is held during a Holy Mass, which involves the sacrament of the Eucharist. The coming together of two Catholics represents the New Covenant, Jesus’ ultimate love by offering himself. This commemoration of the New Covenant is also in the sacrament of marriage, which is why the two sacraments are paired together during the service (1621).  The two partners take on “one flesh”. The two must be baptized members of the church in order to receive the blessing and sacrament of marriage. The marriage between a Catholic and non-Catholic/non-Catholic are referred to as mixed marriages. Mixed Marriages are not forbidden in the Catholic Church, but the Church does address that it may cause problems. For example, the education of the children of the marriage may be an issue that arises. According the Catechism, “a mixed marriage needs for liceity the express permission of ecclesiastical authority. In case of disparity of cult an express dispensation from this impediment is required for the validity of the marriage” (1635). The couple must be granted special permission from the bishop, and both parties must understand the significance and purpose of matrimony.

Even though the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church are similar in regards to marriage, their perspective on it is not identical. Foremost, the Eastern Orthodox Church does not attach as much weight to the wedding at Cana as much as the Catholic Church. The EOC developed the sacrament of marriage around baptism. The couple processes into the Church and are spoken to similarly as they were during Baptism (“Marriage”). The couple are also given crowns to recognize their Kingship and to be become his martyrs. The sacrament of marriage requires no oaths or vows; it is simply “the baptizing and confirming of human love in God by Christ in the Holy Spirit. It is the dedication of human love in the divine perfection and unity of the eternal Kingdom of God as revealed and given to man in the Church” (“Marriage). The EOC does not view this sacrament as most people believe it to be. Finally, the marriage between a member and a non-member of the EOC is permitted but must be granted by the Church. The EOC believes the creation of children reflects God’s love and care for all of his children. The procreation of children is encouraged in a marriage, but the Church does not require it if the couple is unable to.

Word Count: 520

Works Cited

Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Article 7, The Sacrament of Matrimony. 2nd ed. Vatican: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2000. Web.

 

“Marriage. The Orthodox Church in America. https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-sacraments/marriage. Accessed 20 November 2017.

Matthews, Warren. “Christianity.” World Religions. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. 314. Print.

The Bible. The New Oxford Annotated Version, 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2001.

Ethics. Paper 2

                                              Landon Clime. Paper 2. Ethics
In Buddhism, the main goal is to reach Nirvana. Nirvana is a path that is unfolded into three conducts: sila, samadhi, and prajna. The basis for this whole path are practices of moral conduct. The most fundamental guidelines for ethics in Buddhism are the Five Precepts (Shi). The Five Precepts are: to undertake the training to avoid taking the life of beings (1), to undertake the training to avoid taking things not given (2), to undertake the training to avoid sensual misconduct (3), to undertake the training to refrain from false speech (4), and to undertake the training to abstain from substances which cause intoxication and heedlessness (5) (“Buddhist”). These precepts are meant to guide the cultivation of a peaceful and calm mind and should be repeated every day. The Five Precepts are mainly focused towards the laity of Buddhism. Along with the Five Precepts, there are three additional ones that are observed on special holidays. These extra three are: to abstain from taking food at inappropriate times (6), to abstain from dancing, singing, music and entertainments as well as refraining from the use of perfumes, ornaments and other items used to adorn or beautify the person (7), and to undertake the training to abstain from using high or luxurious beds (8). Even though theses precepts are mostly common among branches, there are some slight variations.

Lay Mahayanists, who have taken the Bodhisattva vow, will follow a strict vegetarian diet (“Buddhist”). This is not a separate precept but rather a reinforcement of the first one. They interpret killing an animal for food as taking the life of a being. Traditionally, eating at “inappropriate times” means fasting from noon to sunrise of the next day. The Mahayana Sangha interpret this rule as meaning not eating between meals. Not eating from noon to sunrise would be impractical considering that some of the Mahayanan monks live in colder climates like China, Japan, and Korea (“Buddhist”). There is another precept that is not part of the first five but is one for the Buddhist monks. This precept involves handling silver and gold. In today’s culture, the Mahayana Sangha believe not being able to handle money is a handicap. The Mahayanan monks interpret this precept as avoiding the accumulation of riches to resist becoming greedy and prideful. Mahayanists interpret these precepts more moderately than Theravadins.

Because the Theravada branch is the most traditional branch, they observe the precepts the most meticulously (Matthews 119). Back to the sixth precept, the Theravada Sangha fast from noon to sunrise. Buddha ordered his arhats to beg for food to the villagers early in the morning, so they would not interrupt the people’s day to day routines. Theravadan monks still practice this ritual; however, it is less of a rule than a tradition. Regarding the gold and silver for the Theravada branch, they strictly follow this rule and do not come into physical contact with any coins. This interpretation demonstrates how the Theravada branch is most orthodox and interprets ethical guideline strictly.

Word Count: 510
Works Cited
“Buddhist Ethics.” Buddhist Studies, http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/budethics.htm. Accessed 5 October 2017.

Irons, Edward A. “Precepts, Buddhist.” Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Second Edition, Facts On File, 2016. World Religions, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/433616?q=precepts. Accessed 3 Oct. 2017.

Matthews, Warren. “Buddhism.” World Religions. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. 118-119. Print.

Shi, Guoching. “The Five and Eight Precepts.” Bodhi Monastery, http://bodhimonastery.org/the-five-and-eight-precepts.html. Accessed 5 October 2017.

Tripitaka in Mahayana and Theravada branch

Landon Clime. Paper 1. Sacred Text

The Theravada branch of Buddhism solely recognizes the Poli Canon (Tipitaka in Poli) as their only sacred text. Because the Theravada are the oldest branch of Buddhism, they accept the oldest sacred text. The Poli Cannon is comprised of oral accounts from the Buddha’s life and teachings. The Tripitaka was then made up into three different baskets (pitakas) (Irons “Tripitaka”). In this particular branch, this canon is officially closed. This means that there is no updating to the Tripitaka. The Theravada branch is the most orthodox branch of Buddhism, so the followers of this branch focus more on the earlier times of Buddhism. For example, Pali “began as a way to refer to the text used to record the Buddha’s spoken words and teachings, and to distinguish those works from commentaries” (Irons “Pali”). Pali is the original language for Buddhism, and the Theravadas still use it in their texts. This example demonstrates how this certain branch is the oldest because they use the same language that was used to record Buddha’s words. Also, the audience of the Theravada branch is the monastic community of monks and nuns (Matthews 118). As previously stated, the Tripitaka contains teachings and the words of Buddha. Buddha was mainly speaking to his arhats (monks), so the text is mainly directed towards those monks. This is why the Theravada branch still solely embodies this sacred text.

The Mahayana branch of Buddhism is a lot more focused on the laity and Buddha’s enlightenment. The people of this branch believe that enlightenment is for more than just the monastic order. They believe that the laity and everyone else are just as important as the monks. Since the Mahayana branch is more attentive to the laity, their Tripitaka is open. They constantly add texts that are called sutras. These sutras include 3,053 separate texts from the original Tripitaka (Irons “Tripitaka”). This is important because the Mahayana branch is trying to speak to an audience beyond the monastic community in Buddhism. For example, Mahayana people believe there are divine beings that can help others escape from suffering (Matthews). These beings are called Bodhisattvas. Even though the Buddha did not directly allude to these celestial beings, his followers were attracted by the idea. Because of this, they added a sutra to the Tripitaka clarifying the Bodhisattvas. The main purpose for adding all of these sutras is to grow the religion beyond the monks and nuns. Another example of this attempt for expansion in this branch is the use of Sanskrit instead of Pali. Even though the languages are very similar, Sanskrit is more frequently used in contemporary times (Irons “Sanskrit and Buddhism”). The Mahayana branch use Sanskrit for the language of their Tripitaka. They do this so the text is more accessible for the laity. The main reason the Mahayana does these things is because they are trying to speak to a different audience than the other branches in Buddhism. They achieve this by adding sutras and using Sanskrit and Pali.

Word Count: 505

 

Works Cited

Alles, Gregory D., and Robert S. Ellwood. “Buddhist Scriptures.” The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Revised Edition, Facts On File, 2006. World Religions, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/248093?q=theravada pali canon. Accessed 23 Sept. 2017.

Irons, Edward A. “Pali.” Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Second Edition, Facts On File, 2016. World Religions, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/241562?q=pali buddhism. Accessed 23 Sept. 2017.

Irons, Edward A. “Sanskrit and Buddhism.” Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Second Edition, Facts On File, 2016. World Religions, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/241785?q=sanskrit . Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

Irons, Edward A. “Tripitaka.” Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Second Edition, Facts On File, 2016. World Religions, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/241500?q=tripitaka. Accessed 23 Sept. 2017.

Matthews, Warren. “Buddhism.” World Religions. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. 103-142. Print.

 

 

The Deer Park Sermon

(Kat Close)

(Landon Clime)

The Deer Park Sermon was Buddha’s First Sermon outlining the Four Noble Truths: dukkha (suffering), tauha (craving), nirodha (cessation of suffering), and marga (8 fold path). Tathagata (a name Buddha gave himself after his enlightenment) claims that the Middle Path will eventually lead one to enlightenment and thus Nirvana. This Middle Path was discovered by Tathagata himself. It is the middle between having too much and not having enough. This discovery of the Middle Path will lead anyone to Nirvana. The Middle Path entails a list of “Rights…”: Right views, Right aspirations, Right speech, Right conduct, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right contemplation. These noble truths should be practiced through the triple order: prajna (wisdom), sila (moral conduct), and samdhi (mindfulness).