World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide In addition, he translated the Bible into simpler terms (instead of Latin) to make it more accessible to the common man. Those who identify with Luther are called Lutherans. Luther himself insisted on Christian or Evangelical as the acceptable name for those who professed Christ. Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into German influenced the writing of the Bible in English. He married a former nun and set a model for the practice of clerical marriage, which allowed the clergy to marry. Later in life, he wrote some antagonistic pieces against the Jews, citing that Jewish homes and synagogues should be destroyed and their money taken from them. Many of his followers later condemned him. He contributed by writing The Large Catechism for pastors and teachers and The Small Catechism for the laity. He stated the Trinity as follows: the Father creates, the Son redeems, and the Spirit sanctifies. They are a Divine unity with separate personalities. Salvation originates with the Father. Luther’s catechetical teaching includes the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer. Luther also wrote many hymns that are still sung in many Protestant churches today. Beliefs Though there are important differences of opinion concerning the Bible, beliefs, creeds, and afterlife, Christians hold a shared set of beliefs that are essential to the faith. All believe in eternal life since Christians believe in God and the remission and forgiveness of their sins (salvation). They believe that Jesus arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, where he sits and rules with the Father. Most denominations state that Jesus will return at the end of the world to judge the living and the dead, and that there will be an afterlife for His followers. In the early 21 st century, there were approximately 2.2 billion followers of Christianity. Christianity still represents 1/3 of the world’s population and is the world’s largest religion. Among all Christians, 37.5% live in the Americas, 25.7% live in Europe, 22.5% live in Africa, 13.1% live in Asia, 1.2% live in Oceania, and 0.9% live in the Middle East. Further, Christianity has played a critical role in the shaping of the sub-Saharan African and Western civilizations. One central theme is the belief in the Ten Commandments that were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai around 13 th or 14 th century BC. The record of the Ten Commandments is in Exodus 20:2-17 and in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Ten Commandments: 1. You shall have no other gods before Me 2. You shall make no idols 3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain 4. Keep the Sabbath day holy 5. Honor your father and your mother 6. You shall not murder ©2018 Achieve Page 61 of 96