World Religions

Introduction to World Religions Study Guide Intercessory prayer is a prayer offered for the benefit of others. There are many intercessory prayers in the Bible; for example, the apostle Peter prayed on behalf of the sick. The effectiveness of prayer derives from the power of God, not the status of the one praying. Churches in Eastern and Western Christianity developed the tradition of asking for the intercession of deceased saints, a practice still in effect in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox religions. The Protestant Reformation removed the practice of praying to saints; instead, a belief was instilled to pray for the sole mediatorship of Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. In the Anglican traditions, The Book of Common Prayer is a guide that provides a set order for church services, such as prayers, scripture readings, hymns, or sung Psalms. 7.7 History Early Church and Christological Councils Christianity began as a Jewish sect in the Levant of the Middle East in the mid-1 st century. The earliest development was under the 12 apostles, particularly Saint Peter and the apostle Paul; this was followed by the early Bishops, who Christians consider to be the successors of the apostles. Jewish religious authorities, who disagreed with the apostles’ teachings, persecuted Christians; often, this involved severe punishments, such as death. Emperor Nero blamed them for the Great Fire of Rome. Peter and Paul of Tarsus were each martyred in Rome under Nero. Persecutions of the Church happened under the rule of nine subsequent Roman emperors, most intensely under Decius and Diocletian. From the year 150 AD, Christian teachers began producing theological and apologetic works aimed at defending the faith. Constantine I issued an edict of toleration in 313 AD, and stated persecution ceased in the 4 th century. On February 27, 380 AD, Emperor Theodosius I enacted a law establishing Nicene Christianity as the state church of the Roman Empire. Early Middle Ages After the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, the papacy became a political force. The church also started missionary activity and expansion among the various tribes. Catholicism spread among the Germanic people, the Celtic, Slavic, Hungarians, and the Baltic people. Around 500 AD, St. Benedict set out monastic rules that established a system and regulations for the foundation and running of monasteries. Monasticism was a powerful force in Europe and many centers of learning were opened in Ireland, Scotland, and Gaul. ©2018 Achieve Page 69 of 96