Reflection Paper

Reflection

Introduction

The formation of Christian beliefs and practices was influenced by two main contexts i.e. Religious and cultural. Being one of the massive and most widespread religion of the world and human history, Christianity has been sustainable because of its strong contextual references.

Religious Context

The most powerful and effective religious context of Christianity was Judaism. Jesus, the witnesses, and the converts to Christianity were Jews. Furthermore, their teachings were introduced in a Jewish context (Robinson, 2016). The Judaism of Jesus' chance was portrayed by strict monotheism, a steady move from sanctuary custom to individual morals, restlessness under outside control, a solid feeling of group, and desires of the happening to a messiah (Robinson, 2016).

Christianity started as a development inside Judaism at a period when the Jews had for some time been under outside impact and control and had found in their religion the linchpin of their society (Ferguson, 2003). In Palestinian Judaism the transcendent note was exclusive. A few Jewish gatherings had shaped when of Christ that held differing sees on religious power, certain theological issues, and the reaction to the Roman occupation (Ferguson, 2003).

Christians acquired from the Jews a relatively imply imagery of a God. In any case, the Greek piece of their custom contributed the concept of a God who was more prominent than any thoughts of God however who must be addressed through thoughts (Robinson, 2016). Surely, it was amid this time words, for example, essence, substance, and being came to be married to scriptural witness in the statements of faith. Christians utilized the vocabulary and repertory of choices then accessible to them in talking about the sweeping and the unutterable and united these onto the witness to God that was essential to their confidence (Robinson, 2016).

Cultural Context

The cultural context that influenced the formation of Christian beliefs and practices was also massive. It initiated from Jerusalem where power, authority and force was centralized in Jerusalem amid first century Judaism (Mendelssohn, 2013). In the given region, the Savage partisan contention existed between the diverse Jewish factions, particularly between the Pharisees, Sadducees and the Zealots who tried to control the heading of the religion (Mendelssohn, 2013). Therefore, this culture provided the Christians with their Messianic desire. Furthermore, a focal principle of Jewish belief achieved a high point amid the times of Jesus. Jewish speculation that the Messiah was to be a political friend in need was the consequence of hundreds of years of political oppression by the Romans (Lieu, North & Rajak, 2013). Jesus who looked to renew the Jewish religion in the soul of the prophets, came to be seen as the Messiah by his followers that were the Christians (Lieu, North & Rajak, 2013).

Conclusion

Critically evaluating the contexts through which Christianity has formed, it can be said that Christianity is more of a historical evolution of older religion i.e. Judaism. This is evident even today because of the similarities in share with Judaism such as belief in god, the imagery of god, his attributes, etc. Therefore, it can be said that Christianity is more historical religion.

References

Robinson, G. (2016). Essential Judaism: Updated Edition: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs & Rituals. Simon and Schuster.

Ferguson, E. (2003). Backgrounds of early Christianity. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

Mendelssohn, M. (2013). Jerusalem: or on religious power and Judaism. Brandeis University Press.

Lieu, J., North, J., & Rajak, T. (2013). The Jews among pagans and Christians in the Roman Empire. Routledge.