The Catholic Church’s message and influence has spread across all of Europe, the Americas and even into the majority of Asia and Africa. The central issue with spreading a rather westernized religion such as Catholicism, is incorporating other country’s ideas and culture into the faith. There is no easy way to merge Catholic doctrine with other country’s culture due to the fact that some beliefs just do not assimilate with each other seamlessly. Therefore, the modern church’s daunting issue today is representing a westernized faith to other countries while simultaneously including every culture’s traditional aspects. The Making of a Local Church by Francisco F. Claver begins to divulge into the complexities with adapting the Catholic Church …show more content…
It is a widely known fact that when Christopher Columbus found the New World, European powers soon brought religion with them to these new lands. Latin America was a land where the idea of God and the Gospel was yet to established, the Church made the most of this opportunity. For the most part, Natives were basically forced into “be converted to the God of the white men” (Bedouelle, 168). Las Casa saw the issues with forcing the Gospel onto people and quickly advocated for “peaceful evangelization…with tribes reputed as being very aggressive. His efforts led indeed to pacification and the preaching of the Gospel in this territory” (Bedouelle, 169). Overtime, the colonization of Latin America led to the majority of people accepting the Catholic faith and God. The same cannot be said for Asia. In the Beginning, when Jesuit missionaries arrived in China, the Catholic faith was perceived by the Chinese as a good entity. The Jesuits, upon arriving, decided that “it would be better to adopt the dress of the scholarly Confucians” (Bedouelle, 175). The Jesuits were widely accepted by the Chinese people considering that the Jesuits unified with Chinese culture and did not enforce only Western principles. China’s problems with the Catholic faith did not occur until “Dominicans and Franciscans who penetrated the Chinese continent after …show more content…
Over the last few decades, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity has grown at a dramatic rate around the world. More and more people seem to be leaving the Catholic faith for Pentecostalism, “numbers of Asians, Africans and Latin Americans leave historically main line Christian churches for the more recently introduced Pentecostal denominations (Arbuckle, 133). In some areas of the world Pentecostalism is actually spreading faster than the Catholic faith. Pentecostalism is becoming so popular due to the fact that it advocates and expresses certain values that the Catholic Church fails to do. Pentecostalism is based off the, “traditional popular religiously, especially its emphasis on healing and liveliness in worship” (Arbuckle, 135). For most people, Pentecostalism feels more open since the presence of controlling clergy is
Chapter one, ‘Beginnings at Assisi,’ offers a vivid description of the social, political, economic, cultural, demographic description of Assisi and its inhabitants. Here, the author describes the life of Francis and the situations and circumstances prompting his journey to spread the ideal gospel life to the world. This chapter is relevant in determining the circumstances that instigated a need for reforms in the Catholic Church. This chapter is applicable in my life because it offers insight on the fundamental Christian I can rely on in my daily life.
Through the close study of two of the aspects shown in the diagram, their contributions allow Christianity to be considered a living religious tradition. The significant contributions of Pope John XXIII, during both his papal and Pre-papal life have had everlasting effects on not only Catholicism, but Christianity as a whole and lead to the sense of Christianity being a living religious tradition. His works include two Papal encyclicals, Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris, along with his work being Apostolic Delegate of Greece and Turkey. Moreover, The significant practice of Baptism has further contributed to Christian being considered a living religious tradition as it accounts for the premise of most Christian beliefs to be initiated, especially in terms of salvation and affirming the beliefs in the trinity and following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Religion is a huge part of the lives of the people of Latin America. It is not so much just a belief but a way of life.Whenever you discuss religion in Latin America you have to be able to understand the meaning of the Church, because of the fact that approximately 90% of the people who live in this region practice Catholicism. Due to Spanish and Portuguese colonization that started in the 1500s. Latin America was under the control of the Catholic Church,and about 80% of the Latin Americans identified as Catholics. While the Catholic Church is a big part and has a big political impact too in Latin America, it can no longer be seen as the only religion practiced. The religious image of Latin America is further clouded and complicated by
During the fourteenth century, the facilitation of trade and communication throughout Eurasia caused the Mongols to unintentionally expedite the spread of the bubonic plague in South- western China causing the disappearance of Christianity. However, in the sixteenth century, when the world economy began to stabilize, Roman Catholic missionaries made their way throughout Asia to win converts and set up churches, monasteries, and Christian communities by using European science, technology, and mechanics to piqué Chinese and Japanese curiosity. Without any adaptations of Proselytism “off limits”, it ensured the rise of Christianity in Asia after the demographic recovery of Europe. Missions conducted by notable Jesuits, such as, Matteo Ricci made Christianity both accessible and more appealing to the culturally and ethnically diverse population of Asia through language and technology while St. Francis Xavier, another missionary, took a similar approach but focused more on the arguments placed against Christianity. Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit priest, traveled from Portugal in trying to persuade China into adopting the Christian doctrine. Ricci and his cohorts were the first missionaries to make significant progress in China during the seventeenth century. Although he failed to evangelize all of China, his method of introducing Christianity created a significant cultural impact. These impacts required him to learn and be familiar with the Chinese language. Upon arrival to China, Ricci learned “to speak the native language and to read their books,” (Ricci, 271) which helped him to communicate with the locals about European science, technology, and mechanics. The document entitled, “A Discourse of the Kingdom of China” by Matteo Ricci...
The Story of Christianity is a very informative summation; a continuation of Volume 1 which covered the beginning of the church up to the Protestant Reformation, while Vol. 2 dealt with the Protestant Reformation up to more modern time period. This author delivers a more comprehensive and deeper look into the development of Christianity, which includes particular events which had transpired throughout the world; particularly how Christianity has expanded into Central and South America. Gonzalez opens up this book with the “Call for Reformation,” where he shares with his readers the need for reform; the papacy had started to decline and was corrupt, in addition to the Great Schism, which had further weakened the papacy (p.8). The author explains how the church was not the only issue but that the church’s teachings were off track as well, seeing that the people had deviated from...
Throughout the Western culture, Christianity has played a crucial role in the spiritual life of many people. In fact, it is a one of the largest religion in the world with an estimating range from 2 to 3 billion Christians (Religions of the World: Numbers of Adherents; Growth Rates). Spreading with this worldwide religion, the idea that God is at the centre of daily life has a high importance to many people. In the early 20th Century, one of the significant developments of Christianity was the Pentecostal Movement (A Brief History of Christianity). More specifically, Pentecostalism is “the principles and practices of Pentecostal religious groups, characterized by religious excitement and talking in tongues”; its most remarkable detail is its emphasis of the Holy Spirit and the value of prayer (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn). It has outspread around the world by the people who believed that they had experienced the marvelous moves of God.
The spreading of Christian views and beliefs were very popular amongst the French and Spanish societies. Both the French and Spanish missionaries took it upon themselves to travel to the “New World” to spread the message of Christ. Many of the missionaries were not prepared to deal with the very different lifestyles and religious views that the natives had. The missionaries had to use many tactics to relay the message of Christ to the native people of the Americas. Many missionaries would struggle at converting the natives while on their religious quest to mission. Both the French and the Spanish would feel as though it is their duty to try and convert these pagan believers to Catholicism. This would ultimately lead to conflict amongst the different cultures. This paper will discuss the many different tactics used by both the French and Spanish missionaries in trying to convert and spread Catholicism. It will also discuss how they also viewed the lifestyle and culture of the natives. Lastly I will discuss how the natives responded to the missionaries and what they thought of these foreign invaders.
...er of evangelical history, in which the Pentecostal-charismatic movement is quickly supplanting the fundamentalist-conservative one as the most influential evangelical impulse at work today”(Carpenter 237). The neo-fundamentalist movement, stemming from Graham and Falwell, is just another story in the rise and fall of influential popular movements, as now Pentecostalism has become the fastest growing form of Christianity in the world, with three to four hundred million adherents(Notes 12/3). The pattern in this rise and fall tends to be pieces that overlap and pieces that change and fundamentalism is no different. This was a movement that survived through hardships and adapted to welcome every human being, but it appears that it will remain mainly a twentieth century phenomenon as new forms of the pattern take its’ place.
Religion in Latin America has always been tied closely to Catholicism because of the influence of Europeans who came to settle South America, bringing along their Catholic foundation. With the early formations of governments in Latin America, church and state were closely linked. The church had significant influence over what happened in the political realm of the countries’ relations. The case was no different for Colombia. The Catholic church has played a significant role in the history of Colombia, assuming an esteemed status in the country and exercising control over different areas of the government and public affairs, but as time passed its role in power has taken a slight downturn.
Mead, Loren B. The Once and Future Church Reinventing the Congregation for a New Mission Frontier . The Alban Institute, Inc., 1991. Kindle eBook file.
When mentioned to the general public, the word “Pentecostalism” generates three diverse responses: confusion, mockery, and tolerance; some people never heard of the word, some people view it as being infamous, and the rest accept it. According to the Oxford dictionary, Pentecostalism “relates to any number of Christian sects emphasizing baptism in the Holy Spirit.” Misconceptions originated from the misunderstanding of the history of Pentecostalism, along with the notion that Pentecostalism is one sect when, in fact, there are many divisions. The largest of these is the teachings of Charismatic’s, which make up the most prevalent part of the denomination and have been the driving force for the assumptions and reputation that Pentecostalism has garnered. To truly understand Pentecostalism, one needs to learn the religions history, the standard beliefs of the various sects, and the contemporary changes that some followers have made in the recent years that have fueled the current fallacy about the belief system.
The first Catholic priests came to South America with the conquistadors and through social and political force superimposed 16th century Catholicism upon conquered peoples and in subsequent generations upon slaves arriving in the New World. Catholicism has, likewise, frequently absorbed, rather than confronted, popular folk religious beliefs. The resulting religion is often overtly Catholic but covertly pagan. Behind the Catholic facade, the foundations and building structure reflect varying folk religious traditions. (2)
The discovery of the Americas inspired the desire to explore for a multitude of counties and societies throughout Europe as it represented opportunity during a time in which this was often restricted. Social mobility was limited due to absolutism in government and religious freedom was becoming a dilemma due to the conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. One faction, the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, became known for traveling to regions all over the world to strive for their specific objective. They aimed to convert nonbelievers in order to spread the teachings of Catholicism as a response to the Reformation movement that shook Europe. Jesuits also placed a great emphasis on created educational establishments. To them, the Americas represented a land full of uneducated, potential Catholic converts and this inspired them on missions of discovery. They were especially impactful in South America, specifically in what is now known as Brazil and Paraguay. While their efforts are often portrayed as a sacrificial effort with the noble intention of saving souls, it truly sought to increase the power of their order, the Catholic Church, and the country of Spain. Jesuits used religion as a justification for the political advantages gained by their
Why is the Catholic Church so corrupt in its teaching? They have found ways to control the knowledge that their followers contemplate on. The control of knowledge and power is the foundation for every successful religious organization. The Catholic Church have acquired this power through strategic control on the mind of its follower. The Catholic Church propagate their ideals as righteous in order to be accepted; for without this acceptance, they are faced with the task of initiating this power through force. So to beguile their followers, they present themselves in “sheep clothing” (KJV, Matt 7:15). They are accepted as blameless, peaceful, loving and harmless but in actuality, “they are ravening wolves” (KJV, Matt. 7:15).
The Roman Catholic Church had complete influence over the lives of everyone in medieval society including their beliefs and values. The Church’s fame in power and wealth had provided them with the ability to make their own laws and follow their own social hierarchy. With strong political strength in hand, the Church could even determine holidays and festivals. It gained significant force in the arts, education, religion, politics as well as their capability to alter the feudal structure through their wealth and power.