2 Jenna Horgan St Thomas University REL 2300 Professor Laino October 31, 2022 Christian Symbols A common Christian symbol is a cross. It is a significant symbol for many reasons. The cross symbolizes the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also signifies the devotion of God to sacrifice his only son for the redemption of the human race. Crosses were used before the Christian era; however, their use cannot be labelled as faith-based or not. The widespread use of the cross began in the 4th century when emperor Constantine became a Christian, prohibited the death penalty by crucifixion, and promoted the cross as a symbol of Christianity. The cross has been used by many popular figures, including the pope, who is the head of the catholic church, where it forms part of the regalia and paraphernalia. Christians use the cross in many ways. Some Christians use it for prayer, while others use it as a protective tool against evil spirits. It is also worn as an expression of faith. Sacred Scriptures Many scriptures in the Bible guide the practice of Christianity. Every scripture in the Bible is regarded as sacred because the Bible is said to contain a word from God. The scriptures are divided into two; the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament gives a synopsis of the history of Christianity, a revelation of God's heart, and provides the foundational basis for comprehending the New Testament. On the other hand, the New Testament disseminates the life and significance of Jesus and his mission on earth and guides the practice of Christianity. They facilitate the various stages of Christianity, such as salvation, death, growth in spiritualism, baptism by water, and the spirit of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, these sacred scriptures play a significant role in churches. Beliefs and Practices Salvation and redemption are significant tenets of Christianity. The religion by itself alludes to followers of Christ dedicated to living a righteous life and abiding by the dictates of God's kingdom. However, to qualify as a Christian believer, the son of God, you need to be reborn. To be reborn is a metaphor symbolizing accepting salvation, abandoning the old life, and embracing the new life under the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Salvation and redemption are significant phases in Christianity. The scriptures indicate that a person can only go to heaven after accepting Christ as lord and personal savior. That is the ticket to heaven and the afterlife. When people die without salvation and redemption, the religion presupposes an afterlife in hell full of suffering and tribulations. Going to heaven is the objective of Christianity, and it is only through salvation that an individual is qualified to go to heaven after death. Prayer and Worship The notion of prayer and worship is a critical aspect of Christianity. Every religion has ways of appeasing its gods through songs and invocations (Ruth and Lim Swee Hong, 2021, 87). The religion h.

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Jenna Horgan
St Thomas University
REL 2300
Professor Laino
October 31, 2022
Christian Symbols
A common Christian symbol is a cross. It is a significant
symbol for many reasons. The cross symbolizes the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also signifies the devotion of
God to sacrifice his only son for the redemption of the human
race. Crosses were used before the Christian era; however, their
use cannot be labelled as faith-based or not. The widespread use
of the cross began in the 4th century when emperor Constantine
became a Christian, prohibited the death penalty by crucifixion,
and promoted the cross as a symbol of Christianity. The cross
has been used by many popular figures, including the pope, who
is the head of the catholic church, where it forms part of the
regalia and paraphernalia. Christians use the cross in many
ways. Some Christians use it for prayer, while others use it as a

2. protective tool against evil spirits. It is also worn as an
expression of faith.
Sacred Scriptures
Many scriptures in the Bible guide the practice of Christianity.
Every scripture in the Bible is regarded as sacred because the
Bible is said to contain a word from God. The scriptures are
divided into two; the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament gives a synopsis of the history of
Christianity, a revelation of God's heart, and provides the
foundational basis for comprehending the New Testament. On
the other hand, the New Testament disseminates the life and
significance of Jesus and his mission on earth and guides the
practice of Christianity. They facilitate the various stages of
Christianity, such as salvation, death, growth in spiritualism,
baptism by water, and the spirit of the Holy Ghost. Therefore,
these sacred scriptures play a significant role in churches.
Beliefs and Practices
Salvation and redemption are significant tenets of Christianity.
The religion by itself alludes to followers of Christ dedicated to
living a righteous life and abiding by the dictates of God's
kingdom. However, to qualify as a Christian believer, the son of
God, you need to be reborn. To be reborn is a metaphor
symbolizing accepting salvation, abandoning the old life, and
embracing the new life under the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Salvation and redemption are significant phases in Christianity.
The scriptures indicate that a person can only go to heaven after
accepting Christ as lord and personal savior. That is the ticket
to heaven and the afterlife. When people die without salvation
and redemption, the religion presupposes an afterlife in hell full
of suffering and tribulations. Going to heaven is the objective
of Christianity, and it is only through salvation that an
individual is qualified to go to heaven after death.
Prayer and Worship
The notion of prayer and worship is a critical aspect of
Christianity. Every religion has ways of appeasing its gods

3. through songs and invocations (Ruth and Lim Swee Hong, 2021,
87). The religion has accepted some rituals as the only way of
communicating and experiencing the presence of their gods.
Without such an experience, the notion is that accessing the
gods shall be an impossible task. The same applies to
Christianity. Prayer and worship are channels through which
Christians can communicate and experience the presence of
God. Voorst (2017,41) contends that “Deities or spirits are not
worshiped in a detached way; they are ritually invoked and
engaged as inhabitants and agents of the world itself.” For the
faithful Christian religion, there is the belief that the church is
where God communes; therefore, it becomes important for
people to congregate in churches for spiritual nourishment. The
church helps Christians grow spiritually by offering a platform
where the word of God can be shared for everyone's benefit.
Church Is normally regarded as a gathering of saints to praise,
worship God and enrich the soul.
Morality – Code of Ethics
Sin and forgiveness are reoccurring teachings in the Bible,
especially in the New Testament. The Christian God is full of
mercy and always wishes good for his people. The Old
Testament provides a deeper understanding of how God dealt
with transgressions. Cities were destroyed, and people lost lives
through brimstones, floods, and plagues. The New Testament,
however, shows a God who was merciful to his people and
proved himself by sending his only son to earth to be crucified
so that the sins of the people could be forgiven. The Bible
emphasizes forgiveness and states that people should forgive
their enemies seventy by seven times daily. That teaches us that
we should be quick to forgive and not hold grudges. In the same
measure, the Bible admonishes those who sin to always ask for
forgiveness from God every day before the sun sets. In the same
breath, the wages of sin are death, and Christians are
encouraged to walk in the counsel of the righteous to avoid
temptations.
Christianity in Context

4. In every society, conflicts will always arise due to divergence
in beliefs, opinions, traditions, or objectives. Human beings are
predisposed to conflicts. However, understanding the concept
and principle of sin and forgiveness can assist Christians in
navigating through those challenges (Patterson, 2010, 102).
Anything that causes strife, discomfort, and conflicts manifest
sin and can condemn a person to hell. As Christians, we must
understand that maintaining conflicts is sinful. It is cogent for
Christians always to find solutions to problems. Forgiveness
should always be extended to those that wrong us, and we
should seek forgiveness from those we offend. It will not be
easy to coexist peacefully without understanding the concept of
forgiveness. Understanding sin and forgiveness is crucial in
determining the value of our interpersonal relationships.
References
Ruth, Lester, and Lim Swee Hong. 2021.
A History of Contemporary Praise & Worship. Baker
Academic.
Van, Robert E. 2020.

5. RELG : World, 4e. Boston, Ma: Cengage Learning ;
4Ltr.
Christianity Written Report
Due: October 31, 2022, at 8 am
Background Information
When studying the different religions of the world we tend of
focus on the distinctions between these religions
and understanding what makes them unique, however it is
important to note that although these religions are
distinct and unique in their own way, there are common themes
and structures that can be applied to them.
Some of the common elements present in the different religions
that we will be studying this semester are:
- Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Writings
o Divinely inspired writings that contain origins of the religion,
essential beliefs, and major
teachings. Some religions also revere writings of prominent
figures throughout their history
who have contributed to expounding the theology of the religion
(ex: writings of the
Christian saints)

6. - Beliefs and Practices
o Tenets of the religion that unify its community of believers on
a variety of topics ranging
from their relationship with the divine, soteriology, creation,
eschatology, anthropology, etc.
- Prayer and Worship
o Liturgical practices that believers of the faith participate in
throughout their daily lives. Some
liturgical practices and rituals of prayer are performed in
conjunction with the celebration of
religious festivals at particular times of the week (ex: Sabbath)
or times of the year (ex:
Christmas)
- Morality – Code of Ethics
o Guiding principles that adherents of the faith abide by
throughout their lives informed by the
theology of the religion
- History
o Understanding how the religion was established and the
advances of the religion throughout
human history that shape the global image of the religion today
while also recognizing
changes in theology that have occurred throughout history due
to major historical events

7. Report Instructions
In your readings of Chapter 1 – Beginning Your Study of World
Religions and Chapter 11 – Encountering
Christianity: The Way of Jesus Christ you have gained a better
understanding of what a religion is and how it is
classified as well as the various aspects of a religion and you
have seen how those aspects of a religion are
understood in light of Christianity. You will now use the
information gleaned in these chapters to expand upon
particular elements of Christianity enumerated below:
1. Christian Symbols – ½ page
a. Identify and a common Christian symbol and explain its
significance
i. Consider the following:
1. History/Origins of the symbol
2. Important religious figure(s) associated with the symbol and
their involvement
with it
3. How the symbol is utilized by Christians today?
a. Is it used during prayer/worship?
b. Worn as an outward sign of faith?
2. Sacred Scriptures – ½ page
a. Describe the Christian Sacred Scriptures and expound upon
they are used in the life of the

8. Church today
3. Beliefs and Practices – ½ page
a. Articulate a central tenet of Christianity that involves one of
the following categories:
i. Creation
ii. Soteriology – Salvation and Redemption
iii. Suffering
iv. Metaphysical beings – God and the divine
v. Eschatology
1. Death and the afterlife
4. Prayer and Worship – ½ page
a. Discuss the Christian notion of prayer and worship while
addressing the importance of going
to going to church and attending mass
5. Morality – Code of Ethics – ½ page
a. Convey a Christian moral teaching based on one of the
following:
i. Sin and Forgiveness
ii. Virtues
iii. Freedom and Free will
iv. Treatment of the marginalized in society
v. How Christians conduct themselves in accordance with the
laws of faith?

9. 6. Christianity in Context – ½ page or more
a. Select one of the principles of Christianity that you have
written about in this report in
sections 1 – 5 and explain why you think it is important to be
cognizant of this tenant of faith
when caring for Christians in your line of work.
i. You may share a personal experience that you may have had
with a Christian in your
line of work based on this tenant of faith or how you think
having a better
understanding of this particular faith principle will shape your
future interactions with
Christians in your line of work
Formatting Guidelines
When completing this written report, the following guidelines
must be followed. Failure to do so will result in
points being deducted from your grade:
a. This report must be typed in 12pt. font, double-spaced, &
Times New Roman
b. Each section of the report must:
a. Include Section Title on a separate line
i. Ex: Christian Symbols, Christianity in Context, etc.
b. Be at least ½ page in length
c. Incorporate at least 1 direct quotation from either the course
text (World RELG4:
Introduction to World Religions) or one of the

10. databases/encyclopedias available
through St. Thomas University Library with an appropriate
citation
i. When citing your sources, you must use Chicago Manuel
Style