The Christian Church in the Global Community (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

The Christian Church & Reconciliation

The Worldwide Church

• Although Christianity has many different denominations, they are all united by the fact that they are part of the worldwide church

• There are approximately 2.4 billion Christians worldwide

• Some countries, such as China, are seeing an increasing number of people following Christianity

• Christianity is represented in a global capacity in various ways

  • For example, the Catholic Church is a member of the United Nations as it is based in Vatican City, an independent state

  • There is also the World Council of Churches, a worldwide inter-Church organisation founded in 1948

  • Organisations such as these provide a means for Christianity to be represented on an international level and they try to bring people together

Christianity and Reconciliation

• Reconciliation is the process of bringing together people who are opposed to one another

• In Christianity, it is associated with Jesus reconciling humanity with God through his death

• Reconciliation is also linked to forgiveness, as it may be necessary to show forgiveness  to resolve a disagreement

• Similarly, Christians believe that God shows forgiveness to those who have sinned if they are willing to demonstrate forgiveness to others

• Christians believe humans were reconciled to God through Jesus’ death and resurrection

  • This helped to restore the relationship between God and humanity which had been broken through sin

• The Gospel of Matthew (New Testament) teaches that Christians should be reconciled to each other

• Reconciliation is therefore an important part of the Church’s work

• This might involve anything from trying to restore relationships between people, to working for peace between different groups or nations

• Reconciliation is an important aim of organisations such as the World Council of Churches

  • Church leaders aim to help countries or groups that disagree to sort out their difficulties and live together peacefully

Reconciliation in Action

• Corrymeela is an example of an ecumenical movement 

  • It is a residential centre on the north coast of Northern Ireland

  • It is open to everyone and receives 11,000 visitors each year

  • The centre was established in 1965 by Ray Davey, a former chaplain who witnessed the bombing of the German city of Dresden when he was held there as a prisoner of war during World War Two

  • Returning to Belfast, he was concerned about increasing tensions between Protestant and Catholic communities in Northern Ireland and so, with the help of students at Queen’s University, founded Corrymeela

  • The centre promotes reconciliation through:

    • Offering a safe space where people from different communities can meet and build relationships

    • Working with schools, churches and community groups

    • Delivering personal development training and team-building 

    • Running residential courses with outdoor activities and group discussions

    • Volunteering in schools to prevent or deal with conflict and tension

    • Running international youth conferences, designed by young people from all over the world

Persecution of the Christian Church

Christianity and Persecution

• There are some parts of the world where Christians have been and continue to be persecuted

  • This means they are not able to practise their religion freely and safely

• Christians have faced persecution from the earliest days of the Church, such as in the persecution of the Roman Emperor Nero in the 1st century

• This persecution has continued to the present time, for example with Christians being persecuted in some communist countries

• Sometimes, Christians face imprisonment and even violence for their beliefs, such as members of the Christian Church in China

• Christians believe they should work to overcome persecution and break down barriers

• Some Christians support those being persecuted or try to educate those who are the persecutors

• Organisations such as the World Council of Churches try to work towards peace

  • They also aim to support people who are being persecuted

Divergent Christian Teachings on Charity

Christianity and Charity

• Christian belief in giving to charity and helping others is based on the bible and the teachings of Jesus

  • Jesus told his followers that the greatest commandment was to love God and to love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:31)

    • ‘Loving your neighbour’ means to help anybody in need, no matter who they are

  • Jesus said, ‘A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’ (John 13:34–5)

    • The love that Jesus encourages is the unconditional love known as ‘agape’ love

  • The Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25:31–46) strongly encourages Christians to take action to help those in need

    • In this parable, Jesus makes it clear that a life worthy of the reward of Heaven must involve actively helping people in need

    • Jesus explains that helping a person, no matter how low in status the person may be, is just the same as helping Jesus

  • The Bible message is clear about the dangers of wealth and the importance of charity: ‘It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than to enter the kingdom of God’ (Matthew 19:24) and ‘Those who have two coats, give one to the man who has none’ (Luke 3:11)

  • Following these teachings, many Christians are involved in charity work where they can put this into action

Divergent Christian Attitudes to Charity

• Some Christians will tithe, or give a set amount of their salary (normally 10%) to help others 

  • Other Christians believe that there is no set amount but that you should give what you can afford

• Some Christians will work with organisations like Christian Aid to actively help and support those in need

  • Other Christians may take part in fundraising events and give money to charities to do important work on their behalf

The Work of Christian Aid

Christian Aid

• Christian Aid is an organisation that works all over the world to try and eradicate poverty

• It campaigns against injustice and aims to change government policy when it leads to persecution or inequality

• Christian Aid is based upon the teachings and the values of the bible and therefore believes that

  • Everyone should be treated with compassion

  • Every human deserves respect and dignity

  • Equality and justice should be available for all

  • All humans are accountable for their actions

• The organisation aims to create a more equal world, where all people have the same opportunities and rights

• Part of the work of Christian Aid involves encouraging more people to be global citizens and creating a more environmentally sustainable world

  • Christian Aid has recently worked to develop what they call sustainable development goals which are aimed at protecting the planet

  • There are 17 goals in total, and they include:

    • Affordable and clean energy

    • Sustainable cities and communities

    • Climate action

Examples of the Work of Christian Aid