Sacramental Theology

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that one cannot expect to understand baptism without first understanding the sacraments and beliefs of Christianity in general. The writer also notes that it is important to have an understanding of Christianity itself in order to be aware of what the Book of Psalms really means for Christians. Further, the writer points out that it is sad that the teachings of Jesus stay mostly in the church, where everybody already knows what they are, instead of making their way out onto the street where not nearly enough people know them or try to make them work. The writer concludes that it is easy to be holy in church, but far harder to be holy out on the street where all of the aggravations and temptations take away from the truth of the sacraments and the beliefs of Christianity, and cause difficulties for many people.

From the Paper:

"One cannot expect to understand Baptism, however, without first understanding the sacraments and beliefs of Christianity in general. The Book of Psalms has often been said to be the "book of evidences" to discuss and strengthen the Christian faith and the reasoning behind it. It still applies to Christianity today and can easily be used by a counselor or other individual in order to help those that are struggling with their faith because of the significance of much of what the Book of Psalms has to say regarding Jesus Christ and what He did for humanity (Lawler, 1996). This has much to do with why the sacraments are used in the ways that they are. It is important to have an understanding of Christianity itself in order to be aware of what the Book of Psalms really means for Christians. Christianity has many similarities to Judaism (Burr, 1961). In fact, the term 'Christian' was first used in Syria to find a name for an emerging religious movement that was made up of both Jews and Gentiles. These individuals worshipped the messiah, which was the title given to a Jewish teacher named Jesus of Nazareth. The Romans had executed Jesus as a political criminal in Judea."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Burr, Nelson Rollin. (1961). A Critical Bibliography of Religion in America. 2 vols. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
• George, Timothy. (23 October 1995). What We Mean When We Say, It's True. Christianity Today.
• Holy Bible. (1973). New International Version. New York: New York Bible Society International.
• Lawler, Michael. (1996). Symbol and Sacrament: A Contemporary Sacramental Theology. Creighton University Press.

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