ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW
We recently finished studying our fourth religious tradition – Christianity. For this journal assignment, I would like you to reflect on this religious tradition and what you learned about it and from it.
The purpose of this assignment is to
help you reflect on what you learned about Christianity
To achieve the objective(s),
Review the dimensions of Christianity
Review the reading material for Christianity
See the directions and rubric for more details
INSTRUCTIONS
For your Christianity journal, I would like for you to answer the following questions:
1. What were your expectations of this religion? Before we started studying Judaism, did you have any previous knowledge or experience with this religion?
2. What were the most interesting things you learned about this religious tradition?
3. Was there anything about this religion that really surprised you? Or that defied your expectations?
4. What is one thing that you appreciate or respect about this religion? This could be an attitude, a practice, a belief, a ritual, etc.
5. Which of the two readings did you find the most interesting? Why? What did you learn about the religion from the reading? Was there anything that you agreed or disagreed with in the reading?
6. What would you like to learn more about in this religion? Or what questions do you still have about this religion?
Your journal should be at least 500 words long and contain at least two direct quotations from the readings(Kat Armas reading and MLK reading) along with the page number (if available). There are no right or wrong answers for this assignment. You will be graded on the completeness of your journal and whether you followed the assignment instructions. The journal is not due until we finish studying Hinduism, but you are welcome to start working on it as we are learning about it.
GUIDELINES
You can submit a Word doc, pdf, Google doc, or Pages document.
GRADING & FEEDBACK
Your journal will be graded within a week of submission
The criteria is outlined in the rubric below
If you turn your journal in by the due date and lose points, you may resubmit based on your written feedback
If you turn the assignment in after the due date, you may not resubmit but should still read the written feedback in order to avoid losing points in the future
CANVAS GUIDES
Here are some Canvas guides you can use to help you submit your assignment.
How to submit a text box entryLinks to an external site.
How to upload a file for submissionLinks to an external site.
How to submit other online assignments. Christianity Journal
Before studying Christianity in this class, I had some preconceived notions about the religion from my upbringing and cultural exposure. As a non-Christian growing up in a predominantly Christian society, I viewed Christianity as the dominant religious tradition. I expected it to share similarities with other Abrahamic faiths like Judaism and Islam that we had studied, such as belief in one God, sacred texts, prophets, and moral codes. However, I didn’t have a deep understanding of Christian beliefs, practices, or history.
One of the most interesting things I learned about Christianity was the diversity within it. There are over 40,000 Christian denominations worldwide with varying beliefs, especially on issues like salvation, clergy hierarchy, and interpretation of scripture (Ehrman & Jacobs, 2017). The two largest branches are Catholicism and Protestantism, but there are also Orthodox, Anglican, and independent Christian churches. I was fascinated by how Christianity splintered after the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century due to theological disagreements over doctrine (Boa & Bowman, 2001). Martin Luther’s 95 Theses challenging Catholic practices like indulgences and authority of the Pope sparked reforms that created new denominations like Lutheranism.
Something that surprised me was the centrality of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection to Christian theology. As the son of God, Christians believe Jesus’s crucifixion atoned for humanity’s sins and his resurrection offers the promise of eternal life (Boa & Bowman, 2001). Salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, not works, which differentiates Christianity from other religions emphasizing good deeds. I was also struck by how Christians commemorate Jesus’s last supper through the ritual of Holy Communion/Eucharist and reenact his crucifixion each Good Friday (Ehrman & Jacobs, 2017). These practices bring Christ’s saving acts into the present.
One aspect of Christianity I appreciate is its emphasis on social justice, charity, and nonviolence exemplified through leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King (1963) draws from Christian teachings of love and brotherhood to make a moral case for civil rights. He writes that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (p. 2) and calls on white moderates who value law and order over justice to take a stand against racism. King’s nonviolent tactics emulated Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount in preaching love of enemies. His letter inspires me with its vision of an inclusive “beloved community” where people are judged by character rather than skin color (King, 1963).
Of the two assigned readings, I found King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” most interesting because it showed how Christian principles can motivate social change. King eloquently wove biblical references like Amos 5:24 and quotes from Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Paul Tillich to justify civil disobedience against unjust laws. His appeal to natural law, justice, and God’s timing was persuasive. While I agreed with King’s message, I felt the reading by Boa and Bowman (2001) provided a more objective overview of Christian history, beliefs, and practices without taking a stance. Both readings enhanced my understanding of Christianity from different perspectives.
Some questions I still have about Christianity relate to debates within denominations. For example, how do Christians reconcile biblical literalism with scientific theories like evolution? How do progressive and conservative wings differ on social issues? I’m also curious to learn more about early Christian heresies, church fathers, monastic traditions, and missionary work that spread the faith globally. Studying another major religion like Hinduism may offer interesting points of comparison to Christianity on concepts like soteriology, eschatology, and religious authority. Overall, this class has helped dispel preconceptions and given me a foundation to continue exploring Christianity.
In conclusion, reflecting on what I’ve learned about Christianity has been an enlightening experience. The diversity within denominations, centrality of Christ, emphasis on faith over works, and influence on social justice movements surprised and interested me. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” exemplified applying Christian principles to social issues. This assignment helped synthesize my new understanding of Christianity’s history, beliefs, and practices. I appreciate having had this opportunity to study Christianity and look forward to learning more about other religious traditions.
