Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abbreviations Used for the Books of the Bible

General Abbreviations

Catholic Prayers and Devotions

Introduction to Ecumenism

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

What Is Ecumenism?

Some Guiding Principles of Ecumenism

Chapter 1:
God Reveals His Plan of Salvation

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

God Reveals Himself to Us

Sidebar: Historicity of the Bible

Revelation in the Old Testament

God the Creator

God Revealed in His Promises and Covenants

God’s Promise to Adam

God’s Covenant with Noah

Sidebar: Typology

God’s Covenant with Abraham: The Promise of a Great Nation

God’s Covenant with Moses: The Ten Commandments

Sidebar: Ten Commandments

God’s Promise to David

From David to the Messiah

Revelation in the New Testament

Christ, the Fullness of Revelation

Christ Reveals the Trinity, a Sign of Unity

Sidebar: The Epiphany of Our Lord

The End of Public Revelation

Pillars of the Faith: Pope Benedict XVI

Supplementary Reading

Study Questions

Practical Exercises

From the Catechism

Chapter 2:
The Church as the Sacrament of Salvation

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

The Church: Sacrament of Salvation

The Church: Planned from the Beginning of Creation

The Church: Prefigured in the People of Israel

The Church: Founded by Jesus Christ

The Church: Given Divine Assistance from the Blessed Trinity

The Church: The Mystical Body of Christ

Sidebar: St. Paul, Apostle

The Church: Founded upon the Apostles

St. Peter Is Given the “Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven”

Sidebar: Why St. Peter Is “the Rock”

The Primacy of St. Peter

St. Peter as the “Rock”

The Apostles Entrusted to Spread the Gospel

Apostolic Succession

The Transmission of Divine Revelation

Sidebar: Authors of the New Testament

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Magisterium, Interpreter of God’s Revelation

Pillars of the Faith: Sts. Peter and Paul

Supplementary Reading

Long-term Assignment

Study Questions

Practical Exercises

From the Catechism

Chapter 3:
The Church as the Sacrament of Communion

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

Ecclesiology of Communion

The Church as the Sacrament of Communion

What Is the Church?

Importance of Apostolic Succession

Fullness of Truth “Subsists” in the Catholic Church

The Four Marks of the Church

What Is a Christian?

The Meaning of Communion

What Does It Mean to Be in Full Communion?

Profession of Faith

Eucharistic Communion

Obedience to Authority

What Is Imperfect Communion?

Divisions in the Church

The Eucharist: Sacrament of Unity

Sidebar: USCCB Guidelines for the Reception of Communion

Salvation Outside Full Communion with the Church

Pillars of the Faith: Henri Cardinal de Lubac, S. J.

Supplementary Reading

Study Questions

Practical Exercises

From the Catechism

Chapter 4:
Churches of the East

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

Unity and Teaching Authority in the Early Church

The First Three Centuries of the Church

Constantine and the Arian Crisis (Third–Fourth Centuries)

First Ecumenical Council of Nicæa, AD 325

The Rise of Constantinople

First Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, AD 381

Schisms in the Church (Fifth Century)

Sidebar: Some Other Controversies in the Early Church

The Nestorian Schism

The Monophysite Schism

Growing Differences Between East and West, AD 500–800

The Barbarian Influence in the West

The Challenge of Different Languagesand Theological Precision

Church Structure

Sidebar: Liturgical Rites in the Church

The Liturgical Rites of the Catholic Churchin the East and West

The Filioque Controversy (Seventh Century–Present)

Sidebar: Iconoclastic Movement (Eighth Century)

The Holy Roman Empire (AD 800)

The Excommunications of 1054

The Sack of Constantinople (AD 1204)

Sidebar: “Painful” Memories, “Deep Regret”

Attempts at Reunification

Second Ecumenical Council of Lyon (AD 1274)

Ecumenical Council of Florence (AD 1431)

Sidebar: St. Josaphat of Polotsk: An Eastern Martyr for Ecumenism

Similarities and Differences Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches

Sidebar: Structure of the Eastern Orthodox Churches

In Full Communion: Eastern Catholic Churches

Eastern Christian Liturgy and Worship

Pillars of the Church: Sts. Cyril and Methodius

Supplementary Reading

Long-term Assignment

Study Questions

Practical Exercises

From the Catechism

Chapter 5:
Ecclesial Communities in Western Christianity

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

The Church in the Late Middle Ages

Church and State

Sidebar: Later Pre-Reformation Heresies

Western Schism: The Avignon Papacy (1309–1377)

The Reformation Begins

Martin Luther (1483–1546)

Martin Luther and the Ninety-five Theses

Sidebar: Catholics, Luther, and the Bible

Foundations of the Protestant Reformation

Sola Scriptura

Common Priesthood of the Faithful

Sidebar: Catholic Reformers: Desiderius Erasmus

John Calvin (1509–1564)

Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531)

Sidebar: Other Reformation and Post-Reformation Figures

The Anglican Schism

Sidebar: Divorce and Annulment

Counter Reformation

Sidebar: Catholic Reformers: St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits

Later Protestantism

Denominations in Protestantism

Similarities and Differences Among Catholics, Protestants, and Anglicans

Pillars of the Faith: Bl. Paul VI

Supplementary Reading

Study Questions

Practical Exercises

From the Catechism

Chapter 6:
Ecumenical Efforts

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

Toward Greater Christian Unity

Catholic Ecumenical Advances in the Nineteenth Century

Sidebar: Other Figures of Catholic-Orthodox Ecumenism

Oxford Movement

Sidebar: Bl. John Henry Newman

Ecumenical Prayer

From Prayer to Dialogue

Sidebar: Catholic Schisms Since the Protestant Reformation

The Second Vatican Council and Non-Catholic Churches

Ecumenism After the Council

Essential Guidelines for Ecumenism

Renewal of the Church in Fidelity to Her Vocation

Conversion of Heart

Prayer in Common

Fraternal Knowledge

Ecumenical Formation of Clergy and Laity

Dialogue Among Theologians

Collaboration Among Christians

False Ideas About Ecumenism

“Too-Easy” Ecumenism: The Truth Cannot Be Comprised

Some Groups Have Rejected Ecumenical Dialogue

Pillars of the Faith: Bl. Maria Gabriella Sagheddu

Supplementary Reading

Long-term Assignment

Study Questions

Practical Exercises

From the Catechism

Chapter 7:
Relations Between the Catholic Church and the Jewish People

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

Why Interreligious Dialogue?

The Jews, the Chosen People

Sidebar: The Old Testament Law and Catholics

Branches of Modern Judaism

Catholic and Jews: Shared Elements of Faith

Sidebar: The New Testament Books Written for Jewish Christians

Catholics and Jews: Differences in Beliefs and Religious Practices

Sidebar: The Destruction of the Temple (AD 70)

Obstacles to Dialogue

The Charge of “Deicide”

Sidebar: The Gospel of St. John and “the Jews”

Catholic-Jewish Dialogue

Scriptural Model

Recent Advances in Dialogue

Sidebar: Pope Pius XII and Nazism

Pillars of the Faith: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

Supplementary Reading

Study Questions

Practical Exercises

From the Catechism

Chapter 8:
Islam and Other Non-Christian Religions

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

A Brief History of Islam

The Rise of Muhammad

Disagreement Over Muhammad’s Successor: Shiites and Sunnis

Sidebar: St. Francis and the Sultan

The Ottoman Empire and the Battle of Lepanto

The Koran: The Muslim Holy Book

Islamic Belief and Practice

Islam and Catholicism: Similarities and Differences

Sidebar: Attitudes Toward Violence in Christianity and Islam

Catholic-Muslim Dialogue

Far Eastern World Religions

Sidebar: St. Francis Xavier, Apostle to the East

Catholic Dialogue with Non-Christian Eastern Religions

Sidebar: Are All Religions a Way to Heaven?

Non-Christian Offshoots of Christianity

Latter-day Saints

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Sidebar: Are Only 144,000 Saved?

Are Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses Christian?

Pillars of the Faith: St. John Paul II

Supplementary Reading

Long-term Assignment

Study Questions

Practical Exercises

From the Catechism

Chapter 9:
Proclamation and Dialogue: The New Evangelization

Chapter Planning Guide

Chapter Objectives

Keys to This Chapter

The Church and Salvation

Sidebar: Proclamation: Dominus Iesus

Salvation and Non-Christians

The Responsibility of Catholics to Evangelize

Fundamentals of the Proclamation

Our Call to Evangelization

Sidebar: Then Why Do Some Not Believe?

Bl. Paul VI and Evangelii Nuntiandi

Interior Conversion Is Necessary

The New Evangelization

Sidebar: St. John Paul II to Youth: “Preach It from the Rooftops”

Putting Interreligious Dialogue into Practice

Forms of Dialogue

Sidebar: Dialogue: St. John Paul II Calls for Rethinking the Papacy

Requirements for Dialogue

Sidebar: Example of Proclamation: World Youth Day

The Goal of Unity in Jesus Christ

Pillars of the Faith: Msgr. Luigi Guissani

Supplementary Reading

Study Questions

Practical Exercises

From the Catechism

STUDENT WORKBOOK

Student Workbook

RESOURCE MATERIALS

Introduction & Chapter One

Chapter Quizzes

Introduction & Chapter One

Vocabulary Reviews

Introduction & Chapter One

Ecumenism