Prologue Section 2 Judeo-Christian Tradition Objective: Examine the impact of religious values & democratic thinking Vocabulary: Judaism, Ten Commandments, Christianity, Islam, Roman Catholic Church, Renaissance, & Reformation What are some religious traditions that you or your family practices? How might religion affect different types of government? Give examples & justify your reasoning.

Setting the Stage Ideas from 3 monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, & Islam) helped to shape democratic traditions Their ideas about the worth of individuals & the responsibility of individuals to the community had a strong impact on the development of democracy

Judaism Judaism is a monotheistic religion, they believe that God chose Abraham to be the father of the Hebrew people Basic laws & teaching of Judaism come from the holy book called the Torah The Torah states that human beings were created in God’s image The Hebrews believe people are responsible for the choices they make This is the old testament God gives people the choice between good & evil

Jewish Law Teaches Morality The Jews had a written code of law This code of law was believed to be given to Moses in the form of the Ten Commandments Their code focused more on morality & ethics & less on politics Prophets emerged in the 8th century B.C. & were messengers from God

Christianity Jesus of Nazareth was born around 4-6 B.C. (he was both a Jew & a Roman subject) Jesus preached the importance of people’s love for God, their neighbors, their enemies, & themselves A Roman governor considered him a political threat & crucified him Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe was the Son of God People started to refer to him as the “king of the jews” Consider him a messiah or savior – greek term for christ

The Spread of Christianity The teachings of Jesus were recorded in the New Testament of the Bible The apostle Paul, had an enormous influence on Christianity’s development Paul declared that Christianity was a universal religion The Roman Empire was hostile to the believers of Judaism & Christianity Eventually Christianity became the official religion of the Roman empire Paul wrote letters all around teaching Christians about the world of Jesus They would persecute Jews & Christians Constantine first to convert

Islam Islam is based on the teaching of Prophet Muhammad The followers are known as Muslims who worship god who is called Allah in Arabic Islam has close ties to the prophets/teachers of Judaism & Christianity The holy book of the Muslims is the Qur’an Muhammad believed in the unity of all people that would led to tolerance of different groups within the community Believe Jesus was a prophet Muslims are required to show tolerance to Jews & Christians

The Legacy of Monotheistic Religion Several things emerged from monotheism that helped shaped democratic ideas The duty of the individual & the community to combat oppression The worth of the individual The equality of people before God

Renaissance & Reformation The Roman Catholic Church developed from Roman Christianity The Roman Catholic Church influenced all aspects of life – religious, social, & political

Renaissance Revives Classical Ideas Renaissance – was renewed interest in classical culture beginning in Italy They began to educate some men for public service rather than just service to the Church Writers became critical of the Church for a variety of reasons People began to explore ideas about political power & the role of government in the lives of ordinary people

The Reformation Challenges Church Power Reformation: religious reform movement that began in the 16th century They protested against the power & abuses of the Church 1517, Martin Luther criticized the Church’s practice of selling pardons for sins This reform movement created a new division of Christianity – Protestantism Protestantism then broke into different denominations

Legacy of the Renaissance & Reformation By challenging the authority of monarchs & popes, the Reformation indirectly contributed to the growth of democracy Both the Renaissance & the Reformation placed emphasis on the individual