Living Religious Tradition Essay.

Christianity, through its various sources of authority and religious teachings, is proved not to be static, but rather a living religious tradition in the life of its adherents. This can be seen through many factors, such as significant religious personalities, practices and ethical teachings that have stood the test of time and continued to be relevant to adherents in a modern context.

Luke’s post-resurrection account highlights that whilst Jesus is no longer among Christians, his presence is still felt by adherents, as it was by his disciples whose hearts burnt within them when he appeared to them. The passage also highlights the importance of ritual in the Christian tradition, through the reference to the breaking and blessing of the bread. By following Jesus’ actions, Christianity keeps alive the authority of God, particularly in the ritual of baptism as it was Jesus’ great commission that adherents “... make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. (Matthew 28)

Such a ritual is also significant to ensuring that Christianity is a living tradition as there is a strong link between baptism and salvation, with Jesus stating “he who has faith and is given baptism will get salvation; but he who has not faith will be judged”, and that “... if a man’s birth is not from water and from the Spirit, it is not possible for him to go into the kingdom of God”.

Thus, this particular tradition is important for both the individual (as they themselves become “temples of the Holy Spirit”) and also the community, as such rituals serve to establish a community of faith and keep the knowledge of Christian tradition and spirituality alive. As can be seen in the quote, such rituals ensure that Jesus “will be with (US) always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28), even after his own death and resurrection.

Similarly, Christian teachings are seen to affect the everyday lives of adherents through modern issues such environmental problems. In confronting such situations, Christians are increasingly returning to source of authority, such as the Scriptures and religious doctrine in order to understand the ethical response they need to undertake. Environmental issues such as global warming and deforestation are becoming more and more apparent in the global community, and thus Christians have taken action by forming environmental organisations such as A Rocha and the Christian Ecology Link.

Genesis in particular is the foundation for Christian environmental ethics, as “god placed man in the Garden of Eden and instructed him to till it and tend to it”. Thus, Christians today can