Portal:Christianity/Article Archive/Suggestions

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Are there any comprehensive or fascinating Christianity-related articles that deserve to be shared? Please nominate them here, by adding them to the top of the page.

Unsuccessful nominations can be found at /Removed.

Contents 1 Knights of Columbus 1.1 Summary 2 Early life of Joseph Smith, Jr. 2.1 Summary 3 Father Damien 3.1 Summary 4 Pope Pius XII 4.1 Summary 5 Revised Standard Version 5.1 Summary 6 Shakers 6.1 Summary 7 Shroud of Turin 7.1 Summary 8 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 8.1 Summary 8.2 Modified version 9 The Way of the Master 9.1 Summary 9.2 Modified version 10 Jehovah's Witnesses 10.1 Summary 10.2 Modified version 10.3 Modified second paragraph 10.4 Final version

[edit] Knights of Columbus

[edit] Summary

The Order of the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus and dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. There are more than 1.7 million members in 14,000 councils, with nearly 200 councils on college campuses. Membership is limited to practical Catholic men aged 18 or older.

Councils have been chartered in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, the Philippines, Guam, Saipan, and most recently in Poland. The Knights' official junior organization, the Columbian Squires, has over 5,000 Circles. All the Order's ceremonials and business meetings are restricted to members though all other events are open to the public. A promise not to reveal any details of the ceremonials except to an equally qualified Knight is required to ensure their impact and meaning for new members; an additional clause subordinates the promise to that Knight's civil and religious duties.

• It's a featured article relating to a subject directly tied to Christianity, and I for one like seeing the featured articles get a lot of exposure, given the amount of work that was put into them. Badbilltucker 15:51, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Used for April 2007.

[edit] Early life of Joseph Smith, Jr.

[edit] Summary

The early life of Joseph Smith, Jr. covers the period from his birth on December 23, 1805, to the end of 1827, when Latter Day Saints believe Smith located a set of Golden Plates engraved with ancient Christian scriptures, buried in a hill near his home in Manchester, New York.

Joseph Smith, Jr. was the principal founder and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, which gave rise to Mormonism, and includes such denominations as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ. Smith's followers believe he was a latter-day prophet.

This early period of Smith's life is significant within Mormonism because it represents the time when Smith is said to have first acted as a prophet, had a theophany (called by his followers the First Vision), and to have obtained the Golden Plates, the source material for the Book of Mormon, a Latter Day Saint sacred text. During this period, Smith was influenced by numerous religious and cultural trends in early United States history. The nation at the time was undergoing a cultural reaction against the secularism of the Age of Enlightenment, called the Second Great Awakening. In addition, Americans' widespread acceptance of folk religion up until the 1830s and a growing interest in forming separate religious communities created ripe conditions for a young man such as Smith to successfully build a religion based on the appearance of angels and the miraculous translation of ancient records. Latter Day Saints view the events in Smith's early life as evidencing his calling as a prophet and as providing the basis for organizing the Church of Christ.

• As stated, I like seeing featured articles get attention. Badbilltucker 16:25, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Father Damien

[edit] Summary

Father Damien, formally Joseph (Jozef) de Veuster, ss.cc. and Blessed Damien of Molokai (January 3, 1840 – April 15, 1889), was a Flemish Catholic missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary who is revered primarily by Hawaii residents and Christians for having dedicated his life in service to the lepers of Molokai in the Kingdom of Hawaii. In Catholicism, Father Damien is the spiritual patron of people with leprosy, outcasts, and those with HIV/AIDS, and of the State of Hawaii. Father Damien Day is recognized each year in Hawaii on April 15. His Feast Day in the Catholic Church is May 10. Having been beatified in 1995, Father Damien is awaiting formal approval for sainthood.

The Father Damien Statue memorializes the priest in bronze at the United States Capitol. A full size replica stands in front of the Hawaii State Legislature. In 1995, Pope John Paul II beatified him and bestowed the official title of Blessed Damien of Molokai.

On December 1, 2005, Father Damien was chosen as the Greatest Belgian of all time by the Flemish public broadcasting service, VRT.

• Featured article, Christian person. Badbilltucker 16:25, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pope Pius XII

[edit] Summary

Pope Pius XII (Latin: Pius PP. XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), reigned as the 260th pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and sovereign of Vatican City State from March 2, 1939 until his death.

His leadership of the Catholic Church during World War II and the Holocaust remains the subject of continued historical controversy. Before election to the papacy, Pacelli served as secretary of the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, papal nuncio and cardinal secretary of state, in which roles he worked to conclude treaties with European nations, most notably the Reichskonkordat with Germany. After World War II, he was a vocal supporter of lenient policies toward vanquished nations, including amnesty for war criminals. He also was a staunch opponent of communism.

• Featured article, Christian person. Badbilltucker 16:25, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Revised Standard Version

[edit] Summary

The Revised Standard Version (RSV) is an English translation of the Bible that was popular in the mid-20th century and posed the first serious challenge to the King James Version (KJV) owing to its aim to be both a readable and literally accurate modern English translation of the Bible.

The RSV is a comprehensive revision of the King James Version of 1611, the English Revised Version of 1881-1885, and the American Standard Version of 1901, with the ASV text being the most consulted. It sought not only to clearly bring the Bible to the English-speaking church, but to "preserve all that is best in the English Bible as it has been known and used through the centuries."

The copyright to the ASV was acquired by the International Council of Religious Education in 1928, and this Council renewed the ASV copyright the next year. In 1935, a two-year study began to decide the question of a new revision, and in 1937, it was decided that a revision would be done and a panel of 32 scholars was put together for that task. The decision, however, was delayed by the Great Depression. Funding for the revision was assured in 1936 by a deal that was made with Thomas Nelson & Sons. The deal gave Thomas Nelson & Sons the exclusive rights to print the RSV for ten years. The translators were to be paid by advance royalties.

• Featured article, Christian book (see, I do not repeat myself). Badbilltucker 16:25, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Shakers

[edit] Summary

The Shakers, an offshoot of the Religious Society of Friends (or Quakers), originated in Manchester, England in the late eighteenth century (1772). Strict believers in celibacy, Shakers maintained their numbers through conversion and adoption. Once boasting thousands of adherents, as of 2006 the Shakers number four people living in Sabbathday Lake, Maine.

The name Shakers, originally pejorative, was applied as a mocking description of their rituals of trembling, shouting, dancing, shaking, singing, and glossolalia (speaking in strange and unknown languages). Its origin is probably similar to that of the term Quaker. The first documented use of the term comes from a British newspaper reporter who wrote in 1758 that the worshippers rolled on the floor and spoke in tongues.

• Featured article, Christian "group". Badbilltucker 16:25, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Shroud of Turin

[edit] Summary

.

The Shroud of Turin (or Turin Shroud) is an ancient linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have been physically traumatized in a manner consistent with crucifixion. It is presently kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. Some believe it is the cloth that covered Jesus of Nazareth when he was placed in his tomb and that his image was somehow recorded as a photographic negative on its fibers, at or near the time of his proclaimed resurrection. Skeptics contend the shroud is a medieval hoax or forgery — or even a devotional work of artistic verisimilitude. It is the subject of intense debate among some scientists, believers, historians and writers, regarding where, when and how the shroud and its images were created.

Arguments and evidence cited for the shroud's being something other than a medieval forgery include textile and material analysis pointing to a 1st-century origin; the unusual properties of the image itself which some claim could not have been produced by any image forming technique known before the 19th century; objective indications that the 1988 radiocarbon dating was invalid due to improper testing technique; a 2005 study proving that the sample used in the 1988 radiocarbon dating came from a medieval patch and not the original Shroud; and repeated peer-reviewed analyses of the image mode which contradict McCrone's assertions. Also, pollen from many places the shroud was said to have gone through are found, such as pollen from plants that exist only in certain areas near Jerusalem.

• Featured article, Christian "artifact". Badbilltucker 16:25, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I think we should choose this article because this is a very informative and comprehensive article. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is very interesting.The Jehovas witnesses were a featured article in May so I think it is now fair to give the Mormons a chance. --84.146.220.240 19:45, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

Support - a fairly comprehensive article, with beautiful pictures. Could you provide a short summary in the style of the Jehovah's Witness nomination below? I suggest using the Salt Lake City Temple photo as the image, because it is simply magnificent. Please also note any major controversies/points of difference relating to this denomination, e.g. the former practice of polygamy, use of the word Godhead as opposed to Trinity, and disputes with other denominations as to whether it is truly Christian. If this is done, then the article could be showcased in September (as Operation Auca is slated for August). Thanks for the nom. Brisvegas 03:33, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Summary

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the "LDS Church" or the "Mormon Church", is the largest and most well-known denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement (a form of Restorationist Christianity). They believe that Jesus Christ, as head of the church, is actively leading them through ongoing revelation.In addition to the Bible, they accept additional writings such as the Book of Mormon as inspired scripture (see Standard Works), and do not consider the canon to be closed.The Church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and its current president is Gordon B. Hinckley. The Church reports a worldwide membership of 12,560,869 as of December 31, 2005.The Church claims to be the exclusive restoration of the church founded by Jesus Christ and the sole source of priesthood authority necessary for ordinances of salvation (such as baptism). This has led to extensive criticism from Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians, some of which label it a "cult", "sect," or "heretical", or dispute that it is truly "Christian".^[1] The practice of Polygamy has arguably sparked the most controversy.Although The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially ended the practice with the 1890 Manifesto and, since 1904, has excommunicated members known to practice polygamy and prohibited polygamists from joining the Church, some people still practice it today and consider themselves Mormons. References to polygamy remain in LDS scriptures, such as Doctrines & Covenants 132.

Do you think the summary has to be shorter?84.146.254.148 15:40, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

Good work! This article is a great start. Just a few points though; citations cannot be used in article summaries. Also, I will try to slightly reorganise the article so that it flows a bit better. Your summary is not too long at all, so don't worry about that. I like your image that tells readers a generally little-known claim made in the Book of Mormon - that Jesus visited the Americas; I hadn't even heard of this. My modified version appears below. If you like it, please say so; if you would like any other changes, then tell me as well. Thanks! Brisvegas 00:26, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Modified version

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the "LDS Church" or the "Mormon Church", is the largest and most well-known denomination within the Latter Day Saint movement, a form of Restorationist Christianity founded by Joseph Smith Jr. during the 19th century. Its followers believe that Jesus Christ, as head of the church, is actively leading them through ongoing revelation. In addition to the King James Version of the Bible, they accept additional writings such as the Book of Mormon as inspired scripture, and do not consider the Biblical canon to be closed. The Church is headquartered in the American town of Salt Lake City, and its current president is Gordon B. Hinckley. The Church reports a worldwide membership of 12,560,869 as of December 31, 2005. The Church claims to be the exclusive restoration of the church founded by Jesus Christ and the sole source of priesthood authority necessary for the sacraments of salvation, such as baptism. This has led to extensive criticism from Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians, some of whom label it a "cult", "sect," or "heretical", or dispute that it is truly "Christian". The practice of polygamy has arguably sparked the most controversy. Although The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially ended the practice with the 1890 Manifesto and, since 1904, has excommunicated members known to practice polygamy and prohibited polygamists from joining the Church, some people still practice it today and consider themselves Mormons.

I like your version very much. I think this should be the final version.84.146.229.185 15:12, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks - I'm glad you like it. There being no objections, this article will be showcased in September. Cheers! Brisvegas 12:34, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Way of the Master

I've been working hard on this article, developing it into a full, detailed series. I like to think they're all fairly informative. I anticipate your comments. MessengerAtLWU (talk | contribs) 00:13, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

Looks good, although the ministry sounds more like a kung fu movie than an evangelical organisation, which is cool I guess :) Personally, I'd be happy to showcase the article for June. Below this reply, please compose a summary in the style and format of the Jehovah's Witness summary below. You can include the first paragraph as it seems to summarise the article well, and should also include some information on any controversies involving the organisation. Thanks for the suggestion! Brisvegas 11:25, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

But before you start, please consider these issues:

• Can the logo be displayed on the portal if it is copyrighted? (Maybe you can get permission from WOTM)
• The intro is a bit klunky - The Way of the Master is a Christian evangelism training ministry, with several other groups related underneath it. Could you fix this sentence so that it flows better?

Apart from that, it seems great!

Cheers, Brisvegas 11:30, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

Alright, after putting it off for literally as long as possible, here goes:

[edit] Summary

The Way of the Master logo.

The Way of the Master is a Christian evangelism training ministry, created in 2002 and headed by Kirk Cameron, of Growing Pains and Left Behind: The Movie, and evangelist Ray Comfort, though there are several other key figures within the organization. Key aspects include a TV show which began in 2003, radio broadcast, numerous books, online school, the printing of dozens of gospel tracts, small group training courses, and a Web site of the same name. It is a closely intertwined sister organization to Living Waters Publications, and a Limited liability company.

Through these various media outlets, Comfort and Cameron teach that it is the responsibility of every Christian to verbally share the gospel with those who are not Christians. They take the view that it is necessary to use the Ten Commandments to show someone their sin, which will lead to a person realizing their need for Jesus as Savior. They also decry what they perceive as a vast number of false converts to Christianity in 21st century Christendom, those who, while professing to know Christ or even attend church, do not have a lifestyle befitting such a claim. Todd Friel, the daily host of their radio show, frequently berates trends such as seeker-sensitivity and aspects of the emergent church, especially theology espoused by Brian McLaren.

I've wikilinked this thing to pieces, I know. Y'all can edit it however you feel like. :) MessengerAtLWU (talk | contribs) 04:23, 31 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Modified version

The Way of the Master is a Christian evangelism training ministry, created in 2002 and headed by Kirk Cameron, of Growing Pains and Left Behind: The Movie fame, and evangelist Ray Comfort. There are also several other key figures within the organization. Major programs include a TV show which began in 2003, radio broadcast, numerous books, an online school, the printing of dozens of gospel tracts, small group training courses, and a web site of the same name. It is a Limited liability company with strong links to its sister organization Living Waters Publications. Using these various media outlets, Comfort and Cameron teach that it is the responsibility of every Christian to verbally share the gospel with those who are not Christians. They take the view that it is necessary to use the Ten Commandments to show someone their sin, which will lead to a person realizing their need for Jesus as Savior. They also decry what they perceive as a vast number of false converts to Christianity in 21st century Christendom, those who, while professing to know Christ or even attend church, do not have a lifestyle befitting such a claim. Todd Friel, the daily host of their radio show, frequently berates trends such as seeker-sensitivity and aspects of the emergent church, especially theology espoused by Brian McLaren.

What do you think of the changes? Brisvegas 10:51, 26 June 2006 (UTC) Looks good to me! Thanks! MessengerAtLWU (talk | contribs) 16:35, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Jehovah's Witnesses

I would like to nominate this article. It is well referenced, lots of pictures, relatively stable. I think its a fairly informative article. I look forward to any comments about this nomination. joshbuddy 15:32, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

*Not supported'. I would first like to say that the article is nicely written. However, since the portal is Christian, i believe that since JW is only a minority in Christianity, that it will cause a lot of controversy, especially on a "Christian" portal.

Note:This comment was added by an indefinitely banned sockpuppet, User:Zoe_inPop several months after the article was showcased, so it was too late and cannot be considered. Brisvegas 00:11, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

• Support. This is a great article that is ideal for showcasing. If you can, please write a short and succinct summary of the article along with an appropriate image. Eucharist is scheduled for March and Easter for April, so is JW for May okay? Brisvegas 07:29, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

This would be great. Where should I put the summary? In your talk page, or on here? joshbuddy^talk 07:36, 24 February 2006 (UTC)

Best to put it here. Once it is done, I will transfer it to the May 2006 section. Brisvegas 02:23, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

I've taken the lead in. I think it summarizes the article very well. The image should be appropriate too, but there is also

Thanks! joshbuddy^talk 04:19, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Summary

Jehovah's Witnesses are members of an international religious organization who believe themselves to be the restoration of first-century Christianity. Founded in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell, official membership now stands at over 6 million. They are known for their extensive preaching and publishing activities, with The Watchtower and Awake! religious magazines being their most widely known publications. Headquartered in New York, they are hierarchically directed by a Governing Body.

Jehovah's Witnesses are socially conservative. Being politically neutral, they have been persecuted by various governments, notably by the Nazi government with many sent to concentration camps. They have been instrumental in establishing religious freedoms in various countries. Their unique stand on refusing blood transfusions has also garnered publicity and controversy.

Since their foundation, they have been concerned with the second advent of Jesus. Initially holding many similar views of other 19th century Adventists groups, such as the Millerites, they have since developed their own unique eschatology.

[edit] Modified version

Jehovah's Witnesses are members of an international religious organization who believe themselves to be the restoration of first-century Christianity. Founded in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell, official membership now stands at over 6 million. They are known for their extensive preaching and publishing activities, with The Watchtower and Awake! religious magazines being their most widely known publications. Headquartered in New York, they are hierarchically directed by a Governing Body.

Since their foundation, they have been concerned with the second advent of Jesus. Initially holding many similar views of other 19th century Adventists groups, such as the Millerites, they have since developed their own unique eschatology. Throughout their history, their beliefs, doctrines and practices have met controversy and opposition from governments, communities, and religious groups. Many Christian denominations consider the interpretation and doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to be heresy. This is because they differ in their interpretation of several matters of faith. For example, for a prayer to be acceptable, it must be made to the Father Jehovah in the name of the Son. They reject the veneration of Mary, the saints, or the cross.

[edit] Modified second paragraph

Since their foundation, they have been concerned with the second advent of Jesus. Initially holding many similar views to other 19th century Adventist groups, such as the Millerites, they have since developed their own unique eschatology. Throughout their history, their beliefs, doctrines and practices have met controversy and opposition from governments, communities, and religious groups. Many Christian denominations consider the interpretation and doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to be heresy. This is because they differ in their interpretation of several matters of faith. For example, the consider the doctrine of the Trinity to be a later pagan addition. They reject the veneration of Mary, the saints and the cross.

---

I think the rejection of the trinity is a little more understandable. There three main doctrinal points that the witnesses started out with that were different is a) rejection of trinity b) rejection of immortal soul c) rejection of hellfire. I'm no expert in Christianity, but I thought prayer through the father was common to all christian religions? joshbuddy^talk 05:52, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

Your modified version is very good. The reason I originally modified it was to show more clearly to the average reader what set JW apart from other Christian denominations. It's good that you cleared this up. A final version will be placed below for your comments before it is set. Brisvegas 07:09, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Final version

Jehovah's Witnesses are members of an international religious organization who believe themselves to be the restoration of first-century Christianity. Founded in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell, official membership now stands at over 6 million. They are known for their extensive preaching and publishing activities, with The Watchtower and Awake! religious magazines being their most widely known publications. Headquartered in New York, they are hierarchically directed by a Governing Body.

Since their foundation, they have been concerned with the second advent of Jesus. Initially holding many similar views to other 19th century Adventist groups, such as the Millerites, they have since developed their own unique eschatology. Throughout their history, their beliefs, doctrines and practices have met controversy and opposition from governments, communities, and religious groups. Many Christian denominations consider the interpretation and doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses to be heresy. This is because they differ in their interpretation of several matters of faith. For example, the consider the doctrine of the Trinity to be a later pagan addition. Their unique stand on refusing blood transfusions has also garnered publicity and controversy. They reject the veneration of Mary, the saints and the cross.

---

Looks very good to me. Good work! Thank you again for accepting my nomination and your help with this. I ultimately want to get this good enough to be a featured article, and any critical comments about the article, I'm more than happy to hear. joshbuddy^talk 07:21, 25 February 2006 (UTC)