The five pillars of Islam

a. Witness (Shahada): “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah; I bear witness that

Muhammad is the messenger of God. One becomes a Muslim by saying that sincerity.

b. Worship (Salat): Five times daily and on certain other occasions. The worshipper must

face the direction of Mecca and goes through a precisely observed rhythm of spoken

prayers and bodily postures. It is performed individually and communally.

c. Almsgiving (Zakat): An obligatory religious tax, paid at the end of the year. This is used

for charitable purposes for the Muslim community.

d. Fasting (Sawm): The month of Ramadan in the Muslim calendar which lasts 29-30 days.

Can take place in Winter or Spring because of the difference in calendars. Between

dawn and dark every day people must abstain from food, drink, medicine, smoking and

sex. Spiritual self-examination.

e. Pilgrimage (Hajj): to Mecca. It is mandatory to do this once in a lifetime if financially,

personal, and family allow it.

Indulgences and treasury of merit: An indulgence, in Catholic Theology, is the full or partial remission of

temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the

church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution. The belief is that indulgences draw on

the storehouse of merit acquired by Jesus' sacrifice and the virtues and penances of the saints. They are

granted for specific good works and prayers.

Indulgences replaced the severe penances of the early Church. More exactly, they replaced the

shortening of those penances that was allowed at the intercession of those imprisoned and

those awaiting martyrdom for the faith.

Abuses in granting indulgences were a major point of contention when Martin Luther initiated

the Protestant Reformation (1517

Luther’s criticism of the three walls of the Romanists

1st Wall- the papal claim that spiritual power, the power invested in the clergy by virtue of his

office, is greater than temporal or secular authority. “It is pure invention that pope, bishop,

priests, and monks are called the spiritual estate while princes, lords, artisans, and farmer are

called the temporal estate.” Response- All Christians are truly of the spiritual estate and there is

no difference of them except for their office… a priest in Christendom is nothing

g but an officeholder. BOTKIN’S NOTES: Baptism, gospel, and faith alone make us spiritual and a

Christian people. (PWC 392a) We all have been baptized, have the gospel and believe that were

saved by faith alone. It follows from this that we are all of the spiritual estate we are all truly

priests. (292b)

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The five pillars of Islam

a. Witness (Shahada): “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God. One becomes a Muslim by saying that sincerity. b. Worship (Salat): Five times daily and on certain other occasions. The worshipper must face the direction of Mecca and goes through a precisely observed rhythm of spoken prayers and bodily postures. It is performed individually and communally. c. Almsgiving (Zakat): An obligatory religious tax, paid at the end of the year. This is used for charitable purposes for the Muslim community. d. Fasting (Sawm): The month of Ramadan in the Muslim calendar which lasts 29-30 days. Can take place in Winter or Spring because of the difference in calendars. Between dawn and dark every day people must abstain from food, drink, medicine, smoking and sex. Spiritual self-examination. e. Pilgrimage (Hajj): to Mecca. It is mandatory to do this once in a lifetime if financially, personal, and family allow it.

Indulgences and treasury of merit : An indulgence , in Catholic Theology, is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution. The belief is that indulgences draw on the storehouse of merit acquired by Jesus' sacrifice and the virtues and penances of the saints. They are granted for specific good works and prayers.

Indulgences replaced the severe penances of the early Church. More exactly, they replaced the shortening of those penances that was allowed at the intercession of those imprisoned and those awaiting martyrdom for the faith.

Abuses in granting indulgences were a major point of contention when Martin Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation (

Luther’s criticism of the three walls of the Romanists

1 st^ Wall- the papal claim that spiritual power, the power invested in the clergy by virtue of his office, is greater than temporal or secular authority. “It is pure invention that pope, bishop, priests, and monks are called the spiritual estate while princes, lords, artisans, and farmer are called the temporal estate.” Response- All Christians are truly of the spiritual estate and there is no difference of them except for their office… a priest in Christendom is nothing g but an officeholder. BOTKIN’S NOTES: Baptism, gospel, and faith alone make us spiritual and a Christian people. (PWC 392a) We all have been baptized, have the gospel and believe that were saved by faith alone. It follows from this that we are all of the spiritual estate we are all truly priests. (292b)

2 nd^ Wall- is the claim that only the Pope can interpret scripture. “Since the Romanists think that the holy spirit never leaves them, no matter how ignorant and wicked they are, they become bold and decree only what they want.” They cannot produce a single letter to maintain that only the pope may interpret. If the article “I believe in one holy Christian church,” is correct, then the Pope cannot be the only one that is right. BOTKIN- There is scriptural evidence against it and none for it. 3 rd^ Wall- Scriptural authority contradicts the papal claim that the pope alone can convene a council. “When the Pope acts contrary to the Scriptures, it is our duty to stand by the scriptures to reprove him and constrain him according to the word of Christ.” The Apostolic council and the Council of Nicaea was neither called nor confirmed by the bishop of Rome, but by the emperor Constantine. BOTKIN: If the Church has the authority, it is only to promote the good. Its refusal to allow temporal authorities to call a church council does not promote the good. (What about Constantine?!) Therefore, the church cannot legitimately prevent the state from calling a council.

Machiavelli’s advice on using auxiliary and mercenary troops:

Machiavelli stands strongly against the use of mercenaries. He believes them useless to a ruler because they are undisciplined, cowardly, and without any loyalty, being motivated only by money. Machiavelli attributes the Italian city states’ weakness to their reliance on mercenary armies. Machiavelli also warns against using auxiliary forces, troops borrowed from an ally, because if they win, the employer is under their favor and if they lose, he is ruined. Auxiliary forces are more dangerous than mercenary forces because they are united and controlled by capable leaders who may turn against the employer.

The best form of government according to Aristotle : is a politeia, or constitutional government where the power rests in a strong middle class. If the rich were in power, the poor would envy them. If the poor were in power the rich would feel contempt. Middle class power allows for no grudges. Aristotle considers constitutional government, in which the masses are granted citizenship and govern with everyone's interest in mind, one of the best forms of government. It combines elements of oligarchy and democracy, finding a compromise between the demands of both the rich and the poor.

2. Aquinas’ different conceptions of law (p.46)

The eternal law is “the rational plan of divine wisdom considered as directing all actions and movements,” (p 46, 88) The eternal law, for Aquinas, is that rational plan by which all creation is ordered; the natural law is the way that the human being “participates” in the eternal law.

There are human beings who have “the natural light of the intellect” (p 33). They can discover their ends and act or not act accordingly

Western Civilization I Final Exam Study Guide | HWC 204, Exams of Cultural History of Europe

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