| Pre-christian |
Articles about Christianity |
Website Links For Christianity |
Information AboutPre-christian |
|
Christianity is a Monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Of Nazareth , known by Christians as Jesus Christ , as recounted in the New Testament . With an estimated 2.1 billion adherents in 2001 , Christianity is the world's largest Religion . Religions by Adherents ''Adherents.com''. Christianity began in the First Century as a Jewish Sect Acts ; ; ; ; ; 1. Hence it shares much sacred text and early history with Judaism ; specifically, it shares the Hebrew Bible , known in the Christian context as the Old Testament (''see Judeo-Christian '').While sharing the Hebrew Scriptures or "Old Testament", Christianity nonetheless disagrees with many points of the Jewish understanding of these texts, or their significance for practice, based on the understandings found in the "New Testament". Christianity is considered an Abrahamic Religion , along with Judaism and Islam . In the Christian scriptures, the term "Christian" is first attested in s were first called Christians" (Gr. χριστιανους, from '' Christ '' Gr. Χριστός, which means "the anointed one"). DENOMINATIONS OF CHRISTIANITY Within Christianity numerous distinct Groups have developed with beliefs that vary widely by culture and place. Since the Reformation Christianity is usually represented as being Divided into three main branches:
Other denominations and churches which self-identify as Christian but which distance themselves from the above classifications together claim around 275 million members. These include with approximately 6.6 million members Witness Membership 2005 ., and other groupsMany Christians identify themselves as such not by the adherence to a set of religious rules or rites but instead by their personal relationship to Jesus Christ.. Most of these groups were founded by Protestants. In addition to official denominations, break-away sects, orthodox movements within denominations and sects, heretical movements, there are also a wide variety of extra-church groups associated with Christianity. BELIEFS as portrayed by Diego Velázquez . Jesus' life, especially his crucifixion and resurrection, is the basis of Christianity.]] Enormous diversity of belief exists among Christians. Nevertheless, certain doctrines have come to characterize the mainstream of Christian theology. Messiah Most Christians identify Jesus as the Messiah (Greek ''Christos'', hence ''Christ'') whose coming was Prophesied in the Old Testament . Jesus as God and Man Most Christians believe that Jesus is "true God and true man" (or fully divine and fully human). Jesus is believed to have become fully human in all respects, including Mortality , to have suffered the pains and temptations of mortal man, yet without having sinned. The Chalcedonian Creed (which is not accepted by the Oriental Orthodox Churches) defined this as Christ having "two natures in one person", a doctrine known to theologians as Hypostatic Union (see Christology ). Holy Trinity See Also: Trinity Most Christians believe that God is one single eternal being who exists as three distinct, eternal, and indivisible persons: God The Father , God the Son ( Jesus ), and God the Holy Spirit (or '' Holy Ghost ''). Salvation Most Christians believe that Salvation from " Sin and Death " is available through the person and work of Jesus. It is generally believed that Jesus made an atoning sacrifice, completed with his death on the cross, and thereby paid for the sins of mankind. Christian denominations have arrived at several explanations as to exactly how this salvation occurs. (See Soteriology .) Crucifixion and Resurrection Most Christians believe that Jesus Died On The Cross , Rose From The Dead , and Ascended into Heaven after appearing to his Disciples . Second Coming See Also: Second Coming Most Christians believe in the General Resurrection , in which all people who have ever lived will rise from the dead at the End Of Time , to be Judged by Christ when He returns to fulfill the rest of Messianic Prophecy . The Afterlife Christian views of the Afterlife generally involve Heaven and Hell , with Catholicism adding an intermediate realm of Purgatory . Except for purgatory, whose denizens will ultimately enter heaven, these realms are commonly thought to be eternal. There is, however, some debate on this point within Eastern Christianity . Orthodox Christian theology teaches there will be a General Resurrection, with the Soul continuing consciousness after death until the resurrection of the physical body and the Last Judgement. See, e.g., Aquinas, the '' Summa Theologicum, Suplementum Tertiae Partis '', questions 69 through 99; and Calvin, the '' Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book Three, Ch. 25 ''. Some maintain that only the righteous will be resurrected. DIFFERENCES IN BELIEFS Nicene Creed See Also: Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed , originally formulated at the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople , was ratified as the universal creed of Christendom by the Council Of Ephesus in 431 AD . Eastern Orthodox Christians do not include the ''Filioque'' Clause , which the Roman Catholic church added later. Central Christian beliefs which are affirmed in the Nicene Creed include:
The Nicene Creed directly addresses beliefs the council deemed as heretical, primarily Arianism , which denied that the Father and the Son were "of one being" ( ὁμοὐσιος ), but also earlier heresies like Gnosticism . Most Protestant churches follow the Roman Catholic church in accepting Nicene doctrine. Scriptures See Also: Biblical canon Authority and different parts of the Bible Virtually all Christian churches accept the authority of the Bible , including the Old Testament and the New Testament . Differences exist in the Canons of the Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches — primarily their treatment of the Deuterocanonical Books used by Catholic and Orthodox Churches but rejected by Protestants as Apocrypha . This issue affects doctrines only indirectly. The New Church view of which scripture is to be included in canon is distinctly different from every other Christian institution. The belief held is that some of the books of the Bible have a continuous internal sense or Correspondence , while others do not. Those which are seen to have direct correspondence with spiritual truth are viewed as the Word of God, the remaining are then seen as useful books for the Church, some of which are flawed in their understanding, such as the epistles of Paul. Most Christians regard the Gospels , which tell of the life and teachings of Jesus, as central. Ornamental books of the four gospels are sometimes used in church liturgies. The "gospel" means the "good news" of the Christian message, which Christians regularly disseminate to others. This may include Missionary work as well as the translation and distribution of Bibles, as practiced by Gideons International , Wycliffe Bible Translators , Jehovah's Witnesses and others. Interpretation Though Christians largely agree on the content of the Bible, no such consensus exists on the crucial matter of its interpretation, or Exegesis , an issue which dates to ancient times. The earliest schools of Biblical interpretation were the Alexandrine, and the Antiochene. Alexandrine interpretation, exemplified by Origen , tended to read Scripture allegorically, while Antiochene interpretation insisted on the literal sense, holding that other meanings (called theoria) could only accepted if based on the literal meaning. Traditional Catholic interpretation admits four senses of Scripture. The literal sense is the plain meaning (which would still take account of figures of speech), so that a reference to David means the historical figure. The allegorical or typological sense teaches Christian doctrine, so that a reference to David may mean Christ. The tropological or moral sense contains ethical teaching, and the anagogical or eschatological sense teaches about the Last Things. The meanings derived from the three non-literal senses may also be stated literally elsewhere. Protestantism rejects the elevation of other senses to the same level as the literal, although typology remains fairly common in Protestant interpretation. Other books held sacred Some Christians hold additional writings to be inspired , the Doctrine And Covenants , and the Pearl Of Great Price . Other works considered sacred but not held to be scripture are the works of Ellen G. White for the Seventh-day Adventists . Christian Scientists regard '' Science And Health With Key To The Scriptures '' by Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy as an inspired interpretive work which places her, for her followers, in the same rank as Luther or Calvin for theirs. Members of the New Church believe the Lord has revealed Himself in what they call the Word of the Second Coming, which is thought to be the Lord's revelation of all those things which He promised to reveal in His Second Advent. The elevation of other writings to the same level as orthodox scriptures forms a major divergence between some groups and mainstream Christians. After the time of Jesus, Christian Gnostics were very active and maintained several additional books of scripture outside of what was later to become canon; one example is The Gospel Of Thomas . WORSHIP AND PRACTICES Orthodox and Catholic believers describe Christian worship in terms of the seven Sacrament s. These include Baptism , Confirmation or Chrismation , the Eucharist ( Communion ), Penance And Reconciliation , Anointing Of The Sick , Holy Orders , and Matrimony . Many Protestant groups, following Martin Luther , recognize the sacramental nature of baptism and communion, but not usually the other five in the same way. Anabaptist and Brethren groups would add Feet Washing . Pentecostal , Charismatic , and Holiness Churches emphasize " Gifts Of The Spirit " such as Spiritual Healing , Prophecy , Exorcism , and Speaking In Tongues . These emphases are used not as "sacraments" but as means of worship and ministry. The Quakers deny the entire concept of sacraments. Nevertheless, their "testimonies" affirming peace, integrity, equality, and simplicity are affirmed as integral parts of the Quaker belief structure. In general, Protestants tend to view Christian rituals in terms of commemoration apart from mystery. Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Old-Catholic and many Anglican and Lutheran Christians hold the commemoration and mystery of rituals together, seeing no contradiction between them. Virtually all Christian traditions affirm that Christian practice should include acts of personal piety such as Prayer , Bible reading, and attempting to live a moral lifestyle. This lifestyle includes not only obedience to the Ten Commandments , as interpreted by Christ (as in the Sermon On The Mount ), but also love for one's neighbor in both attitude and action — whether friend or enemy, Christian or non-Christian. This love is commanded by Christ and, according to him, is next only in importance to love toward God; it includes obedience to such injunctions as "feed the hungry" and "shelter the homeless", both informally and formally. Christianity teaches that it is impossible for people to completely reform themselves, but that moral and spiritual progress can only occur with God's help through the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells within all faithful believers. Christians believe that by sharing in Christ's life, death, and resurrection, they die with him to sin and can be resurrected with him to new life. Weekly worship services Justin Martyr (''First Apology'', chapter LXVII) describes a second-century church service thus:
Justin's description, which applies to some extent to most church services today, alludes to the following components:
Several variations or exceptions exist. Sometimes these are due to special events, such as baptisms or weddings which are incorporated into the service. In many churches today, children and youth will be excused from the main service in order to attend Sunday School . Many denominations depart from this general pattern in a more fundamental way. For example, the Seventh-day Adventists meet on Saturday (the biblical Sabbath ), not Sunday, the day of Christ's Resurrection . Charismatic or Pentecostal congregations may be spontaneously moved by the Holy Spirit rather than follow a formal order of service. At a Quaker meeting, participants sit quietly until moved by the Holy Spirit to speak. In some denominations (mainly liturgical ones) the service is led by a Priest . In others (mainly among Protestants) there is a Minister , Preacher , or Pastor . Still others may lack formal leaders, either in principle or by local necessity. In addition, there are "high" church services, characterized by greater solemnity and ritual, and "low" services, at which a more casual atmosphere prevails even if the service in question is liturgical in nature. In Orthodox churches the congregation traditionally stands throughout the liturgy (although allowances are made for human weakness). Many Protestant churches follow a pattern in which participants stand to sing, kneel to pray, and sit to listen (to the sermon). Roman Catholics tend to do the same, though standing for formal prayer is more common. Others services are less programmed and may be quite lively and spontaneous. Music is usually incorporated and often involves a Choir and/or Organ . Some churches use only A Cappella music, either on principle (many Churches Of Christ object to the use of musical instruments in worship) or by tradition (as in Orthodoxy). In many Nondenominational Christian churches, as well as some Protestant denominations, there is usually a Worship Music portion of the service that precedes the sermon or message. This usually consists of the singing of Hymns , Praise And Worship Music or Psalms . Many churches believe that worship is important to usher in the Presence of God for the rest of the service. A recent trend is the growth of "convergence worship", which combines liturgy with spontaneity. This sort of worship is often a result of the influence of Charismatic Renewal within Churches which are traditionally liturgical. Convergence worship has spawned at least one new denomination, the Charismatic Episcopal Church . Holidays Catholics, Eastern Christians, and about half of the Protestants follow a Liturgical Calendar with various holidays (from "holy day"). These calendars include feast days (where special worship services are held, to mark a special anniversary) as well as days of Fasting . Typically, a feast will be found preceded by a traditional fast. The best-known fasting period is Lent . Even Christians who do not follow a liturgical tradition can generally be found celebrating Christmas and Easter , despite some disagreement as to dates. A few churches object to the recognition of special holidays and may object to the apparent pagan origins of Christmas and Easter. Symbols The best-known Christian symbol is the for Catholics, the Crux Orthodoxa for Orthodox, and the unadorned cross for Protestants. However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule. Other Christian symbols include the Ichthys ("fish") symbol or, in ancient times, an Anchor , as well as the Chi-rho . In a modern Roman alphabet, the Chi-Rho appears like a large ''P'' with an ''X'' overlaid on the lower stem. They are the Greek initials of Jesus' name, and the symbol is the one that is said to have appeared to Constantine prior to converting to Christianity (see History and origins section below). HISTORY AND ORIGINS See Also: History of Christianity See Also: Timeline of Christianity Christianity began within the Jewish religion among the followers of Jesus Of Nazareth . Under the leadership of the Apostles Peter and Paul , it welcomed Gentiles , and gradually separated from Pharisaic Judaism . Some Jewish Christians rejected this approach and developed into various sects of their own, while others were joined with Gentile Christians in the development of the church; within both groups there existed great diversity of belief. Professor Bentley Layton writes, "the lack of uniformity in ancient Christian scripture in the early period is very striking, and it points to the substantial diversity within the Christian religion." A church hierarchy seems to have developed by the time of the Pastoral Epistles ( 1 Tim 3, Titus 1) and was certainly formalized by the 4th century See the canons of the Council of Nicaea , especially canon 6.. Christianity spread across the Mediterranean Basin , enduring Persecution by the Roman Emperors. As Christianity expanded beyond Palestine, it also came into increased contact with Hellenistic culture; Greek Philosophy , especially Platonism , became a significant influence on Christian thought through theologians such as Origen . Elements of Mystery Religion s such as Mithraism may have been incorporated into Christianity, although scholars differ on the extent to which the developing Christian faith adopted identifiably Pagan beliefs. {Link without Title} Theological disputes about the correct interpretation of Christian teaching led to internal conflicts; Church authorities condemned some theologians as Heretics , the most notable being Christian Gnostics , and defined orthodoxy in contrast to heresy. Other early Sects deemed heretical included Simonianism , Marcionism , Ebionitism and Montanism . Such disputes, especially in the field of Christology , intensified after the religion's Legalization , leading to internal strife and to clearer dogmatic definitions through Ecumenical Council s, beginning with the Council Of Nicaea in 325. Early in the 4th century, the Emperor Constantine The Great legalized Christianity, giving the church a privileged place in society, and in 391 Theodosius I established Nicene Christianity as the official and, except for Judaism , the only legal religion of the Roman Empire . From Constantine onwards, the history of Western Christianity becomes difficult to untangle from the history of Europe (see also Christendom ). The Church took over many of the political and cultural roles of the pagan Roman institutions, especially in Europe. The Imperial authorities, seeking unity through the new state religion, acted to suppress the old Pagan Cults and groups deemed Heretical by the Church, most notably, Christians who held to Arianism . The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that "various penal laws were enacted by the Christian emperors against heretics as being guilty of crime against the State. In both the Theodosian and Justinian Codes they were styled infamous persons . . . In some particularly aggravated cases sentence of Death was pronounced upon heretics, though seldom executed in the time of the Christian emperors of Rome." {Link without Title} Various forms of Christian Monasticism developed, with the organization of the first monastic communities being attributed to the hermit St Anthony Of Egypt around 300. The monastic life spread to many parts of the Christian empire during the 4th and 5th centuries, as many felt that the Christian moral and spiritual life was compromised by the change from a persecuted minority cult to an established majority religion, and sought to regain the purity of early faith by fleeing society. The Christian Church of the Roman Empire divided into the Latin-speaking west, centered in Rome , and the Greek-speaking east, centered in Constantinople . (There were also significant communities in Egypt and Syria .) Outside the Empire, Christianity was adopted in Armenia , Caucasian Iberia (now Georgia ), Ethiopia , Persia , India , and among the Celtic tribes. During the Migration Period , various Germanic peoples adopted Christianity; at first Arianism was widespread (as among Goths and Vandals ), but later Roman Catholicism prevailed, beginning with the Franks . The Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe generally adopted Orthodox Christianity , as in the Baptism Of Kievan Rus' ( 988 ) in Rus' Ukraine (present-day Russia and Ukraine). Cultural differences and disciplinary disputes finally resulted in the Great Schism (conventionally dated to 1054 ), which formally divided Christendom into the Catholic west and the Orthodox east. From the 7th century, Christianity was challenged by Islam , which quickly conquered the Middle East and Northern Africa. Numerous military struggles followed, including the Crusades , the Spanish Reconquista and the eventual Conquest Of The Byzantine Empire and southeastern Europe by the Turks . Western Christianity in the Middle Ages was characterized by cooperation and conflict between the secular rulers and the Church under the Pope , and by the development of Scholastic Theology And Philosophy . Later, increasing discontent with corruption and immorality among the clergy resulted in attempts to reform Church and society. The Roman Catholic Church managed to Renew Itself at the Council Of Trent ( 1545 – 1563 ), but only after Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in 1517 . This was one of the key events of the Protestant Reformation which led to the emergence of Christian Denominations . During the following centuries, competition between Catholicism and Protestantism became deeply entangled with political struggles among European states, while many Orthodox Christians found themselves living under Muslim rulers. Partly from missionary zeal, but also under the impetus of colonial expansion by the European powers, Christianity spread to the Americas, Oceania, East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. As the European Enlightenment took hold, Christianity was confronted with the discoveries of science (including the Heliocentric model and the theory of Evolution ), and with the development of Biblical Criticism (linked to the development of Christian Fundamentalism ) and modern political ideologies such as Liberalism , Nationalism and Socialism . In the 19th and 20th centuries, important developments have included the rise of Ecumenism and the Charismatic Movement . (For the contributions of Christianity to the humanities and culture, see Christian Philosophy , Christian Art , Christian Literature , Christian Music , Christian Architecture .) PERSECUTION Main articles: Persecution Of Christians , Historical Persecution By Christians Christians have frequently suffered from persecution. During the first three centuries of its existence, Christianity was regarded with suspicion and frequently persecuted in the Roman Empire . Adherence to Christianity was declared illegal, and, especially in the 3rd century, the government demanded that their subjects (the Jews only excepted) sacrifice to the Emperor as a divinity — a practice that Christianity (along with Judaism) rejected. Persecution in the Roman Empire ended with the Edict Of Milan , but it persisted or even intensified in other places, such as Sassanid Persia , and under Islam . Christians have also been perpetrators of persecution, which has been directed against members of other religions and also against other Christians. Christian mobs, sometimes with the government support, have destroyed Pagan temples and oppressed adherents of paganism (such as the philosopher Hypatia Of Alexandria , who was murdered by a Christian mob). Jewish communities have periodically suffered violence at Christian hands. Christian governments have suppressed or persecuted dissenting Christian denominations, and denominational strife has sometimes escalated into Religious Wars and Inquisition s. Witch Hunts , carried out by secular authorities or popular mobs, were a frequent phenomenon in parts of early modern Europe and, to a lesser degree, North America. There was some persecution of Christians after the French Revolution during the attempted Dechristianisation Of France .2 State restrictions on Christian practices today are generally associated with those authoritarian governments which either support a majority religion other than Christianity (as in Muslim states), or tolerate only churches under government supervision, sometimes while officially promoting state Atheism (as in North Korea ). For example, the People's Republic Of China allows only government-regulated churches and has regularly suppressed House Churches or underground Catholics. The public practice of Christianity is outlawed in Saudi Arabia . On a smaller scale, Greek and Russian governmental restrictions on non-Orthodox religious activity occur today. Some people cite anti-abortion violence in the United States and the ongoing "troubles" in Northern Ireland as examples of "persecution by Christians", despite the frequent condemnation of such activities by the vast majority of Christians. Complaints of Discrimination have also been made of and by Christians in various other contexts. CONTROVERSIES There are many controversies surrounding Christianity as to its influences and history.
SEE ALSO History and denominations
NOTES REFERENCES AND SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|