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Christianity recognizes Jesus Christ as its central figure and founder and is a monotheistic religion. With 2,135,783,000 adherents, or about one-third of the total world population, it is the largest religion. Its origins are intertwined with Judaism, with which it shares much sacred text, including the Old Testament (the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible). Christianity is sometimes termed an Abrahamic religion, along with Judaism and Islam (see Judeo-Christo-Islamic), and more recently, the Bahá'í Faith.

The names "Christian" and hence "Christianity" are first attested in Acts 11:26, "For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch Jesus' disciples were first called Christians" (Gr. χριστιανους, from Christ Gr. Χριστός, which means "the anointed").

Christianity encompasses numerous religious traditions that widely vary by culture and place, as well as many diverse beliefs and sects. Since the Reformation, Christianity is usually represented as being divided into three main branches:

1. Catholicism: With over 1 billion baptized members, this category includes the Catholic Church (or Roman Catholic Church), the largest single body—which includes several Eastern Catholic communities—as well as certain smaller communities (e.g., the Old Catholic Church) not in full communion with the (Roman) Catholic Church, many of whom reject the primacy of the pope, hold that the papacy is vacant, or recognize a different pope.
2. Eastern Christianity includes the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East, all with a combined membership of over 240 million baptized members;
3. Protestantism: This group includes numerous denominations and schools of thought such as: Anglicanism, Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, Anabaptist, Evangelicalism, Charismatics and Pentecostalism, all of which are descended, directly or indirectly, from the Roman Church via the Reformation of the 16th century. Many identify themselves simply as Christian. Worldwide total is just under 500 million.

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 African Indigenous Churches with up to 110 million members (estimates vary widely), Jehovah's Witness with approximately 15 million members, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also called Mormons) with over 12 million members, and other groups. (Source:Adherents website) The early leaders of most of these groups were originally Protestant adherents.

These broad divisions are not equally uniform. On the contrary, some branches encompass vast disagreements, and in other cases the division overlooks existing sympathies. But this is the convenient standard overview of distinctions, especially as Christianity has been viewed in the Western world.

History

Main article: History of Christianity

See also: Timeline of Christianity

The history of Christianity is difficult to extricate from that of the European West (and several other culture-regions) in general. By way of summary, we may note Christianity's early geographic expansion from the Levant across the Mediterranean Basin; its legalization under Constantine the Great and establishment as the official religion of the Roman Empire under Justinian I; the development of ancient Christian minority communities in Persia, India, and China; the conversion of various southern European (e.g. Armenia in 301 and Georgian kingdom of Caucasian Iberia in 317), and northern European kingdoms (e.g. Ireland in the 5th century, Russia in 988); the Great Schism which divided Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Roman Catholicism (conventionally dated 1054); the loss of north Africa and the Middle East to Islam (numerous military struggles--see Battle of Tours, Crusades, Reconquista, Fall of Constantinople); the Protestant Reformation (Martin Luther published his 95 theses in 1517); Christianity's spread to the Americas, Oceania, the Philippines, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Korea; the division of Protestantism into thousands of denominations; and modern debates about science (notably heliocentricism, evolution), biblical criticism, and feminism.

For the contributions of Christianity to the humanities and world culture, see Christian philosophy, Christian art, Christian literature, Christian music, Christian architecture.

Beliefs

Though enormous diversity exists in the beliefs of those who self-identify as Christian, it is possible to venture general statements which describe the beliefs of a large majority . One such statement is the Nicene Creed, ratified as the universal creed of Orthodox and Catholic Christendom by the Council of Ephesus in 431 and generally believed to be true by Protestants as well. Translated from the Greek, it reads as follows:

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty

Maker of heaven and earth

And of all things visible and invisible.

And in his only Son Jesus Christ, our Lord

begotten of the Father before all ages,

God of God, light of light, true God of true God,

Begotten , not made

Of one essence with the Father

By Whom all things were made.

For us humans and for our salvation he came down from heaven

And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary

And was made human.

He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate

He suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures

He ascended into heaven

And is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

His kingdom will have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life

Who proceeds from the Father

Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified

Who spoke through the prophets

And in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.

I expect the resurrection of the dead,

And the life of the age to come. Amen.

Central Christian beliefs which are affirmed in the Nicene Creed include, but are not limited to:

• The Trinity: God is a single eternal being who exists as three distinct, eternal, and indivisible persons: Father, Son (Divine Logos, incarnated as Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost).
• Jesus Christ is both fully God (divine) and fully human: two natures in one person. He is without sin.
• That salvation from "sin and death" is available through the person and work of Jesus Christ, especially his sacrificial execution and resurrection, by which humanity, and the entire universe, are "redeemed" and reconciled with God. Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians have arrived at several explanations as to exactly how this salvation, or atonement, occurs. (See soteriology.)
• Jesus's virgin birth, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and Second Coming.
• 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 the returned Christ.

Obviously, not all Christians have accepted all of these articles of faith, or else such a creed would never have been written. The Creed's lines frequently target certain opposing beliefs of other early Christians, which the council regarded as heretical. Examples would include Ebionite groups which denied Jesus's divinity, a well as Docetist groups which denied that Christ was a human being, or Arians, who disputed that the Father and the Son were "of one being".

Again, while some churches take exception to some of these articles, to the extent that they do so, this usually represents a conscious departure from the Christian mainstream. Some Christian traditions, such as those of the Baptists and the Churches of Christ, would accept these beliefs, but not the creed itself, since all creeds are regarded as unnecessary and even counter-productive in these circles.

Some groups, however, deviate from tenets which most others hold as absolutely basic to Christianity. On account of these deviations they are considered heretical or even "non-Christian" by many of the mainstream Christian groups. Most such disputes center on the divinity of Jesus, the Trinity, or both.

Scriptures (and Tradition)

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 - chiefly, their treatment of the Deuterocanonical books used by Catholic and Orthodox Churches, but rejected by Protestants as Apocrypha. This issue affects doctrines only indirectly. More theologically significant is the Swedenborgian churches' rejection of the New Testament Epistles, a stance which has not won acceptance from any other denomination.

Whereas Jews see the Torah as the most important part of the Bible, 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. These may be carried into the church in procession, and laid upon the altar during the first part of the service. 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.

If Christians largely agree on the content of the Bible, no such consensus is forthcoming on the crucial matter of its interpretation, an issue which divides denominations from within as well as from one another. "Biblical literalism" or "Christian fundamentalism" describe well-known conservative hermeneutic stances with respect to Christian scriptures, and are mainly associated with Protestantism.

Catholics, the Orthodox, and some Anglicans consider the Bible as having been produced by one phase (albeit formative) of the development of church tradition, which has continued through the decisions of the ecumenical councils, the writings of the Church Fathers, the lives and teachings of the saints, liturgical practice, sacred art, papal statements (Roman Catholics), and is in fact alive today. Indeed, one Orthodox theologian has characterized the (Orthodox) tradition as "the voice of the Holy Spirit in the Church."

Protestants, meanwhile, tend to accept Martin Luther's dictum of sola scriptura, which sees the Bible as the ultimate, or only, source of faith and doctrine, and assumes that any Christian believer is capable of rightly interpreting it. Even Protestants concede that this view raises difficulties, especially given the wide variety of practices and beliefs which have some arguable claim to biblical warrant and, based on these divergencies, because Protestantism has spawned such a large variety of denominations and traditions.

Some Christian groups have also elevated additional writings to the status of inspired scripture. Well-known examples would include the Book of Mormon, considered to be "another Testament of Jesus Christ" by the Latter Day Saints; or Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures, by Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy. Others, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, have produced translations of the Bible which they hold to be alone wholly reliable. This elevation of other writings to the same level as accepted scriptures is a major cause for disputes between these groups and mainstream Christians. One might expect Lutherans and Calvinists to regard the interpretations of Luther and Calvin, respectively, with similar reverence; most Catholic and Protestant theologians would agree that their writings are a mixture of good and bad and are in no way "inspired."

Worship and Practices

Orthodox and Catholic believers describe Christian worship in terms of the seven sacraments or "mysteries."

• Baptism
• The Eucharist (Communion)
• Matrimony
• Holy Orders
• Confirmation or Chrismation
• Penance and Reconciliation
• Anointing of the Sick

Many Protestant groups, following Martin Luther, recognize the sacramental nature of baptism and communion, but not usually the other five. Anabaptist and Brethren groups would add feet washing. Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Holiness Churches emphasize "gifts of the Spirit" such as spiritual healing, prophecy, exorcism, speaking in tongues, or (very occasionally) snake handling, not as "sacraments" but as means of worship and ministry. The Quakers deny the entire concept of sacraments, but 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, and many Anglican Christians hold the commemoration and mystery of rituals together, seeing no contradiction between them.

Virtually all Christians traditions affirm that Christian practice should include acts of personal piety such as prayer, Bible reading, and attempting to live a moral lifestyle, to include not only obedience to the Ten Commandments as interpreted by Christ, but also love for one's neighbor, whether friend or enemy, Christian or not, in both attitude and action. This love is commanded by Christ and, according to him, is next only in importance to love of God. Christianity, as such, 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 indwells all faithful believers. They 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.

Christianity and persecution

Main articles: Persecution of Christians, Historical persecution by Christians

See also: Christian emigration

Before the Edict of Milan, ancient Christianity was an illegal movement, which many considered anti-social for worshipping an executed criminal in place of the traditional deities of Rome. Many early Christians met their deaths through martyrdom, sometimes in the arena, after refusing to renounce their faith.

Persecution of Christians is by no means a thing of the past, and today is generally associated with Muslim or Communist countries. For example, the People's Republic of China allows only government-regulated churches, and regularly cracks down on house churches or underground Catholics.

Christians have been perpetrators as well as victims of persecution. In ancient times, Christian mobs frequently molested pagans and destroyed their temples, sometimes with government support. The philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria was murdered by such a mob in 415. Jewish communities have periodically suffered violence at Christian hands.

Christians have persecuted not only members of other religions, but also other Christians. Byzantium suppressed non-Chalcedonian churches; Crusader armies sacked Byzantium; Protestant and Catholics fought the Thirty Years' War. Witch hunts of early modern Europe constituted another example.

In discussing persecution, we should be careful to distinguish between

(a) official persecution by the state;

(b) acts of popular violence (which may be tacitly permitted by the state), and

(c) the side-effects of war and other social upheaval.

For present-day examples of each we might name Greek and Russian governmental restrictions on non-Orthodox religious activity; anti-abortion violence in the U.S.; and the ongoing "troubles" in Northern Ireland, respectively.

Complaints of discrimination have also been made of, and by, Christians in various contexts.

Christianity By Country

See also

• Jesus
• Bible
• Jesus in the Christian Bible
• Christian
• Christian apologetics (field of study concerned with the defense of Christianity, often intellectual)
• Christian art
• Christian calendar
• Christian eschatology
• Christian music
• Progressive Christianity
• Christian mythology
• Christian Meditation
• Christian Anarchism
• Christianity and anti-Semitism
• Christian stories
• Christian views of women
• Christian Symbolism
• Churchianity
• Homosexuality and Christianity
• John 3:16
• List of Christians
• Criticisms of Christianity
• Christian wikis
• Religious ministries
• Bible thumper

History and denominations

• Christian history
• Christian theological controversy
• Eastern Christianity portal
• Great Schism
• List of Christian denominations

Note

 : 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.

References and Select Bibliography

• The Story of Christianity by Justo L. Gonzalez (1984, 1985, 1999, ISBN 1565635221)
• Christian Theology: An Introduction by Alister McGrath (ISBN 0631225285)
• Christian Theology Reader by Alister McGrath (ISBN 063120637X)
• Mere Christianity. C.S. Lewis
• Systematic Theology, an ecumenical trilogy by Thomas Oden
  • Volume 1: The Living God (1992, ISBN 0060663634)
  • Volume 2: The Word of Life (1992, ISBN 0060663642)
  • Volume 3: Life in the Spirit (1994, ISBN 0060663626)
• The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine. Jaroslav Pelikan. 5 Volumes, published between 1971-1989.
• The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy (1894, ISBN 0803294042)
• Tomkins, Stephen. A Short History of Christianity (Lion, 2005)

External links

General on-line sources

• ReligionFacts.com: Christianity Fast facts, glossary, timeline, history, beliefs, texts, holidays, symbols, people, etc.
• The Christian Classics Ethereal Library, containing the works of a wide spectrum of authors in doctrine, history, devotion, and Bible commentary
• WikiChristian, a wiki book on Christianity, church history and doctrine, and Christian art and music
• The Catholic Encyclopedia, containing detailed information on Catholic beliefs and history and the Catholic view of other churches and beliefs
• The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge from a Protestant perspective
• The Vatican contains much official information related to the Roman Catholic Church in many languages
• Syriac Orthodox Resources Large compendium of information and links relating to Oriental Orthodoxy.
• Rosicrucian Interpretation of Christianity, an esoteric view of Christian teachings.
• Bible Gateway The Bible online

Statistical Sources

• Afghanistan:
• Angola:
• Bangladesh:
• Cuba
• Djibouti:
• El Salvador:
• France:
• Italy:
• Jordan:
• Korea, North:
• Kuwait:
• Morocco:
• Nepal:
• Russia:
• Saudi Arabia:
• United States:
• (US) Puerto Rico:

Directories

• Christian Open Directory Project (The Largest Human Edited Christian Open Directory)
• Dmoz.org Open Directory Project: Christianity (a list of links with information about Christianity)
• Dmoz.org Open Directory Project: Contra Christianity (a list of links of opposing views on Christianity)

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