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Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on belief in God and the life, teachings and example of Jesus of Nazareth, as depicted in the New Testament.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]} Christianity began as a sect within Judaism,^[8] and includes the Hebrew Bible (known to Christians as the Old Testament) as well as the New Testament as its canonical scriptures.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} Confined to the Middle East, North Africa and Europe for its first thousand years, it has spread throughout the entire world during its second millennia due to colonization and missionary work.^[14] Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ or Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, and that the New Testament records the Gospel that was revealed by Jesus. Central to much of Christianity^[15][16] is the concept of the Trinity. Most Christians believe that the Holy Trinity is God – Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – where one Being exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a mutual indwelling of three persons,^[17] Jesus himself being God on Earth, in completely human form and indistinguishable from any other human and yet in no way separate from God. Christians maintain that Jesus was crucified, died, was resurrected from the dead, and ascended into heaven. Most Christian sects teach that Jesus will judge the living and the dead and grant everlasting life to the just.

Like Judaism and Islam, Christianity is an Abrahamic religion (see also, Judeo-Christian).^[18][19] The name Christian,^[20] meaning "belonging to Christ" or "partisan of Christ",^[21] was first applied to the disciples in Antioch.^[22][23] The earliest recorded use of the term Christianity (Greek Χριστιανισμός) is by Ignatius of Antioch, in about 100 AD.^{[24][25][26][27]}

Today, Christians number between 1.5 billion^[28] and 2.1 billion,^[28] divided into 34,000 separate denominations. When seen as a single faith, Christianity is the world's largest religion in terms of followers.^[14]

Contents 1 Beliefs 1.1 Jesus the Christ 1.2 The Death and Resurrection of Jesus 1.3 Soteriology 1.4 The Trinity 1.4.1 Trinitarians 1.4.2 Non-Trinitarians 1.5 Scriptures 1.5.1 Interpretation 1.5.1.1 Catholic 1.5.1.2 Protestant 1.6 Creeds 1.7 Afterlife and Eschaton 2 Worship and practices 2.1 Christian life 2.2 Worship 2.2.1 Sacraments 2.2.2 Eucharist 2.2.3 Liturgical calendar 2.3 Symbols 3 History and origins 3.1 Early Church History 3.2 The Era of Reformation 3.3 Christianity in the Modern Era 4 Christian divisions 4.1 Mainstream Christianity 4.2 Ecumenism 5 See also 5.1 History and denominations 6 Notes 7 Bibliography 7.1 Primary sources 7.2 Secondary sources 7.3 Popular media 8 Further reading 9 External links

In spite of important differences of interpretation and opinion, Christians in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant and other traditions share a common faith.^[29] Although Christianity has always had a significant diversity of belief on controversial issues, most Christians share a common set of doctrines that they hold as essential to their faith.

Main article: Christian views of Jesus

As indicated by the name "Christianity," the focus of a Christian's life is a firm belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah or Christ. The title "Messiah" comes from the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ (māšiáħ) meaning anointed one. The Greek translation Χριστός (Christos) is the source of the English word Christ.

Christians believe that, as the Messiah, Jesus was anointed as ruler and savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus' coming was the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from the contemporary Jewish concept.^[30] The core Christian belief is that, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life.^[31]

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While there have been theological disputes over the nature of Jesus, Christians generally believe that Jesus is God incarnate and "true God and true man" (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus, having become fully human in all respects, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, yet he did not sin. As fully God, he defeated death and rose to life again. According to the Bible, "God raised him from the dead,"^[32] he ascended to heaven, to the "right hand of God,"^[33] and he will return again^[34] to fulfil the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and establishment of the physical Kingdom of God.

According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born from the Virgin Mary. Little of Jesus' childhood is recorded in the canonical Gospels, however infancy Gospels were popular in antiquity. In comparison, his adulthood, especially the week before his death, are well documented in the Gospels contained within the New Testament. The Biblical accounts of Jesus' ministry include: his baptism, miracles, preaching, teaching, and deeds.

Main article: Death and Resurrection of Jesus

Christians consider the resurrection of Jesus to be the cornerstone of their faith and the most important event in human history.^[35]

Within the body of Christian beliefs, the death and resurrection of Jesus are two core events on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend. According to The New Testament, Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, was crucified, died, buried within a tomb, and resurrected three days later.^[36] The New Testament mentions several resurrection appearances of Jesus on different occasions to his twelve apostles and disciples, including "more than five hundred brethren at once", ^[37] before Jesus' Ascension. These two events are essential doctrines of the Christian faith, and are commemorated by Christians during Good Friday and Easter, particularly during the liturgical time of Holy Week. Arguments over death and resurrection claims occur at many religious debates and interfaith dialogues.^[38]

As Paul the Apostle, an early Christian covert, contended, "If Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless".^[39][40] The death and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events in Christian Theology, as they form the point in scripture where Jesus gives his ultimate demonstration that he has power over life and death, thus he has the ability to give people eternal life.^[41] According to the Bible, "God raised him from the dead,"^[42] he ascended to heaven, to the "right hand of God,"^[43] and will return again^[44] to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and establishment of the Kingdom of God, see also Messianism and Messianic Age.^[45]

Most Christians accept the New Testament story as a historical account of some kind of resurrection, which is central to their faith. Some modern scholars use the belief of Jesus' followers in the resurrection as a point of departure for establishing the continuity of the historical Jesus and the proclamation of the early church.^[46] Some liberal Christians do not accept a literal bodily resurrection,^[47] seeing the story as richly symbolic and spiritually nourishing myth. A group known as the Gnostics argued against its singular importance, as they had differing views as to how the passages should be interpreted, many believing Jesus was never a human and so could not have died (see: Docetism). Carl Jung suggested that the crucifixion-resurrection story was the forceful spiritual symbol of, literally, God-as-Yahweh becoming God-as-Job.^[48]

Main articles: Soteriology and Salvation

Soteriology is the branch of Christian doctrinal theology that deals with salvation through Jesus Christ.^[49]. Christians believe salvation is a gift by means of the unmerited grace of God. Christians believe that, through faith in Jesus, one can be saved from sin and eternal death. The crucifixion of Jesus is explained as an atoning sacrifice, which, in the words of the Gospel of John, "takes away the sins of the world." One's reception of salvation is related to justification.^[50]

The operation and effects of grace are understood differently by different traditions. Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy teach the necessity of the free will to cooperate with grace.^[51] Reformed theology places distinctive emphasis on grace by teaching that individuals are completely incapable of self-redemption, but the grace of God overcomes even the unwilling heart.^[52] Arminianism takes a synergistic approach while Lutheran doctrine teaches justification by grace alone through faith alone.^[53]

Main article: Trinity

The Trinity is the term employed to signify one of the central doctrines of the Christianity - the teaching that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, these Three Persons being truly distinct one from another.^[54][55][56] In the words of the Athanasian Creed, an early statement of Christian belief, "the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God."^[57] According to this doctrine, God is not divided in the sense that each person has a third of the whole; rather, each person is considered to be fully God. ^[58] The distinction lies in their relations, the Father being unbegotten, the Son begotten of the Father,^[59] and the Holy Spirit proceeding.^[60] Notwithstanding this difference as to origin, the Persons are co-eternal and co-equal: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent. This is thought by Christians to be the revelation regarding God's nature which Jesus Christ came to deliver to the world and it is the foundation of Christianity's entire dogmatic system.

In Scripture there is no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together.^[61] The word trias, of which trinity is a translation, was first used in the works of Theophilus of Antioch. He wrote of "the Trinity of God (the Father), His Word (the Son) and His Wisdom (Holy Spirit)^[62] The term may have been in use before this time. Afterwards it appears in Tertullian.^[63][64] In the following century the word was in general use. It is found in many passages of Origen.^[65]

Main article: Nontrinitarianism

Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian beliefs systems that reject the Trinity, the doctrine that God is three distinct persons in one being. Various nontrinitarian views, such as adoptionism and Arianism, existed before the Trinity was formally defined as doctrine in the year 325.^[66] Nontrinitarianism later appeared again in the Gnosticism of the Cathars in the 11th through 13th centuries, in the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century, and in Restorationism during the 19th century. The nontrinitarian view was rejected by many early Christian bishops such as Irenaeus and subsequently by the Ecumenical Councils.^[67] During the Reformation some nontrinitarians rejected these councils as spiritually tainted,^[68] though most Christians continued to accept the value of many of the Councils.

Casper Schwenckfeld and Melchior Hoffman advanced the view that Christ was only divine and not human. Michael Servetus denied that the traditional doctrine of the Trinity was necessary to defend the divinity of Christ. He claimed that Jesus was God Himself in the flesh.^[69] Modalists, such as Oneness Pentecostals, regard God as a single person, with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit considered modes or roles by which the unipersonal God expresses himself,^[70] in this way they parallel ancient Sabellians.^[71][72] Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormons) accept the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but deny that they are the same being. Rather, they believe them to be separate beings united perfectly in will and purpose, thus making up one single Godhead.^[73] They believe that the Father, like the Son, has a glorified physical body.

Main article: Bible

See also: Criticism of the Bible

Christianity regards the Holy Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts (the Old Testament and the New Testament) as authoritative: written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and therefore for many Christians is the inerrant Word of God.^[74][75][76] Protestants believe that the Holy Scriptures contain all revealed truth necessary for salvation (See Sola scriptura).^[77]

The Old Testament contains the entire Jewish Tanakh, though in the Christian canon, the books are ordered differently, and some books of the Tanakh are divided into several books by the Christian canon. While these books are part of the Christian canon, scholars of Judaism generally teach that Christians misinterpret passages from the Old Testament, or Tanakh. (See also Christianity and Judaism.) The Catholic and Orthodox canons include the Hebrew Jewish canon and other books (from the Septuagint Greek Jewish canon) which Catholics call Deuterocanonical, while Protestants consider them Apocrypha.^[78]

The first four books of the New Testament are the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), which recount the life and teachings of Jesus. The first three are often called synoptic because of the amount of material they share. The remainder of the New Testament consists of:

1. a sequel to Luke's Gospel which describes the very early history of the Church (the Acts of the Apostles),
2. a collection of letters from early Christian leaders to congregations or individuals, (the Pauline and General epistles), and the
3. Apocalyptic Book of Revelation.^[78]

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church maintains two canons,

1. the Narrow Canon (itself larger than any Biblical canon outside Ethiopia), and
2. the Broad Canon (which has even more books.)^[79]

Campaigning to be a restoration of the Christian church,^[80] denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement (commonly called Mormons) are distinct from other forms of Christianity in that they consider the Book of Mormon holy scripture and comparable to the Bible.^[81] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price scriptural. Along with the Bible (the preferred English translation is the King James Version), these books are collectively called the Standard Works of the church.^[82]

Though Christians largely agree on the content of the Bible, there is significant divergence in its interpretation, or exegesis. In antiquity, two schools of exegesis developed in Alexandria and Antioch. Alexandrine interpretation, exemplified by Origen, tended to read Scripture allegorically, while Antiochene interpretation adhered to the literal sense, holding that other meanings (called theoria) could only be accepted if based on the literal meaning.^[83]

Main article: Catholicism

Catholic theology distinguishes two senses of scripture: the literal and the spiritual.^[84]

The literal sense of understanding scripture is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation. It has three subdivisions: the allegorical, moral, and anagogical (meaning mystical or spiritual) senses.

• The allegorical sense includes typology. An example would be the parting of the Red Sea being understood as a "type" (sign) of baptism.^[85]
• The moral sense understands the scripture to contain some ethical teaching.
• The anagogical interpretation includes eschatology and applies to eternity and the consummation of the world.

Catholic theology adds other rules of interpretation which include:

1. the injunction that all other senses of sacred scripture are based on the literal^[86]
2. that the historicity of the Gospels must be absolutely and constantly held^[87]
3. that scripture must be read within the "living Tradition of the whole Church"^[88] and
4. that "the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome"^[89]

Main article: Protestantism

Many Protestants stress the literal sense or historical-grammatical method,^[90] even to the extent of rejecting other senses altogether. Other Protestant interpreters make use of typology.^[91] Protestants characteristically believe that ordinary believers may reach an adequate understanding of Scripture because Scripture itself is clear (or "perspicuous"), because of the help of the Holy Spirit, or both. Martin Luther believed that without God's help Scripture would be "enveloped in darkness."^[92] He advocated "one definite and simple understanding of Scripture."^[92] And John Calvin wrote, "all who…follow the Holy Spirit as their guide, find in the Scripture a clear light."^[93] The Second Helvetic (Latin for "Swiss")^[94] Confession, composed by the pastor of the Reformed church in Zurich (successor to Protestant reformer Zwingli) was adopted as a declaration of doctrine by most European Reformed churches.^[95] The Confession contains this statement about interpreting Scripture:

"We hold that interpretation of the Scripture to be orthodox and genuine which is gleaned from the Scriptures themselves (from the nature of the language in which they were written, likewise according to the circumstances in which they were set down, and expounded in the light of like and unlike passages and of many and clearer passages)." The writings of the Church Fathers, and decisions of Ecumenical Councils, though "not despise[d]," were not authoritative and could be rejected.

– Second Helvetic Confession (1566)

Main article: Creeds

Creeds (from Latin credo meaning "I believe") are concise doctrinal statements or confessions, usually of religious beliefs. They began as baptismal formulas and were later expanded during the Christological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries to become statements of faith.

The Apostles Creed (Symbolum Apostolorum) was developed between the second and ninth centuries. It is the most popular creed used in worship by Western Christians. Its central doctrines are those of the Trinity and God the Creator. Each of the doctrines found in this creed can be traced to statements current in the apostolic period. The creed was apparently used as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates in the churches of Rome. An even earlier creed was Paul's doctrinal statement recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:1-9.

The Nicene Creed, largely a response to Arianism, was formulated at the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in 325 and 381 respectively,^[96] and ratified as the universal creed of Christendom by the Council of Ephesus in 431.^[97]

The Chalcedonian Creed, developed at the Council of Chalcedon in 451,^[98] though not accepted by the Oriental Orthodox Churches,^[99] taught Christ "to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably": one divine and one human, and that both natures are perfect but are nevertheless perfectly united into one person.^[100]

The Athanasian Creed (English translations), received in the western Church as having the same status as the Nicene and Chalcedonian, says: "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons not dividing the Substance."^[101]

Most Protestants accept the Creeds. Some Protestant traditions believe Trinitarian doctrine without making use of the Creeds themselves,^[102] while other Protestants, like the Restoration Movement, oppose the use of creeds.^[103]

Main article: Christian eschatology

Most Christians believe that upon bodily death the soul experiences the particular judgment and is either rewarded with eternal heaven or condemned to an eternal hell. The elect are called "saints" (Latin sanctus: "holy") and the process of being made holy is called sanctification. In Catholicism, those who die in a state of grace but with either unforgiven venial sins or incomplete penance, undergo purification in purgatory to achieve the holiness necessary for entrance into heaven.

At the last coming of Christ, the eschaton or end of time, all who have died will be resurrected bodily from the dead for the Last Judgement, whereupon Jesus will fully establish the Kingdom of God in fulfillment of scriptural prophecies.^[104]

Some groups do not distinguish a particular judgment from the general judgment at the end of time, teaching instead that souls remain in stasis until this time (see Soul sleep). These groups, and others that do not believe in the intercession of saints, generally do not employ the word "saint" to describe those in heaven. Universalists hold that eventually all will experience salvation, thereby rejecting the concept of an eternal hell for those who are not saved.

Christians believe that all people should strive to follow Christ's commands and example in their everyday actions (Romans 13:14). For many, this includes obedience to the Ten Commandments. Jesus made it clear that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). In response to a "catch" question from a Pharisee as to which is the greatest commandment in the Old Testament Law, Jesus replied:

'Love^[106] the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'^[107] This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love^[106] your neighbor as yourself.'^[108] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

In the KJV, this kind of love was usually translated "charity" to differentiate it as being intentional and decisional, not an emotional response. This love includes such injunctions as "feed the hungry" and "shelter the homeless," and applies to friend and enemy alike. The relationship between charity and religious practice is sometimes taken for granted today as Martin Goodman has observed: "charity in the Jewish and Christian sense was unknown to the pagan world."^[109] Other Christian practices include acts of piety such as prayer and Bible reading.

Christianity teaches that one can overcome sin only through divine grace: moral and spiritual progress can occur only with God's help through the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling within the believer. It teaches that, by believing in Christ, and sharing in Christ's life, death, and resurrection, God's children become dead to sin and are resurrected to a new life with Him.

Justin Martyr described second century Christian liturgy in his First Apology (c. 150) to Emperor Antoninus Pius, and his description remains relevant to the basic structure of Christian liturgical worship:

"And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need."^[110]

Thus, as Justin described, Christians assemble for communal worship on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, though other liturgical practices often occur outside this setting. Scripture readings are drawn from the Old and New Testaments, but especially the Gospels. Often these are arranged on an annual cycle, using a book called a lectionary. Instruction is given based on these readings, called a sermon, or homily. There are a variety of congregational prayers, including thanksgiving, confession, and intercession, which occur throughout the service and take a variety of forms including recited, responsive, silent, or sung. The Lord's Prayer, or Our Father, is regularly prayed. The Eucharist ( called Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper) consists of a ritual meal of consecrated bread and wine, discussed in detail below. Lastly, a collection occurs in which the congregation donates money for the support of the Church and for charitable work.

Some groups depart from this traditional liturgical structure. A division is often made between "High" church services, characterized by greater solemnity and ritual, and "Low" services, but even within these two categories there is great diversity in forms of worship. Seventh-day Adventists meet on Saturday (the original Sabbath), while others do not meet on a weekly basis. Charismatic or Pentecostal congregations may spontaneously feel led by the Holy Spirit to action rather than follow a formal order of service, including spontaneous prayer. Quakers sit quietly until moved by the Holy Spirit to speak. Some Evangelical services resemble concerts with rock and pop music, dancing, and use of multimedia. For groups which do not recognize a priesthood distinct from ordinary believers the services are generally lead by a minister, preacher, or pastor. Still others may lack any formal leaders, either in principle or by local necessity. Some churches use only a cappella music, either on principle (e.g. many Churches of Christ object to the use of instruments in worship) or by tradition (as in Orthodoxy).

Worship can be varied for special events like baptisms or weddings in the service or significant feast days. In the early church Christians and those yet to complete initiation would separate for the Eucharistic part of the worship. In many churches today, adults and children will separate for all or some of the service to receive age-appropriate teaching. Such children's worship is often called Sunday school or Sabbath school (Sunday schools are often held before rather than during services).

Main article: Sacrament

A sacrament is a Christian rite that is an outward sign of an inward grace, instituted by Christ to sanctify humanity. Catholic, Orthodox, and some Anglican Christians describe worship in terms of seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist (communion), Penance (reconciliation), Anointing of the Sick (last rites), Holy Orders (ordination), and Matrimony.^[111] Many Protestant groups, which grew out of the Reformation,^[112] recognize the sacramental nature of Baptism and Eucharist, but not usually the other five in the same way, while other Protestant groups reject sacramental theology. Some Christian denominations who believe these rites to do not communicate grace prefer to call them ordinances. Though not sacraments, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Holiness Churches emphasize "gifts of the Spirit" such as spiritual healing, prophecy, exorcism, glossolalia (speaking in tongues), and laying on of hands where God's grace is mysteriously manifest.

See also: Anglican sacraments

See also: Sacrament (Community of Christ)

See also: Sacraments of the Catholic Church

Main article: Eucharist

The Eucharist ( called Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper) is the part of liturgical worship that consists of a consecrated meal, usually bread and wine. Justin Martyr described the Eucharist as follows:

"And this food is called among us Eukaristia [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh."^[113]

Orthodox, Methodists, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and many Anglicans believe that Jesus Christ is present in the elements of bread and the cup (the doctrine of the Real Presence). Most other Protestants, especially Reformed, believe the bread and wine merely represent the body and blood of Christ. These Protestants may celebrate it less frequently, while in the Roman Catholic Church the Eucharist is celebrated daily (but not on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.^[114]). Some Christian denominations view communion as indicating those who are already united in the church, restricting participation to their members not in a state of mortal sin (closed communion). Most other churches view communion as a means to unity, rather than an end, and invite all Christians or even anyone to participate (open communion). In some denominations, participation is by prior arrangement with a church leader.

Main article: Liturgical year

In the New Testament Paul of Tarsus organised his missionary travels around the celebration of Pentecost. (Acts 20.16 and 1 Corinthians 16.8) This practice draws from Jewish tradition, with such feasts as the Feast of Tabernacles, the Passover, and the Jubilee. Today Catholics, Eastern Christians, and traditional Protestant communities frame worship around a liturgical calendar. This includes holy days, such as solemnities which commemorate an event in the life of Jesus or the saints, periods of fasting such as Lent, and other pious events such as memoria or lesser festivals commemorating saints. Christian groups that do not follow a liturgical tradition often retain certain celebrations, such as Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. A few churches make no use of a liturgical calendar.

Main article: Christian symbolism

Today the best-known Christian symbol is the cross, which refers to the method of Jesus' execution.^[115] Several varieties exist, with some denominations tending to favor distinctive styles: Catholics the crucifix, Orthodox the crux orthodoxa, and Protestants an unadorned cross.

An earlier Christian symbol was the 'ichthys' fish (Greek Alpha - α) symbol and anagram. Other text based symbols are Greek abbreviations for Jesus Christ, originally with superlineation,^[116] to include IHC and ICXC and chi-rho (the first two letters of the word Christ in Greek). In the Greek alphabet, the Chi-Rho appears like an X (Chi - χ) with a large P (Rho - ρ) overlaid and above it. It is said Constantine saw this symbol prior to converting to Christianity (see History and origins section below). The variation IHS of the nomina sacra is latinized Greek representing the first three letters of the Latin name, Iesus. Another ancient symbol is an anchor, which denotes faith and can incorporate a cross within its design.

Main article: History of Christianity

See also: Pauline Christianity.

See also: Timeline of Christianity and Early Christianity

See also: Christian philosophy, Christian art, Christian literature, Christian music, and Christian architecture

See also: Persecution of Christians and Historical persecution by Christians

The history of Christianity is the history of the Christian religion and Church, from Jesus and his Twelve Apostles to contemporary times.

In the mid-first century, Christianity spread beyond its Jewish origins. The New Testament depicts this as occurring under the leadership of the Apostles, especially Peter and Paul. Some scholars even consider Paul to be the founding figure of Christianity, pointing to the extent of his writings and the scope of his missionary work.^[117] (See also Pauline Christianity). Within a generation an episcopal hierarchy can be seen, and this would form the structure of the Church.^[118]

The Christian church was persecuted by state and religious establishments during its earliest beginnings. Notable early Christians such as Stephen, eleven of the Apostles as well as Paul died as martyrs according to tradition. Systematic Roman persecution of Christians culminated in the Great Persecution of Diocletian and ended with the Edict of Milan.^[119] Persecution of Christians persisted or even intensified in other places, such as in Sassanid Persia.^[120]

In 301 Christianity became a state-religion in Armenia, the first country to accept Christianity. Christianity spread east to Asia and throughout the Roman Empire, despite persecution by the Roman Emperors until its legalization by Emperor Constantine in 313. During his reign, questions of orthodoxy lead to the convocation of the first Ecumenical Council, that of Nicaea.

In 391 Theodosius I established Nicene Christianity as the official and, except for Judaism, only legal religion in the Roman Empire. Later, as the political structure of the empire collapsed in the West, the Church assumed political and cultural roles previously held by the Roman aristocracy. Eremitic and Coenobitic monasticism developed, originating with the hermit St Anthony of Egypt around 300. With the avowed purpose of fleeing the world and its evils in contemptu mundi, the institution of monasticism would become a central part of the medieval world.^[121]

In the 4th century, Christianity became the established church of the Axumite Kingdom (presently encompassing Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia) under king Ezana through the efforts of a Syrian Greek named Frumentius, known in Eritrea and Ethiopia as Abba Selama, Kesaté Birhan ("Father of Peace, Revealer of Light"), thus making Eritrea and Ethiopia one of the first Christian states even before most of Europe. As a youth, Frumentius had been shipwrecked with his brother Aedesius on the Eritrean coast. The brothers managed to be brought to the royal court, where they rose to positions of influence and converted Emperor Ezana to Christianity, causing him to be baptised. Ezana sent Frumentius to Alexandria to ask the Patriarch, St. Athanasius, to appoint a bishop for the Kingdom of Aksum. Athanasius appointed Frumentius himself, who returned to Aksum as Bishop with the name of Abune Selama.

During the Migration Period of Late Antiquity (AD 300-700), various Germanic peoples adopted Christianity. Meanwhile, as western political unity dissolved, the linguistic divide of the Empire between Latin-speaking West and the Greek-speaking East intensified. By the Middle Ages distinct forms of Latin and Greek Christianity increasingly separated until cultural differences and disciplinary disputes finally resulted in the Great Schism (conventionally dated to 1054), which formally divided Christendom into the Roman Catholic west and the Orthodox east. 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.

Beginning in the 7th century, Muslim rulers began a long series of military conquests of Christian areas, and it quickly conquered areas of the Byzantine Empire in Asia Minor, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and North Africa, and even captured southern Spain. Numerous military struggles followed, including the Crusades, the Spanish Reconquista, the Fall of Constantinople and the aggression of the Turks.

In the early sixteenth century, increasing discontent with corruption and immorality among the clergy resulted in attempts to reform the Church and society. The Protestant Reformation began after Martin Luther published his 95 theses in 1517, whilst the Roman Catholic Church experienced internal renewal with the Counter-Reformation and the Council of Trent (1545-1563). During the following centuries, competition between Catholicism and Protestantism became deeply entangled with political struggles among European states. Meanwhile, partly from missionary zeal, but under the impetus of colonial expansion by the European powers, Christianity spread to the Americas, Oceania, East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.

In the Modern Era, Christianity was confronted with various forms of skepticism and with certain modern political ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism, and socialism. This included the anti-clericalism of the French Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, and general hostility of Marxist movements, especially the Russian Revolution.

With an estimated number of adherents that ranges between 1.5 billion^[28] and 2.1 billion,^[28] split into around 34,000 separate denominations, Christianity is one of the world's largest religions. The Christian share of the world's population has stood at around 33 per cent for the last hundred years. This masks a major shift in the demographics of Christianity; large increases in the developing world have been accompanied by substantial declines in the developed world, mainly in Europe and North America.^[123] On current projections, by 2050 only about one-fifth of the world's Christians will be non-Hispanic whites.^[124] It is still the predominant religion in Europe, the Americas, Southern Africa.^[125] However it is declining in some areas including Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), Great Britain,^[126] France, Germany, and the Middle East,^{[127][128][129]} and in Asia it remains a minority religion.

There is a diversity of doctrines and practices among groups calling themselves Christian. These groups are sometimes classified under denominations, though for theological reasons many groups reject this classification system.^[130] Christianity may be broadly represented as being divided into three main groupings:^[131]

• Roman Catholicism: The Roman Catholic Church, or "Catholic Church," includes the 23 particular churches in communion with the Bishop of Rome. It is the largest single body, with more than one billion baptized members.^[132]

• Eastern Orthodoxy: Those churches in communion with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and the other Patriarchal Sees of the East. A 1992 agreement amongst American theologians resolved theological differences between Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christians^{[citation needed]} – although this has yet to be universally recognized.

• Protestantism: In the 16th century, Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin inaugurated what has come to be called the Protestant Reformation. Luther's primary theological heirs are known as Lutherans (known as Evangelicals in Germany and elsewhere). Zwingli and Calvin's heirs are far broader denominationally, and are broadly referred to as the Reformed Tradition. Most Protestant traditions branch out from the Reformed tradition in some way. In addition to the Lutheran and Reformed branches of the Reformation, there is the Anabaptist tradition, which was largely ostracized by the other Protestant parties at the time, but has achieved a measure of affirmation in more recent history. Restorationism may be considered to be another Protestant branch should one consider them to be properly called Christians.

The oldest Protestant and Reformed groups separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century Protestant Reformation, followed in many cases by further divisions. Estimates of the total number of Protestants and Reformed are very uncertain, partly because of the difficulty in determining which denominations should be placed in these categories, but it seems to be unquestionable that Orthodox Christianity is the second major group of Christians (after Roman Catholicism) in number of followers.^[132]

Some Reformed Christians identify themselves simply as Christian, or born-again Christian; they typically distance themselves from the confessionalism of Protestant communities^[133] by calling themselves "non-denominational" – often founded by individual pastors, they have little affiliation with historic denominations.

Many members of the the Anglican Communion, a group of Anglican and Episcopal Churches that are descended from the Church of England, claim to be both Protestant and Catholic].^[134] Various small communities, such as the Old Catholic and Independent Catholic Churches, are similar in name to the Roman Catholic Church, but are not in communion with the See of Rome (the Old Catholic church is in communion with the See of Canterbury).

Restorationists are historically connected to early-19th century Camp Meetings in the Midwest and Upstate New York. American Millennialism and Adventism, which arose from Evangelical Protestantism, produced certain groups such as the Jehovah's Witness movement (p. 807), and, as a reaction specifically to William Miller, Seventh Day Adventists (p. 381). These groups usually describe themselves as restoring the Church that they believe was lost at some point and not as "reforming" a Christian Church continuously existing from the time of Jesus. Restorationists include Churches of Christ with 2.6 million members, Disciples of Christ with 800,000 members,^[135] and Jehovah’s Witnesses with 6.6 million members,^[136] and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement with over 12 million members. Though Restorationists have some superficial similarities, their doctrine and practic