| Revision as of 20:42, 27 July 2010 view sourceMarauder40 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers7,769 editsm Undid revision 375795779 by Wbc666 (talk) rvv← Previous edit | Revision as of 12:00, 28 July 2010 view source EliteHobo14 (talk | contribs)2 edits ←Replaced content with 'Christianity is the religion of massive faggots and posers, they believe in a magical identity. Weird stuff. Most christians are dicks, and annoy people non sto...'Tag: blankingNext edit → | ||
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| Christianity is the religion of massive faggots and posers, they believe in a magical identity. Weird stuff. Most christians are dicks, and annoy people non stop, insulting them, encouraging violence, swearing and then consider themselves worthy of being a christian, when in fact they are massive dumb-shits. | |||
| {{pp-pending|small=yes}}{{Christianity}} | |||
| And remember Odin Loves you. | |||
| '''Christianity''' (from the ] word {{lang|el|Xριστός}}, ''Khristos'', "]", literally "anointed one") is a ] ]<ref name="Monotheism">Christianity's status as monotheistic is affirmed in, amongst other sources, the '']'' (article ""); ], ''From the Stone Age to Christianity''; ]; About.com, ; Kirsch, ''God Against the Gods''; Woodhead, ''An Introduction to Christianity''; ] ; The New Dictionary of ], ; New Dictionary of Theology, , pp. 496–99; Meconi. "Pagan Monotheism in Late Antiquity". p. 111f.</ref> based on the life and teachings of ] as presented in the ].<ref>], </ref> Christianity comprises three major branches: ], ] (which parted ways with Catholicism in ]) and ] (which came into existence during the ] of the 16th century).<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=q-vhwjamOioC&pg=PA23&dq=anagignoskomena#v=onepage&q=anagignoskomena&f=true</ref> Protestantism is further divided into smaller groups called ]. | |||
| Also xenu paid for your crimes. | |||
| Now go to Hell!!! | |||
| ]s believe Jesus is the ], ] and the ]. Christians, therefore, commonly refer to Jesus as ] or ].<ref name="Briggs">Briggs, Charles A. ''The fundamental Christian faith: the origin, history and interpretation of the Apostles' and Nicene creeds.'' C. Scribner's sons, 1913. </ref> | |||
| Adherents of the Christian faith, known as Christians,<ref name="name">The term "Christian" (] {{polytonic|''Χριστιανός''}}) was first used in reference to Jesus' ] in the city of ]{{bibleref2c|Acts|11:26}} about 44 AD, meaning "followers of Christ". The name was given by the non-Jewish inhabitants of Antioch, probably in derision, to the disciples of Jesus. In the New Testament the names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren", "the faithful", "elect", "saints", "believers". The earliest recorded use of the term "Christianity" (Greek {{polytonic|''Χριστιανισμός''}}) was by ], around 100 AD. See Elwell/Comfort. ''Tyndale Bible Dictionary'', pp. 266, 828</ref> believe that Jesus is the Messiah ] in the ] (the part of ] common to Christianity and ], and referred to as the "Old Testament" in Christianity). The foundation of Christian theology is expressed in the early Christian ecumenical creeds, which contain claims predominantly accepted by followers of the Christian faith.<ref>Defined to avoid the ambiguous term "orthodox"</ref> These professions state that Jesus suffered, died from ], was buried, and was ] from the dead to open heaven to those who believe in him and trust him for the remission of their sins (]).<ref>Sheed, Frank. "Theology and Sanity." (Ignatius Press: San Francisco, 1993), pp. 276.</ref> They further maintain that Jesus bodily ] into ] where he rules and reigns with ]. Most ] teach that Jesus will ] to ] all humans, living and dead, and grant ] to his followers. He is considered the ] of a ] life, and both the ] and physical ] of ].<ref name="McGrath4">McGrath, ''Christianity: An Introduction'', pp. 4-6.</ref> Christians call the message of Jesus Christ ] ("good news") and hence refer to the earliest written accounts of his ministry as ]s. | |||
| ]<ref name="Robinson">Robinson, ''Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs and Rituals'', p. 229.</ref><ref name="Esler">Esler. ''The Early Christian World''. p. 157f.</ref> and is classified as an ].<ref name="J.Smith98">J.Z.Smith, p. 276.</ref><ref name="Anidjar2001">Anidjar, p. 3.</ref><ref>Fowler, ''World Religions: An Introduction for Students'', p. 131.</ref> Originating in the eastern ], it quickly grew in size and influence over a few decades, and by the 4th century had become the dominant religion within the ].<ref>Religion in the Roman Empire, Wiley-Blackwell, by James B. Rives, page 196</ref> | |||
| During the ], most of the remainder of Europe was ], with Christians also being a (sometimes large) religious minority in the ], ], and parts of ].<ref>McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'', pp. 301-03.</ref> Following the ], through ] and colonization, Christianity spread to the ], ], and the rest of the world. Christianity, therefore, is a major influence in the ]. | |||
| As of the early 21st century, Christianity has around 2.2 billion adherents.<ref>33.2% of 6.7 billion world population (under the section 'People') {{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html|title=World|publisher=CIA world facts}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3835|title=The List: The World’s Fastest-Growing Religions|publisher=foreignpolicy.com|date= 2007-03 |accessdate=2010-01-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html |title=Major Religions Ranked by Size |publisher=Adherents.com |date= |accessdate=2009-05-05}}</ref> Christianity represents about a quarter to a third of the world's population and is the ].<ref>Hinnells, ''The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion'', p. 441.</ref> In addition, Christianity is the ] of several countries.<ref>See ] for information and references</ref> | |||
| ==Beliefs== | |||
| ] by ], Danish painter, d. 1890.]] | |||
| {{Wikisource|Apostles Creed}} | |||
| {{Wikisource|Nicene Creed}} | |||
| Though there are many important differences of interpretation and opinion of the Bible on which Christianity is based, Christians share a set of beliefs that they hold as essential to their faith.<ref name="Olsen">Olson, ''The Mosaic of Christian Belief''.</ref> | |||
| ===Creeds=== | |||
| {{Main|Creeds}} | |||
| Creeds (from Latin ''credo'' meaning "I believe") are concise doctrinal statements or confessions, usually of religious beliefs. They began as baptismal formulae and were later expanded during the ] controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries to become statements of faith. | |||
| The ] (''Symbolum Apostolorum'') was developed between the 2nd and 9th 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 ]. The creed was apparently used as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates in the churches of Rome.<ref>Pelikan/Hotchkiss, ''Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition''.</ref> | |||
| Since the Apostles Creed is still unaffected by the later Christological divisions, its statement of the articles of Christian faith remain largely acceptable to most Christian denominations: | |||
| *belief in ], ] as the ] and the ] | |||
| *the ], ], ], and ] of Christ | |||
| *the holiness of the ] and the ] | |||
| *Christ's ], the ] and ] of the faithful. | |||
| The ], largely a response to ], was formulated at the Councils of ] and ] in 325 and 381 respectively<ref>Catholics United for the Faith, </ref><ref>''Encyclopedia of Religion'', "Arianism".{{Clarify|date=August 2008}}</ref> and ratified as the universal creed of ] by the ] in 431.<ref name="ephesus">'']'', "".</ref> | |||
| The ], developed at the ] in 451,<ref>] Institute, .</ref> though rejected by the ] Churches,<ref>], </ref> 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 ].<ref>Pope Leo I, </ref> | |||
| The ], 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 nor dividing the ]."<ref>'']'', "".</ref> | |||
| Most Christians (], ] and ] alike) accept the use of creeds, and subscribe to at least one of the creeds mentioned above.<ref name="UMC—Our Common Heritage as Christians">{{cite web|url = http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1806| title = Our Common Heritage as Christians |publisher = The United Methodist Church |accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> | |||
| Many evangelical Protestants reject creeds as definitive statements of faith, even while agreeing with some creeds' substance. The Baptists have been non-creedal “in that they have not sought to establish binding authoritative confessions of faith on one another.” | |||
| <ref name=Avis>Avis, Paul (2002) ''The Christian Church: An Introduction to the Major Traditions'', SPCK, London, ISBN 0-281-05246-8 paperback</ref>{{rp|p.111}} Also rejecting creeds are groups with roots in the ], such as the ] and the ].<ref>White, ''''.</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Cummins | first = Duane D. | authorlink = | title = A handbook for Today's Disciples in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Revised Edition | publisher = Chalice Press | year = 1991 | location = St Louis, MO | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0-8272-1425-1}}</ref>{{rp|14-15}}<ref name="Rhodes 2005">Ron Rhodes, ''The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations'', Harvest House Publishers, 2005, ISBN 0-7369-1289-4</ref>{{rp|123}} | |||
| ===Jesus Christ=== | |||
| {{Main|Christian views of Jesus|Christology|Jesus Christ in comparative mythology}} | |||
| The central tenet of Christianity is the belief in ] as the ] and the ] (Christ). The title "Messiah" comes from the ] word מָשִׁיחַ (''māšiáħ'') meaning ''anointed one''. The Greek translation {{polytonic|''Χριστός''}} (''Christos'') is the source of the English word "]".<ref name="McGrath4"/> ]. 12th century, ].]] | |||
| Christians believe that Jesus, as the Messiah, was ] by God as savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus' coming was the fulfillment of ] of the ]. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from ]. The core Christian belief is that through belief in and acceptance of ], ] humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of ].<ref>Metzger/Coogan, ''Oxford Companion to the Bible'', pp. 513, 649.</ref> | |||
| While there have been many ] disputes over the ] over the earliest centuries of Christian history, Christians generally believe that Jesus is ] and "]" (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus, having become ], suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, but did not ]. As fully God, he rose to life again. According to the ], "God raised him from the dead,"<ref>{{Bibleref2|Acts|2:24}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|2:31-32}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|3:15}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|3:26}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|4:10}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|5:30}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|10:40-41}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|13:30}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|13:34}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|13:37}}, {{Bibleref2-nb|Acts|17:30-31}}, {{Bibleref2|Romans|10:9}}, {{bibleref2|1Cor|15:15||1 Cor. 15:15}}, {{bibleref2-nb|1Cor|6:14}}, {{bibleref2|2Cor|4:14||2 Cor. 4:14}}, {{Bibleref2|Gal|1:1}}, {{Bibleref2|Eph|1:20}}, {{Bibleref2|Col|2:12}}, {{bibleref2|1Thess|1:10||1 Thess. 11:10}}, {{Bibleref2|Heb.|13:20}}, {{bibleref2|1Pet|1:3||1 Pet. 1:3}}, {{bibleref2-nb|1Pet|1:21}}</ref> he ] to heaven, is "seated at the right hand of the Father"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.wikisource.org/Nicene_Creed |title=Nicene Creed—Wikisource |publisher=En.wikisource.org |date= |accessdate=2009-05-05}}</ref> and will ultimately return{{bibleref2c|Acts|1:9-11}} to fulfill the rest of ] such as the ], the ] and final establishment of the ]. | |||
| According to the ]s of ] and ], Jesus was ] by the ] and ] from ]. Little of Jesus' childhood is recorded in the ], however ] were popular in antiquity. In comparison, his adulthood, especially the week before his death, are well documented in the Gospels contained within the ]. The Biblical accounts of Jesus' ministry include: ], ], preaching, ]. | |||
| ===Death and resurrection of Jesus=== | |||
| {{Main|Crucifixion of Jesus|Resurrection of Jesus}} | |||
| ], early 1900s Bible Card illustration]] | |||
| Christians consider the resurrection of Jesus to be the cornerstone of their faith (see ]) and the most important event in human history.<ref>Hanegraaff. ''Resurrection: The Capstone in the Arch of Christianity''.</ref> Among Christian beliefs, the death and resurrection of Jesus are two core events on which much of Christian doctrine and theology is based.<ref name="ACU-Death & Resurrection">{{cite web|url = http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theology/Walsh.htm| title = The Significance of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus for the Christian|publisher = Australian Catholic University National|accessdate = 2007-05-16}}</ref><ref name="Got Questions-Death & Resurrection">{{cite web|url = http://www.gotquestions.org/resurrection-Christ-important.html| title = Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important?|publisher = Got Questions Ministries|accessdate = 2007-05-16}}</ref> According to the New Testament Jesus was ], died a physical death, was buried within a tomb, and rose from the dead three days later.{{bibleref2c|Jn.|19:30–31}} {{bibleref2c|Mk.|16:1}} {{bibleref2c-nb|Mark|16:6}} The New Testament mentions several ] on different occasions to his ] and ], including "more than five hundred brethren at once,"{{bibleref2c|1Cor||15:6|1 Cor. 15:6}} before Jesus' ] to heaven. Jesus' death and resurrection are commemorated by Christians in all worship services, with special emphasis during ] which includes ] and ] Sunday. | |||
| The death and resurrection of Jesus are usually considered the most important events in ], partly because they demonstrate that Jesus has power over life and death and therefore has the authority and power to give people ].<ref>{{bibleref2||John|3:16}}, {{bibleref2-nb|John|5:24}}, {{bibleref2-nb|John|6:39–40}}, {{bibleref2-nb|John|6:47}}, {{bibleref2-nb|John|10:10}}, {{bibleref2-nb|John|11:25–26}}, and {{bibleref2-nb|John|17:3}}</ref> | |||
| Christian churches accept and teach the New Testament account of the resurrection of Jesus with very few exceptions.<ref>This is drawn from a number of sources, especially the early Creeds, the ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', certain theological works, and various Confessions drafted during the Reformation including the ''Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England'', works contained in the ''Book of Concord''.</ref> Some modern scholars use the belief of Jesus' followers in the resurrection as a point of departure for establishing the continuity of the ] and the proclamation of the ].<ref>Fuller, ''The Foundations of New Testament Christology'', p. 11.</ref> Some ] do not accept a literal bodily resurrection,<ref>A ] conclusion: "in the view of the Seminar, he did not rise bodily from the dead; the resurrection is based instead on ] of ], ], and ]."</ref><ref>Funk. ''The Acts of Jesus: What Did Jesus Really Do?''.</ref> seeing the story as richly symbolic and spiritually nourishing ]. Arguments over death and resurrection claims occur at many religious ]s and ].<ref>Lorenzen. ''Resurrection, Discipleship, Justice: Affirming the Resurrection Jesus Christ Today'', p. 13.</ref> ], an early Christian convert and missionary, wrote, "If Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless."{{bibleref2c|1Cor|15:14||1 Cor. 15:14}} <ref>Ball/Johnsson (ed.). ''The Essential Jesus''.</ref> | |||
| ===Salvation=== | |||
| ]]] | |||
| {{Main|Salvation}} | |||
| ], like Jews and Roman pagans of his time, believed that sacrifice can bring about new kinship ties, purity, and eternal life.<ref name="remedy">{{cite journal |last=Eisenbaum |first=Pamela |year=2004 |month=Winter |title=A Remedy for Having Been Born of Woman: Jesus, Gentiles, and Genealogy in Romans | |||
| |journal=Journal of Biblical Literature |volume=123 |issue=4 |pages=671–702 |url=http://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/JBL1234.pdf |accessdate=2009-04-03 |doi=10.2307/3268465 |jstor=3268465 }}</ref> For Paul the necessary sacrifice was the death of Jesus: Gentiles who are "Christ's" are, like Israel, descendants of Abraham and "heirs according to the promise".{{bibleref2c|Gal.|3:29}} <ref>Wright, N.T. ''What Saint Paul Really Said: Was Paul of Tarsus the Real Founder of Christianity?'' (Oxford, 1997), p. 121.</ref> The God who raised Jesus from the dead would also give new life to the "mortal bodies" of Gentile Christians, who had become with Israel the "children of God" and were therefore no longer "in the flesh".{{bibleref2c|Rom.|8:9,11,16}} <ref name="remedy" /> | |||
| Modern Christian churches tend to be much more concerned with how humanity can be ] from a universal condition of sin and death than the question of how both Jews and Gentiles can be in God's family. According to both Catholic and Protestant doctrine, salvation comes by Jesus' ]. The Catholic Church teaches that salvation does not occur without faithfulness on the part of Christians; converts must live in accordance with principles of love and ordinarily must be baptized.<ref>CCC 846; Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 14</ref><ref>See quotations from Council of Trent on Justification at </ref> Martin Luther taught that baptism was necessary for salvation, but modern Lutherans and other Protestants tend to teach that salvation is a gift that comes to an individual by ], sometimes defined as "unmerited favor", even apart from baptism. | |||
| Christians differ in their views on the extent to which individuals' salvation is pre-ordained by God. Reformed theology places distinctive emphasis on grace by teaching that individuals are ], but that ].<ref>Westminster Confession, ; Spurgeon, ''''.</ref> In contrast Arminians, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians believe that the exercise of ] is necessary to have faith in Jesus.<ref>Catechism of the Catholic Church, </ref> | |||
| ===Trinity=== | |||
| {{Main|Trinity}} | |||
| ''Trinity'' refers to the teaching that the one God comprises three distinct, eternally co-existing persons; the '']'', the ''Son'' (incarnate in Jesus Christ), and the '']''. Together, these three persons are sometimes called the ],<ref>Kelly. ''Early Christian Doctrines''. pp. 87-90.</ref><ref>Alexander. ''New Dictionary of Biblical Theology''. p. 514f.</ref><ref>McGrath. ''Historical Theology''. p. 61.</ref> although there is no single term in use in Scripture to denote the unified Godhead.<ref>Metzger/Coogan. ''Oxford Companion to the Bible''. p. 782.</ref> In the words of the ], 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".<ref>Kelly. ''The Athanasian Creed''.</ref> They are distinct from another: the Father has no source, the Son is begotten of the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father. Though distinct, the three persons cannot be divided from one another in being or in operation.<ref>Oxford, "Encyclopedia Of Christianity, pg1207</ref> | |||
| The ] is an essential doctrine of mainstream Christianity. "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" represents both the ] and ] of God. God is believed to be infinite and God's presence may be perceived through the actions of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.<!--ref supports entire paragraph --><ref>Fowler. ''World Religions: An Introduction for Students''. p. 58.</ref> | |||
| 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 (see ]). The distinction lies in their relations, the Father being unbegotten; the Son being begotten of the Father; and the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and (in Western theology) ]. Regardless of this apparent difference, the three 'persons' are each ] and ]. | |||
| The word ''trias'', from which ''trinity'' is derived, is first seen in the works of ]. He wrote of "the Trinity of God (the Father), His Word (the Son) and His Wisdom (Holy Spirit)".<ref>Theophilus of Antioch ''Apologia ad Autolycum'' II 15</ref> The term may have been in use before this time. Afterwards it appears in ].<ref>McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity''. p. 50.</ref><ref>Tertullian ''De Pudicitia'' chapter 21</ref> In the following century the word was in general use. It is found in many passages of ].<ref>McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'', p. 53.</ref> | |||
| ]: The three angels represent the ] of God.]] | |||
| ====Trinitarians==== | |||
| {{Main|Trinitarianism}} | |||
| ''Trinitarianism'' denotes those Christians who believe in the concept of the '']''. Almost all Christian denominations and Churches hold Trinitarian beliefs. Although the words "Trinity" and "Triune" do not appear in the Bible, theologians beginning in the 3rd century developed the term and concept to facilitate comprehension of the New Testament teachings of God as Father, God as Jesus the Son, and God as the Holy Spirit. Since that time, Christian theologians have been careful to emphasize that Trinity does not imply three gods, nor that each member of the Trinity is one-third of an infinite God; Trinity is defined as one God in three Persons.<ref>Moltman, Jurgen. ''The Trinity and the Kingdom: The Doctrine of God.'' Tr. from German. Fortress Press, 1993. ISBN 0-8006-2825-X</ref> | |||
| ==== Non-trinitarians ==== | |||
| {{Main|Nontrinitarianism}} | |||
| ] refers to ] that reject the doctrine of the ]. They are a small minority of Christians. Various nontrinitarian views, such as ] or ], existed in early Christianity, leading to the disputes about ].<ref>Harnack, ''''.</ref> Nontrinitarianism later appeared again in the ] of the ] in the 11th through 13th centuries, in the ] of the 18th century, and in some groups arising during the ] of the 19th century. | |||
| ===Scriptures=== | |||
| {{Main|Bible|Development of the Christian Biblical canon}} | |||
| Christianity regards the Bible, a collection of ] books in two parts (the ] and the ]), as the authoritative word of God. It is believed by Christians to have been written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and therefore for many it is held to be the ] word of God.<ref>], </ref><ref>Second Helvetic Confession, </ref><ref>], </ref> Jews, Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants each define separate lists of ] that each considers canonical. These variations are a reflection of the range of ] and ] that have convened on the subject. Every version of the complete Bible always includes books of the Jewish scriptures, the ], and includes additional books and reorganizes them into two parts: the books of the Old Testament primarily sourced from the Tanakh (with some variations), and the 27 books of the New Testament containing books originally written primarily in Greek.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcusa.org/101/101-bible.htm |title=PC (USA)—Presbyterian 101—What is The Bible? |publisher=Pcusa.org |date= |accessdate=2009-05-05}}</ref> The Roman Catholic and Orthodox canons include other books from the ] which Roman Catholics call ].<ref name="Canon">Bruce, ''The Canon of Scripture''; ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', </ref> Protestants consider these books to be ]. Some versions of the Christian Bible have a separate Apocrypha section for the books not considered canonical by some Churches or by the groups publishing them.<ref>Metzger/Coogan, ''Oxford Companion to the Bible''. p. 39.</ref> | |||
| ====Catholic and Orthodox interpretations==== | |||
| ] | |||
| In antiquity, two schools of exegesis developed in ] and ]. Alexandrine interpretation, exemplified by ], tended to read Scripture ], while Antiochene interpretation adhered to the literal sense, holding that other meanings (called '']'') could only be accepted if based on the literal meaning.<ref>Kelly. ''Early Christian Doctrines''. pp. 69-78.</ref> | |||
| ] theology distinguishes two senses of scripture: the literal and the spiritual.<ref>Catechism of the Catholic Church, .</ref> | |||
| The ''literal'' sense of understanding scripture is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture. The ''spiritual'' sense is further subdivided into: | |||
| *the ''allegorical'' sense, which includes ]. An example would be the ] being understood as a "type" (sign) of baptism.{{Bibleref2c|1Cor|10:2||1 Cor. 10:2}} | |||
| *the '']'' sense, which understands the scripture to contain some ethical teaching. | |||
| *the '']'' sense, which applies to ], eternity and the ] | |||
| Regarding ], following the rules of sound interpretation, Catholic theology holds: | |||
| *the injunction that all other senses of sacred scripture are based on the ''literal''<ref>Thomas Aquinas, </ref><ref>''Catechism of the Catholic Church,'' </ref> | |||
| *that the historicity of the Gospels must be absolutely and constantly held<ref>], .</ref> | |||
| *that scripture must be read within the "living Tradition of the whole Church"<ref>''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', .</ref> and | |||
| *that "the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the ] of ]".<ref>''Catechism of the Catholic Church,'' .</ref> | |||
| ====Protestant interpretation==== | |||
| ;Clarity of Scripture:Protestant Christians believe that the Bible is a self-sufficient revelation, the final authority on all Christian doctrine, and ] necessary for salvation. This concept is known as '']''.<ref>Mathison. ''The Shape of Sola Scriptura''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}}</ref> 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."<ref name="Foutz" /> He advocated "one definite and simple understanding of Scripture."<ref name="Foutz">Foutz, .</ref> ] wrote, "all who...follow the Holy Spirit as their guide, find in the Scripture a clear light."<ref>John Calvin, </ref> The Second Helvetic (Latin for "Swiss")<ref></ref> Confession, composed by the pastor of the Reformed church in Zurich (successor to Protestant reformer ]) was adopted as a declaration of doctrine by most European Reformed churches.<ref>Second Helvetic Confession, </ref> | |||
| ;Original intended meaning of Scripture:Protestants stress the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture, the ].<ref>Sproul. ''Knowing Scripture'', pp. 45-61; Bahnsen, ''.</ref> The historical-grammatical method or grammatico-historical method is an effort in ] to find the intended original meaning in the text.<ref>{{Cite book | |||
| | publisher = Baker Book House | |||
| | isbn = 0801034132 | |||
| | last = Elwell | |||
| | first = Walter A. | |||
| | title = Evangelical Dictionary of Theology | |||
| | location = Grand Rapids, Mich. | |||
| | year = 1984 | |||
| }}</ref> This original intended meaning of the text is drawn out through examination of the passage in light of the grammatical and syntactical aspects, the historical background, the literary genre as well as theological (canonical) considerations.<ref>{{Cite book | |||
| | publisher = Academie Books | |||
| | isbn = 9780310341604 | |||
| | last = Johnson | |||
| | first = Elliott | |||
| | title = Expository hermeneutics : an introduction | |||
| | location = Grand Rapids Mich. | |||
| | year = 1990 | |||
| }}</ref> The historical-grammatical method distinguishes between the one original meaning and the significance of the text. The significance of the text includes the ensuing use of the text or application. The original passage is seen as having only a single meaning or sense. As Milton S. Terry said: "A fundamental principle in grammatico-historical exposition is that the words and sentences can have but one significance in one and the same connection. The moment we neglect this principle we drift out upon a sea of uncertainty and conjecture."<ref>{{Cite book | |||
| | publisher = Zondervan Pub. House | |||
| | last = Terry | |||
| | first = Milton | |||
| | title = Biblical hermeneutics : a treatise on the interpretation of the Old and New Testaments | |||
| | location = Grand Rapids Mich. | |||
| | year = 1974 | |||
| }} p. 205</ref> Technically speaking, the grammatical-historical method of interpretation is distinct from the determination of the passage's significance in light of that interpretation. Taken together, both define the term (Biblical) hermeneutics.<ref>{{Cite book | |||
| | publisher = Baker Book House | |||
| | isbn = 0801034132 | |||
| | last = Elwell | |||
| | first = Walter A. | |||
| | title = Evangelical Dictionary of Theology | |||
| | location = Grand Rapids, Mich. | |||
| | year = 1984 | |||
| }} p. 565</ref> | |||
| Some Protestant interpreters make use of typology.<ref>e.g., in his (§III.3) ] interprets the twin sons of Judah, Phares and Zara, as an allegory of the Gentile and ]. For a contemporary treatment, see Glenny, ''''.</ref> | |||
| ===Afterlife and Eschaton=== | |||
| {{Main|Christian eschatology}} | |||
| Most Christians believe that human beings experience divine judgment and are rewarded either with eternal life or ]. This includes the ] at the ] (see below) as well as the belief (held by Roman Catholics,<ref name="CEParticularJudgement">'']'', "".</ref><ref name="Ott">Ott, ''Grundriß der Dogmatik'', p. 566.</ref> Orthodox<ref>David Moser, ''''.</ref><ref>Ken Collins, ''''.</ref> and most Protestants) in a ] upon physical death. | |||
| In Roman Catholicism, those who die in a state of grace, i.e., without any mortal sin separating them from God, but are still imperfectly purified from the effects of sin, undergo purification through the intermediate state of ] to achieve the holiness necessary for entrance into God's presence.<ref></ref> Those who have attained this goal are called ''saints'' (Latin ''sanctus'', "holy").<ref>'']'', "".</ref> | |||
| Christians believe that the second coming of Christ will occur at the ]. All who have died will be ] for the ]. Jesus will fully establish the ] in fulfillment of ].<ref name="res">], questions 69 through 99</ref><ref>{{cite web | last =Calvin | first =John | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book Three, Ch. 25 | work = | publisher =www.reformed.org | date = | url =http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/books/book3/bk3ch25.html | doi = | accessdate =2008-01-01 }}</ref> | |||
| Jehovah's Witnesses deny the existence of hell. Instead, they hold that the souls of the wicked will be annihilated.<ref>"The death that Adam brought into the world is spiritual as well as physical, and only those who gain entrance into the Kingdom of God will exist eternally. However, this division will not occur until Armageddon, when all people will be resurrected and given a chance to gain eternal life. In the meantime, "the dead are conscious of nothing."What is God's Purpose for the Earth?" Official Site of Jehovah's Witnesses. ''Watchtower'', July 15, 2002.</ref> | |||
| ==Worship== | |||
| {{Main|Christian worship}} | |||
| ], and a ].]] | |||
| ] described 2nd century Christian ] in his '']'' (''c''. 150) to ] ], and his description remains relevant to the basic structure of Christian liturgical worship: | |||
| {{quotation|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 ]; 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.|Justin Martyr<ref name=justin>Justin Martyr, §LXVII</ref>}} | |||
| 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 ], using a book called a ]. Instruction is given based on these readings, called a ], or homily. There are a variety of congregational ]s, including thanksgiving, confession, and intercession, which occur throughout the service and take a variety of forms including recited, responsive, silent, or sung. The ], or Our Father, is regularly prayed. The ] (called ], 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: | |||
| {{quotation|And this food is called among us ''Eukaristia'' , 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.|Justin Martyr<ref name=justin/>}} | |||
| Some ] practice ]. They offer communion to those who are already united in that denomination or sometimes individual church. Catholics restrict participation to their members who are not in a state of ]. Most other churches practice ] since they view communion as a means to unity, rather than an end, and invite all believing Christians to participate. | |||
| Some groups depart from this traditional liturgical structure. A division is often made between "]" ]s, characterized by greater solemnity and ritual, and "]" services, but even within these two categories there is great diversity in forms of worship. ] meet on Saturday, while others do not meet on a weekly basis. ] or ] congregations may spontaneously feel led by the Holy Spirit to action rather than follow a formal order of service, including spontaneous prayer. ] sit quietly until moved by the Holy Spirit to speak. Some ] services resemble concerts with ], dancing, and use of multimedia. For groups which do not recognize a priesthood distinct from ordinary believers the services are generally lead by a ], ], or ]. Still others may lack any formal leaders, either in principle or by local necessity. Some churches use only ] music, either on principle (e.g., many ] object to the use of instruments in worship) or by tradition (as in Orthodoxy). | |||
| Worship can be varied for special events like ]s or weddings in the service or significant ]. In the ], 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 ] or ] (Sunday schools are often held before rather than during services). | |||
| ===Sacraments=== | |||
| {{Main|Sacrament}} | |||
| {{See also|Sacraments of the Catholic Church}} | |||
| ]]] | |||
| In Christian belief and practice, a '''sacrament''' is a ], instituted by Christ, that mediates ], constituting a ]. The term is derived from the ] word ''sacramentum'', which was used to translate the Greek word for ''mystery''. Views concerning both what rites are sacramental, and what it means for an act to be a sacrament vary among Christian denominations and traditions.<ref name="ODCC1435">Cross/Livingstone. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church''. p. 1435f.</ref> | |||
| The most conventional functional definition of a sacrament is that it is an outward sign, instituted by Christ, that conveys an inward, spiritual grace through Christ. The two most widely accepted sacraments are ] and the ], however, the majority of Christians recognize seven Sacraments or Divine Mysteries: Baptism, ] (] in the ] tradition), and the Eucharist, ], ] (confession), ], and ].<ref name="ODCC1435" /> Taken together, these are the ] as recognised by churches in the ] tradition—notably ], ], ], ], ] and some ]s. Most other denominations and traditions typically affirm only Baptism and Eucharist as sacraments, while some Protestant groups, such as the Quakers, reject sacramental theology.<ref name="ODCC1435" /> Most Protestant ] who believe these rites do not communicate grace prefer to call them '']''. | |||
| ===Liturgical calendar=== | |||
| {{Main|Liturgical year}} | |||
| Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Eastern Christians, and traditional Protestant communities frame worship around a ]. This includes ], such as ] which commemorate an event in the life of Jesus or the ]s, periods of ] such as ], and other pious events such as ] or lesser festivals commemorating saints. Christian groups that do not follow a liturgical tradition often retain certain celebrations, such as ], ] and ]. A few churches make no use of a liturgical calendar.<ref>Hickman. ''Handbook of the Christian Year''.</ref> | |||
| ===Symbols=== | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| {{Main|Christian symbolism}} | |||
| ] symbol, created by combining the Greek letters ] into a wheel. ], Asia Minor.]] | |||
| The ], which is today one of the most widely recognised symbols in the world, was used as a Christian symbol from the earliest times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-04/anf04-34.htm |title=ANF04. Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Part Fourth; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen, Parts First and Second | Christian Classics Ethereal Library |publisher=Ccel.org |date=2005-06-01 |accessdate=2009-05-05}}</ref><ref>Minucius Felix speaks of the cross of Jesus in its familiar form, likening it to objects with a crossbeam or to a man with arms outstretched in prayer (, chapter XXIX).</ref> Tertullian, in his book ''De Corona'', tells how it was already a tradition for Christians to trace repeatedly on their foreheads the sign of the cross.<ref>"At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign." (Tertullian, )</ref> Although the cross was known to the early Christians, the ] did not appear in use until the 5th century.<ref name="soc">Dilasser. ''The Symbols of the Church''.</ref> | |||
| Among the symbols employed by the primitive Christians, that of the fish seems to have ranked first in importance. From monumental sources such as tombs it is known that the symbolic fish was familiar to Christians from the earliest times. The fish was depicted as a Christian symbol in the first decades of the 2nd century.<ref name="cefish">'']'', "".</ref> Its popularity among Christians was due principally, it would seem, to the famous acrostic consisting of the initial letters of five Greek words forming the word for fish (Ichthys), which words briefly but clearly described the character of Christ and the claim to worship of believers: ''Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter'', meaning, ''Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour''.<ref name="cefish" /> | |||
| Christians from the very beginning adorned their ] with paintings of Christ, of the saints, of scenes from the Bible and allegorical groups. The catacombs are the cradle of all Christian art. The first Christians had no prejudice against images, pictures, or statues. The idea that they must have feared the danger of idolatry among their new converts is disproved in the simplest way by the pictures, even statues, that remain from the first centuries.<ref name="ceimage">'']'', ".</ref> Other major Christian symbols include the ], the ] (symbolic of the Holy Spirit), the sacrificial lamb (symbolic of Christ's sacrifice), the ] (symbolising the necessary connectedness of the Christian with Christ) and many others. These all derive from writings found in the New Testament.<ref name="soc"/> | |||
| ===Baptism=== | |||
| ] is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which a person is admitted to membership of the ].<ref>"Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission" (;] "Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God" ( "Baptism is the sacrament of initiation and incorporation into the body of Christ" ( "As an initiatory rite into membership of the Family of God, baptismal candidates are symbolically purified or washed as their sins have been forgiven and washed away" (</ref> | |||
| ]'s ''The Baptism of Christ'']] | |||
| ===Prayer=== | |||
| {{Main|Prayer in Christianity}} | |||
| Jesus' teaching on prayer in the ] displays a distinct lack of interest in the external aspects of prayer. A concern with the techniques of prayer is condemned as 'pagan', and instead a simple trust in God's fatherly goodness is encouraged.{{bibleref2c|Mat.|6:5-15}} Elsewhere in the New Testament this same freedom of access to God is also emphasized.{{bibleref2c|Phil.|4:6}}{{bibleref2c|Jam.|5:13-19}} This confident position should be understood in light of Christian belief in the unique relationship between the believer and Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.<ref name="NBDprayer">{{cite encyclopedia |editor=Alexander, T. D., & Rosner, B. S |year=2001 |title =Prayer |encyclopedia= New Dictionary of Biblical Theology|publisher= Intervarsity Press |location=Downers Grove, IL |id= }}</ref> | |||
| In subsequent Christian traditions, certain physical gestures are emphasised, including medieval gestures such as ] or making the ]. ], bowing and ]s (see also ]) are often practiced in more traditional branches of Christianity. Frequently in Western Christianity the hands are placed palms together and forward as in the feudal ]. At other times the older ] posture may be used, with palms up and elbows in. | |||
| ''Intercessory prayer'' is prayer offered for the benefit of other people. There are many intercessory prayers recorded in the Bible, included prayers of the ] on behalf of sick persons{{bibleref2c|Acts|9:40}} and by ]s of the Old Testament in favor of other people.{{bibleref2c|1Ki|17:19-22}} In the New Testament ] no distinction is made between the intercessory prayer offered by ordinary believers and the prominent Old Testament prophet Elijah.{{bibleref2c|Jam|5:16-18}} The effectiveness of prayer in Christianity derives from the power of God rather than the status of the one praying<ref name="NBDprayer"/> | |||
| The ancient church, in both ] and ], developed a tradition of asking for the ], and this remains the practice of most ], ], ], and some ] churches. Churches of the ] however rejected prayer to the saints, largely on the basis of the sole mediatorship of Christ.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |coauthors=Ferguson, S. B., & Packer, J. |year=1988 |title =Saints |encyclopedia= New Dictionary of Theology|publisher= Intervarsity Press |location=Downers Grove, IL |id= }}</ref> The reformer ] admitted that he had offered prayers to the saints until his reading of the Bible convinced him that this was idolatrous.<ref>Madeleine Gray, ''The Protestant Reformation'', (Sussex Academic Press, 2003), page 140.</ref> | |||
| According to the ]: "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God."<ref></ref> The ] in the Anglican tradition is a guide which provides a set order for church services, containing set prayers, scripture readings, and hymns or sung Psalms. | |||
| ==History and origins== | |||
| {{Main|History of Christianity|Origins of Christianity}} | |||
| {{Unbalanced section|date=November 2008}} | |||
| ===Early Church and Christological Councils=== | |||
| ] | |||
| {{main|Early Christianity|First seven Ecumenical Councils}} | |||
| Christianity began as a ] sect in the eastern ] in the mid-1st century.<ref name="name"/><ref name="Robinson"/><ref name="Esler"/> Its earliest development took place under the leadership of the ], particularly ] and ], followed by the early ]s, whom Christians considered the ]. | |||
| From the beginning, Christians were subject to ] by some Jewish religious leaders, who disagreed with the apostles' teachings (See ]). This involved punishments, including death, for Christians such as ]{{bibleref2c|Acts|7:59}} and ].{{bibleref2c|Acts|12:2}} Larger-scale persecutions followed at the hands of the authorities of the Roman Empire, first in the year 64, when ] blamed them for the ]. According to Church tradition, it was under Nero's persecution that early Church leaders Peter and ] were each martyred in Rome. Further widespread ] of the Church occurred under nine subsequent Roman emperors, most intensely under ] and ]. From the year 150, Christian teachers began to produce theological and apologetic works aimed at defending the faith. These authors are known as the ], and study of them is called ]. Notable early Fathers include ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. | |||
| State persecution ceased in the 4th century, when ] issued an ] in 313. On 27 February 380, Emperor ] enacted a law establishing Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire.<ref>, in: Bettenson. ''Documents of the Christian Church''. p. 31.</ref> From at least the 4th century, Christianity has played a prominent role in the ].<ref name="Orlandis">Orlandis, ''A Short History of the Catholic Church'' (1993), preface.</ref> | |||
| Constantine was also instrumental in the convocation of the ] in 325, which sought to address the ] and formulated the ], which is still used by the ], ], ], and many ] churches.<ref name="UMC—Our Common Heritage as Christians"/> Nicaea was the first of a series of ] which formally defined critical elements of the theology of the Church, notably concerning ].<ref name="McManners37">McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'', p. 37f.</ref> The ] did not accept the third and following Ecumenical Councils, and are still separate today. | |||
| The presence of Christianity in Africa began in the middle of the 1st century in ], and by the end of the 2nd century in the region around ]. Important Africans who influenced the early development of Christianity includes ], ], ], ], ] and ]. The later rise of ] in ] reduced the size and numbers of Christian congregations, leaving only the ] in Egypt and the ] in the ]. The History of Christianity in Africa began in the 1st century when ] started the ] in about 43 AD.<ref>], the author of '']'' in the 4th century, states that St. Mark came to Egypt in the first or third year of the reign of Emperor Claudius, i.e. 41 or 43 AD. "Two Thousand years of Coptic Christianity" Otto F.A. Meinardus p28.</ref><ref></ref><ref></ref> | |||
| ===Early Middle Ages=== | |||
| With the decline and fall of the Roman Empire in the west, the ] became a political player, first visible in ]'s diplomatic dealings with ] and ].<ref name = "Gonzalez-p238"/> The church also entered into a long period of missionary activity and expansion among the various tribes. Whilst arianists instituted the death penalty for practicing pagans (see ] as example), ] also spread among the ] (<ref name = "Gonzalez-p238">Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 238–42.</ref> the ] and ], the ], and the ]. | |||
| Around 500, ] set out his ], establishing a system of regulations for the foundation and running of ].<ref name = "Gonzalez-p238"/> ] became a powerful force throughout Europe,<ref name = "Gonzalez-p238"/> and gave rise to many early centers of learning, most famously in ], ] and ], contributing to the ] of the 9th century. | |||
| From the 7th century onwards, ] conquered the Christian lands of the ], ] and much of ],<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 248–50.</ref> resulting in oppression of Christianity and numerous military struggles, including the ], the Spanish ] and wars against the ]. | |||
| The Middle Ages brought about major changes within the church. ] dramatically reformed ] and administration.<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 244–47.</ref> In the early 8th century, ] became a divisive issue, when it was sponsored by the ] emperors. The ] (787) finally pronounced in favor of icons.<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', p. 260.</ref> In the early 10th century, western monasticism was further rejuvenated through the leadership of the great Benedictine monastery of ].<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 278–81.</ref> | |||
| {{see also2|]}} | |||
| ===High and Late Middle Ages=== | |||
| In the west, from the 11th century onward, older cathedral schools developed into universities (see ], ], and ].) Originally teaching only ], these steadily added subjects including medicine, philosophy and law, becoming the direct ancestors of modern western institutions of learning.<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 305, 312, 314f..</ref> | |||
| Accompanying the rise of the "new towns" throughout Western Europe, ]s were founded, bringing the ] out of the monastery and into the new urban setting. The two principal mendicant movements were the ]<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 303–07, 310f., 384–86.</ref> and the ]<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 305, 310f., 316f.</ref> founded by ] and ] respectively. Both orders made significant contributions to the development of the great universities of Europe. Another new order were the ], whose large isolated monasteries spearheaded the settlement of former wilderness areas. In this period church building and ecclesiastical architecture reached new heights, culminating in the orders of ] and ] and the building of the great European cathedrals.<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 321–23, 365f.</ref> | |||
| ] at the ], where he preached the ].]] | |||
| From 1095 under the pontificate of ], the ] were launched.<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 292–300.</ref> These were a series of military campaigns in the ] and elsewhere, initiated in response to pleas from the Byzantine Emperor ] for aid against ] expansion. The Crusades ultimately failed to stifle Islamic aggression and even contributed to Christian enmity with the sacking of ] during the ].<ref>Riley-Smith. ''The Oxford History of the Crusades''.</ref> | |||
| Over a period stretching from the 7th to the 13th century, the Christian Church underwent gradual alienation, resulting in a ] dividing it into a so-called Latin or ] branch, the Roman Catholic Church,<ref>The Western church was called Latin at the time by the Eastern Christians and non Christians due to its conducting of its rituals and affairs in the Latin language</ref> and an ], largely Greek, branch, the ]. These two churches disagree on a number of administrative, liturgical, and doctrinal issues, most notably ].<ref name="Orthodox Information Centre-Great Schism">{{cite web|url = http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/greatschism.aspx| title = The Great Schism: The Estrangement of Eastern and Western Christendom|publisher = Orthodox Information Centre|accessdate = 2007-05-26}}</ref><ref name="SandSp91">Duffy, ''Saints and Sinners'' (1997), p. 91</ref> The ] (1274) and the ] (1439) attempted to reunite the churches, but in both cases the Eastern Orthodox refused to implement the decisions and the two principal churches remain in schism to the present day. However, the Roman Catholic Church has achieved union with various ]. | |||
| Beginning around 1184, following the crusade against the ] heresy,<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 300, 304–05.</ref> various institutions, broadly referred to as the ], were established with the aim of suppressing ] and securing religious and doctrinal unity within Christianity through ] and prosecution.<ref>Gonzalez, ''The Story of Christianity'', pp. 310, 383, 385, 391.</ref> | |||
| === Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation === | |||
| ]]] | |||
| {{Main|Protestant Reformation|Counter-Reformation}} | |||
| The 15th-century ] brought about a renewed interest in ancient and classical learning. Another major schism, the ], resulted in the splintering of the Western Christendom into several ].<ref name="Simon-120-121">Simon. ''Great Ages of Man: The Reformation''. p. 7.</ref> ] in 1517 ] against the sale of ] and soon moved on to deny several key points of Roman Catholic ]. Others like ] and ] further criticized Roman Catholic teaching and worship. These challenges developed into the movement called ], which repudiated the ], the role of tradition, the ], and other doctrines and practices.<ref name="Simon">Simon. ''Great Ages of Man: The Reformation''. pp. 39, 55–61.</ref> The ] began in 1534, when ] had himself ] of the ]. Beginning in 1536, the monasteries throughout England, Wales and Ireland were ].<ref name="Schama">Schama. ''A History of Britain''. pp. 306–10.</ref> | |||
| Partly in response to the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church engaged in a substantial process of reform and renewal, known as the ] or Catholic Reform.<ref name="Bokenkotter242">Bokenkotter, ''A Concise History of the Catholic Church'', pp. 242–44.</ref> The ] clarified and reasserted Roman Catholic doctrine. During the following centuries, competition between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism became deeply entangled with political struggles among European states.<ref name="Simon3">Simon. ''Great Ages of Man: The Reformation''. pp. 109–120.</ref> | |||
| Meanwhile, the discovery of America by ] in 1492 brought about a new wave of missionary activity. Partly from missionary zeal, but under the impetus of ] by the European powers, Christianity spread to the Americas, Oceania, ], and ]. | |||
| Throughout Europe, the divides caused by the Reformation led to outbreaks of ] and the establishment of separate state religions in Western Europe: ] in parts of Germany and in Scandinavia and ] in England in 1534. Ultimately, these differences led to the outbreak of ]s in which religion played a key factor. The ], the ], and the ] are prominent examples. These events intensified the ].<ref>A general overview about the English discussion is given in Coffey, ''Persecution and Toleration in Protestant England 1558–1689''.</ref> | |||
| {{See also|European wars of religion}} | |||
| ===In the Modern era=== | |||
| ] from the dome over the Vatican and out into Rome]] | |||
| In the ], Christianity has been confronted with various forms of ] and with certain modern ] such as ]. Events ranged from mere ] to violent outbursts against Christianity such as the ] during the ],<ref>Mortimer Chambers, ''The Western Experience'' (vol. 2) chapter 21.</ref> the ], and general hostility of Marxist movements, especially ]. | |||
| Christian commitment in Europe dropped as modernity and secularism came into their own{{Clarify|date=May 2008}} in Western Europe, while religious commitments in America have been generally high in comparison to Western Europe. The late 20th century has shown the shift of Christian adherence to the Third World and southern hemisphere in general, with western civilization no longer the chief standard bearer of Christianity. | |||
| Some Europeans (including diaspora), ], and natives of other continents have revived their respective peoples' historical folk religions. (see ], ]) Approximately 7.1 to 10% of ] are ]<ref name=Pacini>{{cite book |last= |first= |authorlink=Philippe Fargues |title=''Christian Communities in the Middle East'' |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1998 |doi= |isbn=0-19-829388-7 |author= ed. by Andrea Pacini}}</ref> most prevalent in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. | |||
| ==Demographics== | |||
| {{See|Christianity by country}} | |||
| {{See|Christian population growth}} | |||
| ]s are colored violet when countries with 10% to 50% ]s are colored purple.]] | |||
| ]: | |||
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| {{legend|#062A87|]}} | |||
| {{legend|#04E3F1|]}} | |||
| ]] | |||
| <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | |||
| With an estimated number of adherents that ranges approximately around 2.1 billion,<ref name="Adherents.com Christians"></ref> split into 3 main branches of ], ] and ], Christianity is the ].<ref name="Adherents—Religion Sizes">{{cite web|url = http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html| title = Major Religions Ranked by Size|publisher = Adherents|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> 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 (around 23,000 per day) have been accompanied by substantial declines in the developed world, mainly in Europe and North America (around 7,600 per day).<ref>Werner Ustorf. "A missiological postscript", in McLeod and Ustorf (eds), ''The Decline of Christendom in Western Europe, 1750-2000'', (], 2003) pp. 219–20.</ref> It is still the predominant religion in Europe, the Americas, the ], and Southern Africa.<ref> table of religions, by region. Retrieved November 2007.</ref> However it is declining in many areas including the Northern and Western ],<ref></ref> Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), northern Europe (including Great Britain,<ref></ref> ] and other places), France, Germany, the Canadian provinces of ], ], and ], and parts of Asia (especially the Middle East,<ref>Barrett/Kurian.''World Christian Encyclopedia'', p. 139 (Britain), 281 (France), 299 (Germany).</ref><ref></ref><ref></ref> ],<ref></ref> ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://americanbuddhist.net/christianity-fading-taiwan |title=Christianity fading in Taiwan | American Buddhist Net |publisher=Americanbuddhist.net |date=2007-11-10 |accessdate=2009-05-05}}</ref> and ]<ref></ref>). | |||
| This is true of Christianity as a whole but it should be noted that there are many ] that have extremely large progress over large parts of the world, including ]. It is estimated that 6 million ]n ]s convert to Christianity every year<ref></ref>. | |||
| In most countries in the developed world, church attendance among people who continue to identify themselves as Christians has been falling over the last few decades.<ref>Putnam, ''Democracies in Flux: The Evolution of Social Capital in Contemporary Society'', p. 408.</ref> Some sources view this simply as part of a drift away from traditional membership institutions,<ref>McGrath, ''Christianity: An Introduction'', p. xvi.</ref> while others link it to signs of a decline in belief in the importance of religion in general.<ref>Peter Marber, ''Money Changes Everything: How Global Prosperity Is Reshaping Our Needs, Values and Lifestyles'', p. 99.</ref> | |||
| Christianity, in one form or another, is the sole ] of the following nations: <!--] (Roman Catholic),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Argentina">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/33657/Argentina| title = Argentina|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> NO: that is a misinterpretation of Article 5 of the Argentine Constitution. See Argentina.gov in http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1689--> ] (Armenian Apostolic),<ref name="Armenian National Committee of America-Armenia">{{cite web|url =http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=82| title = Gov. Pataki Honors 1700th Anniversary of Armenia's Adoption of Christianity as a state religion|publisher = Aremnian National Committe of America|accessdate = 2009-04-11}}</ref> ] (Roman Catholic),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Bolivia">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/72106/Bolivia| title = Bolivia|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Roman Catholic),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Costa Rica">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/139528/Costa-Rica| title = Costa Rica|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Evangelical Lutheran),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Denmark">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/157748/Denmark| title = Denmark|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Roman Catholic),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-El Salvador">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/181798/El-Salvador| title = El Salvador|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Anglican),<ref name="Centre for Citizenship-England">{{cite web|url =http://www.centreforcitizenship.org/church1.html| title = Church and State in Britain: The Church of privilege|publisher = Centre for Citizenship|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Evangelical Lutheran & Orthodox),<ref name="Finish Tourist Board-Finland">{{cite web|url =http://www.visitfinland.com/w5/index.nsf/(Pages)/Religion| title = Official Religions of Finland|publisher = Finish Tourist Board|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref><ref name="Euresis-Finland">{{cite web|url =http://www.euresisnet.eu/Pages/ReligionAndState/FINLAND.aspx| title = State and Church in Finland|publisher = Euresis|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Georgian Orthodox),<ref name="Beliefnet-Georgia">{{cite web|url =http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/08/mccain-praises-georgia-for-ado.html| title = McCain Praises Georgia For Adopting Christianity As Official State Religion|publisher = BeliefNet|accessdate = 2009-04-11}}</ref> ] (Greek Orthodox),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-El Salvador"/> ] (Evangelical Lutheran),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Iceland">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/281235/Iceland|title = Iceland|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Roman Catholic),<ref name="U.S. Department of State-Liechtenstein">{{cite web|url =http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/24418.htm|title = Liechtenstein|publisher = U.S. Department of State|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Roman Catholic),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Malta">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/360532/Malta|title = Malta|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Roman Catholic),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Monaco">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/388747/Monaco|title = Monaco|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Evangelical Lutheran),<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Norway">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/420178/Norway|title = Norway|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> ] (Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, or Protestant—denomination varies per ])<ref name="U.S. Department of State-Switzerland">{{cite web|url =http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/24436.htm|title = Switzerland|publisher = U.S. Department of State|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> and ] (Roman Catholic).<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica-Vatican City">{{cite web|url =http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/623972/Vatican-City|title = Vatican|publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> | |||
| There are numerous other countries, such as ], which although do not have an ], still give official recognition to a specific ].<ref name="U.S. Department of State-Cyprus">{{cite web|url =http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/27433.htm|title = Cyprus|publisher = U.S. Department of State|accessdate = 2008-05-11}}</ref> | |||
| ==Main grouping of Christianity== | |||
| {{See also|List of Christian denominations|List of Christian denominations by number of members}} | |||
| The three primary divisions of Christianity are Roman Catholicism, the Orthodox church, and Protestantism.<ref name="Rhodes 2005"/>{{rp|14}}<ref name="North Virgina College—Four Sects">{{cite web|url = http://www.nvcc.edu/home/lshulman/Rel232/resource/Xiandivision.htm| title = Divisions of Christianity|publisher = North Virginia College|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> There are other Christian groups that do not fit neatly into one of these primary categories.<ref name="Religious Tolerance—Four Sects">{{cite web|url = http://www.religioustolerance.org/ldswho.htm| title = The LDS Restorationist movement, including Mormon denominations|publisher = Religious Tolerance|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> The Nicene Creed is "accepted as authoritative by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and major Protestant churches."<ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Nicene Creed | work =Encyclopædia Britannica Online | publisher =Encyclopædia Britannica |year=2007 | url =http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9055702 | doi = | accessdate =2007-12-31}}</ref> There is a diversity of ]s and practices among groups calling themselves Christian. These groups are sometimes classified under ]s, though for theological reasons many groups reject this classification system.<ref>Sydney E. Ahlstrom ({{Clarify|date=August 2008}}, p. 381.) characterized ] in America as "a virtual ecclesiology" that "first of all repudiates the insistences of the Roman Catholic church, the churches of the 'magisterial' Reformation, and of most sects that they alone are the true Church." For specific citations, on the Roman Catholic Church see the ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' §816; other examples: Donald Nash, ; Wendell Winkler, ; and David E. Pratt, </ref> Another distinction that is sometimes drawn is between ] and ]. | |||
| {{Denominations of Christianity}} | |||
| ] | |||
| {{Clear}} | |||
| ===Catholic=== | |||
| {{Main|Catholic Church}} | |||
| The ] comprises those ], headed by bishops, in communion with the ], the Bishop of Rome, as its highest authority in matters of faith, morality and Church governance.<ref name="LumenG">], ''''.</ref><ref name="SandSp1">Duffy, ''Saints and Sinners'', p. 1.</ref> Like the ], the Roman Catholic Church through ] traces its origins to the Christian community founded by Jesus Christ.<ref name="NatGeographic281">Hitchcock, ''Geography of Religion'', p. 281.</ref><ref name="Norman11">Norman, ''The Roman Catholic Church an Illustrated History'', p. 11, 14.</ref> Catholics maintain that the "]" founded by Jesus ] in the Roman Catholic Church, but also acknowledges other Christian churches and communities<ref name = "LumenGentium">], '', chapter 2, paragraph 15.</ref><ref>], .</ref> and works towards ] among all Christians.<ref name = "LumenGentium"/> The Catholic faith is detailed in the '']''.<ref name="cat">Marthaler, ''Introducing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Traditional Themes and Contemporary Issues'' (1994), preface.</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = John Paul II| first =Pope | title =Laetamur Magnopere | publisher =Vatican | year =1997 | url =http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/laetamurmagnopere.htm | archiveurl =http://web.archive.org/web/20080211121910/http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/laetamurmagnopere.htm | archivedate =2008-02-11 | accessdate =2008-03-09 }}</ref> | |||
| The 2,782 ]<ref>'']'' (2007), p. 1172.</ref> are grouped into ], the largest being the ], each with distinct traditions regarding the ] and the administering the ].<ref name="OneFaith71">Barry, ''One Faith, One Lord'' (2001), p. 71</ref> With more than 1.1 billion baptized members, the Catholic Church is the largest ] representing over half of all Christians and one sixth of the ].<ref name="Adherents">Adherents.com, </ref><ref>''Zenit.org'', "", 12 February 2007.</ref><ref name="CIA">], '''' (2007).</ref> | |||
| Various smaller communities, such as the ] and ], include the word ''Catholic'' in their title, and share much in common with Roman Catholicism but are no longer in ] with the ]. The ] is in communion with the ].<ref>According to the Bonn Accord of 1931, cited at .</ref><ref>.</ref> | |||
| ===Orthodox=== | |||
| {{Main|Orthodox Church|Oriental Orthodoxy}} | |||
| {{See also|Eastern Christianity|List of Orthodox Churches}} | |||
| ] comprises those churches in communion with the Patriarchal Sees of the East, such as the ].<ref name="ODCC1199">Cross/Livingstone. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church'', p. 1199.</ref> Like the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church also traces its heritage to the foundation of Christianity through ] and has an ] structure, though the ] of the individual, mostly national churches is emphasized. A number of conflicts with Western Christianity over questions of doctrine and authority culminated in the ]. Eastern Orthodoxy is the second largest single denomination in Christianity, with over 200 million adherents.<ref name="Adherents"/> | |||
| The ] (also called ''Old Oriental Churches'') are those eastern churches that recognize the first three ecumenical councils—], ] and ]—but reject the dogmatic definitions of the ] and instead espouse a ] ]. The Oriental Orthodox communion comprises six groups: ], ], ], ], ] (India) and ] churches.<ref></ref> These six churches, while being in communion with each other are completely independent hierarchically.<ref></ref> These churches are generally not in communion with ] with whom they are in dialogue for a return to unity.<ref name="sor.cua.edu"></ref> | |||
| ===Protestant=== | |||
| ] chart of the main ]]] | |||
| {{Main|Protestantism}} | |||
| {{See also|History of Protestantism}} | |||
| In the 16th century, ], ], and ] inaugurated what has come to be called ]. Luther's primary theological heirs are known as ]. Zwingli and Calvin's heirs are far broader denominationally, and are broadly referred to as the ].<ref name="McManners251">McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity''. pp. 251–59.</ref> 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 ] after the ]. The ] tradition was largely ostracized by the other Protestant parties at the time, but has achieved a measure of affirmation in more recent history. Some but not most ] prefer not to be called Protestants, claiming a direct ancestral line going back to the apostles in the 1st century.<ref name="Carroll">{{cite book|title=The Trail of Blood|publisher = The School of Biblical & Theological Studies (2004)|author=Dr. ]|accessdate = 2009–09–27}}</ref> | |||
| The oldest Protestant groups separated from the Catholic Church in the 16th century ], followed in many cases by further divisions.<ref name="McManners251"/> For example, the ] grew out of Anglican minister ]'s ] and ] in the ].<ref name="Methodist Central Hall Westminster—Methodism">{{cite web|url = http://www.methodist-central-hall.org.uk/history/WhatisMethodism.htm| title = About The Methodist Church|publisher = Methodist Central Hall Westminster|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref><ref name="Public Service Projects—Holiness Movement">{{cite web|url = http://mb-soft.com/believe/text/holiness.htm| title = American Holiness Movement|publisher = Finding Your Way, Inc|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> Several ] and non-denominational Churches, which emphasize the cleansing power of the ], in turn grew out of the Methodist Church.<ref name="Public Service Projects—Holiness Movement" /><ref name="FYW—Pentecostalism">{{cite web|url = http://www.findingyourwayinc.org/christianity.htm| title = Christianity: Pentecostal Churches|publisher = Finding Your Way, Inc.|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> Because Methodists, Pentecostals, and other ] stress "accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior",<ref name="CUMC Accepting Christ">{{cite web|url = http://www.cambridgechristumc.com/statementofbelief.htm| title = Statement of Belief|publisher = Cambridge Christ United Methodist Church|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> which comes from ]'s emphasis of the ],<ref name="UMC GBGM-The New Birth">{{cite web|url = http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/45/| title = The New Birth by John Wesley (Sermon 45)|publisher = The United Methodist Church GBGM|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> they often refer to themselves as being ].<ref name="UMC GBGM-Grace">{{cite web|url = http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/walk.stm| title = God's Preparing, Accepting, and Sustaining Grace|publisher = The United Methodist Church GBGM|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref><ref name="Warren Wilson College—Total Experience of the Spirit">{{cite web|url = http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~religion/newifo/religions/christianity/index/pentecostal/essay.shtml| title = Total Experience of the Spirit|publisher = Warren Wilson College|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> | |||
| Estimates of the total number of Protestants are very uncertain, partly because of the difficulty in determining which denominations should be placed in these categories, but it seems clear that Protestantism is the second largest major group of Christians after Catholicism in number of followers (although the Orthodox Church is larger than any single Protestant denomination).<ref name="Adherents" /> | |||
| A special grouping are the Anglican churches descended from the ] and organised in the ]. Some Anglican churches consider themselves both Protestant and Catholic.<ref>Sykes/Booty/Knight. ''The Study of Anglicanism'', p. 219.</ref> Some Anglicans consider their church a ] alongside of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a concept rejected by the Roman Catholic Church and some Eastern Orthodox.<ref>Gregory Hallam, ''''.</ref><ref>Gregory Mathewes-Green, "", ''Anglican Orthodox Pilgrim'' Vol. 2, No. 4.</ref> | |||
| Some groups of individuals who hold basic Protestant tenants identify themselves simply as "Christians" or "] Christians". They typically distance themselves from the ] and/or ]alism of other Christian communities<ref>Confessionalism is a term employed by historians to describe "the creation of fixed identities and systems of beliefs for separate churches which had previously been more fluid in their self-understanding, and which had not begun by seeking separate identities for themselves—they had wanted to be truly Catholic and reformed." (MacCulloch, ''The Reformation: A History'', p. xxiv.)</ref> by calling themselves "]". Often founded by individual pastors, they have little affiliation with historic denominations.<ref name="Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / U.S. Religious Landscape Survey">{{cite web|url =http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report2religious-landscape-study-appendix3.pdf |title = Classification of Protestant Denominations|publisher = Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / U.S. Religious Landscape Survey|accessdate = 2009-09-27}}</ref> | |||
| ===Others=== | |||
| {{Main|Esoteric Christianity}} | |||
| '''Esoteric Christianity''' is a term which refers to an ensemble of ] currents which regard Christianity as a ],<ref>Western Esotericism and the Science of Religion: Selected Papers Presented at the 17th Congress</ref><ref name="Besant 2001">{{cite book | last = Besant | first = Annie | title = Esoteric Christianity or the Lesser Mysteries | publisher = Adamant Media Corporation | location = City | year = 2001 | isbn = 9781402100291 }}</ref> and profess the existence and possession of certain ] doctrines or practices,<ref>From the Greek ἐσωτερικός (esôterikos, "inner"). The term ] itself was coined in the 17th century. (Oxford English Dictionary Compact Edition, Volume 1,Oxford University Press, 1971, p. 894.)</ref><ref>Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Antoine Faivre, Roelof van den Broek, Jean-Pierre Brach, Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism, Brill 2005.</ref> hidden from the public but accessible only to a narrow circle of "enlightened", "initiated", or highly educated people.<ref></ref><ref></ref>. A special characteristic common in these mystical denominations is the belief in the ] and the ]. These beliefs are not well accepted in the mainstream Christianity. Some of the esoteric christian institutions include the ], the ] and the ]. | |||
| The ], a period of religious revival that occurred in the ] during the early 1800s, saw the development of a number of unrelated churches. They generally saw themselves as restoring the original church of ] rather than reforming one of the existing churches.<ref>McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'', p. 91f.</ref> A common belief held by Restorationists was that the other divisions of Christianity had introduced doctrinal defects into Christianity, which was known as the ].<ref name="Religious Tolerance—Restorationism">{{cite web|url = http://www.religioustolerance.org/chrrest.htm| title = The Restorationist Movements|publisher = Religious Tolerance|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref><ref name="Got Questions Ministries—Restorationism">{{cite web|url = http://www.gotquestions.org/restorationism.html| title = What is Restorationism?|publisher = Got Questions Ministries|accessdate = 2007-12-31}}</ref> | |||
| Some of the churches originating during this period are historically connected to early-19th century camp meetings in the Midwest and Upstate New York. American ] and ], which arose from Evangelical Protestantism, influenced the ] movement (with 7 million members),<ref>JW-Media.org </ref> and, as a reaction specifically to ], the ]. Others, including the ], ], ], and the ], have their roots in the contemporaneous Stone-Campbell ], which was centered in Kentucky and Tennessee. Other groups originating in this time period include the ] and ], the largest denomination of the ] with over 13 million members.<!--FOOTNOTES--><ref name=autogenerated2></ref><ref name = SLT13>"LDS Church says membership now 13 million worldwide", ''Salt Lake Tribune'', June 25, 2007.</ref><ref name = LDS13>Press Release, LDS Church, , June 25, 2007.</ref><ref>The church counts all members who were ever baptized, who have neither been excommunicated nor asked to have their names removed from church records. Independent surveys estimate that about 50% of people on LDS Church rolls do not identify with the religion. See John Dart, , Christian Century, August 21, 2007.</ref> While the churches originating in the Second Great Awakening have some superficial similarities, their doctrine and practices vary significantly. | |||
| ===Cultural Christian=== | |||
| ] is a broad term used to describe people with either ethnic or religious ] heritage who may not believe in the religious claims of Christianity, but who retain an affinity for the ], ], ], and so on related to it. | |||
| Many of the population of the Western hemisphere could broadly be described as cultural Christians, due to the predominance of the Christian faith in ], as well as widely celebrated religious holidays such as ] and ]. Another frequent application of the term is to distinguish political groups in areas of mixed religious backgrounds. The term "cultural Christian" is often used ] by more religious, usually ], Christians. | |||
| ==Ecumenism== | |||
| {{Main|Ecumenism}} | |||
| Most ] have long expressed ideals of being reconciled with each other, and in the 20th century Christian ] advanced in two ways.<ref name="McManners581">McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'', pp. 581–84.</ref> One way was greater cooperation between groups, such as the ] of Protestants in 1910, the Justice, Peace and Creation Commission of the ] founded in 1948 by Protestant and Orthodox churches, and similar national councils like the ] which includes Roman Catholics.<ref name="McManners581"/> | |||
| The other way was institutional union with new ]. ], ], and ] churches united in 1925 to form the ],<ref>McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity''. p. 413f.</ref> and in 1977 to form the ]. The ] was formed in 1947 by the union of Anglican, ], ], ], and ] churches.<ref>McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'', p. 498.</ref> | |||
| Steps towards reconciliation on a global level were taken in 1965 by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches mutually revoking the excommunications that marked their ] in 1054;<ref>McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'', p. 373.</ref> the ] (ARCIC) working towards full communion between those churches since 1970;<ref>McManners, ''Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity'', p. 583.</ref> and the ] and Roman Catholic churches signing The ] in 1999 to address conflicts at the root of the Protestant Reformation. In 2006, the ] adopted the declaration.<ref></ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{Portal box|Christianity|Spirituality}} | |||
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| |5=Christianity: A History | |||
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| {{Main|Outline of Christianity}} | |||
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| ==Endnotes== | |||
| {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{Refbegin}} | |||
| ;General references: | |||
| *''American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'', Houghton Mifflin Company (2006). | |||
| *''Catechism of the Catholic Church''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *''Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *''Encyclopedia of Religion''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *''New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *{{cite book|title=New Dictionary of Theology|editor1-first=Sinclair | |||
| |editor1-last=Ferguson|editor2-first=David|editor2-last=Wright|others=consulting ed. Packer, James | |||
| |year=1988|publisher=]|location=Leicester|isbn=0851106366|author=editors, Sinclair B. Ferguson, David F. Wright ; consulting editor, J.I. Packer. | |||
| }} | |||
| *Barrett, David; Kurian, Tom et al. (ed.). ''World Christian Encyclopedia''. Oxford University Press (2001). | |||
| ;Monographies and articles: | |||
| *Ahlstrom, Sydney E. {{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Albright, William F. ''From the Stone Age to Christianity''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Alexander, T. Desmond. ''New Dictionary of Biblical Theology''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Anidjar, 2001.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *]. ''. | |||
| *''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Ball, Bryan; Johnsson, William (ed.). ''The Essential Jesus''. Pacific Press (2002). ISBN 0-8163-1929-4. | |||
| *Barry, John F. ''One Faith, One Lord: A Study of Basic Catholic Belief''. William H. Sadlier (2001). ISBN 0-8215-2207-8 | |||
| *] (ed.). ''Documents of the Christian Church''. Oxford University Press (1943). | |||
| *Bokenkotter, Thomas. ''A Concise History of the Catholic Church ''. Doubleday (2004). ISBN 0-385-50584-1 | |||
| *Bruce, F.F. ''The Canon of Scripture''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Chambers, Mortimer; Crew, Herlihy, Rabb, Woloch. ''The Western Experience. Volume II: The Early Modern Period''. Alfred A. Knopf (1974). ISBN 0-394-31734-3. | |||
| *Coffey, John. ''Persecution and Toleration in Protestant England 1558-1689''. Pearson Education (2000). | |||
| *Cross, F. L.; Livingstone, E. A. (ed.). ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church''. Oxford University Press (1997). ISBN 0-19-211655-X.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Deppermann, Klaus. ''Melchior Hoffman: Social Unrest and Apocalyptic Vision in the Age of Reformation''. ISBN 0-567-08654-2.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Dilasser, Maurice. ''The Symbols of the Church''. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press (1999). ISBN 0-8146-2538-X | |||
| *Duffy, Eamon. ''Saints and Sinners, a History of the Popes''. Yale University Press (1997). ISBN 0-300-07332-1 | |||
| *Elwell, Walter A.; Comfort, Philip Wesley. ''Tyndale Bible Dictionary'', Tyndale House Publishers (2001). ISBN 0-8423-7089-7. | |||
| *Esler, Phillip F. ''The Early Christian World''. Routledge (2004). | |||
| *Farrar, F.W. ''''. Macmillan, London/New York (1904). | |||
| *Foutz, Scott. '''' Martin Luther and Scripture''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Fowler, Jeaneane D. ''World Religions: An Introduction for Students'', Sussex Academic Press (1997). ISBN 1-898723-48-6. | |||
| *] '']'' Scribners (1965). ISBN 0-684-15532-X. | |||
| *Froehle, Bryan; Gautier, Mary, ''Global Catholicism, Portrait of a World Church'', Orbis books; Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, Georgetown University (2003) ISBN=157075375x | |||
| *Funk, Robert. ''The Acts of Jesus: What Did Jesus Really Do?''. Polebridge Press (1998). ISBN 0-06-062978-9. | |||
| *Glenny, W. Edward. ''Typology: A Summary Of The Present Evangelical Discussion''. | |||
| *Gonzalez, Justo L. ''The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'', Harper Collins Publishers, New York (1984). | |||
| *Hanegraaff, Hank. ''Resurrection: The Capstone in the Arch of Christianity''. Thomas Nelson (2000). ISBN 0-8499-1643-7. | |||
| *Harnack, Adolf von. '''' (1894).{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Hickman, Hoyt L. et al. ''Handbook of the Christian Year''. Abingdon Press (1986). ISBN 0-687-16575-X | |||
| *Hinnells, John R. ''The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion'' (2005).{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Hitchcock, Susan Tyler. ''Geography of Religion''. ] (2004) ISBN 0-7922-7313-3 | |||
| *Kelly, J.N.D. ''Early Christian Doctrines''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Kelly, J.N.D. ''The Athanasian Creed''. ], New York (1964). | |||
| *Kirsch, Jonathan. ''God Against the Gods''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Kreeft, Peter. ''Catholic Christianity''. Ignatius Press (2001) ISBN 0-89870-798-6 | |||
| *Letham, Robert. ''The Holy Trinity in Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship''. P & R Publishing (2005). ISBN 0-87552-000-6. | |||
| *Lorenzen, Thorwald. ''Resurrection, Discipleship, Justice: Affirming the Resurrection Jesus Christ Today''. Smyth & Helwys (2003). ISBN 1-57312-399-4. | |||
| *McLaughlin, R. Emmet, ''Caspar Schwenckfeld, reluctant radical: his life to 1540'', New Haven: Yale University Press (1986). ISBN 0-300-03367-2. | |||
| *], ''The Reformation: A History''. Viking Adult (2004). | |||
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| *Marthaler, Berard. ''Introducing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Traditional Themes and Contemporary Issues''. Paulist Press (1994). ISBN 0-8091-3495-0 | |||
| *Mathison, Keith. ''The Shape of Sola Scriptura'' (2001).{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *McClintock, John, ''Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature''. Harper &Brothers, original from ] (1889) | |||
| *]. ''Christianity: An Introduction''. Blackwell Publishing (2006). ISBN 1-4051-0899-1. | |||
| *McGrath, Alister E. ''Historical Theology''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
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| *Smith, J.Z. (1998).{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Spitz, Lewis. ''The Protestant Reformation''. Concordia Publishing House (2003). ISBN 0-570-03320-9. | |||
| *Sproul, R.C. ''Knowing Scripture''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *]. ''''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Sykes, Stephen; Booty, John; Knight, Jonathan. ''The Study of Anglicanism''. Augsburg Fortress Publishers (1998). ISBN 0-8006-3151-X. | |||
| *Talbott, Thomas. ''" (1995).{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Ustorf, Werner. "A missiological postscript", in: McLeod, Hugh; Ustorf, Werner (ed.). ''The Decline of Christendom in Western Europe, 1750-2000''. Cambridge University Press (2003). | |||
| *White, Howard A. ''''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| *Woodhead, Linda. ''An Introduction to Christianity''.{{Clarify|date=August 2008}} | |||
| {{Refend}} | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| *{{cite book |author=Gill, Robin |title=The Cambridge companion to Christian ethics |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=2001 |pages= |isbn=0521779189 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2008-01-03}} | |||
| *{{cite book |author=Gunton, Colin E. |title=The Cambridge companion to Christian doctrine |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=1997 |pages= |isbn=0-521-47695-X |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2008-01-03}} | |||
| * MacCulloch, Diarmaid. ''Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years'' (Viking; 2010) 1,161 pages; survey by leading historian | |||
| *{{cite book |author=MacMullen, Ramsay |title=Voting About God in Early Church Councils|publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven, CT |year=2006 |pages= |isbn=0300115962 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2008-01-03}} | |||
| *{{cite book |author=Padgett, Alan G.; Sally Bruyneel |title=Introducing Christianity |publisher=Orbis Books |location=Maryknoll, N.Y. |year= 2003 |pages= |isbn= 1570753954 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2008-01-03}} | |||
| *{{cite book |author=Price, Matthew Arlen; Collins, Michael |title=The story of Christianity |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |location=New York |year=1999 |pages= |isbn=0-7513-0467-0 |oclc= |doi=}} | |||
| *{{cite book |author=] |title=Introduction To Christianity (Communio Books) |publisher=Ignatius Press |location=San Francisco |year= 2004 |pages= |isbn=1586170295 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2008-01-03}} | |||
| *{{cite book |author=Tucker, Karen; Wainwright, Geoffrey|title=The Oxford history of Christian worship |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |year=2006 |pages= |isbn=0-19-513886-4 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2008-01-03}} | |||
| *{{cite book |author=Wagner, Richard |title=Christianity for Dummies |publisher=For Dummies |location= |year= 2004|pages= |isbn=0764544829 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2008-01-03}} | |||
| *{{cite book |author= Webb, Jeffrey B. |title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Christianity |publisher=Alpha Books |location=Indianapolis, Ind |year= 2004|pages= |isbn= 159257176X |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2008-01-03}} | |||
| *{{cite book |author=Woodhead, Linda |title=Christianity: a very short introduction |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |year=2004 |pages= |isbn=0192803220 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=2008-01-03}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{Sisterlinks}} | |||
| * Encyclopædia Britannica Online. | |||
| *{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/index.shtml |title=BBC—Religion & Ethics—Christianity |accessdate=2008-01-03 |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |pages= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }} A number of introductory articles on Christianity. | |||
| *{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/features/religion/christianity.html |title=CBC Montreal—Religion—Christianity |accessdate= 2008-01-03 |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |pages= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }} An overview of Christianity. | |||
| *{{cite web |url=http://www.netzarim.co.il |title=Netzarim |accessdate= 2008-10-21 |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher=- Click at 'History Museum' in the left menu |pages= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= }} The origin of Christianity | |||
| * Adena, L. , Clio History Journal, 2008. | |||
| * | |||
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Revision as of 12:00, 28 July 2010
Christianity is the religion of massive faggots and posers, they believe in a magical identity. Weird stuff. Most christians are dicks, and annoy people non stop, insulting them, encouraging violence, swearing and then consider themselves worthy of being a christian, when in fact they are massive dumb-shits.
And remember Odin Loves you. Also xenu paid for your crimes.
Now go to Hell!!!