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| {{Christianity}} | |||
| '''Christianity''' is a ]<ref name="Monotheism">http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10499a.htm "Monotheism", The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume X | |||
| Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight; ''"From the Stone Age to Christianity: Monotheism and the Historical Process"'' 2nd edition, Albright, William F., 1957; ''"Radical Monotheism and Western Culture"'', Niebuhr, H. Richard, (1960); http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/monotheisticreligions/ Monotheistic Religion resources, ©2006 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved; ''"God Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism"'', Jonathan Kirsch, 2004; http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=052178655X&ss=exc ''"An Introduction to Christianity"'', Linda Woodhead, 2004; http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0833762.html ''Monotheism'', The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2006, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.; http://www.bartleby.com/59/5/monotheism.html "monotheism", The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy Third Edition, Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002 ; http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_NDCT_Paul.htm ''"New Dictionary of Theology"'', "Paul", David F. Wright, Sinclair B. Ferguson, J.I. Packer, pg. 496–99 ; Meconi, David Vincent "Pagan Monotheism in Late Antiquity (review)" | |||
| Journal of Early Christian Studies - Volume 8, Number 1, Spring 2000, pp. 111–12 </ref> ] centered on ], and on his life and teachings as presented in the ].<ref>Princeton University. , ''Christianity'', WordNet ® 2.0, Princeton University, retrieved May 18, 2006.</ref> Christians believe Jesus to be the ] and ] and thus refer to him as Jesus ]. With an estimated 2.1 billion adherents in 2001, Christianity is the world's largest ].<ref name="Adherents"> ''Adherents.com''.</ref> It is the predominant religion in the ], ], ], and large parts of ]. It is also growing rapidly in Asia, particularly in ] and ], ] and the ].<ref name=ChristianGrowth>''Growth of Christianity in China'': , ; ''Growth in South Korea'': , ; ''Growth in northern Africa'': ; {{cite book |author= Niall Ferguson|title=Colossus:The Rise and Fall of the American Empire |publisher=Penguin Books| year=2005| pages=p. 22| id=ISBN 0-14-101700-7}}</ref> | |||
| ] in the ] as a late ] ],<ref name="sect1">]: {{nkjv|Acts|3:1|Acts 3:1}}; {{nkjv|Acts|5:27-42|Acts 5:27–42}}; {{nkjv|Acts|21:18-26|Acts 21:18–26}}; {{nkjv|Acts|24:5|Acts 24:5}}; {{nkjv|Acts|24:14|Acts 24:14}}; {{nkjv|Acts|28:22|Acts 28:22}}; ]: {{nkjv|Romans|1:16|Romans 1:16}}; Tacitus ] xv 44; Flavius Josephus ] xviii 3; {{cite book | last = Chambers | first = Mortimer | coauthors = Crew, Herlihy, Rabb, Woloch | title = The Western Experience Volume II:The Early Modern Period | edition = 1st | year = 1974 | publisher = Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. | id = ISBN 0-394-31734-3 | chapter = 5}}<br />''The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion'', editors in chief R. J. Zwi Werblowsky and G. Wigoder (published OUP New York, 1997; ISBN 0-19-508605-8), page 158. </ref> and shares many ] with Judaism, specifically the ], and ], which Christians call the ] (''see ]''). Like ] and ], Christianity is considered an ] because of the centrality of ] in their shared traditions. | |||
| According to the ] ({{nkjv|Acts|11:26|Acts 11:26}}), "the ] were first called Christians in ]." (] {{polytonic|Χριστιανός}} and variant {{polytonic|Χρηστιανός}}, ). The earliest recorded use of the term ''Christianity'' (Greek {{polytonic|Χριστιανισμός}}) is by ], such as in his 10 (68–107).<ref>], ''Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature'', 2ed., 1979</ref> | |||
| ==Christian Divisions== | |||
| Today there is diversity of ]s and practices amongst various groups that label themselves as Christian. These groups are sometimes classified under ]s, though for various theological reasons many groups reject this classification system. At other times these groups are described in terms of varying ]s, representing core historical similarities and differences. Christianity may be broadly represented as being ] into three main groupings: | |||
| *]: The ], the largest single body, which includes ] and several ] communities and totals more than 1 billion baptized members.<ref name="Adherents" /> | |||
| *]: ], ], the ], and others with a combined membership of more than 300 million baptized members.<ref name="Adherents" /> | |||
| *]: Numerous groups such as ], ], ]/]s, ], ], ]s, ]s, ]s, ]s, and ]. The oldest of these separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century ], followed in many cases by further divisions. Worldwide total ranges from 592 to 650 million.<ref name="Adherents" /> | |||
| The above groupings are not without exceptions. Some groups called ], which are historically connected to the Protestant Reformation, do not describe themselves as "reforming" a Christian Church continuously existing from the time of Jesus, but as restoring a Church that was historically lost at some point. Some Protestants identify themselves simply as ''Christian,'' or ''born-again Christian'', distancing themselves from the ] nature of many Protestant communities that emerged during the reformation. Typically, they will refer to themselves as "non-denominational" as they have no affiliation with historic denominations (Methodists, Baptists, Anglicans, etc.) Some of them are "founded" or started by individual pastors or a body of church leaders. Others, particularly among Anglicans and in ], identify themselves as being "''both'' Catholic ''and'' Protestant". Lastly, a few small communities employ a name similar to the Roman Catholic Church, such as the ], but are not in communion with the ]. | |||
| Other denominations and churches are difficult to group with the above classifications at all. This is due to some differences in basic doctrine with the above groups. These include ] with up to 110 million members (estimates vary widely), the ] (also called ]s) with more than 12 million members,<ref> ''Adherents.com''.</ref> ] with approximately 6.6 million members,<ref>.</ref> and the ], with approximately 2 million members.<ref>http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_653.html</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| ==Beliefs== | |||
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| |{{Christian theology}} | |||
| |} | |||
| Although Christianity has always had a significant diversity of belief, mainstream Christian theology considers certain core doctrines essential to ]. Mainstream Christians often consider followers of Jesus who disagree with these doctrines to be ], ], or outside Christianity altogether. | |||
| ===Jesus=== | |||
| {{main|Jesus}} | |||
| {|style="float: right; width:175px;border: #FFFFFF solid 1px" | |||
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| |{{Jesus}} | |||
| |} | |||
| Christians identify Jesus as the Messiah. The title ''Messiah'' comes from the ] word מָשִׁיחַ (''mashiakh'') meaning ''the anointed one'', for which the Greek translation is {{polytonic|Χριστός}} (''Christos''), the source of the English word '']''. Christians believe that as Messiah Jesus was anointed as ruler and saviour of both the Jewish people specifically and of humanity in general. Most Christians hold that Jesus' coming was the ] of ] ] and the inauguration of the ]. The Christian concept of Messiah differs significantly from the contemporary Jewish ].<ref> | |||
| {{cite web | |||
| | title = Moshiach: The Messiah | |||
| | url = http://www.jewfaq.org/moshiach.htm | |||
| | accessdate = August 26, 2006}}</ref> | |||
| Most Christians believe that Jesus is "true God and true man" (or fully divine and fully human). Jesus is believed to have become ] in all respects, including ], and to have suffered the pains and temptations of mortal man, yet without having sinned. From being true God he was capable of defeating death and rising up to life again, known as the resurrection. | |||
| According to Christian Scripture, Jesus was born of ], a ] who had conceived, not by sexual intercourse, but by the power of the ]. (See ]). Little of Jesus' childhood is covered by the Gospels compared to his ministry and especially his last week. The Biblical account of his ministry begins with his ], and recounts miracles such as turning water into wine at a ], exorcisms, and healings, and quotes his teachings, such as the ]. He also appointed ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| Most Christians consider the death and resurrection of Jesus the central events of history. According to the Gospels, Jesus and his followers went to Jerusalem for the ] and he was greeted by a crowd of supporters, an event called the ]. Later that week, he enjoyed a ] (possibly the ]) with his disciples before going to pray in the ], where he was ] by ] soldiers on behalf of the ] and the high priest, ]. The arrest took place clandestinely at night to avoid a riot, because Jesus was popular with the people at large. ], one of his apostles, betrayed Jesus by identifying his location for money. | |||
| Following the arrest, Jesus was ], which considered his answers to their questions blasphemous and wished to kill him but lacked legal authority. He was sent to ], who in turn sent him to ] (son of the Herod who tried to kill Jesus as an infant). Initially excited at meeting Jesus, about whom he had heard, Herod ended up mocking Jesus and sent him back to Pilate. Remembering that it was a custom at Passover for the Roman governor to free a prisoner (a custom not recorded outside the Gospels), Pilate offered the crowd a choice between Jesus of Nazareth and an insurrectionist named ]. The crowd chose to have Barabbas freed and Jesus crucified. Pilate washed his hands to display that he claimed himself innocent of the injustice of the decision. Pilate then ordered Jesus to be ] with a charge placed atop the cross (known as the ''titulus crucis'') which read "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus died by late afternoon and was buried by ]. | |||
| According to the Gospels, Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. He appeared to ], and then appeared to various people in various places over the next forty days. Hours after his resurrection, he appeared to two travellers on the road to ]. To his assembled disciples he showed himself on the evening after his resurrection. During one of these visits, Jesus' disciple ] initially doubted the resurrection, but after being invited to place his finger in Jesus' pierced side, said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Before his ] Jesus instructed his Apostles to "teach all nations", known as the ]. | |||
| ===Salvation=== | |||
| {{main|Salvation}} | |||
| Most Christians believe that ] from "] and ]" is available through faith in Jesus as ] because of his ] ] on the cross which paid for sins. Reception of salvation is called ], which is usually understood as ], not something that can be earned. <ref>Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9</ref> | |||
| The operation and effects of grace are understood differently by different traditions. Reformed theology goes furthest in teaching complete dependence on grace, by teaching that humanity is completely helpless (]) and that those who are given this grace invariably put their faith in Christ and are saved (]).<ref>{{cite web|title=Westminster Confession, Ch. X|url=http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/index.html?body=/documents/wcf_with_proofs/ch_X.html| accessdate=May 29, 2006}}; {{cite web|author=Spurgeon, Charles|title=A defense of Calvinism|url=http://www.spurgeon.org/calvinis.htm|accessdate=May 29, 2006}}</ref> (See ].) Catholicism, while still teaching dependence on grace, puts more emphasis on free will and the need to cooperate with grace. <ref>{{cite web|title=Grace and Justification|work=Catechism of the Catholic Church|date = October 11, 1992|url=http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c3a2.htm| accessdate=May 29, 2006}}</ref> | |||
| Ancient Gnostic Christians stood out for believing that salvation came from divine knowledge, or ''gnosis'', which Jesus had revealed to selected adepts. <ref name="Gnostic">{{cite web|title=Gnostics, Gnostic Gospels, & Gnosticism|url=http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/gnostics.html| accessdate=May 30, 2006}}; J.N.D. Kelly, ''Early Christian Doctrines'' (Prince Press, 2004), pp. 22-28.</ref> | |||
| ===The Trinity=== | |||
| {{main|Trinity}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Most Christians believe that God is one eternal being who exists as three distinct, eternal, and indivisible persons: the ], the Son (or ], or the ]), and the ] (or '']''). | |||
| Christianity continued from Judaism a belief in the existence of a single ] who created the ] and has ] over it. Against this background belief in the ] developed into the doctrine of the ] <ref>J.N.D. Kelly, ''Early Christian Doctrines'' (Prince Press, 2004), pp. 87-90; T. Desmond Alexander, Brian S. Rosner, D. A. Carson, Graeme Goldsworthy, ''New Dictionary of Biblical Theology'' (InterVarsity Press, 2000), pp. 514-515; Alister E. McGrath, ''Historical Theology'' (Blackwell, 2000 edt.), p. 61.</ref>, which in brief considers that the three ''persons'' of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) share a single Divine '']''. This substance is not considered divided, in the sense that each person has a third of the substance; rather, each person is considered to have the whole substance. The distinction lies in their origins or relations, the Father being unbegotten, the Son begotten, and the Spirit proceeding. <ref>{{cite web|author=Lossky, Vladimir|title=God in Trinity|url=http://home.versatel.nl/chotki/God%20in%20Trin.htm| accessdate=May 29, 2006}}; {{cite web|author=Boettner, Loraine|title=One Substance, Three Persons|url=http://www.caledonianfire.org/caledonianfire/Boettner/trinity/t5.htm| accessdate=May 29, 2006}}</ref> | |||
| In Reformed theology, the Trinity has special relevance to salvation, which is considered the result of an intra-Trinitarian covenant and in some way the work of each person. The Father elects some to salvation before the foundation of the world, the Son performs the atonement for their sins, and the Spirit regenerates them so they can have faith in Christ, and sanctifies them. <ref>{{cite web|author=Hendryx, John|title=The Work of the Trinity in Monergism|url=http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/monergism_short.html| accessdate=May 29, 2006}}</ref> | |||
| Christians believe the Scriptures were written by the inspiration of the Spirit<ref>2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21, | |||
| {{cite web|title=Sacred Scripture|work=Catechism of the Catholic Church|date=October 11, 1992|url=http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a3.htm#II|accessdate=August 26, 2006}}; | |||
| {{cite web | |||
| | title = Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy | |||
| | date = October, 1978 | |||
| | url = http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/chicago.htm | |||
| | accessdate = August 26, 2006 }}</ref> and that his active participation in a believer's life (even to the extent of "indwelling", or in a certain sense taking up residence within, the believer) is essential to living a Christian life.<ref>John 16:7-14, 1 Corinthians 2:10ff</ref> In Catholic, Orthodox, and some Anglican theology, this indwelling in recieved through the sacrament called ] or, in the East, ]. Pentecostal and Charasmatic Protestants also believe the gift of the Holy Spirit is a distinct experience separate from other experiences like conversion, and some believe it will always be evident through ]. Most Protestants believe that the Spirit indwells a new believer at the time of salvation. | |||
| ====The Creeds==== | |||
| {{main|Creed}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Christianity adopted the practice of drawing up concise statements of belief. These statements, called Creeds, began as baptismal formulas and were later expanded during the ] controversies of the Fourth and Fifth centuries. The earliest creed still in common use is the ]. | |||
| The ], largely a response to ], was formulated at the Councils of ] and ] and ratified as the universal creed of Christendom by the ] in ]. The full text is included here. The phrase "and the son" (presented in brackets below) did not appear in the original creed and is not accepted by the ]. | |||
| :We believe in ], the Father, the Almighty, | |||
| :] of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. | |||
| :We believe in one ], Jesus Christ, | |||
| :the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, | |||
| :God from God, light from light, true God from true God, | |||
| :begotten, not made, one in ] with the Father. | |||
| :For ] and for our salvation he ] from heaven, | |||
| :By the ] of the Holy Spirit he was born of the ] and became man. | |||
| :For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; | |||
| :he ], died and was buried. | |||
| :On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; | |||
| :he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. | |||
| :He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, | |||
| :and his kingdom ]. | |||
| :We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, | |||
| :who proceeds from the Father <nowiki>]<nowiki>]</nowiki> | |||
| :Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. | |||
| :Who has spoken through the ]. | |||
| :We believe in ]. | |||
| :We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. | |||
| :We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the ]. Amen.<ref>Text taken from the translation by the ].</ref> | |||
| The ] (which is not accepted by the Oriental Orthodox Churches) taught that Christ is one person who has two natures, one divine and one human, and that both natures are complete, and that the two do not mix, but are nevertheless perfectly united into one person. The last point is also known as ]. | |||
| In the Western Church the ] is recieved as having the same status as the Nicene and Chaceldonian. It says: "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons not dividing the Substance." | |||
| Most Protestants accept the Creeds. Some Protestant traditions believe Trinitarian doctrine without making use of the Creeds themselves. <ref>E.g., The Southern Baptist Convention gives no official status to any of the ancient creeds, but the says: | |||
| :The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. | |||
| </ref> | |||
| ====Non-Trinitarians==== | |||
| {{main|Nontrinitarianism}} | |||
| The earliest non-Trinitarian belief claiming descent from Jesus was ], which generally held that the God of the Old Testament was a lower, evil god, while Jesus was an emissary from the higher good god.<ref name="Gnostic"> </ref> | |||
| Some non-Trinitarians condemn Trinitarian doctrine as an implicit ], though Trinitarians have explicitly denied holding such a view of God <ref name=Clark>Kelly James Clark. (pdf), ''Virtual Library of Christian Philosophy'', Philosophy Department, Calvin College, retrieved May 18, 2006; Donald K. McKim, ed., ''Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms'' (John Knox Press, 1996), p. 288: "tritheism (Lat. "three gods"): Belief in three separate and individual gods. Some early formulations by Christian theologians were considered to move in this direction. Early Christian apologists sought to defend the faith from charges of belief in three gods."</ref> and Trinitarian statements of faith from all traditions affirm that there is only one God (e.g., the ], ], and ]; the Protestant confessions; catechisms of both Protestant and Catholic origin). | |||
| Ancient examples of this kind of non-Trinitarianism include the ], ], and ], and modern examples include ]s, ], and ]. | |||
| ===Scriptures=== | |||
| {{main|Bible}} | |||
| Virtually all Christian churches accept the authority of the ], a collection of ] books in two parts, the ] and the ]. | |||
| The Old Testament contains the entire Jewish ]. In the Christian canon the books are presented in a different order and some books of the Tanakh are divided into several books by the Christian canon (e.g., the ]s are twelve books in the Christian canon but one book called "the Twelve" in the Jewish canon). The Catholic and Orthodox canon includes the Jewish canon and other books called ], while Protestants classify the latter as ]. | |||
| The first books of the New Testament are the ], which tell of the life and teachings of Jesus. There are four canonical Gospels: ], ], ] and ]. The first three are often called ] because they share much material, while John has more unique material. Ornamental books of the four gospels are sometimes used in church liturgies. | |||
| The rest of the New Testament consists of the ], a sequel to Luke's Gospel which describes the very early history of the Church; the ] and ], which are occasional letters from early Christian leaders to congregations or individuals; and the ], an ] tract. | |||
| Some traditions maintain less mainstream ]. The ] maintains two canons, the Narrow Canon, itself larger than any Biblical canon outside Ethiopia, and the Broad Canon, which has even more books. The ] hold three additional books to be the inspired word of God: ], the ], and the ]. | |||
| The Gnostics had numerous books outside of the orthodox canon, for example ].<ref name="Gnostic"> </ref> | |||
| ====Interpretation==== | |||
| Though Christians largely agree on the content of the Bible, no such consensus exists on the crucial matter of its interpretation, or ], an issue which dates to ancient times. | |||
| The earliest schools of Biblical interpretation were the Alexandrine, and the Antiochene. Alexandrine interpretation, exemplified by ], tended to read Scripture allegorically, while Antiochene interpretation insisted on the literal sense, holding that other meanings (called theoria) could only accepted if based on the literal meaning. <ref>J.N.D. Kelly, ''Early Christian Doctrines'' (Prince Press, 2004), pp. 69-78.</ref> | |||
| Traditional Catholic interpretation admits four senses of Scripture. The literal sense is the plain meaning (which would still take account of figures of speech), so that a reference to ] means the historical figure. The allegorical or typological sense teaches Christian doctrine, so that a reference to David may mean Christ. The tropological or moral sense contains ethical teaching, and the anagogical or eschatological sense teaches about the Last Things. The meanings derived from the three non-literal senses may also be stated literally elsewhere. | |||
| Protestantism rejects the elevation of other senses to the same level as the literal, although typology remains fairly common in Protestant interpretation. | |||
| ===Last Things=== | |||
| {{main|Eschatology}} | |||
| Traditional Christian theology teaches that the ] will continue consciousness after death until the ], in which all people who have ever lived will rise from the dead at the ], to be ] by Christ when He returns to fulfill the rest of ]. <ref name="res"> See, e.g., Aquinas, the '''', questions 69 through 99; and Calvin, the ''''.</ref> | |||
| Christian views of the ] generally involve ] and ]. These realms are thought to be eternal. Catholicism adds the transitory realm of ] whose denizens are purified for a period of time before entering into heaven. | |||
| ==Worship and practices== | |||
| ]]] | |||
| Virtually all Christian traditions affirm that Christian practice should include acts of personal ] such as ], Bible reading, and attempting to live a Christ-like lifestyle. This lifestyle includes not only obedience to the ], as interpreted by Christ (as in the ]), but also love for one's neighbour in both attitude and action — ], Christian or non-Christian. This love is commanded by Christ and, according to him, is next only in importance to love for God; it includes obedience to such injunctions as "feed the hungry" and "shelter the homeless", both informally and formally. Christianity teaches that it is impossible for people to be completely without sin but that moral and spiritual progress can only occur with God's help through the gift of the ] who dwells within all faithful believers. Christians believe that by sharing in Christ's life, death, and resurrection, they die with him to sin and can be resurrected with him to new life. | |||
| Orthodox, Catholic, and some Anglican believers describe Christian worship in terms of the seven ]s. These include ], ] or ], the ] (]), ], ], ], and ]. Many Protestant groups, following ], recognize the sacramental nature of baptism and Eucharist, but not usually the other five in the same way. ] and ] groups would add ]. ], ], and ] emphasize "]" such as ], ], ], and ]. These emphases are used not as "sacraments" but as means of worship and ministry. The ] deny the entire concept of sacraments. Nevertheless, their "testimonies" affirming peace, integrity, equality, and simplicity are affirmed as integral parts of the Quaker belief structure. | |||
| Some Protestants tend to view Christian rituals in terms of commemoration apart from mystery. Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Old-Catholic and many Anglican, Lutheran, and Reformed Christians hold the commemoration and mystery of rituals together, seeing no contradiction between them. | |||
| ===Weekly worship services=== | |||
| ] (''First Apology'', chapter LXVII) describes a second-century church service thus: | |||
| :And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. | |||
| Justin's description, which applies to some extent to most church services today, alludes to the following components: | |||
| :*Scripture readings drawn from the Old Testament, one of the Gospels, or an Epistle. Often these are arranged systematically around an annual cycle, using a book called a ]. | |||
| :*A ]. In ancient times this followed the scripture readings; today this may occur later in the service, although in liturgical churches the sermon still often follows the readings. | |||
| :* Congregational ] and thanksgiving. These will probably occur regularly throughout the service. Justin does not mention this, but some of these are likely to be sung in the form of ]. The ] is especially likely to be recited. | |||
| :*The ] (also called ], the Sacrament, or the ])—a ritual in which small amounts of bread and wine are ] and then consumed. Some Christians believe these ''represent'' the body and blood of Christ, whereas Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and many Anglicans believe that they ''become'' or ''are'' the body and blood of Christ (the doctrine of the ]). Churches in the "liturgical" family (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and some Anglican) see this as the main part of the service, while some Protestants may celebrate it less frequently. In many cases there are restrictions on who may partake, and visitors should ask about this before attempting to join in. Communion is not generally permitted to non-members in Catholic and Orthodox churches, and some Protestant churches invite visitors to participate only by prior arrangement with the minister. Even members may be subject to restrictions: for example, only Roman Catholics free from unconfessed ] are eligible to receive Communion, though in practice it is rare for the Eucharist to be denied to any Catholic; Orthodox communicants are expected to make confession of sins and fast before communion; and in some Protestant churches, members must give notice to the minister or elders of an intent to take communion. Some denominations substitute grape juice for wine, while the ] use water for their weekly Sacrament. | |||
| :*A "collection", "offering", or "tithe" in which the people are asked to contribute funds. One common method is to pass a ] for contributions. Other methods are more private where donations are given out of the view of others. Christians traditionally use these funds not only for general upkeep of the church, but also for ] of various types. | |||
| The structure of a service may vary because of special events like baptisms or weddings which are incorporated into the service. In many churches today, children and youth will be excused from the main service in order to attend ]. Many denominations depart from this general pattern in a more fundamental way. For example, the ] meet on Saturday (the biblical ]), not Sunday, the day of Christ's ]. ] or ] congregations strive to follow the Holy Spirit and may spontaneously be moved to action rather than follow a formal order of service. At Quaker meetings, participants sit quietly until moved by the Holy Spirit to speak. Some Evangelical services resemble ]s more than liturgy, with ], dancing, and use of ]. Some denominations do not meet on a weekly basis, but form smaller cell groups within the church which meet weekly at peoples' homes, and gather together fortnightly or monthly for a larger celebration. | |||
| In some denominations (mainly liturgical ones) the service is led by a ]. In others (mainly among Protestants) there is a ], ], or ]. Still others may lack formal leaders, either in principle or by local necessity. A division is often made between "]" church services, characterized by greater solemnity and ritual, and "]" services, at which a more casual atmosphere prevails even if the service in question is liturgical in nature, but even within these two categories there is great diversity in forms of worship. | |||
| In Orthodox churches the congregation traditionally stands throughout the liturgy (although allowances are made for members who are unable to). Many Protestant churches follow a pattern in which participants stand to sing, kneel to pray, and sit to listen (to the sermon). Roman Catholics tend to do the same, though standing for formal prayer is more common. Others services are less programmed and may be quite lively and spontaneous. Music is usually incorporated and often involves a ] and/or ]. Some churches use only ] music, either on principle (many ] object to the use of musical instruments in worship) or by tradition (as in Orthodoxy). | |||
| In many ] Christian churches, as well as many Protestant denominations, there is usually a ] portion of the service that precedes the sermon or message. This usually consists of the singing of ], ] or ]. Many churches believe that worship is important as it demonstrates a Christian's love for God and the sacrifice that was made for them. | |||
| A recent trend is the growth of "convergence worship", which combines liturgy with spontaneity. This sort of worship is often a result of the influence of ] within Churches which are traditionally liturgical. Convergence worship has spawned at least one new denomination, the ]. | |||
| ===Holidays=== | |||
| Catholics, Eastern Christians, and about half of the Protestants follow a ] with various holidays. These calendars include feast days (where special worship services are held, to mark a special anniversary) as well as days of ]. Typically, a feast will be found preceded by a traditional fast. The Armenian Apostolic church celebrates its Christmas on January 6. The best-known fasting period is ]. | |||
| Even Christians who do not follow a liturgical tradition can generally be found celebrating ] and ], despite some disagreement as to dates. A few churches object to the recognition of special holidays and may object to the apparent pagan origins of Christmas and Easter. | |||
| ===Symbols=== | |||
| The best-known Christian symbol is the ], of which many varieties exist. Several denominations tend to favor distinctive crosses: the ] for Catholics, the ] for Orthodox, and the unadorned cross for Protestants. However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule. Other Christian symbols include the ] ("fish") symbol or, in ancient times, an ], as well as the ]. In a modern Roman alphabet, the Chi-Rho appears like a large ''P'' with an ''X'' overlaid on the lower stem. They are the first two Greek letters of the word Christ - Chi (χ) and Rho (ρ), and the symbol is the one that is said to have appeared to ] prior to converting to Christianity (see History and origins section below). | |||
| ==History and origins== | |||
| {{main|History of Christianity}} | |||
| {{seealso|Timeline of Christianity|Early Christianity}} | |||
| Christianity<ref>The name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus. It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were | |||
| known among themselves were "brethren," "the faithful," "elect," "saints," and | |||
| "believers"{{fact}}. But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name | |||
| "Christian" came into use, and was universally accepted. This name occurs but | |||
| three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:16). Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary</ref> began within the Jewish religion among the followers of ]. Under the leadership of the Apostles ] and ], it welcomed ], and gradually separated from ].<ref name="sect1" /> Some ] rejected this approach and developed into various sects of their own, while others were joined with Gentile Christians in the development of the church; within both groups there existed great diversity of belief. Professor ] writes, "the lack of uniformity in ancient Christian scripture in the early period is very striking, and it points to the substantial diversity within the Christian religion." A church ] seems to have developed by the time of the ] (] 3, ] 1) and was certainly formalized by the 4th century <ref>See , especially canon 6.</ref>. | |||
| Christianity spread across the ], enduring ] by the Roman Emperors. As Christianity expanded beyond Israel, it also came into increased contact with ] culture; ], especially ], became a significant influence on Christian thought through theologians such as ]. Scholars differ on the extent to which the developing Christian faith adopted identifiably ] beliefs.<ref> Religionfacts.com. URL accessed on ] ].</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| Theological diversity led to disputes about the correct interpretation of Christian teaching and to conflict within and between the local churches. Bishops and local synods condemned some theologians as ] and defined Church views as orthodoxy (Greek: "the right view"), in contrast to what they deemed heresy (from Greek "faction" or "(wrong) choice"). The most notable heretics were ]. Other early sects deemed heretical included ], ] and ]. Following Christianity's ] such disputes intensified. ]s, beginning with the ], called by Constantine in 325, were held to debate theological issues and reach clearer dogmatic definitions, thereby restoring unity. | |||
| In the ], after the persecution by Emperor ], Christianity finally attained legal recognition. His successor ], who had been the instigator of the persecution, issued an edict of toleration on his death-bed in ], that however had only a temporary effect. In ], Emperor ], himself newly converted to Christianity, affirmed the religions legal status and went on to give the church a privileged place in society, which it retained apart from a brief pagan interlude 361–363 under ]. In 391 ] established ] Christianity as the official and, except for ], only legal religion of the ]. From Constantine onwards, the history of Christianity becomes difficult to untangle from the history of Europe (see also ]). The Church took over many of the political and cultural roles of the pagan Roman institutions, especially in Europe. The Emperors, seeking unity through the new religion, frequently took part in Church matters, sometimes in concord with the bishops but also against them. Imperial authorities acted to suppress the old ] and groups deemed ] by the Church, most notably, ]. The ] notes that "various penal laws were enacted by the Christian emperors against heretics as being guilty of crime against the State. In both the ] and ] they were styled infamous persons ... In some particularly aggravated cases sentence of ] was pronounced upon heretics, though seldom executed in the time of the Christian emperors of Rome."<ref></ref> | |||
| ], father of western monasticism]]Various forms of Christian ] developed, with the organization of the first monastic communities being attributed to the hermit ] around 300. The monastic life spread to many parts of the Christian empire during the 4th and 5th centuries, as many felt{{citation needed}} that the Christian moral and spiritual life was compromised by the change from a persecuted minority group to an established majority religion, and sought to regain the purity of early faith by fleeing society. | |||
| Within the Roman Empire, the Church tightened its administration along Roman lines, creating larger units presided over by Metropolits and Patriarchs. The Council of Nicea recognizes as special the ], the Patriarch of ] and of ], to which later were added the ] (in ]) and the ] (in ]). This system of five sees was later dubbed the ]. | |||
| The Roman Empire was linguistically divided into the Latin-speaking west, centered in ], and the Greek-speaking east, centered in ]. (There were also significant communities in ] and ].) Outside the Empire, Christianity was adopted in ], ] (now ]), ], ], ], and among the ] tribes. Other earlier Christian states included the ] (from 3rd century) and ]. | |||
| During the ], various Germanic peoples adopted Christianity; at first ] was widespread (as among ] and ]), but later ] prevailed, beginning with the ]. The Slavic peoples of Eastern Europe generally adopted ], as in the ] (988) in Rus' (present-day Russia and Ukraine). Cultural differences and disciplinary disputes finally resulted in the ] (conventionally dated to 1054), which formally divided ] into the Catholic west and the Orthodox east. | |||
| From the ], Christianity was challenged by ], which quickly conquered the ], ], and ]. Numerous military struggles followed, including the ], the Spanish ] and the eventual ] and southeastern ] by the ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| Western Christianity in the ] was characterized by cooperation and conflict between the secular rulers and the Church under the ], and by the development of ]. Later, increasing discontent with corruption and immorality among the clergy resulted in attempts to reform Church and society. The ] managed to ] at the ] (1545–1563), but only after ] published his ] in 1517. This was one of the key events of the ] which led to the emergence of ]. During the following centuries, competition between Catholicism and Protestantism became deeply entangled with political struggles among European states, while many Orthodox Christians found themselves living under Muslim rulers. | |||
| Partly from missionary zeal, but also under the impetus of colonial expansion by the European powers, Christianity spread to the Americas, Oceania, East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. As the European ] took hold, Christianity was confronted with the discoveries of science (including the ] model and the theory of ]), and with the development of ] (linked to the development of ]) and modern political ideologies such as ], ] and ]. In the 19th and 20th centuries, important developments have included the rise of ] and the ]. | |||
| (For the contributions of Christianity to the humanities and culture, see ], ], ], ], ].) | |||
| ==Persecution== | |||
| :''Main articles: ], ]'' | |||
| Christians have frequently suffered from persecution. During the first three centuries of its existence, Christianity was regarded with suspicion and frequently persecuted in the ]. Adherence to Christianity was declared illegal, and, especially in the 3rd century, the government demanded that their subjects (the Jews only excepted) sacrifice to the Emperor as a divinity — a practice that Christianity (along with Judaism) rejected. Persecution in the Roman Empire ended with the ], but it persisted or even intensified in other places, such as ], and under ]. | |||
| Christians have also been perpetrators of persecution, which has been directed against members of other religions and also against other Christians. Christian mobs, sometimes with government support, have destroyed ] temples and oppressed adherents of paganism (such as the philosopher ], who was murdered by a Christian mob). Jewish communities have periodically suffered violence at Christian hands. Christian governments have suppressed or persecuted dissenting Christian denominations, and denominational strife has sometimes escalated into ] and ]s. ], carried out by secular authorities or popular mobs, were a frequent phenomenon in parts of early modern Europe and, to a lesser degree, North America. The degree to which these acts are supported by formal Christian doctrine and scripture is a topic of much debate. | |||
| There was some persecution of Christians after the ] during the attempted ].<ref>{{cite book | last = Chambers | first = Mortimer | coauthors = Crew, Herlihy, Rabb, Woloch | title = The Western Experience Volume II:The Early Modern Period | edition = 1st | year = 1974 | publisher = Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. | id = ISBN 0-394-31734-3 | chapter = 21}}</ref> State restrictions on Christian practices today are generally associated with those authoritarian governments which either support a majority religion other than Christianity (as in ] states), or tolerate only churches under government supervision, sometimes while officially promoting state ] (as in ]). For example, the ] allows only government-regulated churches and has regularly suppressed ] or underground Catholics. The public practice of Christianity is outlawed in ]. On a smaller scale, Greek and Russian governmental restrictions on non-Orthodox religious activity occur today. | |||
| Some people cite anti-abortion violence in the United States and the ongoing "troubles" in ] as examples of "persecution by Christians" {{fact}}, despite the frequent condemnation of such activities by the vast majority of Christians. Complaints of ] have also been made of and by Christians in various other contexts. In other parts of the world, there are persecution of Christians by dominant religious groups or political groups. Many Christians are threatened, discriminated, jailed, or even killed for their faith. | |||
| == Controversies and criticisms == | |||
| :''See also: ]'' | |||
| There are many controversies surrounding Christianity as to its influences and history. | |||
| *Some claim that Jesus of Nazareth may never have existed, arguing a lack of sources outside the New Testament and sometimes alleged similarities with pre-Christian cult figures (see ]). This view has not found general acceptance among historians or Bible scholars (see ]). | |||
| *Some argue that, because Christianity contains similarities to various ]s, especially in relation to myths about a god or other figure who is said to have been killed and risen again, these may somehow have been an inspiration for Christianity. For example, Egyptologist ] compared Christianity to the cult of ].<ref>{{cite book|last = Budge|first = E. A. Wallis|authorlink = E. A. Wallis Budge|year = 1900|title = Egyptian Religion|publisher = Kessinger}}</ref> In some cases, initiates in a mystery religion are said to have shared in the god's death, and in his immortality through his resurrection.<ref>(Latourette p. 394)</ref> | |||
| *Some scholars consider ] rather than Jesus as the founding figure of Christianity, pointing to the extent of his writings and the scope of his missionary work. | |||
| *] believe that followers of Christianity misinterpret passages from the ], or ]. For example, adherents to Judaism believe that the reference to the coming Messiah in Daniel 9:25 was actually a reference to ] who decreed the building of the ]. <ref>http://experts.about.com/q/Orthodox-Judaism-952/Daniel-9.htm</ref> | |||
| *Many ] believe that the Christian Trinity is incompatible with ], even if it is not necessarily ].<ref>Miller, Dr. Gary, .</ref> | |||
| *Missionary work has sometimes been considered a form of cultural imperialism, depending on the motivation and attitude of the missionary. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{portal}} | |||
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| |} | |||
| ===History and denominations=== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
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| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| <div class="references-small"> | |||
| <references/> | |||
| </div> | |||
| ==References and select bibliography== | |||
| {{col-begin}} | |||
| {{col-2}} | |||
| <div class="references-small"> | |||
| *Clark, Kelly James. (pdf), ''Virtual Library of Christian Philosophy'', Philosophy Department, Calvin College, retrieved May 18, 2006. | |||
| *Hastings, Adrian. (ed) ''A World History of Christianity''. (A review of this book, in this ''Journal of Theology'': | |||
| *Rubenstein, Richard ''When Jesus Became God'', p. 179. | |||
| *{{cite book | title=The Story of Christianity | author=Gonzalez, Justo L. | year=1984, 1985, 1999 | id=ISBN 1-56563-522-1}} | |||
| *{{cite book | title=Christian Theology: An Introduction | author=McGrath, Alister | id=ISBN 0-631-22528-5}} | |||
| *{{cite book | title=Christian Theology Reader | author=McGrath, Alister | id=ISBN 0-631-20637-X}} | |||
| *{{cite book | title=Mere Christianity | author=Lewis, C.S | authorlink = C. S. Lewis | id=ISBN 0-06-065292-6}} | |||
| *Oden, Thomas. ''Systematic Theology'' (an ] trilogy) | |||
| ** Volume 1: ''The Living God'' (1992, ISBN 0-06-066363-4) | |||
| ** Volume 2: ''The Word of Life'' (1992, ISBN 0-06-066364-2) | |||
| ** Volume 3: ''Life in the Spirit'' (1994, ISBN 0-06-066362-6) | |||
| *Pelikan, Jaroslav (5 Volumes published between 1971-1989).''The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine''. | |||
| *], (1954, rev. ed. 1962). (critical) | |||
| *] (1894). . ISBN 0-8032-9404-2. | |||
| *Tomkins, Stephen (2005). ''A Short History of Christianity'' (Lion). | |||
| *Ellegard, Alvar (1999). ''Jesus One Hundred Years Before Christ''. | |||
| *Burton Mack (2001) ''The Christian Myth: Origins, Logic, and Legacy. Social formation of myth making''. | |||
| *Vermes, Geza and Martin D. Goodman, eds. The Essenes according to the Classical Sources. Sheffield: Oxford Centre for Postgraduate Hebrew Studies and JSOT Press, 1989. | |||
| *{{cite book | author=Cannistaror, Philip V. and Reich, John J. | title=The Western Perespective: A History of Civilization in the West - Volume A To 1500 | location=New York | publisher=Harcourt Brace College Publishers | year=1999 | id= }} | |||
| *{{cite book | author=Bokenkotter, Thomas | title=A Concise History of the Catholic Church | location=New York | publisher=Doubleday | year=2004 | id= }} | |||
| *Latourette, Kenneth Scott. "Christianity" incl. in ''Collier's Encyclopedia - 6: Charny to Colonie''. New York: Macmillan Educational Company, 1990. | |||
| </div> | |||
| {{col-end}} | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| {{wikiquote|Christianity}} | |||
| {{Commonscat}} | |||
| * Fast facts, glossary, timeline, history, beliefs, texts, holidays, symbols, people, etc. | |||
| * An objective outlook on Jesus and early Christianity from the world of acadamia. Participating correspondents include professors from Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Duke, Brown, Depaul, and Boston University. | |||
| * Treating Christianity as a whole worldview or perspective and looking at the relationship between historic Christianity and contemporary thought | |||
| * . | |||
| *{{cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/index.shtml | title = Christianity | work = Religion & Ethics | publisher = BBC | accessdate = 2006-04-12}} | |||
| *. | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * | |||
| * The Bible online. | |||
| * | |||
| * Fast facts, glossary, timeline, history, beliefs, texts, holidays, symbols, people, etc. | |||
| * , a wiki book on Christianity, church history and doctrine, and Christian art and music | |||
| * , a Gnostic view of Christian teachings. | |||
| * summary of Christian beliefs and practices. | |||
| * Christian teachings explained with the aid of classic quotations. | |||
| * Large compendium of information and links relating to Oriental Orthodoxy. | |||
| * A directory of christian apologetics, beliefs, history and more | |||
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