Part of a series of articles on Christianity
|
|---|
| Jesus Christ |
| Virgin birth · Crucifixion · Resurrection |
| Foundations |
| Church · New Covenant Apostles · Kingdom · Gospel · Timeline |
| Bible |
| Old Testament · New Testament Books · Canon · Apocrypha |
| Christian theology |
| Trinity · (Father · Son · Holy Spirit) History of · Theology · Apologetics |
| History and traditions |
| Early · Councils · Creeds · Missions East-West Schism · Crusades · Reformation |
| Denominations |
| Topics in Christianity |
| Preaching · Prayer · Ecumenism Relation to other religions · Movements Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism |
| Christianity Portal |
Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while The crucifixion of Jesus is an event recorded in all four Gospels (;;) which takes place after his arrest and trial and includes his scourging Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend Church (disambiguation Christian Church and the word church are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a Place of worship The term New Covenant (; Greek:, diathēkē kainē is used in the Bible (both in the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament) to refer The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The purpose of this timeline is to give a detailed account of Christianity from the beginning of the current era ( AD) to the present Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Books of the Bible are listed differently in the canons of Jews and Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox Slavonic Orthodox Georgian Armenian Apostolic A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious The biblical apocrypha (from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφος meaning hidden) are books published in an edition of the Bible whose canonicity Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных In many religions the supreme Deity ( God) is given the title and attributions of Father. Christian views of Jesus consist of the teachings and beliefs held by Christian groups about Jesus including his divinity humanity and earthly life In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance This is an overview of the History of Christian Theology from the time of Christ to the present Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections Christian tradition is a collection of Traditions of practice or belief associated with Christianity. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service See also Evangelism, Christianization A Christian mission has been widely defined since the Lausanne Congress of 1974 as that which The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic Prayer is an important theme in Christianity, and there are several different forms of prayer Ecumenism (also oecumenism, œcumenism) refers to initiatives aimed at greater Religious unity or cooperation Christianity and other religions appear to share some elements Christian movements are theological, political or philosophical interpretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church Christian music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life A Liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used (whether recommended or prescribed by a Christian congregation or The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Christian symbolism is defined as the investing of outward things or actions with an inner meaning the expression of Christian ideas Christian art is Art produced in an attempt to illustrate supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity. Throughout the History of Christianity, a wide range of Christians and non-Christians alike have offered criticisms of Christianity, the Church, and Christians For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The four canonical Gospels of the New Testament are the main sources of information for the doctrinal Christian narrative of Jesus ' life [2] As of the early 21st century, it has between 1. 5 billion[3][4] and 2. 1 billion adherents,[5] representing about a quarter to a third of the world's population. [6] It is the state religion of at least fifteen countries. A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially [7]
Its followers, known as Christians, believe that Jesus is[8] the Son of God and the Messiah (or Christ) prophesied in the Old Testament, the part of their scriptures they have in common with Judaism. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the New Testament. This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " Bible prophecy, or " biblical prophecy " is the belief in prophecies in the Bible. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut [9] To Christians, Jesus Christ is a teacher, the model of a pious life, the revealer of God, and most importantly the saviour of humanity who suffered, died, and was resurrected in order to bring about salvation from sin. In spiritual terminology piety is a Virtue. While different people may understand its meaning differently it is generally used to refer either to religious devotion Revelation is the act of revealing or disclosing (see etymology or in the theological perception making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Christian Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation it is often considered a branch of Christology. This article describes the Christian Passion For other meanings see Passion. Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral Rule, or the state of having committed such a violation [10] Christians maintain that Jesus ascended into heaven and most denominations teach that Jesus will judge the living and the dead, granting everlasting life to his followers. The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within Christians describe the New Testament account of Jesus' ministry as the Gospel, or "good news". In Christianity, the good news or evangelium (also translated as " Gospel " "glad tidings" and variants is the message
The Trinity is often regarded as an essential doctrine of mainstream Christianity. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных The common understanding of the Holy Trinity, espoused in the Nicene Creed, is one God who exists in three Persons – Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – who are coequal, co-eternal, of the same substance. The Nicene Creed (ˈnaɪsiːn is an ecumenical Christian statement of faith accepted in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of Homoousian (from the Greek όμοιοs meaning same and ουσία meaning essence or being is a technical theological term used in discussion of the In many religions the supreme Deity ( God) is given the title and attributions of Father. God the Son is the second person of the Trinity in Christian Theology. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance "Father, Son and Holy Spirit" represents both the immanence and transcendence of God. Immanence, derived from the Latin in manere "to remain within" refers to philosophical and metaphysical theories of the divine as existing and acting within the mind God is believed to be infinite and God's presence may be perceived through the actions of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. [11]
The disciples were first called Christians (Greek Χριστιανός), meaning "followers of Christ", in Antioch. In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Antioch on the Orontes (Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Δάφνῃ Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ Μεγάλη Antiochia ad Orontem also [12] Ignatius of Antioch was the first Christian to use the label in self-reference. Saint Ignatius of Antioch (also known as Theophorus) (ca 35-110 was the third Bishop and Patriarch of Antioch and possibly a student of the Apostle John The earliest recorded use of the term Christianity (Greek Χριστιανισμός) was also by Ignatius of Antioch, around AD 100. [13]
Like Judaism and Islam, Christianity is classified as an Abrahamic religion (see also Judeo-Christian). Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian, sometimes written as Judæo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held [14][15][16] Through missionary work and colonisation, Christianity spread firstly in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and parts of India and subsequently throughout the entire world. A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan This article addresses the Saint Thomas Christians and the various churches and denominations that form the Nasrani people. [17]
Contents |
Beliefs
In spite of important differences of interpretation and opinion, Christians share a set of beliefs that they hold as essential to their faith. [18]
Jesus Christ
The focus of a Christian's life is a firm belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the "Messiah" or "Christ". Christian views of Jesus consist of the teachings and beliefs held by Christian groups about Jesus including his divinity humanity and earthly life Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the New Testament. This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The title "Messiah" comes from the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ (māšiáħ) meaning anointed one. The Greek translation Χριστός (Christos) is the source of the English word "Christ". Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " [19]
Christians believe that, as the Messiah, Jesus was anointed by God as ruler and savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus' coming was the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. The Theotokos of Vladimir,( Greek Θεοτόκος του Βλαντιμίρ also known as Our Lady of Vladimir, the Virgin of Vladimir or Vladimirskaya To anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil milk water melted butter or other substances a process employed ritually by many religions and races Jesus of Nazareth is universally accepted as the Messiah by Christians. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from the contemporary Jewish concept. Messiah ( משיח; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, ("anointed " is a term used in the Hebrew Bible The core Christian belief is that, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life. Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend Original sin is according to a doctrine in Catholic theology, humanity's state of Sin resulting from the Fall of Man. Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an Infinite length of Time. [20]
While there have been theological disputes over the nature of Jesus, Christians generally believe that Jesus is God incarnate and "true God and true man" (or both fully divine and fully human). Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective The Incarnation is the belief in Christianity that Jesus Christ is the God of Israel in the flesh Hypostatic union (from the Greek, "hypostasis" translated reality or person) is a technical term in Christian Theology employed Jesus, having become fully human, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, yet he did not sin. The Incarnation is the belief in Christianity that Jesus Christ is the God of Israel in the flesh Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral Rule, or the state of having committed such a violation As fully God, he defeated death and rose to life again. According to the Bible, "God raised him from the dead,"[21] he ascended to heaven, is "seated at the right hand of the Father"[22] and will return again[23] to fulfil the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and final establishment of the Kingdom of God. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions This article concerns itself with the belief in the final Resurrection at the End of time, commonly found in the Abrahamic religions. In Christian eschatology, the Last Judgment or Day of the Lord is the judgment by God of every human who ever lived
According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born from the Virgin Mary. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel The Gospel of Luke (Gk Κατά Λουκάν Ευαγγέλιον) is a synoptic Gospel, and is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the The Incarnation is the belief in Christianity that Jesus Christ is the God of Israel in the flesh In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance For depictions in painting and sculpture see Nativity of Jesus in art. Little of Jesus' childhood is recorded in the canonical Gospels, however infancy Gospels were popular in antiquity. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament New Testament apocrypha are a number of writings of the early Christian church that give accounts of the teachings of Jesus, aspects of the life of Jesus accounts In comparison, his adulthood, especially the week before his death, are well documented in the Gospels contained within the New Testament. The Biblical accounts of Jesus' ministry include: his baptism, miracles, preaching, teaching, and deeds. In the Synoptic gospels, Jesus is baptised by John the Baptist. According to the canonical Gospels Jesus worked many Miracles in the course of his ministry, which may be categorized into cures Exorcisms
Death and resurrection of Jesus
Christians consider the resurrection of Jesus to be the cornerstone of their faith and the most important event in human history. [24] Within the body of Christian beliefs, the death and resurrection of Jesus are two core events on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend. [25][26] According to the New Testament, Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, was crucified, died, buried within a tomb, and resurrected three days later. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Crucifixion (from Latin crucifixio, noun of process crucifixio, from perfect passive participle crucifixus, fixed to a cross from [27] The New Testament mentions several resurrection appearances of Jesus on different occasions to his twelve apostles and disciples, including "more than five hundred brethren at once",[28] before Jesus' Ascension. The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus are reported in the New Testament to have occurred after his death and burial and prior to his Ascension The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence Jesus's death and resurrection are the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, and are commemorated by Christians during Good Friday and Easter, particularly during the liturgical time of Holy Week. Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha" Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Holy Week ( Latin: Hebdomada Sancta or Maior Hebdomada, "Greater Week" in Christianity is the last week before Easter. Arguments over death and resurrection claims occur at many religious debates and interfaith dialogues. Debate ( American English) or debating ( British English) is a formal method of interactive and position representational Argument. The term interfaith or interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (ie [29]
As Paul the Apostle, an early Christian convert, wrote, "If Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless". Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and [30][31] The death and resurrection of Jesus are the most important events in Christian Theology, as they form the point in scripture where Jesus gives his ultimate demonstration that he has power over life and death and thus the ability to give people eternal life. Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument Immortality (or eternal life) is the concept of living in physical or spiritual form for an Infinite length of Time. [32]
Generally, Christian churches accept and teach the New Testament account of the resurrection of Jesus. [33][34] Some modern scholars use the belief of Jesus' followers in the resurrection as a point of departure for establishing the continuity of the historical Jesus and the proclamation of the early church. [35] Some liberal Christians do not accept a literal bodily resurrection,[36][37] seeing the story as richly symbolic and spiritually nourishing myth. For liberal political views within Christianity see Christian left. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore"
Soteriology
Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation through Jesus Christ. Soteriology is the branch of theology that deals with Salvation. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of Soteriology is the branch of theology that deals with Salvation. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective [38] Christians believe salvation is a gift by means of the unmerited grace of God. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of In Christianity, divine Grace refers to the sovereign favour of God for humankind — especially in regard to Salvation — irrespective of actions Christians believe that, through faith in Jesus, one can be saved from sin and eternal death. Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral Rule, or the state of having committed such a violation Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific The crucifixion of Jesus is explained as an atoning sacrifice, which, in the words of the Gospel of John, "takes away the sins of the world. The atonement is a doctrine found within both Christianity and Judaism. Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning "to make sacred" from Old French, from Latin sacrificium: sacr, "sacred" The Gospel of John (literally According to John; Greek, Κατὰ Ἰωάννην Kata Iōannēn) is the fourth Gospel in the canon " One's reception of salvation is related to justification. In Christian theology, justification is God 's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before God [39]
The operation and effects of grace are understood differently by different traditions. Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy teach the necessity of the free will to cooperate with grace. The question of free will [40] Reformed theology places distinctive emphasis on grace by teaching that individuals are completely incapable of self-redemption, but the grace of God overcomes even the unwilling heart. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Total depravity (also called total inability and total corruption) is a theological Doctrine that derives from the Augustinian concepts Irresistible Grace (or efficacious grace) is a Doctrine in Christian theology particularly associated with Calvinism, which teaches that the [41] Arminianism takes a synergistic approach while Lutheran doctrine teaches justification by grace alone through faith alone. Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther [42]
Trinity
Trinitarians
The term trinitarian denotes those Christians who hold to a belief in the concept of Trinity. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных Trinity refers to the teaching that the one God comprises three distinct, eternally co-existing persons; the Father' (from whom the Son and Spirit proceed), the Son (incarnate in Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Together, these three persons are sometimes called the Godhead,[43][44][45] although there is no single term in use in Scripture to denote the unified Godhead. The term "Godhead" The term Godhead is a term denoting deity or divinity [46] In the words of the Athanasian Creed, an early statement of Christian belief, "the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God. The Athanasian Creed ( Quicumque vult) is a statement of Christian Trinitarian doctrine and Christology which has been used in ". [47]
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 Perichoresis). Perichoresis in Christian theology, refers to the mutual inter-penetration and indwelling of the Father and the Son. The distinction lies in their relations, the Father being unbegotten; the Son being eternal yet begotten of the Father; and the Holy Spirit 'proceeding' from Father and (in Western theology) from the Son. [48] Regardless of this apparent difference in their origins, the three 'persons' are each eternal and omnipotent. While in the popular mind eternity often simply means existing for a limitless amount of Time, many have used it to refer to a timeless existence altogether outside of Omnipotence ( Omni Potens: "all Power " is unlimited power This is thought by Trinitarian Christians to be the revelation regarding God's nature which Jesus Christ came to deliver to the world, and is the foundation of their belief system.
The word trias, from which trinity is derived, is first seen in the works of Theophilus of Antioch. There is also a Theophilus of Alexandria ( c AD 412 Theophilus, Patriarch of Antioch, succeeded Eros c He wrote of "the Trinity of God (the Father), His Word (the Son) and His Wisdom (Holy Spirit)". [49] The term may have been in use before this time. Afterwards it appears in Tertullian. Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, Anglicised as Tertullian, (ca [50][51] In the following century the word was in general use. It is found in many passages of Origen. Origen ( Greek: Ōrigénēs, or Origen Adamantius, ca 185–ca [52]
Non-trinitarians
Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian beliefs systems that reject the Trinity, the doctrine that God is three distinct persons in one being. Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject as non-scriptural wholly or partly the doctrine of the Trinity; the Doctrine Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject as non-scriptural wholly or partly the doctrine of the Trinity; the Doctrine A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных Doctrine (Latin doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings quot or "instructions" taught principles or positions as the Various nontrinitarian views, such as adoptionism and Arianism, existed before the Trinity was formally defined as doctrine in AD 325. Adoptionism, also called dynamic Monarchianism, was a minority Christian belief that Jesus was born merely human and that he became divine later in his life Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. [53] Nontrinitarianism later appeared again in the Gnosticism of the Cathars in the 11th through 13th centuries, in the Age of Enlightenment of the 18th century, and in Restorationism during the 19th century. Gnosticism (γνώσις gnōsis, Knowledge) refers to a diverse Syncretistic Religious movement consisting of various Belief systems The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and The nontrinitarian view was rejected by many early Christian bishops such as Irenaeus and subsequently by the Ecumenical Councils. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Saint Irenaeus (Greek Ειρηναίος (2nd century AD - c 202 was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, Roman Empire (now Lyons France This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. [54] During the Reformation some nontrinitarians rejected these councils as spiritually tainted,[55] though most Christians continued to accept the value of many of the councils.
Casper Schwenckfeld and Melchior Hoffman advanced the view that Christ was only divine and not human. Caspar (or Kaspar Schwen(ckfeld von Ossig (1489 or 1490 &ndash December 10 1561) was a German nobleman who became a Protestant Reformer and Melchior Hoffman or Hofmann (c 1495 &ndash 1543 was an Anabaptist prophet and a visionary leader in northern Germany and the Netherlands [56][57] Michael Servetus denied that the traditional doctrine of the Trinity was necessary to defend the divinity of Christ. Michael Servetus (also Miguel Servet or Miguel Serveto; 29 September, 1511 &ndash 27 October, 1553) was a Spanish He claimed that Jesus was God Himself in the flesh. [58] Modalists, such as Oneness Pentecostals, regard God as a single person, with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit considered modes or roles by which the unipersonal God expresses himself,[59] in this way they parallel ancient Sabellians. Overview Although both Oneness and Trinitarian denominations acknowledge the God of the Bible as the only God in existence and that Jesus was In Christianity, Sabellianism (also known as modalism, modalistic monarchianism, or modal monarchism) is the Nontrinitarian belief [60][61] Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormons) accept the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but deny that they are the same being. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Mormonism is a term used to describe the religious, ideological and cultural elements of certain branches of the Latter Day Saint movement Rather, they believe them to be separate beings united perfectly in will and purpose, thus making up one single Godhead. In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Godhead are the objects of worship and devotion within the faith They believe that the Father, like the Son, has a glorified physical body. [62]
Scriptures
Christianity regards the Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts (the Old Testament and the New Testament), as authoritative. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. 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 inerrant Word of God. Biblical inerrancy is the conservative evangelical doctrinal position that in its original form the Bible is totally without error and free from all contradiction [63][64][65] The books that are considered canon in the Bible vary depending upon the denomination using or defining it. Books of the Bible are listed differently in the canons of Jews and Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox Slavonic Orthodox Georgian Armenian Apostolic These variations are a reflection of the range of traditions and councils that have convened on the subject. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. The Bible always includes books of the Jewish scriptures, the Tanakh, 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[66]. See also Old testament, Septuagint, Targum, Peshitta The Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ (taˈnax or; also Tenakh or Tenak is In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The Roman Catholic and Orthodox canons include other books from the Septuagint Greek Jewish canon which Roman Catholics call Deuterocanonical. The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the " Deuterocanonical books " is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages [67] Protestants consider these books apocryphal. The biblical apocrypha (from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφος meaning hidden) are books published in an edition of the Bible whose canonicity Some versions of the Christian Bible have a separate Apocrypha section for the books not considered canonical by the publisher[68] .
Interpretation
Though Christians largely agree on the content of the Bible, there is significant divergence in its interpretation, or exegesis. Exegesis (from the Greek 'to lead out' involves an extensive and critical interpretation of an authoritative text, especially of a Holy In antiquity, two schools of exegesis developed in Alexandria and Antioch. Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια The School of Antioch was one of the two major centers of the study of biblical Exegesis and Theology; the other was the Catechetical school of Alexandria Alexandrine interpretation, exemplified by Origen, tended to read Scripture allegorically, while Antiochene interpretation adhered to the literal sense, holding that other meanings (called theoria) could only be accepted if based on the literal meaning. Origen ( Greek: Ōrigénēs, or Origen Adamantius, ca 185–ca An allegory (from αλλος allos "other" and el αγορευειν agoreuein "to speak in public" is a figurative mode of representation [69]
Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic theology distinguishes two senses of scripture: the literal and the spiritual. [70]
The literal sense of understanding scripture is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation. It has three subdivisions: the allegorical, moral, and anagogical (meaning mystical or spiritual) senses. Anagoge is a Greek word suggesting a "climb" or "ascent" upwards
- The allegorical sense includes typology. Typology is a theological doctrine of theory of types and their antitypes found in Scripture. An example would be the parting of the Red Sea being understood as a "type" (sign) of baptism. The Passage of the Red Sea is the account of the march of Moses, leading the Hebrews ( Israelites) on their escape out of Egypt and the alleged crossing [71]
- The moral sense understands the scripture to contain some ethical teaching.
- The anagogical interpretation includes eschatology and applies to eternity and the consummation of the world. Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology
Roman Catholic theology adds other rules of interpretation that include:
- the injunction that all other senses of sacred scripture are based on the literal;[72]
- that the historicity of the Gospels must be absolutely and constantly held;[73]
- that scripture must be read within the "living Tradition of the whole Church";[74] and
- that "the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome". The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of the Holy See, more often referred to in the Catholic tradition as the Pope. [75]
Protestant
Many Protestant Christians believe that the Bible is a self-sufficient revelation, the final authority on all Christian doctrine, and contains all revealed truth necessary for salvation. Revelation is the act of revealing or disclosing (see etymology or in the theological perception making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication This concept is known as Sola scriptura. Sola scriptura ( Latin ablative, "by scripture alone" is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating [76] Many Protestants stress the literal sense or historical-grammatical method,[77] some even to the extent of rejecting other senses altogether. The historical-grammatical method also referred to as grammatico-historical or grammatical-critical, is a component of Biblical hermeneutics that Other Protestant interpreters make use of typology. [78] 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. "[79] He advocated "one definite and simple understanding of Scripture. "[79] John Calvin wrote, "all who. John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and . . follow the Holy Spirit as their guide, find in the Scripture a clear light. "[80] The Second Helvetic (Latin for "Swiss")[81] Confession, composed by the pastor of the Reformed church in Zurich (successor to Protestant reformer Zwingli) was adopted as a declaration of doctrine by most European Reformed churches. Huldrych (or Ulrich) Zwingli (1 January 1484 &ndash 11 October 1531 was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. [82] The Confession contains this statement about interpreting Scripture:
"We hold that interpretation of the Scripture to be orthodox and genuine which is gleaned from the Scriptures themselves (from the nature of the language in which they were written, likewise according to the circumstances in which they were set down, and expounded in the light of like and unlike passages and of many and clearer passages). " The writings of the Church Fathers, and decisions of Ecumenical Councils, though "not despise[d]," were not authoritative and could be rejected.
– Second Helvetic Confession (1566)
Creeds
Creeds (from Latin credo meaning "I believe") are concise doctrinal statements or confessions, usually of religious beliefs. Helvetic Confessions, the name of two documents expressing the common belief of the Reformed churches of Switzerland. A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service They began as baptismal formulas and were later expanded during the Christological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries to become statements of faith. Christology (from Christ and Greek grc -λογία -logia) is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 4th century (per the Julian calendar and Anno Domini / Common era) was that Century The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini / Common Era.
The Apostles Creed (Symbolum Apostolorum) was developed between the second and ninth centuries. It is the most popular creed used in worship by Western Christians. Its central doctrines are those of the Trinity and God the Creator. Each of the doctrines found in this creed can be traced to statements current in the apostolic period. The creed was apparently used as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates in the churches of Rome. [83]
The Nicene Creed, largely a response to Arianism, was formulated at the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in 325 and 381 respectively,[84] and ratified as the universal creed of Christendom by the Council of Ephesus in 431. The Nicene Creed (ˈnaɪsiːn is an ecumenical Christian statement of faith accepted in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. The First Council of Nicaea, held in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day İznik in Turkey) convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine The Second Ecumenical Council the first held in Constantinople was called by Theodosius I in 381 which confirmed the Nicene Creed and dealt with other matters such This article covers the Ecumenical council of 431 For the council of 449 see Second Council of Ephesus. [85]
The Chalcedonian Creed, developed at the Council of Chalcedon in 451,[86] though not accepted by the Oriental Orthodox Churches,[87] taught Christ "to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably": one divine and one human, and that both natures are perfect but are nevertheless perfectly united into one person. The Confession of Chalcedon (also Definition or Creed of Chalcedon) also known as the "Doctrine of the Hypostatic Union" or the "2-Nature Doctrine" The Council of Chalcedon was the fourth Ecumenical council. It was held from 8 October to 1 November 451 at Chalcedon (a city of Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the Hypostatic union (from the Greek, "hypostasis" translated reality or person) is a technical term in Christian Theology employed [88]
The Athanasian Creed, 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 Substance. The Athanasian Creed ( Quicumque vult) is a statement of Christian Trinitarian doctrine and Christology which has been used in "[89]
Most Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox accept the creeds. [90] Restorationists oppose the use of creeds. For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and [91]
Afterlife and Eschaton
Most Christians believe that upon bodily death the soul experiences the particular judgment and is either rewarded with eternal heaven or condemned to an eternal hell. Summary of Christian eschatological differencesIn Christian theology, Christian eschatology is the study of its religious Beliefs concerning all Future and The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living Particular judgment, according to Christian Eschatology, is the judgement given by God a departed Soul undergoes immediately after death in Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering The elect are called "saints" (Latin sanctus: "holy") and the process of being made holy is called sanctification. In Catholicism, those who die in a state of grace but with either unforgiven venial sins or incomplete penance, undergo purification in purgatory to achieve the holiness necessary for entrance into heaven. Penance is repentance of Sins as well as the proper name of the Catholic and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession See also Intermediate state Limbo|Heaven|Sheol|Hades in Christianity|Hell in Christianity Purgatory, in the original sense is the condition or process of purification At the second coming of Christ at the end of time, all who have died will be resurrected bodily from the dead for the Last Judgement, whereupon Jesus will fully establish the Kingdom of God in fulfillment of scriptural prophecies. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology This article concerns itself with the belief in the final Resurrection at the End of time, commonly found in the Abrahamic religions. In Christian eschatology, the Last Judgment or Day of the Lord is the judgment by God of every human who ever lived Bible prophecy, or " biblical prophecy " is the belief in prophecies in the Bible. [92][93]
Some groups do not distinguish a particular judgment from the general judgment at the end of time, teaching instead that souls remain in stasis until this time. General judgment is the Christian theological concept of a judgment of the souls of the dead by nation and as a whole See also Intermediate state In Christian theology, soul sleep is a belief that the Soul sleeps unconsciously between the Death of the [94] These groups, and others that do not believe in the intercession of saints, generally do not employ the word "saint" to describe those in heaven. Distinguish from "inter-session" ie "between Sessions " Intercession, in both Christianity and Islam,
Universal Reconciliation is the view that all will eventually experience salvation, rejecting the concept that hell is literally everlasting. Universal reconciliation, also called universal salvation or sometimes simply universalism, is the Christian doctrine or belief that all will receive Salvation [95][96] Christians espousing this view are known as Universalists, not to be confused with Unitarian Universalists. [97]
Worship
Justin Martyr described 2nd century Christian liturgy in his First Apology (c. In Christianity, worship has been considered by most Christians to be the central act of Christian identity throughout history as the personal act of Saint Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher, Latin Iustinus Martyr or Flavius A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions The First Apology was an early work of Christian apologetics addressed by Justin Martyr to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. 150) to Emperor Antoninus Pius, and his description remains relevant to the basic structure of Christian liturgical worship:
- "And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. "[98]
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. Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In the Jewish law it is the first day of the Hebrew calendar week Scripture readings are drawn from the Old and New Testaments, but especially the Gospels. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Often these are arranged on an annual cycle, using a book called a lectionary. In Geosciences an annual cycle is the part of a measured quantity's fluctuation that is attributed to Earth's changing position in Orbit over the course of the year A Lectionary is a book or listing that contains a collection of Scripture readings appointed for Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion Instruction is given based on these readings, called a sermon, or homily. A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic There are a variety of congregational prayers, including thanksgiving, confession, and intercession, which occur throughout the service and take a variety of forms including recited, responsive, silent, or sung. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit The Lord's Prayer, or Our Father, is regularly prayed. The Lord's Prayer, also known as the Our Father or Pater noster, is probably the best-known Prayer in Christianity. The Eucharist (called Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper) is the part of liturgical worship that consists of a consecrated meal, usually bread and wine. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those Justin Martyr described the Eucharist:
| “ | "And this food is called among us Eukaristia [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. "[98] | ” |
Some Christian denominations view communion as indicating those who are already united in the church, restricting participation to their members not in a state of mortal sin (closed communion). List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships Mortal sin, according to the beliefs of Roman Catholicism, and some Protestant denominations is a Sin that unless confessed and absolved (or at least Closed communion is the practice of restricting the serving of the elements of communion (also called Eucharist, The Lord's Supper) to those who are members of a particular Most other churches view communion as a means to unity, rather than an end, and invite all Christians or even anyone to participate (open communion). Open communion is the practice of Christian churches that allow individuals other than members of that church to receive communion (also called the Eucharist In some denominations, participation is decided by prior arrangement with a church leader.
Some groups depart from this traditional liturgical structure. A division is often made between "High" church services, characterized by greater solemnity and ritual, and "Low" services, but even within these two categories there is great diversity in forms of worship. " High Church " relates to Ecclesiology and Liturgy in Anglican theology and practice In Christianity, a church service is a term used to describe a formalized period of communal Worship, often but not exclusively occurring on Sunday or Saturday in Low church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative Seventh-day Adventists meet on Saturday (the original Sabbath), while others do not meet on a weekly basis. The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. It is either the sixth or seventh Day of the week as discussed below. In Christianity, the Sabbath is generally a weekly religious Day of rest as ordained by one of the Ten Commandments (the third by Roman Catholic Charismatic or Pentecostal congregations may spontaneously feel led by the Holy Spirit to action rather than follow a formal order of service, including spontaneous prayer. The term charismatic movement describes the adoption from the early twentieth century onwards of certain beliefs typical of those held by Pentecostal Christians — specifically Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism Quakers sit quietly until moved by the Holy Spirit to speak. Some Evangelical services resemble concerts with rock and pop music, dancing, and use of multimedia. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Christian rock (occasionally abbreviated CR) is a form of Rock music played by bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on For groups which do not recognize a priesthood distinct from ordinary believers the services are generally lead by a minister, preacher, or pastor. In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs Preacher is a term the for someone who preaches Sermons or gives homilies A pastor is an official person within a Protestant group of people and related to the positions of Priest or Bishop within the Anglican, Roman Catholic Still others may lack any formal leaders, either in principle or by local necessity. Some churches use only a cappella music, either on principle (e. A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment g. many Churches of Christ object to the use of instruments in worship) or by tradition (as in Orthodoxy). The Churches of Christ discussed
Worship can be varied for special events like baptisms or weddings in the service or significant feast days. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted A wedding is the Ceremony in which two people are united in Marriage. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints In the early church Christians and those yet to complete initiation would separate for the Eucharistic part of the worship. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c In many churches today, adults and children will separate for all or some of the service to receive age-appropriate teaching. Such children's worship is often called Sunday school or Sabbath school (Sunday schools are often held before rather than during services). " Sunday school " is the generic name for many different types of Religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations Sabbath School is a function of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Seventh Day Baptist and some other sabbatarian denominations that roughly parallels Sunday
Sacraments
In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite, instituted by Christ, that mediates grace, constituting a sacred mystery. A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth A rite is an established ceremonious usually Religious act or Process art. In Christianity, divine Grace refers to the sovereign favour of God for humankind — especially in regard to Salvation — irrespective of actions The term sacred mysteries generally denotes the area of Supernatural phenomena associated with a Divinity or a religious ideology. The term is derived from the Latin word sacramentum, which was used to translate the Greek word for mystery. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. [99] Views concerning both what rites are sacramental, and what it means for an act to be a sacrament vary among Christian denominations and traditions. [99]
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 Baptism and the Eucharist, however, the majority of Christians recognize seven Sacraments or Divine Mysteries: Baptism, Confirmation (Chrismation in the Orthodox tradition), and the Eucharist, Holy Orders, Reconciliation of a Penitent (confession), Anointing of the Sick, and Matrimony. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Confirmation is a Rite of initiation in many Christian Churches normally in the form of Laying on of hands and/or Anointing for Chrismation is the name given in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches as well as in the Assyrian Church of the East The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those In a general sense the term Holy Orders refers to those in the Christian religion who have been ordained in Apostolic Succession. The confession of one's Sins is a religious practice important to many faiths e Anointing of the Sick is distinguished from other forms of religious Anointing or "unction" (an older term with the same meaning in that it is intended as its name Throughout history Christians have regarded Marriage as ordained by God for the lifelong union of a Man [99] Taken together, these are the Seven Sacraments as recognised by churches in the High church tradition - notably Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Independent Catholic, Old Catholic and some Anglicans. " High Church " relates to Ecclesiology and Liturgy in Anglican theology and practice The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the Independent Catholic Churches are Christian denominations (or congregations) which claim apostolic succession The Old Catholic Church is a Christian denomination originating with churches (many of them German -speaking that split from the Roman Catholic Church in In keeping with its prevailing self-identity as a Via media or "middle path" of Western Christianity, Anglican sacramental theology expresses Most other denominations and traditions typically affirm only Baptism and Eucharist as sacraments, while some Protestant groups, such as the Quakers, reject sacramental theology. [99] Some Christian denominations who believe these rites do not communicate grace prefer to call them ordinances. List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships Ordinance is a Protestant Christian term for Baptism, Communion and other Religious rituals Some Protestants do not call them
Liturgical calendar
Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Eastern Christians, and traditional Protestant communities frame worship around a liturgical calendar. The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when This includes holy days, such as solemnities which commemorate an event in the life of Jesus or the saints, periods of fasting such as Lent, and other pious events such as memoria or lesser festivals commemorating saints. In the Catholic Church, Holy Days of Obligation or Holidays of Obligation, less commonly called Feasts of Precept, are the days on which as canon 1247 A Solemnity of the Roman Catholic Church is a principal Holy day in the Liturgical calendar, usually commemorating an event in the life of Jesus A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all Food, Drink, or both for a period of time Lent, in some Christian denominations, is the forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. Memoria was the term for aspects involving memory in Western classical Rhetoric. Christian groups that do not follow a liturgical tradition often retain certain celebrations, such as Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the A few churches make no use of a liturgical calendar. [100]
Symbols
The cross, which is today one of the most widely recognised symbols in the world, was used as a Christian symbol from the earliest times. The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. [101][102] In his book De Corona, written in the year 204, Tertullian tells how it was already a tradition for Christians to trace repeatedly on their foreheads the sign of the cross. [103] Although the cross was known to the early Christians, the crucifix did not appear in use until the fifth century. A crucifix (from Latin cruci fixus meaning "(one fixed to a cross" is a cross with a representation of Jesus ' body or corpus [104]
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 second century. [105] 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. [105]
Christians from the very beginning adorned their tombs with paintings of Christ, of the saints, of scenes from the Bible and allegorical groups. The first Burial galleries to be referred to as catacombs lie beneath San Sebastiano fuori le mura, in Rome. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin 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. [106] Other major Christian symbols include the chi-rho monogram, the dove (symbolic of the Holy Spirit), the sacrificial lamb (symbolic of Christ's sacrifice), the vine (symbolising the necessary connectedness of the Christian with Christ) and many others. A chrismon is one of number of Christian Symbols intended to represent aspects of the Person life or ministry of Jesus Christ and the life ministry or A vine is any plant of Genus Vitis (the Grape plants or by extension any similar climbing or trailing plant These all derive from writings found in the New Testament. [104]
History and origins
Early Church and Christological Councils
Christianity began as a Jewish sect. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ In the Sociology of religion a sect is generally a smaller religious or political group that has broken off from a larger group for example from a [107][108] The Christian Church traces its history to Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, and saw the early bishops of the Church as the successors of the Apostles in general. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Central to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Churches is Apostolic Succession, the belief that the bishops are the spiritual successors of the original twelve apostles, through the historically unbroken chain of consecration. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight
From the beginning, Christians were subject to various persecutions. The persecution of Christians refers to the Religious persecution of Christians both historically and in the current era This involved even death for Christians such as Stephen[109] and James, son of Zebedee. For people and places called Saint James, see the Saint James disambiguation page [110] Larger-scale persecutions followed at the hands of the authorities of the Roman Empire, beginning with the year 64, when, as reported by the Roman historian Tacitus, the Emperor Nero blamed them for that year's great Fire of Rome. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called According to the historian Tacitus, the Great Fire of Rome started on the night of 18 July in the year AD 64, among the shops clustered around the According to Church tradition, it was under Nero's persecution that early Church leaders Peter and Paul were each martyred in Rome. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Further widespread persecutions of the Church occurred under nine subsequent Roman emperors including Domitian, Decius and Diocletian. In its first three centuries the Christian church endured periods of persecution at the hands of Roman authorities Titus Flavius Domitianus (24 October 51 &ndash 18 September 96 commonly known as Domitian, was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 14 September 81 until his death Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus ( ca. December 22 244 The modern historian Timothy Barnes takes December 22 as his birthdate From the year 150, Christian teachers began to produce theological and "apologetic" works aimed at defending the faith. These authors are known as the Church Fathers, and study of them is called Patristics. The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church Notable early Fathers include Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and Origen. Saint Ignatius of Antioch (also known as Theophorus) (ca 35-110 was the third Bishop and Patriarch of Antioch and possibly a student of the Apostle John Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (ca 69 – ca 155 was a second century Bishop of Smyrna. Saint Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher, Latin Iustinus Martyr or Flavius Saint Irenaeus (Greek Ειρηναίος (2nd century AD - c 202 was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, Roman Empire (now Lyons France Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, Anglicised as Tertullian, (ca Saint Clement of Alexandria (born Titus Flavius Clemens) (c150 - 211/216 was the first notable member of the Church of Alexandria, and one of its most Origen ( Greek: Ōrigénēs, or Origen Adamantius, ca 185–ca
Christianity was legalized in the fourth century, when Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine The Edict of Milan was a letter signed by emperors Constantine and Licinius, that proclaimed Religious toleration in the Roman Empire. Constantine was instrumental in the convocation of the First Council of Nicaea in 325, which sought to address the Arian heresy and formulated the Nicene Creed, which is still used by the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglican Communion, and many Protestant churches. The First Council of Nicaea, held in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day İznik in Turkey) convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. The Nicene Creed (ˈnaɪsiːn is an ecumenical Christian statement of faith accepted in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. [90]
On 27 February 380, Emperor Theodosius I enacted a law establishing Catholic Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Events By Place Roman Empire January / February – Emperor Theodosius I is baptized. Flavius Theodosius (January 11 347 – January 17 395 also called Theodosius I and Theodosius the Great ( Greek: Θεοδόσιος Α΄ [111] This period of history was also marked by the inauguration of a series of Ecumenical (worldwide) Christological Councils which established and formally codified critical elements of the theology of the Church. In 382, the Council of Rome set the Canon of the Bible, listing the accepted books of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Council of Rome was a meeting of Western church officials and theologians which took place in 382 under the authority of Pope Damasus I. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Also, the Council of Ephesus in 431 declared that Jesus existed both as fully Man and fully God simultaneously, clarifying his status in the Trinity. This article covers the Ecumenical council of 431 For the council of 449 see Second Council of Ephesus. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных The meaning of the Nicene Creed was also declared a permanent doctrine of the Church.
Medieval period
In 452, Pope Leo the Great met Attila the Hun, and dissuaded him from sacking Rome. Pope Saint Leo I or Pope Saint Leo the Great was Pope from September 29, 440 to November 10, 461. [112] However, in 476, the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus was deposed. [112] Following the fall of the Roman Empire in the west, the church entered into a long period of missionary activity and expansion among the former barbarian tribes. Catholicism spread among the Germanic peoples (initially in competition with Arianism[113]), the Celts, the Slavic peoples; the Vikings and other Scandinavians; the Hungarians, the Baltic peoples and the Finns. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European The terms Finns and Finnish people ( Finnish: suomalaiset, Swedish: finländare) are used in English to The rise of Islam from 630 onwards, took the formerly Christian lands of the Levant, North Africa and much of Spain out of Christian control. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. [114] In 480, St. Benedict set out his Monastic Rule, establishing a system of regulations for the foundation and running of monasteries. "Saint Benedict" redirects here This article is about the founder of Western monasticism for other saints named Benedict see Benedict. This article concerns the buildings occupied by monastics. For the life inside monasteries and its historical roots see Monasticism. [115] Monasticism became a powerful force throughout Europe,[113] and gave rise to many early centers of learning, most famously in Ireland, Scotland and Gaul, contributing to the Carolingian Renaissance of the 9th century. Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from Greek monos, alone is the religious practice in which one Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western The Carolingian Renaissance was a period of intellectual and cultural revival occurring in the late eighth and ninth centuries with the peak of the activities
The Middle Ages brought about major changes within the church. Pope Gregory the Great dramatically reformed ecclesiastical structure and administration. [116] In the early 8th century, iconoclasm became a divisive issue, when it was sponsored by the Byzantine emperors. Iconoclasm, Greek for "image-breaking" is the deliberate destruction within a culture of the culture's own religious Icons and other symbols or monuments This article is about the city See also Byzantine Empire. Byzantium ( Greek: Βυζάντιον Latin: la BYZANTIVM The popes challenged imperial power and preserved the use of images outside the empire. The Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (787) finally pronounced in favour of icons. [117] In the early 10th century, western monasticism was further rejuvenated through the leadership of the great Benedictine monastery of Cluny. The town and commune of Cluny or Clugny lies in the modern-day département of Saône-et-Loire in the région [118]
High Middle Ages
In the west, from the 11th century onward, older cathedral schools developed into universities (see University of Paris, University of Oxford, and University of Bologna. A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects The historic University of Paris (Université de Paris first appeared in the second half of the 13th century The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the The University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna UNIBO) is one of the oldest continually operating degree-granting universities in the world ) Originally teaching only theology, these steadily added subjects including medicine, philosophy and law, becoming the direct ancestors of modern western institutions of learning. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society [119]
Accompanying the rise of the "new towns" throughout Western Europe, mendicant orders were founded, bringing the consecrated religious life out of the monastery and into the new urban setting. The mendicant orders are religious orders which depend directly on the charity of the people for their livelihood In the Roman Catholic Church the term Consecrated life, also referred to as the "Religious Life" denotes a stable form of Christian living by those faithful The two principal mendicant movements were the Franciscans[120] and the Dominicans[121] founded by St. Francis and St. Dominic respectively. The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic The Order of Preachers ( Latin: Ordo Praedicatorum) after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is Saint Dominic (Domingo also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo de Guzmán Garcés (1170 &ndash August 6 Both orders made significant contributions to the development of the great universities of Europe. Another new order were the Cistercians, 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 Romanesque and Gothic architecture and the building of the great European cathedrals. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. [122]
From 1095 under the pontificate of Urban II, the Crusades were launched. Pope The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents [123] These were a series of military campaigns in the Holy Land and elsewhere, initiated in response to pleas from the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I for aid against Turkish expansion. The Holy Land ( Arabic: الأرض المقدسة al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah;Ancient Aramaic: ארעא קדישא Ar'a Qaddisha; Hebrew: ארץ_הקודש The Turkish people (Türk Halkı also known as " Turks " ( Türkler) are defined mainly as being speakers of Turkish as a First language The Crusades ultimately failed to stifle Islamic aggression and even contributed to Christian enmity with the sacking and occupation of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. [124]
Beginning around 1184, following the crusades brought about by the Cathar heresy,[125] various institutions, broadly referred to as the Inquisition, were established with the aim of suppressing heresy and securing religious and doctrinal unity within Christianity through conversion and prosecution of alleged heretics. The term Inquisition can refer to any one of several institutions charged with trying and convicting heretics within the Roman Catholic Church and Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity or a change from one religious identity to another [126]
East-West Schism
Over a period stretching from the seventh to the fourteenth centuries, the Christian Church underwent a gradual schism that divided it into a Western (Latin) branch, now known as the Roman Catholic Church, and an Eastern (Greek) branch, which has become known as the Orthodox Church. The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the The word schism (ˈsɪzəm or /ˈskɪzəm/ from the Greek σχίσμα skhísma (from σχίζω skhízō, "to tear to split" Western Christianity is a term used to cover the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the Churches of the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Church Families of churches Eastern Christians have a shared tradition but they became divided ( Schism) during the early centuries of Christianity in disputes about The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world These two churches disagree on a number of administrative, liturgical, and doctrinal issues, most notably papal primacy of jurisdiction. The primacy of the Roman Pontiff is the apostolic authority of the Pope ( Bishop of Rome) from the Holy See, over the several churches [127]
The Second Council of Lyon (1274) and the Council of Florence (1439) attempted to reunite the churches, but in both cases the Orthodox refused to ratify the decisions and the two principal churches remain in schism to the present day. The First Council of Lyon, the Thirteenth Ecumenical Council took place in 1245 The Council of Florence (originally Council of Basel) was an Ecumenical Council of Bishops and other ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic Church
Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation
The 15th-century Renaissance brought about a renewed interest in ancient and classical learning, and a re-examination of accepted beliefs. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the The First Council of Nicaea, held in Nicaea in Bithynia (present-day İznik in Turkey) convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere The discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492 brought about a new wave of missionary activity as the church sought to spread the faith throughout the colonies. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Another major schism, the Reformation, resulted in the splintering of the Western Christian Church into several Christian denominations. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Western Christianity is a term used to cover the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the Churches of the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran Church List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships [128] On 31 October 1517 Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, which protested the sale of indulgences and moved on to deny several key points of Roman Catholic doctrine. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power of Indulgences, commonly known as The Ninety-Five Theses, were written by Martin Luther in 1517 An indulgence, in Roman Catholic Theology, is the full or partial Remission of temporal punishment due for Sins which have already been forgiven Doctrine (Latin doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings quot or "instructions" taught principles or positions as the Others like Zwingli and Calvin further criticized Roman Catholic teaching and worship. Huldrych (or Ulrich) Zwingli (1 January 1484 &ndash 11 October 1531 was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. These challenges developed into the movement called Protestantism, which repudiated the primacy of the pope, the role of tradition, the seven sacraments, and other doctrines and practices. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The primacy of the Roman Pontiff is the apostolic authority of the Pope ( Bishop of Rome) from the Holy See, over the several churches [129] The Reformation in England accelerated in 1534,[130] when the English Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy making the King of England Supreme Head of the Church of England. The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope The Parliament of England was the Legislature of the Kingdom of England. The first Act of Supremacy granted King Henry VIII of England Royal Supremacy which is still the legal authority of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom The Kings of Wessex, who conquered Kent and Sussex from Mercia in 825 became increasingly dominant over the other kingdoms of England during Supreme Head of the Church of England was a title held by King Henry VIII of England signifying his leadership of the Church of England. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Beginning in 1536, the monasteries throughout England, Wales, and Ireland were dissolved. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the formal process between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded Pope Paul III then excommunicated King Henry VIII in 1538, beginning what would become a decisive schism between Rome and Canterbury. Pope Paul III ( February 29, 1468 &ndash November 10, 1549) born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Excommunication is a religious Censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches [131]
The Counter-Reformation, or Catholic Reformation, is the name given to the response of the Roman Catholic Church to the challenge of Protestantism. The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the The Council of Trent clarified and reasserted Roman Catholic doctrine. The Council of Trent was the 19th Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. During the following centuries, competition between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism became deeply entangled with political struggles among European states. [132] Meanwhile, partly from missionary zeal, but under the impetus of colonial expansion by the European powers, Christianity spread to the Americas, Oceania, East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries
Throughout Europe, the divides caused by the Reformation led to outbreaks of religious violence, which was furthered by the establishment of separate state religions in various regions. Religious violence is a term that covers all phenomena where Religion, in any of its forms is either the subject or object of individual or collective violent behaviour Ultimately, these differences led to the outbreak of conflicts in which religion played a key factor. A religious war is a War caused by religious differences It can involve one state with an established religion against another state with a different religion or a different The Thirty Years' War, the English Civil War, and the French Wars of Religion are prominent examples. For the Mauritanian Thirty Years' War see Char Bouba war. For the band see The 30 Years War. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting These events intensified the Christian debate on persecution and toleration, particularly in England. This article gives an overview about historical cases of persecution by Christians, also taking a look at cases of Religious warfare and Religious violence. [133]
Christianity in the Modern Era
In the Modern Era, Christianity was confronted with various forms of skepticism and with certain modern political ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism and socialism. Throughout the History of Christianity, a wide range of Christians and non-Christians alike have offered criticisms of Christianity, the Church, and Christians The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also modern times) is the period of history that followed the Middle Ages between c In ordinary usage skepticism or scepticism ( Greek 'σκέπτομαι' skeptomai, to look about to consider see also spelling differences An ideology is a set of beliefs aims and Ideas especially in politics Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution This included the anti-clericalism of the French Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, and general hostility of Marxist movements, especially the Russian Revolution. Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes Religious (generally Catholic institutional power and influence real or alleged in all aspects of public and political See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them
Christian commitments in Europe dropped as modernity and secularism came into their own 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 adherents to the Third World and southern hemisphere in general, with Western Civilization no longer the chief standard bearer of Christianity.
| Christian Denominations in |
|---|
Branches of Christianity in the present day
There is a diversity of doctrines and practices among groups calling themselves Christian. List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within Doctrine (Latin doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings quot or "instructions" taught principles or positions as the These groups are sometimes classified under denominations, though for theological reasons many groups reject this classification system. Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within [134] Christianity may be broadly represented as being divided into four main groupings: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Restorationism[135][136]
Roman Catholicism and other Catholic groups
Roman Catholicism: The Roman Catholic Church, or "Catholic" church, includes the local churches, headed by bishops, in communion with the Pope, the Bishop of Rome. The word schism (ˈsɪzəm or /ˈskɪzəm/ from the Greek σχίσμα skhísma (from σχίζω skhízō, "to tear to split" History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Like the Eastern Orthodox, the Roman Catholic Church claims to have existed since the foundation of Christianity through Apostolic succession. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Grouped into 23 particular rites, it is the largest single body, with more than one billion baptized members. A particular Church is in Catholic theology and canon law, an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognized as the equivalent of a bishop [137]
Various small communities, such as the Old Catholic and Independent Catholic Churches, include "Catholic" in their title, but are not in communion with the See of Rome. The Old Catholic Church is a Christian denomination originating with churches (many of them German -speaking that split from the Roman Catholic Church in Independent Catholic Churches are Christian denominations (or congregations) which claim apostolic succession The term Communion is derived from Latin communio (sharing in common The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic The Old Catholic church is in communion with the Anglican Communion, which considers itself a branch of the Catholic Church. The Old Catholic Church is a Christian denomination originating with churches (many of them German -speaking that split from the Roman Catholic Church in See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Branch Theory is a theological concept within Anglicanism, holding that the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Communion
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodoxy: Those churches in communion with the Patriarchal Sees of the East, such as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and others. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world "Patriarch of Constantinople" redirects here For the institutional church itself see Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. [138] A number of conflicts with Western Christianity over questions of doctrine and authority culminated in the Great Schism. The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the Like the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church also claims a heritage from primeval Christianity and has an episcopal structure, though the autonomy of the individual, constituent churches is emphasized. Episcopal polity is a form of church governance which is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a Bishop (Greek Autocephaly, in Hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches is the status of a hierarchical church whose It is the second largest single denomination in Christianity, with over 200 million adherents. [137]
Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy: Those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus. Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three Ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the They reject the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. Hence, these Churches are also called Old Oriental Churches or Non-chalcedonian churches.
Protestantism
In the 16th century, Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Calvin inaugurated what has come to be called Protestantism. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer Huldrych (or Ulrich) Zwingli (1 January 1484 &ndash 11 October 1531 was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Luther's primary theological heirs are known as Lutherans. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Zwingli and Calvin's heirs are far broader denominationally, and are broadly referred to as the Reformed Tradition. The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically [139] 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 Anglicanism after the English Reformation. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope The Anabaptist tradition was largely ostracized by the other Protestant parties at the time, but has achieved a measure of affirmation in more recent history. Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation
The oldest Protestant groups separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century Protestant Reformation, followed in many cases by further divisions. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time [140] For example, the Methodist Church grew out of Anglican minister John Wesley's evangelical and revival movement in the Anglican Church. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations John Wesley (ˈwɛslɪ ( – March 2, 1791) was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian who was the founder of the (Evangelical Evangelism is the Christian practice of proselytisation. The intention of most evangelism is to effect Eternal salvation to those who do not follow the The Holiness movement in Christianity is composed of people who believe and propagate the belief that the carnal nature of humanity can be cleansed through Faith See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches [141][142] Several Pentecostal and non-denominational Churches, which emphasize the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit, in turn grew out of the Methodist Church. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations [143][142] Because Methodists, Pentecostals, and other evangelicals stress "accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior,"[144] which comes from John Wesley's emphasis of the New Birth,[145] they often refer to themselves as being born-again. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel John Wesley (ˈwɛslɪ ( – March 2, 1791) was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian who was the founder of the (Evangelical [146][147]
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 Roman Catholicism in number of followers (although the Eastern Orthodox Church is larger than any single Protestant denomination). [137]
Many members of the the Anglican Communion, a group of Anglican and Episcopal Churches that are descended from the Church of England, identify as both Protestant and Catholic. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican [148]
Some Christians who come out of the Protestant tradition identify themselves simply as "Christian", or "born-again Christian"; they typically distance themselves from the confessionalism and/or creedalism of other Christian communities[149] by calling themselves "non-denominational" – often founded by individual pastors, they have little affiliation with historic denominations. Confessionalism, in a religious (and particularly Christian) sense is a belief in the importance of full and unambiguous assent to the whole of a religious teaching A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service In Christianity, the term non-denominational refers to those churches that have not formally aligned themselves with an established denomination, or remain otherwise
Restorationism
Restorationism is composed of various unrelated Churches that believe they are restoring the "original version" of Christianity and not as "reforming" a Christian Church continuously existing from the time of Jesus. For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and Church (disambiguation Christian Church and the word church are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a Place of worship [150] They teach that the other three divisions of Christianity have introduced grave defects into Christianity, which is known as the Great Apostasy. The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to allege a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, or especially of Catholicism [151][152] Some of these are historically connected to early-19th century Camp Meetings in the Midwest and Upstate New York. American Millennialism and Adventism, which arose from Evangelical Protestantism, produced the Jehovah's Witnesses movement (with 6. This is an article on sociological Millennialism You may be looking for the article on Christian Premillennialism. The term Adventist generally refers to someone who believes in the Second Advent of Jesus (popularly known as the Second coming) in the tradition of the Millerites Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination 6 million members[153]), and, as a reaction specifically to William Miller, Seventh-day Adventists. William Miller may refer to United States government William Miller (North Carolina (1770-1825 North Carolina governor 1814-1817 The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance Additionally, there are the following groups: Christadelphians, Churches of Christ with 2. Christadelphians (from the Greek for Brothers of Christ / Christ's Brethren: Christou Adelphoi; cf The Churches of Christ discussed 6 million members, Disciples of Christ with 800,000 members,[154] and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination of the Latter Day Saint movement with over 13 million members. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Please see the talk page for this article and the "See also" list before adding content or adding a hyphen to Latter Day Saint Though Restorationists have some superficial similarities, their doctrine and practices vary significantly.
Mainstream Christianity is widely used to refer collectively to the common views of major denominations of Christianity (such as Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Orthodox Christianity) as against the particular tenets of other sects or Christian denomination. Mainstream is generally the common current of Thought of the Majority. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within The context is dependent on the particular issues addressed, but usually contrasts the orthodox majority view against heterodox minority views of groups like Restorationists. Heterodoxy includes "any opinions or doctrines at variance with an official or orthodox position" In the most common sense, "mainstream" refers to Nicene Christianity, or rather the traditions which continue to claim adherence to the Nicene Creed. This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. The Nicene Creed (ˈnaɪsiːn is an ecumenical Christian statement of faith accepted in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of [155]
Ecumenism
Most churches have long expressed ideals of being reconciled with each other, and in the 20th century Christian ecumenism advanced in two ways. Ecumenism (also oecumenism, œcumenism) refers to initiatives aimed at greater Religious unity or cooperation Ecumenism (also oecumenism, œcumenism) refers to initiatives aimed at greater Religious unity or cooperation [156] One way was greater cooperation between groups, such as the Edinburgh Missionary Conference of Protestants in 1910, the Justice, Peace and Creation Commission of the World Council of Churches founded in 1948 by Protestant and Orthodox churches, and similar national councils like the National Council of Churches in Australia which includes Roman Catholics. The 1910 World Missionary Conference, or the Edinburgh Missionary Conference was held June 14 to 23 1910. The World Council of Churches ( WCC) is an international The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA is an ecumenical organisation bringing together a number of Australia 's Christian Churches in dialogue and [157]
The other way was institutional union with new United and uniting churches. United and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations. Congregationalist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches united in 1925 to form the United Church of Canada,[158] and in 1977 to form the Uniting Church in Australia. Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity The United Church of Canada was founded in 1925 as a merger of four Christian denominations two thirds of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (then the largest Canadian Protestant The Uniting Church in Australia ( UCA) was formed on June 22 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, The Church of South India was formed in 1947 by the union of Anglican, Methodist, Congregationalist, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches. The Church of South India ( Abbreviation: CSI) is a union of many Protestant Denominations spread throughout South India. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically [159]
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 Great Schism in 1054;[160] the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) working towards full communion between those churches since 1970;[161] and the Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches signing The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in 1999 to address conflicts at the root of the Protestant Reformation. The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC is an organization which seeks to make ecumenical progress between the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification is a document created by and agreed to by clerical representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time In 2006 the Methodist church adopted the declaration. The World Methodist Council, founded in 1881, is an association of churches in the Methodist tradition which comprises most of the world's Wesleyan denominations [162]
Figures
With an estimated number of adherents that ranges between 1. 5 billion[163] and 2. 1 billion,[163] split into around 34,000 separate denominations, Christianity is the world's largest religion. List of Christian denominations (or Denominations self-identified as Christian) ordered by historical and doctrinal relationships The world's principal Religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups or world religions'. [164] The Christian share of the world's population has stood at around 33 per cent for the last hundred years. This masks a major shift in the demographics of Christianity; large increases in the developing world have been accompanied by substantial declines in the developed world, mainly in Europe and North America. [165] On current projections, by 2050 only about one-fifth of the world's Christians will be non-Hispanic whites. [166] It is still the predominant religion in Europe, the Americas, the Philippines, and Southern Africa. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Southern Africa is the Southernmost Region of the African Continent, variably defined by Geography or Geopolitics. [167] However it is declining in some areas including Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), Northern Europe (including Great Britain,[168] Scandinavia and other places), France, Germany, the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, the Western and Northern portions of the United States, and parts of Asia (especially the Middle East[169][170][171], South Korea[172], Taiwan[173] and Macau[174]). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost The Northern United States is a large geographic region of the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics.
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. [175] Some sources view this simply as part of a drift away from traditional membership institutions,[176] while others link it to signs of a decline in belief in the importance of religion in general. [177]
Christianity, in one form or another, is the sole state religion of the following nations: Argentina (Roman Catholic),[178] Bolivia (Roman Catholic),[179] Costa Rica (Roman Catholic),[180] Cyprus (Orthodox),[181] Denmark (Evangelical Lutheran),[182] El Salvador (Roman Catholic),[183] England (Anglican),[184] Finland (Evangelical Lutheran & Orthodox),[185][186] Greece (Greek Orthodox),[183] Iceland (Evangelical Lutheran),[187] Liechtenstein (Roman Catholic),[188] Malta (Roman Catholic),[189] Monaco (Roman Catholic),[190] Norway (Evangelical Lutheran),[191] Scotland (Presbyterian),[192] Switzerland (Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, or Protestant - denomination varies per canton)[193] and Vatican City (Roman Catholic). A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the states of the Federal state of Switzerland. Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory [194]
See also
Notes
- ^ The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IX, Monotheism; William F. Albright, From the Stone Age to Christianity; H. Richard Niebuhr; About. Freedom of religion is the freedom of an individual or community in public or private to manifest religion or belief in teaching practice worship and observance The persecution of Christians refers to the Religious persecution of Christians both historically and in the current era Throughout the History of Christianity, a wide range of Christians and non-Christians alike have offered criticisms of Christianity, the Church, and Christians The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia William Foxwell Albright ( May 24, 1891 – September 19 / September 20, 1971) was an American archaeologist, Helmut Richard Niebuhr ( September 3, 1894 - July 5, 1962) was one of the most important Christian theological - ethicists in com, Monotheistic Religion resources; Jonathan Kirsch, God Against the Gods; Linda Woodhead, An Introduction to Christianity; The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Monotheism; The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, monotheism; New Dictionary of Theology, Paul, p. The Columbia Encyclopedia is a highly regarded one-volume Encyclopedia produced by Columbia University Press and sold by the Gale Group. Cultural literacy is the ability to converse fluently in the Idioms, Allusions and informal content which creates and constitutes a dominant Culture. 496-99; David Vincent Meconi, "Pagan Monotheism in Late Antiquity" in Journal of Early Christian Studies, p. 111–12
- ^ BBC, BBC - Religion & Ethics - Christianity
- ^ "between 1,250 and 1,750 million adherents, depending on the criteria employed": McGrath, Alister E. Christianity: An Introduction. 2006, page xv1.
- ^ "1. 5 thousand million Christians": Hinnells, John R. The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion. 2005, page 441.
- ^ Major Religions Ranked by Size
- ^ Hinnells, John R. The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion. 2005, page 441.
- ^ see Christianity#Figures for information and references
- ^ Christians believe that Jesus is still alive in heaven, and that, as God, he exists in eternity, hence the use of "is". Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings
- ^ Mortimer Chambers, The Western Experience Volume II chapter 5; The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion, p. 158.
- ^ McGrath, Alister E. Christianity:An Introduction, Blackwell Publishing (2006), p. 4-6. ISBN 1405108991.
- ^ Fowler, Jeaneane D. World Religions:An Introduction for Students. p. 58. Sussex Academic Press (1997). ISBN 1898723486.
- ^ Acts 11:26
- ^ Elwell, Walter A. & Comfort, Philip Wesley. Tyndale Bible Dictionary, p. 266, 828. Tyndale House Publishers (2001). ISBN 0842370897.
- ^ J. Z. Smith 98, p. 276.
- ^ Anidjar 2001, p. 3
- ^ Fowler, Jeaneane D. World Religions:An Introduction for Students. Sussex Academic Press (1997), p. 131. ISBN 1898723486.
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Oxford University Press (1990), p. 301–303.
- ^ Olson, Roger E. The Mosaic of Christian Belief. InterVarsity Press (2002). ISBN 9780830826957.
- ^ McGrath, Alister E. Christianity:An Introduction. Pp 4-6. Blackwell Publishing (2006). ISBN 1405108991.
- ^ Metzger, Bruce M. and Michael Coogan, editors. Oxford Companion to the Bible. Pp 513, 649. Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0195046455.
- ^ Acts 2:24, Romans 10:9, 1 Cor 15:15, Acts 2:31-32, 3:15, 3:26, 4:10, 5:30, 10:40-41, 13:30, 13:34, 13:37, 17:30-31, 1 Cor 6:14, 2 Cor 4:14, Gal 1:1, Eph 1:20, Col 2:12, 1 Thess 1:10, Heb 13:20, 1 Pet 1:3, 1:21
- ^ http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed
- ^ Acts 1:9-11
- ^ Hanegraaff, Hank. Hendrik "Hank" Hanegraaff (born 1950 also known as the Bible Answer Man is an American author radio talk-show host and advocate of evangelical Resurrection: The Capstone in the Arch of Christianity. Thomas Nelson (2000) IBSN 0849916437 .
- ^ The Significance of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus for the Christian. Australian Catholic University National. Retrieved on 2007-05-16. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
- ^ Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important?. Got Questions Ministries. Retrieved on 2007-05-16. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
- ^ John 19:30–31, Mark 16:1, Mark 16:6
- ^ 1 Cor. 15:6
- ^ Lorenzen, Thorwald. Resurrection, Discipleship, Justice: Affirming the Resurrection Jesus Christ Today. Smyth & Helwys (2003), p. 13. ISBN 1573123994 .
- ^ 1 Cor. 15:14)
- ^ Ball, Bryan and William Johnsson, editors. The Essential Jesus. Pacific Press (2002). ISBN 0816319294.
- ^ John 3:16, 5:24, 6:39–40, 6:47, 10:10, 11:25–26, and 17:3.
- ^ 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, and others.
- ^ Two denominations in which a resurrection of Jesus is not a doctrine are the Quakers and the Unitarians.
- ^ Fuller, Reginald H. The Foundations of New Testament Christology. Reginald Horace Fuller ( March 24, 1915, Horsham, England - April 4, 2007, Richmond Virginia) was an Anglo-American Pg 11. Scribners (1965). ISBN 068415532X .
- ^ A Jesus Seminar conclusion: "in the view of the Seminar, he did not rise bodily from the dead; the resurrection is based instead on visionary experiences of Peter, Paul, and Mary. The Jesus Seminar is a group of about 150 individuals including scholars with advanced degrees in Biblical studies, Religious studies or related fields as well as This is a sub-article of Crucifixion of Jesus. The vision hypothesis is a term used to cover a range of theories that question the physical Resurrection Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Saint Mary Magdalen or Mary Magdalene is described both in the canonical New Testament and in the New Testament apocrypha, as a devoted "
- ^ Funk, Robert. The Acts of Jesus: What Did Jesus Really Do?. Polebridge Press (1998). ISBN 0060629789.
- ^ title url Soteriology. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company (2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ Metzger, Bruce M. and Michael Coogan, editors. Oxford Companion to the Bible. p. 405 Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0-19-504645-5.
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, Grace and Justification
- ^ Westminster Confession, Chapter X; Charles Spurgeon, A Defense of Calvinism. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, commonly CH Spurgeon, ( June 19, 1834 &ndash January 31, 1892) was a British Reformed
- ^ Richard D. Balge Martin Luther, Augustinian
- ^ J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, p. 87-90.
- ^ T. Desmond Alexander, New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, p. 514-515
- ^ Alister E. McGrath, Historical Theology p. 61.
- ^ Metzger, Bruce M. and Michael Coogan, editors. Oxford Companion to the Bible. Pg. 782 Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0-19-504645-5.
- ^ J. N. D. Kelly, The Athanasian Creed, NY: Harper and Row, 1964.
- ^ Vladimir Lossky; Loraine Boettner
- ^ Theophilus of Antioch Apologia ad Autolycum II 15
- ^ McManners, John. Loraine Boettner ( 1901-03-07 to 1990-01-03) was an American theologian and author Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 50. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ Tertullian De Pudicitia chapter 21
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 53. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ von Harnack, Adolf (1894-03-01). Adolf von Harnack ( May 7, 1851 &ndash June 10, 1930) was a German theologian and prominent church historian History of Dogma. Retrieved on 2007-06-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history “[In the 2nd century,] Jesus was either regarded as the man whom God hath chosen, in whom the Deity or the Spirit of God dwelt, and who, after being tested, was adopted by God and invested with dominion, (Adoptian Christology); or Jesus was regarded as a heavenly spiritual being (the highest after God) who took flesh, and again returned to heaven after the completion of his work on earth (pneumatic Christology)”
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 35. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ MacCulloch, Diarmaid. The Reformation: A History. Viking Adult (2004), p. 185-187.
- ^ R. Emmet McLaughlin Caspar Schwenckfeld, reluctant radical: his life to 1540, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986 ISBN 0-300-03367-2
- ^ Deppermann, Klaus. Melchior Hoffman: Social Unrest & Apocalyptic Vision in the Age of Reformation. ISBN 0-567-08654-2
- ^ Servetus, Michael. Restoration of Christianity. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 2007.
- ^ William Arnold, Is Jesus God the Father?
- ^ J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, p. 119-123
- ^ Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship, p. 97-98.
- ^ Doctrine and Covenants 130:22
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture (§105-108)
- ^ Second Helvetic Confession, Of the Holy Scripture Being the True Word of God
- ^ Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, online text
- ^ PC(USA) - Presbyterian 101 - What is The Bible?
- ^ F. The Doctrine and Covenants (sometimes abbreviated and cited as D&C) is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and the twenty-two The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy was formulated in October of 1978 by more than 200 evangelical leaders at a conference sponsored by the International Council on Biblical F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture; Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Canon of Scripture § 120
- ^ Metzger, Bruce M. and Michael Coogan, editors. Oxford Companion to the Bible. Pg. 39 Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0-19-504645-5.
- ^ J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, p. 69-78.
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture § 115-118
- ^ 1 Corinthians 10:2
- ^ Thomas Aquinas"Whether in Holy Scripture a word may have several senses"; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, §116
- ^ Second Vatican Council Dei Verbum (V.19)
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture" § 113
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith" § 85
- ^ Keith Mathison The Shape of Sola Scriptura (2001)
- ^ R. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, p. 45-61; Greg Bahnsen, A Reformed Confession Regarding Hermeneutics (art. 6)
- ^ E. Greg L Bahnsen ( September 17, 1948 &ndash December 11, 1995) was an influential Christian Philosopher, apologist, and g. , in his commentary on Matthew 1 (§III. 3) Matthew Henry interprets the twin-sons of Judah, Phares and Zara, as an allegory of the Gentile and Jewish Christians. Matthew Henry ( 18 October 1662 &ndash 22 June 1714) was an English Non-conformist clergyman Jewish Christians (sometimes called also "Hebrew Christians" or "Christian Jews") is a term which can have two meanings a historical one and a For a contemporary treatment, see W. Edward Glenny, Typology: A Summary Of The Present Evangelical Discussion
- ^ a b Scott Foutz, Martin Luther and Scripture
- ^ John Calvin, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles 2 Peter 3:14-18
- ^ http://mb-soft.com/believe/txh/helvconf.htm Article about Helvetic confessions
- ^ Second Helvetic Confession, Of Interpreting the Holy Scriptures; and of Fathers, Councils, and Traditions
- ^ Jaroslav Pelikan and Valerie Hotchkiss, editors. Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition]. Yale University Press 2003 ISBN 0300093896.
- ^ Catholics United for the Faith, "We Believe in One God"; Encyclopedia of Religion, "Arianism"
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia, "Council of Ephesus" (1913). The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia
- ^ Matt Slick, Chalcedonian Creed; Christian History Institute, First Meeting of the Council of Chalcedon
- ^ British Orthodox Church, The Oriental Orthodox Rejection of Chalcedon
- ^ Pope Leo I, Letter to Flavian
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia, "Athanasian Creed" (1913). The Christian countercult movement is a collective description for many mostly unrelated ministries and individual Christians who oppose religious groups whose doctrines The British Orthodox Church is a small Oriental Orthodox jurisdiction canonically part of the Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia
- ^ a b Our Common Heritage as Christians. The United Methodist Church. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ "The History of the Church", Howard A. White
- ^ Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologicum, Supplementum Tertiae Partis questions 69 through 99
- ^ Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book Three, Ch. 25. www. reformed. org. Retrieved on 2008-01-01. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC
- ^ Spitz, Lewis, The Protestant Reformation. Concordia Publishing House (2003) ISBN 0570033209.
- ^ Canon F. W. Farrar “Mercy and Judgment” 1904 pages 378-382 http://www.tentmaker.org/books/mercyandjudgment/mercy_and_judgment_ch1.html
- ^ Thomas Talbott "Three Pictures of God in Western Theology" 1995pages 13-15 http://www.willamette.edu/~ttalbott/PICTURES.pdf
- ^ http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/chr-univ.html, retrieved April 11, 2009
- ^ a b Justin Martyr, First Apology §LXVII
- ^ a b c d (13 March 1997) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd edition. USA: Oxford University Press, 1435-6. ISBN 0–19–211655–X.
- ^ Hickman, Hoyt L. , et al. Handbook of the Christian Year. Abingdon Press (1986). ISBN 0-687-16575-X
- ^ ANF04. Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Part Fourth; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen, Parts First and Second | Christian Classics Ethereal Library
- ^ 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 (Octavius of Minucius Felix, chapter XXIX).
- ^ "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" (De Corona, chapter 3)
- ^ a b Dilasser, Maurice. The Symbols of the Church (1999). Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, hardcover: ISBN 0-8146-2538-x
- ^ a b Hassett, Maurice (1912). Symbolism of the Fish. Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved on 2007-11-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus"
- ^ Fortescue, Adrian (1912). Veneration of Images. Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved on 2007-11-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus"
- ^ Robinson, George. Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs and Rituals. New York: Pocket Books, 2000, p. 229.
- ^ Esler, Phillip F. The Early Christian World. Routledge (2004), p. 157-158.
- ^ Acts 7:59
- ^ 12:2
- ^ "It is our desire that all the various nations which are subject to our clemency and moderation should continue to the profession of that religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter, as it has been preserved by faithful tradition and which is now professed by the Pontiff Damasus and by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness. . . . We authorize the followers of this law to assume the title Catholic Christians; but as for the others, since in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of heretics, and shall not presume to give their conventicles the name of churches. " Halsall, Paul (June 1997). Theodosian Code XVI.i.2. Medieval Sourcebook: Banning of Other Religions. Fordham University. Retrieved on 2006-09-19. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I.
- ^ a b Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, p 243.
- ^ a b Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, p 238.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 248-250.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 238-242.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, p 244-247
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, p 260.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 278-281.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 305, 312, 314-15.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 303-307, 310-11, 384-386.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 305, 310-11, 316-317.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 321-323, 365-66.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 292-300.
- ^ Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The Oxford History of the Crusades New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 300, 304-305.
- ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 310, 383, 385, 391.
- ^ The Great Schism: The Estrangement of Eastern and Western Christendom. Orthodox Information Centre. Retrieved on 2007-05-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place
- ^ Simon, Edith (1966). Great Ages of Man: The Reformation. Time-Life Books, p. 7. ISBN 0662278208.
- ^ Simon, Edith (1966). Great Ages of Man: The Reformation. Time-Life Books, p. 39, 55-61. . ISBN 0662278208.
- ^ Schama states that Henry's reforms were "a reformation but not the Protestant Reformation. "
- ^ Simon Schama, A History of Britain. Hyperion (2000), p. 306-10. ISBN 0-7868-6675-6.
- ^ Simon, Edith (1966). Great Ages of Man: The Reformation. Time-Life Books, p. 109-120. ISBN 0662278208.
- ^ A general overview about the English discussion is given in John Coffey (2000), Persecution and Toleration in Protestant England 1558-1689, Studies in Modern History, Pearson Education.
- ^ S. E. Ahlstrom characterized denominationalism 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. Denominationalism is the division of one religion into separate groups " Ahlstrom p. 381. For specific citations, on the Roman Catholic Church see the Catechism of the Catholic Church §816; other examples: Donald Nash, Why the Churches of Christ are not a Denomination; Wendell Winkler, Christ's Church is not a Denomination; and David E. Pratt, What does God think about many Christian denominations?
- ^ Divisions of Christianity. North Virginia College. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ [http://www.religioustolerance.org/ldswho.htm The LDS Restorationist movement, including Mormon denominations]. Religious Tolerance. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ a b c Adherents. com, Religions by Adherents
- ^ (13 March 1997) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd edition. USA: Oxford University Press, 1199. ISBN 0–19–211655–X.
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pp 251-59. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 251. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ About The Methodist Church. Methodist Central Hall Westminster. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ a b American Holiness Movement. Finding Your Way, Inc. . Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ Christianity: Pentecostal Churches. Finding Your Way, Inc. . Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ Statement of Belief. Cambridge Christ United Methodist Church. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ The New Birth by John Wesley (Sermon 45). The United Methodist Church GBGM. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ God's Preparing, Accepting, and Sustaining Grace. The United Methodist Church GBGM. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ Total Experience of the Spirtit. Warren Wilson College. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ Sykes, Stephen, John Booty, and Jonathan Knight. The Study of Anglicanism. p 219. Augsburg Fortress Publishers (1998). ISBN 080063151X.
- ^ 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, Reformation p. The name MacCulloch is an ancient Scottish name Families of the name MacCulloch MacCulloch of Myreton 1 xxiv
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pp 391-92. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ The Restorationist Movements. Religious Tolerance. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ What is Restorationism?. Got Questions Ministries. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ JW-Media. org Membership 2005
- ^ Statistical Report: Annual Council of the General Conference Committee Silver Spring, Marlyand, October 6—11, 2006
- ^ Nicene Creed. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pp 581-584. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 584. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pp 413-14. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity, p. 498. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 373. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 583. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
- ^ Methodist Statement
- ^ a b Adherents.com – Number of Christians in the world
- ^ Major Religions Ranked by Size. Adherents. Retrieved on 2007-12-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia.
- ^ Werner Ustorf, "A missiological postscript", in Hugh McLeod, Werner Ustorf (editors), The Decline of Christendom in Western Europe, 1750-2000, Cambridge University Press (2003), 219-220.
- ^ Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, Oxford University Press US (2002), page 3.
- ^ Encyclopedia Britannica table of religions, by region; retrieved November 2007
- ^ New UK opinion poll shows continuing collapse of 'Christendom'
- ^ David Barrett, Tom Kurian et al, eds. , World Christian Encyclopedia 2nd edition (Oxford University Press, 2001), pages 139 (Britain), 281 (France), 299 (Germany).
- ^ BBC NEWS - Guide: Christians in the Middle East
- ^ Is Christianity dying in the birthplace of Jesus?
- ^ Number of Christians among young Koreans decreases by 5% per year
- ^ Christianity fading in Taiwan | American Buddhist Net
- ^ A Gambling-Fueled Boom Adds to a Church’s Bane
- ^ Robert D. Putnam, Democracies in Flux: The Evolution of Social Capital in Contemporary Society, Oxford University Press US (2002), page 408.
- ^ McGrath, Alister E. Christianity:An Introduction. Pg xvi. Blackwell Publishing (2006). ISBN 1405108991.
- ^ Peter Marber, Money Changes Everything: How Global Prosperity Is Reshaping Our Needs, Values and Lifestyles, FT Press (2003), page 99. ISBN 0130654809
- ^ Argentina. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Bolivia. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Costa Rica. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Cyprus. U. S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Denmark. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ a b El Salvador. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Church and State in Britain: The Church of privilege. Centre for Citizenship. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Official Religions of Finland. Finish Tourist Board. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ State and Church in Finland. Euresis. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Iceland. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Liechtenstein. U. S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Malta. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Monaco. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Norway. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Church of Scotland. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Switzerland. U. S. Department of State. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Vatican. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on 2008-05-11. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
Further reading
Chronological order of publication (oldest first)
- Gunton, Colin E. (1997). The Cambridge companion to Christian doctrine. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-47695-X.
- Price, Matthew Arlen; Collins, Michael (1999). The story of Christianity. New York: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0-7513-0467-0.
- Gill, Robin (2001). The Cambridge companion to Christian ethics. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521779189.
- McManners, John (2002). The Oxford history of Christianity. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192803360.
- Padgett, Alan G. ; Sally Bruyneel (2003). Introducing Christianity. Maryknoll, N. Y. : Orbis Books. ISBN 1570753954.
- Price, Matthew Arlen; Michael, Father Collins (2003). The Story of Christianity. New York: DK Publishing Inc. ISBN 0789496100.
- Miller, Michael Vincent; Ratzinger, Joseph; Pope Benedict XVI (2004). Introduction To Christianity (Communio Books). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. ISBN 1586170295.
- Wagner, Richard (2004). Christianity for Dummies. For Dummies. ISBN 0764544829.
- Webb, Jeffrey B. (2004). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Christianity. Indianapolis, Ind: Alpha Books. ISBN 159257176X.
- Woodhead, Linda (2004). Christianity: a very short introduction. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192803220.
- MacMullen, Ramsay (2006). Voting About God in Early Church Councils. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300115962.
- Tucker, Karen; Wainwright, Geoffrey (2006). The Oxford history of Christian worship. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-513886-4.
External links
- BBC - Religion & Ethics - Christianity (English). British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 2008-01-03. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. A number of introductory articles on Christianity.
- CBC Montreal - Religion - Christianity (English). Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 2008-01-03. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. An overview of Christianity.
- Christianity magazine. The UK's premier Christian interest publication.
Dictionary
Christianity
-noun
- A monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and various scholars who wrote the Christian bible.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic