Difference between revisions of "Christianity"

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'''Christianity''' is the world's largest [[religion]], having approximately 2.6 billion followers in 2024.<ref>[https://www.gordonconwell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/01/Status-of-Global-Christianity-2024.pdf Status of Global Christianity, 2024, in the Context of 1900–2050]</ref> In terms of its [[Geography|geographic]] distribution, Christianity is the [[Global Christianity|most globally]] diverse religion.<ref>
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{{Portal|Christianity}}
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*[https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/08/27/many-religions-heavily-concentrated-in-one-or-two-countries/ Many religions heavily concentrated in one or two countries]
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*[http://wwwgordonconwell.com/netcommunity/CSGCResources/ChristianityinitsGlobalContext.pdf Christianity in its global context]</ref>  Christianity has always been the best way to turn one's life around, to [[achievement|achieve]] more, to overcome [[addiction]] and [[anxiety]], and to enjoy life to a much greater extent. Christianity originated [[faith]] and [[eternal life]].
  
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'''Christianity''' is a [[Monotheism#Christian view|monotheistic]]<ref name="Monotheism">The [[Catholic Encyclopedia]], Volume IX, [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10499a.htm ''Monotheism'']; [[William F. Albright]], ''From the Stone Age to Christianity''; [[H. Richard Niebuhr]], ; About.com, [http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/monotheisticreligions/ ''Monotheistic Religion resources'']; Jonathan Kirsch, ''God Against the Gods''; Linda Woodhead, ''An Introduction to Christianity''; [[Columbia Encyclopedia|The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia]] [http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0833762.html ''Monotheism'']; The New Dictionary of [[Cultural literacy|Cultural Literacy]], [http://www.bartleby.com/59/5/monotheism.html ''monotheism'']; New Dictionary of Theology, [http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_NDCT_Paul.htm ''Paul''] pp. 496-99;
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Christianity brings God closest to mankind through [[Jesus]] as the Son of [[God]].  Literally, Christianity means "of Christ," or "belonging to Christ," or "being like Christ."<ref>[http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=2661&dict=CALD Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary]</ref><ref>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/christian-means-like-christ-bruce-ball-sermon-on-apologetics-general-84109</ref><ref>The early Christian faith was sometimes called ''That Way'' (Acts 19:1,9,23; 24:22), and its adherents were also called ''Nazarenes'' (Acts 24:5), evidently after the city of [[Nazareth]] where Jesus lived.</ref> The [[Acts of the Apostles|Book of Acts]] ({{bible ref|Acts|11|26}}) records that "the disciples were called Christians first in [[Antioch]]." The title ''Christian'' is also used in Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16. Christians believe in [[God]], the [[virgin birth|virginal conception and the virginal birth of Jesus Christ]], the bodily [[resurrection of Jesus Christ]], [[Heaven]], survival of the [[soul]] after death, the [[Parousia|Second Coming of Jesus]], the [[resurrection]] of the dead, the [[Last Judgment]], the reality of [[Hell]], and the teachings of [[Jesus Christ]] as written in the [[Bible]].
  
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David Vincent Meconi, "Pagan Monotheism in Late Antiquity" in ''Journal of Early Christian Studies'' pp. 111–12</ref> [[religion]] centered on the life and teachings of [[Jesus|Jesus of Nazareth]] as presented in the [[New Testament]].<ref>[[BBC]],  [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/ ''BBC - Religion & Ethics - Christianity'']</ref> Christians believe Jesus to be the [[Son of God]] and the [[Messiah]] [[Bible prophecy|prophesied]] in the [[Old Testament]]. With an estimated 2.1 billion adherents in 2001, Christianity is the [[major religious groups|world's largest religion]].<ref name="Adherents">Adherents.com, [http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html ''Religions by Adherents'']</ref> It is the predominant religion in [[Europe]], the [[Americas]], [[Southern Africa]], the [[Philippines|Philippine Islands]] and [[Oceania]].<ref>See [[Christianity by country]] for a detailed list.</ref> It is also growing rapidly in Asia, particularly in [[Christianity in China|China]] and [[Christianity in Korea|South Korea]].<ref name=ChristianGrowth> WorthyNews.com, [http://www.worthynews.com/news-features/compass-china-survey.html ''Growth of Christianity in China''];  LutherProduction.com, [http://demo.lutherproductions.com/historytutor/basic/modern/stories/christ-korea.htm ''Growth in South Korea'']; Xhist.com, [http://www.kimsoft.com/1997/xhist.htm '' History of Christianity in Korea'']</ref>
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== History of Christianity ==
  
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''See also:'' [[History of Christianity]] and [[Historicity of Jesus]] and [[Evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ]]
  
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Christianity shares its origins and many [[religious texts]] with Judaism, specifically the [[Tanakh|Hebrew Bible]], known to Christians as the [[Old Testament]].<ref name="sect1">{{nkjv|Acts|3:1|Acts 3:1}}; {{nkjv|Acts|5:27-42|Acts 5:27 – 42}}; {{nkjv|Acts|21:18-26|Acts 21:18 – 26}}; {{nkjv|Acts|24:5|Acts 24:5}}; {{nkjv|Acts|24:14|Acts 24:14}}; {{nkjv|Acts|28:22|Acts 28:22}}; {{nkjv|Romans|1:16|Romans 1:16}}; Tacitus, ''Annales'' xv 44; Josephus ''Antiquities'' xviii 3; Mortimer Chambers, ''The Western Experience Volume II'' chapter 5; ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion'' page 158. </ref>  Like [[Judaism]] and [[Islam]], Christianity is classified as an [[Abrahamic religion]] (''see also, [[Judeo-Christian]]'').<ref name="J.Smith98">J.Z.Smith 98, p.276</ref><ref name="Anidjar2001">Anidjar 2001, p.3</ref>  
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Christianity's teachings are derived from the life, teachings, death and resurrection of [[Jesus Christ]] in the 1st century A.D.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christianity Christianity], Britannica</ref>
  
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The name ''"Christian"'' ([[Greek language|Greek]] {{polytonic|''Χριστιανός''}} [http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/strongs.pl?strongs=5546 Strong's G5546]), meaning ''"belonging to Christ"'' or ''"partisan of Christ"'',<ref>[http://www.lafayette.edu/press/magazine/June06/class.html Eric Ziolkowski, ''Making the familiar strange'']</ref> was first applied to the [[Disciple (Christianity)|disciples]] in [[Antioch]], as recorded in {{nkjv|Acts|11:26|Acts 11:26}}.<ref>E. Peterson, "Christianus" pp. 353-72</ref> The earliest recorded use of the term ''"Christianity"'' (Greek {{polytonic|''Χριστιανισμός''}}) is by [[Ignatius of Antioch]].<ref>Walter Bauer, ''Greek-English Lexicon''; Ignatius [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-magnesians-roberts.html Letter to the Magnesians] 10, [[Epistle to the Romans|Letter to the Romans]] ([http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-19.htm#P1838_311890 Roberts-Donaldson tr.], [http://earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-romans-lightfoot.html Lightfoot tr.], [http://www.ccel.org/l/lake/fathers/ignatius-romans.htm Greek-text]). However, an [http://earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-romans-roberts.html edition] presented on some websites, one that otherwise corresponds exactly with the Roberts-Donaldson translation, renders this passage to the interpolated inauthentic longer recension of Ignatius's letters, which does not contain the word "Christianity".</ref>
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The [[historicity of Jesus]] focuses on whether [[Jesus Christ]] existed as a real historical person, or whether he is simply a mythological imagination. The evidence for the existence of Jesus is overwhelming, as is agreed upon by every professor in every academic institution in every relevant field in the world.<ref>Ehrman, Bart D. Did Jesus exist?: The historical argument for Jesus of Nazareth. Harper Collins, 2012. Second introductory page.</ref>  In other words, for someone to argue that Jesus never existed (and thus is merely a [[Mythology|myth]]) is to place himself against not only the field of scholarship and the historical record, but even against reason and common sense.
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{{TOChidden}}
 
  
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==Beliefs==
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There is strong evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ (See: [[Evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ]]).
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[[Image:Vladimirskaya.jpg|right|thumb|200px|left|A depiction of Jesus and Mary, the [[Theotokos of Vladimir]] (12th century)]]
 
  
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Although Christianity has always had a significant diversity of belief, mainstream Christianity considers certain core doctrines essential.
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== Main Christian Divisions ==
  
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===Jesus Christ===
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'''The three largest self-governing bodies of Christians are:'''
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{{main| Jesus}}
 
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As indicated by the name "Christianity", the focus of Christian theology is a belief in [[Jesus]] as the ''[[Messiah]]'' or ''[[Christ]]''. The title "Messiah" comes from the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] word מָשִׁיחַ (''māšiáħ'') meaning "''the anointed one''" or "''King''." The Greek translation {{polytonic|''Χριστός''}} (''Christos'') is the source of the English word [[Christ (title)|''Christ'']].
 
  
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Christians believe that, as the Messiah, Jesus was anointed as ruler and savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus's coming was the fulfilment of [[Messianic prophecies of Jesus|messianic prophecies]] of the [[Old Testament]]. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from [[Jewish Messiah|the contemporary Jewish concept]].<ref>Jewfaq.org, [http://www.jewfaq.org/moshiach.htm ''The Messiah'']</ref> The core Christian belief is that, through [[Death and Resurrection of Jesus|the death and resurrection of Jesus]], the perfect Son of God, mankind is reconciled to God and thereby attains salvation by grace and the promise of [[Immortality|eternal life]] to all who trust in Christ. The need for salvation was caused by [[original sin]].
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* The [[Roman Catholic Church]] (approx. 1.1 billion baptized members) traces its roots back to [[Saint Peter]] whom Catholics believe was appointed as the first leader of the church by [[Jesus Christ]] and the succession of [[Pope]]s as the spiritual leaders of Christendom.  
  
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While there have been theological disputes over the nature of Jesus, most Christians believe that Jesus is [[Incarnation (Christianity)|God incarnate]] and "[[Hypostatic union|true God and true man]]" (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus, [[Incarnation (Christianity)|having become fully human]] in all respects, including the aspect of [[death|mortality]], suffered the pains and temptations of mortal man, yet he did not sin. As fully God, he defeated death and rose to life again. According to the [[Bible]], "God raised him from the dead",<ref>{{bibleverse||Acts|2:24|NIV}}, {{bibleverse||Romans|10:9|NIV}}, {{bibleverse|1|Cor|15:15|NIV}}, {{bibleverse||Acts|2:31-32}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|3:15}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|3:26}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|4:10}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|5:30}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|10:40-41}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|13:30}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|13:34}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|13:37}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|17:30-31}}, {{bibleverse|1|Cor|6:14}}, {{bibleverse|2|Cor|4:14}}, {{bibleverse||Gal|1:1}}, {{bibleverse||Eph|1:20}}, {{bibleverse||Col|2:12}}, {{bibleverse|1|Thess|1:10}}, {{bibleverse||Heb|13:20}}, {{bibleverse|1|Pet|1:3}}, {{bibleverse-nb|1|Pet|1:21}}</ref> he [[Ascension|ascended to heaven]], to the "right hand of God",<ref>{{bibleverse||Mark|16:19}}, {{bibleverse||Luke|22:69}}, {{bibleverse||Acts|2:33}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|5:31}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|7:55-56}}, {{bibleverse||Romans|8:34}}, {{bibleverse||Eph|1:20}}, {{bibleverse||Col|3:1}}, {{bibleverse||Hebrews|1:3}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Hebrews|1:13}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Hebrews|10:12}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Hebrews|12:2}}, {{bibleverse|1|Peter|3:22}}</ref> and will [[Second Coming|return again]]<ref>{{bibleverse||Acts|1:9-11}}</ref> to fulfil the rest of [[Messianic prophecy]] such as the [[Resurrection of the dead]], the [[Last Judgment]] and establishment of the [[Kingdom of God]] (See also [[Messianism]] and [[Messianic Age]]).
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* The [[Orthodox Church]]es (approx. 300 million baptized members) trace their roots back to the Apostles, in the five ancient patriarchates of the undivided Church of the first millennium of her history, known as the [[Pentarchy]],<ref>[https://orthodoxwiki.org/Pentarchy Pentarchy (orthodoxWiki.org)]</ref> and are organized in [[Autocephalous]] national or regional churches in communion with each other. The Pentarchy consisted of the Church of [[Rome]], first in dignity of honor, [[Constantinople|Church of Constantinople]], [[Alexandria|Church of Alexandria (Coptic)]], [[Antioch|Church of Antioch]], and [[Jerusalem|Church of Jerusalem]]. Differing theological perspectives and the growing development of the doctrine of [[Petrine Primacy|Petrine primacy]] in the Church of Rome led to the [[Great Schism]] between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches in A.D. 1054.
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[[Image:Anglican Christ Church.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Anglican Christ Church in Western Australia]]
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* [[Protestantism]]: the largest Communions are the [[Anglican Church|Anglicans]] (approx. 115 million baptized members) and the [[Lutheran]] World Federation (approx. 68 million baptized members). Protestantism has its origins in the European [[Reformation]]. The Protestant movement broke from the Roman Catholic Church under [[Martin Luther]] when differences over the nature of [[faith]] and works in the role of [[Christianity#salvation|salvation]], as well as other practices of the Catholic Church that Luther saw as unBiblical, were raised.  Within Protestantism are four major branches:
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**[[Mainline]], which comprise many of the major denominations outside of the [[Baptist]]s.  These denominations usually have [[high church]] services and have increasingly become liberal in their theology and ecumenical in their dealings with other churches, even outside Protestantism.
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**[[Pentecostal]], these groups are generally conservative in their theology, and are known primarily for their emphasis on the [[Baptism in the Holy Spirit]] as a separate event from salvation, and [[speaking in tongues]].
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**[[Fundamentalist]], these groups are very conservative theologically, but are better known for their emphasis on "separation" from both the world (bordering on, if not crossing over, into [[legalism]]) and groups who do not believe as they do (which often includes other fundamentalist groups).
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**[[Evangelical]], this term tends to be a catch-all for a church or denomination not falling into one of the other three categories, but generally also holding to traditional Christian theology.  Most [[non-denominational church]]es are generally evangelical, as well as the largest Protestant denomination, the [[Southern Baptist Convention]].  As the name suggests, they have a major emphasis on Christian evangelism.  They are also known for their belief that Christians should be active in the political arena, opposing such political views as abortion and homosexual marriage; in this arena they will work with any group—Protestant or otherwise—who will work with them.
  
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According to the [[Gospel]]s, Jesus was conceived by the [[Holy Spirit]] and [[Nativity of Jesus|born]] from the [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|the virgin Mary]]. Little of Jesus' childhood is recorded in the Gospels compared to his adulthood, especially the week before his death. The Biblical accounts of Jesus' ministry include [[Baptism of Jesus|his baptism]], [[Miracles attributed to Jesus|miracles]], [[Ministry of Jesus|teachings and deeds]].
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== Christian Beliefs ==
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Christian [[belief]]s [[Christian apologetics|are well supported via a large body of compelling evidence]].  [[Theology|Theologians]], over two millennia, have debated a definitive summary of the Christian faith. While its interpretations vary drastically, probably the most commonly accepted statement of the faith is the [[Nicene Creed|Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed]].
  
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===Death and Resurrection===
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Christians and Christian denominations agree on many points of doctrine while disagreeing on some. According to an online Harris poll from 2003, 99% of all American Christians believe in [[God]], 96% in the [[resurrection of Jesus Christ]], 93% in [[Heaven]], 93% in the virgin birth, 92% in the survival of the soul after death, 82% in [[Hell]], 50% in ghosts, 27% in astrology and 21% in reincarnation.<ref>http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=359</ref> Note that the latter two beliefs are in opposition to the religious tenets of most Christian denominations.
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{{main|Death and Resurrection of Jesus}}
 
  
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[[Image:Cristo Velázquez lou2.jpg|thumb|left|150px|The Crucifixion by Diego Velázquez (17th Century)]]
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Nonetheless, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed offers a general overall picture of what Christian theology looks like, and serves as a useful outline and historic standard. Other creeds may prove helpful in research. See the [[Apostles' Creed]] and the [[Athanasian Creed]].
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Most Christians consider the death of Jesus, followed by his resurrection, the cornerstone of their faith<ref>{{niv|1_Corinthians|15:13-17|1 Corinthians 15:13-17}}</ref> and the most important event in history.<ref>Gospelcom.net, [http://dailywisdom.gospelcom.net/dw_static/dw-level2.html ''The Most Important Event in History'']; World-faiths.com, [http://www.world-faiths.com/Christianity/christianity.htm ''Christianity'']; [[Hank Hanegraaff]], ''Resurrection: The Capstone in the Arch of Christianity''</ref>
 
  
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According to the Gospels, Jesus and his followers went to Jerusalem the week of the [[Passover]] where they were [[triumphal entry|eagerly greeted]] by a crowd. In Jerusalem, Jesus [[Jesus and the Money Changers|cleansed the Temple]],<ref>According to the Synoptic Gospels ({{niv|Matthew|21:12-13|Matthew 21:12-13}} and parallel passages), this occurred in the last week of Jesus' life, but {{niv|John|2:13-17|John 2:13-17}} narrates a similar event early in his account of Jesus' ministry.</ref> and predicted its destruction<ref>{{niv|Matthew|24:1-2|Matthew 24:1-2}}, {{niv|Mark|13:2|Mark 13:2}}, {{niv|Luke|21:5-6|Luke 21:5-6}}</ref> - heightening conflict with the Jewish authorities who were plotting his death.<ref>{{niv|Mark|14:1|Mark 14:1}}</ref>
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===God===
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[[File:Dove blue background.jpg|thumbnail|350px|right|In the Bible, a dove is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit.<ref>[https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holy-spirit/why-is-the-dove-often-a-symbol-for-the-holy-spirit.html Why Is the Dove Often a Symbol for the Holy Spirit?], Christianity.com</ref>]]
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''See also:'' [[God]] and [[Trinity]] and [[God the Father]] and [[Jesus|God the Son]] and [[Holy Spirit]]
  
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After sharing his [[Last Supper|last meal]] with his disciples, Jesus went to pray in the [[Garden of Gethsemane]] where he was betrayed by his disciple [[Judas Iscariot]] and [[Arrest of Jesus|arrested]] by the temple guard on orders from the [[Sanhedrin]] and the high priest [[Caiaphas]]. Jesus was [[Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus|convicted by the Sanhedrin]] of blasphemy and transferred to the [[Roman governor]] [[Pontius Pilate|Pilate]], who had him crucified for inciting rebellion. Jesus died by late afternoon and was entombed.
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God is a [[Trinity|triune being]].  Though there is only one Divine nature there are three Divine Personages: [[God the Father]], [[Jesus|the Son]], and the [[Holy Spirit]].  The three Persons are collectively called the [[Trinity]] or the Holy Trinity. While God is tripartite, this does not imply that Christians are polytheists. The doctrine of the Trinity is central to Christian theology, although several denominations that usually are considered Christian are non-Trinitarian. The God of the Christian is the creator of all things, is everywhere present, exists in all times, is [[Transcendence|transcendent]], all-knowing ([[Omniscience|omniscient]]), just, and all-powerful ([[Omnipotence|omnipotent]]).
  
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Christians believe that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day, that Jesus appeared to his apostles and other disciples, [[Great Commission|commissioned]] his disciples to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them [[In the Name of the Father|in the name of the Father]] and of the Son (Jesus) and of the Holy Spirit."<ref>{{niv|Matthew|28:19|Matthew 28:19}}</ref> and [[Ascension|ascended]] to [[heaven]]. Christians also believe that God sent the disciples the Holy Spirit (or [[Paraclete]]).<ref>{{niv|John|20:21-22|John 20:21-22}}, {{niv|Acts|2:1-4|Acts 2:1-4}}</ref>
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A major theme of the Bible is [[love]].  In the Hebrew [[Old Testament]] the idea is expressed in the Hebrew word ''hessed'', which is variously translated as loyal love, tender mercy, steadfast love, mercy, goodness, etc., in the [[New Testament]] the same idea is expressed in the Greek word ''[[agape]]'', which translates to love, compassion and charity.
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===Jesus===
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[[Image:Jesus' Baptism.jpg|180px|left]]
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During the reign of [[Augustus Caesar|Caesar Augustus]] the Son (i.e. the second Person of the Trinity) took flesh from a virgin woman and was incarnated as a man. He was born in the town of [[Bethlehem]] and was given the name [[Jesus]].  At approximately the age of thirty he was baptised by his cousin [[John the Baptist]] and began to preach in the area of [[Judea]] and [[Galilee]]. About three years later, his teachings and works of mercy prompted the Jewish authorities to plot Jesus' death. Jesus was [[crucified]]. He rose from the dead and was seen by over 500 people. He ascended to Heaven. The four [[Gospels]] contain the basic account of what Jesus did and said.
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Jesus summarized his moral teachings in two commandments from the Old Testament:
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"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets". ([[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 22:37-39; [[Book of Deuteronomy|Deuteronomy]] 6:5; Leviticus 19:18)
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The night he celebrated his [[Last Supper]] with the Twelve Apostles before he suffered, he gave a new commandment:
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"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." ([[Gospel of John|John]] 13:34)
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===Morality===
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[[File:Fra Angelico Lamentacion por la muerte de Cristo.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|[[Jesus Christ]] and his apostles taught a gospel of love.<ref>[http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/Gospel.htm ''The Triumph of the Gospel of Love''] by Monk Themistocles (Adamopoulo)</ref> ]]
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The fundamental principle in Christian moral teaching is [[love]] and forgiveness, as expressed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the New Testament.<ref>[http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/Gospel.htm ''The Triumph of the Gospel of Love''] by Monk Themistocles (Adamopoulo)</ref> In the Hebrew [[Old Testament]] the idea is expressed in the Hebrew word ''hessed'', which is variously translated as loyal love, tender mercy, steadfast love, mercy, goodness, etc.  in the [[New Testament]] the same idea is expressed in the Greek word ''agape'', which is variously translated as love, compassion, charity, etc. 
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There has been endless debate over how a person should express love for God in his or her moral behavior. This moral dialogue found expression in the New Testament, where the [[Apostle Paul]] addressed such controversies as [[circumcision]] ([[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 2:25-29), eating meat that was sacrificed to [[pagan]] deities (1 Corinthians 8), speculating about myths and genealogies (1 Timothy 1:3-5), and observing ceremonial dates and seasons (Galatians 4:9-11).
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Regardless of a person's ethical interpretations, adherents commonly point to New Testament passages John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as scriptural depictions of love. The former states that <blockquote>"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life".</blockquote> The latter characterizes love, saying <blockquote>"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things".</blockquote>
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Jesus Christ affirmed, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). In trying to understand the reason for the growth of Christianity in a pagan culture, it has been noted that while love of one's neighbor is not an exclusively Christian virtue, it appears that the primitive Christian church practiced it much more effectively than any other group.<ref>E.R. Dodds, 1970:136-137</ref>
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In addition to sacrificially showing care for those within the community as well as to those without (cf. Gal. 6:10), the Christians elevated the sanctity of life, opposing abortion, infanticide, child abandonment, suicide, and gladiatorial contests.<ref>Kenneth Scott Latourette, ''A history of Christianity'' p. 244</ref><ref>Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, Paul Copan, The Apologetics Study Bible, 274</ref>  While the primitive church tolerated the existing and pervasive cultural economic institution of slavery in the [[Roman Empire]], the mandate of equal pay and just treatment (Col. 4:1; Eph. 6:9) greatly ameliorated the treatment of slaves, while advising them to seek freedom if possible, (1 Cor. 7:21) and requiring that the escaped slave Onesimus be received back not "as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved". (Philemon 1:6)  The Christian ethos of love also motivated a great expansion in the building of hospitals.<ref>Albert John Ochsner, Meyer Joseph Sturm, ''The organization, construction and management of hospitals'', p. 17</ref><ref>Roderick E. McGrew, ''Encyclopaedia of Medical Care'',  p. 135</ref> By A.D. 500, most large towns in the Roman Empire had erected them.<ref>George D. Pozgar, ''Legal aspects of health care administration', p. 2</ref>
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===Atonement===
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[[Image:Dalí The Christ of St. John of the Cross.jpg|thumb|The Christ of St. John of the Cross by [[Salvador Dalí]], 1951.]]
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Christians believe with the New Testament that the death of Jesus, in conjunction with His resurrection, is an indispensable event for the reconciliation of lost sinners with God. There are three elements they see to the understanding of His death on the cross.
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- Jesus having the knowledge that His path would lead to his own death, desired and willed that that take place, and persevered in that path though there was opportunity for Him to avoid it. "I have power to take my life and I have power to lay down my life. I lay down my life for the sheep".
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- Jesus saw that in His death there would be a way for people to be brought back to God from whom they were alienated and lost because of their sins. This would involve a substitution of Himself to effect, i.e., atone for, that development. "For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many".  How this would take place was not new to the Jews of His day from their understanding of contemporary everyday practice of substitute payment - as in redemption of the first-born (Pidyon Ha Ben), or in the understanding of what aggadic stories such as the Binding of [[Isaac]] implied (see [[Midrash]]), but it was not the prevalent view that the Messiah was to be that payment. Though while alive on earth, he had hinted at it in sayings such as "unless a seed falls and dies, it remains alone, but when it dies, it brings forth."; it was only after He had risen from the dead that He explained Scripture (the Old Testament) clearly about the necessity of His death to have taken place. The disciples would henceforth preach, and Peter among them, that the death of Jesus the Messiah and His resurrection was for-planned and for-ordained by God the Father, and foretold in the Scripture (Isaiah 53).
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- Christians of all generations have looked to the perfect [[Atonement]], and the hope for reconciliation, accomplished by Jesus on the cross, to provide the means of understanding the solution to the vexing problems of the mind and of life itself.
  
 
===Salvation===
 
===Salvation===
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{{main|Salvation}}
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The [[Bible]] teaches that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of [[God]]" (Romans 3:23). This is often interpreted to mean that everyone has displeased God and is now separated from him in a kind of alienation and enmity that results from the fundamental conflict between selfish human interests and God's interests (Romans 8:5-8; James 4:4). Jesus offered a solution to this Biblical dilemma in that, by [[repentance]] of sins and faith in him (Jesus), their sins would be forgiven. He said that "...the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins" ([[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 2:10).  Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24).
  
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Christians believe [[salvation]] is a gift by [[Divine grace|unmerited grace of God]], who sent Jesus as the savior. Christians believe that through faith in Jesus one can be saved from [[sin]] and spiritual [[death]]. The crucifixion of Jesus is explained as an [[Atonement|atoning]] [[Sacrifice#Sacrifice in Christianity|sacrifice]], which, in the words of the [[Gospel of John]], "takes away the sins of the world". Reception of salvation is related to [[justification (theology)|justification]].<ref>{{niv|Romans|6:23|Romans 6:23}}, {{niv|Ephesians|2:8-9|Ephesians 2:8-9}}</ref>
+
Jesus Christ taught that "unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" ([[Gospel of John|John]] 3:3).  [[Repentance]], or a turning away from sin and toward God, is necessary. Protestant Evangelical Christianity often uses the terms "saved" and "born again" to mean conversion, with conscious acknowledgment of immediate divine juridical exoneration of all guilt, complete amnesty and full eternal pardon issued on acceptance of the redemptive, saving sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross in the place of each guilty sinner (Hebrews 1:3; 7:25-27), while other Christians, such as the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, use the phrase ''born again'' as a synonym for [[baptism|baptized]], referring to the [[sacrament]] of baptism through which the divine life of God in the blood of Jesus is actually infused by the power of his grace directly into the soul of the baptized by the washing of water with the word (Ephesians 5:25-27) and is entirely healed of the eternal deadly effect of all past sins, effecting an ontological change of spiritual birth by washing away the defect of sin, the power of God unto salvation flowing abundantly through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, through whom the baptized is united to Him and actually partakes of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).  
  
−
The operation and effects of grace are understood differently by different traditions. [[Catholicism]] and Eastern Orthodoxy teach the necessity of the [[free will]] to cooperate with grace.<ref>Catechism of the Catholic Church, [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c3a2.htm Grace and Justification]</ref> [[Reformed theology]] places distinctive emphasis on grace by teaching that mankind is completely [[total depravity|incapable of self-redemption]], but the grace of God overcomes [[Irresistible grace|even the unwilling heart]].<ref>Westminster Confession, [http://www.pcanet.org/general/cof_chapvi-x.htm#chapx Chapter X];
+
Christians are expected to continue living by Christ's teachings (John 8:31), as is appropriate for "children of Light" (Ephesians 5:8-10). Some believe that this is necessary in order to be saved. Others say that this is a common misconception of the text, that it refers instead to the "fruits" of saving faith. Still others say that the free, unmerited gift of salvation from sin and death in hell must be maintained or retained by actively producing the fruits of [[corporal and spiritual works of mercy]] according to ability, or it will be lost (Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 6:4-8), unless before death the fallen away believer repents and returns (James 5:19-20; 1 John 5:16-17). Christians in the [[Reformed]] tradition (following the teaching of the 16th-century French lawyer and theologian [[John Calvin]]) say that salvation [[Eternal security (salvation)|cannot be lost]]. One Bible passage often cited is John 10:28-29 in which Jesus said of his own Apostles that they could not be snatched from his hand.
−
[[Charles Spurgeon]], [http://www.spurgeon.org/calvinis.htm ''A Defense of Calvinism'']
 
−
</ref>
 
  
−
===The Trinity===
+
== Resurrection of Jesus Christ ==
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{{main|Trinity}}
 
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[[Image:Andrej Rublëv 001.jpg|left|thumb|215px|The [[Hospitality of Abraham]] by Andrei Rublev: The three angels represent the three persons of God]]
 
  
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Most Christians believe that God is spirit (''{{bibleverse||John|4:24}}''), an uncreated, [[Omnipotence|omnipotent]] and eternal being, the creator and sustainer of all things, who works the redemption of the world through his Son, Jesus Christ.
+
''See also:'' [[Resurrection of Jesus Christ]] and [[Christian Apologetics and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ]]
  
−
Against this background, belief in the [[Christology|divinity of Christ]] and the Holy Spirit was expressed as the doctrine of the [[Holy Trinity]],<ref>J.N.D. Kelly, ''Early Christian Doctrines'' pp. 87-90; T. Desmond Alexander, ''New Dictionary of Biblical Theology'' pp. 514-515; Alister E. McGrath, ''Historical Theology'' p. 61.</ref>, which describes the single Divine [[Ousia|''substance'']] existing as three distinct and inseparable ''persons'': the [[God the Father|Father]], the Son ([[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] the [[Jesus Christ the Logos|eternal Word]]), and the [[Holy Spirit]]. According to the 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]]''). The distinction lies in their relations, the Father being unbegotten, the Son begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeding.<ref>Vladimir Lossky [http://home.versatel.nl/chotki/God%20in%20Trin.htm ''God in Trinity'']; [[Loraine Boettner]], [http://www.caledonianfire.org/caledonianfire/Boettner/trinity/t5.htm ''One Substance, Three Persons'']</ref> "Begotten", in these formulae, does not refer to Mary's conceiving Jesus, but to the Son's relationship to the Father, which is described as being "eternally begotten" of the Father.
+
[[Image:Jesus resurrected.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"The Resurrection" by Carl Heinrich Bloch]]
 +
The [[resurrection of Jesus Christ]] is critical to the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul wrote, "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain" (I Cor:15:14). Traditionally, Christianity has believed in a physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.<ref>http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/crj0056a.txt</ref>  
  
−
Trinitarian Christian also conceive of salvation as one work of the triune God, in which "the three divine persons act together as one, and manifest their own proper characteristics."<ref>For an example from Reformed theology see: John Hendryx, [http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/monergism_short.html ''The Work of the Trinity in Monergism'']; for the Catholic view see: [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a1.htm#50 Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 50)] part 1, section 2, Chapter Two.</ref>
+
In recent history, [[Gary Habermas]] is considered a leading [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] for defending the resurrection of Jesus.<ref>Habermas, Gary, [http://www.garyhabermas.com/articles/dialog_rexperience/dialog_rexperiences.htm Experiences of the Risen Jesus: The Foundational Historical Issue in the Early Proclamation of the Resurrection], ''Dialog: A Journal of Theology'', Vol. 45; No. 3 (Fall, 2006), pp. 288-297.</ref><ref>"Wildcat" and Holding, J.P., [http://www.tektonics.org/books/lichabrvw.html Book review of "The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus"], 22nd June, 2004 (Tektonics)</ref><ref>Habermas, Gary, [http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/CTR-NT/Habermas-Resurrection1-CTR.pdf Jesus' Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic] ''Criswell Theological Review'' 4.1 (1989) 159-74.</ref><ref>Habermas, Gary, [http://www.garyhabermas.com/articles/crj_explainingaway/crj_explainingaway.htm Explaining Away Jesus' Resurrection: The Recent Revival of Hallucination Theories], Christian Research Journal / vol. 23, no. 4, 2001.</ref><ref>Habermas, Gary, [http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/historical_apologetics/habermas-nt.html Why I Believe The New Testament Is Historically Reliable] (Apologetics.com)</ref>
 +
Other notable defenders of the resurrection include: [[William Lane Craig]],<ref>Craig, William Lane, [http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/menus/historical.html Articles: Historical Jesus]</ref> [[Lee Strobel]], [[Josh McDowell]],<ref>McDowell, Josh, [http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/josh2.html Evidence for the Resurrection], 1992.</ref> Edwin M. Yamauchi,<ref>Jamauchi, Edwin M., [http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/yama.html Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History?]</ref> [[N.T. Wright]]<ref>Wright, N.T., [http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Early_Traditions.htm Early Traditions and the Origins of Christianity], ''Sewanee Theological Review'' 41.2, 1998.</ref> and Michael Horner.<ref>Horner, Michael, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070304155623/http://www.michaelhorner.com/articles/resurrection/index.html Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?]</ref>
  
−
Trinitarian Christians trace the orthodox formula of the Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — back to the resurrected Jesus himself, who used this phrase in the [[Great Commission]] ({{bverse|Matthew|28:16-20}}).
+
===The  Meaning of the Resurrection for Christians===
 +
The fact of the Resurrection of Christ is also believed to produce certain effects on the lives of Christians.
  
−
Most Christians believe the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures,<ref>Catechism of the Catholic Church, [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a3.htm#II '' Sacred Scripture'']; ''Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy'', [http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/chicago.htm ''online text'']; {{niv|2_Timothy|3:16|2 Timothy 3:16}}; {{niv|2_Peter|1:21|2 Peter 1:21}}</ref> and that his active participation in a believer's life (even to the extent of "indwelling" within the believer), joining the believer's free actions with his own, is essential to living a Christian life.<ref>{{niv|John|16:7-14|John 16:7-14}}; {{niv|1_Corinthians|2:10|1 Corinthians 2:10ff}}</ref> In Catholic, Orthodox, and some Anglican theology, this indwelling is received through the sacrament called [[Confirmation (sacrament)|Confirmation]] or, in the East, [[Chrismation]]. Most Protestant traditions teach that the gift of the Holy Spirit is symbolized by baptism; however some (Baptists and comparable groups) do not attribute any sacramental significance to baptism.  Pentecostal and Charismatic Protestants believe the [[baptism with the Holy Spirit]] is a distinct experience separate from other experiences like conversion or water baptism, and many Pentecostals believe it will always&mdash;or at least usually&mdash;be evident through [[glossolalia]] (speaking in tongues).
+
1. It is because Jesus rose from the dead that believers now can resort to a living Savior to help and deliver them from sin and from situations overwhelming for them by their own powers.
  
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====Non-Trinitarians====
+
2. The New Testament sees in the resurrection of Christ a certain vindication of what apparently to the world and to all beings was a failure and an overcoming of Him by His crucifixion.
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{{main|Nontrinitarianism}}
 
  
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In antiquity, and again following the Reformation, several sects advocated views contrary to the Trinity. These views were rejected by many bishops such as [[Irenaeus]] and subsequently by the [[Ecumenical Council]]s. During the Reformation, though most Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants accepted the value of many of the Councils, some groups rejected these councils as spiritually tainted.<ref>MacCulloch, ''Reformation'' pp. 185, 187</ref> [[Clement Ziegler]], [[Casper Schwenckfeld]], and [[Melchior Hoffman]] advanced the view that Christ was only divine and not human. [[Michael Servetus]] denied the divinity of Christ, as did others who were tried at Augsburg in 1527.<ref>MacCulloch, ''Reformation'' pp. 186-8</ref>
+
3. The coming of Jesus back to life means to the believer that, indeed, his sins are totally forgiven. This is because believers know that His death was a payment for sins - a "wage of death" for our sins that He received in our stead. If He remained dead, believers would know that the wage had not been fully paid.  
  
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Modalists, such as [[Oneness Pentecostal]]s, regard God as a single person, with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit considered modes or roles by which the unipersonal God expresses himself.<ref>William Arnold, [http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/father.htm ''Is Jesus God the Father?'']; in this way they parallel ancient [[Sabellianism|Sabellians]], see: J.N.D. Kelly, ''Early Christian Doctrines'' pp. 119-123; Robert Letham, ''The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship'' pp. 97-98</ref>
+
4. It is a now-living Savior that Christians know can go before them, can closely lead them through life &mdash; as He did when He was on earth. This makes following Him practical and real.  
  
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[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Latter-day Saints]] accept the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but deny that they are the same being, believing them to be separate beings united only in will and purpose.<ref>{{cite web | last =Hinckley | first = Gordon |title=First Presidency Message: The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost | work =Ensign | date = March, 1998|url=http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1998.htm/ensign%20march%201998.htm/first%20presidency%20message%20the%20father%20son%20and%20holy%20ghost.htm?fn=document-frame.htm&f=templates&2.0| accessmonthday =September 8 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> (see [[Godhead (Latter Day Saints)|Godhead]])
+
5. The New Testament reveals that it is the Risen Christ who received from the Father the Holy Spirit and He, through Himself, ascended to the Father, has given the Holy Spirit to us. This gives the believer in Christ both the knowledge and the power to live a godly life and live a life that can be an intimately and personally directed one.
  
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Present day groups who do not consider Jesus to be God include [[Unitarianism|Unitarians]],<ref>On Unitarians, see: UUA.org, [http://www.uua.org/re/reach/fall01/curriculum/unitarian_views_of_jesus.html ''Unitarian Views of Jesus'']; on connection with Socinianism, see: sullivan-county.com, [http://www.sullivan-county.com/nf0/nov_2000/unitarian1.htm ''Socinianism: Unitarianism in 16th-17th Century Poland and Its Influence''] (Note that the icon at the top of the page expresses Trinitarian theology with a symbolic hand gesture); on this matter they parallel the ancient [[Ebionites]], see: J.N.D. Kelly, ''Early Christian Doctrines'' pp. 139</ref>
+
6. The resurrected Christ was no mere reassembling of the molecules and particles of the Body that had been crucified. It was, indeed, a physical body, but one that was fully glorified. It was a "spiritual body". Christians know that likewise, they will one day be granted the nature of a spiritual body, and be full of health. They therefore are full of hope and consolation, and consider that, even now in this life, there is an overcoming through Him.
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descendants of Reformation era [[Socinianism|Socinians]] and [[Jehovah's Witnesses]].<ref> [[Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania]], [http://www.watchtower.org/library/ti/article_05.htm '' What Does the Bible Say About God and Jesus?'']</ref>
 
  
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===Scriptures===
+
==Worship and the Sacraments==
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{{main|Bible}}
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Christians normally attend worship services once a week, typically on Sundays.  Some denominations, such as the [[Seventh Day Adventist]]s, worship on Saturdays.  Commonly, [[megachurch]]es often hold services on both Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings to accommodate growing crowds.  More conservative denominations, such as independent Baptists and churches of Christ, hold services on Sunday evenings and Wednesday evenings as well.
  
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Christianity regards the [[Bible]], a collection of [[Biblical canon|canonical]] books in two parts, the [[Old Testament]] and the [[New Testament]], as authoritative: written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and therefore [[Biblical inerrancy|inerrant]].<ref> [[Catechism of the Catholic Church]], [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a3.htm#II ''Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture'' (§105-108)]; Second Helvetic Confession, [http://www.creeds.net/reformed/helvetic/c01.htm, ''Of the Holy Scripture Being the True Word of God'']; [[Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy]], [http://www.reformed.org/documents/icbi.html ''online text'']</ref> Protestants believe that the scriptures contain all [[Revelation|revealed truth]] necessary for salvation  (See [[Sola scriptura]]).<ref> Thirty-nine Articles, [http://anglicansonline.org/basics/thirty-nine_articles.htm Art. VI]; [[Westminster Catechism]], [http://www.reformed.org/documents/larger1.html Q. 3]; [[James White]], [http://www.aomin.org/SolaTop.html ''Does The Bible Teach Sola Scriptura?'']</ref>
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The [[Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodox]] denominations have seven sacraments: [[baptism]], [[eucharist]], [[confirmation]], [[Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation|confession]], [[Anointing of the Sick|anointing of the sick]], [[marriage]], and [[Holy Orders|holy orders]]. Of these, Protestants observe only baptism and eucharist as sacraments,<ref>The term "eucharist" is rarely used within Protestant circles; common terms include Communion (often used in more traditional denominations) and The Lord's Supper (more frequent in conservative denominations who consider Communion to be a Catholic term).</ref> which are the only two for which they find Scriptural support.<ref>Although Protestants, especially conservative ones, hold to high views of marriage and believe it is taught in the Bible, they do not consider it to be a sacrament.</ref>
  
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The Old Testament contains the entire Jewish [[Tanakh]], though in the Christian canon the books are ordered differently and some books of the Tanakh are divided into several books by the Christian canon. The Catholic and Orthodox canons include the Hebrew Jewish canon and other books (from the Septuagint Greek Jewish canon) which Catholics call [[Deuterocanonical books|Deuterocanonical]], while Protestants consider them [[Biblical apocrypha|Apocrypha]].<ref name="Canon">F.F. Bruce, ''The Canon of Scripture''; Catechism of the Catholic Church, [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a3.htm#IV, ''The Canon of Scripture'' § 120]; Thirty-nine Articles, [http://anglicansonline.org/basics/thirty-nine_articles.html Art. VI]</ref>
+
==Evangelism==
 +
In what is called the [[Great Commission]], Jesus sent his disciples out into the world to preach the Gospel (literally "good news") and make disciples.
 +
:'''Great Commission'''
 +
:''But the eleven disciples proceeded to [[Galilee]], to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in [[heaven]] and on [[earth]]." Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the [[#God the Father|Father]] and the [[#God the Son|Son]] and the [[#God the Holy Spirit|Holy Spirit]], teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."'' --[[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 28:16-20 [[New American Standard Bible|NASB]]
 +
[[Image:Gleyre The Departure of the Apostles.jpg|thumb|240px|The Departure of the Apostles by [[Charles Gleyre]].]]
 +
<br>
  
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The first four books of the New Testament are the [[Gospels]] ([[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]], [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]], [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] and [[Gospel of John|John]]), which recount the life and teachings of Jesus. The first three are often called [[Synoptic Gospels|synoptic]] because of the amount of material they share. The rest of the New Testament consists of a sequel to Luke's Gospel, the [[Acts of the Apostles]], which describes the very early history of the Church, a collection of letters from early Christian leaders to congregations or individuals, the [[Pauline epistles|Pauline]] and [[General epistles]], and the [[Apocalyptic literature|apocalyptic]] [[Book of Revelation]].<ref name="Canon"> </ref>
+
==Internet Evangelism==
  
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Some traditions maintain other [[Religious text|canons]]. The [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] maintains two canons, the Narrow Canon, itself larger than any Biblical canon outside Ethiopia, and the Broad Canon, which has even more books.<ref>Ethiopian Orthodox Old Testament, [http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/ethold.stm ''The Bible: The Book That Bridges the Millennia'']
+
{{See also|Internet evangelism}}
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</ref>The [[Latter-day Saints]] hold the Bible and three additional books to be the inspired word of God: the [[Book of Mormon]], the [[Doctrine and Covenants]], and the [[Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)|Pearl of Great Price]].<ref>The [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], [http://scriptures.lds.org ''The Scriptures, Internet Edition'']</ref>
 
  
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====Interpretation====
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Campus Crusade for Christ International (CCCI) is one of the world's largest evangelism organizations within Christendom and has over 25,000 full-time missionaries. In 2006, Alan Beeber of CCCI predicted that internet evangelism will result in more conversion than all other forms of evangelism for CCCI combined.<ref>http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/pdf/issues/LWP0206.pdf</ref> [[Eternal Word Television Network]] (EWTN) is a worldwide broadcast and internet online and Facebook ministry proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord 24 hours a day with [[Christian apologetics]] programs, News Nightly news broadcast from a Catholic Christian perspective, The World Over with Raymond Arroyo, and daily broadcast worship and prayer seven days a week four times a day.<ref>https://www.ewtn.com<br>https://www.facebook.com/ewtnonline</ref> EWTN claims to be the largest religious media network in the world.
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Though Christians largely agree on the content of the Bible, there is significant divergence in its interpretation, or [[exegesis]]. In antiquity, two schools of exegesis developed in [[Alexandria]] and [[School of Antioch|Antioch]]. Alexandrine interpretation, exemplified by [[Origen]], tended to read Scripture allegorically, while Antiochene interpretation adhered to the literal sense, holding that other meanings (called ''theoria'') could only be accepted if based on the literal meaning.<ref>J.N.D. Kelly, ''Early Christian Doctrines'' pp. 69-78.</ref>
 
  
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Catholic theology distinguishes two senses of scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral, and [[Anagoge|anagogical]] senses. The literal sense is "the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation." The allegorical sense includes [[Typology (theology)|typology]], for example the [[Passage of the Red Sea|parting of the Red Sea]] is seen as a "type" of or sign of baptism;<ref>{{niv|1_Corinthians|10:2|1 Corinthians 10:2}}</ref> the moral sense contains ethical teaching; the anagogical sense includes eschatology and applies to eternity and the [[Apocalypse|consummation of the world]].<ref> Catechism of the Catholic Church, [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a3.htm#III, ''The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture'' § 115-118]</ref> Catholic theology also adds other rules of interpretation, which include the injunction that all other senses of sacred scripture are based on the literal,<ref>Thomas Aquinas, [http://www.newadvent.org/summa/100110.htm ''Whether in Holy Scripture a word may have several senses?'']; c.f. Catechism of the Catholic Church, [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a3.htm#III §116]</ref> that the historicity of the Gospels must be absolutely and constantly held,<ref>Second [[Vatican Council]], [http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html ''Dei Verbum'' (V.19)]</ref> that scripture must be read within the "living Tradition of the whole Church",<ref> Catechism of the Catholic Church, [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a3.htm#III ''The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture'' § 113]</ref> and that "the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the [[Bishop of Rome]]."<ref>Catechism of the Catholic Church, [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a2.htm#III ''The Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith'' § 85]</ref>
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== Growth of worldwide Christianity ==
 +
[[File:Hong Kong Christians at Gateway Camp.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|[[Hong Kong]] Christians at Gateway Camp. In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western World Christians as there were [[Western World]] Christians.<ref>https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077</ref>]]
 +
''see also:'' [[Growth of Christianity]] and [[Historical examples of the exponential growth of Christianity]] and [[Global Christianity]] and [[Internet evangelism]] and [[Evangelical Christians]] and [[Resources on becoming a Christian]]
  
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Many Protestants stress the literal sense or [[historical-grammatical method]],<ref>R.C. Sproul, ''Knowing Scripture'' pp. 45-61; [[Greg Bahnsen]], [http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/pt173.htm ''A Reformed Confession Regarding Hermeneutics'' (art. 6)]</ref> even to the extent of rejecting other senses altogether. Martin Luther advocated "one definite and simple understanding of Scripture".<ref name="Foutz">Scott Foutz, [http://www.quodlibet.net/luther.shtml '' Martin Luther and Scripture'']</ref> Other Protestant interpreters make use of typology.<ref>E.g., in his [http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/matthew/mh/matthew1.htm 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]]. For a contemporary treatment, see W. Edward Glenny, [http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_typology_glenny.html ''Typology: A Summary Of The Present Evangelical Discussion'']</ref> Protestants characteristically believe that ordinary believers may reach an adequate understanding of Scripture because Scripture itself is clear (or "perspicuous"), because of the help of the Holy Spirit, or both. Martin Luther believed that without God's help Scripture would be "enveloped in darkness",<ref name="Foutz"> </ref> but [[John Calvin]] wrote, "all who refuse not to follow the Holy Spirit as their guide, find in the Scripture a clear light."<ref>John Calvin, [http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/comment3/comm_vol45/htm/vii.iv.iv.htm '' Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles'' 2 Peter 3:14-18]</ref> The [[Helvetic Confessions|Second Helvetic Confession]] said, "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<nowiki>[d]</nowiki>", were not authoritative and could be rejected.<ref> Second Helvetic Confession, [http://www.creeds.net/reformed/helvetic/c02.htm ''Of Interpreting the Holy Scriptures; and of Fathers, Councils, and Traditions'']</ref>
+
Christianity has seen tremendous growth over its 2000-year history (See: [[Growth of Christianity]]).<ref>http://users.adam.com.au/bstett/BChristianIncrease12.htm</ref> Christianity has recently seen explosive growth outside the [[Western World]].<ref>
 +
*[http://pewforum.org/Christian/Faith-and-Conflict-The-Global-Rise-of-Christianity.aspx The global rise of Christianity - Pew Forum]
 +
*[https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077 Is Christianity taking over the planet?]
 +
*[http://pewforum.org/Religion-News/The-stunning-growth-of-Christianity-in-China.aspx The stunning growth of Christianity in China]
 +
*[http://gratefultothedead.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/the-african-apostles-how-christianity-exploded-in-20th-century-africa/ The African apostles: How Christianity exploded in 20th century Africa]</ref> In 2000, there were twice as many non-Western Christians as Western Christians.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077 Is Christianity taking over the planet?]</ref> In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western Christians as there were [[Western World]] Christians.<ref>https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077</ref> There are now more non-Western missionaries than Western missionaries.<ref>https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077</ref>
  
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===Creeds===
+
In 2023, the [[Center for the Study of Global Christianity]] at [[Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary]] reported that there are over 2.6 billion Christians worldwide and this number will increase to 3.3 billion Christians by 2050.<ref>*[https://www.brnunited.org/news/good-news-christianity-is-growing-around-the-world/#:~:text=The%20population%20growth%20rate%20is,top%203%20billion%20before%202050! Good news! Christianity is growing around the world!], Baptist Resource Network</ref><ref>[https://www.gordonconwell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/01/Status-of-Global-Christianity-2023.pdf Status of Global Atheism/Christianity/other religions, 2023, in the Context of 1900–2050], [[Center for the Study of Global Christianity]] at [[Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary]]</ref>
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{{main|Creeds}}
 
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Creeds, or concise doctrinal statements, began as baptismal formulas and were later expanded during the [[Christology|Christological]] controversies of the [[4th century|fourth]] and [[5th century|fifth centuries]]. The earliest creeds still in common use are the [[Apostles' Creed]] ([[Apostles' Creed#Latin text|text]] in Latin and Greek, with English translations) and Paul's creed of {{bibleverse|1|Cor|15:1-9}}.
 
  
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{{wikisource|Nicene Creed}}
+
In 2011, the ''American Spectator'' declared concerning research published in the ''International Bulletin of Missionary Research'': "The report estimates about 80,000 new Christians every day, 79,000 new [[Islam|Muslims]] every day, and 300 fewer [[atheism|atheists]] every day. These atheists are presumably disproportionately represented in the [[Western World|West]], while religion is thriving in the Global South, where [[Charismatic movement|charismatic Christianity]] is exploding."<ref>http://spectator.org/archives/2011/02/28/thriving-christianity</ref>
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The [[Nicene Creed]], largely a response to [[Arianism]], was formulated at the Councils of [[First Council of Nicaea|Nicaea]] and [[First Council of Constantinople|Constantinople]] in 325 and 381 respectively,<ref> Catholics United for the Faith, [http://www.cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=191 ''We Believe in One God'']; Encyclopedia of Religion, ''Arianism''</ref> and ratified as the universal creed of Christendom by the [[Council of Ephesus]] in [[431]].<ref name=ephesus> Catholic Encyclopedia (vol. 5), [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05491a.htm ''Council of Ephesus'']</ref>
 
  
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The [[Chalcedonian Creed]], developed at the [[Council of Chalcedon]] in 451,<ref> [[Matt Slick]], [http://www.carm.org/creeds/chalcedonian.htm ''Chalcedonian Creed'']; [[History of Christianity|Christian History]] Institute, [http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2003/10/daily-10-08-2003.shtml ''First Meeting of the Council of Chalcedon'']</ref>
+
Despite strong persecution in the [[Middle East]], thousands of [[Muslims]] are turning to Christ.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/11/thousands-muslims-reportedly-turning-to-christ-in-middle-east.html Thousands of Muslims reportedly turning to Christ in Middle East]. ''Fox News'' (from ''The Christian Post''). January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.</ref>
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(though not accepted by the [[Oriental Orthodox]] Churches)<ref> [[British Orthodox Church]], [http://www.britishorthodox.org/113e.php The Oriental Orthodox Rejection of Chalcedon]</ref> taught Christ "to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably": one divine and one human, that both natures are perfect but are nevertheless [[Hypostatic union|perfectly united into one person]].<ref>Pope Leo I, [http://www.dailycatholic.org/history/4ecumen2.htm Letter to Flavian]</ref>
 
  
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The [[Athanasian Creed]] ([[Athanasian Creed#English-Language Translations|English translations]]), received in the western Church as having the same status as the Nicene and Chalcedonian, says: "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons not dividing the Substance."<ref>Catholic Encyclopedia (vol. 2) [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02033b.htm ''Athanasian Creed'']</ref>
+
=== Growth of Christianity ===
  
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Most Protestants accept the Creeds. Some Protestant traditions believe Trinitarian doctrine without making use of the Creeds themselves,<ref>E.g., The [[Southern Baptist Convention]] gives no official status to any of the ancient creeds, but the [[Baptist Faith and Message]] says:
+
''See also:'' [[Growth of Christianity]]
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:The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.[http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp#ii]</ref> while other Protestants, like the [[Restoration Movement]], oppose the use of creeds.<ref>http://www.appiusforum.com/restoration.html "The History of the Church", Howard A. White</ref>
 
  
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===Eschaton and afterlife===
+
In March 2024, Frontier Partners International reported:
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{{main|Christian eschatology}}
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{{Cquote|The [[Center for the Study of Global Christianity]] at [[Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary]] recently reported that global Christianity is experiencing remarkable growth, defying expectations and surpassing population rates.
  
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Most Christians believe that upon the death of the body, the individual [[soul]], which is considered to be immortal, experiences the [[particular judgment]] and is either rewarded with [[heaven]] or condemned to [[hell]]. The elect are called "saints" (Latin ''sanctus'': "holy") and the process of being made holy is called sanctification. In Catholicism, those who die in a state of grace but with either unforgiven venial sins or incomplete [[penance]] undergo purification in [[purgatory]] to achieve the holiness necessary for entrance into heaven.
+
Contrary to the anticipated slowdown, the Christian population is projected to climb from over 2.52 billion to 2.63 billion, representing a 1.08 percent growth, and is expected to surpass 3 billion by 2050.
  
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At the [[Second Coming|last coming of Christ]], the ''eschaton'' or [[end of time]], all who have died will be [[Resurrection of the dead|resurrected bodily from the dead]] for the [[Last Judgement]], whereupon Jesus will fully establish the [[Kingdom of God]] in fulfillment of [[Bible prophecy|scriptural prophecies]].<ref name="res"> See, e.g., [[Thomas Aquinas]], [http://www.newadvent.org/summa/5.htm ''Summa Theologicum, Supplementum Tertiae Partis''] questions 69 through 99; and John Calvin, [http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/books/book3/bk3ch25.html ''Institutes of the Christian Religion'', Book Three, Ch. 25].</ref>
+
Within Christianity, certain denominations are witnessing even more rapid expansion. Notably, [[Protestant]]s (1.63 percent), independents (1.96 percent), [[evangelicals]] (1.66 percent), and [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]]/[[Charismatic movement|charismatics]] (1.48 percent) are identified as the fastest-growing groups, showcasing the diverse nature of the faith’s evolution.
  
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Some groups do not distinguish a particular judgment from the [[general judgment]] at the end of time, teaching instead that souls remain in stasis until this time (see [[Soul sleep]]).  These groups, and others that do not believe in the [[intercession]] of saints, generally do not employ the word "saint" to describe those in heaven. [[Universal reconciliation|Universalists]] hold that eventually all will experience salvation, thereby rejecting the concept of an eternal hell for those who are not saved.
+
The growth of Christianity is particularly pronounced in the global south, with Africa and Asia emerging as the fastest-growing regions.
  
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==Worship and practices==
+
Africa, in particular, has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from having less than 10 million Christians at the turn of the 20th century to now being home to 734 million Christians, growing at a rate of 2.64 percent.
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===Christian life===
 
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[[Image:Bloch-SermonOnTheMount.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Christians]] believe that [[Jesus]] is the mediator of the [[New Covenant]] (see [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=65&chapter=8&version=47 Hebrews 8:6])(and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1tim2:5&version=31 1Timothy2:5]). His famous [[Sermon on the Mount]] representing [[Mount Zion]] is considered by many Christian scholars to be the [[Typology (theology)|antitype]]<ref>See also [[Expounding of the Law#Antithesis of the Law|Antithesis of the Law]].</ref> of the proclamation of the [[Ten Commandments|Old Covenant]] by [[Moses]] from [[Mount Sinai]]]]
 
  
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Christians believe that all people should strive to follow Christ in their everyday actions. For many, this includes obedience to the [[Ten Commandments]]<ref>For details, see [[Old Testament#Christian view of the Law]].<ref/>. For other individuals, they see [[The Old Law|the old law]] has been "done away with" and replaced with the New covenant. Jesus taught that the [[Ministry of Jesus#General Ethics|greatest commandments]] were to: "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength", and to "love your neighbor as yourself".</ref> <ref>{{niv|matthew|22:37-40|Matthew 22:37-40}}</ref> This love includes such injunctions as "feed the hungry" and "shelter the homeless", and applies to [[Expounding of the Law#Love for enemies|friend and enemy alike]]. Though the relationship between charity and religious practice are sometimes taken for granted today, as [[Martin Goodman (historian)|Martin Goodman]] has observed, "charity in the Jewish and Christian sense was unknown to the pagan world."<ref>Martin Goodman, ''The Ruling Class of Judaea: The Origins of the Jewish Revolt Against Rome AD 66-70'', [[Cambridge University Press]], p.65 </ref>  Other Christian practices include acts of [[piety]] such as [[prayer]] and Bible reading.
+
By 2050, Africa is projected to host more Christians than Asia and Latin America combined.
  
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Christianity teaches that one can only overcome sin through divine grace: moral and spiritual progress can only occur with God's help through the gift of the [[Holy Spirit]] dwelling within the believer. Christians believe that by sharing in Christ's life, death, and resurrection, and by believing in Christ, they become dead to sin and are resurrected to a new life with Him.
+
Intriguingly, the report indicates that Christianity is not only growing in numbers but is also expanding geographically.
  
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===Liturgical worship===
+
In 1900, 95 percent of the world’s Christians lived in predominantly Christian countries. However, the trend is shifting, with a decline of 0.17 percent between 2020 and 2024, indicating that more Christians are residing in diverse, non-Christian majority nations.<ref>[https://www.frontierpartners.org/global-christianity-surges Global Christianity surges beyond projections in 2024], LiCAS.news • Mar 15, 2024, Frontiers Patners Intertnational, 2024</ref>}}
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[[Justin Martyr]] described second century Christian [[liturgy]] in his ''First [[Apologetics|Apology]]'' (''c''. 150) to [[Roman Emperor|Emperor]] [[Antoninus Pius]], and his description remains relevant to the [[basic structure]] of Christian liturgical worship:
 
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[[Image:Thebible33.jpg|200px|left|thumb|The Holy Bible, [[Crucifix]], and [[Rosary]]]]
 
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:"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."<ref>Justin Martyr, [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/justinmartyr-firstapology.html ''First Apology''] §LXVII</ref>
 
  
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Thus, as Justin described, Christians assemble for communal worship on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, though other liturgical practices often occur outside this setting. Scripture readings are drawn from the Old and New Testaments, but especially the Gospels. Often these are arranged on an [[annual cycle]], using a book called a [[lectionary]]. Instruction is given based on these readings, called a [[sermon]], or homily. There are a variety of congregational [[prayer]]s, including thanksgiving, confession, and intercession, which occur throughout the service and take a variety of forms including recited, responsive, silent, or sung. The [[Lord's Prayer]], or Our Father, is regularly prayed. The Eucharist (also called [[Holy Communion]], or the [[Lord's Supper]]) consists of a ritual meal of consecrated bread and wine, discussed in detail below. Lastly, a collection occurs in which the congregation donates money for the support of the Church and for [[Charitable organization|charitable work]].
+
=== Where Christianity is growing the most ===
  
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Some groups depart from this traditional liturgical structure. A division is often made between "[[High church|High]]" [[church service]]s, characterized by greater solemnity and ritual, and "[[Low church|Low]]" services, but even within these two categories there is great diversity in forms of worship. [[Seventh-day Adventists]] meet on Saturday (the original [[Sabbath]]), while others do not meet on a weekly basis. [[Charismatic movement|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. [[Society of Friends|Quakers]] sit quietly until moved by the Holy Spirit to speak. Some [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] services resemble concerts with [[Christian rock|rock and pop music]], dancing, and use of multimedia.  For groups which do not recognize a priesthood distinct from ordinary believers the services are generally lead by a [[minister of religion|minister]], [[preacher]], or [[pastor]]. Still others may lack any formal leaders, either in principle or by local necessity. Some churches use only [[a cappella]] music, either on principle (e.g. many [[Churches of Christ]] object to the use of instruments in worship) or by tradition (as in Orthodoxy).
+
*[https://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2024/04/where-christianity-is-growing-the-most/ Where Christianity Is Growing the Most], 2024
  
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Worship can be varied for special events like [[baptism]]s or [[wedding]]s in the service or significant [[Calendar of saints|feast days]]. In the [[Early Christianity|early church]] Christians and those yet to complete initiation would separate for the Eucharistic part of the worship. In many churches today, adults and children will separate for all or some of the service to receive age-appropriate teaching. Such children's worship is often called [[Sunday school]] or Sabbath school (Sunday schools are sometimes held before rather than during services).
+
=== Center for Global Christianity - Annual statistics - including projected growth of Christianity statistics ===
  
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====Sacraments====
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''See also:'' [[Center for the Study of Global Christianity]] and [[Growth of Christianity]]
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{{main|Sacrament}}
 
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{{seealso| Sacraments of the Catholic Church}}
 
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[[Image:Fractio-panis1.JPG|right|thumb|200px|The [[Eucharist]]]]
 
  
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A [[sacrament]] is a Christian rite that is an outward sign of an inward grace, instituted by Christ to sanctify humanity. Catholic, Orthodox, and some [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] Christians describe [[Christian worship]] in terms of seven sacraments: [[Baptism]], [[Confirmation (sacrament)|Confirmation]] or [[Chrismation]], [[Eucharist]] (communion), [[Penance]] (reconciliation), [[Anointing of the Sick]] (last rites), [[Holy Orders]] (ordination), and [[Catholic marriage|Matrimony]].<ref>For Catholicism: see ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' §1210</ref> Many Protestant groups, following [[Martin Luther]],<ref>Martin Luther, ''Small Catechism''</ref> recognize the sacramental nature of baptism and Eucharist, but not usually the other five in the same way, while other Protestant groups reject sacramental theology. Latter-day saint worship emphasizes the symbolic role of rites, calling some ''[[Ordinance (Latter Day Saints)|ordinances]]''. Though not sacraments, [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]], [[Charismatic movement|Charismatic]], and [[Holiness Churches]] emphasize "[[gifts of the Spirit]]" such as [[spiritual healing]], [[prophecy]], [[exorcism]], [[glossolalia]] (speaking in tongues), and [[laying on of hands]] where God's grace is mysteriously manifest.
+
The [[Center for the Study of Global Christianity]] (CSGC) declares about their organization that it is "an academic research center that monitors worldwide demographic trends in Christianity, including outreach and mission. We provide a comprehensive collection of information on the past, present, and future of Christianity in every country of the world."<ref>[http://www.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga/research/About-Us.cfm Center for the Study of Global Christianity - About]</ref>
  
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====Eucharist====
+
Every year in the ''International Bulletin of Mission Research'' the Center for the Study of Global Christianity publishes an annual snapshot of global Christianity which includes projected [[growth of Christianity]] statistics.
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{{main|Eucharist}}
 
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The [[Eucharist]] (also called [[Holy Communion]], or the [[Lord's Supper]]) is the part of liturgical worship that consists of a consecrated meal, usually bread and wine. Justin Martyr described the Eucharist as follows:
 
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:"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."<ref>Justin Martyr, [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/justinmartyr-firstapology.html ''First Apology''] §LXVII</ref>
 
  
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Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and many Anglicans believe that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ (the doctrine of the [[Real Presence]]). Most other Protestants, especially Reformed, believe the bread and wine ''represent'' the body and blood of Christ. These Protestants may celebrate it less frequently, while in Catholicism the Eucharist is celebrated daily. Catholic and Orthodox view communion as indicating those who are already united in the church, restricting participation to their members not in a state of [[mortal sin]]. In some Protestant churches participation is by prior arrangement with a church leader. Other churches view communion as a means to unity, rather than an end, and invite all Christians or even anyone to participate.
+
'''Center for the Study of Global Christianity, annual snapshot of Christianity in the world:'''
  
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====Liturgical Calendar====
+
*[https://www.gordonconwell.edu/center-for-global-christianity/resources/status-of-global-christianity/ Center for Global Christianity - Annual statistics]
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{{main|Liturgical year}}
 
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In the New Testament [[Paul of Tarsus]] organised his missionary travels around the celebration of [[Pentecost]]. (Acts 20.16 and 1 Corinthians 16.8) This practice draws from Jewish tradition, with such feasts as the [[Feast of Tabernacles]], the [[Passover]], and the [[Jubilee (Biblical)|Jubilee]]. Today Catholics, Eastern Christians, and traditional Protestant communities frame worship around a [[Liturgical year|liturgical calendar]]. This includes [[Holy Day of Obligation|holy days]], such as [[Solemnity|solemnities]] which commemorate an event in the life of Jesus or the [[saint]]s, periods of [[fasting]] such as [[Lent]], and other pious events such as [[memoria]] or lesser festivals commemorating saints. Christian groups that do not follow a liturgical tradition often retain certain celebrations, such as [[Christmas]], [[Easter]] and [[Pentecost]]. A few churches make no use of a liturgical calendar.
 
  
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===Symbols===
+
=== Christianity by continent ===
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Today the best-known Christian symbol is the [[Christian cross|cross]], which refers to the method of Jesus' execution.<ref>Catholic-reources.org, [http://catholic-resources.org/Art/Koch-ChristianSymbols.htm ''Christian Symbols'']</ref> Several varieties exist, with some denominations tending to favor distinctive styles: Catholics the [[crucifix]], Orthodox the [[crux orthodoxa]], and Protestants an unadorned cross. An earlier Christian symbol was the '[[ichthys]]' fish (Greek Alpha - α) symbol and anagram.  Other text based symbols include '[[Christogram|IHS or ICXC]]' and '[[Labarum|chi-rho]]' (the first two letters of the word Christ in Greek). In a modern [[Latin alphabet|Roman alphabet]], the Chi-Rho appears like an ''X'' (Chi - χ) with a large ''P'' (Rho - ρ) overlaid and above it. It is said [[Constantine I and Christianity|Constantine]] saw this symbol prior to converting to Christianity (see History and origins section below). Another ancient symbol is an [[anchor]], which denotes faith and can incorporate a cross within its design.
 
  
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==History and origins==
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''See also:'' [[Christianity by continent]]
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{{main|History of Christianity}}
 
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{{seealso|Timeline of Christianity|Early Christianity}}
 
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{{Seealso|Christian philosophy|Christian art|Christian literature|Christian music|Christian architecture}}
 
  
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[[Image:Nicaea icon.jpg|right|thumb|An icon depicting the [[First Council of Nicaea]]]]
+
Below are articles on Christianity in the seven continents:
  
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In the mid-first century, Christianity spread beyond its Jewish origins under the leadership of the Apostles, especially [[Saint Peter|Peter]] and [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]]. Within a generation an episcopal hierarchy can be seen, and this would form the structure of the Church.<ref>Catholic Encyclopedia, [http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3801.htm ''Canons of the Council of Nicaea''], especially canon 6.</ref>Christianity spread east to Asia and throughout the Roman Empire, despite [[Persecution of Christians|persecution]] by the Roman Emperors until its [[Edict of Milan|legalization]] by [[Constantine I (emperor)|Emperor Constantine]] in 313. During his reign, questions of orthodoxy lead to the convocation of the first Ecumenical Council, that of [[First Council of Nicaea|Nicaea]].
+
*[[Christianity in Africa]]
 +
*[[Christianity in Antarctica]]
 +
*[[Christianity in Asia]]
 +
*[[Christianity in Australia | Christianity in Australia, Oceania, New Zealand]]
 +
*[[Christianity in Europe]]
 +
*[[Christianity in North America | Christianity in North America, Caribbean]]
 +
*[[Christianity in South America | Christianity in South America, Central America]]
  
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In 391 [[Theodosius I]] established [[Nicene]] Christianity as the official and, except for [[Judaism]], only legal religion in the [[Roman Empire]]. Later, as the [[political structure]] of the empire collapsed in the West, the Church assumed political and cultural roles previously held by the Roman aristocracy. Eremitic and Coenobitic [[monasticism]] developed, originating with the hermit [[Anthony the Great|St Anthony of Egypt]] around 300.  With the avowed purpose of fleeing the world and its evils ''in contemptu mundi'', the institution of monasticism would become a central part of the medieval world.<ref>Jo Ann H. Moran Cruze and Richard Gerberding, ''Medieval Worlds'' pp. 118-119</ref>
+
=== Projected growth of Christianity graph ===
  
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Christianity became the established church of the Axumite Kingdom (presently encompassing Eritrea and Northern Ethiopi ) under king Ezana in the 4th century through the efforts of a Syrian Greek named Frumentius, known in Ethiopia as Abba Selama, Kesaté Birhan ("Father of Peace, Revealer of Light"), thus making Ethiopia one of the first christian state even before most of Europe. As a youth, Frumentius had been shipwrecked with his brother Aedesius on the Eritrean coast. The brothers managed to be brought to the [[royal court]], where they rose to positions of influence and converted Emperor Ezana to Christianity, causing him to be baptised. Ezana sent Frumentius to Alexandria to ask the Patriarch, [[Athanasius of Alexandria|St. Athanasius]], to appoint a bishop for Ethiopia. Athanasius appointed Frumentius himself, who returned to Ethiopia as Bishop with the name of Abune Selama.
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''See also:'' [[Growth of Christianity]] and [[Future of Christianity]]
  
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During the [[Migration Period]] of [[Late Antiquity]], various [[Germanic peoples]] adopted Christianity. Meanwhile, as western political unity dissolved, the linguistic divide of the Empire between Latin-speaking West and the Greek-speaking East intensified.  By the [[Middle Ages]] distinct forms of Latin and Greek Christianity increasingly separated until [[Cultural identity|cultural differences]] and disciplinary disputes finally resulted in the [[East-West Schism|Great Schism]] (conventionally dated to 1054), which formally divided [[Christendom]] into the Catholic west and the Orthodox east. [[Western Christianity]] in the [[Middle Ages]] was characterized by cooperation and conflict between the [[Secularism|secular]] rulers and the Church under the [[Pope]], and by the development of [[Scholasticism|scholastic theology and philosophy]].
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[[File:Growth of Christianity.png|thumbnail|center|400px|Projected [[growth of Christianity]] graph.<ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/figure/shows-the-growth-of-the-total-number-of-Christians-worldwide-25-At-first-glance-it-may_fig5_301560058 Total Christian population graph]</ref>]]
 +
{{Clear}}
  
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Beginning in the [[7th century]], [[Islam]] began a long series of military conquests of Christian areas, and it quickly conquered areas of the [[Byzantine Empire]], [[Asia Minor]], Palestine, Syria, Egypt, [[North Africa]], and even southern [[Spain]]. Numerous military struggles followed, including the [[Crusades]], the Spanish [[Reconquista]], the [[Fall of Constantinople]] and the aggression of the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]].
+
==Early Church Community and Commitment: The Biblical Period==
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[[Image:Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach der Ältere.jpeg|right|thumb|125px|Martin Luther]]
+
[[File:Hoffman Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.jpg|thumb|left|110px|[[Jesus Christ]] ]]
  
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In the early [[16th century|sixteenth century]], increasing discontent with corruption and immorality among the clergy resulted in attempts to reform the Church and society. The [[Protestant Reformation]] began after [[Martin Luther]] published his [[95 theses]] in 1517, whilst the [[Roman Catholic Church]] experienced internal renewal with the [[Counter-Reformation]] and the [[Council of Trent]] (1545-1563). During the following centuries, competition between Catholicism and Protestantism became deeply entangled with political struggles among European states. Meanwhile, partly from missionary zeal, but also under the impetus of [[Colonialism|colonial expansion]] by the European powers, Christianity spread to the Americas, Oceania, [[East Asia]], and [[sub-Saharan Africa]].
+
The Bible records that, at least initially, the church saw itself as united. In the community:
  
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In the Modern Era, Christianity was confronted with various forms of [[skepticism]] and with certain modern [[Ideology|political ideologies]] such as [[liberalism]], [[nationalism]], and [[socialism]]. This included the [[anti-clericalism]] of the French Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, and general hostility of Marxist movements, especially [[Russian Revolution|the Russian Revolution]].
+
"...they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. {43} And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. {44} And all that believed were together, and had all things common; {45} And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. {46} And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."(Acts 2:42-47; 4:32)
  
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===Persecution===
+
This community was soon "scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles," due to determined persecution which resulted in the dispersed disciples going "every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:1,4). Christian communities were primarily to be found in two separate cultural and liguistic entities—the Greek and Latin-speaking empires of Europe and the mid-east, and the Aramaic speaking sphere of the Parthian empire of the mid-east and far-east. This latter sphere encompassed not only the eastern portions of Syria, the Arabian peninsula, and Persia, but also extended to portions of southern India and even China. To this day there are many [[Aramaic Church]] members in the Kerala province of south India.
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{{main|Persecution of Christians}}
 
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{{main|Historical persecution by Christians}}
 
  
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Christians have frequently suffered from [[Religious persecution|persecution]]. Starting with [[Jesus]], the early Christian church was persecuted by state and religious establishments from its earliest beginnings. Notable early Christians such as [[Saint Stephen|Stephen]], eleven of the Apostles as well as [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]] died as martyrs according to tradition. Systematic Roman persecution of Christians culminated in the [[Diocletian#Persecution of Christians|Great Persecution]] of Diocletian and ended with the [[Edict of Milan]].<ref>ChristianityToday.com [http://ctlibrary.com/3744 ''313 The Edict of Milan'']</ref> Persecution of Christians persisted or even intensified in other places, such as in [[Sassanids|Sassanid Persia]].<ref>Macro History, [http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/ch22c.htm ''The Sassanids to 500 CE'']</ref> Later Christians living in [[Islam]]ic countries were subjected to various legal restrictions, which included taxation and a ban on building or repairing churches. Christians at times also suffered violent persecution or confiscation of their property<ref>(Lewis (1984) p. 26)</ref>
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==Early Church Community and Commitment: the Post-Biblical Period==
  
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There was persecution of Christians during the [[French Revolution]] (see [[Dechristianisation of France during the French Revolution]]).<ref>Mortimer Chambers, ''The Western Experience'' (vol. 2) chapter 21</ref> State restrictions on Christian practices today are generally associated with those authoritarian governments which either support a majority religion other than Christianity (as in [[Muslim]] states),<ref>Paul Marshall, ''Their Blood Cries Out''; Worldnetdaily.com, [http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=24886 ''Christians persecuted in Islamic nations'']</ref> or tolerate only churches under government supervision, sometimes while officially promoting state [[atheism]] (as in [[North Korea]]). The [[People's Republic of China]] allows only government-regulated churches and has regularly suppressed [[house churches]] and underground Catholics. The public practice of Christianity is outlawed in [[Status of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]]. Areas of persecution include other parts of the [[Middle East]], the [[Sudan]], and [[Kosovo]].<ref>see [http://www.persecution.org/newsite/index.php persecution.org];[http://www.christianmonitor.org/ christianmonitor.org]; and Cliff Kincaid, [http://www.aim.org/media_monitor/4610_0_2_0_C/ aim.org ''Christians Under Siege in Kosovo'']</ref>
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[[Image:Orthodox churches icon artwork.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Orthodox Church's icon artwork.]]
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'''Justin martyr  100 A.D. - 165 A.D.   From the "First Apology" (Defense)
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'''  
  
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Christians have also been perpetrators of persecution against other religions and other Christians. Christian mobs, sometimes with government support, destroyed [[Paganism|pagan]] temples and oppressed adherents of paganism (such as the philosopher [[Hypatia of Alexandria]], who was murdered by a Christian mob). Also, [[Jewish]] communities have periodically suffered violence at Christian hands. Christian governments have suppressed or persecuted groups seen as heretical, later in cooperation with the [[Inquisition]]. Denominational strife escalated into [[religious wars]]. [[Witch hunts]], carried out by secular authorities or popular mobs, were a frequent phenomenon in parts of [[early modern Europe]] and, to a lesser degree, North America.
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<blockquote>
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But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced and has assented to our teaching, bring him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized [illuminated] person, and for all others in every place, that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works also to be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation. Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss. There is then brought to the president of the brethren bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands. And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen. This word Amen answers in the Hebrew language to genoito [so be it]. And when the president has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion. (Chapt. LXV - administration of the sacraments)</blockquote>
  
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==Christian divisions==
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<blockquote>
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There is a diversity of [[doctrine]]s and practices among groups calling themselves Christian. These groups are sometimes classified under [[Christian denomination|denomination]]s, though for theological reasons many groups reject this classification system.<ref>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." Ahlstrom p. 381. For specific citations, on the Roman Catholic Church see the ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' §816; other examples: Donald Nash, [http://www.crownhillchurch.com/Why_the_Churches_of_Christ_Are_Not_A_Denomination.pdf#search=%22church%20of%20christ%20not%20a%20denomination%22 Why the Churches of Christ are not a Denomination]; Wendell Winkler, [http://www.thebible.net/introchurch/ch4.html Christ's Church is not a Denomination]; and David E. Pratt, [http://www.biblestudylessons.com/cgi-bin/gospel_way/denominations.php What does God think about many Christian denominations?]</ref> Christianity may be broadly represented as being [[Schism (religion)|divided]] into three main groupings:<ref>Encyclopedia Britannica, [http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9360716 Christianity]</ref>
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And this food is called among us Eukaristia [the Eucharist = the Thanksgiving], 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. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "This do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body;" and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone... (Chapt. LXVl - of the Eucharist)
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* [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]]: The [[Roman Catholic Church]], the largest single body, includes the [[Latin Rite]] and totals more than 1 billion baptized members.<ref name="Adherents" />
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</blockquote>  
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* [[Eastern Christianity]]: [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es, [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox Churches]], the 100,000 member [[Assyrian Church of the East]],<ref>Nichols, ''Rome and the Eastern Churches'', pp. 27-52</ref> and others with a combined membership of more than 300 million baptized members.<ref name="Adherents" />
 
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* [[Anglican Communion|Anglicanism]]: The Anglican Communion is a group of Anglican and [[Episcopal Church]]es that are descended from the [[Church of England]]. Most Anglicans don't consider themselves Protestant or Catholic but believe that the Church of England always existed and wasn't formed during the Reformation but rather broke away from the Church of Rome.
 
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* [[Protestantism]]: Groups such as [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]], [[Reformed]]/[[Presbyterian]]s, [[Congregational church|Congregational]]/[[United Church of Christ]], [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]], [[Charismatic movement|Charismatic]], [[Baptist]]s, [[Methodist]]s, [[Nazarene]]s, [[Anabaptist]]s, [[Seventh-day Adventists]] and [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]]. The oldest of these separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century [[Protestant Reformation]], followed in many cases by further divisions. Estimates of the total number of Protestants are very uncertain, partly because of the difficulty in determining which denominations should be placed in this category, but it seems to be unquestionable that Protestantism is the second major branch of Christianity (after Roman Catholicism) in number of followers.<ref name="Adherents" />
 
  
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Some Protestants identify themselves simply as ''Christian,'' or ''born-again Christian''; they typically distance themselves from the [[confessionalism (religion)|confessionalism]] of other Protestant communities<ref>Confessionalism is a term employed by historians to describe "the creation of fixed identities and systems of beliefs for separate churches which had previously been more fluid in their [[self-understanding]], and which had not begun by seeking separate identities for themselves &mdash; they had wanted to be truly Catholic and reformed." [[MacCulloch]], ''Reformation'' p. xxiv</ref> by calling themselves "non-denominational" &mdash; often founded by individual pastors, they have little affiliation with historic denominations. Others, particularly some Anglicans, eschew the term Protestant and thus insist on being thought of as Catholic, adopting the name "Anglo-Catholic."<ref>Thus distinguishing themselves, though "not too much", from "Roman" Catholics &mdash; MacCulloch ''Reformation'' p. 510</ref> Finally, various small communities, such as the [[Old Catholic Church|Old Catholic]] and [[Independent Catholic Churches]], are similar in name to the Roman Catholic Church, but are not in [[Communion (Christian)|communion]] with the [[Holy See|See of Rome]]. The Roman Catholic Church was simply called the "Catholic Church" until other groups started considering themselves "Catholic". The term "Roman Catholic" was made to distinguish the Roman Catholics from other groups.<ref>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03449a.htm "Catholic", Herbert Thurston, ''Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus'', The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume III. Published 1908. New York: Robert Appleton Company.</ref><ref>http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13121a.htm "Roman Catholic", The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIII. Published 1912. New York: Robert Appleton Company. First published in The Month, Sept 1911.</ref>
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<blockquote>
 +
And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. 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. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead...(Chapt.LXVll - weekly worship of the Christians)
 +
</blockquote>
  
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[[Restorationism|Restorationists]], are historically connected to the Protestant Reformation,<ref>Ahlstrom's summary is as follows: Restorationism has its genesis with Thomas and [[Alexander Campbell]], whose movement is connected to the German Reformed Church through Otterbein, Albright, and Winebrenner (p. 212). American [[Millennialism]] and [[Adventist|Adventism]], which arose from Evangelical Protestantism, produced certain groups such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (p. 387, 501-9), the Jehovah's Witness movement (p. 807), and, as a reaction specifically to [[William Miller]], Seventh Day Adventism (p. 381).</ref> do not usually describe themselves as "reforming" a [[Christian Church]] continuously existing from the time of Jesus, but as ''restoring'' the Church that they believe was lost at some point. Restorationists include [[Churches of Christ]] with 2.6 million members, [[Disciples of Christ]] with 800,000 members,<ref> ''Statistical Report: Annual Council of the General Conference Committee Silver Spring, Marlyand, October 6&mdash;11, 2006''</ref> [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] with 12 million members,<ref name="Adherents" /> and [[Jehovah’s Witnesses]] with 6.6 million members.<ref>JW-Media.org [http://www.jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm#Jehovah%Witness%Membership%2005 Membership 2005]</ref> Though Restorationists have some superficial similarities, their doctrine and practices vary significantly.
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'''Tertullian (A.D. 160 -220), an Early ecclesiastical leader and writer, in his ''Apology'' (response to pagan charges) in describing the early church community wrote, ca. AD 197: '''  
  
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[[Image:ChristianityBranches.svg|600px|thumb|center||A simplified chart of historical developments of major groups within Christianity]]
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:We are a body knit together by one faith, one discipline and one hope. We meet together as a congregation, uniting together to offer prayer to God. We pray for the emperors and all in authority, for the welfare of the world, for peace and for the delay of the final end. We read our holy scriptures to nourish our faith, hope, steadfastness and good habits. We hear exhortations and rebukes. We take such judging very seriously – as befits those who believe they are in the sight of God – especially seriously when anyone sins so grievously we have to cut them off from our prayer, our congregation and all sacred things. Our elders preside over us, obtaining that honor not by money, but by their established character. There is no buying and selling in the things of God. Though we have a fund, but not because people can buy religion. Once a month, anyone who wants to make a small donation – but only he who is able and willing; there is no compulsion. It is not spent on feasts, but to support and bury poor people, to provide for orphans, the elderly, old persons, victims of shipwreck and those in prison for their faith.<ref>Defense by Tertullian (39), Trans. Rev. S. Thelwall. Modernized, abridged and introduced by Stephen Tomkins. Edited and prepared for the web by Dan Graves.</ref>
  
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====Mainstream Christianity====
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'''Pliny the Younger, the Roman governor of Pontus & Bithynia  (northern Turkey) from A.D. 111–113, reporting to emperor Trajan of Christians, whom such pagan rulers found intolerable:'''
  
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[[Mainstream]] Christianity is a widely used<ref>Appx 112k [http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=%22Mainstream+Christianity%22 GHits]</ref> term, used to refer to 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]]. The context is dependent on the particular issues addressed, but usually contrasts the [[orthodox]] majority view against [[heterodox]] minority views. In the most [[common sense]], "mainstream" refers to [[Nicene Christianity]], or rather the traditions which continue to claim adherence to the [[Nicene Creed]].<ref>"[[The Nicene Creed]] is the profession of the Christian Faith common to the Catholic Church, to all the Eastern Churches separated from Rome, and to most of the Protestant denominations." The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XI. Published 1911. New York: Robert Appleton Company.[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11049a.htm]</ref><ref>"Christian statement of faith that is the only ecumenical creed because it is accepted as authoritative by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and major Protestant churches."
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:... Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ--none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do--these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.  
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''Nicene Creed'' [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9055702]</ref>
 
  
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Some groups identifying themselves as Christian deviate from the [[tenets]] considered basic by most Christian organizations. These groups are often considered [[Christian heresy|heretical]], or even non-Christian, by many mainstream Christians. This is particularly true of [[Nontrinitarianism|non-trinitarians]].
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:They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food &mdash; but ordinary and innocent food.<ref>Pliny the Younger Letters, 10.96</ref>
  
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==== Ecumenism ====
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=== Implications of the growth of worldwide Christianity ===
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{{main|Ecumenism}}
 
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{{unreferenced|section called "Ecumenism"|date=February 2007}}
 
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Most churches have long expressed ideals of being reconciled with each other, and in the [[20th Century]] Christian [[ecumenism]] advanced in two ways. 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 also includes Roman Catholics.
 
  
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The other way was institutional union with new [[United and uniting churches]]. [[Congregational church|Congregationalist]], [[Methodist]], and [[Presbyterian]] churches united in 1925 to form the [[United Church of Canada]] and in 1977 to form the [[Uniting Church in Australia]]. The [[Church of South India]] was formed in 1947 by the union of [[Anglicanism|Anglican]], [[Methodism|Methodist]], [[Congregational church|Congregationalist]], [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]], and [[Reformed Church|Reformed]] churches.
+
''see also:'' [[Global Christianity]] and [[Internet evangelism]]  
  
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Steps towards union on a global level have also been taken in 1965 by the Catholic and Orthodox churches mutually revoking the excommunications that marked their [[East-West Schism|Great Schism]] in 1054; the [[Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission]] (ARCIC) working towards full communion between those churches since 1970; and the [[Lutheran World Federation|Lutheran]] and [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] churches signing The [[Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification]] in 1999 to address conflicts at the root of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. In 2006 the [[World Methodist Council|Methodist church]] also adopted the declaration.
+
Given the increase in the public's access to global communications, it is thought that the more [[theology|theologically]] [[conservative]] non-Western Christian churches could influence Western Christianity to move in a more theologically [[conservative]] direction.<ref>http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18774</ref> For example, non-Western [[Anglican]]s are exerting influence within the worldwide Anglican Communion against the stance of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion's North American provinces with regard to [[homosexual]] practices.<ref>http://www.maravipost.com/malawi-politics/district/5751-bishop-mw-anglicans-totally-against-homosexuality.html</ref><ref>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2156406/Anglican-church-schism-declared-over-homosexuality.html</ref>
  
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==Current controversies and criticisms==
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== History of Christianity timeline ==
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<!-- Hello. This section is the product of extensive discussion on [[Talk:Christianity]]. Please consider passing proposed changes through the Talk page before making them here. Thank you.-->
 
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{{main|Criticism of Christianity}}
 
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{{See also|Criticism of the Bible}}
 
  
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There are many controversies surrounding Christianity as to its influences and history.
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[[File:Branches of Christianity.jpg|center|900px]]
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{{Clear}}
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=== Early Christianity ===
  
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*Although historians generally agree that [[historicity of Jesus|Jesus existed]], a few writers propose that [[Jesus as myth|Jesus is a myth]],<ref>Kenneth Latourette, ''Christianity'' p. 394; [[E. A. Wallis Budge]], ''Egyptian Religion''</ref> and have aimed at reconstructing the [[historical Jesus]]. Some such writers depict Jesus as a metaphor for [[Religious experience|spiritual awakening]] or a fictional figure based on [[Egyptian mythology|Egyptian religion]].
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See: [[Early Christianity]]
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*Some writers consider [[Paul of Tarsus|Paul]] to be the founding figure of Christianity, pointing to the extent of his writings and the scope of his [[Missionary|missionary work]].<ref>David Wenham, ''Paul: Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity?''</ref> See also [[Pauline Christianity]].
 
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*Members of the [[Jesus Seminar]], and other Biblical scholars, have argued that the historical Jesus never claimed to be divine. They also reject the historicity of the [[empty tomb]] and thus a bodily resurrection, and several other events narrated in the gospels. They assert that Gospel accounts describing these things are probably literary fabrications.<ref>"The empty tomb is a fiction - Jesus did not raise ''(sic)'' bodily from the dead." front flap of ''Acts of Jesus''.</ref>
 
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*Adherents of [[Judaism]] generally believe that followers of Christianity misinterpret passages from the [[Old Testament]], or [[Tanakh]]. (See also [[Judaism and Christianity]].)
 
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*[[Islam|Muslims]] believe that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity is incompatible with [[Tawhid|monotheism]], and they reject the Christian teaching that Jesus is the Son of God, though they affirm the [[Virgin Birth|virgin birth]] and view him as a prophet preceding Muhammad.<ref>Gary Miller, [http://thetruereligion.org/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=122 ''A concise reply to Christianity''].</ref> The Qur'an also uses the title "Messiah", though with a different meaning.<ref>Qur'an, 3:46.</ref><ref>;;[http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/quran-jesus.html Mike Tabish, ''What does the Qur'an say about Isa (Jesus)?'']</ref> Muslims dispute the historical occurrence of the crucifixion of Jesus (believing that while a crucifixion occurred, it was not of Jesus).<ref>Answering-Christianity.com, [http://www.answering-christianity.com/crucified.htm ''What does the Holy Qur'an say about Jesus (peace be upon him)''].</ref> Muslims also believe that while Islam's holy book, the [[Quran]], is the word of God, today's [[Bible]] has been corrupted because it has gone through a human editing process.<ref>Answering -Christianity.com [http://answering-christianity.com/contra.htm]</ref>
 
  
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==See also==
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== Positive effects of Christianity on societies  ==
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{{Col-begin}}
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[[Image:Stbasil.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Saint Basil|St. Basil]] of Caesarea founded the first hospital. Christian hospitals subsequently spread quickly throughout both the East and the West.<ref>[http://biblemesh.com/blog/the-christian-origins-of-hospitals/ The Christian origin of hospitals]</ref> See: [[Christianity and hospitals]] ]]
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''See also:'' [[Christianity statistics]]
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Historically, Christianity has had a positive effect on societies, and there are a number of statistics which demonstrate this matter (see: [[Christianity statistics]]).
 +
 
 +
=== Christianity and social stability ===
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 +
See: [[Christianity and social stability]]
 +
 
 +
=== Christianity and hospitals ===
 +
 
 +
See: [[Christianity and hospitals]]
 +
 
 +
== Atheism vs. Christianity ==
 +
 
 +
''See also:'' [[Atheism vs. Christianity]]
 +
 
 +
In the latter half of the 1600s, there was [[French atheism#Clandestine French atheism in the 1600s and 1700s|an increase]] in the degree of ideological conflict between [[atheism]] and Christianity in the [[Western World]]. At first, the conflict was of a secretive nature via the use of clandestine tracts.<ref>[http://fivebooks.com/interview/jonathan-israel-on-the-enlightenment/ Jonathan Israel on The Enlightenment]</ref><ref>The material was formerly at the University of Cambridge's Investigating Atheism website, which has closed down. The material has been transferred to [http://www.mmfase.com/18th-century.html 18th Century History], Investigating Atheism</ref>
  
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{{Col-1-of-3}}
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As a result of [[militant atheism]] in the 20th century, there was widespread persecution against Christians in [[Communist]] countries such as the former [[Soviet Union]]. Various Communist countries such as China continue to persecute Christians (see: [[Communism and religious persecution]]). 
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* [[Antinomianism]]
 
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* [[Christian apologetics]]
 
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* [[Christian anarchism]]
 
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* [[Christian calendar]]
 
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* [[Christian communism]]
 
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* [[Christian emigration]]
 
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* [[Christian eschatology]]
 
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* [[Christian existentialism]]
 
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* [[Christian meditation]]
 
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* [[Christian mysticism]]
 
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* [[Christian mythology]]
 
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* [[Christian Perspectives on Human Sexuality]]
 
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* [[Christian symbolism]]
 
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* [[The stories of Christianity|Christian stories]]
 
  
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{{Col-2-of-3}}
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The 21st century is projected to be a century of [[desecularization]], and atheists are expected to lose influence in the West (and the world as a whole) as a result of religious immigration and the religious conservatives having a much higher fertility rate (see also: [[Growth of global desecularization]]).
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* [[Christian Views About Women]]
 
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* [[Christianity and anti-Semitism]]
 
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* [[Christianity and Freemasonry]]
 
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* [[Christianity by country]]
 
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* [[Christianity in Africa]]
 
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* [[Christianity in China]]
 
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* [[Church]]
 
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* [[Conservative Christianity]]
 
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* [[Criticism of Christianity]]
 
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* [[Emerging Church]]
 
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* [[Historicity of Jesus]]
 
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* [[Homosexuality and Christianity]]
 
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* [[John 3:16]]
 
  
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{{Col-3-of-3}}
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In 2011, the ''American Spectator'' declared about the global population:
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* [[Judaism and Christianity]]
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{{cquote|The report estimates about 80,000 new Christians every day, 79,000 new [[Islam|Muslims]] every day, and 300 fewer atheists every day. These atheists are presumably disproportionately represented in the [[Western World|West]], while religion is thriving in the Global South, where [[Charismatic movement|charismatic Christianity]] is exploding."<ref>[http://spectator.org/archives/2011/02/28/thriving-christianity Thriving Christianity]</ref>}}
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* [[Liberal Christianity]]
 
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* [[List of Christians]]
 
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* [[List of notable converts to Christianity]]
 
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* [[List of Christian Missionaries]]
 
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* [[List of religions]]
 
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* [[Matthew 10:34]]
 
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* [[New Testament view on Jesus' life]]
 
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* [[Progressive Christianity]]
 
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* [[Religious ministry (Christian)|Religious ministries]]
 
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* [[Sabbath]]
 
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* [[Theonomy]]
 
  
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{{Col-end}}
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In 2022, the left-leaning Pew Research Center projected that Christianity would lose its majority in the [[United States]] by 2070, but that assumes a lack of renewed [[evangelism]].<ref>https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/14/christian-population-minority-2070-model-pew/10380295002/</ref>
  
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===History and denominations===
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== Resources related to becoming a Christian ==
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{{Col-begin}}
 
  
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{{Col-1-of-2}}
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''see also:'' [[Essay: Resources on becoming a Christian|Resources on becoming a Christian]]
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* [[Christian theology]]
 
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* [[Wikipedia:Wikiportal/Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christianity portal]]
 
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* [[Great Schism]]
 
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* [[Protestant Reformation]]
 
  
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{{Col-2-of-2}}
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'''Below are some resources on becoming a [[Christian]]:'''
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* [[Restorationism]]
 
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* [[List of Christian denominations]]
 
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* [[Social Gospel]]
 
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* [[Third Church]]
 
  
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{{Col-end}}
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*[https://creation.com/good-news Are you a good person?]
  
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==Notes==
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*[http://www.newchristian.org.uk/ New Christian - UK]
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<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;">
 
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<references/>
 
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</div>
 
  
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==Bibliography==
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*[http://www.thewordfortoday.org/?page=C2000 Free audio Bible and Bible audio streaming]
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====Primary sources====
 
  
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<div class="references-small">
+
*[http://www.allaboutgod.com/ AllAboutGod.com]
−
* The [[Bible]]: [http://www.biblegateway.com/ BibleGateway.com] -- [http://www.vatican.va/archive/bible/index.htm Sacred Scripture] -- [http://www.bible.org/netbible/index.htm New English Translation]
 
−
</div>
 
  
−
{{col-begin}}
+
*[[Christian apologetics|Evidence for Christianity]]
  
−
{{col-1-of-2}}
+
*[[Christian video testimonies]]
−
<div class="references-small">
 
−
'''A'''
 
−
*"''Once More, Once More: Derrida, the Jew, the Arab''" by Gil Anidjar, introduction to: {{cite book |last=Derrida  |first=Jacques  |authorlink=Jacques Derrida |editor=Gil Anidjar |title=Acts of Religion |url=http://www.arsdisputandi.org/index.html?http://www.arsdisputandi.org/publish/articles/000080/index.html |year=2001 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York & London |isbn=0-415-92400-6/0-415-92401-4 |pages=436}}
 
−
* {{cite web|last=Arnold III|first=William|title=Is Jesus God the Father?|url=http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/father.htm|accessdate=2006-09-07}}
 
−
*{{cite book |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02033b.htm |title=Athanasian Creed |publisher=Catholic Encyclopedia voulme II |year=1909 |origdate=4th century |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
−
*{{cite web | last = Aquinas | first = Thomas | authorlink = Thomas Aquinas | title = Summa Theologica | url = http://www.newadvent.org/summa/ | accessdate = 2006-10-06}}
 
−
'''B'''
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp#ii |title=Baptist Faith and Message |publisher=Southern Baptist Convention |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
−
* {{cite web |last=Boettner |first=Loraine | authorlink = Loraine Boettner |title=One Substance, Three Persons |url=http://www.caledonianfire.org/caledonianfire/Boettner/trinity/t5.htm |accessdate=2006-05-29}}
 
−
* {{cite book |last=Bullinger |first=Heinrich |authorlink= Heinrich Bullinger |coauthors=and others |title = Second Helvetic Confession |origyear=1564 | |location= Basel, Switzerland |url =http://www.ccel.org/creeds/helvetic.htm |accessdate=2006-10-21 }}
 
−
'''C'''
 
−
*{{cite book | last = Calvin | first = John | authorlink = John Calvin | title = Commentary on the Catholic Epistles | origdate=1551 | url = http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/comment3/comm_vol45/htm/vii.iv.iv.htm | accessdate = 2006-10-07}}
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Calvin |first=John |url=http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/books/book3/bk3ch25.html |title=Institutes of the Christian Religion |accessdate=2006-09-10}}
 
−
*{{cite book | title = Catechism of the Catholic Church | publisher = United States Catholic Conference &mdash; Libreria Editrice Vaticana | year = 1994, 1997 | location = Città del Vaticano and Washington D.C. | url = http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/ | id = English: hardcover No. 5-109, softcover No. 5-110 |accessdate=2006-10-21 |others=promulgated by Pope John Paul II}}
 
−
*{{cite book |url=http://www.carm.org/creeds/chalcedonian.htm |title=Chalcedonian Creed |publisher=Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry |origdate=451 |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
−
*{{cite web | title = Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy |year=1978 | url = http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/chicago.htm | accessdate = 2006-08-26 }}
 
−
'''D'''
 
−
*{{cite web| title = Dei Verbum | year=1962 | url = http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html | accessdate = 2006-10-26 |publisher=Second Vatican Council}}
 
−
'''G'''
 
−
*{{cite book |title=Geneva Confession |url=http://www.studylight.org/his/ad/cac/con/geneva.html |accessdate=2006-10-20 |origyear=1537}}
 
−
'''H'''
 
−
*{{cite web | last =Hinckley | first = Gordon | authorlink = Gordon B. Hinckley |title=First Presidency Message: The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost | work =Ensign | date = March, 1998|url=http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1998.htm/ensign%20march%201998.htm/first%20presidency%20message%20the%20father%20son%20and%20holy%20ghost.htm?fn=document-frame.htm&f=templates&2.0| accessdate =2006-09-08}}
 
−
* {{cite web |last=Hendryx |first=John |title=The Work of the Trinity in Monergism |url=http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/monergism_short.html |accessdate=2006-05-29}}
 
−
'''I'''
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Ignatius of Antioch |authorlink= Ignatius of Antioch |title=Letter to the Magnesians |url=http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-magnesians-roberts.html |accessdate=2006-10-22 }}
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Ignatius of Antioch |authorlink= Ignatius of Antioch |title=Letter to the Romans |url=http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-19.htm#P1838_311890 |others=Roberts-Donaldson English translation |accessdate=2006-10-22}}
 
−
</div>
 
  
−
{{col-2-of-2}}
+
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/repentance.html Repentance]
−
<div class="references-small">
 
−
'''J'''
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Josephus |first=Flavius |title=Antiquities |authorlink=Josephus}}
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Justin Martyr |origdate=150 |title=First Apology |others=trans. Roberts-Donaldson |url=http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/justinmartyr-firstapology.html |accessdate=2006-08-01}}
 
−
'''L'''
 
−
*{{cite book |url=http://www.dailycatholic.org/history/4ecumen2.htm |title=Letter to Flavian, patriarch of Constantinople  |publisher=dailycatholic.org |accessdate=2006-10-25 |last=Leo the Great |authorlink=Pope Leo I}}
 
−
*{{cite web |last=Lossky |first=Vladimir | authorlink = Vladimir Lossky |title=God in Trinity |url=http://home.versatel.nl/chotki/God%20in%20Trin.htm |accessdate=2006-05-29}}
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Luther |first=Martin |title=Small Catechism}}
 
−
'''M'''
 
−
* {{cite web | title = Moshiach: The Messiah | url = http://www.jewfaq.org/moshiach.htm
 
−
| accessdate = 2006-08-26 |publisher=JewFaq.org |year=1998-2001}}
 
−
'''N'''
 
−
* {{cite web |last=Nash |first=Donald |url=http://www.crownhillchurch.com/Why_the_Churches_of_Christ_Are_Not_A_Denomination.pdf#search=%22church%20of%20christ%20not%20a%20denomination%22 |format=pdf |title=Why the Churches of Christ are not a Denomination |accessdate=2006-10-22 }}
 
−
*{{cite book |title=Nicene Creed |others=Greek and English translation |accessdate=2006-10-07 |url=http://www.bergen.edu/faculty/gcronk/creeds3.html |origdate=325 and 381}}
 
−
'''P'''
 
−
* {{cite web |last=Pratte |first=David E. |url=http://www.biblestudylessons.com/cgi-bin/gospel_way/denominations.php |year=1986 |accessdate=2006-10-22 |title=What Does God Think About Many Christian Denominations? }}
 
−
'''S'''
 
−
*''Religion, Religions, Religious'', essay by [[Jonathan Z. Smith]], published in book: {{cite book |editor=[[Mark C. Taylor]] |title=Critical Terms for Religious Studies |origyear=1998 |url=http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/791572.html |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0226791562 |chapter=fifteen |pages=430}}
 
−
* {{cite web |last=Spurgeon |first=Charles |authorlink= Charles Spurgeon |title=A defense of Calvinism |url=http://www.spurgeon.org/calvinis.htm |accessdate=2006-05-29}}
 
−
'''T'''
 
−
* {{cite book | title = Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England | origdate= 1563 | url=http://anglicansonline.org/basics/thirty-nine_articles.html |accessdate=2006-10-10}}
 
−
* {{cite book |last=Tacitus |title=[[Annals (Tacitus)|Annales]] |authorlink=Tacitus}}
 
−
'''U'''
 
−
* {{cite web | title =Unitarian Views of Jesus | url =http://www.uua.org/re/reach/fall01/curriculum/unitarian_views_of_jesus.html | accessdate =2006-09-08}}
 
−
'''W'''
 
−
* {{cite book |title=Westminster Confession |origdate=1643 |publisher=The Committee for Christian Education & Publications |url=http://www.pcanet.org/general/cof_contents.htm  |accessdate=2006-10-23}}
 
−
* {{cite web | title =What Does the Bible Say About God and Jesus? | work =Should You Believe in the Trinity? | publisher =Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania | date =1989 | url =http://www.watchtower.org/library/ti/article_05.htm|accessdate = 2006-09-07}}
 
−
* {{cite web |last=Winkler |first=Wendell |url=http://www.thebible.net/introchurch/ch4.html |title=Christ's Church is not a Denomination |year=1981 |publisher=Star Bible Publications |location=Fort Worth, Texas |accessdate=2006-10-22}}
 
−
</div>
 
−
{{col-end}}
 
  
−
====Secondary sources====
+
* [https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/what-if-you-die-today/ What Must You Do To Be SAVED?]
−
{{col-begin}}
 
  
−
{{col-1-of-2}}
+
'''Tips on choosing a Christian church:'''
−
<div class="references-small">
 
−
'''A'''
 
  
−
* {{cite book |last=Ahlstrom |first=Sydney E. |title=A Religious History of the American People |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven and London |year=1972 }}
+
*[http://www.allaboutreligion.org/choosing-a-christian-church-faq.htm Choosing a Christian Church]
−
* {{cite book |title=From the Stone Age to Christianity: Monotheism and the Historical Process |edition=2nd edition |last=Albright |fist=William F. |year=1957}}
 
−
* {{cite book |first=T. Desmond |last=Alexander |coauthors=Brian S. Rosner, D. A. Carson, Graeme Goldsworthy |title=New Dictionary of Biblical Theology |publisher=InterVarsity Press |year=2000}}
 
−
*{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.bookrags.com/Arianism |title=Arianism |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Religion |year=2001-2006 |publisher=Macmillan Reference USA |accessdate=2006-05-05}}
 
−
'''B'''
 
−
* {{cite book |last=Bauer |first=Walter |authorlink=Walter Bauer |title=Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature |edition=2ed. |year=1979 }}
 
−
* {{cite book | last=Bokenkotter |first=Thomas | title=A Concise History of the Catholic Church | location=New York | publisher=Doubleday | year=2004 }}
 
−
* {{cite book | last = Bruce | first = F.F. | title = The Canon of Scripture | publisher = InterVarsity Press | date = 1988 | location = Downers Grove, Ill. | ISBN = 083081258X}}
 
−
*{{cite book|last = Budge|first = E. A. Wallis|authorlink = E. A. Wallis Budge|year = 1900|title = Egyptian Religion|publisher = Kessinger}}
 
−
'''C'''
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Cannistraro |first=Philip V. |coauthors=John J. Reich | title=The Western Perspective: A History of Civilization in the West - Volume A To 1500 | location=New York | publisher=Harcourt Brace College Publishers | year=1999 }}
 
−
*{{cite book |title=Catholic Encyclopedia |origyear=1913 |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/index.html |publisher=The Encyclopedia Press |accessdate=2006-10-20 }}
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Chadwick |first=Henry |title=East and West: the Making of a Rift in the Church |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2003 }}
 
−
*{{cite book | last = Chambers | first = Mortimer | coauthors = Crew, Herlihy, Rabb, Woloch | title = The Western Experience Volume II: The Early Modern Period | edition = 1st | year = 1974 | publisher = Alfred A. Knopf | id = ISBN 0-394-31734-3}}
 
−
*{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |title=Christianity |url=http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9360716 |accessdate=2006-07-01}}
 
−
* {{cite book |last=Clark |first=Kelly James |url=http://www.calvin.edu/academic/philosophy/virtual_library/articles/clark_kelly_j/trinity_or_tritheism.pdf |format=pdf |title=Virtual Library of Christian Philosophy |chapter=Trinity or Tritheism |publisher=Philosophy Department, Calvin College |accessdate=2006-05-18}}
 
−
*{{cite book |last = Cohen|first = Mark|authorlink = Mark Cohen|year = 1995 |title = Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages. |publisher = Princeton University Press  |id = ISBN 0-691-01082-X }}
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Cruz |first=Jo Ann H. Moran |coauthors=Richard Gerberding |title=Medieval Worlds: An Introduction to European History 300-1492 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |year=2004 }}
 
−
'''D'''
 
−
*{{cite web |publisher=Princeton University |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=christianity |title=Dictionary.com |chapter=Christianity |accessdate=2006-05-18}}
 
−
'''E'''
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Ellegard |first=Alvar |year=1999 |title=Jesus One Hundred Years Before Christ}}
 
−
*{{cite book |title=Easton’s Bible Dictionary |year=1897 |url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/ebd/ebd082.htm |chapter=Christian |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
  
−
'''F'''
+
=== Books ===
−
*{{cite book |last=Ferguson|first=Niall|title=Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire |publisher=Penguin Books| year=2005 |id=ISBN 0-14-101700-7}}
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Fuller|first=Reginald H.|title=[[Reginald H. Fuller#The Foundations of New Testament Christology (1965)|The Foundations of New Testament Christology]] |publisher=Scribners| year=1965 |id=ISBN 0-00-641874-0}}
 
−
'''G'''
 
−
*{{cite book | title=The Story of Christianity |last=Gonzalez |first=Justo L. | year=1984, 1985, 1999 | id=ISBN 1-56563-522-1}}
 
−
'''H'''
 
−
* {{cite book |title=Resurrection: The Capstone in the Arch of Christianity |first=Hank |last=Hanegraaff |publisher=Word Publishing }}
 
−
*{{cite web |last=Henry |first=Matthew |url=http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/matthew/mh/matthew1.htm |title=Commentary on Matthew 1}}
 
−
* {{cite book |url=http://www.bartleby.com/59/5/monotheism.html |title=The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy |edition=Third Edition |last=Hirsch, Jr. |first=Joseph F. |coauthors=James Trefil Kett |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |year=2002 }}
 
−
'''J'''
 
−
* {{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Paul |authorlink=Paul Johnson (writer) |title=A History of Christianity | location=New York | publisher=Touchstone | year=1979|id= ISBN 0-684-81503-6}}
 
−
'''K'''
 
−
* {{cite book|last=Kelly|first=J.N.D.|title=Early Christian Doctrines|publisher=Prince Press|date=1960, reprint Aug 2004|location=Peabody, Massachusetts|id=ISBN 1-56563-911-1}}
 
−
* {{cite book |title=God Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism |first=Jonathan |last=Kirsch |year=2004}}
 
−
</div>
 
  
−
{{col-2-of-2}}
+
*''The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ'' by Bill Hull. ‎NavPress; Annotated edition (November 6, 2006)
−
<div class="references-small">
+
*''The Pursuit of Holiness'' by Jerry Bridges. NavPress; Enlarged edition (November 3, 2016)
−
'''L'''
+
*''The Practice of Godliness'' by Jerry Bridges. NavPress (June 1, 2016)
−
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Latourette |first=Kenneth Scott |encyclopedia=Collier's Encyclopedia |title=Christianity |volume=vol. 6 |location=New York |publisher=Macmillan Educational Company |year=1990}}
 
−
* {{cite book|last =Letham|first =Robert|title =The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship|publisher =P&R Publishing|date =2004|location =Phillipsburg, New Jersey|id=ISBN 0-87552-000-6}}
 
−
*{{cite book |last = Lewis |first = Bernard |authorlink = Bernard Lewis |year = 1987 |title = The Jews of Islam  |publisher = Princeton University Press  |id = ISBN 0-691-00807-8 }}
 
−
* {{cite book | title=Mere Christianity |last=Lewis |first=C.S | authorlink = C. S. Lewis | id=ISBN 0-06-065292-6}}
 
−
'''M'''
 
−
* {{cite book |last=MacCulloch |first=Diarmaid |title=[[The Reformation: A History]] |publisher=Penguin Group |location=New York |year=2003 |id=ISBN 0-670-03296-4}}
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Mack |first=Burton |year=2001 |title=The Christian Myth: Origins, Logic, and Legacy. Social formation of myth making}}
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Marshall |first=Paul |title=Their Blood Cries Out |coauthors=Lela Gilbert |publisher=W Publishing Group}}
 
−
* {{cite book |first=Alister E.|last=McGrath |title=Historical Theology |publisher=Blackwell |year=2000 }}
 
−
* {{cite journal |last=Meconi |first=David Vincent |title=Pagan Monotheism in Late Antiquity (review) |journal=Journal of Early Christian Studies |volume=vol. 8 |year=2000 |issue=Spring, number 1}}
 
−
* {{cite book | title=Christian Theology: An Introduction |last=McGrath |first=Alister | id=ISBN 0-631-22528-5}}
 
−
* {{cite book | title=Christian Theology Reader |last=McGrath |first=Alister | id=ISBN 0-631-20637-X}}
 
−
* {{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0833762.html |encyclopedia=Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia |title=Monotheism |edition=6th ed. |year=2006 |publisher=Columbia University Press }}
 
−
* {{cite book |last=Munro |first=Greg |url=http://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/research/theology/ejournal/aejt_2/Greg_Munro.htm |accessdate=2006-10-21 |id= ISSN 1448–632 |publisher=Australian E-Journal of Theology |title=A Book Review of "A World History of Christianity" (ed. Adrian Hastings) |year=2004}}
 
−
'''N'''
 
−
* {{cite book |title=Rome and the Eastern Churches: a Study in Schism |location=Edinburgh |year=1992 |last=Nichols |first=A.}}
 
−
* {{cite book |title=Radical Monotheism and Western Culture |last=Niebuhr |first=H. Richard |year=1960 }}
 
−
'''O'''
 
−
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Oden |first=Thomas |encyclopedia=Systematic Theology: an ecumenical trilogy |volume=(1) |title=The Living God |year=1992 |id=ISBN 0-06-066363-4}}
 
−
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Oden |first=Thomas |encyclopedia=Systematic Theology: an ecumenical trilogy |volume=(2) |title=The Word of Life |year=1992 |id=ISBN 0-06-066364-2}}
 
−
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Oden |first=Thomas |encyclopedia=Systematic Theology: an ecumenical trilogy |volume=(3) |title=Life in the Spirit |year=1994 |id=ISBN 0-06-066362-6}}
 
−
'''P'''
 
−
* {{cite book |last=Pelikan |first=Jaroslav | authorlink = Jaroslav Pelikan |year=1971-1989 |title=The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine }}
 
−
* {{cite book |first=E. |last=Peterson |chapter=Christianus |title=Miscellanea Giovanni Mercati I, Studi e testi |location=Vatican City |year=1946}}
 
−
'''R'''
 
−
* {{cite book |last=Robertson |first=Archibald |authorlink=Archibald Robertson |url=http://ditext.com/robertson/christianity.html |title=The Origins of Christianity |accessdate=2006-10-20 |year=1954, 1962 }}
 
−
'''S'''
 
−
*{{cite book | last = Sproul | first = R.C. | authorlink = R. C. Sproul | title = Knowing Scripture | publisher = InterVarsity Press | date = 1977 | location = Downers Grove, Ill. | pages = 45-61 | ISBN = 0877847339}}
 
−
'''T'''
 
−
* {{cite book |last=Tomkins |first=Stephen |year=2005 |title=A Short History of Christianity |location=Lion}}
 
−
'''V'''
 
−
* {{cite book |editor=Vermes, Geza and Martin D. Goodman (ed.) |title=The Essenes according to the Classical Sources |location=Sheffield |publisher=Oxford Centre for Postgraduate Hebrew Studies and JSOT Press |year=1989}}
 
−
'''W'''
 
−
*{{cite book |last=Wenham |first=David |title=Paul: Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity? }}
 
−
*{{cite book |title=An Introduction to Christianity |first=Linda |last=Woodhead |year=2004 }}
 
−
'''Y'''
 
−
*{{cite book |title=The Decline of Eastern Christianity Under Islam: From Jihad to Dhimmitude: Seventh-Twentieth Century |last=Ye'Or |first=Bat |publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson University Press}}
 
−
'''Z'''
 
−
* {{cite book |title=The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion |editor=R. J. Zwi Werblowsky and G. Wigoder (eds.) |location=New York |year=1997 |id=ISBN 0-19-508605-8}}
 
  
−
</div>
+
==See also==
−
{{col-end}}
+
[[File:1024px-Pentarchy 565 CE.png|thumbnail|700px|[[Pentarchy]] in 565 AD.]]
 +
'''Denominations or branches of Christianity'''
 +
*[[Roman Catholic Church]]
 +
*[[Pentarchy]]
 +
*[[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Churches  -- Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East]]
 +
*[[Protestantism|Protestant]]
 +
**[[Anglican]] ([[Church of England]])
 +
***[[Episcopal Church]] (USA affiliate)
 +
**[[Baptist]]
 +
**[[Congregationalist]]
 +
**[[Disciples of Christ]] and [[Churches of Christ]]
 +
**[[Evangelical Christianity]]
 +
**[[Religious Society of Friends|Friends (Quaker)]]
 +
**[[Fundamentalism]]
 +
**[[Lutheran]]
 +
**[[Mennonite]]
 +
***[[Amish]]
 +
**[[Messianic Judaism]]
 +
**[[Methodist]]
 +
**[[Pentecostal]]
 +
**[[Plymouth Brethren]]
 +
**[[Presbyterian]]
 +
**[[Reformed]]
 +
*[[Coptic_Church | Coptic Church]]
 +
*[[Ethiopian_Orthodox_Tewahedo_Church | Ethiopian Church ]]
 +
*[[Indian_Orthodox_Church | Indian Orthodox Church]]
 +
*[[Independent_Catholic_churches |Independent Catholic Churches]]
 +
'''Disputed'''
 +
*[[Christian Science]]
 +
*[[Jehovah's Witnesses]]
 +
*[[Latter-day Saints]]
 +
*[[Unitarian]]
 +
*[[Seventh-day Adventist]]
 +
*[[Society_of_St._Pius_X |SSPX traditionalist Catholicism Latin mass]]
 +
*[[Liberal Catholic Church]]
 +
*Oneness [[Pentecostalism]]
 +
*[[Liberal Christianity]]
 +
'''Christianity in the World'''
  
−
====Popular Media====
+
*[[Global Christianity]]
−
{{col-begin}}
+
*[[List of countries by number of Christians]]
−
{{col-1-of-2}}
 
−
<div class="references-small">
 
−
'''B'''
 
−
*{{cite web | last = Bahnsen | first = Greg | authorlink = Greg Bahnsen | title = A Reformed Confession Regarding Hermeneutics | url = http://www.cmfnow.com/articles/pt173.htm | accessdate = 2006-10-06}}
 
−
'''C'''
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://www.christianmonitor.org |title=christianmonitor.org |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://catholic-resources.org/Art/Koch-ChristianSymbols.htm |publisher=CatholicResources.org |title=Christian Symbols |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
−
*{{cite web |title=Christianity |url=http://www.world-faiths.com/Christianity/christianity.htm |publisher=world-faiths.net |accessdate=2006-10-22 }}
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://christianity.about.com |title=Christianity - General and How to Live the Christian Faith |publisher=About.com, The New York Times Company }}
 
−
*{{cite web |title=Christian Today Library |url=http://ctlibrary.com |publisher=ChristianityToday.com |accessdate=2006-10-26}}
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=24886 |title=Christians persecuted in Islamic nations |accessdate=2006-10-25 |publisher=Worldnetdaily.com}}
 
−
'''D'''
 
−
*{{cite web |title=New Government Statistics on China's Christians |publisher=WorthyNews.com |last=Davenport |first=Paul |url=http://www.worthynews.com/news-features/compass-china-survey.html |accessdate=2006-10-22}}
 
−
'''E'''
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGAFR640172005 |publisher=amnesty.org |title= Eritrea: Government must end religious persecution |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
−
'''F'''
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2003/10/daily-10-08-2003.shtml |title=First Meeting of the Council of Chalcedon |publisher=Christian History Institute |year=1999-2006 |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
−
*{{cite journal | last = Foutz | first = Scott David | title = Martin Luther and Scripture | journal = Quodlibet Online Journal | publisher = Society of Online Christian Theology and Philosophy | url = http://www.quodlibet.net/luther.shtml | accessdate = 2006-10-06}}
 
−
'''E'''
 
−
*{{cite web | title = Ethiopian Orthodox Old Testament | work = The Bible: The Book That Bridges the Millennia | url = http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/ethold.stm | accessdate = 2006-10-09}}
 
−
'''G'''
 
−
*{{cite web | last = Glenny | first = W. Edward | title = Typology: A Summary Of The Present Evangelical Discussion | date = March 1997 | url = http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_typology_glenny.html | accessdate = 2006-10-10}}
 
−
*{{cite web|title=Gnostics, Gnostic Gospels, & Gnosticism|url=http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/gnostics.html| accessdate=2006-05-30}}
 
−
*{{cite web |title=Growth of Christianity in South Korea |publisher=LutherProductions.com |url=http://demo.lutherproductions.com/historytutor/basic/modern/stories/christ-korea.htm |accessdate=2006-10-22 }}
 
−
'''J'''
 
−
* {{cite web |title=Jehovah's Witnesses Membership Statistics |url=http://www.jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm#Jehovah%Witness%Membership%2005 |accessdate=2006-10-22}}
 
  
−
</div>
+
'''American Christianity:'''
  
−
{{col-2-of-2}}
+
*[[American Christianity]]
−
<div class="references-small">
+
'''Christianity by continent'''
−
'''K'''
+
*[[Christianity in Africa]]
−
*{{cite web |url=http://www.kimsoft.com/1997/xhist.htm |publisher=Xhist.com |title=History of Christianity in Korea |first=Andrew E. |last=Kim |accessdate=2006-10-22}}
+
*[[Christianity in Asia]]
−
*{{cite web |url=http://www.aim.org/media_monitor/4610_0_2_0_C/  |publisher=aim.org |accessdate=2006-10-25 |title=Christians Under Siege in Kosovo |last=Kincaid |first=Cliff |year=2006}}
+
*[[Christianity in Australia | Christianity in Australia, Oceania, New Zealand]]
−
'''M'''
+
*[[Christianity in Europe]]
−
*{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Gary |url=http://thetruereligion.org/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=122 |title=A concise reply to Christianity |publisher=thetruereligion.org |accessdate=2006-10-26}}
+
*[[Christianity in North America | Christianity in North America, Caribbean]]
−
'''O'''
+
*[[Christianity in South America | Christianity in South America, Central America]]
−
*{{cite web |url=http://www.britishorthodox.org/113e.php |title=Oriental Orthodox Rejection of Chalcedon |publisher=British Orthodox Church |accessdate=2006-10-25 |year=2006}}
 
−
'''P'''
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://www.persecution.org/newsite/index.php |title=persecution.org |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
−
'''R'''
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html |publisher=Adherents.com |title=Religions by Adherents |accessdate=2006-05-18}}
 
−
*{{cite web |title=ReligionFacts.com |url=http://www.religionfacts.com |accessdate=2006-10-25 |publisher=Religion Facts }}
 
−
'''S'''
 
−
*{{citeweb |title=Sassanids, to 500 |publisher=Macro History |url=http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/ch22c.htm |accessdate=2006-10-26}}
 
−
*{{cite web | title =Socinianism: Unitarianism in 16th-17th Century Poland and Its Influence | url =http://www.sullivan-county.com/nf0/nov_2000/unitarian1.htm | accessdate = 2006-09-07}}
 
−
*{{cite web |title=Statistical Report: Annual Council of the General Conference Committee Silver Spring, Marlyand, October 6&mdash;11, 2006 |url=http://www.adventistarchives.org/docs/Stats/ACRep2006.pdf |year=2006 |accessdate=2006-11-16 }}
 
−
'''T'''
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://dailywisdom.gospelcom.net/dw_static/dw-level2.html |publisher=Gospelcom.net |title=The Most Important Event in History |accessdate=2006-10-23 }}
 
−
*{{cite web | publisher= The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | title = The Scriptures, Internet Edition | url = http://scriptures.lds.org | accessdate = 2006-10-06}}
 
−
'''W'''
 
−
*{{cite web |url=http://www.cuf.org/faithfacts/details_view.asp?ffID=191 |title=We Believe in One God...: The Nicene Creed at Mass |publisher=Catholics United for the Faith |year=2004 |accessdate=2006-10-25}}
 
−
*{{cite web | last = White | first = James | authorlink = James White (theologian) | coauthors = Gerry Matatics | title = Does The Bible Teach Sola Scriptura? | date = November, 1992 | url = http://www.aomin.org/SolaTop.html | accessdate = 2006-10-09}}
 
−
* {{cite book |url=http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_NDCT_Paul.htm |title=New Dictionary of Theology |last=Wright |first=David F. |coauthors=Sinclair B. Ferguson, J.I. Packer }}
 
  
 +
'''Other articles'''
 +
[[File:All Souls College, Oxford.jpg|thumbnail|right|300px|The prominent historian Sir Diarmaid MacCulloch, professor of the History of the Church at [[Oxford University]], indicates that he believes Christianity faces a "bright future" worldwide (See also: [[Global Christianity]]).
 +
<br />
 +
<br />
 +
According to MacCulloch, "Christianity, the world's largest religion, is rapidly expanding – by all indications, its future is very bright."<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/10/catholic-schism-diarmaid-macculloh-silence-in-christian-history_n_1663231.html Historian predicts 'bright future' for Christianity]</ref>
 +
<br />
 +
<br />
 +
See also: [[Future of Christianity]] ]]
 +
*[[Future of Christianity]]
 +
*[[Christianity and social stability]]
 +
*[[Resurrection Sunday | Easter]]
 +
*[[Christmas]]
 +
*[[Adiabene]]
 +
*[[Essay: The earliest Christian Church, a prison in Armageddon]]
 +
*[[Aramaic Church]]
 +
*[[Cathedral]]
 +
*[[Catholicism]]
 +
*[[Apostolic Tradition]]
 +
*[[Christian apologetics]] (Defense of Christianity)
 +
*[[Christians and the Law of Moses: an essay]]
 +
*[[Christianity and Science]]
 +
*[[Christianity and women's rights]]
 +
*[[Christian marriage]]
 +
*[[Church]]
 +
*[[Conservative Christianity]]
 +
*[[Eucharist]]
 +
*[[Evangelical Apostolic Church of North America (Syro-Chaldean)]]
 +
*[[Ex opere operato and ex opere operantis]]
 +
*[[Christian apologetics|Evidence for Christianity]]
 +
*[[Gospel reading in the Church: the Turgama]]
 +
*[[Infant baptism]]
 +
*[[Inspiration of Holy Scripture: An Eastern Christian and Jewish Perspective]]
 +
*[[Jesus Christ]]
 +
*[[Judaism]]
 +
*[[Messiah]]
 +
*[[Head covering (Christianity)]]
 +
<div style="column-count:3;-moz-column-count:3;-webkit-column-count:3">
 +
*[[New Testament understanding through the Jewish perspective]]
 +
*[[Jewish Biblical way of interpretation: a solution for New Testament understanding]]
 +
*[[Early Aramaic Jewish Christian prophesying]]
 +
*[[First Century Aramaic Jewish Christian Gospel and poetry]]
 +
*[[Aramaic Judaism, Jewish Aramaic Christianity, and John 1:1]]
 +
*[[God on earth, the original!: an essay]]
 +
*[[Passover Seder]]
 +
*[[Persecution of Christians]]
 +
*[[Revelation, Book of (historical exegesis)]]
 +
*[[Red-letter Christian]]
 +
*[[Sign of the Cross]]
 +
*[[The Sign of the Cross: of Jewish Origin]]
 +
*[[Essay: The Way of Salvation]]
 +
*[[Gates of Hell]]
 +
*[[Anti Abortion activism: a personal essay]]
 +
*[[Transmigration of Words in Religion: an essay]]
 +
*[[Singing the Hebrew Scriptures]]
 +
*[[Christmas in the Holy Land: an essay]]
 +
*[[Essay: How to "get" a church]]
 +
*[[Essay: How to choose a Bible]]
 +
*[[Essay: Water baptism cannot save, the Church cannot save, Born again by faith alone]]
 +
*[[Bible translations]]
 +
*[[Essay: The superiority of the King James Bible: Looking through!]]
 +
*[[Essay:Christianity Needs Conservatism]]
 +
*[[Essay:Christian First, Conservative Second]]
 +
*[[Essay:How Many Christians In The World]]
 +
*[[Essay:How Conservatism Is Essential to the Future of Christianity]]
 +
*[[Essay:Important Christian Cities]]
 +
*[[Essay:Virtue: Christian vs secular]]
 +
*[[Essay:Counter-cultural Christianity]]
 +
*[[Essay:Why Christianity is incompatible with Liberalism]]
 
</div>
 
</div>
−
{{col-end}}
 
  
 
==Further reading==
 
==Further reading==
−
{{wikiquote|Christianity}}
+
===Encyclopedias===
−
{{Commonscat}}
+
*  Bodensieck, Julius, ed. ''The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church,'' (3 vol 1965), ECLS perspective
−
* [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/ From Jesus to Christ] Perspectives on Jesus and early Christianity from various academics.
+
* Brauer, Jerald C. ''The Westminster Dictionary of Church History'' (1971), 880pp
−
* [http://www.bethinking.org bethinking.org Christianity] Treating Christianity as a whole worldview or perspective and looking at the relationship between historic Christianity and contemporary thought.
+
* [http://newadvent.org/cathen/index.html ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' (1907-1913)], old but highly detailed and online
−
* [http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/HC02Ae03.html Asia is becoming one of the largest Christian populations in the world in the next 30 years].
+
** ''New Catholic Encyclopedia'', edited by the Catholic University of America, 17 vol. 1967–1979.
−
* {{cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/index.shtml | title = Christianity | work = Religion & Ethics | publisher = BBC | accessdate = 2006-04-12}}
+
*Cross, F. L., and E. A. Livingstone, eds. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church''  (3rd ed. 1997), 1840pp; [https://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Dictionary-Christian-Church/dp/0192802909/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b excerpt and text search]; online at [[OUP]]
−
* [http://www.bidstrup.com/bible.htm ''The Bible And Christianity - The Historical Origins''] An essay by Scott Bidstrup.
+
* Elwell, Walter A., ed. ''Evangelical Dictionary of Theology‎'' (2001) 1312 pages; articles by over 200 Evangelical or Fundamentalist scholars
−
* [[Gillian Clark]], ''Christianity and Roman Society'', Cambridge University Press, 2004, ISBN 0-521-63386-9
+
*Hastings, Adrian et al. eds. ''The Oxford Companion to Christian Thought'' (2000) 808pp; 600 articles by 260 Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox scholars; [https://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0198600240/ref=sib_dp_pt/105-4292297-2766841#reader-link excerpt and text search]; online at [[OUP]]
−
* McCabe,J. 'A History of The Popes', (1939), RPA, London.
+
*''New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge'' (1911), major sources of older scholarly articles; mainline Protestant perspective 
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc01.toc.html Vol. 1: Aachen - Basilians]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc02.toc.html Vol. 2: Basilica - Chambers]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc03.toc.html Vol. 3: Chamier - Draendorf]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc04.toc.html Vol. 4: Draeseke - Goa]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc05.toc.html Vol. 5: Goar - Innocent]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc06.toc.html Vol. 6: Innocents - Liudger]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc07.toc.html Vol. 7: Liutprand - Moralities]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc08.toc.html Vol. 8: Morality - Petersen]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc09.toc.html Vol. 9: Petri - Reuchlin]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc10.toc.html Vol. 10: Reutsch - Son]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc11.toc.html Vol. 11: Son of Man - Tremellius]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc12.toc.html Vol. 12: Trench - Zwingli]
 +
**[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc13.toc.html Vol. 13: Index]
 +
 
 +
===Histories===
 +
*Briggs, J. H. Y., Robert D. Linder, and David F. Wright. ''Introduction to the History of Christianity: First Century to the Present Day'' (2006) [https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-History-Christianity-Century-Present/dp/0800638123/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200823548&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search]
 +
*Gonzalez, Justo L. ''A History of Christian Thought: Volume 1: From the Beginnings to the Council of Chalcedon'' (2nd ed. 1987); [https://www.amazon.com/History-Christian-Thought-Beginnings-Chalcedon/dp/0687171822/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200823941&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search vol 1]; ''A History of Christian Thought: Volume 2: From Augustine to the Eve of the Reformation'' (2nd ed. 1987) [https://www.amazon.com/History-Christian-Thought-Augustine-Reformation/dp/0687171830/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200823941&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search vol 2]; ''A History of Christian Thought: Volume 3: From the Protestant Reformation to the Twentieth Century'' (1987) [https://www.amazon.com/History-Christian-Thought-Protestant-Reformation/dp/0687171849/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200808706&sr=8-12 excerpt and text search vol 3]
 +
*Horsley, Richard A. ''Christian Origins: A People's History Of Christianity, Vol. 1'' (2006), 318pp [https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Origins-Peoples-History-Christianity/dp/080063411X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200886474&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
 +
*Latourette, Kenneth Scott. ''A History of Christianity'' (2 vol 1975) [https://www.amazon.com/History-Christianity-Beginnings-1500-Revised/dp/0060649526/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200823548&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search vol 1, to 1500], by leading Baptist scholar
 +
*Latourette, Kenneth Scott. ''A history of the expansion of Christianity'' (7 vol 1939–1970), monumental history of missionary work worldwide
 +
*MacCulloch, Diarmaid. ''The Reformation'' (2005), influential recent survey [https://www.amazon.com/Reformation-Diarmaid-MacCulloch/dp/014303538X/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200808706&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
 +
*McGonigle, Thomas D., and James F. Quigley. ''A history of the Christian Tradition: From Its Jewish Origins to the Reformation'' (1988); ''A History of the Christian Tradition, Vol. II: From the Reformation to the Present'' (1996) [https://www.amazon.com/History-Christian-Tradition-Vol-Reformation/dp/0809136481/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200808706&sr=8-15 excerpt and text search vol 2]
 +
*Pelikan, Jaroslav. ''Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine'' (5 vol 1975–91) [https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Tradition-Development-Doctrine-Medieval/dp/0226653757/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201083460&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search v. 3, 600 AD - 1300]; [https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Tradition-Development-Reformation-1300-1700/dp/0226653773/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201083460&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search vol 4, 1300-1700]; [https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Tradition-History-Development-Doctrine/dp/0226653803/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201083460&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search vol 5, 1700-present] This is the standard history of Christian doctrine.
 +
*Ward, Keith. ''Christianity: A Beginner's Guide'' (2008), 195pp
 +
 
 +
===United States===
 +
* Ahlstrom, Sydney E. ''A religious history of the American people‎'' (1979) 1192 pages; classic history from broad perspective [https://books.google.com/books?id=5kFF6a1viGcC&dq=inauthor:ahlstrom&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpt and text search]
 +
* Balmer, Randall. ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism'' (2nd ed. 2004), 655pp [http://www.questia.com/library/book/encyclopedia-of-evangelicalism-by-randall-balmer.jsp ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism'' online edition]
 +
* Lippy, Charles H. and Peter W. Williams, eds. ''Encyclopedia of the American religious experience: studies of traditions and movements'' (3 vol 1988) 1872 pages; standard reference work; long essays by scholars
 +
* Noll, Mark A. ''A history of Christianity in the United States and Canada‎'' (1992), by leading Evangelical historian [https://books.google.com/books?id=VGF3wbzzy9QC&dq=intitle:christianity+inauthor:noll&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpt and text search]
 +
* Queen, Edward L. et al., eds. ''Encyclopedia of American Religious History'' (3rd ed. 2 vol. 2009) 1200pp
 +
* Reid, Daniel G. et al., eds. ''Dictionary of Christianity in America'' (199)
 +
* Wooley, Davis C. ed. ''Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists‎'' (5 vol 1958–1982; 2565 pages)
 +
 
 +
==References==
 +
{{reflist|2}}
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
* [http://www.biblegateway.com Bible Gateway] The Bible online.
+
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/christians/ What Liberals Say - Category: Christians], [[Accuracy In Media]]
−
* [http://www.newadvent.org/ New Advent] A collection of resources including the Church Fathers, the ''Summa Theologica'', the Catholic Encyclopedia, and others.
+
*[http://www.churchbud.com Christian Social Network]
−
* [http://www.monergism.com/ Monergism.com] Theological articles grouped by topic.
+
*[http://bertschlossberg.blogspot.com/2012/11/jesus-through-fabric-of-our-lives.html Jesus through the Fabric of our Lives]
−
* [http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/index.htm ReligionFacts.com: Christianity] Fast facts, glossary, timeline, history, beliefs, texts, holidays, symbols, people, etc.
+
*[http://bertschlossberg.blogspot.com/ Real Life and Death: the interplay of Bible, Israel, America]
−
* [http://www.wikichristian.org WikiChristian], a wiki book on Christianity, church history and doctrine, and [[Christian art]] and music
+
*[http://bertschlossberg.blogspot.de/2013/05/who-can-be-saved-who-can-not-be-saved.html Who can be saved? Who can not be saved?]
−
* [http://sor.cua.edu Syriac Orthodox Resources] Large compendium of information and links relating to Oriental Orthodoxy.
 
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Latest revision as of 22:41, October 18, 2026

Jesus5.jpg
Christianity

Foundations
Jesus Christ
The Gospel

Bible
Old Testament
New Testament
Ten Commandments

Christian Theology
Trinity: Father,
Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit
Atonement
Nicene Creed
Creation
Defense of Christianity
Salvation

History and Traditions
Messianic Judaism
Roman Catholic Church
Arianism
Orthodox Church
Crusades
Protestant Reformation
Counter Reformation
Protestantism
Missions
Great Awakening
Social Gospel
Mainline
Liberal Christians
Evangelical Christians
Fundamentalism

Important Figures
Saint Paul
Saint Athanasius
Saint Augustine
Thomas Aquinas
Martin Luther
John Calvin
Jonathan Edwards
John Wesley
Pope

Christianity is the world's largest religion, having approximately 2.6 billion followers in 2024.[1] In terms of its geographic distribution, Christianity is the most globally diverse religion.[2] Christianity has always been the best way to turn one's life around, to achieve more, to overcome addiction and anxiety, and to enjoy life to a much greater extent. Christianity originated faith and eternal life.

Christianity brings God closest to mankind through Jesus as the Son of God. Literally, Christianity means "of Christ," or "belonging to Christ," or "being like Christ."[3][4][5] The Book of Acts (Acts 11:26 ) records that "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." The title Christian is also used in Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16. Christians believe in God, the virginal conception and the virginal birth of Jesus Christ, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, Heaven, survival of the soul after death, the Second Coming of Jesus, the resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment, the reality of Hell, and the teachings of Jesus Christ as written in the Bible.

History of Christianity

See also: History of Christianity and Historicity of Jesus and Evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Christianity's teachings are derived from the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the 1st century A.D.[6]

The historicity of Jesus focuses on whether Jesus Christ existed as a real historical person, or whether he is simply a mythological imagination. The evidence for the existence of Jesus is overwhelming, as is agreed upon by every professor in every academic institution in every relevant field in the world.[7] In other words, for someone to argue that Jesus never existed (and thus is merely a myth) is to place himself against not only the field of scholarship and the historical record, but even against reason and common sense.

There is strong evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ (See: Evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ).

Main Christian Divisions

The three largest self-governing bodies of Christians are:

  • The Roman Catholic Church (approx. 1.1 billion baptized members) traces its roots back to Saint Peter whom Catholics believe was appointed as the first leader of the church by Jesus Christ and the succession of Popes as the spiritual leaders of Christendom.
Anglican Christ Church in Western Australia
  • Protestantism: the largest Communions are the Anglicans (approx. 115 million baptized members) and the Lutheran World Federation (approx. 68 million baptized members). Protestantism has its origins in the European Reformation. The Protestant movement broke from the Roman Catholic Church under Martin Luther when differences over the nature of faith and works in the role of salvation, as well as other practices of the Catholic Church that Luther saw as unBiblical, were raised. Within Protestantism are four major branches:
    • Mainline, which comprise many of the major denominations outside of the Baptists. These denominations usually have high church services and have increasingly become liberal in their theology and ecumenical in their dealings with other churches, even outside Protestantism.
    • Pentecostal, these groups are generally conservative in their theology, and are known primarily for their emphasis on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as a separate event from salvation, and speaking in tongues.
    • Fundamentalist, these groups are very conservative theologically, but are better known for their emphasis on "separation" from both the world (bordering on, if not crossing over, into legalism) and groups who do not believe as they do (which often includes other fundamentalist groups).
    • Evangelical, this term tends to be a catch-all for a church or denomination not falling into one of the other three categories, but generally also holding to traditional Christian theology. Most non-denominational churches are generally evangelical, as well as the largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention. As the name suggests, they have a major emphasis on Christian evangelism. They are also known for their belief that Christians should be active in the political arena, opposing such political views as abortion and homosexual marriage; in this arena they will work with any group—Protestant or otherwise—who will work with them.

Christian Beliefs

Christian beliefs are well supported via a large body of compelling evidence. Theologians, over two millennia, have debated a definitive summary of the Christian faith. While its interpretations vary drastically, probably the most commonly accepted statement of the faith is the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.

Christians and Christian denominations agree on many points of doctrine while disagreeing on some. According to an online Harris poll from 2003, 99% of all American Christians believe in God, 96% in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 93% in Heaven, 93% in the virgin birth, 92% in the survival of the soul after death, 82% in Hell, 50% in ghosts, 27% in astrology and 21% in reincarnation.[9] Note that the latter two beliefs are in opposition to the religious tenets of most Christian denominations.

Nonetheless, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed offers a general overall picture of what Christian theology looks like, and serves as a useful outline and historic standard. Other creeds may prove helpful in research. See the Apostles' Creed and the Athanasian Creed.

God

In the Bible, a dove is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit.[10]

See also: God and Trinity and God the Father and God the Son and Holy Spirit

God is a triune being. Though there is only one Divine nature there are three Divine Personages: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three Persons are collectively called the Trinity or the Holy Trinity. While God is tripartite, this does not imply that Christians are polytheists. The doctrine of the Trinity is central to Christian theology, although several denominations that usually are considered Christian are non-Trinitarian. The God of the Christian is the creator of all things, is everywhere present, exists in all times, is transcendent, all-knowing (omniscient), just, and all-powerful (omnipotent).

A major theme of the Bible is love. In the Hebrew Old Testament the idea is expressed in the Hebrew word hessed, which is variously translated as loyal love, tender mercy, steadfast love, mercy, goodness, etc., in the New Testament the same idea is expressed in the Greek word agape, which translates to love, compassion and charity.

Jesus

Jesus' Baptism.jpg

During the reign of Caesar Augustus the Son (i.e. the second Person of the Trinity) took flesh from a virgin woman and was incarnated as a man. He was born in the town of Bethlehem and was given the name Jesus. At approximately the age of thirty he was baptised by his cousin John the Baptist and began to preach in the area of Judea and Galilee. About three years later, his teachings and works of mercy prompted the Jewish authorities to plot Jesus' death. Jesus was crucified. He rose from the dead and was seen by over 500 people. He ascended to Heaven. The four Gospels contain the basic account of what Jesus did and said.

Jesus summarized his moral teachings in two commandments from the Old Testament:

"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets". (Matthew 22:37-39; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18)

The night he celebrated his Last Supper with the Twelve Apostles before he suffered, he gave a new commandment:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34)

Morality

Jesus Christ and his apostles taught a gospel of love.[11]

The fundamental principle in Christian moral teaching is love and forgiveness, as expressed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the New Testament.[12] In the Hebrew Old Testament the idea is expressed in the Hebrew word hessed, which is variously translated as loyal love, tender mercy, steadfast love, mercy, goodness, etc. in the New Testament the same idea is expressed in the Greek word agape, which is variously translated as love, compassion, charity, etc.

There has been endless debate over how a person should express love for God in his or her moral behavior. This moral dialogue found expression in the New Testament, where the Apostle Paul addressed such controversies as circumcision (Romans 2:25-29), eating meat that was sacrificed to pagan deities (1 Corinthians 8), speculating about myths and genealogies (1 Timothy 1:3-5), and observing ceremonial dates and seasons (Galatians 4:9-11).

Regardless of a person's ethical interpretations, adherents commonly point to New Testament passages John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as scriptural depictions of love. The former states that

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life".

The latter characterizes love, saying

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things".

Jesus Christ affirmed, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). In trying to understand the reason for the growth of Christianity in a pagan culture, it has been noted that while love of one's neighbor is not an exclusively Christian virtue, it appears that the primitive Christian church practiced it much more effectively than any other group.[13]

In addition to sacrificially showing care for those within the community as well as to those without (cf. Gal. 6:10), the Christians elevated the sanctity of life, opposing abortion, infanticide, child abandonment, suicide, and gladiatorial contests.[14][15] While the primitive church tolerated the existing and pervasive cultural economic institution of slavery in the Roman Empire, the mandate of equal pay and just treatment (Col. 4:1; Eph. 6:9) greatly ameliorated the treatment of slaves, while advising them to seek freedom if possible, (1 Cor. 7:21) and requiring that the escaped slave Onesimus be received back not "as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved". (Philemon 1:6) The Christian ethos of love also motivated a great expansion in the building of hospitals.[16][17] By A.D. 500, most large towns in the Roman Empire had erected them.[18]

Atonement

The Christ of St. John of the Cross by Salvador Dalí, 1951.

Christians believe with the New Testament that the death of Jesus, in conjunction with His resurrection, is an indispensable event for the reconciliation of lost sinners with God. There are three elements they see to the understanding of His death on the cross.

- Jesus having the knowledge that His path would lead to his own death, desired and willed that that take place, and persevered in that path though there was opportunity for Him to avoid it. "I have power to take my life and I have power to lay down my life. I lay down my life for the sheep".

- Jesus saw that in His death there would be a way for people to be brought back to God from whom they were alienated and lost because of their sins. This would involve a substitution of Himself to effect, i.e., atone for, that development. "For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many". How this would take place was not new to the Jews of His day from their understanding of contemporary everyday practice of substitute payment - as in redemption of the first-born (Pidyon Ha Ben), or in the understanding of what aggadic stories such as the Binding of Isaac implied (see Midrash), but it was not the prevalent view that the Messiah was to be that payment. Though while alive on earth, he had hinted at it in sayings such as "unless a seed falls and dies, it remains alone, but when it dies, it brings forth."; it was only after He had risen from the dead that He explained Scripture (the Old Testament) clearly about the necessity of His death to have taken place. The disciples would henceforth preach, and Peter among them, that the death of Jesus the Messiah and His resurrection was for-planned and for-ordained by God the Father, and foretold in the Scripture (Isaiah 53).

- Christians of all generations have looked to the perfect Atonement, and the hope for reconciliation, accomplished by Jesus on the cross, to provide the means of understanding the solution to the vexing problems of the mind and of life itself.

Salvation

The Bible teaches that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). This is often interpreted to mean that everyone has displeased God and is now separated from him in a kind of alienation and enmity that results from the fundamental conflict between selfish human interests and God's interests (Romans 8:5-8; James 4:4). Jesus offered a solution to this Biblical dilemma in that, by repentance of sins and faith in him (Jesus), their sins would be forgiven. He said that "...the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins" (Mark 2:10). Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24).

Jesus Christ taught that "unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Repentance, or a turning away from sin and toward God, is necessary. Protestant Evangelical Christianity often uses the terms "saved" and "born again" to mean conversion, with conscious acknowledgment of immediate divine juridical exoneration of all guilt, complete amnesty and full eternal pardon issued on acceptance of the redemptive, saving sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross in the place of each guilty sinner (Hebrews 1:3; 7:25-27), while other Christians, such as the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, use the phrase born again as a synonym for baptized, referring to the sacrament of baptism through which the divine life of God in the blood of Jesus is actually infused by the power of his grace directly into the soul of the baptized by the washing of water with the word (Ephesians 5:25-27) and is entirely healed of the eternal deadly effect of all past sins, effecting an ontological change of spiritual birth by washing away the defect of sin, the power of God unto salvation flowing abundantly through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, through whom the baptized is united to Him and actually partakes of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Christians are expected to continue living by Christ's teachings (John 8:31), as is appropriate for "children of Light" (Ephesians 5:8-10). Some believe that this is necessary in order to be saved. Others say that this is a common misconception of the text, that it refers instead to the "fruits" of saving faith. Still others say that the free, unmerited gift of salvation from sin and death in hell must be maintained or retained by actively producing the fruits of corporal and spiritual works of mercy according to ability, or it will be lost (Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 6:4-8), unless before death the fallen away believer repents and returns (James 5:19-20; 1 John 5:16-17). Christians in the Reformed tradition (following the teaching of the 16th-century French lawyer and theologian John Calvin) say that salvation cannot be lost. One Bible passage often cited is John 10:28-29 in which Jesus said of his own Apostles that they could not be snatched from his hand.

Resurrection of Jesus Christ

See also: Resurrection of Jesus Christ and Christian Apologetics and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

"The Resurrection" by Carl Heinrich Bloch

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is critical to the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul wrote, "if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain" (I Cor:15:14). Traditionally, Christianity has believed in a physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.[19]

In recent history, Gary Habermas is considered a leading Christian apologist for defending the resurrection of Jesus.[20][21][22][23][24] Other notable defenders of the resurrection include: William Lane Craig,[25] Lee Strobel, Josh McDowell,[26] Edwin M. Yamauchi,[27] N.T. Wright[28] and Michael Horner.[29]

The Meaning of the Resurrection for Christians

The fact of the Resurrection of Christ is also believed to produce certain effects on the lives of Christians.

1. It is because Jesus rose from the dead that believers now can resort to a living Savior to help and deliver them from sin and from situations overwhelming for them by their own powers.

2. The New Testament sees in the resurrection of Christ a certain vindication of what apparently to the world and to all beings was a failure and an overcoming of Him by His crucifixion.

3. The coming of Jesus back to life means to the believer that, indeed, his sins are totally forgiven. This is because believers know that His death was a payment for sins - a "wage of death" for our sins that He received in our stead. If He remained dead, believers would know that the wage had not been fully paid.

4. It is a now-living Savior that Christians know can go before them, can closely lead them through life — as He did when He was on earth. This makes following Him practical and real.

5. The New Testament reveals that it is the Risen Christ who received from the Father the Holy Spirit and He, through Himself, ascended to the Father, has given the Holy Spirit to us. This gives the believer in Christ both the knowledge and the power to live a godly life and live a life that can be an intimately and personally directed one.

6. The resurrected Christ was no mere reassembling of the molecules and particles of the Body that had been crucified. It was, indeed, a physical body, but one that was fully glorified. It was a "spiritual body". Christians know that likewise, they will one day be granted the nature of a spiritual body, and be full of health. They therefore are full of hope and consolation, and consider that, even now in this life, there is an overcoming through Him.

Worship and the Sacraments

Christians normally attend worship services once a week, typically on Sundays. Some denominations, such as the Seventh Day Adventists, worship on Saturdays. Commonly, megachurches often hold services on both Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings to accommodate growing crowds. More conservative denominations, such as independent Baptists and churches of Christ, hold services on Sunday evenings and Wednesday evenings as well.

The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox denominations have seven sacraments: baptism, eucharist, confirmation, confession, anointing of the sick, marriage, and holy orders. Of these, Protestants observe only baptism and eucharist as sacraments,[30] which are the only two for which they find Scriptural support.[31]

Evangelism

In what is called the Great Commission, Jesus sent his disciples out into the world to preach the Gospel (literally "good news") and make disciples.

Great Commission
But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." --Matthew 28:16-20 NASB
The Departure of the Apostles by Charles Gleyre.


Internet Evangelism

See also: Internet evangelism

Campus Crusade for Christ International (CCCI) is one of the world's largest evangelism organizations within Christendom and has over 25,000 full-time missionaries. In 2006, Alan Beeber of CCCI predicted that internet evangelism will result in more conversion than all other forms of evangelism for CCCI combined.[32] Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) is a worldwide broadcast and internet online and Facebook ministry proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord 24 hours a day with Christian apologetics programs, News Nightly news broadcast from a Catholic Christian perspective, The World Over with Raymond Arroyo, and daily broadcast worship and prayer seven days a week four times a day.[33] EWTN claims to be the largest religious media network in the world.

Growth of worldwide Christianity

Hong Kong Christians at Gateway Camp. In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western World Christians as there were Western World Christians.[34]

see also: Growth of Christianity and Historical examples of the exponential growth of Christianity and Global Christianity and Internet evangelism and Evangelical Christians and Resources on becoming a Christian

Christianity has seen tremendous growth over its 2000-year history (See: Growth of Christianity).[35] Christianity has recently seen explosive growth outside the Western World.[36] In 2000, there were twice as many non-Western Christians as Western Christians.[37] In 2005, there were four times as many non-Western Christians as there were Western World Christians.[38] There are now more non-Western missionaries than Western missionaries.[39]

In 2023, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary reported that there are over 2.6 billion Christians worldwide and this number will increase to 3.3 billion Christians by 2050.[40][41]

In 2011, the American Spectator declared concerning research published in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research: "The report estimates about 80,000 new Christians every day, 79,000 new Muslims every day, and 300 fewer atheists every day. These atheists are presumably disproportionately represented in the West, while religion is thriving in the Global South, where charismatic Christianity is exploding."[42]

Despite strong persecution in the Middle East, thousands of Muslims are turning to Christ.[43]

Growth of Christianity

See also: Growth of Christianity

In March 2024, Frontier Partners International reported:

“ The Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary recently reported that global Christianity is experiencing remarkable growth, defying expectations and surpassing population rates.

Contrary to the anticipated slowdown, the Christian population is projected to climb from over 2.52 billion to 2.63 billion, representing a 1.08 percent growth, and is expected to surpass 3 billion by 2050.

Within Christianity, certain denominations are witnessing even more rapid expansion. Notably, Protestants (1.63 percent), independents (1.96 percent), evangelicals (1.66 percent), and Pentecostal/charismatics (1.48 percent) are identified as the fastest-growing groups, showcasing the diverse nature of the faith’s evolution.

The growth of Christianity is particularly pronounced in the global south, with Africa and Asia emerging as the fastest-growing regions.

Africa, in particular, has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from having less than 10 million Christians at the turn of the 20th century to now being home to 734 million Christians, growing at a rate of 2.64 percent.

By 2050, Africa is projected to host more Christians than Asia and Latin America combined.

Intriguingly, the report indicates that Christianity is not only growing in numbers but is also expanding geographically.

In 1900, 95 percent of the world’s Christians lived in predominantly Christian countries. However, the trend is shifting, with a decline of 0.17 percent between 2020 and 2024, indicating that more Christians are residing in diverse, non-Christian majority nations.[44]

”

Where Christianity is growing the most

Center for Global Christianity - Annual statistics - including projected growth of Christianity statistics

See also: Center for the Study of Global Christianity and Growth of Christianity

The Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) declares about their organization that it is "an academic research center that monitors worldwide demographic trends in Christianity, including outreach and mission. We provide a comprehensive collection of information on the past, present, and future of Christianity in every country of the world."[45]

Every year in the International Bulletin of Mission Research the Center for the Study of Global Christianity publishes an annual snapshot of global Christianity which includes projected growth of Christianity statistics.

Center for the Study of Global Christianity, annual snapshot of Christianity in the world:

Christianity by continent

See also: Christianity by continent

Below are articles on Christianity in the seven continents:

Projected growth of Christianity graph

See also: Growth of Christianity and Future of Christianity

Projected growth of Christianity graph.[46]

Early Church Community and Commitment: The Biblical Period

Jesus Christ

The Bible records that, at least initially, the church saw itself as united. In the community:

"...they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. {43} And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. {44} And all that believed were together, and had all things common; {45} And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. {46} And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."(Acts 2:42-47; 4:32)

This community was soon "scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles," due to determined persecution which resulted in the dispersed disciples going "every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:1,4). Christian communities were primarily to be found in two separate cultural and liguistic entities—the Greek and Latin-speaking empires of Europe and the mid-east, and the Aramaic speaking sphere of the Parthian empire of the mid-east and far-east. This latter sphere encompassed not only the eastern portions of Syria, the Arabian peninsula, and Persia, but also extended to portions of southern India and even China. To this day there are many Aramaic Church members in the Kerala province of south India.

Early Church Community and Commitment: the Post-Biblical Period

Orthodox Church's icon artwork.

Justin martyr 100 A.D. - 165 A.D. From the "First Apology" (Defense)

But we, after we have thus washed him who has been convinced and has assented to our teaching, bring him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled, in order that we may offer hearty prayers in common for ourselves and for the baptized [illuminated] person, and for all others in every place, that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works also to be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation. Having ended the prayers, we salute one another with a kiss. There is then brought to the president of the brethren bread and a cup of wine mixed with water; and he taking them, gives praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at His hands. And when he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present express their assent by saying Amen. This word Amen answers in the Hebrew language to genoito [so be it]. And when the president has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion. (Chapt. LXV - administration of the sacraments)

And this food is called among us Eukaristia [the Eucharist = the Thanksgiving], 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. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "This do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body;" and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone... (Chapt. LXVl - of the Eucharist)

And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. 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. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead...(Chapt.LXVll - weekly worship of the Christians)

Tertullian (A.D. 160 -220), an Early ecclesiastical leader and writer, in his Apology (response to pagan charges) in describing the early church community wrote, ca. AD 197:

We are a body knit together by one faith, one discipline and one hope. We meet together as a congregation, uniting together to offer prayer to God. We pray for the emperors and all in authority, for the welfare of the world, for peace and for the delay of the final end. We read our holy scriptures to nourish our faith, hope, steadfastness and good habits. We hear exhortations and rebukes. We take such judging very seriously – as befits those who believe they are in the sight of God – especially seriously when anyone sins so grievously we have to cut them off from our prayer, our congregation and all sacred things. Our elders preside over us, obtaining that honor not by money, but by their established character. There is no buying and selling in the things of God. Though we have a fund, but not because people can buy religion. Once a month, anyone who wants to make a small donation – but only he who is able and willing; there is no compulsion. It is not spent on feasts, but to support and bury poor people, to provide for orphans, the elderly, old persons, victims of shipwreck and those in prison for their faith.[47]

Pliny the Younger, the Roman governor of Pontus & Bithynia (northern Turkey) from A.D. 111–113, reporting to emperor Trajan of Christians, whom such pagan rulers found intolerable:

... Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ--none of which those who are really Christians, it is said, can be forced to do--these I thought should be discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians, but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.
They asserted, however, that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food — but ordinary and innocent food.[48]

Implications of the growth of worldwide Christianity

see also: Global Christianity and Internet evangelism

Given the increase in the public's access to global communications, it is thought that the more theologically conservative non-Western Christian churches could influence Western Christianity to move in a more theologically conservative direction.[49] For example, non-Western Anglicans are exerting influence within the worldwide Anglican Communion against the stance of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion's North American provinces with regard to homosexual practices.[50][51]

History of Christianity timeline

Branches of Christianity.jpg

Early Christianity

See: Early Christianity

Positive effects of Christianity on societies

St. Basil of Caesarea founded the first hospital. Christian hospitals subsequently spread quickly throughout both the East and the West.[52] See: Christianity and hospitals

See also: Christianity statistics

Historically, Christianity has had a positive effect on societies, and there are a number of statistics which demonstrate this matter (see: Christianity statistics).

Christianity and social stability

See: Christianity and social stability

Christianity and hospitals

See: Christianity and hospitals

Atheism vs. Christianity

See also: Atheism vs. Christianity

In the latter half of the 1600s, there was an increase in the degree of ideological conflict between atheism and Christianity in the Western World. At first, the conflict was of a secretive nature via the use of clandestine tracts.[53][54]

As a result of militant atheism in the 20th century, there was widespread persecution against Christians in Communist countries such as the former Soviet Union. Various Communist countries such as China continue to persecute Christians (see: Communism and religious persecution).

The 21st century is projected to be a century of desecularization, and atheists are expected to lose influence in the West (and the world as a whole) as a result of religious immigration and the religious conservatives having a much higher fertility rate (see also: Growth of global desecularization).

In 2011, the American Spectator declared about the global population:

“ The report estimates about 80,000 new Christians every day, 79,000 new Muslims every day, and 300 fewer atheists every day. These atheists are presumably disproportionately represented in the West, while religion is thriving in the Global South, where charismatic Christianity is exploding."[55] ”

In 2022, the left-leaning Pew Research Center projected that Christianity would lose its majority in the United States by 2070, but that assumes a lack of renewed evangelism.[56]

Resources related to becoming a Christian

see also: Resources on becoming a Christian

Below are some resources on becoming a Christian:

Tips on choosing a Christian church:

Books

  • The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ by Bill Hull. ‎NavPress; Annotated edition (November 6, 2006)
  • The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. NavPress; Enlarged edition (November 3, 2016)
  • The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges. NavPress (June 1, 2016)

See also

Pentarchy in 565 AD.

Denominations or branches of Christianity

Disputed

Christianity in the World

American Christianity:

Christianity by continent

Other articles

The prominent historian Sir Diarmaid MacCulloch, professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University, indicates that he believes Christianity faces a "bright future" worldwide (See also: Global Christianity).

According to MacCulloch, "Christianity, the world's largest religion, is rapidly expanding – by all indications, its future is very bright."[57]

See also: Future of Christianity

Further reading

Encyclopedias

Histories

United States

  • Ahlstrom, Sydney E. A religious history of the American people‎ (1979) 1192 pages; classic history from broad perspective excerpt and text search
  • Balmer, Randall. Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism (2nd ed. 2004), 655pp Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism online edition
  • Lippy, Charles H. and Peter W. Williams, eds. Encyclopedia of the American religious experience: studies of traditions and movements (3 vol 1988) 1872 pages; standard reference work; long essays by scholars
  • Noll, Mark A. A history of Christianity in the United States and Canada‎ (1992), by leading Evangelical historian excerpt and text search
  • Queen, Edward L. et al., eds. Encyclopedia of American Religious History (3rd ed. 2 vol. 2009) 1200pp
  • Reid, Daniel G. et al., eds. Dictionary of Christianity in America (199)
  • Wooley, Davis C. ed. Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists‎ (5 vol 1958–1982; 2565 pages)

References

  1. ↑ Status of Global Christianity, 2024, in the Context of 1900–2050
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
  4. ↑ https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/christian-means-like-christ-bruce-ball-sermon-on-apologetics-general-84109
  5. ↑ The early Christian faith was sometimes called That Way (Acts 19:1,9,23; 24:22), and its adherents were also called Nazarenes (Acts 24:5), evidently after the city of Nazareth where Jesus lived.
  6. ↑ Christianity, Britannica
  7. ↑ Ehrman, Bart D. Did Jesus exist?: The historical argument for Jesus of Nazareth. Harper Collins, 2012. Second introductory page.
  8. ↑ Pentarchy (orthodoxWiki.org)
  9. ↑ http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=359
  10. ↑ Why Is the Dove Often a Symbol for the Holy Spirit?, Christianity.com
  11. ↑ The Triumph of the Gospel of Love by Monk Themistocles (Adamopoulo)
  12. ↑ The Triumph of the Gospel of Love by Monk Themistocles (Adamopoulo)
  13. ↑ E.R. Dodds, 1970:136-137
  14. ↑ Kenneth Scott Latourette, A history of Christianity p. 244
  15. ↑ Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, Paul Copan, The Apologetics Study Bible, 274
  16. ↑ Albert John Ochsner, Meyer Joseph Sturm, The organization, construction and management of hospitals, p. 17
  17. ↑ Roderick E. McGrew, Encyclopaedia of Medical Care, p. 135
  18. ↑ George D. Pozgar, Legal aspects of health care administration', p. 2
  19. ↑ http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/crj0056a.txt
  20. ↑ Habermas, Gary, Experiences of the Risen Jesus: The Foundational Historical Issue in the Early Proclamation of the Resurrection, Dialog: A Journal of Theology, Vol. 45; No. 3 (Fall, 2006), pp. 288-297.
  21. ↑ "Wildcat" and Holding, J.P., Book review of "The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus", 22nd June, 2004 (Tektonics)
  22. ↑ Habermas, Gary, Jesus' Resurrection and Contemporary Criticism: An Apologetic Criswell Theological Review 4.1 (1989) 159-74.
  23. ↑ Habermas, Gary, Explaining Away Jesus' Resurrection: The Recent Revival of Hallucination Theories, Christian Research Journal / vol. 23, no. 4, 2001.
  24. ↑ Habermas, Gary, Why I Believe The New Testament Is Historically Reliable (Apologetics.com)
  25. ↑ Craig, William Lane, Articles: Historical Jesus
  26. ↑ McDowell, Josh, Evidence for the Resurrection, 1992.
  27. ↑ Jamauchi, Edwin M., Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History?
  28. ↑ Wright, N.T., Early Traditions and the Origins of Christianity, Sewanee Theological Review 41.2, 1998.
  29. ↑ Horner, Michael, Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?
  30. ↑ The term "eucharist" is rarely used within Protestant circles; common terms include Communion (often used in more traditional denominations) and The Lord's Supper (more frequent in conservative denominations who consider Communion to be a Catholic term).
  31. ↑ Although Protestants, especially conservative ones, hold to high views of marriage and believe it is taught in the Bible, they do not consider it to be a sacrament.
  32. ↑ http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/pdf/issues/LWP0206.pdf
  33. ↑ https://www.ewtn.com
    https://www.facebook.com/ewtnonline
  34. ↑ https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077
  35. ↑ http://users.adam.com.au/bstett/BChristianIncrease12.htm
  36. ↑
  37. ↑ Is Christianity taking over the planet?
  38. ↑ https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077
  39. ↑ https://www.wnd.com/?pageId=30077
  40. ↑ *Good news! Christianity is growing around the world!, Baptist Resource Network
  41. ↑ Status of Global Atheism/Christianity/other religions, 2023, in the Context of 1900–2050, Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
  42. ↑ http://spectator.org/archives/2011/02/28/thriving-christianity
  43. ↑ Thousands of Muslims reportedly turning to Christ in Middle East. Fox News (from The Christian Post). January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  44. ↑ Global Christianity surges beyond projections in 2024, LiCAS.news • Mar 15, 2024, Frontiers Patners Intertnational, 2024
  45. ↑ Center for the Study of Global Christianity - About
  46. ↑ Total Christian population graph
  47. ↑ Defense by Tertullian (39), Trans. Rev. S. Thelwall. Modernized, abridged and introduced by Stephen Tomkins. Edited and prepared for the web by Dan Graves.
  48. ↑ Pliny the Younger Letters, 10.96
  49. ↑ http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=18774
  50. ↑ http://www.maravipost.com/malawi-politics/district/5751-bishop-mw-anglicans-totally-against-homosexuality.html
  51. ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2156406/Anglican-church-schism-declared-over-homosexuality.html
  52. ↑ The Christian origin of hospitals
  53. ↑ Jonathan Israel on The Enlightenment
  54. ↑ The material was formerly at the University of Cambridge's Investigating Atheism website, which has closed down. The material has been transferred to 18th Century History, Investigating Atheism
  55. ↑ Thriving Christianity
  56. ↑ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/14/christian-population-minority-2070-model-pew/10380295002/
  57. ↑ Historian predicts 'bright future' for Christianity

External links

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