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Christianity is a monotheistic religion founded
by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, a
Jew, was born in about 7 B.C. and assumed his
public life, probably after his 30th year, in
Galilee. The New Testament Gospels describe Jesus
as a teacher and miracle worker. He proclaimed the
kingdom of God, a future reality that is at the
same time already present. Jesus set the
requirements for participation in the kingdom of
God as a change of heart and repentance for sins,
love of God and neighbor, and concern for justice.
Circa A.D. 30 he was executed on a cross in
Jerusalem, a brutal form of punishment for those
considered a political threat to the Roman Empire.
After his death his followers came to believe in
him as the Christ, the Messiah. The Gospels report
his resurrection and how the risen Jesus was
witnessed by many of his followers. The apostle
Paul helped spread the new faith in his missionary
travels. Historically, Christianity arose out of
Judaism and claims that Jesus fulfilled many of
the promises of the Hebrew Scripture (often
referred to as the Old Testament).
The new religion spread rapidly throughout the
Roman Empire. In its first two centuries,
Christianity began to take shape as an
organization, developing distinctive doctrine,
liturgy, and ministry. By the fourth century the
Christian church had taken root in countries
stretching from Spain in the West to Persia and
India in the East. Christians had been subject to
persecution by the Roman state, but gained
tolerance under Constantine the Great (A.D. 313).
The church became favored under his successors,
and in 380 the emperor Theodosius proclaimed
Christianity the state religion. Other religions
were suppressed.
Because differences in doctrine threatened to
divide the church, a standard Christian creed was
formulated by bishops at successive ecumenical
councils, the first of which was held in A.D. 325
(Nicaea). Important doctrines were defined
concerning the Trinityin other words, that there
is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit (Constantinople, A.D. 381), and the nature
of Christ as both divine and human (Chalcedon,
A.D. 541). Christians came to accept both Hebrew
Scripture and the New Testament as authoritative.
The New Testament comprises four Gospels
(narratives of Jesus' life), 21 Epistles, The Acts
of the Apostles, and Revelation.
Because of differences between Christians of the
East and West, the unity of the church was broken
in 1054. The religious center for the Eastern
Orthodox Church was Constantinople, and the Roman
Catholic Church defined doctrine and practice for
Christians in the West. In 1517 the Reformation
began, which ultimately caused a schism in the
Western church. Reformers wished to correct
certain practices within the Roman church, but
they also came to view the Christian faith in a
distinctly new way. The major Protestant
denominations (Lutheran, Presbyterian, Reformed,
and Anglican [Episcopalian]) thus came into being.
Over the centuries, numerous denominations have
broken with these major traditions, resulting in a
spectrum of Christian expression.
In the 21st century, many Christians hope to
regain a sense of unity through dialogue and
cooperation among different traditions. The
ecumenical movement led to the formation of the
World Council of Churches in 1948 (Amsterdam),
which has since been joined by many denominations.
Through its missionary activity Christianity has
spread to most parts of the globe.
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