Christianity - more detail
What do Christians believe?
Christianity is rooted in a belief in one person: Jesus Christ. Christians consider Jesus Christ to be both divine and human. They understand God as one being revealed in three 'persons': Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They believe that God revealed himself through Jesus Christ's human life, death, and resurrection.
Christians believe that human beings are not alone in the universe. Instead, they are loved and rescued by the one God, who is revealed in Jesus Christ. They need to be rescued because although God created a world of peace and unity for human beings, they have become locked into a state of self-centredness called sin.
The power of the Holy Spirit
By responding to God as revealed in Jesus, Christians believe that the effects of sin can be increasingly overcome. To overcome sin, they believe that the Holy Spirit of Jesus becomes active in their lives. The Christian scriptures, contained in the Bible, teach that the Holy Spirit's work in their lives results in: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control.
Christians believe that God's efforts to rescue humans from sin impact on every aspect of our lives and the world we live in. This is why Christians work actively - as individuals and through the Christian Church - to demonstrate social concern. They do so by serving those who are disadvantaged and by addressing underlying causes of disadvantage and environmental damage.
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Christian diversity
The Christian community is organised according to different Church denominations. The Church is a community of Christian believers with a mission to spread the message of Christianity by trying to follow the example set by Jesus Christ. There are four main Church groupings:
Catholic
The Roman Catholic Church has its roots in the Western part of the Old Roman Empire. The leader of Roman Catholics is the Pope in Rome.
Orthodox
Orthodox Churches have their roots in the Eastern part of the Old Roman Empire. Byzantine Orthodox Churches (including the Greek, Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches) are lead by Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Oriental Orthodox Churches are found mainly in the Middle East and Africa.
Protestant
Protestant Churches developed from the sixteenth century Reformation in the West and include the following churches: Baptist, Brethren, Congregationalist, Lutheran, Methodist, Moravian, Presbyterian/Reformed, Quakers, Salvationist.
Churches of the Anglican tradition see themselves as both Protestant and Catholic. The Pentecostal tradition also emerged from the broader Protestant tradition and includes the Apostolic Church, Assemblies of God, Black-Majority Churches, the Elim Pentecostal Church and the House and Restorationist Church movements.
Denominations are generally organised as follows:
Areas - Baptist Union and Congregational Federation
Associations - Unitarian and Free Churches
Dioceses - Anglican and Roman Catholic
Districts - Methodists, Moravians and New Testament Church of God
Divisions - Salvation Army
Provinces - United Reform
Regions - Assemblies of God
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How Christianity developed
Christianity originated around 2000 years ago as a movement within Judaism, based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. As his message spread, Christianity opened up to include non-Jews and attracted a growing following across the Roman Empire.
In the early fourth century, Christianity became the empire's official religion following the conversion of Emperor Constantine.
Christianity's next defining milestone came in 1054 when Christian traditions in the east and west of the Roman Empire diverged. This to the development of two distinct forms of the faith: Roman Catholic Christianity and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
The Protestant Reformation
With the rise of Islam during the middle ages, Christians became a religious minority in the east. In the west, the Pope - as leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome - was the ultimate religious and spiritual authority.
During the sixteenth century, differences between Rome and western Europe's secular rulers resulted in the formation of the Protestant churches. The new churches switched from Rome to form close relationships with the secular authorities in their own states.
Missionary influence
As the European powers began to establish empires, Protestant and Roman Catholic Christians alike began to spread Christianity around the world. The missionary movement reached its height towards the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The missionaries had a profound impact on Christianity's development. Indeed, the focus of the religion has now shifted significantly from Europe and North America towards Africa and South America.
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Christian leaders
Copy to come
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How Christians worship
Practices
Prayer/Worship
Christians generally worship on Sunday, because they believe this the day of the week when Jesus rose from the dead. Many Roman Catholics attend Vigil Sunday Mass on Saturday evening because, in line with Biblical tradition, they believe the days starts the previous evening.
Sabbatarian or Seventh Day Churches believe that the commandment to the Jews to keep the seventh day, or Saturday, holy also applies to Christians following the coming of Jesus.
Fasting
Some Christians may abstain from certain foods during Lent and may fast on Ash Wednesday. Some also fast at other, individually chosen times.
Diet
There are no universally agreed dietary regulations among Christians. Some, but not all Christians, do not drink alcohol.
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