History of Christianity
Christianity is
based upon the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life is written
about in the New Testament. Jesus, a Jew, was born in about 7 B.C.
and assumed his public life, probably sometime after he turned 30, in
Galilee. The Gospels tell of many extraordinary deeds that accompanied
his ministry. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and referred to himself
as the Son of Man. Jesus set forth the religious and ethical demands 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 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 (referred to by Christians 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 (principles), liturgy
(the form of its ceremonies), and ministry. By the fourth century the
Catholic church had taken root in countries stretching from Spain in the
West to Persia and India in the East. Christianity was proclaimed the
state religion of Rome in 380. In 1054, the Christians of the East and
West decided to separate their churches because of differing beliefs and
a rivalry between the Pope of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople.
The resulting churches were the Eastern Orthodox Church, based in
Constantinople, and the Roman Catholic Church, based in Rome. The
Reformation began in 1517, which ultimately caused a schism in the
Western church. Reformers wished to change certain practices within the
Roman church, but 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 wide variety of Christian expression. Through
its missionary activity Christianity has spread to most parts of the
globe.
Eastern Orthodoxy
Eastern Orthodoxy
comprises the faith and practices stemming from ancient churches in the
eastern part of the Roman Empire. It includes the Orthodox churches that
are in communion with the office of the Bishop of Constantinople.
The Eastern Orthodox Church is descended from the Byzantine State
Church. It is made up of many independent national churches that share
the same doctrine (principles), liturgy (the form of ceremonies),
general beliefs, and a hierarchy of church leaders. Orthodox churches
belong to the World Council of Churches.
The Eastern Orthodox
churches recognize only the canons of the seven ecumenical councils
(325–787) as binding for faith, and they reject doctrines that have been
added in the Western Church.
The central worship service is
called the Liturgy, which is understood as representation of God's acts
of salvation. Its center is the celebration of the Eucharist, or Lord's
Supper. Icons (sacred pictures) have a special place in Orthodox
worship. The Mother of Christ, angels, and saints are highly venerated.
The Orthodox Church and the Western Catholic Church recognize the same
number of sacraments.
Orthodox Churches are found in Greece,
Turkey, Russia, the Balkans, and other parts of the former Soviet Union.
In this century Orthodox faith has spread to western Europe and other
parts of the world, particularly America.
Roman Catholicism
The Roman Catholic Church functions under the authority of the bishop
of Rome, the Pope, who is the spokesperson and representative of the
bishops and all other Catholics. The pope, as the head of the hierarchy
of archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons, has full ecclesiastical
power. The powers that others in the hierarchy possess are delegated.
Roman Catholics believe their church to be the one, holy, catholic, and
apostolic church, possessing all the properties of the one, true church
of Christ.
The Roman Catholic faith is understood to be identical
to the teachings of Christ and his apostles, which are contained in the
Bible and traditional practices. The center of Roman Catholic worship
is the celebration of the Mass, the Eucharist, which is the
commemoration of Christ's sacrificial death and resurrection. Other
sacraments are baptism, confirmation, penance, matrimony, anointing of
the sick (formerly known as extreme unction), and holy orders. The
Virgin Mary and the other saints and their relics are highly venerated.
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian organization in the
world, found in most countries. Vatican Council II (1962–65) sought to
“update” the church, bringing about changes in practice and more deeply
involving the laity. The immensely popular Pope John Paul II (1978–) has
reached out to Catholics worldwide through his extensive travels.
Protestantism
Protestantism developed out of a movement in the 16th century that was
called the Reformation. This movement tried to reform the Roman Catholic
Church (that's why it was called the Reformation) and it resulted in
the establishment of the Protestant churches. A monk named Martin Luther
was the leader of the Reformation, and the name Protestant was
originally given to his followers because they protested against a
decree that forbade any further church reforms. Other influential
reformers included John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Knox.
Protestantism rejected attempts to tie God's revelation to earthly
institutions and strictly adhered to the Word of God as sole authority
in matters of faith and practice (sola scriptura). The church is understood as a fellowship, and the priesthood of all believers is stressed.
The Augsburg Confession (1530) was the principal statement of Lutheran
faith and practice. It became a model for other Protestant confessions
of faith. Major Protestant denominations include the Lutheran, Reformed
(Calvinist), Presbyterian, and Anglican (Episcopalian). Many sects and
denominations have sprung from these roots, including Quakers, Baptists,
Pentecostals, Congregationalists, Methodists, and nondenominational
assemblies. Sects that have appeared in more modern times include
Mormons, Christian Scientists, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Protestant
missionary activity, particularly strong in the last century, resulted
in the founding of many churches in Asia and Africa. The ecumenical
movement, which originated with Protestant missions, aims at unity among
Christians and churches.
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