Christianity

Christianity
source
Type	Universal religion
Main classification	Abrahamic religion
Scripture	Bible
Theology	Monotheism
Language	Koine Greek, Latin, Hebrew
Founder	Jesus
Founded date	1st century AD
Founded place	Judaea, Roman Empire
Separated from	Second Temple Judaism
Number of followers	c. 2.4 billion

Christianity is a major Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest religion, with approximately 2.4 billion adherents, known as Christians. Central to the faith is the belief in Jesus as the Son of God whose coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, called the Old Testament, and chronicled in the New Testament.

Beliefs and theology

Core doctrines are articulated in early ecumenical creeds such as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed. The concept of the Trinity holds that God exists as three coequal, coeternal persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. The Incarnation affirms that Jesus, fully divine, became fully human. Salvation is understood as deliverance from sin and death, achieved through the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus, an event celebrated during Easter. Other key tenets include divine grace, justification by faith, the Last Judgment, and the promise of eternal life. Theological interpretations of these beliefs have been shaped by seminal figures like Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, and Martin Luther.

History

Emerging within Second Temple Judaism in the mid-1st century in the Roman province of Judaea, the movement spread rapidly across the Mediterranean Basin despite periods of persecution, such as those under Nero. Its legalization under the Edict of Milan (313) and subsequent establishment as the state religion of the Roman Empire under Theodosius I were pivotal. The First Council of Nicaea (325) addressed major Christological disputes. The growing divide between the Western and Eastern traditions culminated in the East–West Schism of 1054, separating the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Later, the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, ignited by figures like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Huldrych Zwingli, further diversified the tradition. Subsequent expansion was closely tied to European colonialism and missionary work by organizations like the Society of Jesus.

Practices and worship

Common acts of worship include communal prayer, the reading of Scripture, and the singing of hymns. The sacraments, or ordinances, are central, with Baptism and the Eucharist (also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper) being almost universally observed. The liturgical calendar structures the year around events in the life of Jesus, including Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. Individual devotional practices often involve prayer, such as the Lord's Prayer, meditation, and fasting. Styles of worship range from the highly liturgical rites of the Roman Rite and the Divine Liturgy of Eastern Orthodoxy to the free-form services common in many Evangelical and Pentecostal churches.

Denominations and branches

The primary divisions are Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. The Catholic Church, led by the Pope in Vatican City, is the largest single denomination. The Eastern Orthodox Church is a communion of autocephalous churches, such as the Greek Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church, governed by synods of bishops. Protestantism encompasses a vast array of traditions including Lutheranism, Calvinism (or Reformed churches), Anglicanism, Methodism, Baptists, and Pentecostalism. Other distinct groups include the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Church of the East, and Restorationist movements like the Latter Day Saint movement.

Scripture and sacred texts

The Bible is the canonical collection of sacred texts, divided into two main sections. The Old Testament is largely congruent with the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, though its canon varies between traditions, with the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy including additional books known as the Deuterocanonical books. The New Testament chronicles the life and teachings of Jesus, the early church, and apostolic theology; it includes the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline epistles, and the Book of Revelation. Translation and dissemination of the Bible have been historically significant, from Jerome's Vulgate to William Tyndale's English translation and the King James Version.

Influence and culture

Its influence on Western culture and global civilization has been profound and pervasive. It was a foundational force in the development of Western philosophy, art (from Byzantine art to the Renaissance), literature (like Dante's Divine Comedy), and music (such as the works of Johann Sebastian Bach). Christian ethics have deeply shaped concepts of law and social justice, influencing documents like the Magna Carta and movements such as abolitionism. Numerous universities, including the University of Oxford and the University of Paris, were founded by the church. Its calendar structures the Gregorian calendar, and its holidays, particularly Christmas, are major cultural events worldwide.