Christianity
| Christianity | |
|---|---|
| Family | Abrahamic |
| Origin region | Roman Judea and the Eastern Mediterranean |
| Founding period | 1st century CE |
| Estimated adherents | About 2.3 billion globally; Christianity remains one of the largest religious traditions. |
Christianity is A monotheistic tradition centered on Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians confess as Christ, Lord, and Son of God.
Overview
Christianity emerged from Second Temple Judaism in the first century CE and spread through the Roman world and beyond. Christian communities are diverse, but they commonly emphasize the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the authority of the Bible, baptism, worship, prayer, and service.
Key beliefs
- One God understood by most Christians through the doctrine of the Trinity
- Jesus Christ as savior, teacher, and risen Lord
- Creation, sin, redemption, judgment, resurrection, and eternal life
- Scripture, worship, sacraments or ordinances, and the church as central to Christian life
Practices
- Prayer
- Bible reading
- Baptism
- Eucharist or Communion
- Sunday worship
- Charity and service
- Liturgical seasons such as Advent, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost
Places of worship
- Church
- Cathedral
- Chapel
- House church
Sacred texts
- Bible: Old Testament / Hebrew Bible and New Testament
Holidays and observances
- Christmas
- Easter
- Pentecost
- Epiphany
- Good Friday
Branches and related traditions
- Catholicism - The largest Christian communion, centered on sacramental life, episcopal succession, and communion with the Bishop of Rome.
- Eastern Orthodoxy - A family of autocephalous churches emphasizing holy tradition, liturgy, icons, and continuity with the early councils.
- Oriental Orthodoxy - Ancient churches including Coptic, Armenian, Syriac, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Malankara traditions.
- Protestantism - A broad family of movements shaped by the Reformation, emphasizing Scripture, preaching, and varied views of sacraments and church authority.
- Evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity - Movements emphasizing personal conversion, evangelism, biblical authority, charismatic gifts, and global mission.