Christianism is the religion based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was a Jewish teacher and prophet who lived in the 1st century AD in ancient Palestine under Roman occupation. Here are some key aspects of Christianism explained in detail:
Core Beliefs
– There is one God who created the universe and everything in it. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. (Genesis 1:1, Jeremiah 32:17, Psalm 147:5)
– Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25)
– Jesus lived a sinless life, performed miracles, taught people about God’s love and mercy, and showed a new way to live according to God’s will. (John 8:46, Acts 10:38, Matthew 4:23, Mark 6:34)
– Jesus was crucified on a cross and died for the sins of humankind. His death reconciled people with God. (Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
– After three days, Jesus rose again from the dead and later ascended to heaven. His resurrection conquered death and paved the way for eternal life. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Acts 1:9)
– There will be a second coming of Christ at the end of this age when He will judge the living and the dead. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Acts 1:11, 2 Timothy 4:1)
– Humans inherit a “fallen” sinful nature through Adam’s disobedience to God. People can only be reconciled with God and saved from condemnation through faith in the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 3:16)
– The Holy Spirit indwells believers and enables them to live Godly lives. The manifestations of the Spirit include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, Galatians 5:22-23)
– The Church is the fellowship of all believers. Its mission is to share the gospel and make disciples of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:42-47)
– Water baptism by immersion and communion are the two ordinances instituted by Jesus. Baptism signifies repentance of sins and commitment to follow Christ. Communion commemorates Christ’s sacrificial death. (Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26)
– There will be a bodily resurrection of both the saved and the unsaved. The saved will experience eternal life with God in heaven. The unsaved will experience eternal separation from God. (John 5:28-29, Daniel 12:2, Revelation 20:11-15)
Scriptural Canon
Christianism regards the Bible as the authoritative word of God. It has two main sections:
– The Old Testament containing 39 books written before Jesus’ earthly ministry. It narrates God’s creation of the world, His covenants with the people of Israel, Israel’s history, prophecies about the Messiah, and moral/ceremonial laws. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21)
– The New Testament containing 27 books written after Jesus’ life. It describes Jesus’ birth, life, teachings, death, and resurrection. It also explains the early development of the Christian church and its beliefs. (Hebrews 1:1-2, 1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Some key books and their themes:
– Genesis – God’s creation, humanity’s fall into sin, the Great Flood, God’s covenant with Abraham
– Exodus – Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt and journey to the Promised Land
– Psalms – Worship songs and prayers
– Proverbs – Wisdom sayings
– Isaiah – Prophecies about the Messiah and the restoration of Israel
– Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – Biographical accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry
– Acts – Early church history and missionary activities
– Romans – Doctrines like sin, salvation, righteousness, grace
– 1 Corinthians – Church issues like spiritual gifts, resurrection
– Revelation – Apocalyptic prophecies, the end times, and ultimate triumph of Christ
Denominations
There are various denominations within Christianism which have some theological and procedural differences:
– Catholicism – Has an episcopal structure with leadership from the Pope and bishops. Emphasizes church tradition along with scripture. Believes in transubstantiation during the Eucharist. Prays to saints as intercessors.
– Eastern Orthodoxy – Separated from Roman Catholicism in 1054 AD. Led by patriarchs and national churches. Emphasizes liturgy, mysticism, and early church fathers. Does not accept the Pope’s authority.
– Protestantism – Formed during the 16th century Reformation, rejecting Papal authority and Catholic doctrines. Emphasizes scripture over tradition, faith over works. Key groups include Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians.
– Pentecostalism – Formed in the early 20th century focused on baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, divine healing, prophecy. Key groups include Assemblies of God, Church of God in Christ, Foursquare Church.
– Non-denominational – Christian groups that do not formally align with any specific denomination. Often evangelical in theology.
There are also other minor denominations like Seventh-Day Adventists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses with significant deviations from mainstream Christianism.
Worship and Practices
– Church services with prayer, scripture reading, preaching, and singing
– Regular prayer and Bible study, both individually and in groups
– Baptism, Confirmation and Communion rituals
– Evangelism and missions to spread the Christian message
– Using spiritual gifts to edify the church (teaching, service, healing, etc)
– Fasting and times of deeper devotion like Lent
– Acts of charity, volunteering, donating money to those in need
– Following Christian moral codes on issues like sexuality, marriage, honesty, non-violence
– Celebrating Christian holidays like Christmas, Easter, Pentecost
– Personal spiritual disciplines like solitude, simplicity, journaling, meditating on scripture
– Seeking guidance and counsel from pastors and mature believers
– Expressions of worship like dance, music performances, and visual arts
History and Timeline
– c. 4 BC – Birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem
– c. AD 27-30 – Jesus begins his public ministry, gains disciples like Peter, healing the sick, teaching about God’s kingdom
– c. AD 30 – Jesus crucified in Jerusalem under Pontius Pilate
– c. AD 30-33 – Resurrection appearances of Jesus, Pentecost event, early evangelism by Apostles
– 1st century – Spread of Christianism in Roman Empire, epistles written by Apostles Paul, Peter, John
– AD 64-313 – Periods of persecution of Christians under various Roman emperors like Nero and Diocletian
– AD 313 – Edict of Milan makes Christianism legal in the Roman Empire
– AD 325 – First Council of Nicaea establishes key doctrines like the divinity of Jesus
– AD 380 – Theodosius I declares Christianism as the official state religion of the Roman Empire
– AD 1054 – The Great Schism splits Christianism between Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy
– AD 1517 – Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses, starting the Protestant Reformation in Europe
– 16th-18th centuries – Major Protestant denominations form across Europe and Britain
– 19th-20th centuries – Evangelical and Pentecostal movements transform global spread of Christianism
– Today – Estimated 2.5 billion adherents, largest religion worldwide
Impact on Society and Culture
– Christianism has deeply shaped the civilization and cultures of Europe, the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, and the Philippines where it has been the dominant historical religion.
– It has influenced philosophy, morality, literature, visual arts, architecture, music, politics, and social welfare throughout its geographic spread. Christian symbols and motifs pervade Western art and culture.
– Christianism played a pivotal role in the development of Western education and science. Monasteries and cathedral schools nurtured medieval scholarship. Universities started as church-affiliated institutions training clergymen. Scientists like Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton were devout Christians.
– Christian missions and humanitarian initiatives have resulted in widespread education, healthcare, and socio-economic development around the world, especially in Africa and Asia.
– Abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, civil rights, and other moral reforms were championed by Christian activists and based on biblical principles of justice and equality.
– Christianism has also been implicated in conflicts like the Crusades, Wars of Religion, colonialism, oppression of indigenous cultures, and resistance to scientific theories. These were often deviations from Christ’s teachings.
– Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter are marked as national holidays in many countries. Christian weddings, funerals, baptisms are part of shared cultural experience.
– Christian morals on marriage, sexuality, sanctity of life, charity, temperance etc. have legal and societal influence in majority Christian nations.
– Christianism has deeply influenced literature, with works by Dante, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and many others drawing extensively from biblical narratives, theology, and symbolism.
– Christian music has been one of the most salient cultural influences globally, from classical works of Bach, Handel, Mozart to the modern popularity of gospel, hymns, and contemporary Christian music.