HOW AND WHEN WAS THE RELIGION CREATED? WHAT WAS THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT (WHAT WAS HAPPENING DURING THE TIME OF ITS CREATION BASED ON ITS LOCATION)?
Christianity developed out of Judaism in the 1st century C.E. It is founded on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those who follow him are called "Christians." Christianity has many different branches and forms with accompanying variety in beliefs and practices.
- Formed 33 CE
- During this period the emperor of Rome was the ruler. The Jews at that time hated Roman rule because of the polytheistic cultural beliefs of Rome that were intrusive to Jewish life. Some Jews conformed, others were against Rome. Still others withdrew themselves into the wilderness to study the Jewish law and wait for the eventual coming of their promised Messiah (savior).
WHAT ARE THE BASIC DOCTRINE AND PRACTICES OF THE RELIGION?
- There is only one God, whom they call Father as Jesus Christ taught them.
- Christians recognize Jesus as the Son of God who was sent to save mankind from death and sin.
- Christians believe in justification by faith.
- Christians believe in the Trinity - that is, in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Christians believe that there is a life after earthly death.
- Prayer is the means by which Christians communicate with their God.
- The church is the place where the Christian faith is nurtured and where the Holy Spirit is manifest on earth.
- Eucharist is a Greek word for thanksgiving. Its celebration is to commemorate the final meal that Jesus took with his disciples before his death (the Last Supper).
ARE THERE RELIGIOUS TEXTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTANDING THE RELIGION?
- The primary sacred text of Christianity is the Bible. The Christian Bible is made of two parts: the Old Testament, which is almost identical to the Jewish Bible; and the New Testament, a collection of Christian writings that includes biographies of Jesus Christ and the apostles, like the Apostle Paul, letters to new churches, and an apocalyptic work.
- The Apocrypha ("hidden books") is a group of 13 Jewish books written between the Old Testament and the New Testament. It was included in all Christian Bibles until the Reformation. The reformers rejected the Apocrypha because it was sometimes used as a basis for certain Catholic doctrines and because the Jews have never included it in their biblical canon.
WHERE DID THE RELIGION BEGIN?
In the initial decades of the Roman Empire, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, a new religion, Christianity, emerged. Gradually over the next 250 years, Christianity won a growing number of converts. By the 4th century A.D., about 10 percent of the residents of the Roman Empire were Christian.
WHO WERE THE IMPORTANT LEADERS, INDIVIDUALS AND EMPIRES IN THE RELIGION?
|
WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THE RELIGION ON WORLD HISTORY?
Value of Human Life
- Women- Christianity was the first religion to not force widows to marry. They were supported financially and honored within the community so that they were not under great pressure to remarry if they didn't want to.
- Children- Through a higher view of life, it was the early Christian church that ultimately brought an end to infanticide (killing of children).
- Slavery- Early Christianity elevated the roles of those oppressed in society, by for example, accepting women and slaves as full members.