CHRISTIANITY

CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is one of the largest religions in the world, with one-third of the world’s population as followers (Patridge 461). The teachings of Christianity date back to a small Jewish sect before spreading into the Roman Empire and eventually Asia and North Africa. The religion spread out from the Roman-occupied Palestine area into the entire Mediterranean region. The recognition of Jesus as the Messiah of the Jewish teachings resulted in the separation of Judaism from Christianity. This change is also is in line with the transformation from the Old Testament to the New Testament. This new order came with essential rituals, including Baptism, Communion, and Easter. Apart from being the largest religion, Christianity is also the most diverse due to the division of the early church into three different branches, i.e., Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant (Pluarism.org).

There were three centers of the Christian church in the Eastern Mediterranean region with Jerusalem as the capital. The expansion continued to modern-day Turkey, Istanbul, and the south in Egypt. However, according to Patridge (462), this triggered off persecution of Christians as the Roman emperor was considered the ultimate point of worship. Christianity was given official recognition in the Roman state in 313 when Constantine was an emperor. The Eastern Empire of the church was located at Constantinople. With significant disruptions in the Roman Empire, there was a growing theological and political rift between the Western and Eastern churches, which led to the ‘Great Schism’ of 1054(Patridge 463). The rise of Islam in the seventh century slowed the growth of Christianity in North Africa and Palestine up to a point they took over Constantinople. The 16th century saw the rise of Reformation within Western Christianity that championed for the changes in the morals and institutions of the church. This new order led to the springing up of the Protestant and Catholic movements. Protestant missionary societies developed in the 18^th century and are responsible for planting Christianity in Africa, India, and Asia.

Christianity is founded on the worship of Jesus Christ, also referred to as the Messiah or Son of God. The story of Jesus is based on the New Testament section of the Bible, i.e., Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, also known as the “gospels.” Written between approximately 70 and 100 CE, about two generations after the death of Jesus, they are based on stories of Jesus as retold by his followers. According to Pluralism.org, the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the “synoptic” gospels, because they present a similar view about Jesus through the common sayings, parables, and events. Matthew and Luke seem to have used Mark’s gospel to write their story while John’s gospel has a distinctive voice and focuses more on the divinity of Christ.

Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Judea and was brought up in Galilee. Partridge (470) points out that there is virtually no record of Jesus’ life from his infancy until about the age of thirty when he got baptized by John the Baptist. Luke’s part of the gospel indicated that at the age of twelve, Jesus’ parents found him teaching the rabbis in the temple in Jerusalem (Pluralism.org). The Baptism launched Jesus’ public ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing. During his three years of ministry, Jesus got a lot of followers, some who eventually became his disciples. The disciples acted as his spokesmen, and he spent a substantial amount of time in preparing them to take over from him. Jesus taught his preaching in simplicity and healed many types of illnesses and deformities just by a simple word or touch (Patridge 471). Over this period, he faced so much opposition as he interacted with the non-Jewish people. Jesus was eventually arrested by the Jewish leaders, with the help of Judas and charged for blasphemy, for his claim to be the Messiah and Son of God. His crucifixion and resurrection three days later is a leading event for Christians and is today marked as Easter.

The different branches of Christianity date back to three major crises, according to Patridge (480). The first split was the Eastern Catholic Christendom in the fifth century. The next episode is known as the ‘Great Schism’ between East and West regions dated at 1054, which resulted in the split between the Catholic and Orthodox Christianity. The third fragment was the Reformation, which extended from the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth-century aftermath, eventually resulting in the Protestant branch (480).

The Eastern churches include Orthodox churches and extend from across Eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Currently, it’s estimated that there are 322 million Orthodox Christians (Pluralism.org). The Roman Catholic is the largest Christian grouping with a following of approximately 1,200 million members. Their beliefs acknowledge the authority of the Supreme Pontiff, who is the bishop of Rome, and is regarded as the representative of Christ on earth and St. Peter’s successor. The Reformation churches are divided into six autonomous churches; Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Free churches, Charismatic, and Ecumenical movements. The Anglican Church is largely Anglophone, the Lutheran church, which has a strong presence in Germany and the Scandinavian region while the Reformed churches are common in France, Switzerland, and Scotland. The Free churches have different movements that have formed over the years, including the Baptist, Methodist, Quakers, Salvation Army, and Pentecostal churches. Charismatic movement churches include the African Independent common with Black Christians and House or home churches where members worship in members’ homes. The Ecumenical movement came up in the twentieth century to bridge the deep division between the churches. The move resulted in the establishment of the World Council of Churches, which enable different local congregations to worship together (Patridge 487).

The central sacred writing for Christians is the Bible, which is a collection of books written over 1000 years. Translated from the Greek word Biblia, it means “the Books.” The Bible is divided into two, the Old and the New Testament. Based on the research by Patridge (488), the Old Testament is the Hebrew and Aramaic scriptures of Judaism and give details on the history and religion practices up until the time when Jesus came. On the other hand, the New Testament consists of four ‘Gospels,’ which give view the life and teaching of Jesus, together with the ‘Acts of the Apostles’, which is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke telling the story. Christians consider the Bible as the highest authority in guiding their actions and beliefs. As a result, there are translators from all over the world, making the Bible available to more ethnic groups.

This religion is guided by strong beliefs, such as the existence of one God, and human beings are made in the image of God. The death of Jesus is considered one of the greatest sacrifices for all believers. Besides, his resurrection is a confirmation that he will return to earth for the final judgment and a proof of his divinity as the Son of God (Patridge 493). His exaltation to heaven also showed that Jesus shared the same status as God the Father, which is why to be a Christian, one has to confess that “Jesus is Lord.” After the resurrection, the scriptures indicate that Jesus left the Holy Spirit to guide the church. The Spirit is recognized as divine and the agent of God in the Christian community. Christians also believe that the Spirit works by giving different abilities to different individuals, which enables them to lead the church according to the ordained way (Patridge 495).

Christianity has several Festivals and traditions that are practiced on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis. The Eucharist, also known as the Lord’s Supper, was commanded by Jesus himself as a commemoration of his death and resurrection. This occasion is celebrated weekly or daily in some cases by breaking bread and taking wine that stands for Christ’s body and blood. Baptism is also a rite of passage that signifies the change of a new convert into the Christian community. In today’s church, Baptism takes place when an individual has a personal confession of personal faith, but in some churches, they baptize infants (Patridge 499). Over the years, the role of clergy has become more distinct n different denominations. From leading Mass, communion, and prayers, various leaders and clergy have distinct functions. The Reform churches have distinct traditions; for instance, Lutheran, Evangelical-Revival churches worship routine involves singing hymns, the Church of England has a Prayer book routine while Protestant congregations focused on the sermon. The twentieth century saw the rise of the Pentecost church, which is more Spirit directed than word directed.

In the current day, the growth of Christianity has now spread widely in South America, Africa, and Asia. For instance, the extraordinary growth of Pentecostal Christianity in South America has been phenomenal. According to Patridge (514), there has been a conversion of up to 40 million people to Christianity. There has been a decline in Christianity in Europe, as a result of the advancement of secular beliefs. Additionally, there is a remarkable decline in the number of churches in the Western world. The growth of other religions such as Islam, Confucianism, Hinduism, Daoism, and Buddhism in other parts of the world has also significantly contributed to the decline of the followers of the Christian religion. This new shift calls for the adoption of more missionaries to plant new congregations all over the world.

Works Cited

Partridge, Christopher. Introduction to World Religions. 2^nd ed. Oxford. Lion Hudson Publishing, 201, pp. 461 -519.

Pluralism.org. Christianity. 2015. Retrieved from https://rlp.hds.harvard.edu/files/hds-rlp/files/christianity.pdf