Christianity

Prior to 600 C.E.

The God

• Christianity is a monotheistic religion.

• Christians worship God and the son of God, Jesus Christ.

• Omniscient and omnipresent

Basic Beliefs

• Jesus Christ is the son of God and a savior to Christians.

• Christ was sent by God to save mankind from their sins.

• Christians are able to be saved from sins and go to heaven after death by practicing their faith.

• Christ has two natures: human and divine.• The bible is the word of God.• The Holy Trinity

Practices

• Devotion• Confession• Praying• Attending church

– First Christian churches formed in CE 312-337

The “BIG Rituals”

• Baptism first came into practice in the 4th century CE.

• Communion• Confirmation• Celebration of the birth and

resurrection of Jesus Christ• Burial of dead

– Christians believe that the soul can survive after death.

Role of Women

• Women were subordinate• Status didn’t change greatly from other

regions of the time• Could serve as priests in select

communities• In most communities only men were

allowed in church offices• Women must be above the age of 40 to be

considered for a position at the church as a priestess, pastor, minister, etc.

Major Texts

• The Bible– Two sections: Old Testament and New

Testament– The New Testament is exclusive to

Christianity.– New Testament written by some of the

twelve disciples– Contains stories, morals, and specific

verses that illustrate the beliefs of Christianity

Missionary Work

• Missionary work had strong importance during the early years and continues to be a large component of Christian life

• Jesus and his twelve disciples tried to gain followers and help others by performing miracles and speaking to groups of people, most of which were Jewish

• Set the religion apart from Judaism and pagan religions of the time

Diffusion

• Christianity spread from Antioch to Syria, from Ephesus to Asia Minor and Gaul, from Alexandria to the south and southeast of the Roman empire, from Rome to Italy and Africa and from there to Spain

• After the crucifixtion of Christ, the disciples, like Paul and other followers spread out to expand the religion’s reach

Major Contacts with Other Religions

• 300 years of persecution in Rome beginning around 64 C.E., but became accepted religion around 380 C.E.

• Persecution of Christians in Jerusalem by the traditional Jews and the Jewish government

Quotations

• John 3:16 “For God so loved the World that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”

• Matthew 10:32-33 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven”

Bibliography

• Christianity by Stephen F. Brown• http://ext.sagepub.com/cgi/pdf_extract/117/3/127

-a• http://historyfacebook.wikispaces.com/

Christianity• http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/

PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=207&HistoryID=aa22&gtrack=pthc

• http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_hise.htm• http://myamazingfact.blogspot.com/2009/08/

amazing-early-christian-sites.html• http://www.hyperhistory.com