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World Religions
Christianity
Christianity Video
World Population2.1 B
Countries with large Christian Populations
Rank Nation Number Percent
1 USA 224,457,000 85%
2 Brazil 139,000,000 93%
3 Mexico 86,120,000 99%
4 Russia 80,000,000 60%
5 China 70,000,000 5.7%
6 Germany 67,000,000 83%
7 Philippines 63,470,000 93%
8 United Kingdom 51,060,000 88%
9 Italy 47,690,000 90%
10 France 44,150,000 98%
Origins• Developed in Judea (now Israel), located in the
Middle East bordering the Mediterranean Sea sometime around the year 30 CE.(AD)
• currently the most popular religion in the world based on the number of worshippers found throughout the world.
• While this monotheistic religion developed from Judaism, there are several key differences in its teachings
• Through its missionary activity Christianity has spread to most parts of the globe.
founder• Jesus of Nazareth and his disciples
who helped spread his teachings.• Jesus was executed on a cross as a
criminal by the Romans• according to Christian teaching
afterwards rose from the dead before ascending to heaven.
Abraham’s family tree
Sacred Texts
• The Holy Bible, consisting of both the Old Testament (The first half of the Christian Bible, that describes the creation of the world, the history of ancient Israel, the Ten Commandments, and contains the Psalms and the prophetic books. Also is the Hebrew Torah.)
and the New Testament (The second half of the Christian Bible. It describes the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as well as other Christian teachings.)
Major Beliefs• Belief in the existence of one God, creator of the
Universe, who is all powerful. • Belief in the fact that humans are made in the
image of God. • Belief that God, who is the righteous judge, is
gracious and merciful. • Belief that Jesus is the son of God, the Messiah
(According to the Hebrew Bible, an anointed king who will lead the Jews back to the land of Israel and establish justice in the world. According to the Christians, the
Messiah was Jesus Christ) and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
• Belief in the Trinity (Formed by the Creator (Father), Redeemer (Son), and Sustainer (Holy Spirit). Christians believe that these three entities are all part of a single higher power)
Major Beliefs
• Belief in justification by faith – through belief in Jesus as the Son of God, and in his death and resurrection, Christians can have a right relationship with God whose forgiveness was made once and for all through the death of Jesus Christ.
Christianity vs. Judaism
Because Christianity evolved from Judaism, there are certain concepts that these two religions share:
• both Jews and Christians subscribe to the Ten Commandments found in the Book of Exodus.
• prophecies of Jewish prophets contained in several books of the Old Testament stated that God would send a savior, or messiah, to the people of Israel.
• Judaism clearly states that this event has not yet occurred, Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, sent to redeem the world of sin.
Ten Commandments
1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make yourself any graven image
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother
6. You shall not commit murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not witness falsely against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house or anything that is your neighbor's
Everyday Practices
• Christians are expected to attend church services regularly, usually on Sundays and holy days such as Christmas and Easter.
• Christians take part in sacraments, which are religious practices such as baptism, and receiving communion or Eucharist, in which bread and wine are shared together, just as Jesus did with his followers before his death .
Christian Festivals
• Christmas – celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ
• Easter – commemoration of Jesus's death and his rising from the dead – most important festival on Christian calendar
• Lent - the period of six weeks leading up to Easter. It starts on Ash Wednesday and climaxes during Easter Week. It lasts a total of 40 days, not including Sundays.
Place & Language of worship
• Christians practice their faith in temples usually referred to as churches
• Language: vernacular
Spiritual leader
• Priests and ministers are Christian holy men and women who are charged with conducting religious services and serve as a spiritual guides for the community.
• Deacons, nuns, and monks are people who have dedicated their lives to Christian service.
Religious Divisions
• Eastern Orthodox • Roman Catholic • Protestant / Churches of the Reformation
