Christianity

1
Christianity
2
Christian Religion

• Centered on the worship of One God, revealed
  through Jesus of Nazareth
• Apocalyptic
• Originally thought by the Romans to be a Jewish
  sect.
• (How wrong they were!)

3
Bible

• Old Testament
• Hebrew Bible
• New Testament
• Christian Bible
• Apocrypha
• Both Hebrew and Christian sources
• Some sects have additional scriptures

4
The New Testament

• 4 Gospels
• Records of the life of Jesus
• Acts of the Apostles and Epistles
• Letters from the Apostles and other early church
  leaders
• Book of Revelation
• The Apocalypse

5
Jesus of Nazareth

• Lived 30 years in Palestine
• Jewish by religion and descent
• Attended synagogue
• Celebrated Jewish feasts and holidays
• Traveling minister
• Many hoped he would redeem Israel and free Jews
  from Roman rule

6
Jesus Christ

• Believed by Christians to be the Messiah promised
  to the Jews.
• Believed to have been born of virgin birth,
  possibly of immaculate conception.

7
Easter

• Christianity is rooted in the belief that after
  his crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead.
• Holy Week of Easter coincides with Jewish
  Passover, except in the Eastern Orthodox
  traditions.
• Sabbath on Sunday initially was a weekly
  commemoration of Easter.

8
Schisms in Christianity

• 1054 The Great Schism
• Divides Eastern and Western churches
• 1517 Protestant Reformation
• Martin Luthers 95 Theses
• Begins in Germany, spreads through Europe

9
Results of Schisms

1. Roman Catholicism
2. Eastern Orthodoxy
3. Protestantism

10
Roman Catholicism

• Traces roots to first Christians
• Pope successor of St. Peter, a disciple of
  Jesus, ordained by Christ as the leader of the
  church

11
Eastern Orthodoxy

• Schism mainly political as Byzantine Empire
  flourished in spite of fall of Roman Empire
• Rejected clause being added to Nicene Creed that
  says Holy Spirit issues from both Father and Son
• Reject immaculate conception, while retaining
  idea of virgin birth.

12
Protestantism

• Salvation comes through faith and Gods grace
• Scripture is the ONLY supreme doctrine
• Reject immaculate conception, assumption of Mary,
  clerical celibacy, purgatory, intercession of
  saints.

13
Common Ground for Christians

• Baptism
• Eucharist/Communion
• New Testament scriptures
• Christmas and Easter