CHRISTIANITY

The Bible begins with stories of the creation of the world and the early Jewish people. These books, which make up the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, and which are also sacred to the Jews, were written by Jewish scribes long before the birth of Jesus. For the Jews they are important because they describe the covenant, or special relationship, between God and the Jewish people. For Christians the Old Testament has added significance because many of the stories seem to prefigure, or mirror, events that happened later when Jesus came to save humankind from sin.

The birth of Jesus

The Gospels tell how a virgin called Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Followers of Christ (Christians) believe that Jesus was God’s son, and that the prophets of the Old Testament had predicted he would come and save humankind from sin. The idea that God became human in this way is called the incarnation, meaning that God’s spirit was made into human flesh. The birth of Jesus marked the origin of the Christian religion.

The teachings of Jesus

Jesus’ ministry – his period of teaching – probably lasted no more than three years, but it had an enormous impact. During this short time he preached, taught, and performed miracles in the Holy Land, especially in the villages around the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was a brilliant teacher who could explain things in ways that everyone could understand. His teachings attracted many followers because they revealed a new way of looking at God’s kingdom. He said it was open to all believers who would turn away from their sins, including the poor, the sick, and social outcasts.

Parables and lessons

Jesus’ favourite way of teaching was to use parables – short stories that make their point by means of a simple comparison. Jesus used these parables to talk about the kingdom of God, and to illustrate how people should behave towards each other. Jesus also preached moral lectures called sermons. The most famous of these was the Sermon on the Mount, in which he explained the key features of the kingdom of God and the Christian way of life. Above all, Jesus said that you should “Do for others what you want them to do for you”.

The crucifixion

Jesus warned his disciples several times that he would soon die. He told them that the Jewish chief priests would reject him, that he would be killed, and that he would rise again after three days. The disciples failed to understand these warnings, and were unprepared for what happened when Jesus went to Jerusalem. Jesus was put on trial and condemned to death on the cross. This is the most solemn part of the Christian story, but it is also the major turning point – Christians believe Jesus’ blood was spilt so that they could be granted eternal life with God.

The resurrection

Christians belive that on the third day after his crucifixion Jesus rose from the dead. The Gospels describe how, when he appeared to his disciples after the resurrection, some of them did not recognize him. Jesus’ body seemed to have changed, and he apparently was able to appear and disappear at will. Christians believe in the resurrection in different ways. Some are convinced that the risen Jesus was literally alive on Earth. Others believe his presence was a spiritual one, seen only in the ways in which his followers behaved. Most Christians believe that Jesus joined God in Heaven, where he will stay until the last judgement.

Spreading the word

In the decades following Jesus’ crucifixion, his disciples continued his work of teaching and preaching. Saint Paul was the most important of these early preachers. He founded churches around the Mediterranean, and his letters to these and other churches make up many of the books of the New Testament. These letters have proved a source of inspiration to the countless others who have come after Paul and who have worked to spread Christianity around the world.

God’s book

The Christins Bible consists of more than 60 separate books written over many centuries. These books are divided into two main groups. The Old Testament contains the history and sacred writings of the Jewish people before the time of Jesus, which are sacred to Jews as well as to Christians. The New Testament deals mainly with Jesus and his early followers. The original texts (the Old Testament written in Hebrew and Aramaic, and the New in Greek) were translated into modern languages by biblical scholars in the 20th century.

Heaven and Hell

All Christians believe in one eternal and almighty God, who exists as three beings – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he lived on Earth as the son of the Virgin Mary, and that he was crucified and rose from the dead. Christians have faith that if they follow the teachings of Jesus and repent their sins they will be rewarded after death with everlasting life in Heaven – the traditional name for God’s eternal kingdom. Its opposite, the place or state without God, is known as Hell.

Catholicism

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest of the Christian churches. Catholics place special stress on the Eucharist, or Mass, and are expected to go to Mass every Sunday. One distinctive feature of Catholic worship is commemoration of the saints. There is also a stress on devotional practices such as praying the rosary and making pilgrimages to shrines. In addition to the New Testament, Catholics are guided in their lives by the teachings of the church, which produces instruction on a range of topics from social justice to the church’s contact with other faiths.

The Orthodox church

The form of Christianity that is strongest in eastern Europe and western Asia is known as the Orthodox church. It developed between the 9th and 11th centuries as a result of a split between eastern and western Christians, and claims to be closest to the faith as originally practised by Jesus’ disciples. Like the Catholics, Orthodox Christians recognize several sacraments and venerate the Virgin Mary, but they do not recognize the authority of the pope. They place a heavy stress on holy tradition as revealed through the Bible and the collective decisions and teachings of the early church leaders.

The Reformation

During the 14th and 15th centuries, many people in Europe were worried that the Catholic church was becoming corrupt. In the early-16th century three men – Martin Luther from Germany, Ulrich Zwingli from Switzerland, and John Calvin from France – spearheaded the reform of the church across Europe. In the movement now known as the Reformation, they and their followers founded new, Protestant churches. These churches rejected the control of the pope and bishops and stressed the importance of the Bible and preaching God’s word.

Protestantism

Since the Reformation, many different Protestant churches have been founded, all stressing the Bible as the source of their beliefs, and many advocating that salvation comes by God’s grace, which is given to the believer through faith. Protestant churches range from huge international organizations, such as the Methodist, Anglican, and Lutheran churches to smaller groups like the Quakers, Shakers, and Seventh Day Adventists.

The Christian life

Christians try to follow Jesus’ teachings and apply them to their own lives. All such believers are said to be part of the “community of saints”. But some go to exceptional lengths for their faith, enduring suffering or persecution, or even becoming martyrs. Some of these men and women who have lived lives of special holiness are declared saints by the church. Saints are especially revered in the Catholic and Orthodox churches, where it is believed they can act as intermediaries between individual Christians and God.

Monks and nuns

For hundreds of years, some Christians have felt the need to live separately from the rest of society, in special communities devoted to serving God. Such communities are called monasteries, and their inhabitants – monks or nuns – live a life that is harsher and stricter than normal. They make solemn vows to God of poverty, chastity, and obedience – promising to give up personal possessions and sexual relations and to obey both the head of the monastery (the abbot or abbess) and the set of rules by which they live. Monasticism plays an especially important part in the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

The priesthood

Priests, and ministers – their equal in many Protestant churches, provide spiritual teaching, celebrate the sacraments, and play the leading role in rituals and worship. They also care for people in their parish, or area, for example by visiting the sick and caring for those with special needs. Being a priest is demanding, and most people who take on the role do so because they feel a spiritual “calling”. In the Catholic and Orthodox churches, ordination, or admission, is a sacrament and is permanently binding, whereas in the Protestant churches it is not.

Holy Communion

For most Christians, the church’s supreme rite is the re-enactment of the last supper, when participants receive the consecrated, or blessed, bread and wine. Catholics know this as the Mass or Eucharist, Orthodox Christians call it the Holy Liturgy, and Protestants may call it the Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper. In all churches, the bread and wine are identified with the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Protestants see the two elements as reminders of Jesus’ sacrifice. Catholics believe that Christ’s body and blood are actually present in the elements of the Mass.

Ways to worship

Communal workship is at the heart of the Christian faith, and many Christians come together regularly to praise God, confess their sins, and show that they are followers of Jesus Christ. Worship can involve all sorts of activities. Reading the Bible, singing hymns, songs and Psalms, praying, and listening to sermons are all aspects of Christian worship used in church services the world over. These services may vary widely in tone and mood, but most contain several of these key elements. For committed Christians, however, worship does not begin and end in church – they dedicate their whole life to God.

Christian calendar

The Christian year is dominated by two major cycles, or groups of festivals. The first, at the beginning of the church year, starts with Advent and leads to Christmas. But, at the heart of the Christian calendar, is the observance of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. This begins with the period of Lent, followed by Holy Week, the mourning of Jesus’ death on Good Friday, and the celebration of his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The other major Christian festival is Pentecost, which marks the gift of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ disciples.

The cycle of life

As a Christian passes through the key stages of life, their relationship with the church develops. This development is marked with rites such as baptism (when a person enters into the church), confirmation (when they confirm their faith), marriage (when a couple are united in the eyes of the church), and funeral services (when a person dies). Baptism, together with confirmation and marriage in the Catholic church, is a sacrament, an outward sign of God’s inward and spiritual grace.

Christian culture

Artists, writers, and musicians have been responding to the Christian message for 2,000 years. Very early in the history of Christianity, people were decorating church walls and writing music for use during services. Soon, much of the art produced in the western world was Christian, and as the faith spread around the world, its influence on art followed. Although there are fewer Christian artists today, Christianity still influences both our art and lives. We swear oaths in court, listen to gospel music, watch films based on Bible stories, and see paintings, statues, and buildings that rework Christian subjects in exciting new ways.

Written by Philip Wilkinson in "Eyetness Christianity", Dorling Kindersley (KD), London, 2006, excerpts pp. 6-60. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.