Christianity

Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth , which is defined as monotheistic. It has between 2.1 billion of believers in nearly 33 000 different faiths . The first of these denominations have emerged within Judaism after the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth by authorities Roman of the province of Judea in the ^first century .

The Acts of the Apostles shows that the name "Christian", meaning "belonging to Christ" or "partisan of Christ" was attributed to followers of Jesus of Nazareth to Antioch in the ^mid-first century . The oldest known reference to the term Christianity is in the letter of Ignatius of Antioch to Magnesians at the end of the ^first century .

Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah as prophesied in the Old Testament , and, except for some minorities, he is the son of God , both divine and human nature. The three main Christian denominations, that is to say, the Roman Catholics , the Orthodox of the 7 councils and Protestants , consider the interpretation patristic scriptural texts.

The Hebrew Bible is one of the founding documents of Christianity, which appoints the Old Testament or First Testament . The New Testament , focusing on the person of Jesus Christ , is the second founding text.

Christianity is the most widespread religion in the world and has profoundly affected different civilizations throughout history as it was initially considered a Jewish sect among others. It is present on all continents.

Christian beliefs and practices have diversified over the centuries and around the world. Thus, there is no comprehensive definition of Christian faith and its doctrines. However, there are some elements of homogeneity such as the central belief in Jesus Christ. Christians believe in life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Christ

The name of Jesus Christ has been given by Christians to Jesus of Nazareth who is considered the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. The term "Christ" comes from the Greek , the equivalent of the term Semitic Messiah (Hebrew - mashia'h), literally "one who is anointed," and it derives the name "Jesus Christ".

Jesus Christ is the central figure of Christianity. The foundation of the Christian religion is faith in his resurrection.

The profession of faith

The kerygma , the profession of faith contained fundamental Christians in the Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, says that if Jesus Christ is not risen, the Christian faith is empty . Two other professions of faith have clarified the Christian faith, the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene-Constantinople (or creed ). However, all Christians do not value these last two. These professions of faith are divided into four parts. The first confirms the doctrine monotheistic Christianity by stating that there is only one God who is also the creator. The second part states that Jesus Christ is the only Son of God and that He suffered, died and was resurrected before ascending into heaven to judge the living and the dead. The expression of continuity is the son of the biblical tradition, but Christians proclaim that God is revealed uniquely in Jesus Christ his son. The Catholics put more emphasis on biological parentage in the doctrine of perpetual virginity. The third section of professions of faith says that the Holy Spirit intercedes for men and, finally, the fourth part states that Jesus Christ established a Church on earth.

The Trinity

The Trinity flows directly from these professions of faith. The Trinity is the fact that the one God reveals himself in three "persons", the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The term person has given rise to many interpretations and St. Augustine says that this term, human, imperfect does not define the Trinity. The triple invocation of baptism "in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" was conceptualized as the dogma of the Trinity during major councils ^of the fourth century. Interpretations of the Trinity are different according to Christians who claim the churches of the two councils , the councils of the three churches or churches of the seven councils. In addition, some Christians, such as Unitarian , some groups Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept the dogma of the Trinity. These are called anti-Trinitarian.

Historicity

The historical study of the foundations of Christianity, the life of Jesus of Nazareth, is difficult. A historical study of scientific application compare these texts to other stories about the same facts. However, outside the New Testament gospels, written sources dealing with specific life of Jesus are very rare. Added to the lack of archaeological evidence of the existence of Jesus, the uncertainty of the historical accuracy of biblical texts has led some authors from the turn of the nineteenth ^century and early ^twentieth century to make the assumption that no Jesus. Since the 1930s, this assumption is abandoned by the researchers.

The Old and New Testament

The Bible.

From the scriptures of Judaism , which correspond to what Christians call the Old Testament , the tradition of the early centuries of Christianity has added the New Testament. It often uses the name "Premier" Old Testament rather than to signify that the New Testament does not replace the "old" but to fulfill. The Old and New Testament are brought together in the Bible Christian.

The New Testament is composed of four Gospels (according to Matthew , Mark , Luke and John ), Acts of the Apostles , the Epistles and the Apocalypse (also called Revelation). It is considered that the drafting of these texts covers the second half of the ^first century to the early ^second century. However, the oldest manuscripts in our possession back to the ^fourth century AD. However, it has fragments of earlier gospels (Magdalena, the ^first century, Rylands 457: II ^century). These four books present include an exhortation to love one's neighbor. This love is expressed in various ways: the forgiveness , charity , Mercy , disinterestedness .

Called "Synoptic Gospels" the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, which are built on the same plane. The Gospel of John is, however, markedly different.

The epistles of Paul of Tarsus (or Paul) seem to be the oldest (it dates the first of them, ^the 1st epistle to the Corinthians of the year about 40, especially chapter 15, which recalls the central dogma faith, Kerygma), this reference gives Paul a special place in Christianity, some regarding it as the real founder of the religion.

The Gospel of Mark is widely regarded as one who was drafted first (circa 65-70?) And constitutes one of the sources used to write the other two Synoptics. Then come the other Gospels (Matthew and Luke in their final form around the year 70, but there are many documents), after John 90. The Gospels were written on the basis of tradition and older documents. Their writing is contemporaneous with the disappearance of direct witnesses of Jesus' life, and manifest the desire to keep most of the preaching of Christ.

The Acts of the Apostles is the second part of the Gospel of Luke. The Epistle to the Hebrews seems to be the most recent text.

The canon thus formed (see the texts officially recognized) removes the texts called apocryphal. The existence of the apocryphal gospels reveals that the New Testament as we know it today is the result of a choice among a variety of records documenting the life and preaching of Jesus and the life of the early church. This choice has been made since the fourth ^century Council of Nicaea, called the corpus canon of Scripture, based on what then seemed likely, the seniority of the tradition to which these texts were attached. The New Testament of the Bible as a whole, is a testament to the strength of these communities before a historical narrative .

The Church and Baptism

Since Jesus, God wants create a church , not limited to Jews. According to the Bible, that Jesus is the Son of God, other men are by adoption. (Note: other passages mention Jesus as "Son of Man", the reality is that man is supposed to embody in her lifetime).

This is the faith in Jesus Christ and acceptance of the work of redemption that he accomplished that defines this family, not the practice of the Mosaic law or religious doctrine, "one Lord, one faith , one baptism, one God, "proclaims the Epistle to the Ephesians (Eph 4.5). One becomes a Christian through the sacrament of baptism , we can receive only one time even if you change your church (but this view is not shared by all: the baptism representative, then public confession of conversion).

History of Christianity

Criticism of religion, the Enlightenment criticized, among others, to Christianity have had a bloody history from antiquity to his time .

A religion of Judaism

According to the gospels, Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill. " His perspective is that of a fulfillment of the Jewish faith in a particular interpretation of Jesus himself, and not the creation of a new religion: Jesus, the apostles , Mary the mother of Jesus, the whole group was primitive Jewish. This perspective is reflected in many phrases of Jesus reported in the Gospels, so the instructions given to the disciples to go "to the lost sheep of Israel" (Matt. 10:6), not to the Gentiles.

Christianity has taken over more or less according to its current number of elements in the Judaism of the period following the destruction of the Second Temple , such as:

• adapting the shape of worship synagogue to church parishes, (the synagogue worship was already present in Galilee );
• the use of all the biblical texts, first and foremost the psalms Jews from the Book of Praise; these texts can be read on variable cycle, up to three years for the Catholic Church;
• a religious calendar, partially mobile, in which some significant events or points of faith are subject to annual celebrations;
• the use of songs and hymns in prayer ;
• in celebrations and community meetings, the use of certain words from the Hebrew Bible (eg Amen , Hosanna , hallelujah ).

For Christians, the dividing line with Judaism through the recognition or not of the Messiah in the person of Jesus. From the Jewish perspective, Christianity differs fundamentally from Judaism, he "accomplishes" not - rejecting the "yoke of Torah and mitzvot" - and does not respect the monotheism. Marcion , the ^second century, goes further than the Christian church: it denies the parentage Judaism-Christianity and emphasizes the autonomous origin of Christianity vis--vis Judaism. He was described as heretical by the Church. The effective separation of the two religions, both among the early Christians vis--vis the authorities in Rome, occupied at least two centuries, perhaps more, according to historians.

Early Christianity

Christianity emerged from the ^first century in the context of communities Jews of Middle East and particularly the Jewish Hellenized. The name "Christianity" comes from the Greek Christos, which translates the Hebrew Messiah ("he who has anointed"). This word, originally applied to different characters of the Bible (Prophets and Kings), in Judaism, means a person who comes late to the end of time restore the kingdom of God in Israel. It has since been almost exclusively reserved for Jesus.

Jesus is the founding figure of Christianity, without being its founder in a historical sense: the debate is still open on the founder of Christianity "Paul or Jesus," a theological point of view, but above all, a point Historically, Christianity not born in the lifetime of Jesus. Two schools each share a consensus that Christianity is born with the introduction of the Birkat ha-Minim in Amida (blessing 12). For others, Christianity begins with the turn of the ^centuryII: Establishment of a New Testament canon, apologists fathers , early Christian theology (encounter between the Christian myth and Greek philosophy) .

In the example of the prevailing diversity in Judaism (Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Baptist ...), palochristianisme covers the various communities, for example: 1. community (postpascale) Judeo-Christian from Jerusalem around Jacques, brother of Jesus, belonging to Judaism but recognizing the messianism of Jesus and living in expectation of the Kingdom of God 2. Galilean community gathered around a pre-Easter and sapiential interpretation of Jesus' life, probably the origin of the source Q common to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, 3. Hellenic-Christian community around the emblematic figures of the seven officers serving table and upkeep of widows, and Etienne, the probable origin of the Gospel of Matthew, 4. apocalyptic community which will cause, probably Essenes collecting evidence after the fall of the Temple of the Gospel of John, 5. Pauline community that will in the wake of the Hellenists, openness to Gentiles (especially after the split between Paul and the Church of Jerusalem in 48/49), and an early divergence of theological (centrality and primacy of the Cross Act of Faith and the works). These paleo-Christian communities (as always included in Judaism) will be virtually disappear gradually as the Judeo-Christian, or diverge from Judaism to favor different interpretation of scripture, the integration of new textual and oral traditions (paleo -gospels, epistles), historical factors (uprisings of 66-70 and 135), language change (from the Aramaic / Hebrew to Greek / Latin), the demographic center (from Palestine to the whole Empire Roman), political relations with Rome for ...., stay religio lawful and adversarial relationships with rabbinic Judaism, which extends the Pharisaism after the fall of the Temple (70).

The divergence from Judaism accelerate at the turn of the first century.

The expansion

Anti-Christian graffiti from the ^second century depicting a crucified donkey. The commentary suggests that God respects Alexamenos this drawing jeers soldier converted.

"We did that yesterday and we have already conquered the earth," said the philosopher Tertullian ⁱⁿ the second century. Christians, first small minority of followers of Jesus and the apostles, spread mainly in the western Roman Empire in the West, based on pre-existing Jewish communities of the Empire.

Then a problem arises: should we convert non-Jews? Indeed, Judaism is a religion that is spread most often by blood, and given that Jesus, the Bible says is only for Jews, the disciples did not know whether to reach out to others. and Gaul.

In the Roman Empire, the authorities do not make a clear difference between Jews and Christians, the latter being seen only as a Jewish sect.

The conversion of Constantine and the Christianization of the Roman Empire with the Edict of Milan in 313, persecution against Christians stopped. In the late ^fourth century, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire , replacing the ancient Roman religion and returning persecution. This date marks the symbolic beginning of Christianity : the period of the history of Europe, where Christianity is the only religion allowed in so far as it persecutes the other (since Justinian ), and primarily its own dissidents and the Jews .

This victory over paganism was accompanied by a reinterpretation of ancient philosophy, including Plato, in the direction of the new religion, and use many mythical motifs of the ancient world for the inculturation of Christianity in the respect for the apostolic tradition.

Global expansion of Christianity

Christianity in the World.

From the discovery of America by Europeans in 1492, the expansion of Christianity was parallel to colonial expansion. The activity of mission has often been regarded by the colonial powers as a means of introducing Western interests, even legitimate political or military interventions. But this did not go smoothly cohabitation, the Church directly hitting the front colonial interests when she says that the dignity of Man should be defended (as in the famous controversy of Valladolid ). In Martinique, the pious souls had to fight for the consolations of religion are made slaves.

Indian or African rites were no longer officially tolerated, but the Candombl and many cults voodoo show a syncretism and the long stretch of African or Native American religions. Specifically, Christologies African-American show that these cults have never disappeared. Today the Christian religion is the most widespread religion in the world.

Decline in Western countries

For fifty years, numerous statistical studies have shown a progressive decline of Christianity in Western countries. Active belief in the precepts and rituals of Christianity has largely collapsed, and the number of participants and attendance at places of worship has declined consistently. This decrease is however less clear in what may be termed passive belief: many people who said they always Christian family tradition.

What progress the most is probably religious indifference. We may also note the phenomena of competing religions, beliefs nostalgic paganism , of atheism , or even the antitheism militant, who can also help to explain this phenomenon.

The scandals of some pedophile priests , sometimes bloody history associated with certain Churches (intolerance towards the polytheists in the ancient Roman Inquisition, forced conversions of natives in Latin America), the decisions of popes in character sometimes considered too Conservative Christianity, can also play against him. Christianity, if no longer dominant in some Western countries, remains a reference ethics and culture. The Bishops are often consulted by national governments before the passage of legislation that engage the senses and the value of human life (debate on euthanasia , bioethics ...). Antique criticism among some intellectuals, back to today's tastes, like the Christians against the philosopher Celsus and the writings of the Roman Emperor Julian.

Churches

There are three major groups of churches: Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. The word "Christian" is not the word usually used by the New Testament to designate the followers of Jesus. These are called or are called the "Way," "Church," "churches" or " Nazarenes "(named Nazareth , the hometown of Jesus). The book of Acts tells us that at Antioch , so in a Greek-speaking city, which were given to the first disciples called "Christians". No doubt this name did he originally used to refer only to those disciples of Jesus who were Greek-speaking ("Christian" means "follower of christos," the Greek word equivalent to Messiah ).

In the first century of Christianity, preaching of Jesus was received substantially different in different cultures and communities. An echo of these differences are perceived in the texts of the New Testament and the diversity of their presentations of this sermon. The differences are even greater when one considers the abundant literature called apocryphal , which reflected the beliefs of churches which were now forgotten.

These differences in understanding of preaching and the person of Jesus have been the source of internal conflicts within Christianity and the creation of many heresies , whereas each local church as heretical the traditions and dogmas held back by others but that it rejected.

The need to agree on a common language about God and Jesus is found very early, hence the practice of communion letters, letters issued by a church to ensure that its members travel is in the communion of the whole Church.

The councils

With access to the Christian faith among the recognized religions of the empire, political power has taken the initiative to convene meetings of bishops ( councils ) to settle disputes. When the majority of bishops agreed on one point, the bishops chose minority does not necessarily adopt the wording. The Council of Chalcedon (451) marks a milestone in the histoite of Christianity in the sense that the doctrine of the Trinity and the dual nature of Christ is defined. From that date, it no longer vary. Only the Great Schism of the East , 600 years later, opened a major debate with the question of the filioque , that is to say, a ranking possible (or impossible) within the Trinity.

The separation of East and West

The fall of the Roman Empire, then the gradual conquest of the Eastern Empire by the Muslims, have resulted in dividing the two parts of the Mediterranean basin. It often retains the date of 1054 like the separation of church , the reality was more nuanced, the excommunication reciprocal launched by the then Pope of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople, which involves a long series of conflicts. The break was actually consumed in the thirteenth ^century when the Crusaders looted Constantinople Latin Patriarch and filed in the Fourth Crusade. An attempt at union council of Florence in the fifteenth ^century had no result. The occupation of Constantinople by the Turks has aggravated the cultural gap that had developed between the churches, Catholics on the one hand, orthodox on the other.

The difference between Catholics and Orthodox mainly concerns the organization of the Church, the Orthodox do not recognize papal authority over the whole church.

Protestantism (Churches of the Reformation)

The Protestantism originated in the reform introduced by Martin Luther in the early sixteenth ^century. Martin Luther was a monk outraged by the abuses of the Catholic Church and offers a reinterpretation of the Christian faith based on a return to the Bible. Subsequently many historical figures have introduced reform churches standing out of the Catholic Church then they saw a drift. Protestants reject the authority of the then Pope, and decide not require any hierarchical institution. This trend has given rise to many Protestant churches Lutheran and Reformed , as well as many evangelical churches ( Baptists , Methodists , Pentecostals ...).

Ecumenical dialogue

The unionist version of ecumenism is the desire to build a single church. This was a time the thought of the Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala Sderblom Nathan , Nobel Peace in 1929. But first it was the need for better cooperation between companies biblical Protestant who led at the end of class = "Roman"> ^nineteenth century the first attempts at interfaith dialogue. In 1948, these dialogues have given birth to the World Council of Churches (WCC).

By 1927 . This does not prevent him from participating in various activities of ecumenical dialogue .

Christianity deal with societal issues

Social issues

The revolt of the silk workers in 1831 was one of the first events which manifested the working-class poverty. Frederic Ozanam was so upset that he founded the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for help to the poor. This was the beginning of the action of social Catholicism , which led in 1891 with the encyclical Rerum Novarum of Leo XIII , which recognizes the rights of workers and formally endorse the development of a social movement. The first trade unions were of Christian Trade Unions.

Since that time, in regard to Catholicism, popes have regularly updated the Church's social doctrine. It includes a set of principles and values that should dictate the actions of Catholics on social issues. The social action of Christians today can intervene in France as part of volunteering in associations.

Notes

Related articles

• History of Christianity
• Apostle
• Nontrinitarisme
• Antichristianism
• Homosexuality in Christianity
• Late Antiquity
• Relations between Judaism and Christianity
• Criticism of Christianity
• Christianity by country

Bibliography

Classic texts

• Christianity , article by Diderot on Wikisource
• Ernest Renan , The Life of Jesus

Contemporary Essays

• Francis Blanchetire Survey, the Jewish roots of the Christian movement (30-135), Paris, Editions du Cerf, "Initiations", 2001
• Alain Duphil , the land of Jesus and Christians ... the lineage of Abraham, Amalthea Publishing
• Dominique de La Maisonneuve , NDS , "The Torah comes from heaven": Introduction to the meaning of biblical language, Parole & Silence, 2010
• Andre Lemaire , The Birth of Monotheism: Point of view of a historian, Bayard, 2003
• Jean-Pierre Lmonon , edited by Philippe Abadie, Judaism at the dawn of the Christian era, XVIII ^Congress of the ACFEB, Paris, Editions du Cerf, "Lectio Divina, 186," 2001
• CS Lewis , The Foundations of Christianity ( ISBN 2-85031-311-4 )
• S.-C. Mimouni (ed.), Proceedings of the Symposium in Jerusalem, 6-10 July 1998 - The Judeo-Christianity in all its guises, Paris, Editions du Cerf, 2001
• Etienne Nodet and Justin Taylor , Essays on the origins of Christianity, Editions du Cerf, Paris, 2002
• Herv Pasqua , What is Christianity?, Editions du Cerf, Paris 2004
• Jaroslav Pelikan, Whose Bible? The book of books through the ages, La Table Ronde, al. Religions, October 2005
• Akklsia Towards Christianity without church by Ivsan Otets ( ISBN 978-2-9533769-0-6 )
• Reviews of books on Christianity on the website of the European Institute of Religious Studies

References

• Christianity portal

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