CHRISTANITY

Study Of 2 Million Lives

 ABSTRACT OF PRESENTATION

Through This presentation, we will explore the past and present of christianity, through its cultural
and institiutionall dimensions tracing its course over two millenia. We will explore the timneline of
christianity , taking into account the Pentecost, The Ressurection of Christ, The Great Schism and
the following divisions. Some important aspects of christiianity such as the Rennaissance , the
Reformation will be elaborated upon. The life of christ, the Poepe , the Apostolic Church, will
follow2.
However, the framework and sole intention of this presentation will be to elaborate upon the life of a
christian, bringing into focus in statistical detail the common beliefs, rules, events and symbols which
influence a christians day to day life.
A TIME-BASED CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION
NEW TESTAMENT ERA
• PENTECOST - It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were
in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles
• Council of Jerusalem or Apostolic Council was held in Jerusalem around AD 50. It is unique among the
ancient pre-ecumenical councils in that it is considered by Catholics and Orthodox to be a prototype and forerunner of the later
ecumenical councils and a key part of Christian ethics.
• Saint Peter and Saint Paul - Together the two saints are the founders and patrons of the Church in Rome because of their apostolic
preaching, ministry, and martyrdom in that city. St. Peter was crucified upside down, while St. Paul was beheaded. Their churches,
St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls, were built on the respective locations of their martyrdom and burial.
• Justin Martyr - taught and defended Christianity in Asia Minor and at Rome. He suffered martyrdom in Rome about 165 A.D. Justin
Martyr's "First Apology" is the oldest (non-New Testament) record we have of how early Christian worship was conducted (Liturgy).
 
The seven ecumenical councils
The seven General Councils of the entire Christian Church are known as the Ecumenical Councils their
decisions are at the foundation of Christian doctrine accepted by both the Eastern and Western segments
of the Church. The decisions of these Ecumenical Councils were made under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, as promised by Jesus Christ to His Apostles.At these Ecumenical Councils many Canons, or laws
governing the administration of the Church, were composed
The First Ecumenical Council passed 20 canons the Canon of Holy Scripture (Holy Bible), and established
the celebration of Pascha (Easter).Emperor Constantine convened this council to settle a controversial
issue, the relation between Jesus Christ and God the Father, council.
Fourth Ecumenical Council
Eutyches held, there was only one nature in Christ. Hence his heresy was called 'monophysitisim' (of one
nature). The Council condemned this teaching and affirmed that there were two perfect natures in the one
Person of Christ unified 'unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, and inseparably'.
Seventh Ecumenical Council
This Council dealt predominantly with the controversy regarding icons and their place in Orthodox worship
The Council decided on a doctrine by which icons should be venerated but not worshipped.
THE GREAT SCHISM

What Happened In 1054?

That was the year that Christianity split into two branches --
Orthodox and Catholic. The split was formalized when the spiritual
leaders of the two competing branches excommunicated each other
and their respective churches.

What Led To The Split?

The move followed centuries of worsening ties. Things went
downhill in 800 when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne, who was
king of the Franks, as holy Roman emperor. That angered the
Byzantine Empire because it made their emperor redundant.
Moreover, the move was a slight to the Byzantine Empire, which
after Rome fell in 476 had withstood barbarian invasions and
upheld the faith for centuries. The Great Schism split Christianity
into two competing branches, one in the east, based in Byzantium,
and the other in the west, based in Rome. For this reason it is also
often referred to as the East-West Schism.
MODERN DIVISIONS OF CHRISTIANITY
 CHRISTIAN PRIMITIVISM

Restorationism, also described as Christian Primitivism, is the belief that Christianity has been
or should be restored along the lines of what is known about the apostolic early church, which
restorationists see as the search for a more pure and more ancient form of the
religion. Fundamentally, "this vision seeks to correct faults or deficiencies (in the church) by
appealing to the primitive church as a normative model.
 ANANBAPTISM

• Anabaptism is a Christian movement which traces its origins to the Radical Reformation. The
movement is generally seen as an offshoot of Protestantism, although this view has been
challenged by some Anabaptists.
• The name Anabaptist means "one who baptizes again". Their persecutors named them this,
referring to the practice of baptizing persons when they converted or declared their faith in
Christ, even if they had been baptized as infants.Anabaptists required that baptismal
candidates be able to make a confession of faith that is freely chosen and so rejected baptism
of infants. The early members of this movement did not accept the name Anabaptist, claiming
that infant baptism was not part of scripture and was therefore null and void. They said that
baptizing self-confessed believers was their first true baptism
 ANGLICANISM

• Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that evolved out of the practices, liturgy and
identity of the Church of England following the Protestant Reformation
• Anglicans base their Christian faith on the Bible, traditions of the apostolic Church,
apostolic succession ("historic episcopate"), and writings of the Church Fathers. Anglicanism
forms one of the branches of Western Christianity, having definitively declared its independence
from the Holy See at the time of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement].Many of the new
Anglican formularies of the mid-16th century corresponded closely to those of contemporary
Protestantism
• Anglicans believe the catholic and apostolic faith is revealed in Holy Scripture and the Catholic
creeds and interpret these in light of the Christian tradition of the historic church, scholarship,
reason and experience.
 A COMPARITIVE STUDY OF MAIN CHRISTIAN
DIVISION AFTER THE GREAT SCHISM
ORTHODOXCHURCH ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
• On the other hand, Greek Orthodox believers
consider a ‘highest bishop’, also known as the ‘first • For the Roman Catholics, the Pope is infallible;
among equals’. This bishop is not infallible and he can contradict lower ranking church
does not have supreme authority over the leaders.
churches.
● In Roman Catholic churches, services are
● in Greek Orthodox churches, native languages held in Latin
are used.

● According to the Greek Orthodox, Mary – just ● For Catholics, Mary was born with no
like all other humans – was born and will then original sin.
die. She was selected to be Christ’s mother due
to her righteous life.
 PROTESTANT

• Protestantism is the second largest form of Christianity with collectively more than 900 million
adherents worldwide or nearly 40% of all Christians.It originated with the Reformation,[b] a
movement against what its followers perceived to be errors in the Roman Catholic Church.[4]
Ever since, Protestants reject the Roman Catholic doctrine of papal supremacy and
sacraments, but disagree among themselves regarding the real presence of Christ in the
Eucharist.They emphasize the priesthood of all believers, justification by faith alone (sola fide)
rather than by good works, and the highest authority of the Bible alone (rather than with
sacred tradition) in faith and morals (sola scriptura).The "Five solae" summarize basic
theological differences in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church.[7]
• Protestants developed the concept of an invisible church, in contrast to the Roman Catholic
view of the Catholic Church as the visible one true Church founded by Jesus Christ
 CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS

There are several important differences between Catholics and Protestants. While there
have been many attempts in recent years to find common ground between the two
groups, the fact is that the differences remain, and they are just as important today as
they were at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
 A COMPARITIVE STUDY OF ROMAN CATHOLICS AND
PROTESTANTS
PROTESTANT
• Protestants believe that the Bible alone is the
source of God’s special revelation to mankind
and teaches us all that is necessary for our
salvation from sin.
● Protestants believe that no human being
is infallible and that Christ alone is the
Head of the Church.
● Protestants believe that the church’s
authority comes not from apostolic
succession but from the Word of God.
ROMAN CATHOLIC
• Catholics reject the doctrine of sola scriptura
and do not believe that the Bible alone is
sufficient. They believe that both the Bible and
sacred Roman Catholic tradition are equally
binding upon the Christian.
● According to Catholicism the Pope is the
“Vicar of Christ” (a vicar is a substitute)
and represents Jesus as the head of the
Church.
● Catholics rely on apostolic succession as a
way of trying to establish the Pope’s
authority.
 PROTESTANT
• •
Protestants believe that, on the basis of faith
in Christ alone, believers are justified by God,
as all their sins are paid for by Christ on the
cross and His righteousness is imputed to
them.
● ●
Protestants believe that because we are justified by
faith in Christ alone and that Christ’s righteousness is
imputed to us—when we die, we will go straight to
heaven to be in the presence of the Lord
ROMAN CATHOLIC
Catholics teach that the Christian must rely on
faith plus “meritorious works” in order to be
saved.
Essential to the Roman Catholic doctrine of salvation are
the Seven Sacraments, which are baptism, confirmation,
the Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders,
and matrimony.
the Catholics have developed the doctrine of purgatory.
Purgatory, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, is a
“place or condition of temporal punishment for those who,
departing this life in God’s grace, are not entirely free from
venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to
their transgressions.”
SOME IMPORTANT CONCEPTS REGARDING
CHRISTIANITY
 JESUS CHRIST

Jesus[e] (c. 4 BC – c. AD 30 / 33), also referred to as Jesus of

Nazareth and Jesus Christ,[f] was a first-century Jewish preacher
and religious leader.[12] He is the central figure of Christianity.
Most Christians believe he is the incarnation of God the Son. Jesus
was a Galilean Jew[12] who was baptized by John the Baptist and
subsequently began his own ministry, preaching his message
orallyesus debated with fellow Jews on how to best follow God,
engaged in healings, taught in parables and gathered followers.
[26][27] He was arrested and tried by the Jewish authorities,[28]
turned over to the Roman government, and was subsequently
crucified on the order of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect.[26]
After his death, his followers believed he rose from the dead, and
the community they formed eventually became the early
Church.The birth of Jesus is celebrated annually on December 25
(or various dates in January by some eastern churches) as a
holiday known as Christmas. His crucifixion is honored on Good
Friday, and his resurrection is celebrated on Easter.
HOLY TRINITY
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity holds that God is one God, but three

coeternal persons —the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit—as

"one God in three Divine Persons".

According to this central mystery of most Christian faiths, there is only one God

in three Persons: while distinct in their relations with each other "it is the Father

who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds" .

Question: "To whom are we to pray, the Father, the Son, or the Holy

Spirit?"

The Bible teaches that we can pray to one or all three, because all three are

one.Prayer to one member of the Trinity is prayer to all.

Perhaps the best way to understand the role of the Trinity in prayer is that we

pray to the Father, through (or in the name of) the Son, by the power of the Holy

Spirit. All three are active participants in the believer’s prayer.

Whom are we to pray to? The answer is God. Praying to God, and God alone, is

far more important than to which Person of the Trinity we address our prayers.
LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN
A SYNOPSIS
 FEW GUIDELINES FOR CHRISTAIN
LIVING
For one to grow properly certain rules must be observed for good spiritual health.

Read your Bible daily. Do not be content to skim through a chapter merely to satisfy your conscience.
Hide the Word of God in your heart. It comforts, guides, corrects, encourages – all we need is there.

Learn the secret of prayer. Prayer is communicating. Every prayer that you pray will be answered.
Sometimes that answer may be “Yes” and sometimes “No,” and sometimes it is “Wait,” but
nevertheless it will be answered.

Rely constantly on the Holy Spirit. We know that the Holy Spirit prays for us (Romans 8), and what a
comfort that should be to the weakest of us. Stand aside and let Him take over all the choices and
decisions of your life.
Attend church regularly. The visible church is Christ’s organization upon earth. Christians need one
another, we need to gather together to worship God and nothing can take the place of church
attendance.

Let love be the ruling principle of your life. Jesus said to those who followed Him. The greatest
demonstration of the fact that we are Christians is that we love one another.

Learn how to meet temptation. Temptation is not sin. It is yielding that is sin. Let Christ through the
Holy Spirit do the fighting for you.
 Rules
Rules of behavior
of behavior in Church
in Church
The Apostle Paul says, "Let all things be done decently and in order," when Christians gather for prayer
.
The Apostle Paul says, "Let all things be done decently and in order," when Christians gather for prayer
.

To come to church you should wear clean and appropriate clothing, as required by the holiness of the
place. Women should exercise Christian modesty and decency and not come in dresses that are too
short or revealing or in slacks. Even before entering the church women should wipe off their lipstick,
so that when they kiss the icons, the chalice or the Cross they do not leave behind the red imprint of
their lips.

On entering the church, you should make the sign of the Cross in an unhurried manner and make a bow
towards the altar.
Next purchase one or several candles and place them before the icons, as an offering to God.
After you have venerated the patronal icon of the church go to the place in the church where you are going to
stand in prayer during the service.It is customary for men to stand on the right side of the church and women
on the left.

9.Approach Holy Communion with reverence.Having received Communion, kiss the chalice without making
the sign of the Cross, so as not to upset the chalice. After you have partaken of the warm wine and water,
return to your place, giving thanks to God. Women should approach the chalice with their heads covered and
without lipstick.

On leaving the church, make the sign of the Cross .

 THE HOLY BIBLE
The Bible is a collection of sacred texts or scriptures that Jews and
Christians consider to be a product of divine inspiration and a
record of the relationship between God and humans.Many
different authors contributed to the Bible.
Who Wrote The Bible: The First Five Books. According to both
Jewish and Christian Dogma, the books of Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy (the first five books of
the Bible and the entirety of the Torah) were all written by
Moses in about 1,300 B.C.
The first Biblical stories were passed down orally and only written
down later by various authors. Most Biblical scholars believe
the Book of Genesis was the first book to be written down. This
would have happened around 1450 BC to 1400 BC. So perhaps
about 3400 years or so ago.
The texts were mainly written in Biblical Hebrew, with some
portions (notably in Daniel and Ezra) in Biblical Aramaic. Biblical
Hebrew, sometimes called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form
of the Hebrew language. The very first translation of the
Hebrew Bible was into Greek.
EVENTS OF CHRISTIANITY
 THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION

• The feast of the Annunciation marks the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin
Mary, during which he told her that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the
Son of God. It is celebrated on 25 March each year.
• More importantly, since it occurs 9 months before the birth of Jesus on Christmas
Day, the Annunciation marks the actual incarnation of Jesus Christ - the moment
that Jesus was conceived and that the Son of God became the son of the Virgin.
The festival has been celebrated since the 5th century AD.
• The festival celebrates two things:
God's action in entering the human world as Jesus in order to save humanity
• Humanity's willing acceptance of God's action in Mary's freely given acceptance of
the task of being the Mother of God
 LENT

• Lent is the period of 40 days which comes before

Easter in the Christian calendar. Beginning on Ash
Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and
preparation before the celebrations of Easter. By
observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus
Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40
days. Lent is marked by fasting, both from food and
festivities.
• Whereas Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
after his death on the cross, Lent recalls the events
leading up to and including Jesus' crucifixion by Rome.
This is believed to have taken place in Roman occupied
Jerusalem.
• The Christian churches that observe Lent in the 21st
century (and not all do significantly) use it as a time for
prayer and penance. Only a small number of people
today fast for the whole of Lent, although some
maintain the practice on Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday. It is more common these days for believers to
surrender a particular vice such as favourite foods or
smoking. Whatever the sacrifice it is a reflection of
Jesus' deprivation in the wilderness and a test of self-
discipline.
HOLY WEEK
The most solemn week of the Christian year, Holy
Week is the week leading up to Easter, and is the
week during which Christians particularly remember
the last week of Jesus's life. Holy Week begins on
Palm Sunday
Easter
Easter Sunday is the culmination of Holy Week.
Easter commemorates the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. It is the most important Christian
festival, and the one celebrated with the greatest
joy.
The date of Easter changes each year, and several
other Christian festivals fix their dates by reference
to Easter.
Churches are filled with flowers, and there are
special hymns and songs. But not all Easter
customs are Christian; some, such as the Easter
Bunny, are pagan in origin.
The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity
 On Good Friday, Jesus Christ was executed by
crucifixion. His body was taken down from the
cross, and buried in a cave.

The tomb was guarded and an enormous stone was

put over the entrance, so that no-one could steal the
body.

On the following Sunday, some women visited the

grave and found that the stone had been moved, and
that the tomb was empty.

Jesus himself was seen that day, and for days

afterwards by many people. His followers realised
that God had raised Jesus from the dead.
 ASCENSION DAY

The Day He Ascended to

Heaven

• Ascension Day celebrates Jesus's ascension

to heaven after he was resurrected on
Easter Day
 CHRISTMAS

• Christmas is marked on the 25 December (7 January for Orthodox Christians).

• Christmas is a Christian holy day that marks the birth of Jesus, the son of God.
The story of Christmas
• Jesus' birth, known as the nativity, is described in the New Testament of the Bible.The
Gospels of Matthew and Luke give different accounts. It is from them that the nativity story
is pieced together. Both accounts tell us that Jesus was born to a woman called Mary who
was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter.
• Advent is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus and begins on
Sunday nearest to 30th November. The word Advent comes from the
Latin adventus meaning coming. Traditionally it is a penitential season but is no longer kept
with the strictness of Lent and Christians are no longer required to fast. Advent wreaths are
popular especially in churches. They are made with fir branches and four candles. A candle
is lit each Sunday during Advent. Christmas Day is the Christian festival most celebrated by
non-churchgoers, and churches are often completely full for the service late on Christmas
Eve.
 FATHER CHRISTMAS

• An important part of today's Christmas is

the myth of Father Christmas (called Santa
Claus in America). His origins are in
Christian and European tradition. But the
visual image of Father Christmas that we
have today is the one popularised by
American card-makers in the Victorian era.
• Traditionally, Father Christmas visits
houses at midnight on Christmas Eve,
coming down the chimney to leave
presents. Children hang up stockings -
nowadays usually large socks with
Christmas patterns knitted into them - for
Father Christmas to fill with little toys and
presents ('stocking fillers’).
• Some traditions surrounding Father Christmas pre-date Christianity. His sleigh, pulled by
reindeer, is left over from Scandinavian mythology. The practice of leaving mince pies and a
glass of milk or brandy for him on Christmas Eve may be a remnant of Pagan sacrifices made
to mark the end of winter and the coming of spring.
• The USA has the figure of Santa Claus, whose name comes from Saint Nicholas via the
Dutch Sinterklaas. Saint Nicholas of Myra (a location in modern-day Turkey) is, among other
things, the patron saint of sailors. A famous story has him anonymously delivering bags of
gold coins to a man who could not afford dowry for his daughters to get married. Some
versions of this story even have Saint Nick dropping the bags down the chimney.
• In modern times the figures of Father Christmas and Santa Claus are indistinguishable.
 EPIPHANY

• The Epiphany is an ancient Christian feast day and is significant in a number of

ways. In the East, where it originated, the Epiphany celebrates the baptism of
Jesus by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. It also celebrates Jesus' birth.
• The Western Church began celebrating the Epiphany in the 4th century where it
was, and still is, associated with the visit of the magi (wise men) to the infant
Jesus when God revealed himself to the world through the incarnation of Jesus.
According to Matthew 2:11 they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
• For many Protestant church traditions, the season of Epiphany extends from 6
January until Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of Lent leading to Easter
.
• Other traditions, including the Roman Catholic tradition, observe Epiphany as a
single day, with the Sundays following Epiphany counted as Ordinary Time.
•
CHRISTAIN SYMBOL
Christian Cross

The Latin cross is the most familiar and

widely recognized symbol of Christianity
today. In all likelihood, it was the shape of
the structure upon which Jesus Christ was
crucified. Though various forms of the
cross existed, the Latin cross was made of
two pieces of wood crossed to create four
right angles. The cross today represents
Christ's victory over sin and death through
the sacrifice of his own body on the cross.
 Christian Fish or Ichthys

The Christian Fish, also called the Jesus Fish or

Ichthys, was a secret symbol of early Christianity.

The Ichthys or fish symbol was used by early

Christians to identify themselves as followers of
Jesus Christ and to express their affinity to
Christianity. Ichthys is the Ancient Greek word for
"fish." The "Christian fish," or "Jesus fish" symbol
consists of two intersecting arcs tracing the outline
of a fish (most commonly with the fish "swimming"
to the left). It is said to have been used by early
persecuted Christians as a secret symbol of
identification.
Christian Dove

The dove represents the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost in

Christianity. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like
a dove when he was baptized in the Jordan River

The dove is also a symbol of peace. In Genesis 8

after the flood, a dove returned to Noah with an
olive branch in its beak, revealing the end of
God's judgment and the beginning of a new
covenant with man.
Crown of Thorns

One of the most vivid symbols of Christianity is

the crown of thorns, which Jesus wore before his
crucifixion

In the Bible thorns often represent sin, and

therefore, the crown of thorns is fitting — that
Jesus would bear the sins of the world. But a
crown is also fitting because it represents the
suffering King of Christianity — Jesus Christ,
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.