CHRISTIANITY

A report by Jean Klitzku T. Recamara

Gr. XII – Justice (HUMSS)
REPORT OVERVIEW
• What is Christianity
• The Origin of Christianity
• Branches of Christianity
• Basic Teachings of Christianity
• Sacred Texts
• Traditions
• Summary
• References
WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY?
Christianity, major religion stemming from the life, teachings, and death of
Jesus of Nazareth (the Christ, or the Anointed One of God) in the 1st century
C.E.. It has become the largest of the world’s religions and, geographically,
the most widely diffused of all faiths. It has a constituency of more than two
billion believers.
At its most basic, Christianity is the faith tradition that focuses on the figure
of Jesus Christ. In this context, faith refers both to the believers’ act of trust
and to the content of their faith.

'Christian' is derived from the Greek christos for the Hebrew messiah
("anointed one"). Christianoi, "followers of the Christ,"
 THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITY

The origin of Christianity can be traced

back as far as 2,000 years ago in the 1st
century C.E..
Christianity developed in Judea in the
mid-first century CE, based first on the
teachings of Jesus and later on the writings
and missionary work of Paul of Tarsus.
BRANCHES OF CHRISTIANITY
In today’s age, Christianity is composed of more than 40,000+ since 2012, this report
will mainly focus on the 2 major branches of Christianity;
(WESTERN) ROMAN CATHOLICISM
(EASTERN) ORTHODOX CATHOLICISM
On July 16, 1054, Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Cerularius was excommunicated from the
Christian church based in Rome, Italy. Cerularius’s excommunication was a breaking point in long-
rising tensions between the Roman church based in Rome and the Byzantine church based in
Constantinople (now called Istanbul). The resulting split divided the European Christian church into
two major branches: the Western Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. This
split is known as the Great Schism, or sometimes the “East-West Schism” or the “Schism of 1054.”

The Great Schism came about due to a complex mix of religious

disagreements and political conflicts.
BRANCHES OF CHRISTIANITY
Roman Catholicism - The Catholic Church is the oldest institution
in the western world. It can trace its history back almost 2000 years.
Catholics believe that the Pope, based in Rome, is the successor to Saint
Peter whom Christ appointed as the first head of His church. He
therefore stands in what Catholicism calls the apostolic succession, an
unbroken line back to Peter and has supreme authority. Popes can speak
infallibly on matters of faith and morals but in practice do so rarely.
For almost a thousand years, Catholicism and Christianity were as
one. The break, or schism between the Church of Rome and other
Christian faiths began with the split with Orthodox Christians in
1054 over questions of doctrine and the absolute authority and
behaviour of the popes.
BRANCHES OF CHRISTIANITY

Orthodox Catholicism - large body of Christians who follow the

faith and practices that were defined by the first seven ecumenical
councils. The word orthodox (“right believing”) has traditionally been
used in the Greek-speaking Christian world to designate communities or
individuals who preserved the true faith (as defined by those councils), as
opposed to those who were declared heretical.

The Orthodox church is a fellowship of

“autocephalous” churches (canonically and administratively
independent), with the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople
holding titular or honorary primacy.
BASIC TEACHINGS OF CHRISTIANITY
Christians are monotheistic, i.e., they believe there’s only one
God, and he created the heavens and the earth. This divine
Godhead consists of three parts: the father (God himself), the
son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. (TRINITARIAN
BELIEF)
The essence of Christianity revolves around the life, death and
Christian beliefs on the resurrection of Jesus. They believe
Jesus was crucified on a cross to offer the forgiveness of sins
and was resurrected three days after his death before ascending
to heaven.
Christians contend that Jesus will return to earth again in
what’s known as the Second Coming.
Jesus was born through a virgin (the Virgin Mary)
 SACRED TEXTS
The Holy Bible - The Christian Bible consists of two sections. The first incorporates Jewish scripture
originally written in Hebrew, characterised by Christians as the Old Testament. The earliest Christians
adopted a Greek version of this text known as the Septuagint. The second section is a collection of
texts concerning the life, teachings and early followers of Jesus of Nazareth, all originally written in
Greek and together known as the New Testament.
How did the Bible came to be? ̶ The idea of compiling an official (collection) list of Sacred
Scripture was mentioned during the Council of Rome in 385 A.D. presided by Pope Damasus I, it
was then translated to Latin by St. Jerome, after a few years, Pope Siricius called it “Bible,” then I
the 13th century was divided into chapters and verses by Archbishop Stephen Langdon (chapters) and
Cardinal Hugo de Caro (verses)
 TRADITIONS
Apostolic Succession Waving Palms on Palm Sunday
Abstinence from meat on Fridays (-of Lent) Procession of carrozas
Fasting (during Lent) Placing blessed palms on windows and doors
Virginal Conception and birth of Christ Almsgiving, etc…
Primacy of the Pope
Immaculate Conception of Mary
Assumption of Mary
Holy Week
The Holy Trinity
Chalking the door on Epiphany Sunday
 SUMMARY
Christianity is an ancient religion that revolves around the teachings and life of Jesus
Christ, whom (we) they believe as the Son o God. It is worth noting that although it has a
history of holiness and sanctity, like many other religions, it had its fair share of division,
disagreements, violence, wars, discrimination and many other “bad histories.” But, so they
say; “every beautiful rose has a painful thorn.”
Christianity is a religion that has undergone many changes throughout the annals of
history. From its origin in ancient Judea under the rule of the Roman Empire to its current
place as the largest Spiritual Institution in the world, Christianity is indeed a fascinating
religion like many others. It has become an ancient and abiding force that influenced the
flows of time and history of the world. It is safe to say that even in the modern world,
Christianity has maintained a significant presence in many aspects of daily life, from
simple religious practices to advocating social justice, and influencing political spheres
that has rooted deeply upon the foundation of beliefs that shape our world today. But, what
is it that we really know about Christianity? Well, that’s up to you to find out.
 SOURCES AND REFERENCES:

Britannica Encyclopedia | Christianity | https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christianity

History™ | Christianity | https://www.history.com/topics/religion/history-of-christianity
BBC | Religions: Christianity | https://
www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/catholic/catholic_1.shtml
The British Library | Sacred Texts of Christianity |

Sacred texts of Christianity | The British Library

Khan Academy | The Bible | khanacademy.com