UPDATED: AUG 3, 2021 · ORIGINAL: OCT 13, 2017

Christianity
HISTORY.COM EDITORS

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Christianity is the most widely practiced

CONTENTS religion in the world, with more than 2
billion followers. The Christian faith
1. Christianity Beliefs centers on beliefs regarding the birth,
life, death and resurrection of Jesus
2. Who Was Jesus? Christ. While it started with a small group
3. Jesus’s Teachings of adherents, many historians regard the
spread and adoption of Christianity
4. Jesus’s Death and Resurrection throughout the world as one of the most
5. The Christian Bible successful spiritual missions in human
history.
6. History of Christianity
7. Persecution of Christians
8. Constantine Embraces Christianity Beliefs
Christianity
9. The Catholic Church Some basic Christian concepts include:
10. The Crusades
11. The Reformation
12. Types of Christianity
 13. Sources 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.

The essence of Christianity revolves around the life, death and Christian beliefs on
the resurrection of Jesus. Christians believe God sent his son Jesus, the messiah, to
save the world. 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.

The Holy Bible includes important scriptures that outline Jesus’s teachings, the lives
and teachings of major prophets and disciples, and offer instructions for how
Christians should live.

Both Christians and Jews follow the Old Testament of the Bible, but Christians also
embrace the New Testament.

The cross is a symbol of Christianity.

The most important Christian holidays are Christmas (which celebrates the birth of
Jesus) and Easter (which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus).

WATCH Jesus: His Life on HISTORY Vault

Who Was Jesus?

Most historians believe that Jesus was a real person who was born between 2 B.C.
and 7 B.C. Much of what scholars know about Jesus comes from the New Testament
of the Christian Bible.

According to the text, Jesus was born to a young Jewish virgin named Mary in the
town of Bethlehem in the West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Christians believe the
conception was a supernatural event, with God impregnating Mary via the Holy Spirit.

Very little is known about Jesus’s childhood. Scriptures reveal that he grew up in
Nazareth, he and his family fled persecution from King Herod and moved to Egypt,
and his “earthly” father, Joseph, was a carpenter.

Jesus was raised Jewish, and according to most scholars, he aimed to reform Judaism
—not create a new religion.

When he was around 30 years old, Jesus started his public ministry after being
baptized in the Jordan River by the prophet known as John the Baptist.
For about three years, Jesus traveled with 12 appointed disciples (also known as the
12 apostles), teaching large groups of people and performing what witnesses
described as miracles. Some of the most well-known miraculous events included
raising a dead man named Lazarus from the grave, walking on water and curing the
blind.

READ MORE: What Did Jesus Look Like?

Jesus’s Teachings

Jesus used parables—short stories with hidden messages—in his teachings.

Some of the main themes that Jesus taught, which Christians later embraced, include:

Love God.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Forgive others who have wronged you.

Love your enemies.

Ask God for forgiveness of your sins.

Jesus is the Messiah and was given the authority to forgive others.

Repentance of sins is essential.

Don’t be hypocritical.

Don’t judge others.

The Kingdom of God is near. It’s not the rich and powerful—but the weak and poor—
who will inherit this kingdom.

In one of Jesus’s most famous speeches, which became known as the Sermon on the
Mount , he summarized many of his moral instructions for his followers.

READ MORE: The Bible Says Jesus Was Real. What Other Proof Exists?

Jesus’s Death and Resurrection

Many scholars believe Jesus died between 30 A.D. and 33 A.D., although the exact
date is debated among theologians.

According to the Bible, Jesus was arrested, tried and condemned to death. Roman
governor Pontius Pilate issued the order to kill Jesus after being pressured by Jewish
leaders who alleged that Jesus was guilty of a variety of crimes, including blasphemy.
Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers in Jerusalem, and his body was laid in a tomb.
According to scripture, three days after his crucifixion, Jesus’s body was missing.

In the days after Jesus’s death, some people reported sightings and encounters with
him. Authors in the Bible say the resurrected Jesus ascended into Heaven.

READ MORE: The History of Easter

The Christian Bible

The Christian Bible is a collection of 66 books written by various authors. It’s divided
into two parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament, which is also recognized by followers of Judaism, describes the
history of the Jewish people, outlines specific laws to follow, details the lives of many
prophets, and predicts the coming of the Messiah.

The New Testament was written after Jesus’s death. The first four books— Matthew ,
Mark , Luke and John —are known as the “Gospels,” which means “good news.” These
texts, composed sometime between 70 A.D. and 100 A.D., provide accounts of the life
and death of Jesus.

Letters written by early Christian leaders, which are known as “epistles,” make up a
large part of the New Testament. These letters offer instructions for how the church
should operate.

The Acts of the Apostles is a book in the New Testament that gives an account of the
apostles’ ministry after Jesus’s death. The author of Acts is the same author as one of
the Gospels—it is effectively “part two” to the Gospels, what happened after Jesus’s
death and resurrection.

The final book in the New Testament, Revelation , describes a vision and prophecies
that will occur at the end of the world, as well as metaphors to describe the state of
the world.

READ MORE: A Tour of the Biblical Treasures at D.C.'s New Museum of the Bible

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History of Christianity

According to the Bible, the first church organized itself 50 days after Jesus’s death on
the Day of Pentecost—when the Holy Spirit was said to descend onto Jesus’s
followers.

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Most of the first Christians were Jewish converts, and the church was centered in
Jerusalem. Shortly after the creation of the church, many Gentiles (non-Jews)
embraced Christianity.

Early Christians considered it their calling to spread and teach the gospel. One of the
most important missionaries was the apostle Paul, a former persecutor of Christians.
Paul’s conversion to Christianity after he had a supernatural encounter with Jesus is
described in Acts of the Apostles . Paul preached the gospel and established churches
throughout the Roman Empire, Europe and Africa.

Many historians believe Christianity wouldn’t be as widespread without the work of

Paul. In addition to preaching, Paul is thought to have written 13 of the 27 books in
the New Testament.

READ MORE: Inside the Conversion Tactics of the Early Christian Church

Persecution of Christians

Early Christians were persecuted for their faith by both Jewish and Roman leaders.

In 64 A.D., Emperor Nero blamed Christians for a fire that broke out in Rome. Many
were brutally tortured and killed during this time.

Under Emperor Domitian, Christianity was illegal. If a person confessed to being a

Christian, he or she was executed.

Starting in 303 A.D., Christians faced the most severe persecutions to date under the
co-emperors Diocletian and Galerius. This became known as the Great Persecution.

Constantine Embraces Christianity

When Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, religious tolerance

shifted in the Roman Empire.

During this time, there were several groups of Christians with different ideas about
how to interpret scripture and the role of the church.

In 313 A.D., Constantine lifted the ban on Christianity with the Edict of Milan. He later
tried to unify Christianity and resolve issues that divided the church by establishing
the Nicene Creed.

Many scholars believe Constantine’s conversion was a turning point in Christian

history.

The Catholic Church

In 380 A.D., Emperor Theodosius I declared Catholicism the state religion of the
Roman Empire. The Pope, or Bishop of Rome, operated as the head of the Roman
Catholic Church.
Catholics expressed a deep devotion for the Virgin Mary, recognized the seven
sacraments, and honored relics and sacred sites.

When the Roman Empire collapsed in 476 A.D., differences emerged among Eastern
and Western Christians.

In 1054 A.D., the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox church split into
two groups.

The Crusades

Between about 1095 A.D. and 1230 A.D., the Crusades, a series of holy wars, took
place. In these battles, Christians fought against Islamic rulers and their Muslim
soldiers to reclaim holy land in the city of Jerusalem.

The Christians were successful in occupying Jerusalem during some of the Crusades,
but they were ultimately defeated.

After the Crusades, the Catholic Church’s power and wealth increased.

READ MORE: Why Muslims See the Crusades So Differently from Christians

The Reformation

In 1517, a German monk named Martin Luther published 95 Theses— a text that
criticized certain acts of the Pope and protested some of the practices and priorities
of the Roman Catholic church.

Later, Luther publicly said that the Bible didn’t give the Pope the sole right to read
and interpret scripture.

Luther’s ideas triggered the Reformation—a movement that aimed to reform the
Catholic church. As a result, Protestantism was created, and different denominations
of Christianity eventually began to form.

Types of Christianity

Christianity is broadly split into three branches: Catholic, Protestant and (Eastern)
Orthodox.

The Catholic branch is governed by the Pope and Catholic bishops around the world.
The Orthodox (or Eastern Orthodox) is split into independent units each governed by
a Holy Synod; there is no central governing structure akin to the Pope.
There are numerous denominations within Protestant Christianity, many of which
differ in their interpretation of the Bible and understanding of the church.

Some of the many denominations that fall under the category of Protestant
Christianity include:

Baptist

Episcopalian

Evangelist

Methodist

Presbyterian

Pentecostal/Charismatic

Lutheran

Anglican

Evangelical

Assemblies of God

Christian Reform/Dutch Reform

Church of the Nazarene

Disciples of Christ

United Church of Christ

Mennonite

Christian Science

Quaker

Seventh-Day Adventist

Although the many sects of Christianity have differing views, uphold separate
traditions and worship in distinct ways, the core of their faith is centered around the
life and teachings of Jesus.

Sources

Christianity Fast Facts. CNN.

The Basics of Christian History. BBC.
Christianity. BBC.
Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Harvard Divinity School.
Life and Teachings of Jesus. Harvard Divinity School.
Legitimization Under Constantine. PBS.
 Citation Information
Article Title
Christianity

Author
History.com Editors

Website Name
HISTORY

URL
https://www.history.com/topics/religion/history-of-christianity

Access Date
September 18, 2021

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
August 3, 2021

Original Published Date

October 13, 2017

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