Christianity

Origins & essence

Christianity emerged in first-century Roman Palestine among followers of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish teacher executed by Roman authorities. Early believers proclaimed that God had raised Jesus from the dead and that he was the Messiah (Christ) foretold in Hebrew scripture. The movement spread through the Mediterranean via apostles, missionaries such as Paul, and urban networks, gradually distinguishing itself from Judaism while retaining the Hebrew Bible as the Old Testament. By the fourth century, Christianity became the favored religion of the Roman Empire; councils at Nicaea (325) and Chalcedon (451) helped define orthodox doctrine concerning the Trinity and the nature of Christ.

Christians hold the Bible as sacred scripture, comprising the Old and New Testaments. Central teachings include the incarnation, atonement through Christ's death and resurrection, grace, and the call to love God and neighbor. Sacramental life varies by tradition but commonly includes baptism and Eucharist. Major branches include Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism, which further divides into denominations shaped by Reformation debates over authority, salvation, and scripture. Monasticism, missionary activity, and engagement with philosophy and science have marked Christian history, as have schisms, crusades, and reform movements.

With roughly two billion adherents, Christianity is the world's largest religion, present in nearly every country. Its cultural influence extends to art, law, education, and ethics, while global South growth has shifted demographic centers away from Europe. Contemporary Christianity grapples with secularism, ecumenism, social justice, and internal diversity on issues from biblical interpretation to gender and sexuality. Scholars study Christianity as a historical movement, a theological system, and a global cultural force shaped by local languages and societies.

Emerges fromJudaism →