Christianity is one of the world religions based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christianity is one of the many religions. The followers of Christianity are about three billion people.

The history of the emergence of religion.

Christianity originated in Palestine in the first century AD. The creator and propagator of religion is Jesus Christ. He led a preaching activity: he went around the world and told the truth of God. How it was? (from the Bible)

Birth of Christ. The Mother of God (or Holy Virgin Mary) gave birth to Jesus Christ, the son of God. The Mother of God was a pious woman. Once in a dream, God came to her and gave her a son. She named her son Jesus Christ. Jesus was demigod, half man. They say he could heal people and many other miracles beyond the power of an ordinary person. When the boy grew up, he began to preach a new religious doctrine - Christianity. Obviously, the religion is named after Christ.

The religion is based on several commandments. Jesus called to love your neighbor, to help the sick and the destitute, and spoke of other moral principles. He also spoke about heaven and hell, about impure forces and angels, about the immortality of the soul.

He himself went around the world in search of disciples and followers. On the road, he helped all those in need, never refused help. The twelve apostles became his disciples. They were closer to Jesus than all the other followers. These apostles received the gift of healing people. As you know, one of the twelve apostles turned out to be a traitor. Jesus had detractors who wanted the death of a demigod. Judas, the traitor, agreed to hand over his teacher to ill-wishers for 30 silver coins. Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross.

Attributes of the Christian religion- cross, temple (church), icons, prayers, Bible, Gospel.

Religion Christianity has found many followers. But there was a split of a single religion into three currents: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. In fact, there are many more currents in Christianity, for example, Lutheranism, Calvinism and others. But these three currents are the largest and most significant in the modern world. The split occurred due to different views on religion of several churches.

Orthodoxy.

Orthodoxy was formed in the Eastern Roman Empire. The founder of the movement is considered to be Jesus Christ. Usually an Orthodox church is a temple with domes, usually golden in color, decorated with icons inside, it is customary to stand in the temple throughout the entire service. The ministers of the church are called pop.

Catholicism.

Catholicism appeared on the territory of the Roman Empire. It is considered a continuation of the early Christian religion. The Vatican is considered the center of government for all Catholic churches. The main pope is the Pope of Rome. Catholic cathedrals - buildings with blue or white domes, it is customary to sit in them throughout the service.

Protestantism.

Protestantism is relatively young. It appeared because many people in Europe were unhappy with the Catholic Church. Martin Luther provoked the emergence of the Protestant church. The Protestant Church is very different from the above churches.

Christianity is one of the many religions with different currents. Whatever trend or religion you choose, remember that God is one.

Option 2

One of the largest world religions, and the most popular is Christianity. This religion, which has been around for more than 2 thousand years, is represented in all countries of the world.

What is the essence of Christianity

Christianity is a humane religion. A person, according to its canons, must lead a righteous life in accordance with the 10 commandments, which are aimed at kindness and love for God and neighbor.

The Bible, especially the New Testament, is sacred to Christians. Christians believe in one God and his son Jesus Christ, who gave his life for the salvation of mankind and was crucified on the cross.

In his life, Jesus did only good deeds: he healed the sick, helped the poor. At the same time, he lived very modestly and did not covet wealth and power. The main thing for him was to save humanity and their souls. For this salvation, he sacrificed himself, and Christians should take as an example this kindness and love for others, and also believe in his teaching.

When and where did Christianity originate?

Christianity originated in the 1st century AD. in the homeland of Jesus Christ, in Palestine, which was under the yoke of the Roman Empire. Rome, conquering new lands, established an unbearable oppression for the peoples of these lands, and the struggle against Roman lawlessness was suppressed. And now, with the birth of Jesus Christ, a new trend appeared in the struggle for justice, in which everyone, both rich and poor, was considered equal before the one God. This trend in the name of Christ was called Christianity, and its followers were called Christians.

Christians were persecuted by the rulers, they dealt with them very cruelly. Gathering in secret communities, mainly in caves, they were true to their ideals and refused to believe in the Roman gods and make sacrifices to them.

The sermons of Jesus Christ and his followers had a beneficial effect on the spread of this religion, and his martyrdom and miraculous resurrection further strengthened people's faith in the one God. And not only the poor, but also the rich took the side of Christianity, for they were satisfied with the ideas of humility and patience. So in the year 325, Emperor Constantine recognized this religion in Rome as the state religion. As the years passed, religion spread throughout the world and began to dominate other religions.

Currents in Christianity

Although the ideas of Christianity are united, there are differences in the essence of the doctrine. Christianity is divided into three branches: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. Within each branch there is also a divergence in the teachings of the faith. But the essence of religion is one.

Report on Christianity

There are three major religious trends in the world, one of which is Christianity. Founded in Palistine in the 1st century AD, it preaches faith in the Son of God - Jesus Christ, who suffered a painful death on the cross to atone for human sins.

Christianity is professed by three church movements: Protestantism, Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

Historians have not come to a consensus about the real existence of Jesus. A more plausible version is that the Son of God really existed historical personality. This is proved by the chronicle of Josephus Flavius ​​"Antiquities" and many other historical sources. The New Testament describes events that have found their confirmation in archaeological monuments.

On Mount Sinai, the 10 commandments, the foundations of a Christian life, were revealed by God to the prophet Moses:

1. God is one and for man there should be no other Gods.

2. You can not create an idol for yourself.

4. One day a week (the seventh) must be dedicated to God.

5. Respect your parents.

6. You can not take the life of other people.

7. Do not commit adultery.

8. You can't take someone else's.

9. You can not falsely accuse another person.

10. You can't want what the other person has.

The main holy book for people of the Christian faith is the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments. She is the bearer of the truth of the life of a believer, tells about the life of the Savior, tells the kingdom of the living and the spring of life after death.

The New Testament consists of four narratives of the prophets (Matthew, John, Mark and Luke), as well as the "Apocalypse" of John the Evangelist and the "Acts of the Apostles".

In Christianity, there are seven rites, they are called sacraments. A person is accepted by the church by baptism, bonds of marriage are sealed by a wedding, when a sin is committed, a believer can repent before God to forgive his misconduct, to get rid of an illness there is a rite of unction, to establish a spiritual connection with God, a person takes communion.

In memory of the terrible torment and death of the son of God, Christians venerate the cross. They decorate the domes of temples, after baptism the believer wears it on the body.

Armenia adopted Christianity as the main religion earlier than other states. This event dates back to 301, then in 313 Emperor Constantine I proclaimed Christianity the state religion in the Roman Empire, at the end of the 4th century the Byzantine Empire also began to recognize Christianity as the main faith in the state.

In Russia, the spread of faith about Christ began in the 8th century, and Prince Vladimir baptized Russia in 988.

The place of worship is the temple, which is dedicated either to a specific church holiday, or to a particularly revered saint, whose feast day is the patronal day for a particular church.

Faith in Christ is the most widespread in the world. It has more than 1.3 billion people according to UNESCO. In almost every part of the planet there are people who believe in Christianity.

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About a third of the world's inhabitants profess Christianity in all its varieties.

Christianity arose in the 1st century. AD. within the territory of the Roman Empire. There is no consensus among researchers about the exact place where Christianity originated. Some believe that this happened in Palestine, which was then part of the Roman Empire; others suggest that it happened in the Jewish diaspora in Greece.

Palestinian Jews have been under foreign domination for many centuries. However, in the II century. BC. they achieved political independence, during which they expanded their territory and did a lot for the development of political and economic relations. In 63 BC Roman general Gnei Poltei brought troops into Judea, as a result of which it became part of the Roman Empire. By the beginning of our era, other territories of Palestine also lost their independence, management began to be carried out by the Roman governor.

The loss of political independence was perceived by part of the population as a tragedy. Religious meaning was seen in political events. The idea of ​​divine retribution for violations of the precepts of the fathers, religious customs and prohibitions spread. This led to the strengthening of the position of Jewish religious nationalist groups:

• Hasidim- orthodox Jews;
• Sadducees, who represented conciliatory sentiments, they came from the upper strata of Jewish society;
• Pharisees- fighters for the purity of Judaism, against contacts with foreigners. The Pharisees advocated the observance of external norms of behavior, for which they were accused of hypocrisy.

In terms of social composition, the Pharisees were representatives of the middle strata of the urban population. At the end of the 1st century BC. appear zealots- people from the lower strata of the population - artisans and lumpen proletarians. They expressed the most radical ideas. From their midst stood out sicaria- terrorists. Their favorite weapon was a curved dagger, which they hid under a cloak - in Latin "sika". All these groupings, with more or less perseverance, fought against the Roman conquerors. It was obvious that the struggle was not in favor of the rebels, so the aspirations for the coming of the Savior, the Messiah, intensified. It is the first century of our era that dates back to the oldest book of the New Testament - Apocalypse, in which the idea of ​​retribution to enemies for the unfair treatment and oppression of the Jews was so strongly manifested.

The most interesting is the sect Essenes or Essenes, because their teaching had features inherent in early Christianity. This is evidenced by those found in 1947 in the Dead Sea area in Qumran caves scrolls. Christians and Essenes had ideas in common messianism- waiting for the coming of the Savior, eschatological notions about the coming end of the world, interpretation of the idea of ​​human sinfulness, rituals, organization of communities, attitude to property.

The processes that took place in Palestine were similar to those that took place in other parts of the Roman Empire: everywhere the Romans robbed and mercilessly exploited the local population, enriching themselves at its expense. The crisis of the ancient order and the formation of new socio-political relations were painfully experienced by people, caused a feeling of helplessness, defenselessness before the state machine and contributed to the search for new ways of salvation. Mystical moods increased. Oriental cults spread: Mitra, Isis, Osiris, etc. There are many different associations, partnerships, the so-called colleges. People united on the basis of professions, social status, neighborhood, and so on. All this created fertile ground for the spread of Christianity.

Origins of Christianity

The emergence of Christianity was prepared not only by the prevailing historical conditions, it had a good ideological basis. The main ideological source of Christianity is Judaism. The new religion rethought the ideas of Judaism about monotheism, messianism, eschatology, chiliasme- faith in the second coming of Jesus Christ and his millennium kingdom on earth. The Old Testament tradition has not lost its significance, it has received a new interpretation.

The ancient philosophical tradition had a significant influence on the formation of the Christian worldview. In philosophical systems Stoics, Neo-Pythagoreans, Plato and Neo-Platonists mental constructions, concepts and even terms were developed, rethought in the New Testament texts and the works of theologians. Neoplatonism had a particularly great influence on the foundations of Christian doctrine. Philo of Alexandria(25 BC - c. 50 AD) and the moral teaching of the Roman Stoic Seneca(c. 4 BC - 65 AD). Philo formulated the concept Logos as a sacred law that allows one to contemplate what is, the doctrine of the innate sinfulness of all people, about repentance, about Being as the beginning of the world, about ecstasy as a means of approaching God, about logoi, among which the Son of God is the highest Logos, and other logoi are angels.

Seneca considered the achievement of freedom of the spirit through the realization of divine necessity as the main thing for every person. If freedom does not flow from divine necessity, it will prove to be slavery. Only obedience to fate gives rise to equanimity and peace of mind, conscience, moral standards, universal values. Seneca recognized the golden rule of morality as a moral imperative, which sounded like this: Treat those below as you would like to be treated by those above.". We can find a similar formulation in the Gospels.

A certain influence on Christianity was exerted by the teachings of Seneca on the transience and deceitfulness of sensual pleasures, caring for other people, self-restraint in the use of material goods, preventing rampant passions, the need for modesty and moderation in everyday life, self-improvement, and gaining divine mercy.

Another source of Christianity was the Eastern cults flourishing at that time in various parts of the Roman Empire.

The most controversial issue in the study of Christianity is the question of the historicity of Jesus Christ. In solving it, two directions can be distinguished: mythological and historical. mythological direction argues that science does not have reliable data about Jesus Christ as a historical person. The gospel stories were written many years after the events described, they have no real historical basis. historical direction claims that Jesus Christ was a real person, a preacher of a new religion, which is confirmed by a number of sources. In 1971, a text was found in Egypt "Antiquities" by Josephus Flavius, which gives reason to believe that it describes one of the real preachers named Jesus, although the miracles performed by him were spoken of as one of the many stories on this topic, i.e. Josephus himself did not observe them.

Stages of the formation of Christianity as a state religion

The history of the formation of Christianity covers the period from the middle of the 1st century. AD until the 5th century inclusive. During this period, Christianity went through a number of stages of its development, which can be summarized in the following three:

1 - stage current eschatology(second half of the 1st century);

2 - stage fixtures(II century);

3 - stage struggle for dominance in the empire (III-V centuries).

During each of these stages, the composition of believers changed, various new formations within Christianity as a whole arose and fell apart, internal clashes constantly boiled, which expressed the struggle for the realization of pressing public interests.

Stage of actual eschatology

At the first stage, Christianity has not yet completely separated from Judaism, so it can be called Judeo-Christian. The name "actual eschatology" means that the defining mood of the new religion at that time was the expectation of the coming of the Savior in the near future, literally from day to day. Enslaved, destitute people suffering from national and social oppression became the social basis of Christianity. The hatred of the enslaved for their oppressors and the thirst for revenge found their expression and detente not in revolutionary actions, but in the impatient expectation of the reprisal that would be inflicted by the coming Messiah on the Antichrist.

In early Christianity there was no single centralized organization, there were no priests. The communities were led by believers who were able to perceive charisma(grace, the descent of the Holy Spirit). Charismatics united groups of believers around them. There were people who were engaged in explaining the doctrine. They were called didaskaly- teachers. Special people were appointed to organize the economic life of the community. Originally appeared deacons performing simple technical duties. Later appear bishops- observers, overseers, as well as presbyters- elders. Over time, the bishops assume a dominant position, and the presbyters become their assistants.

adaptation stage

At the second stage, in the II century, the situation changes. Doomsday does not come; on the contrary, there is some stabilization of Roman society. The tension of expectation in the mood of Christians is replaced by a more vital attitude of existence in the real world and adaptation to its order. The place of eschatology, which is common in this world, is occupied by individual eschatology in the other world, and the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is being actively developed.

The social and national composition of communities is changing. Representatives of the wealthy and educated segments of the population of different peoples that inhabited the Roman Empire begin to convert to Christianity. Accordingly, the doctrine of Christianity changes, it becomes more tolerant of wealth. The attitude of the authorities to the new religion depended on the political situation. One emperor carried out persecution, the other showed humanity, if the internal political situation allowed it.

The development of Christianity in the II century. led to a complete separation from Judaism. Jews among Christians in comparison with other nationalities became less and less. It was necessary to solve problems of practical cult significance: food prohibitions, the celebration of the Sabbath, circumcision. As a result, circumcision was replaced by water baptism, the weekly celebration of Saturday was moved to Sunday, the Easter holiday was converted to Christianity under the same name, but was filled with a different mythological content, just like the feast of Pentecost.

The influence of other peoples on the formation of a cult in Christianity was manifested in the fact that rites or their elements were borrowed: baptism, communion as a symbol of sacrifice, prayer, and some others.

During the III century. there was the formation of large Christian centers in Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, in a number of cities of Asia Minor and other areas. However, the church itself was not internally united: there were differences among Christian teachers and preachers regarding the correct understanding of Christian truths. Christianity was torn from within by the most complex theological disputes. Many directions appeared, interpreting the provisions of the new religion in different ways.

Nazarenes(from Hebrew - “refuse, abstain”) - ascetic preachers of ancient Judea. An external sign of belonging to the Nazirites was the refusal to cut hair and drink wine. Subsequently, the Nazirites merged with the Essenes.

Montanism originated in the 2nd century. Founder Montana on the eve of the end of the world, he preached asceticism, the prohibition of remarriages, martyrdom in the name of faith. He considered ordinary Christian communities as mentally ill, he considered only his adherents to be spiritual.

Gnosticism(from Greek - “having knowledge”) eclectically connected ideas, borrowed mainly from Platonism and Stoicism, with Eastern ideas. The Gnostics recognized the existence of a perfect deity, between which and the sinful material world there are intermediate links - zones. They included Jesus Christ. The Gnostics were pessimistic about the sensory world, emphasized their God's chosenness, the advantage of intuitive knowledge over rational knowledge, did not accept the Old Testament, the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ (but recognized the saving mission), his bodily incarnation.

Docetism(from the Greek. - "seem") - a direction that separated from Gnosticism. Corporeality was considered evil, the lower principle, and on this basis they rejected the Christian doctrine of the bodily incarnation of Jesus Christ. They believed that Jesus only seemed to be clothed in flesh, but in reality his birth, earthly existence and death were ghostly phenomena.

Marcionism(after the name of the founder - Marcion) advocated a complete break with Judaism, did not recognize the human nature of Jesus Christ, in his basic ideas was close to the Gnostics.

Novatians(named after the founders - Rom. Novatiana and carf. Novata) took a tough stance towards the authorities and those Christians who could not resist the pressure of the authorities and compromised with them.

Stage of the struggle for dominance in the empire

The third stage is the final approval of Christianity as the state religion. In 305, the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire intensifies. This period in church history is known as "age of martyrs". Places of worship were closed, church property was confiscated, books and sacred utensils were confiscated and destroyed, plebeians recognized as Christians were enslaved, senior members of the clergy were arrested and executed, as well as those who did not obey the order to renounce, having honored the Roman gods. Those who yielded were quickly released. For the first time, the burial places belonging to the communities became for a time a refuge for the persecuted, where they performed their cult.

However, the measures taken by the authorities had no effect. Christianity has already become strong enough to offer worthy resistance. Already in 311 the emperor galleries, and in 313 - the emperor Konstantin adopt decrees on religious tolerance towards Christianity. The activities of Emperor Constantine I are of particular importance.

During a fierce struggle for power before the decisive battle with Makentius, Constantine saw in a dream the sign of Christ - a cross with a command to come out with this symbol against the enemy. Having done this, he won a decisive victory in the battle in 312. The emperor gave this vision a very special meaning - as a sign of his election by Christ to establish a connection between God and the world through his imperial service. This is how his role was perceived by the Christians of his time, which allowed the unbaptized emperor to take an active part in solving internal church, dogmatic issues.

In 313 Constantine published Edict of Milan, according to which Christians become under the protection of the state and receive equal rights with pagans. The Christian Church was no longer persecuted, even during the reign of the emperor Juliana(361-363), surnamed Renegade for the restriction of the rights of the church and the proclamation of religious tolerance for heresies and paganism. under the emperor Feodosia in 391, Christianity was finally consolidated as the state religion, and paganism was prohibited. The further development and strengthening of Christianity is associated with the holding of councils, at which church dogma was worked out and approved.

Christianization of pagan tribes

By the end of the IV century. Christianity was established in almost all provinces of the Roman Empire. In the 340s. through the efforts of Bishop Wulfila, it penetrates to the tribes ready. The Goths adopted Christianity in the form of Arianism, which then dominated the east of the empire. As the Visigoths moved westward, Arianism also spread. In the 5th century in Spain it was adopted by the tribes vandals and Suebi. in Galin - Burgundians and then Lombards. Orthodox Christianity adopted by the Frankish king Clovis. Political reasons led to the fact that by the end of the 7th century. in most parts of Europe, the Nicene religion was established. In the 5th century The Irish were introduced to Christianity. The activity of the legendary apostle of Ireland dates back to this time. St. Patrick.

The Christianization of the barbarian peoples was carried out mainly from above. Pagan ideas and images continued to live in the minds of the masses of the people. The Church assimilated these images, adapted them to Christianity. Pagan rites and holidays were filled with new, Christian content.

From the end of the 5th to the beginning of the 7th century. the power of the Roman pope was limited only to the Roman ecclesiastical province in Central and Southern Italy. However, in 597 an event occurred that marked the beginning of the strengthening of the Roman Church throughout the kingdom. Dad Gregory I the Great sent preachers of Christianity led by a monk to the Anglo-Saxons-pagans Augustine. According to legend, the pope saw English slaves on the market and was surprised by the similarity of their name with the word "angels", which he considered a sign from above. The Anglo-Saxon Church became the first church north of the Alps, subordinate directly to Rome. The symbol of this dependence is pallium(a kerchief worn on the shoulders), which was sent from Rome to the primate of the church, now called archbishop, i.e. the highest bishop, who was delegated powers directly from the pope - the vicar of St. Peter. Subsequently, the Anglo-Saxons made a great contribution to the strengthening of the Roman Church on the continent, to the alliance of the pope with the Carolingians. Played a significant role in this St. Boniface, a native of Wessex. He developed a program of deep reforms of the Frankish Church with the aim of establishing uniformity and subordination to Rome. Boniface's reforms created the overall Roman church in western Europe. Only the Christians of Arab Spain preserved the special traditions of the Visigothic Church.

In all ages, mankind had different religions, adopted different beliefs. The science of religious studies divides religions into religions, sects, denominations, currents, and simply personal beliefs. Faith is scientifically unprovable. In fact, every person has faith in something Higher, even atheists, convinced that there is no God, cannot prove it.

World religions - Christianity, Islam, Buddhism - these are the four religions that are most common on Earth, while Christianity is historically inherent in the lands of Russia, Slavic. However, it also has a division into denominations - currents within religion. On the territory of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, Orthodoxy and Catholicism are widespread; many families historically profess different faiths, so today we will talk about their differences.

Christianity - briefly about religion

The most important dogma of Christianity is Jesus Christ, the Almighty Son of God, incarnated from the Virgin Mary and voluntarily accepted death in order to save people from the power of sin. The significance of the death, burial and Resurrection of Christ He Himself showed people. His words and actions remained in the gospel.

After being condemned to death, the Lord Jesus was Crucified on the Cross, like the last thief, with ordinary thieves by his side. The apostles left Him, fearing death, and only the Most Holy Theotokos with the Apostle John the Theologian remained at the Cross.

When the Lord gave up his spirit, the disciples - not the apostles, but simply the disciples of Christ Joseph and Nicodemus - asked to give them the Body of the Lord for burial. They left him in the garden, where Nicodemus himself bought a place for his future burial. However, Christ resurrected a day later, appearing to the holy myrrh-bearing women.

Only after the Resurrection did the apostles believe in the Divine will about the Crucifixion, death and the Kingdom of the Lord, they understood this to the end.

On the 40th day after the Resurrection, Christ called the apostles to the Mount of Olives, blessed them and ascended into heaven on a cloud, that is, he began to rise higher and higher until he disappeared from sight. At the Ascension, the apostles received a blessing from the Lord to go and teach the gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Trinity.

Christ is one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity — God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit — is the One and Only God worshiped by Christians all over the world. The dogma of His Unity in Three Persons is the most important for Christians, regardless of denomination.

The dogma of the Trinity is most fully and clearly expressed by Her icon in the form of three angels. Only in the Orthodox Church does this image exist: among Catholics and Protestants, this plot is called “Hospitality of Abraham” and is only an illustration of an episode from the Old Testament.

Christianity, Orthodoxy and Catholicism

Christianity is traditionally divided into three branches:

• • Catholicism, that is, the One Roman Catholic Church with a single head - the Pope (at the same time, there is a special doctrinal dogma about the infallibility of the Pope, that is, he cannot do anything wrong and has absolute power). The Church is divided into "rites", that is, regional traditions, but they are all under the same leadership.

• • Orthodoxy, which is divided into independent, separate Patriarchate Churches (for example, Moscow, Constantinople) and within them - Exarchates and Autonomous Churches (Serbian, Greek, Georgian, Ukrainian - by region) with varying degrees of independence. At the same time, both the Patriarchs and the bishops of the Churches can be removed from government if they seriously sin. There is no single head of the Orthodox Church, although the Patriarch of Constantinople bears the historical title of Ecumenical. The Orthodox Churches have common ground in prayers, the possibility of joint celebration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion) and others.

• • Protestantism is the most difficult, mobile and disintegrating denomination. Churches here are also divided by region, there are bishops, but there are many sects - that is, those who classify themselves or are attributed by religious scholars to Protestantism of individual teachings.

Jesus Christ in history

Today there are a number of documentaries about the earthly life of Christ. Through them, the scientific myth about the existence of the tomb of Christ and its search is popularized. In fact, such searches exist only for commercial filming. Real archaeologists, serious researchers don't do things like that.

It has long been proven that Christ as a real Man existed on Earth. Among the Jews of His time, the place of His burial was widely known. In addition, after His Resurrection, He appeared to many people more than once, as the evangelists say. Yes, and the apostles themselves - holy people according to the testimonies of many - could not lie, unanimously asserting that He ascended to Heaven and indicating the place where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is now located, as the place of His burial.

May the Lord Jesus Christ keep you with His grace!

The message about Christianity will briefly tell you a lot of useful information about one of the most influential religions in the world. The report on Christianity can be used in preparation for classes.

message about christianity

Christianity is an ancient religion with a history of more than 2000 years. Together with Islam and Buddhism, it is one of the world's religions. Approximately 1/3 of the world's inhabitants profess Christianity.

The religion originated in the 1st century AD. The area where Christianity spread was the Roman Empire. To be more precise, here the opinions of scientists are divided. Some believe that Palestine is his homeland, while others believe that the Jewish diaspora in Greece.

Prerequisites for the rise of Christianity

Already by the 1st century BC. The Mediterranean was under the rule of the Roman Empire. She owned a large number of colonies, in which many peoples lived, professing their religious beliefs. For a long time there was no single religion in the vast empire. In 63 BC, Rome captured Judea and Syria. Jerusalem also became part of the empire. The people who lived in these territories previously professed Christianity, which, having no written sources, existed at first only in the oral tradition. With the appearance of the first Christian documents of the "Revelation of John", "Epistle of Paul" in the 1st century, the persecution of the first Christians by the Emperor Nero began. They were considered dissidents, because they believed not in the pantheon of gods, but in a single savior.

After the execution under Tiberius of Jesus Christ, on behalf of whom the name of the religion came about, superstition, “harmful” for Rome, began to spread in the empire itself. Christians were persecuted, mocked, given to be torn to pieces by wild beasts, crucified on crosses, burned at night to light the streets. But it was not possible to suppress the spread of Christianity - the political and social oppression of the empire by the colony gave rise in the minds of people to the idea of ​​the existence of God, who, through the path of repentance in earthly life, will give life in heaven in heaven.

Until the 5th century, Christianity covered the geographical limits of the entire Roman Empire and the spheres of its cultural influence - Armenia, Ethiopia. Further it spread among the Slavic and Germanic peoples. In the XIII-XIV centuries, religion was practiced by the Finnish and Baltic peoples. In modern times, its spread outside of Europe was facilitated by the activities of missionaries and colonial expansion.

Christianity basic ideas

Briefly, all the ideas of Christianity boil down to the following:

1. God created the world - this is the main position of Christianity. It happened in 5508 BC (according to some sources).
2. In man there is a spark of God - the soul. It is eternal and does not die after the death of the body. The first God-created people were given a soul pure and unclouded. But when Eve ate the apple from the tree of knowledge and gave it to Adam, original sin arose.
3. The original sin, lying on all people, after the life of Adam and Eve was redeemed by the death of Christ. A person leads a sinful life, violating the 7 commandments of God (pride, gluttony, honoring neighbors, etc.)
4. To atone for sins, it is necessary to lead a righteous life - do not violate God's laws, repent of your deeds and pray for the redemption of the soul.
5. If a person leads an unrighteous life, then after death he will go to hell.
6. God is merciful. He forgives all created sins if a person sincerely repented of his deed.
7. The world is waiting for the Last Judgment, when the Son of Man will come to earth again and will judge the dead and the living, separating the sinners from the righteous. And the end of the world will come.

Directions and currents of Christianity

Directions of modern Christianity:

1. Catholicism.This is the western branch of the religion, which was formed in 1054. The church is headed by the Pope.
2. Orthodoxy. This is the eastern part of Christianity. Unlike the Catholics, it does not have a single center and is divided into 15 independent churches.
3. Protestantism. This direction appeared in the 16th century during the European Reformation. Its founder was Martin Luther. Protestantism has several currents:

• Lutheranism. It originated in the sixteenth century. Founder Martin Luther. Recognize the liturgy, baptism and communion.
• Baptism. Originated at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Founder John Smith. The main idea is that only adults who have consciously made their choice can be baptized. Rites: marriage, baptism, communion and ordination.
• Pentecostalism.Originated in the 19th century in the USA. Recognizes the baptism of only adults. It is based on the belief that after Easter (on the 50th day) every Christian can receive various abilities from the Holy Spirit.
• advendism. Originated in the 30s of the nineteenth century in the United States. Founder William Muller. Lots of restrictions on relationships and food. They honor the Sabbath and engage in missionary work.
• Jehovah witnesses. Originated in the 70s of the nineteenth century in the United States. Founder Charles Teise Russell.
• Calvinism. Founder John Calvin. The goal of a Christian is conscientious work and worldly asceticism.

We hope that the message about Christianity helped you to learn many interesting facts about one of the dominant religions in the world. A short story about Christianity can be supplemented through the comment form below.

The emergence of Orthodoxy Historically, it so happened that on the territory of Russia, for the most part, several Great world religions have found their place and have peacefully coexisted from time immemorial. Paying tribute to other Religions, I want to draw your attention to Orthodoxy as the main religion of Russia.
Christianity(originated in Palestine in the 1st century AD from Judaism and received a new development after the break with Judaism in the 2nd century) - one of the three main world religions (along with Buddhism and Islam).

During the formation Christianity broke up into three main branches :
- Catholicism ,
- orthodoxy ,
- Protestantism ,
in each of which the formation of its own, practically not coinciding with other branches, ideology began.

ORTHODOXY(which means - to praise God correctly) - one of the directions of Christianity, isolated and organizationally formed in the XI century as a result of the division of churches. The split occurred in the period from the 60s. 9th century until the 50s. 11th century As a result of the split in the eastern part of the former Roman Empire, a confession arose, which in Greek began to be called orthodoxy (from the words “orthos” - “straight”, “correct” and “doxos” - “opinion”, “judgment”, “teaching”) , and in Russian-speaking theology - Orthodoxy, and in the western part - a confession, which its followers called Catholicism (from the Greek "catholikos" - "universal", "universal"). Orthodoxy arose on the territory of the Byzantine Empire. Initially, it did not have a church center, since the church power of Byzantium was concentrated in the hands of four patriarchs: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem. As the Byzantine Empire collapsed, each of the ruling patriarchs headed an independent (autocephalous) Orthodox Church. Subsequently, autocephalous and autonomous churches arose in other countries, mainly in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Orthodoxy is characterized by a complex, elaborate cult. The most important postulates of Orthodox doctrine are the dogmas of the trinity of God, the incarnation, redemption, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. It is believed that dogmas are not subject to change and clarification, not only in content, but also in form.
The religious basis of Orthodoxy is Holy Scripture (Bible) and sacred tradition .

The clergy in Orthodoxy is divided into white (married parish priests) and black (monastics who take a vow of celibacy). There are male and female monasteries. Only a monk can become a bishop. Currently in Orthodoxy highlighted

• Local Churches
• Constantinople
• Alexandria
• Antioch
• Jerusalem
• Georgian
• Serbian
• Romanian
• Bulgarian
• Cypriot
• Helladic
• Albanian
• Polish
• Czecho-Slovak
• American
• Japanese
• Chinese

The Russian Orthodox Church is part of the Churches of Ecumenical Orthodoxy.

Orthodoxy in Russia

The history of the Orthodox Church in Russia still remains one of the least developed areas of Russian historiography.

The history of the Russian Orthodox Church was not unambiguous: it was contradictory, replete with internal conflicts, reflecting social contradictions throughout its path.

The introduction of Christianity in Russia was a natural phenomenon for the reason that in the VIII - IX centuries. the early feudal class system begins to emerge.

Major events in history Russian Orthodoxy. In the history of Russian Orthodoxy, nine main events, nine main historical milestones can be distinguished. Here's what they look like in chronological order.

First milestone - 988. This year's event was called: "The Baptism of Rus". But this is a figurative expression. But in fact, the following processes took place: the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion of Kievan Rus and the formation of the Russian Christian Church (in the next century it will be called the Russian Orthodox Church). A symbolic action that showed that Christianity had become the state religion was the mass baptism of the people of Kiev in the Dnieper.

Second milestone - 1448. This year the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) became autocephalous. Until this year, the ROC was an integral part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Autocephaly (from the Greek words “auto” - “self” and “mullet” - “head”) meant complete independence. This year, Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich, nicknamed the Dark One (in 1446 he was blinded by his rivals in the interfeudal struggle), ordered not to accept the metropolitan from the Greeks, but to choose his metropolitan at the local council. At a church council in Moscow in 1448, Ryazan Bishop Jonah was elected the first metropolitan of the autocephalous church. The Patriarch of Constantinople recognized the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire (1553), after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, the Russian Orthodox Church, being the largest and most significant among the Orthodox Churches, became a natural stronghold of Universal Orthodoxy. And to this day the Russian Orthodox Church claims to be the "Third Rome".

Third milestone - 1589. Until 1589, the Russian Orthodox Church was headed by a metropolitan, and therefore it was called a metropolis. In 1589, the patriarch began to head it, and the Russian Orthodox Church became a patriarchy. Patriarch is the highest rank in Orthodoxy. The establishment of the patriarchate raised the role of the Russian Orthodox Church both in the internal life of the country and in international relations. At the same time, the importance of tsarist power also increased, which no longer relied on the metropolis, but on the patriarchy. It was possible to establish a patriarchate under Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, and the main merit in raising the level of church organization in Russia belongs to the first minister of the Tsar, Boris Godunov. It was he who invited the Patriarch of Constantinople Jeremiah to Russia and obtained his consent to the establishment of a patriarchate in Russia.

The fourth milestone - 1656. This year, the Moscow Local Cathedral anathematized the Old Believers. This decision of the council revealed the presence of a schism in the church. The denomination separated from the church and became known as the Old Believers. In its further development, the Old Believers turned into a set of confessions. The main reason for the split, according to historians, was the social contradictions in Russia at that time. The Old Believers were representatives of those social strata of the population who were dissatisfied with their position. Firstly, many peasants became Old Believers, who were finally enserfed at the end of the 16th century, abolishing the right to transfer to another feudal lord on the so-called “St. George's Day”. Secondly, a part of the merchant class joined the Old Believer movement, because the tsar and the feudal lords, with the economic policy of supporting foreign merchants, prevented the development of trade for their own, Russian merchant class. And finally, some well-born boyars, dissatisfied with the loss of a number of their privileges, joined the Old Believers. The reason for the split was the church reform, which was carried out by the higher clergy under the leadership of Patriarch Nikon. In particular, the reform provided for the replacement of some old rites with new ones: instead of two-fingered rites, three-fingered rites, instead of earthly bows in the process of worship, half-length ones, instead of a procession around the temple in the sun, a procession against the sun, etc. The breakaway religious movement advocated the preservation of the old rites, this explains its title.

Fifth milestone - 1667. The Moscow Local Council of 1667 found Patriarch Nikon guilty of blaspheming Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, deprived him of his rank (proclaimed a simple monk) and sentenced him to exile in a monastery. At the same time, the cathedral for the second time anathematized the Old Believers. The Council was held with the participation of the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch.

Sixth milestone - 1721. Peter I established the highest church body, which was called the Holy Synod. This government act completed the church reforms carried out by Peter I. When Patriarch Adrian died in 1700, the tsar “temporarily” forbade the election of a new patriarch. This “temporary” term for the abolition of the election of the patriarch lasted 217 years (until 1917)! At first, the church was led by the Theological College established by the tsar. In 1721, the Holy Synod replaced the Theological College. All members of the Synod (there were 11 of them) were appointed and removed by the tsar. At the head of the Synod, as a minister, a government official appointed and dismissed by the tsar was placed, whose position was called “chief procurator of the Holy Synod”. If all members of the Synod were required to be priests, then this was optional for the chief prosecutor. So, in the 18th century, more than half of all chief prosecutors were military men. The church reforms of Peter I made the Russian Orthodox Church part of the state apparatus.

Seventh milestone - 1917 . This year the patriarchate was restored in Russia. On August 15, 1917, for the first time after a break of more than two hundred years, a council was convened in Moscow to elect a patriarch. On October 31 (November 13, according to the new style), the cathedral elected three candidates for patriarchs. On November 5 (18) in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the elder monk Alexy drew lots from the casket. The lot fell on Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow. At the same time, the Church experienced severe persecution from the Soviet authorities and underwent a series of schisms. On January 20, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a Decree on freedom of conscience, which “separated church from state.” Every person received the right to “profess any religion or not profess any.” Any infringement of rights on the basis of faith was prohibited. The decree also "separated the school from the church." The teaching of the Law of God was forbidden in schools. After October, Patriarch Tikhon at first spoke out with sharp denunciations of Soviet power, but in 1919 he took a more restrained position, urging the clergy not to participate in the political struggle. Nevertheless, about 10 thousand representatives of the Orthodox clergy were among the victims of the civil war. The Bolsheviks shot priests who served thanksgiving services after the fall of local Soviet power. Some of the priests accepted Soviet power and in 1921-1922. started the renewal movement. The part that did not accept this movement and did not have time or did not want to emigrate went underground and formed the so-called "catacomb church". In 1923, at the local council of the Renovationist communities, programs for the radical renewal of the Russian Orthodox Church were considered. At the council, Patriarch Tikhon was deposed and full support for the Soviet government was proclaimed. Patriarch Tikhon anathematized the Renovationists. In 1924, the Supreme Church Council was transformed into a Renovationist Synod headed by the Metropolitan. Part of the clergy and believers who found themselves in exile formed the so-called "Russian Orthodox Church Abroad". Until 1928, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia maintained close contacts with the Russian Orthodox Church, but these contacts were subsequently terminated. In the 1930s, the church was on the verge of extinction. Only since 1943 did its slow revival as a Patriarchate begin. In total, during the war years, the church collected over 300 million rubles for military needs. Many priests fought in partisan detachments and the army, were awarded military orders. During the long blockade of Leningrad, eight Orthodox churches did not cease to operate in the city. After the death of I. Stalin, the policy of the authorities towards the church became tougher again. In the summer of 1954, the decision of the Central Committee of the party to intensify anti-religious propaganda appeared. At the same time, Nikita Khrushchev made a sharp speech against religion and the church.

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