Christianity

Lore & Background

Protestantism split into numerous denominations from the Catholic Church during the Reformation era (16th century). Following the Age of Discovery (15th–17th century), Christianity expanded globally via missionary work, evangelism, immigration, and trade.

Reader's Guide

Christianity remains culturally diverse in its Western and Eastern branches, and doctrinally diverse concerning justification and the nature of salvation, ecclesiology, ordination, and Christology. Most Christian denominations generally hold in common the belief that Jesus is God the Son—the Logos incarnated—who ministered, suffered, and died on a cross, but rose from the dead for the salvation of humankind; this message is called the gospel. The three main branches are Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy, with other prominent branches including Oriental Orthodoxy and Restorationism. Christianity played a prominent role in the development of Western civilization, particularly in Europe from late antiquity and the Middle Ages. In the West, Christianity remains the dominant religion even with a decline in adherence, with about 70% of that population identifying as Christian. Christianity is growing in Africa and Asia, the world's most populous continents. Many Christians are still persecuted in some regions of the world, particularly where they are a minority, such as in the Middle East, North Africa, East Asia, and South Asia.

Did You Know?

• The term 'Christian' was first used in Antioch by non-Jewish inhabitants, according to Acts 11:26.
• Early Jewish Christians referred to themselves as being of 'The Way', possibly from Isaiah 40:3.
• The four canonical gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.