1. Christianity in the Middle East Ms. Eraqi

2. Early Christianity Founder :Jesus Christ (Trinity) Beginning Date: 1 A.D. (anno domino) Place of Origin: Middle East Holy City:Jerusalem (Abode of Peace/Holy Sanctuary)

3. Christian Holidays Christmas – Celebration of the birth of Christ – Originally the celebrated birthday of Mithras (Zoroastrian god) Easter – Celebration of the resurrection of Christ – End of the 40 day period of fasting and prayer

4. Christian Sects Three Largest – Roman Catholic – Eastern Orthodox – Protestant

5. Christianity Today One of Largest Religions – 2.1 Billion followers – About 37% of Christians live in U.S. (largest Christian population in one country) – Approximately 38,000 Christian denominations

6. Examples Catholic Denominations Apostolic Catholic Church American Catholic Church in the United States American Catholic Church in the United States Bosnian Church (no longer in existence) Bosnian Church Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada Celtic Catholic Church Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association Communion of Christ the Redeemer Free Catholic Church Liberal Catholic Church Mariavite Church Old Catholic Church Old Catholic Church of America Old Catholic Church in Europe Palmarian Catholic Church Philippine Independent Church Polish National Catholic Church Spiritus Christi True Catholic Church Armenian Catholic Church Belarusian Greek Catholic Church Bulgarian Catholic Church Chaldean Catholic Church Coptic Catholic Church Croatian Greek Catholic Church Ethiopian Catholic Church Georgian Catholic Church Greek Catholic Church Hungarian Greek Catholic Church Italo-Greek Catholic Church Macedonian Catholic Church Maronite Catholic Church Melkite Catholic Church Romanian Catholic Church Russian Catholic Church Ruthenian Catholic Church (usually called the "Byzantine Catholic Church" in the United States) Ruthenian Catholic Church Slovak Greek Catholic Church Syrian Catholic Church Syro-Malabar Church Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

7. Examples Eastern Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople – Finnish Orthodox Church Finnish Orthodox Church – Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (autonomy not universally recognized) Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church – Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe (autonomy not universally recognized) Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch – Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem – Saint Catherine's Monastery (considered autocephalous by some) Saint Catherine's Monastery Russian Orthodox Church – Latvian Orthodox Church (semi-autonomous) Latvian Orthodox Church – Moldovan Orthodox Church (autonomy not universally recognized) Moldovan Orthodox Church – Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) – Japanese Orthodox Church(autonomy not universally recognized) Japanese Orthodox Church – Chinese Orthodox Church Chinese Orthodox Church – Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (semi- autonomous; not universally recognized) Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia – Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate (semi-autonomous; not universally recognized) Estonian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate Serbian Orthodox Church – Macedonian Orthodox Church (autonomy not universally recognized) Macedonian Orthodox Church – Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric Romanian Orthodox Church – Metropolis of Bessarabia Metropolis of Bessarabia Bulgarian Orthodox Church Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church Cypriot Orthodox Church Church of Greece Polish Orthodox Church Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania (Albanian Orthodox Church) Orthodox Autocephalous Church of AlbaniaAlbanian Orthodox Church Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church Orthodox Church in America Greek Old Calendarists Montenegrin Orthodox Church Macedonian Orthodox Church Russian Old Believers Orthodox-Catholic Church of America (OCCA) Ukrainian Orthodox Church: – Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church – Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchy) Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kiev Patriarchy)

8. Examples Protestant Apostolic Lutheran Church of America Association of Free Lutheran Congregations Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America Church of the Lutheran Confession Concordia Lutheran Conference Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference – Evangelical Lutheran Church "Concord" (Russia) Evangelical Lutheran Church "Concord" – Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany) Evangelical Lutheran Free Church (Germany) – Evangelical Lutheran Synod (United States) Evangelical Lutheran Synod – Lutheran Church of Central Africa Malawi Conference Lutheran Church of Central Africa Malawi Conference – Lutheran Church of Central Africa Zambia Conference Lutheran Church of Central Africa Zambia Conference – Ukrainian Lutheran Church Ukrainian Lutheran Church – Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (United States) Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Evangelical Catholic Church Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America International Lutheran Council – American Association of Lutheran Churches American Association of Lutheran Churches – Evangelical Lutheran Church - Synod of France and Belgium Evangelical Lutheran Church - Synod of France and Belgium – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil – Evangelical Lutheran Church of England Evangelical Lutheran Church of England – Gutnius Lutheran Church Gutnius Lutheran Church – Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church – Japan Lutheran Church Japan Lutheran Church – Lanka Lutheran Church Lanka Lutheran Church – Lutheran ChurchCanada Lutheran ChurchCanada – Lutheran ChurchHong Kong Synod Lutheran ChurchHong Kong Synod – Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod (United States) Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod – Lutheran Church of Australia (associate member) Lutheran Church of Australia Laestadian Lutheran Church Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Lutheran Church of China (no longer in existence) Lutheran Church of China Lutheran Church-International Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (United States) Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ Lutheran Evangelical Protestant Church (United States) Lutheran Evangelical Protestant Church Lutheran Ministerium and Synod - USA Lutheran World Federation – Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church – Arcot Lutheran Church Arcot Lutheran Church – Batak Christian Protestant Church Batak Christian Protestant Church – Church of Denmark Church of Denmark – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland – Church of Iceland Church of Iceland – Church of Norway Church of Norway – Church of Sweden Church of Sweden – Church of the Faroe Islands Church of the Faroe Islands – Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church – Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea – Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia – Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania – Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh – Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Himalayan States Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Himalayan States – Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway (associate member) Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway – Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam – Indian Evangelical Lutheran Church Indian Evangelical Lutheran Church – Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church – Lutheran Church of Australia (associate member) Lutheran Church of Australia – Malagasy Lutheran Church Malagasy Lutheran Church – Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church – Simalungun Protestant Christian Church Simalungun Protestant Christian Church – South Andhra Lutheran Church South Andhra Lutheran Church – Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church

9. Examples Anabaptists Anglicans Baptists Brethrens Congregationalists Latter-Day Saints Methodists Presbyterians United

10. Middle Eastern Christianity Oriental Church Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria – British Orthodox Church British Orthodox Church – French Coptic Orthodox Church French Coptic Orthodox Church Syriac Orthodox Church – Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Armenian Apostolic Church – Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin – Holy See of Cilicia Holy See of Cilicia – Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem – Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople Church of Caucasian Albania (extinct) Church of Caucasian Albania Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Antiochian Catholic Church in America is theologically aligned with the Oriental Orthodox, but is not in full communion with them, primarily because it ordains women and does not impose celibacy on its bishops.Antiochian Catholic Church in AmericaOriental Orthodox Celtic Orthodox Church Sassanid Church (no longer in existence) Sassanid Church Malabar Independent Syrian Church The Oriental Orthodox Church considers itself to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded. Church of the East Church of the East (historical church) Church of the East – Assyrian Church of the East (successor church) Assyrian Church of the East – Ancient Church of the East (successor church) Ancient Church of the East The Church of the East considers itself to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded. Do not view Christs human and divine entity as two natures, but only as one, not separate from the Holy Spirit or the Father.

11. Middle Eastern Christianity Copts – Largest Christian sect in Middle East – 12 million – Sometimes confused with Egyptian Art from the 1 st -7 th Century called Coptic.

12. Middle Eastern Christianity Maronite – Mostly Lebanon, but some in Syria as well – 3 million – Influenced by a Syrian hermit, today known as St. Maron

13. Middle Eastern Christianity Chaldean – 1.5 million – Iraq – Roman Catholic – Influences by ancient customs and practices within former Mesopotamia – Mainly carrying out mass in Aramaic Assyrians Main difference: Most Assyrian churches do not recognize Pope as authority

14. Middle Eastern Christianity Armenian Church – Mostly in Armenia, but also in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine and Israel – 5 million 3 million in Armenia 2 million in diaspora – Does not recognize Pope as church authority

15. Middle Eastern Christians Palestine & Israel – 200,000 in total Bethlehem