Christianity Where does Christianity trace its origins? How did Christianity spread? And what are its main beliefs?

Origins of Christianity Christianity traces its roots back to the monotheism of Abraham and the religion of Judaism Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of this religion He claimed to be the Messiah (the savior/deliverer of the Jewish Nation

Origins of Christianity Christianity conflicted with the polytheistic beliefs of the Roman Empire Jesus was crucified by the Roman Empire (the sentence was carried out by the Roman governor of Judea named Pontius Pilate

Origins of Christianity Many Christians would be sacrificed prior to Rome’s conversion to Christianity Rome converted to Christianity under the leadership of Emperor Constantine in 313 CE (A.D.) The Edict of Milan legalized the open practice of Christianity in both the Western and Eastern Empires

Beliefs, Traditions, and Customs of Christianity Christianity is monotheistic They belief that god takes “3” different forms: God the father/creator, god incarnate (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit Christians belief that Jesus was both the son and incarnation of God Born of a virgin birth His mother was Mary

Beliefs, Traditions, and Customs of Christianity Belief in life after death Eternal pleasure or suffering dependent on judgement of one’s life The life and teaching of Jesus are found in the New Testament of the Christian Bible The Gospels recount the life and work of Jesus The rest of the New Testament contains the writings of later Christian scholars and leaders

Beliefs, Traditions, and Customs of Christianity Many Christian beliefs and practices are not found in the Bible but rather were developed by early church councils Christian doctrines developed by the Roman Catholic Church

The Spread of Christianity Popularity of the message Eternal life in paradise Forgiveness for one’s sins (Jesus is the scapegoat) Promotes humility and generosity Early martyrs inspired others Martyrs= those who died for their beliefs

The Spread of Christianity Spread by the teachings and proselytizing of the Apostles (early teachers/disciples of Jesus) The Apostle Paul was largely responsible for building the early churches and spreading Christianity throughout Rome

The Church of Rome (Roman catholic Church) The Church became the source of moral authority Loyalty to the church became more important that to the emperor of Rome The Church became the main unifying force in Western Europe