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A Christian (listen) is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented in the New Testament[2] and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament[3]. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while The crucifixion of Jesus is an event recorded in all four Gospels (;;) which takes place after his arrest and trial and includes his scourging Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend Church (disambiguation Christian Church and the word church are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a Place of worship The term New Covenant (; Greek:, diathēkē kainē is used in the Bible (both in the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament) to refer The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The purpose of this timeline is to give a detailed account of Christianity from the beginning of the current era ( AD) to the present Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Books of the Bible are listed differently in the canons of Jews and Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox Slavonic Orthodox Georgian Armenian Apostolic A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious The biblical apocrypha (from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφος meaning hidden) are books published in an edition of the Bible whose canonicity Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных In many religions the supreme Deity ( God) is given the title and attributions of Father. Christian views of Jesus consist of the teachings and beliefs held by Christian groups about Jesus including his divinity humanity and earthly life In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance This is an overview of the History of Christian Theology from the time of Christ to the present Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections Christian tradition is a collection of Traditions of practice or belief associated with Christianity. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service See also Evangelism, Christianization A Christian mission has been widely defined since the Lausanne Congress of 1974 as that which The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic Prayer is an important theme in Christianity, and there are several different forms of prayer Ecumenism (also oecumenism, œcumenism) refers to initiatives aimed at greater Religious unity or cooperation Christianity and other religions appear to share some elements Christian movements are theological, political or philosophical interpretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church Christian music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life A Liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used (whether recommended or prescribed by a Christian congregation or The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Christian symbolism is defined as the investing of outward things or actions with an inner meaning the expression of Christian ideas Christian art is Art produced in an attempt to illustrate supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity. Throughout the History of Christianity, a wide range of Christians and non-Christians alike have offered criticisms of Christianity, the Church, and Christians Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon.

Contents

Etymology

From Old English cristen, from Latin Christianus, from Greek Χριστιανός (khristianos), from Χριστός (khristos) meaning "the anointed". To anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil milk water melted butter or other substances a process employed ritually by many religions and races [4] In the (Greek) Septuagint version of the Hebrew Bible, khristos was used to translate the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (Mašíaḥ,) (messiah), meaning "[one who is] anointed. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions "[5]

The first known usage of the term Χριστιανός (khristianos) can be found in the New Testament, in Acts 11:26: "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. History The Church traces its origins to the Christian community founded in Antioch by the Apostles St " The term was thus first used to denote those known or perceived to be disciples of Jesus Christ. In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) In the two other New Testament uses of the word (Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16), it refers to the public identity of those who follow Jesus. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE)

The earliest recorded use of the term outside the Bible was when Tacitus recorded that Nero blamed the "Christians" for the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64. This article is part of the Jesus and history series of articles Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called According to the historian Tacitus, the Great Fire of Rome started on the night of 18 July in the year AD 64, among the shops clustered around the Year 64 was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. [6]

"Christian" also means a member or adherent of a church or other organized group within Christianity. As an adjective, the term may also describe anything associated with Christianity, or even remotely thought to be consistent with Christianity, as in "the Christian thing to do. "

In the United States, especially (but not only) the South and Midwest, the word Christian may also be narrowly used as shorthand for either of two denominations: Disciples of Christ or the United Church of Christ. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America The United Church of Christ ( UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination principally in the United States, For example, "First Christian Church of (name of local town). "

Who is a Christian?

The definition of who is a "Christian" varies among people and christian groups. Some believe that, to be a Christian, an individual must go to a church and participate in baptism. Others teach that instead a belief and acceptance in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is necessary. Some consider a Christian to be simply one who tries to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Some theologians consider a Christian to be anyone who accepts the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed (ˈnaɪsiːn is an ecumenical Christian statement of faith accepted in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of This ancient text is accepted by Catholics, the Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans and all the remaining mainline Protestant Churches.

Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many Protestants define a Christian as one who has become a member of the church through the sacrament of baptism. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted In these denominations, infants who are baptized may be considered Christians, although they are expected to make a personal affirmation of faith when old enough to decide for themselves. Infant baptism is the Christian religious practice of baptizing infants or young children

Basis of Christian Teaching

There are three different views on the correct basis for Christian teaching:

The Principle of Sacred Tradition entrusted to the Church

This is the principle of both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox teaching, in which doctrine is taught by the teaching authority of the Church, drawing on the "Deposit of Faith", which is composed of both the "Sacred Tradition" and the Scripture. Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a technical theological term used in some Christian traditions primarily in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a technical theological term used in some Christian traditions primarily in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox In Catholicism the teaching authority of the Church is called magisterium, and "the task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church" [7]. Magisterium is a "teaching authority especially of the Roman Catholic Church"

The Sola Scriptura Principle

This is the principle of traditional Protestant teaching (Latin ablative, "by scripture alone") and is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating, clear (perspicuous) to the rational reader, its own interpreter ("Scripture interprets Scripture"), and sufficient of itself to be the final authority of Christian doctrine. Sola scriptura ( Latin ablative, "by scripture alone" is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. In Linguistics, ablative case ( abbreviated ABL) is a name given to cases in various languages whose common characteristic Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Doctrine (Latin doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings quot or "instructions" taught principles or positions as the Sola scriptura was a foundational doctrinal principle of the Protestant Reformation held by the reformer Martin Luther and is a definitive principle of Protestants today (see Five solas). The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer The Five sola s are five Latin phrases (or slogans that emerged during the Protestant Reformation and summarize the Reformers' basic theological beliefs

The Prima Scriptura Principle

This is a principle often found in Anglican teaching which holds that even though the Bible is the primary source of doctrine it is improved by reference to other sources. Prima scriptura is a doctrine that says canonized scripture is "first" or "above all" sources of Divine revelation. It is sometimes considered part of, and sometimes separate from, Sola Scriptura. Sola scriptura ( Latin ablative, "by scripture alone" is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating

Salvation

Christians believe that the only way to Salvation is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6), although this principle is interpreted in various ways by different churches and individuals.

For some Christians, this means one must be practising Christian to be saved, while for others, this means that it is because Jesus sacrificed himself that a situation exists in which people can be saved.

Some Christians believe that people of other religions can be saved through the sacrfice of Jesus which allows their reconciliation with God. The Catholic Church does not believe that being Christian is necessarily required for salvation as long as individuals "seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience" [8]. However it is understood this should normally lead to being Christian.

Some prominent Christians believe in universal salvation through Jesus's sacrifice and universal reconciliation[9]. Universal reconciliation, also called universal salvation or sometimes simply universalism, is the Christian doctrine or belief that all will receive Salvation

A few Christians believe it is necessary to be a member of a specific denomination to be saved.

Denominations and sects which teach that Believer's baptism is necessary for salvation — the transition from non-Christian to Christian (see Baptismal regeneration) define a Christian as one who has been baptized as a repenting adult. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of Baptismal regeneration, the literal meaning of which is "being generated again" (regeneration "through baptism" (baptismal is the doctrine within some Christian They believe that everyone is a sinner and must repent. Other Christians believe that being baptised is not required for salvation, but is an example that you are going to change your life and live as God wants you to live.

Evangelical and fundamentalist denominations do not generally practice infant baptism and do not necessarily believe that baptism is necessary for salvation (a sacrament). Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Fundamentalism refers to a "deep and totalistic commitment" to a belief in and strict adherence to a set of basic principles (often Religious in nature a reaction In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of Rather, they consider it to be a public command of identifying oneself with Jesus Christ in his death, representing repentance and a new life in God, as in Christ's resurrection. They encourage youth and adults to "become Christians" by personally "accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour," and to follow that decision with Believer's Baptism. Believer's baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word credo) is the Christian practice of Baptism as this is understood by These groups also use the phrase "born-again" (John 3:3) to describe becoming a Christian.

Other believers follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, but do not believe it is necessary to affiliate with organized religion.

Within countries where Christianity is the historical majority religion, the term is also used by some in a casual generic sense to indicate that they are not members of nor affiliated with any other religion – therefore considering themselves Christians by default. [10]

Denominations

This is a brief basic introduction to Christian denominations. Further information can be found on other articles.

Christians are divded into branches or "denominations" with different theologies and structures. There are very many different branches in Christianity. Very broadly, Christianity is divided into:

In other languages

As the identification of "Christ" with Jesus is not accepted within Judaism, in Talmudic Hebrew Christians are called "Nazarenes" (Notzri), because Jesus is described in the New Testament as being from the city of Nazareth. The Talmud ( Hebrew: he תַּלְמוּד is a record of Rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history Not to be confused with Nasoraeans The Nazarene sect ( Ναζωραίων from Hebrew נזרים) were an early Nazareth (ˈnæzərəθ (נָצְרַת Hebrew Natz'rat or Natzeret, الناصرة an-Nāṣira or an-Naseriyye) is the capital and largest [11]

Among Arabs (whether Christians, Muslims or belonging to other faiths), as well as in other languages influenced by the Arabic language (i. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language e. mainly in Muslim cultures influenced by Arabic as the liturgical language of Islam), two words are commonly used for Christians: Nasrani (stemming from the Arabic ansar, as in the disciples of Jesus), and Masihi meaning followers of the Messiah. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions Nasrani is an Arabic word meaning Christian. Nasrani is generally understood to originally mean Nazarene, but in some areas [12][13] Where there is a distinction, Nasrani refers to people from a Christian culture and Masihi means those with a religious faith in Jesus. [14] In some countries Nasrani tends to be used generically for non-Muslim white people. [14] Another Arabic word sometimes used for Christians, particularly in a political context, is Salibi; this refers to Crusaders and has negative connotations. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents [13][15]

See also

References

  1. ^ The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IX, Monotheism; William F. Albright, From the Stone Age to Christianity; H. Richard Niebuhr, ; About. Conversion to Christianity is the Religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. Christendom usually refers to Christianity as a territorial phenomenon The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia William Foxwell Albright ( May 24, 1891 – September 19 / September 20, 1971) was an American archaeologist, Helmut Richard Niebuhr ( September 3, 1894 - July 5, 1962) was one of the most important Christian theological - ethicists in com, Monotheistic Religion resources; Jonathan Kirsch, God Against the Gods; Linda Woodhead, An Introduction to Christianity; The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Monotheism; The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, monotheism; New Dictionary of Theology, Paul pp. The Columbia Encyclopedia is a highly regarded one-volume Encyclopedia produced by Columbia University Press and sold by the Gale Group. Cultural literacy is the ability to converse fluently in the Idioms, Allusions and informal content which creates and constitutes a dominant Culture. 496-99; David Vincent Meconi, "Pagan Monotheism in Late Antiquity" in Journal of Early Christian Studies pp. 111–12, 2nd London Baptist Confession 1689, 2:1 "1. _____The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. "
  2. ^ BBC, BBC - Religion & Ethics - Christianity
  3. ^ Book of Isaiah Book of Isaiah, Chapter 53.
  4. ^ Christ at Etymology Online
  5. ^ Messiah at Etymology Online
  6. ^ Tacitus (c. 55 -117 CE): Nero's persecution of the Christians, online at Washington State University
  7. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. The Book of Isaiah ( Hebrew: Sefer Y'sha'yah ספר ישעיה is a book of the Bible traditionally attributed to the Prophet Isaiah, who lived 1997, pt. 1, sect. 1, ch. 2, art. 2, III [#100]
  8. ^ §847 Catechism of the Catholic Church
  9. ^ Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor Speaks of Universal Salvation
  10. ^ Becoming a Christian. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and the twenty-two Retrieved on 2007-10-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a
  11. ^ Nazarene at Etymology Online
  12. ^ Khaled Ahmed, Pakistan Daily Times.
  13. ^ a b Society for Internet Research, The Hamas Charter, note 62 (erroneously, "salidi").
  14. ^ a b Jeffrey Tayler, Trekking through the Moroccan Sahara.
  15. ^ Akbar S. Ahmed, Islam, Globalization, and Postmodernity, p 110.

Dictionary

Christian

-noun

  1. (Christianity) A believer in Christianity.
  2. (Christianity) An individual who seeks to live his or her life according to the principles and values taught by Jesus Christ.

-proper noun

  1. A male given name found in England since the twelfth century.
  2. A female given name of medieval usage, rare today.

-adjective

  1. (not comparable) Of, like or relating to Christianity or Christians.
  2. Kind, charitable.
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