· Christianity (Christ- literally means ‘the anointed one’) is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament.
· Christians believe Jesus is the son of God, having become man and saviour of humanity. Christians, therefore, commonly refer to Jesus as Christ or Messiah.
Central Beliefs
· There is one God
· The Trinity- Father, Son, Holy Spirit
· God created the world and it is good
· Main is created in the image of God
· Jesus, the son of God, was sent to save mankind
· Belief in God brings salvation
· The Holy Spirit directs the Church
· Man has free will
Denominations/ Variants
Christianity contains three main branches which are:
· Roman Catholicism
· Orthodox Church
· Protestantism
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church comprises those particular churches, headed by bishops, in communion with the Pope- Bishop of Rome- as its highest authority in matters of faith.
Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church comprises those churches in communion with the Patriarchal Sees of the East, such as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. In the 11th century the Catholic Church in Rome split with the Eastern Church in Constantinople (known as Turkey today). This split is called the great schism, and as a result, the Orthodox Church was formed.
Protestantism
In the 16th Century Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin inaugurated what has come to be called Protestantism. There are many different forms of Protestant religions.
Protestantism is a branch within Christianity, containing many denominations with some differing practices and doctrines, which principally originated in the sixteenth- century Protestant Reformation.
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