Introduction
Religion is an important element of human society because it defines and identifies groups of people. Beyer and Schnabel (2019) posit that the various denominations that make up religious entities are a proxy measure of varied sets of beliefs. Christianity is among the world’s largest religions by virtue of the fact that it is practiced in almost all parts of the world. The faith is centered on beliefs based on the arrival, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. It is considered to be one of the most successful spiritual missions in human history, given the fact that it was spread to the whole planet from one focal point. The movement began as an element of Judaism at a time when Jews were under the political and cultural influence of foreign powers (Sullivan, 2022). There was an endless struggle between the concept of monotheism and the belief that Israel was God’s Chosen nation (Sullivan, 2022). Christianity has impacted and directed the source of human history for thousands of years.
Christian Concepts
A series of basic Christian concepts guide the practice of the faith. First, the religion’s monotheistic nature is based on the belief in a single God, who is responsible for all creation. The Christian God comprises three independent entities namely, the father, the son, and the spirit. Followers believe that God sent his only son to save the world from condemnation. His crucifixion on the cross was a symbol of the forgiveness of sin and the resurrection was a sign of victory over death. The Christian faith teaches that Jesus will return and that the second coming will serve as judgment day for all the people of the world.
The monotheistic belief in a God who had chosen Israel as his people was reinforced in the early ages of Christianity. The dispersion of Jewish people during the Hellenistic Age throughout the Roman Empire and the Mediterranean served to justify the aforementioned idea (Sullivan, 2022). Syrian rulers such as king Antiochus IV Epiphanes failed in their attempts to impose Greek culture in Palestine owing to the vicious resistance with which such attempts were met in Jewish communities (Sullivan, 2022). The people believed that a single God who would save all nations was responsible for their wellbeing.
The teachings and lessons that guide those who have adopted the Christian faith are found in the Bible. The Holy Book outlines and details the lives of prophets and disciples as a way of instructing people on how to live. The cross on which Jesus was crucified is the faith’s symbol, and the most important holidays are Easter, which marks the resurrection, and Christmas, which marks the Messiah’s birth. The translation of scripture constitutes an important aspect of the Christian Mission. A small section of the population was capable of reading the Latin Bible in the Middle Ages, which necessitated the creation of vernacular versions (Sullivan, 2022). The most important of these translations was, perhaps the Wyclif Bible, which was an English version created in 1382 (Sullivan, 2022). The invention of printing brought with it an overwhelming desire to ensure that every individual who reads the Bible did so in their native tongue. The beginning of the 16th Century saw the expansion of Bible translation, with the King James Version which is arguably the most influential English version getting published in 1611 (Sullivan, 2022). The Bible has been translated into hundreds of languages across various regions of the world.
Important Personalities
Jesus is undoubtedly the most important personality in the Christian faith. The main sources of knowledge regarding the life of the Messiah are the four canonical Gospels contained within the New Testament (Sullivan, 2022). According to Mathew, Jesus was born at least two years before the death of Herod the Great in 4 BCE, while Luke links the birth of Jesus to the Roman census, which is believed to have occurred between 6 and 7 CE (Sullivan, 2022). The Messiah’s conception is believed to have been a supernatural event, and the young savior grew up in Nazareth, from whence they fled persecution from Herod. He engaged in a ministry that formed the foundation of the Christian faith. The Messiah preached of the imminent presence of the Lord’s Kingdom and advocated for peace rather than violence in the quest for redemption.
St. Paul the Apostle
St. Paul is considered to be the leader of the first generation of Christians. It could be argued that he was the second most important person after Jesus (Bryant-Delaney & Woods, 2022. Paul was a Pharisee tasked with the persecution of the early church. He was born in Tarsus, and while on a mission to Damascus to punish Christians, he was converted (Sullivan, 2022). It is vital to note that he was viewed as a controversial figure in early Christianity, given his tarnished history. Nonetheless, he is one of the Apostolic Age’s most vivid figures seeing as 13 of his weighty letters that focused on an allegorical interpretation of the Old Testament were preserved (Sullivan, 2022). The main message in Paul’s theology was the relevance of the Messiah’s human achievement in so far as his obedient fidelity to an assigned vocation gave redemptive and moral value to his death on the cross.
Martin Luther
The protestant reformers were focused on re-inventing the Christian doctrine and its key components. One such reformer was Martin Luther, who was conservative in his assessment of Roman Catholic tradition (Sullivan, 2022). In 1520, he advocated for the freedom of the Christian man, as envisioned by Christ in his earliest teachings (Sullivan, 2022). His work was particularly important in a societal structure that was created almost entirely on the foundation of slavery. His advocacy for a new way of living in the context of early Christianity revolutionized the faith.
Conclusion
While the history of Christianity features significant events and personalities, it is also an evaluation of the numerous ways in which religion has shaped human life for thousands of years. From its early beginnings, the faith was based on a practical expression of love for other people, regardless of their station. These down-to-earth values were immensely appealing to people who had suffered under oppressive regimes that imposed stringent rules on the people. The religion’s concern for social issues and its ability to facilitate change has shaped the world’s social history. The world’s largest religion has left an indelible footprint in the lives and cultures of people that have embraced its doctrines. Its ability to respond to emergent issues is attributed to the character of its leaders. Jesus, St. Paul, and Martin Luther exemplify commitment and dedication to a cause. Their influence spans generations, and their views have shaped Christianity, which influences the lives of people in contemporary societies in numerous and sometimes unseen ways.
References
Beyer, H., & Schnabel, A. (2019). The entanglement of religion and politics in Europe: How and why religious and political worldviews merge in times of uncertainty. Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion, 15(1), 1–27. Web.
Bryant-Delaney, E. & Woods, A. (2022). RELI 1301-01-OL: Christianity. [PowerPoint Slides].
Sullivan, L. E. (2022). Christianity: Definition, origin, history, beliefs, symbols, types, & facts. Britannica. Web.