Christianity is based on the life and teachings of Jesus, a Palestinian Jew who lived in the first century A.D. His original followers were other Jews who believed that he was the prophesied Messiah, a great leader expected to overthrow all evil rulers and set up a perfect Kingdom of God. As his supporters grew in number, the Jewish and Roman authorities in the country began to view him as a potential threat to their positions of power. As a result, he was arrested and put to death on a cross.
But according to his followers, God resurrected him two days after he was crucified, and he ascended to Heaven a short time later. These events led to the belief that he is the eternal Son of God, who appeared on earth in human form so that he could suffer and die on the cross, thus sacrificing himself in order to pay for everyone's sins and bring about an atonement between God and humankind.
Many Christians believe that their own souls will go to heaven after they die, but that the souls of non-believers will be sent to hell where they will be undergo agonizing tortures for all eternity. Another common belief is that the Devil is the supreme evil being, the ruler of hell, and a horrible fiend who tries to tempt people into sin. Other supernatural beings include angels and evil spirits known as demons. Most Christians also believe that Jesus will return to earth again in the future, possibly during a period known as the End Times.
Christianity was originally a Jewish movement, but it soon began to spread among non-Jewish Gentiles, and eventually achieved its greatest success in that group. The apostle Paul was the foremost missionary in the early period, and was able to establish many churches in Asia Minor and Greece. Christians were persecuted by the Romans until the fourth century, when Emperor Constantine the Great converted to the religion and established it as the official religion of the empire. Although the empire eventually collapsed, the religion itself grew even stronger and gradually spread into new regions.
During the two thousand years since Jesus lived, the religion has divided into many denominations and sects. Major divisions include Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Most churches practice two sacraments, baptism and the Eucharist. The sacred scripture is the Bible, which includes the originally Jewish Old Testament and the uniquely Christian gospels and other books of the New Testament. Many early Christian writings were not included in the bible, and some of these have apparently been lost, or survive only as fragments. Partial manuscripts of several of these lost gospels have been accidentally found at various locations in the Middle East.
Because of its Jewish origins, Christianity adopted many of the traditional Jewish laws, particularly the Ten Commandments, although there are some differences in their interpretation as modified by the teachings and actions of Jesus. Theologians study and interpret these laws, and many ascetic-minded individuals join monasteries and convents in the hope of following them more closely. Others become missionaries, and over the centuries have spread the religion to all inhabited parts of the globe.
During the Middle Ages the Christians of Europe organized the Crusades to try to reconquer the Holy Land from the Muslims. They did recapture Palestine and ruled it for more than a century, but eventually were forced to leave. Later they succeeded in carrying their faith to newly-discovered lands in the Americas and Far East. As a result, including all denominations and sects, there are now about two billion Christians overall, making it the largest religion in the world. It is the major religion in Europe and the Americas, but it has some adherents in virtually every modern society.
But the history of Christianity also has a dark side. In past eras many accused heretics were tortured and killed. And during the period of the witch trials, thousands of suspected witches were burned alive.
Bible Study -- This website is meant to serve as a general resource for all things Christian. It contains many bible study tools including maps and timelines, pictures, reference books, articles, commentaries on the gospels, and answers to questions about how a Christian should live in the modern world. The site also provides access to a large library of Christian literature.
Christianity Today -- This website is the online edition of the Christianity Today Magazine. It contains numerous articles about current issues in the world of religion, and also offers movie, music, and book reviews.
A Christian View of Heaven -- This article tries to describe what Christians are likely to find when they get to heaven. It suggests that heaven is a place of awesome beauty, located outside the ordinary dimensions of space and time, where there is no gravity, and where everything is illuminated by God rather than by the sun. It also suggests that everyone will be given a new perfect body, and a mental state of total bliss, both of which will last for all eternity.
The Catholic Encyclopedia -- The website is an enormous resource for anyone interested in Christian history, doctrine, and belief. There are individual articles for subjects such as the bible, the four gospels, Jesus, the disciples, the crucifixion and resurrection, heaven, hell, the Devil, demons and possession, angels, and miracles. The site also contains considerable information about the lives of the saints.
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