Transcript Christianity Power Point Presentation (Part 1)

CHRISTIANITY
Christianity began as a tiny sect of
Judaism in Palestine.
It has grown to encompass the globe,
becoming the world’s largest religion.
• 2 billion believers world-wide
(or 1/3 the world population)
• Virtually every nation on the planet
has some number of Christian citizens.
Christianity is a diverse faith that encompasses
many schools and points of view.
Protestant Cross
Catholic Crucifix
Orthodox Crucifix
The sacred text of Christianity is the Holy Bible. Christians, by and large,
accept the Bible as the inspired word of God. The Christian Bible includes 39
sacred Hebrew and Aramaic books (known as the Old Testament), as well as
27 books from the years following the life of Jesus (known as the New
Testament).
Bible, Crucifix and Rosary(symbols)
The Man at the Center
•
Christianity revolves around a Jewish man called Jesus Christ. “Christ” is a descriptive
term which means the anointed one in Greek and refers to the Hebrew word “Messiah” – or
one chosen by God to bring salvation to the Jews.
•
Jesus led a religious sect that embraced social outcasts; challenged the religious authorities
of the day; and promoted love, tolerance, and faith. Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah won
him bitter enemies among the Jewish and Roman leadership, but also a growing number of
followers, among whom were close associates who came to be known as apostles.
•
Christians believe that Jesus was both an aspect of God on Earth and a man, born to
redeem the human race. They celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation – the notion that, by
the divine power of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary conceived and gave birth to Jesus.
•
They also believe that, while Judas Iscariot, one of his apostles, betrayed him to the
authorities and Pontius Pilate, the local Roman governor of Jerusalem, condemned him to
death by crucifixion, Jesus allowed this to happen, so that he might spare flawed humanity
a second Flood-like cleansing by God. His later resurrection then enabled humans a
chance at salvation if they followed in his footsteps.
Early Christians, who were mostly of the lower classes, were seen by many Romans,
especially the government, as disloyal and even immoral, since they were merely a
variant of the Jews, who were already not trusted for refusing to worship the Roman
pantheon, making them pagans. Imperial crackdowns brought great suffering to
Christian communities. They were tortured, stripped of their property, and frequently
condemned to violent death, making them martyrs.
The Rise from Obscurity
•
After a vision of military victory was followed by a victory
over his political enemies in reality that placed him upon the
Imperial throne of Rome, Constantine the Great decided to
convert to Christianity, making it the state religion of Rome
and issuing decrees that forbid the further persecution of
Christians in the Empire in 313 AD. Christianity became
respectable and Romans from all classes began to convert.
•
Emperor Constantine then moved the political capital of the
Roman Empire to what would become modern day Turkey
and a city called Constantinople. Eventually, the Empire
was split into East and West and the bishop of Rome, the
pope, emerged as a powerful leader in his own right.
•
While the Eastern Empire continued on, centered on
Constantinople (or Byzantium), and referred to now as the
Byzantine Empire, the Western Empire, centered on the city
of Rome, collapsed. Christianity in the West, however,
would continue to expand and develop under papal
leadership.
Eventually, disputes between the Latin-speaking church of the West (orange
below) and the Greek-speaking church of the East (blue below) led to what is
called The Great Schism in 1054 AD, separating Christianity into the Roman
Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.
ROME
Constantinople
(Byzantium)