CHRISTIANITY

OBJECTIVES
• Briefly recount the history and core teaching
of Christianity (MELCs);
• Discuss the major divisions of Christianity
and understand the similarities and
differences of each division; and
• Analyze and have a clear understanding of
the misconceptions on the Christian beliefs.

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CHRISTIANITY
• It is founded on the worship
of Jesus Christ (Jesus the
Messiah) as son of God.

• Christian faith depends from

the beginning to end of Jesus
Christ who was born in Israel
around the year 4 BC.

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 1.
ORIGINS
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JESUS CHRIST
❖ Jesus was born of a virgin Mary and to
Joseph of Nazareth the carpenter.

❖ Jesus obeyed the laws and learned the

Hebrew Scriptures.

❖ He chose 12 men to signify the

establishment of the New Israel.

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JESUS CHRIST
❖ Jesus’ two greatest
commandments:
1. Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with
all your soul with all your
mind.

2. Love your neighbor as you

love yourself.

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✔ Jesus was condemned to death
due to His unorthodox teachings.

✔ The cross has rightly become the

symbol of Christianity, which
signifies not entirely the death of
Jesus Christ but the salvation.

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 WHAT DISTINGUISHES
CHRISTIANS FROM JEWS?

✔ Christianity is a religion that

developed from Judaism. Founding of
✔ Christians accepts Jesus Christ Christianity
as the Messiah, or the Savior.

✔ Jews considers Jesus as just

another prophet of God and the
real Messiah is yet to come.

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The new religion was ultimately founded in Jesus’
life and teachings.
Peter, one of the 12 Disciples of Christ, is the key Founding of
figure that took the lead in the early days, healing Christianity
and preaching.
The early messengers of the faith, notably the
Apostle Paul, spread the gospel or good news of
Jesus to a spiritually and socially needy world.
Early converts to Christianity in ancient Rome
faced many difficulties: they were usually the poor
and slaves.

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 Emperor Nero
(64AD)
- He blamed the
Christians and the
people turned on
them.

Emperor
Constantine (33AD)
- His crowning
marked the turning
point in church
history. He granted
the Edict of Milan.

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 Geographical
distance, political
and cultural
differences gave
rise to two
competing seats of
power

PATRIARCH
POPE
Constantinople
Rome (Latin-speaking western
(Greek-speaking eastern
church or the Catholic Church)
church or the Orthodox Church)

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 2.
SACRED
CONTEXT
The 12 Disciples of Jesus

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THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE
▪ It includes the Hebrew Bible as their Old
Testament.

▪ Christian history is record in the New

Testament which is divided into four part
and contains 27 books.
▪ The Gospels
▪ The Acts of the Apostles
▪ The Epistles
▪ The Revelation

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 The
Gospels
✔ It follows the life and
teachings of Jesus.

✔ Written by the four

Evangelist: Matthew, Mark,
Luke, John
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 Acts of the Apostles
✔ It describes the spread of early Christians after
Jesus’ ascension at the end of the Gospel stories

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 The Epistles
✔ This are letters to the
early Christians, most of
which are written by Paul.
The Revelation
✔ It foretells in
symbolic language
the triumph of
Christianity.

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✔ Christian beliefs are
recorded in creeds,
and the common
elements is the Holy
Trinity- belief in the
God the Father,
Jesus Christ the Son
and the Holy Spirit.

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 3.
BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES
The most important
among them (beliefs and
practices) are believed to
be signs to God’s grace,
called Sacraments

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 BAPTISM
✔ The person is cleans with
water, signify repentance
and cleansing.

✔ Catholics and Orthodox

baptize babies:
Protestants baptize only
those who are willing

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 EUCHARIST
✔ In the Last Supper, Jesus broke
the bread and shared the wine to
represent His Body and Blood
and the Apostles shared His
suffering.

✔ Christians gather in the church,

and share the Body and Blood of
Christ.

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✔ CHRISTMAS – commemorates Jesus’ birth,
celebrated for 12 days, until the Epiphany
(visitation of the wise men to Jesus)
Liturgical
✔ EASTER – influenced by the Jewish Passover, Calendar
recalling Jesus’ return to life which they believe
to have occurred on the Sunday after the Jewish
Passover

✔ ADVENT- four-week preparation for Christmas

✔ LENT- 40-day repentance to prepare for Easter

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 4.
VARIETIES OF
CHRISTIANITY
ROMAN CATHOLICISM
• Catholic –universal

• In the early church, local Christian communities

were often led by bishops who were often called
Papa.

• Current Pope: Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina,

better known as Pope Francis

• Catechism- collection of the updated official

teaching of the Roman Catholic Christianity

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EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
• Orthodox – right belief

• The Greek-speaking Eastern empire

developed its own form of
Christianity until 1453.

• Settled on traditional beliefs

throughout its reign
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PROTESTANTISM
• Protestant – to make a solemn
declaration
• Martin Luther – opposed the idea that
anything spiritual can be sold; pushed
for the right of every individual to
radically question and reinterpret
Christian belief and practice.
(Protestant Principle)

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 PROTESTANTISM

ANGLICAN CHURCH Pentecostal Movement

Methodists

CALVINISM

LUTHERANISM

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 COUNTER REFORMATION ECUMENISM

❑ The response of the Roman ❑ A movement that aims to promote

Catholic Church to the unity and cooperation among the
Protestant reformation different branches of Christianity

❑ It began with the Council of ❑ First Ecumenical gathering (1910)

Trent in 1545 – International Missionary
Conference brought together
Protestant denominations

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RESOURCE:
• Cornelio, J. S., Calano, M. J., and Sapitula, M. V. (2017).
Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems. Rex
Book Store

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