CHRISTIANITY

Christianity
Christianity is considered the most popular

religion in the world with the most number

of adherents among all religions.

Starting around the 1st century C.E., it

developed out of Judaism during the reign
of the Roman Empire in West Asia.

It centers on the life, teachings, death,and

resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is
considered the Messiah or Savior of
humanity.
Christianity is considered one of the first monotheistic religions in the
world and shares many similarities with Judaism in terms of belief in
prophets, angels, and judgment day, among others. Together with
Judaism and Islam, Christianity is considered one of the world religions
which traces its origins to the patriarch Abraham.
 Christianity is a religion that is
very familiar to Filipinos
because the Philippines has
become predominantly Catholic
since the Spaniards occupied the
country from the 16th to the
19th centuries, with the spread
of Catholicism as one of their
enduring legacies to the Filipino
people.

It is considered the world’s largest religion, a religion

based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who is
considered the Son of God and the Messiah or Savior.
 Followers of Christianity are called
Christians.

Followers of Christianity are called

Christians. As of 2010, there are
more than 2 billion Christians all over
the world, which make up more than
30% of the world’s population of 6.9
billion. According to the Global
Christianity: A Report on the Size
and Distribution of the World’s
Christian Population (2011), 10
countries with the largest number of
Christians are the following:
 Symbols
The cross serves as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s victory over
sins when He died on the cross for humanity’s
redemption and salvation.

The cross is one of the most ancient human symbols,

and has been used by many religions, most notably
Christianity.
 Symbols
Meanwhile, the fish symbol is as old as Christianity itself,
for it was used by persecuted Christians as a secret sign
when meeting other Christians. Because Christians were
threatened by the Romans during the time, they had to
make a secret code to avoid persecution.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Christianity developed in Palestine around
100 C.E. It was founded by Jesus,
considered to be the Son of God and
Messiah or Savior. Regarded as an
offshoot of Judaism, Christianity has survived
and even surpassed Judaism
and other religions in terms of number of
adherents.
 Today Christianity is divided into three major sects—

ROMAN CATHOLICISM GREEK ORTHODOX PROTESTANISM

CHURCH
These major Christian sects are further subdivided by Christian
denominations that differ in certain beliefs and practices but are
united in worshipping Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Christianity was born in an era when
Palestine was ruled by a
foreign power, the Romans.

Conditions were ripe for the

beginning of a new religion. Since the

concept of Messiah (which was
promised in Judaism as the one who
will liberate them from the evils of
the world) proved to be very
attractive for a group of people
being colonized by a foreign power.
Thus, it was conquered by the Assyrian
Empire, then by the Babylonian Empire
which enslaved the Jews,

then the Achaemenid or Persian Empire

under Cyrus, who permitted the Jews to
return to their land.
Soon the Greeks under the
leadership of Alexander the
Great conquered West Asia
including Palestine around
400 B.C. Then the Romans
conquered Jerusalem in 63 B.C.
When Jesus was born,
Palestine was still under
Roman rule.
 Jesus as the Founder of
Christianity
It was in this backdrop that Jesus,
founder of Christianity, lived and
preached teachings that served as
criticisms of Judaism, although he
himself was a
Jew.
His ministry began when he was in
his early thirties. Preaching and
healing in the villages, he started to
preach teachings which were
considered revolutionary at that
time.
Jesus preached that he was sent
by God to fulfill this goal by
dying on the cross, then
resurrecting to life after three
days to prove that God’s plan
had succeeded. Hearing these
messages, Jesus soon attracted a
group of followers who became
his disciples and who called Him
their teacher.

Christianity started with a prophecy

in the Old Testament: that God will
send his only begotten Son to save
humanity from eternal damnation.
Jesus was seen by his followers to be
the Messiah they were waiting for.
Meanwhile, Jews did not accept this
to be true; instead, they are still
waiting for the promise to be
fulfilled.
 Religious Leaders
The Catholic Church follows a certain
hierarchy based on the Canon Law
of the Catholic Church. At the top of
the hierarchy is the pope, considered
as Peter’s successor. The hierarchy also
includes the cardinals, archbishops,
bishops, priests, and deacons. Each
member of the hierarchy has his own
function for the efficiency of the
church.
 Pope
The Pope serves as the head of the
Catholic Church, the inheritor of
Peter. He has his headquarters in
the Vatican, an independent state
in Rome. He is responsible for the
general supervision of the church.
He is the head of the Catholic
Church and the head of the
Vatican. He also has the authority
to appoint administrative and
religious officials in the Vatican.
Cardinals
The cardinals represent the
Pope and the Roman Catholic
Church in different parts of the
world. They serve as advisers to
the Pope and elect a new pope
as the need arises, thus they
have the power to choose the
successor of the outgoing pope.
The body comprising the
cardinals is called the College of
Cardinals.
 Bishops
The bishops also form part of the
hierarchy. Bishops are teachers
of the doctrine, priests of sacred
worship, and ministers of church
government. The provide
pastoral supervision for a diocese
and serve as representatives of
the Church. The Pope himself is a
bishop. A bishop is ordained to
his station just like priests.
Priests

Next to the hierarchy are the priests,

who are ordained ministers respon-
sible for the administering of the
sacraments, such as the Eucharist,
Marriage, Baptism, and
Confirmation.
 Deacons
At the bottom of the hierarchy are the
deacons, who are classified into two
types: the transitional deacon is a
seminarian who is studying for the
priest-hood and the other one is a
permanent deacon, who can get married
and serve as a priest’s assistant in
administering some of the sacraments.
 Holy Trinity
Christians believe in the Holy
Trinity, which means that God is
composed of three persons: God
the Father, the Son (Jesus
Christ), and the Holy Spirit.

The doctrine of the Holy Trinity

was Christianity’s way to end the
controversy generated by
Arianism, a teaching by Arius
which claimed that Jesus Christ
was not actually a God.
 Sacred Scriptures
The Bible is considered the sacred scripture of Christianity. It is a collection
of songs, stories, poetry, letters, history, as well as literature. It is composed of two
books, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is considered
the original Hebrew Bible, written between 1200 and 165 B.C.E. The New Testament
was written by Christians around 100 C.E.
 The Old Testament
The Old Testament, also called the Hebrew Bible, is composed of
39 books which are arranged in three parts: The first five books
(Genesis to Deuteronomy) are considered “The Law” or Torah
which may refer to guidance or instruction. They are called as
such because they serve as guidelines on how people should live
their everyday lives, as well as other legal necessities.

Meanwhile, the second part of the Old Testament is called

“The Prophets” which is divided into two parts, the earlier
prophets and the latter prophets. The book of former
prophets is considered historical while the book of latter
prophets contain sayings and stories of the prophets.

The third part is called “The Writings,” which include Psalms

(songs, prayers, and worship liturgies), Proverbs (wise sayings),
Job (a drama that explores the nature of suffering), and the five
scrolls (Megiloth) which were grouped together for their
associations with a particular religious festival.
 The New Testament
The New Testament is composed of 27 books written around 50 to 100 C.E.
and is composed of two sections: The Gospels which tell the story of Jesus
(Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John); and the Letters (or Epistles), written by
various Christian leaders to serve as guide to the early Christian
communities. They were written to tell the life and teachings of Jesus.
 Beliefs/Doctrines
Christianity has certain beliefs and doctrines that serve as moral
guidelines for its followers. As much as possible, Christians should
follow these teachings strictly if they want to redeem God’s
promise of eternal life. These teachings are essential to their belief
system as Christians and not following them would lessen their
chances of being called true Christians and reduces their chances
of salvation in the afterlife.
 The Ten Commadments
Also called the Decalogue, the Ten
Commandments are a set of laws given
by God to the people of Israel at
Mt.Sinai through Moses. In Exodus, God
gave Moses the tablets containing the
Ten Commandments, which Moses
smashed into pieces because of
extreme anger when he saw the golden
calf idol created and worshipped by the
Hebrews. God gave Moses another set
to replace the
broken one.
 Seven Sacraments
The Catholic Church has seven sacraments which are considered signs of inner
kindness given by God for Christians to live a genuine human life.

BAPTISM CONFIRMATION HOLY COMMUNION

CONFESSION MATRIMONY

HOLY ORDER ANOINTING OF THE SICK

 Baptism
Baptism is meant to remove the
guilt and effects of Original Sin
and welcome the baptized to
the Church.
Confirmation
Confirmation, which
should be administered right
after Baptism, is meant to
complete Baptism and
bring the baptized the graces
of the Holy Spirit that were
given the Apostles
on Pentecost Sunday.
Holy Communion
Holy Communion entails the
reception of Christ’s body and
blood which helps Christians
grow in the likeness of Jesus
Christ.
Confession
Confession is considered the
fourth sacrament, which is
meant to reconcile Christians
with God by confessing their
sins.
Matrimony
The Sacrament of Marriage
comes next, with the union of a
man and a woman for the
purpose of procreation and
mutual support. It also reflects
the union of Jesus Christ with
His Church.
Holy Order

The sacrament of Holy Orders is

considered the continuation of
Christ’s priesthood which He
passed on to His apostles.
 Anointing of the Sick
And the last sacrament is the
Anointing of the Sick, also known as
Extreme Unction or Last Rites, which
is administered to those who are on
the verge of death or are seriously ill,
or about to undergo a serious
operation, for physical and moral
Add a subheading strength.
 Eight Beatitudes
The Beatitudes comprise
what is known as the
“Sermon on the Mount”
recorded in Matthew 5-7.
The Beatitudes refer to
the eight sayings of Jesus
at the beginning of the
“Sermon on the Mount.”
 Apostles' Creed
The Apostles’ Creed is believed to have
developed in the 100 or 200 C.E. and was
influenced later by the Nicene Creed. A letter
written by the Council of Milan in 390 C.E. is
the earliest historical evidence of the existence
of the Apostles’ Creed. It is not written by the
apostles themselves but it serves as a summary
of their basic teachings.
 Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended to heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy Catholic Church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting. Amen.
Story of Creation and Big Bang Theory

The Story of Creation, which narrates

how God created the universe in six days,
is found in Genesis 1 of the Old Testament.

This story has often been attributed as

the one which explains the origin of the
universe from a Christian point of view.
Science also has its own theories on
how the universe began. The most
accepted among scientists is the Big
Bang Theory, which states that the
universe began as an incredibly hot,
very dense point in space about 14
billion years ago. It then underwent
rapid expansion in no time and, as it
cooled, led to the creation of stars,
galaxies and planets.
 Worship and Observances
Christians have certain religious observances in which they commemorate particular events in
the history of Christianity. Some of the most important Christian observances are Advent, Lent,
and Pentecost.

ADVENT
comes from the Latin word adventus, which means
“coming” or “visit.”
refers to the season of waiting for the birth of the
Messiah, hence its celebration lasts for four weeks,
beginning four Sundays before Christmas and ending
on Christmas eve.
During Advent, it is not only the birth of Christ which
is anticipated but the Second Coming of the Savior as
well.
Advent also features certain colors, such as
purple/darkblue, which symbolizes seriousness,
repentance, and royalty; and pink, which signifies
joy.
 LENT
The word Lent comes from the Anglo-
Saxon words lencten, meaning
“Spring”, and lenctenid, which means
“Springtide”.

Lent refers to the season observed by

Christians in preparation for Easter, a
celebration of the resurrection of
Christ.

It is a time for Christians to prepare for

Easter by following certain rituals,
such as fasting, repentance,
moderation, and self-discipline.
 PENTECOST
The word Pentecost comes from the
Greek word pentekostos, which means
“fifty,” pertaining to the Jewish holiday
celebrate every fifty days from the end of
Passover to the beginning of the next
holiday (also known as Shavuot).
Pentecost is celebrated as a holiday to
commemorate the coming of the Holy
Spirit to the early Christians. Thus,
Pentecost is also celebrated as the
birthday of the Church.
SUBDIVISIONS
Prior to the reign of Emperor Constantine
who declared himself a Christian in 312 C.E.,
Christians were persecuted under Roman
emperors. Christianity was only legalized in
313 C.E. upon Constantine’s declaration of
the Edict of Milan, which declared equality
among all religions.

Emperor Constantine made Christianity the

official religion of the empire and sought to
end all doctrinal arguments on Christianity.
Then, in 330 C.E., he transferred the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to
Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul) and renamed it Constantinople.

As time went by, conflicts arose between the Roman Empire and the Byzantium Empire,
resulting in the inevitable split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek
Orthodox Church.
Abuses and corruption in the church led another sect to be formed around the 16th
century.
Martin Luther, a teacher and a monk, posted his list of ninety-five propositions to the
door of the church at Wittenberg in Saxony in 1517 which signaled the beginnings of
another Christian sect called Protestantism.
 Selected Issues
There are some issues which are in conflict with Christian teachings,
concerning sexuality (especially issues of contraception, abortion, and
homosexuality); divorce; capital punishment and euthanasia.
 ECUMENISM
Ecumenism refers to the effort of the Catholic
Church to sponsor activities and initiatives to
promote mutual understanding and unity
among all Christians. Ecumenism can also be
described as the promotion of worldwide
Christian unity (Brodd 2003).

Ecumenism was emphasized and intensely

propagated by the Catholic Church through
a series of addresses, homilies, and regular
audiences with the goal of achieving unity
among all Christians and non-Christians.
 SEXUALITY
The issue of sexuality has always been
controversial for the Catholic Church.
Due to its conservative view of human
sexuality, it has often found itself in
conflict with progressive and liberal
ideas with regard to certain issues
connected to sexuality such as
artificial contraception, abortion, and
homosexuality.
Having sexual pleasure from such
union is not necessary, thus when
people use artificial contraceptives,
such as condoms, birth control pills,
IUDs (intrauterine contraceptive
devices), and the like, they are
committing a sin because they are
engaging in sexual acts without
procreation in mind.
In this light, abortion is also considered as

immoral by the Catholic Church since it entails

the killing of life. For the Catholic Church, life
begins at fertilization, when the sperm and
ovum meet to form a single cell, hence abortion
is already considered as taking away the life of a
person.
Another issue with regard to sexuality is that
of homosexuality. It refers to attraction to
members of the same sex. Males who are
attracted to males are called gays, while
females attracted to females are called
lesbians.

The Church does not allow same-sex marriage

and is vocal in opposing homosexual
relationships. Nevertheless, while the Church
condemns homosexual acts (sexual activity),
being homosexual (orientation) is not wrong or
sinful in itself. It also states that homosexual
persons must be accepted with respect,
compassion, and sensitivity.
FAMILY AND DIVORCE
Divorce is not allowed in the Catholic Church,
since it believes in the sanctity of marriage, which
should be a lifetime bond between a man and a
woman, and is considered a legal bond on earth
and a spiritual bond in heaven.

If couples wish to separate, they could seek an

annulment, also known as Decree of Nullity, in which it
is declared that the marriage was never valid
in the first place.

But unlike divorce, annulment entails a long, tedious,

and expensive process, in which a partner has to prove
that his/her partner is psychologically incapacitated to
understand the commitment marriage entails, or one
of the partners has deliberately hid some information,
such as previous marriage, impotence, or infertility.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AND EUTHANASIA
Capital punishment or death penalty wherein a person is punished by death for his or
her capital crime goes against the Christian belief that life is given by God and should
not be taken away by any person.
Since Christianity advocates the belief that life is given by God, euthanasia or mercy
killing is also considered immoral since it entails taking away what has been given by
God, and that human beings should not interfere with the natural process of death.
Even if a person is extremely suffering from his/ her illness, he/she has no right to take
away what God has given him/her.

Another reason why the Church is against euthanasia is the belief that people have no right to
interrupt the natural process of dying, and that the period just before death is a reflective spiritual
moment. In Christianity, all human lives are equally valuable and no one, even the person
himself/herself who wants to end his/her life, has the right to assume that his or her life is no longer
valuable.