Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Rise and spread of Christianity
Christianity's impact on society
Rise and spread of Christianity
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Rise and spread of Christianity
Stephen McNeese Dr. Brasington History of Christianity 23 April 2014 A Historical Survey of Christianity 1. Introduction The rise of Christianity from its humble first century roots in the Levant (modern-day Israel and Palestine) to a religion adopted by a more than a third of humanity is history’s most well-documented narrative. While there exists significant controversy concerning the exact historical details of Christianity’s development, historians unequivocally agree that Christianity has had a substantial impact on the development of modern-day societal views, moral and philosophical schools of thought, and governmental framework—in short, collective anthropological evolution. Of particular interest is the development of the Church’s strict leadership hierarchy, one of the driving forces behind Christianity’s explosive acceptance amongst seemingly disparate cultures. We examine the rise of an organized Christian administration in context of ever-evolving social mores and varying interpretations of doctrinal narration over the last two millennia. 2. Emergence of Christianity “Early Christianity” is generally regarded as encompassing the time period between the origins of Christianity (during the lifetime of Jesus Christ and his apostles) and the end of Roman persecution of Christ and his followers around 300 AD. The First Episcopal Council of Nycea in 325 AD marked the beginning of Christianity’s structural hierarchy and the establishment of canonical laws governing the behavior of Christians. The three hundred years between the life of Jesus Christ and the First Episcopal Council were characterized by a gradual transition from relatively established Judaist beliefs and traditions to a new, quickly changing code of Christ... ... middle of paper ... ... recant his writings, the church excommunicated Luther. Luther’s later years following his excommunication were not nearly as central to the fractioning of the Catholic church. He would, in fact, later distance himself from the more radical followers that would characterize some the years immediately following his writings. His primary contributions to the Protestant faith were his writings and the notion that salvation should be rooted in faith rather than practice. His influence on Western Christianity is immeasurable, and is best examined by understanding the development of Protestant church and its modern manifestations. (Touch upon Zwingli, Calvin and Luther and go through detailed Protestant Reformation. At least another 4 pages. Spend maybe 1 to 1.5 pages on direction of modern Christianity, but don’t focus on this too much. Bring back to canonical law).
In these Thesis’ Luther basically criticized the church’s wrongful practices and exposed the church’s corruption in order to bring about change in the church. Luther is quoted in Document 3 from his 95 thesis’ “Christian’s should be taught that he who gives to a poor man, or lends to a needy man, does better if he bought pardons.” Luther believed that actions, such as helping others did way more toward saving a person’s soul than buying a pardon did. He saw through the idea that one could by their way into heaven. He brought about new ideas such as God’s grace is the only way into heaven, not buying indulgences, or simply participating in church activities. His ideas eventually spread out all over Europe and his followers formed a group calling themselves Lutherans. This eventually became a protestant denomination, where Luther preached ideas, and his version of christianity. Also other reformist such as John Calvin had their own ideas, like predestination, and that everyone was full of sin until they were saved by christ. “We must resist the lust of the flesh, which, unless kept in order, overflows without measure.” (Document 6) Calvin believed that everyone was filled with this sinful “lust” that could not be kept in order without the power of christ. Calvin also started a sect of christianity nicknamed Calvinist after their leader. Both Luther and Calvin inspired others such as George Fox, who created quakerism, and Ulrich Zwingli who started anabaptism. Overall a huge force that drove the Protestant Reformation was reformers such as Martin Luther and John
...l and perceptive way for rulers to unite empires and spread their society to other regions. The religion of Christianity, in itself, holds a number of assimilations with local pagan rituals that allowed for a much smoother transition. People tended to take the religion of the successful or more advanced civilizations because of logical areas as promoting trade and unifying their own neighbors, turning enemies into allies or possibly vassals. A further dissection of Christianity reveals that the ideas and precepts of this organization have striking similarities to that of other religions of the time. Although it should be noted that there is obviously no definitive answer on religion and it is the choice of the individual to follow their beliefs to their hearts content, but a bit of abstract observation and scrutiny is hardly a crime, at least in modern society.
Christianity developed with Jesus of Nazareth (6 BCE- 29 CE). He was born during the reign of Augustus Caesar. He practiced Christianity from 26 CE to 29 CE. He was the Son of God and the Redeemer of all Mankind. The Romans viewed him as someone “rocking the boat” with what was already a nation of the religiously obsessed. Eventually h...
The political organization and religion aspects during the 16th century influenced Protestant Reformation to occur in Germany. Martin Luther’s writings reflect on his views and perspectives of German politics and religion at the time. Martin Luther’s ideas in the Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation and The Statement of Grievances mentions Martin Luther’s thoughts about how corrupt the church is, why the corruption in the church needs to end, and what Martin Luther’s ideas are to change the way of the church.
First, the rise of Christianity was a major event that affected many cultures, customs, and especially politics. In the
Until 381CE, Christianity had experienced many persecutions. However, over time it became the central religion of the Roman Empire. Conversely, in the 11th century, Christianity had split into two main denominations, the Church of the East, known as the Orthodox Church, and the Church of the West, known as the Roman Church. This was due to the breakdown of the Roman Empire. Similarly, in the 16th century the ‘Reformation in Europe’ led to more divisions.
The rise of Christianity in western civilization is arguably among the most important memories in history. There is no denying what the spread of Christianity has done for the world, for better or worse. Its impact on western civilizations is unrivaled and unprecedented. Christianity slowly became something for many individuals to turn to; in times of hurt it provided comfort, in times of pleasure it gave thanks. The will and belief for salvation has driven individuals to be better, and to have a reference while in need.
During Luther’s early life he faced a severe inner crisis. When he sinned he looked for comfort in confession and followed the penance, the fasting, prayer and observances that the church directed him. But, he found no peace of mind and worried about his salvation. But reading St. Paul’s letters he came to believe that salvation came though faith in Christ. Faith is a free gift, he discovered, it cannot be earned. His studies led him to a conclusion that, “Christ was the only mediator between God and a man and that forgiveness of sin and salvation are given by god’s grace alone” (Martin Luther, 01). Historians agree that, “this approach to theology led to a clash between Luther and the Church officials, precipitating the dramatic events of Reformation”.
In the time and place of these documents (approximately 311-998 CE), separation of church and state was nonexistent. From the Franks to the Roman Empire, to Kievan Rus’, the religious conversion of a leader was generally followed by either social upheaval or acceptance. In the case of the latter, the religious conversion of an entire people was often a gradual process. While the ensuing cultural shift is always of enormous consequence, the initial origin of the religious conversion is often reflective of already present values.
Church History in Plain Language is written by Bruce L. Shelley. This work focuses on the history of Christianity from 6 B.C. to the current period. It covers some of Christianity’s greatest events, theologians, and the various subsection of Christianity. Other than the events leading up to the death of Jesus, I had very little knowledge of Christianity’s history. After reading through the book, I have gained understanding on the Christian Councils, scholasticism, Christendom, and modern trends of Christianity.
Christianity is the world’s most prominent religion, with more than six billion people practicing worldwide. Although Christianity has come to dominate the world of religion, it began as a small and mysterious cult in Ancient Rome. Small, and poorly understood, Christianity soon became an enemy of Rome, marked with persecution, martyrdom, and murder. By the end of the third century CE, tens of thousands of Christians had been arrested and killed for their beliefs.
What is Christianity all about? What are the basic beliefs of Christianity and how did it begin? According to (AllAboutReligion, 2010),” Christianity began about 2000 years ago in Judea, [presently known today as Israel] with Jesus Christ and His faithful group of disciples”. This paper will address the viewpoint of the Christian faith and its outcome. The central message of Christianity is based upon the teachings of Jesus and his promises. Christianity teaches that there is merely one God in all existence and that God created the universe. It also teaches that Jesus is the only way to be set free from the coming judgment of God and that Jesus desires his values and his standards to abound. Moreover, Christianity is the only religion that offers a savior. Religion has been in every culture since the beginning of human society and there are many religions competing for the heart of humanity throughout the world at large.The following characterizations are based on the Christian faith: redemption, covenant and grace. Although Christianity is a matter of choice for the human race, what type of influence did it have on the China, Africa, and Rome inhabitants?
Lane, T. (2006). A concise history of christian thought (Completely ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Wilkin, Robert. The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity. London: Yale University Press, 2012.
Christianity is one of the world’s most widely practiced religions and has a long history spanning back over two-thousand years. Some might say that its history might go back even farther to include the history of Judaism because there are prophets in Hebrew scripture who foretold the coming of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe to be the Messiah that God promised the Jewish people. This paper discusses how Christianity influences our society today, some of its history along with some of our beliefs. However, it is impossible to tell the complete history of Christianity in just one essay because for all two thousand years it has been in existence, there are literally thousands of things to talk about. The construction of our religious buildings, the Crusades, how the Protestant Reformation branched it out into what it is today, any of these things can and have been made into essays, books, and even movies on their own. That being said, it will touch on each of the questions which were asked in the assignment and will add a bit more depth on a few other things which are considered very important to the history of Christianity.