Paul, which were written by a converted Sadducee who preached that gentiles did not need to follow Mosaic Law and convert to Judaism to follow Jesus. Although all of these gospels, epistles, and works such as the Book of Revelation were canonized because of their perceived accuracy and continuity, their different authors, historical contexts, and influences also have conspired to create a Christian Bible that is open to many alternative interpretations, and has spawned many different sects that define Christianity differently.
Defining Christianity remains difficult -- does it mean following Jesus, following the teachings of a particular book, or a particular church? Is following Jesus enough, or must a Christian believe Jesus died for the sins of all of humanity? Must a Christian believe that Jesus is the Son of God the Father, and is the holy, anointed one, the Messiah prophesized about in the Old Testament, or can a Christian simply respect Jesus as a good man? Most Christian sects are inclined to view Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection as cornerstones of their belief systems, although this is...
Furthermore, every sect places a different emphasis on doctrine, belief, behavior, and worship practices. Certain rites and rituals, like transubstantiation (the manifestation of God's physical presence in the Host), baptism of infants vs. adults, and when or which holidays to observe remain topics of debate. The value of including other works as apocrypha into the Christian canon, likewise has divided many believers.
While some doctrines, such as a radical belief in radical predestination and the blatant selling of indulgences have fallen out of favor, Christianity is forever in a state of flux. For example: the role of women has changed: in some sects, women can become church leaders, such as in the Anglican Church, while in the Catholic Church women cannot become priests or monks, only nuns. The nature of the faith, Christians, and believers within twenty, even ten years worldwide is difficult to predict as how individual Christians define themselves.
Works Cited
Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World's Religions. Fourth Edition. New York: McGraw/Hill,
