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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,
Works Cited
Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World's Religions. Fourth Edition. New York: McGraw/Hill,
history medical studies have concluded that prayer helps to heal the sick. Many political meetings begin with a prayer and American currency has the words "In God We Trust" imprinted on its face. Around the world God is a powerful deity and one that has historically led entire societies to make decisions based on God's word. While God has been the single deity that leads and guides societies in
Constantine and Eusebius There are many great rulers in history, among them men and women of great fortitude, power, allegiance, wealth and intrigue. Yet, there are few who ring more interesting to a modern reader than Constantine I, who is widely held as the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity and spread its favor across the then known world. This work will briefly discuss Constantine I (27 February 272 --
Roman view of Christianity Early Christianity did not develop in isolation, but within a complex landscape already occupied by belief systems, social networks, systems of identity, and political institutions, and it is essential not to regard it 'as somehow independent, as if the church were an entity existing apart from Christians living in particular times and places. Such a treatment neglects how the history of Christianity was influenced and shaped
Nicene Christology The Councils The Council of Nicaea convened in 325. The Council of Constantinople followed in 381. The Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon were convened in 431 and 451 respectively. At all of these councils, the main issues were around the nature and personhood of Christ. His relationship to the Father, the relationship of the Holy Spirit to both, the meaning of the Trinity, the humanity and divinity of Christ—all of
Ecumenism: A brief history Ever since the beginnings of the history of Christianity, there have been profound divisions within the faith regarding the best and right way to profess one's belief in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul speaks of the division between those who believed that it was necessary to follow the practices of the ancient Hebrew in the form of Mosaic Law to be a Christian, versus those who did
Because of this unwavering position that Anthanasius took on this matter he was labeled as an agitator, and was, over time, banished from Alexandria no less than five times by various emperors, only to be restored and banished again. Eventually, Christians who believed in the Deity of Christ came to see that once they were prepared to abandon the Nicene formulation, they were on a slippery slope that led to