A short message on the topic of Christianity. Message about Christianity. The emergence of the Christian religion

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It is difficult to find a religion that would so powerfully influence the fate of humanity as Christianity did. It would seem that the emergence of Christianity has been studied quite well. An unlimited amount of material has been written about this. Church authors, historians, philosophers, and representatives of biblical criticism worked in this field. This is understandable, because we were talking about the greatest phenomenon, under the influence of which modern Western civilization actually took shape. However, one of the three world religions still holds many secrets.

Emergence

The creation and development of a new world religion has a complicated history. The emergence of Christianity is shrouded in secrets, legends, assumptions and assumptions. Not much is known about the establishment of this doctrine, which today is professed by a quarter of the world's population (about 1.5 billion people). This can be explained by the fact that in Christianity, much more clearly than in Buddhism or Islam, there is a supernatural principle, belief in which usually gives rise to not only reverence, but also skepticism. Therefore, the history of the issue was subject to significant falsification by various ideologists.

In addition, the emergence of Christianity and its spread was explosive. The process was accompanied by active religious, ideological and political struggle, which significantly distorted the historical truth. Disputes on this issue continue to this day.

Birth of the Savior The emergence and spread of Christianity is associated with the birth, deeds, death and resurrection of just one person - Jesus Christ. basis new religion

became faith in the divine Savior, whose biography is presented mainly by the Gospels - four canonical and numerous apocryphal ones.

Mary gave birth to this son during the time of the Jewish king Herod and the Roman emperor Augustus in the city of Bethlehem, where she went with her husband, the carpenter Joseph, to participate in the census. The shepherds, notified by the angels, welcomed the baby, who received the name Jesus (the Greek form of the Hebrew "Yeshua", which means "God the savior", "God saves me").

By the movement of the stars in the sky, the eastern sages - the Magi - learned about this event. Following the star, they found a house and a baby, in whom they recognized Christ (“the anointed one,” “messiah”), and presented him with gifts. Then the family, saving the child from the maddened King Herod, went to Egypt, returning and settled in Nazareth.

The apocryphal Gospels tell numerous details about the life of Jesus at that time. But the canonical Gospels reflect only one episode from his childhood - a trip to Jerusalem for a holiday.

Acts of the Messiah

Growing up, Jesus adopted his father’s experience, became a mason and carpenter, and after Joseph’s death he fed and took care of the family. When Jesus was 30 years old, he met John the Baptist and was baptized in the Jordan River. Subsequently, he gathered 12 disciples-apostles (“envoys”) and, walking with them for 3.5 years around the cities and villages of Palestine, preached a completely new, peace-loving religion.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus substantiated the moral principles that became the basis of the worldview new era. At the same time, he performed various miracles: he walked on water, raised the dead with the touch of his hand (three such cases are recorded in the Gospels), and healed the sick. He could also calm a storm, turn water into wine, and feed 5,000 people with “five loaves and two fishes.” However, for Jesus it was time hard times. The emergence of Christianity is associated not only with miracles, but also with the suffering that he experienced later.

Persecution of Jesus

No one perceived Jesus as the Messiah, and his family even decided that he had “lost his temper,” that is, he had become frantic. Only during the Transfiguration did Jesus' disciples understand his greatness. But Jesus’ preaching activities irritated the high priests in charge of the Jerusalem Temple, who declared him a false messiah. After the Last Supper, which took place in Jerusalem, Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples-followers, Judas, for 30 pieces of silver.

Jesus, like any person, in addition to divine manifestations, felt pain and fear, so he experienced the “passion” with anguish. Captured on the Mount of Olives, he was convicted by the Jewish religious court - the Sanhedrin - and sentenced to death. The sentence was confirmed by the governor of Rome, Pontius Pilate. During the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, Christ was subjected to martyrdom - crucifixion. At the same time, miracles happened again: earthquakes swept through, the sun darkened, and according to legend, “coffins opened” - some of the dead were resurrected.

Resurrection

Jesus was buried, but on the third day he rose again and soon appeared to the disciples. According to the canons, he ascended to heaven on a cloud, promising to return later to resurrect the dead, to condemn the actions of everyone at the Last Judgment, to cast sinners into hell to eternal torment, and to lift the righteous to eternal life in “mountainous” Jerusalem, the heavenly Kingdom of God. We can say that from this moment it begins amazing story- the emergence of Christianity. The believing apostles spread the new teaching throughout Asia Minor, the Mediterranean and other regions.

The founding day of the Church was the feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles 10 days after the Ascension, thanks to which the apostles had the opportunity to preach a new teaching in all parts of the Roman Empire.

Secrets of history

How the emergence and development of Christianity proceeded at an early stage is not known for certain. We know what the authors of the Gospels - the apostles - told about. But the Gospels differ, and significantly, regarding the interpretation of the image of Christ. In John, Jesus is God in human form, the divine nature is emphasized by the author in every possible way, and Matthew, Mark and Luke attributed to Christ the qualities of an ordinary person.

The existing Gospels are written in Greek, a language common in the Hellenistic world, while the real Jesus and his early followers (Judeo-Christians) lived and operated in a different cultural environment, communicating in Aramaic, a language common in Palestine and the Middle East. Unfortunately, not a single Christian document in Aramaic has survived, although early Christian authors mention Gospels written in this language.

After the ascension of Jesus, the sparks of the new religion seemed to fade away, since there were no educated preachers among his followers. In fact, it happened that a new faith was established throughout the planet. According to church views, the emergence of Christianity is due to the fact that humanity, having retreated from God and carried away by the illusion of domination over the forces of nature with the help of magic, nevertheless sought the path to God. Society, having gone through a difficult path, has “ripened” to the recognition of a single creator. Scientists also tried to explain the avalanche-like spread of the new religion.

Prerequisites for the emergence of a new religion

Theologians and scientists have been struggling for 2000 years over the phenomenal, rapid spread of a new religion, trying to figure out these reasons. The emergence of Christianity, according to ancient sources, was recorded in the Asia Minor provinces of the Roman Empire and in Rome itself. This phenomenon was due to a number of historical factors:

• Intensifying exploitation of the peoples subjugated and enslaved by Rome.
• Defeats of the slave rebels.
• The crisis of polytheistic religions in Ancient Rome.
• Social need for a new religion.

The beliefs, ideas and ethical principles of Christianity emerged on the basis of certain social relations. In the first centuries AD, the Romans completed their conquest of the Mediterranean. Subjugating states and peoples, Rome simultaneously destroyed their independence and identity public life. By the way, in this respect the emergence of Christianity and Islam are somewhat similar. Only the development of two world religions took place against different historical backgrounds.

At the beginning of the 1st century, Palestine also became a province of the Roman Empire. Its inclusion in the world empire led to the integration of Jewish religious and philosophical thought from Greco-Roman thought. Numerous communities of the Jewish Diaspora in different parts of the empire also contributed to this.

Why a new religion spread in record time

A number of researchers consider the emergence of Christianity to be a historical miracle: too many factors coincided for the rapid, “explosive” spread of a new teaching. In fact great importance had the fact that this movement absorbed broad and effective ideological material, which served it to form its own doctrine and cult.

Christianity as a world religion developed gradually under the influence of various movements and beliefs of the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia. Ideas were drawn from religious, literary and philosophical sources. This:

• Jewish messianism.
• Jewish sectarianism.
• Hellenistic syncretism.
• Oriental religions and cults.
• Roman folk cults.
• Cult of the Emperor.
• Mysticism.
• Philosophical ideas.

Fusion of philosophy and religion

Philosophy—skepticism, Epicureanism, Cynicism, and Stoicism—had a significant role in the emergence of Christianity. The “middle Platonism” of Philo from Alexandria also had a noticeable influence. A Jewish theologian, he actually went into the service of the Roman emperor. Through an allegorical interpretation of the Bible, Philo sought to merge the monotheism of the Jewish religion (belief in one god) and elements of Greco-Roman philosophy.

The moral teachings of the Roman Stoic philosopher and writer Seneca were no less influential. He viewed earthly life as a prelude to rebirth in the other world. Seneca considered the main thing for a person to be the acquisition of freedom of spirit through the awareness of divine necessity. This is why later researchers called Seneca the “uncle” of Christianity.

Dating problem

The emergence of Christianity is inextricably linked with the problem of dating events. An indisputable fact is that it arose in the Roman Empire at the turn of our era. But when exactly? And where in the grandiose empire that covered the entire Mediterranean, a significant part of Europe, and Asia Minor?

According to the traditional interpretation, the origin of the basic postulates dates back to the years of Jesus’ preaching activity (30-33 AD). Scholars partially agree with this, but add that the creed was compiled after the execution of Jesus. Moreover, of the four canonically recognized authors of the New Testament, only Matthew and John were disciples of Jesus Christ, were witnesses to events, that is, they were in contact with the direct source of the teaching.

Others (Mark and Luke) have already received some of the information indirectly. It is obvious that the formation of the doctrine extended over time. It `s naturally. After all, after the “revolutionary explosion of ideas” in the time of Christ, there began an evolutionary process of assimilation and development of these ideas by his disciples, who gave the teaching a completed form. This is noticeable when analyzing the New Testament, the writing of which continued until the end of the 1st century. True, there are still different datings of books: Christian tradition limits the writing of sacred texts to a period of 2-3 decades after the death of Jesus, and some researchers extend this process until the middle of the 2nd century.

Historically, it is known that the teachings of Christ spread throughout Eastern Europe in the 9th century. The new ideology came to Rus' not from any single center, but through different channels:

• from the Black Sea region (Byzantium, Chersonesus);
• because of the Varangian (Baltic) Sea;
• along the Danube.

Archaeologists testify that certain groups of Russians were baptized already in the 9th century, and not in the 10th century, when Vladimir baptized the people of Kiev in the river. Previously, Kyiv was baptized Chersonesus - a Greek colony in Crimea, with which the Slavs maintained close ties. Contacts of the Slavic peoples with the population of ancient Tauris constantly expanded with the development of economic relations. The population constantly participated not only in the material, but also in the spiritual life of the colonies, where the first Christian exiles were sent into exile.

Also possible intermediaries in the penetration of religion into the East Slavic lands could be the Goths, moving from the shores of the Baltic to the Black Sea. Among them, in the 4th century, Christianity in the form of Arianism was spread by Bishop Ulfilas, who translated the Bible into Gothic. Bulgarian linguist V. Georgiev suggests that the Proto-Slavic words “church”, “cross”, “Lord” were probably inherited from the Gothic language.

The third path is the Danube path, which is associated with the enlighteners Cyril and Methodius. The main leitmotif of the Cyril and Methodius teaching was the synthesis of the achievements of Eastern and Western Christianity on the basis of Proto-Slavic culture. Enlighteners created the original Slavic alphabet and translated liturgical and canonical texts. That is, Cyril and Methodius laid the foundations of the church organization in our lands.

The official date of the baptism of Rus' is considered to be 988, when Prince Vladimir I Svyatoslavovich baptized the inhabitants of Kyiv en masse.

Conclusion

The emergence of Christianity cannot be briefly described. Too many historical mysteries, religious and philosophical disputes revolve around this issue. However, more important is the idea conveyed by this teaching: philanthropy, compassion, helping one's neighbor, condemnation of shameful acts. It doesn’t matter how a new religion was born, what matters is what it brought into our world: faith, hope, love.

Christianity (from the Greek Christos, literally - anointed one) is one of the three world religions that arose in the 1st century AD. in Palestine, in the center of which stands the image of the God-man - Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sins of humanity with his martyrdom on the cross and revealed the last way to reunification with God. IN modern times this term is used to characterize the three main directions of Christianity: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. Now, according to the UN, there are 1.5 billion Christians in the world, according to UNESCO 1.3 billion.

Unlike other religions, Christianity was given to man by God. Any Christian will tell you this, because this position is part of his faith, but people who are somewhat far from Christianity (or simply curious scientists) have spent comparative analysis history of religious teachings, came to the conclusion that Christianity absorbed various ethical and philosophical ideas of other religions, for example, Judaism, Mithraism and the views of ancient Eastern religions.

Christianity came out of the Jewish environment. One of the confirmations can be the following words of Christ: “Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets; I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:27) and the very fact that Jesus was born into the Jewish people, which within the framework of Judaism and waited for his Messiah. Subsequently, Judaism was rethought by Christianity in the direction of deepening the moral religious aspect, which established love for all things as the basic principle.

Jesus Christ is a historical figure. This is the opinion of representatives of one of the main schools studying this issue. Representatives of the other believe that Jesus is a rather mythological person. According to the latter, modern science is devoid of specific historical data about this person. In their eyes, the Gospels lack historical accuracy, since they were written many years after the events occurred, repeat other eastern religions and sin a large number contradictions. Actually, the historical sources of the beginning of the 1st century do not at all reflect either the preaching activity of Christ or information about the miracles he performed.
The historical school cites the following facts as evidence of the real existence of Jesus Christ: the reality of the characters spoken of in the New Testament, a number of historical sources containing information about Christ, the most famous of which is considered to be “Antiquities” by Josephus.
It is worth noting that in recent years, the majority of religious scholars, as well as Christians themselves, have taken the position that Jesus Christ really existed.

In Christianity, there are 10 basic commandments that a person must live by. Written on stone tablets, they were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
1. I am the Lord your God... You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. Don't make yourself an idol.
3. Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Dedicate the seventh day to the Lord your God.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. Don't kill.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Don't steal.
9. Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. Do not covet anything that your neighbor has.

The Sermon on the Mount is of great importance for Christian understanding and guidance in life. The Sermon on the Mount is considered to be the core of the teachings of Jesus Christ. In it, God the Son gave the people the so-called beatitudes (“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (hereinafter - Matthew 5:3 -16) and revealed the understanding of the 10 commandments. So the commandment “You shall not kill; whoever kills shall be liable to judgment” turns into “Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause will be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:17-37), “You shall not commit adultery” - c “...everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart...” (Matthew 5:17-37) It was in the Sermon on the Mount that the following thoughts were heard: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you.” you and pray for those who curse you" (Matthew 5:38-48; 6:1-8), "Judge not, lest you be judged..." (Matthew 7:1-14), "Ask, and it will be given to you “Seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you; for everyone who asks receives” (Matthew 7:1-14). “So in everything you want people to do to you, do so to them; For this is the law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:1-14).

The Bible is the holy book of Christians. It consists of two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The latter, in turn, consists of four Gospels: Matthew, John, Mark and Luke, the Acts of the Apostles and the Revelation of John the Evangelist (known as the Apocalypse).

The main provisions of the Christian faith are 12 dogmas and 7 sacraments. They were adopted at the first and second ecumenical councils in 325 and 381. The 12 dogmas of Christianity are usually called the Creed. It reflects what a Christian believes in: in one God the Father, in one God the Son, in the fact that God the Son came down from heaven for our salvation, in the fact that God the Son was incarnate on earth from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, that God the Son was crucified for our sake, rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven to God the Father, at the second coming of God the Son for the judgment of the living and the dead, in the Holy Spirit, in the one Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, into baptism and, finally, into resurrection and future eternal life.
The seven Christian sacraments are currently recognized by both the Orthodox and Catholic churches. These sacraments include: baptism (acceptance of a person into the bosom of the church), anointing, communion (drawing closer to God), repentance (or confession), marriage, priesthood and consecration of oil (for deliverance from illness).

The symbol of the Christian faith is the cross. The cross in Christianity is adopted in memory of the martyrdom of Jesus Christ. The cross adorns Christian churches, clergy clothes, church literature and is used in the performance of Christian rituals. In addition, believers wear a cross (mostly consecrated) on their bodies.

An important place in Christianity is given to the veneration of the Mother of God. Four of the main Christian holidays are dedicated to her: the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, many churches were erected in her honor and icons were painted.

Priests did not appear in Christianity immediately. Only after the final break with Judaism and a gradual change in the social layer of early Christian society, a clergy appeared in the Christian environment, who took full power into their hands.

Christian sacraments and rituals were not formed immediately. The sacrament of baptism was determined only at the end of the 5th century, after which the sacrament of communion (Eucharist) was formed. Then, over the course of several centuries, chrismation, consecration of oil, marriage, repentance, confession and the priesthood gradually began to appear in Christian rituals.

For a long time, images of saints were prohibited in Christianity. Just as any objects of veneration were prohibited, in the worship of which a number of Christians saw idolatry. The dispute over icons came to a logical conclusion only in 787 at the seventh (Nicene) Ecumenical Council, which allowed the depiction of sacred persons and events associated with them, as well as the worship of them.

The Christian Church is a special divine-human organization. But it is in no way historical. The Christian Church is a mystical formation, which, along with God, includes both living and dead people, and, more simply, souls that, according to Christianity, are immortal. At the same time, modern theologians, of course, do not deny the social component of the Christian church, however, for them it is not the main point for determining its essence.

The spread of Christianity in Rome was associated with the crisis of ancient society. This socio-historical factor, which caused a sense of uncertainty in society in the ancient system of the world order and, as a result, criticism of ancient orders, had a direct impact on the spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire. The disunity between different layers of Roman society, which represented antagonistic pairs, for example, such as free people and slaves, Roman citizens and provincial subjects, also increased the general instability in society and helped the advancement of Christianity, which affirmed among needy people the idea of ​​​​universal equality and salvation in another world .

In the Roman Empire, Christians were always persecuted. From the very beginning of the emergence of Christianity and right up to the 4th century, this was the case, then the imperial power, sensing a weakening of control over the country, began to look for a religion that would unite all the peoples of the empire, and eventually settled on Christianity. In 324, the Roman Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

There has never been unity within Christianity. Representatives of the Christian faith constantly held discussions on Christological topics that touched upon three main dogmas: the trinity of God, incarnation and atonement. Thus, the first Council of Nicaea, having condemned the Arian teaching, which believed that God the Son is not consubstantial with God the Father, established a unified Christian understanding of this dogma, according to which God began to be defined as the unity of three hypostases, each of which is also an independent person. The third ecumenical council, called the Ephesian Council, in 431 condemned the Nesterian heresy, which rejected the idea of ​​​​the birth of Jesus Christ from the Virgin Mary (the Nestorians believed that a man was born from the Virgin Mary, and then the deity moved into him). The fourth (Chalcedon) Ecumenical Council (451) was dedicated to the substantiation of the dogma of atonement and incarnation, which affirmed the equal presence in the person of Christ of both human and divine, united inseparably and inseparably. The issue of depicting Jesus Christ was resolved even later - in the 6th century at the fifth (Constantinople) Ecumenical Council (553), where it was decided to depict the Son of God in the form of a man, and not a lamb.

There have been several major schisms within Christianity. Differences in religious views, as a rule, led to differences in social and religious life different Christian communities. Thus, in the 5th century in Byzantium, the teaching of the Monophysites arose, which did not want to recognize Christ as both man and God. Despite the condemnation of this teaching by one of the ecumenical councils (415), it spread to some Byzantine provinces, such as Egypt, Syria and Armenia.
One of the largest is considered to be the schism of the 11th century, which occurred during the division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern. In the first, in connection with the fall of the emperor's power, the authority of the Roman bishop (pope) greatly increased; in the second, where imperial power was preserved, the patriarchs of the churches were deprived of an approach to power. Thus, historical conditions formed the basis for the division of the once united Christian church. In addition, certain dogmatic and even organizational disagreements began between the two churches, which led to the final break in 1054. Christianity was divided into two branches: Catholicism (Western Church) and Orthodoxy (Eastern Church).
The last split in Christianity occurred within the Catholic Church during the Reformation. The anti-Catholic movement that formed in Europe in the 16th century led to the separation of several European churches from Catholicism and the creation of a new direction in Christianity - Protestantism.

Most of the world's population believes in God, the Father and the Holy Spirit, prays in churches, reads the Holy Scriptures, listens to cardinals and patriarchs. This Christians . So what is Christianity? Christianity (from the Greek Χριστός - “anointed one”, “messiah”) - Abrahamic world religion, based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament. Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. Christians do not doubt the historicity of Jesus Christ.

What is Christianity

In short, it is a religion based on the belief that more than 2000 years ago God came to our world. He was born, received the name Jesus, lived in Judea, preached, suffered and died on the cross as a man. His death and subsequent resurrection from the dead changed the fate of all mankind. His sermon marked the beginning of a new European civilization. What year are we all living in? The students answer. This year, just like others, we count from the birth of Christ.

Christianity is the largest world religion, both in terms of the number of adherents, of which there are about 2.1 billion, and in terms of geographical distribution - almost every country in the world has at least one Christian community.

More than 2 billion Christians belong to various religious denominations. The largest movements in Christianity are Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. In 1054, the Christian Church split into Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox). The emergence of Protestantism was the result of the reformation movement in the Catholic Church in the 16th century.

Interesting facts about religion

Christianity originates from the beliefs of a group of Palestinian Jews who believed that Jesus was the messiah, or “anointed one” (from the Greek Χριστός - “anointed one”, “messiah”), who would free the Jews from Roman rule. The new teaching was spread by the Master's followers, especially by the Pharisee Paul, who converted to Christianity. Traveling through Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome, Paul preached that faith in Jesus freed his followers from observing the rituals required by the Law of Moses. This attracted numerous non-Jews to the Christian faith, searching for an alternative to Roman paganism, but at the same time unwilling to recognize the obligatory rites of Judaism. Despite the fact that the Roman authorities from time to time renewed the fight against Christianity, its popularity grew rapidly. This continued until the era of Emperor Decius, under whom (250) the systematic persecution of Christians began. However, instead of weakening the new faith, oppression only strengthened it, and in the 3rd century. Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire.

Before Rome, in 301, Christianity was adopted as the state religion by Armenia, then an independent kingdom. And soon the victorious march of the Christian faith across Roman lands began. From the very beginning, the Eastern Empire was built as a Christian state. Emperor Constantine, the founder of Constantinople, stopped the persecution of Christians and patronized them.Under Emperor Constantine I, starting with the edict of 313 on freedom of religion, Christianity began to acquire the status of a state religion in the Roman Empire, and on his deathbed in 337 he was baptized. He and his mother, Christian Elena, are revered by the Church as saints. Under Emperor Theodosius the Great at the end of the 4th century. Christianity in Byzantium established itself as the state religion. But only in the 6th century. Justinian I, a zealous Christian, finally banned pagan rituals on the lands of the Byzantine Empire.

In 380, under Emperor Theodosius, Christianity was proclaimed the official religion of the empire. By that time, the Christian faith had come to Egypt, Persia and, possibly, to the southern regions of India.

Around 200, church leaders began selecting the most authoritative Christian writings, which later compiled the books of the New Testament that were included in the Bible. This work continued until 382. The Christian Creed was adopted at the Council of Nicaea in 325, but as the church's influence expanded, disagreements regarding doctrine and organizational issues increased.

Beginning with cultural and linguistic differences, the confrontation between the Eastern Church (with its center in Constantinople) and the Western Roman Church gradually acquired a dogmatic character and led to a schism in the Christian Church in 1054. After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the division of churches was finally established.

Political, social and scientific revolutions of the 19th century. brought new challenges to Christian doctrine and weakened ties between church and state. Advances in scientific thought posed a challenge to biblical beliefs, especially the creation story, which had been challenged by Charles DARWIN's theory of evolution. However, it was a time of intense missionary activity, especially on the part of the Protestant churches. The stimulus for her was the emerging public consciousness. Christian faith often became an important factor in the organization of many social movements: for the abolition of slavery, for the passage of legislation to protect workers, for the introduction of education and social security.

In the 20th century, in most countries the church was almost completely separated from the state, and in some it was forcibly banned. IN Western Europe The number of believers is steadily declining, while in many developing countries, on the contrary, it continues to grow. Recognition of the need for church unity found expression in the creation of the World Council of Churches (1948).

Spread of Christianity in Rus'

The spread of Christianity in Rus' began around the 8th century, when the first communities were founded in Slavic territories. They were approved by Western preachers, and the influence of the latter was small. For the first time, the pagan prince Vladimir decided to truly convert Rus', who was looking for a reliable ideological bond for disunited tribes, whose native paganism did not satisfy his needs.

However, it is possible that he himself sincerely converted to the new faith. But there were no missionaries. He had to besiege Constantinople and ask the hand of a Greek princess to be baptized. Only after this were preachers sent to Russian cities, who baptized the population, built churches and translated books. For some time after this, there was pagan resistance, uprisings of the Magi, and so on. But after a couple of hundred years, Christianity, the spread of which had already covered all of Rus', won, and pagan traditions sank into oblivion.

Christian symbols

For Christians, the whole world, which is the creation of God, is full of beauty and meaning, filled with symbols. It is no coincidence that the holy fathers of the Church argued that the Lord created two books - the Bible, which glorifies the love of the Savior, and the world, which glorifies the wisdom of the Creator. All Christian art in general is deeply symbolic.

The symbol connects the two halves of the split world - the visible and the invisible, and reveals the meaning of complex concepts and phenomena. The most important symbol of Christianity is the cross.

The cross can be drawn in different ways - it depends on the directions of Christianity. Sometimes one glance at the image of a cross depicted on a church or cathedral is enough to tell which Christian movement the building belongs to. Crosses can be eight-pointed, four-pointed, or with two bars, and in general there are dozens of variants of crosses. ABOUT existing options You can write a lot of images of the cross, but the image itself is not so important; the meaning of the cross itself plays a more important role.

Cross- This is more a symbol of the sacrifice that Jesus made to atone for human sins. In connection with this event, the cross became a sacred symbol and very dear to every Christian believer.

The symbolic image of a fish is a symbol of the Christian religion. Pisces, namely its Greek description, can be seen in the abbreviation Son of God the Savior Jesus Christ. The symbolism of Christianity includes a large number of Old Testament symbols: a dove and an olive branch from the chapters that were dedicated to the WorldFlood. Entire legends and parables were formed not only about the Holy Grail, entire troops were sent in search of it. The Holy Grail was the cup from which Jesus and his disciples drank at the Last Supper. The cup had miraculous properties, but traces of it were long lost. New Testament symbols include grape ash, which symbolizes Christ - the grape bunches and vines symbolize the bread and wine of the sacrament, the blood and body of Jesus.

Ancient Christians recognized each other by certain symbols, while other groups of Christians wore symbols with honor on their chests, and some were the cause of wars, and some symbols will be of interest even to those who are far from the Christian religion. The symbols of Christianity and their meanings can be described endlessly. Nowadays, information about symbols is open, so everyone can independently find information about the symbols of Christianity, read their history and become familiar with the reasons for their occurrence, but we decided to tell you about some of them.

Stork symbolizes prudence, vigilance, piety and chastity. The stork heralds the coming of spring, which is why it is called the Annunciation to Mary with the good news of the coming of Christ. There is a Northern European belief that a stork brings children to mothers. They began to say this because of the connection between the bird and the Annunciation.

The stork in Christianity symbolizes piety, purity and resurrection. But the Bible lists stilted birds as unclean, but the stork is seen as a symbol of happiness, largely due to the fact that it eats snakes. By this he points to Christ and his disciples who were engaged in the destruction of satanic creatures.

Angel with a fiery sword is a symbol of Divine justice and wrath.

Angel with trumpet symbolizes doomsday and resurrection.

A staff topped with a lily or a white lily itself considered symbols of innocence and purity. The constant and traditional attribute of Gabriel, who with a white lily, appeared in the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. The lily flower itself symbolizes the virgin purity of the Virgin Mary.

Butterfly is a symbol of new life. This is one of the most beautiful symbols of the resurrection, as well as eternal life. At the butterfly short life which can be divided into three stages.

• The stage without beauty is the larva (caterpillar).
• The stage of transformation into a cocoon (pupa). The larva begins to envelop itself, sealing itself in an envelope.
• The stage of breaking the silk shell and coming out. Here a mature butterfly appears with a renewed and beautiful body with wings painted in bright colors. Very quickly the wings get stronger and she takes off into the air.

Surprisingly, these three life stages of the butterfly are similar to life in humiliation, burial and death, and then the resurrection of Christ. He was born in a human body as a servant. The Lord was buried in the grave and on the third day, already in the Orthodox body, Jesus was resurrected and after forty days he ascended into heaven.

People who believe in Christ also experience these three stages. By nature, mortal and sinful beings live in humiliation. Then death comes, and lifeless bodies are buried. When Christ returns in glory, on the Last Day Christians will follow Him in renewed bodies that are created in the image of the Body of Christ.

Squirrel is a Christian symbol of greed and avarice. The squirrel is associated with the devil, embodied in an elusive, swift and reddish animal.

Crown made of thorny thorns. Christ suffered not only moral suffering, there was also physical torment that he experienced at trial. He was bullied several times: one of the servants hit him at Anna’s during his first interrogation; he was also beaten and spat on; whipped; he was crowned with a crown made of thorns. The governor's soldiers took Jesus to the praetorium, called the whole regiment, stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him; when they wove a crown from thorns, they put it on His head and gave him a reed in his hands; they knelt before Him and mocked Him, beat Him on the head with a cane and spat on Him.

Crow in Christianity it is a symbol of hermit life and solitude.

Bunch of grapes is a symbol of the fertility of the promised land. Grapes were grown everywhere in the Holy Land, most often in the hills of Judea.

the Virgin Mary also has a symbolic meaning. The Virgin Mary is the personification of the church.

Woodpecker is a symbol in Christianity of the devil and heresy, which destroy human nature and lead him to damnation.

Crane symbolizes fidelity, good life and asceticism.

Font is a symbol of the virgin's immaculate womb. It is from this that the initiate is born again.

Apple is a symbol of evil.

Traditionally Christian churches in the plan they have a cross - a symbol of the cross of Christ as the basis of eternal salvation, a circle (rotunda type of temple) - a symbol of eternity, a square (quadrangle) - a symbol of the earth, where peoples converge in the temple from the four corners of the world, or an octagon (octagon on a quadrangle) - a symbol the guiding star of Bethlehem.
Each temple is dedicated to some Christian holiday or saint, whose memorial day is called a temple (throne) holiday. Sometimes several altars (chapels) are arranged in the temple. Then each of them is dedicated to its own saint or event.

According to tradition, the temple is usually built with the altar facing east. However, there are exceptions when the liturgical east may not correspond to the geographical one (for example, the Church of the Martyr Julian of Tarsus in Pushkin (the altar is facing south), the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Tver region (the village of Nikolo-Rozhok) (the altar is facing north)). Orthodox churches were not built with the altar facing west. In other cases, orientation to the cardinal points could be explained by territorial conditions.
The roof of the temple is crowned with a dome with a cross. According to widespread tradition, Orthodox churches can have:
* Chapter 1 - symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ;
* 2 chapters - the two natures of Christ (divine and human);
* 3 chapters - Holy Trinity;

* 4 chapters of the Four Gospels, four cardinal directions.
* 5 chapters - Christ and the four evangelists;
* 7 chapters - seven Ecumenical Councils, seven Christian sacraments,seven virtues;

* 9 chapters - nine ranks of angels;
* 13 chapters - Christ and 12 apostles.

The shape and color of the dome also have a symbolic meaning. The helmet shape symbolizes the spiritual warfare (struggle) that the Church wages against the forces of evil.

The shape of the onion symbolizes the candle flame.

The unusual shape and bright colors of the domes, such as that of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg, speaks of the beauty of heavenly Jerusalem - Paradise.

The domes of churches dedicated to Christ and the Twelve Feasts are gilded/

The blue domes with stars indicate that the temple is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Temples with green or silver domes are dedicated to the Holy Trinity.

In the Byzantine tradition, the dome was covered directly over the vault; in the Russian tradition, due to the “stretching” of the dome’s shape, a space arose between the vault and the dome.
An Orthodox church has three parts: porch, the main volume of the temple is katholikon(middle part) and altar.
In the narthex there used to be those who were preparing for baptism and penitents who were temporarily excommunicated from communion. The porches in monastery churches were often also used as refectory areas.

Main parts Orthodox church(schematic image).

Altar- the place of the mysterious residence of the Lord God, is main part temple.
The most important place in the altar is throne in the shape of a quadrangular table, has two clothes: the lower one is made of white linen (srachitsa) and the upper one is brocade (inditiya). The symbolic meaning of the throne is as a place where the Lord invisibly dwells. On the throne is antimens- the main sacred object of the temple. This is a silk cloth consecrated by the bishop with the image of the position of Christ in the tomb and with a sewn-in particle of the relics of a saint. This is due to the fact that in the first centuries of Christianity, the service (liturgy) was performed at the tombs of the martyrs over their relics. Antimins is stored in a case (iliton).

Near the eastern wall in the altar there is “ high place" - an elevated seat intended for the bishop and sintron - an arched bench for the clergy, adjacent from the inside to east wall altar, symmetrically to its longitudinal axis. By the XIV-XV centuries. the stationary syntron disappears completely. Instead, during bishop's services, a portable chair without backs and arms is installed.

The altar part is separated from the catholicon by an altar barrier - iconostasis. In Rus', multi-tiered iconostases appeared in the beginning. XV century (Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir). In the classic version, the iconostasis has 5 tiers (rows):

• local(locally revered icons, royal doors and deacon’s doors are located in it);
• festive(with small icons of the twelve holidays) and Deesis rank (the main row of the iconostasis, from which its formation began) - these two rows can change places;
• prophetic(icons of Old Testament prophets with scrolls in their hands);
• ancestral(icons of Old Testament saints).

However, in widespread use there may be 2 or more rows. The sixth tier may include icons with scenes of the passion or saints not included in the apostolic rank. The composition of the icons in the iconostasis can be different. The most traditionally established images:

• On the double-leaf royal doors, located in the middle of the local row, they most often have 6 marks - an image of the Annunciation and the four evangelists.
• To the left of the royal doors is an icon of the Mother of God, to the right is of Christ.
• The second icon to the right of the Royal Doors corresponds to the throne (temple icon).
• On the deacon's doors there are usually archangels or saints associated with law enforcement agencies.
• Above the royal doors is the “Last Supper”, above (on the same vertical) is the “Savior in Power” or “Savior on the Throne” of the Deesis rank, to the right of Him is John the Baptist, to the left is the Mother of God. The peculiarity of the icons from the Deesis is that the figures are slightly turned, facing the central image of Christ.

The iconostasis ends with a cross with the figure of Christ (sometimes without it).
There are iconostases pavilion type (Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow), tyablovye(were common in the XV-XVII centuries) and frame(appear with the beginning of the construction of Baroque churches). The iconostasis is a symbol of the heavenly Church coming together with the earthly one.
The curtain separating the throne from the royal gates is called catapetasma. The color of the catapetasma can be different - dark on tragic days, for festive services - gold, blue, scarlet.
The space between the catapetasma and the throne should not be crossed by anyone except the clergy.
Along the iconostasis from the side of the main space of the temple there is a small extended elevation - salty(outer throne). General level the floors of the altar and the solea coincide and are raised above the level of the temple, the number of steps is 1, 3 or 5. The symbolic meaning of the solea is the approach to God of all sacred rites taking place on it. It's arranged there pulpit(the protrusion of the solea in front of the royal doors), from which the priest pronounces the words of the Holy Scriptures and sermons. Its significance is great - in particular, the pulpit represents the mountain from which Christ preached. Cloud pulpit It is a raised platform in the middle of the church, on which the bishop’s ceremonial vestments take place and he stands before entering the altar.
Places for singers during worship are called choirs and are located on the sole, in front of the flanks of the iconostasis.
The eastern pair of pillars of the catholicon may have royal place - at the southern wall for the ruler, at the northern - for the clergy.

Other structural parts of an Orthodox church are:

• The main space of the temple ( katholikon ) - the area of ​​​​earthly residence of people, a place of communication with God.
• Refectory (optional), as a second (warm) temple - a symbol of the room where the Easter Last Supper took place. The refectory was arranged along the width of the apse.
• Narthex (pre-temple) - a symbol of the sinful land.
• Extensions in the form of a gallery, additional temples dedicated to individual saints are a symbol of the city of heavenly Jerusalem.
• Bell tower in front of the entrance to the temple symbolizes a candle to the Lord God.

It is necessary to distinguish the bell tower from belfries- structures for hanging bells that do not have a tower-like appearance.

Temple, church - the most common type of religious building in Orthodoxy and, unlike chapels has an altar with a throne. The bell tower can stand either close to the temple or separately from it. Often the bell tower “grows” out of the refectory. In the second tier of the bell tower there can be a small temple (» dungeon»).
In later times, when “warm” churches were built, a stove was installed in the basement to heat the entire building.
The area around the temple was necessarily landscaped, the area was fencing, trees were planted (including fruit trees), for example, a circular planting formed a kind of gazebo. Such a garden also had the symbolic meaning of the Garden of Eden.

In all centuries, humanity has had different religions and accepted different beliefs. The science of religious studies divides faiths into religions, sects, denominations, movements and simply personal beliefs. Faith is not scientifically provable. In fact, every person has faith in something Higher, even atheists who are convinced that there is no God cannot prove this.

World religions - Christianity, Islam, Buddhism - these are the four religions that are most widespread on Earth, while Christianity is historically inherent in the Slavic lands of Rus'. However, it is also divided into confessions - movements within the religion. Orthodoxy and Catholicism are widespread in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, and Moldova; many families historically profess different faiths, so today we will talk about their differences.

Christianity - briefly about religion

The most important dogma of Christianity is that Jesus Christ, the Almighty Son of God, became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and voluntarily accepted death to save people from the power of sin. He Himself showed people the meaning of the death, burial and Resurrection of Christ. His words and actions remain in the Gospel.

After being condemned to death, the Lord Jesus was Crucified on the Cross like the last thief, with ordinary thieves nearby. The apostles left Him, afraid of death, and only Holy Mother of God remained with the Apostle John the Theologian at the Cross.

When the Lord gave up the ghost, the disciples - not the apostles, but simply the disciples of Christ Joseph and Nicodemus - asked to give them the Body of the Lord for burial. They left it in the garden, where Nicodemus himself had bought a place for his future burial. However, Christ rose again a day later, appearing to the holy myrrh-bearing women.

Only after the Resurrection did the Apostles believe in the Divine will about the Crucifixion, death and the Kingdom of the Lord and understood this to the end.

On the 40th day after the Resurrection, Christ called the apostles to the Mount of Olives, blessed them and ascended to heaven on a cloud, that is, he began to rise higher and higher until he disappeared from view. At the Ascension, the apostles received a blessing from the Lord to go and teach the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Trinity.

Christ is one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity- God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit are the One and Only God, Whom Christians all over the world worship. The dogma of His Unity in Three Persons is the most important for Christians, regardless of denomination.

The dogma of the Trinity is most fully and clearly expressed by its icon in the form of three angels. Only in the Orthodox Church does this image exist: among Catholics and Protestants this plot is called “The Hospitality of Abraham” and is only an illustration of an episode from the Old Testament.

Christianity, Orthodoxy and Catholicism

Traditionally, Christianity is divided into three movements:

• • Catholicism, that is, the United Roman Catholic Church with a single head - the Pope (at the same time, there is a special doctrinal dogma about the infallibility of the Pope, that is, he cannot do anything wrong and has absolute power). The Church is divided into "rites", that is, regional traditions, but they are all under one leadership.

• • Orthodoxy, which is divided into independent, separate Patriarchate Churches (for example, Moscow, Constantinople) and within them - Exarchates and Autonomous Churches (Serbian, Greek, Georgian, Ukrainian - by region) with varying degrees of independence. At the same time, both Patriarchs and bishops of Churches can be removed from governance if they seriously sin. There is no single head of the Orthodox Church, although the Patriarch of Constantinople bears the historical title of Ecumenical. Orthodox Churches have commonality in prayers, the possibility of jointly celebrating the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion) and others.

• • Protestantism is the most difficult, moving and falling apart confession. The churches here are also divided by region, there are bishops, but there are many sects - that is, those who consider themselves or are classified by religious scholars as Protestantism of individual teachings.

Jesus Christ in history

Today there are a number documentaries about the earthly life of Christ. Through them, the scientific myth about the existence of the tomb of Christ and its search is popularized. In fact, such searches exist only for commercial filming. Real archaeologists, serious researchers do not do such things.

It has long been proven that Christ is like a real man existed on Earth. The place of His burial was widely known among the Jews of His time. In addition, after His Resurrection, He appeared to many people more than once, as the evangelists say. And the apostles themselves - holy men, according to the testimony of many - could not lie, unanimously asserting that He ascended to Heaven and pointing out the place where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is now located as the place of His burial.

May the Lord Jesus Christ protect you with His grace!

Instructions

Christianity originated in the first century AD (modern chronology is based precisely on the Nativity of Christ, that is, the birthday of Jesus Christ). Modern historians, religious scholars and representatives of other religions do not deny the fact that in Palestinian Nazareth, more than two thousand years ago, a great preacher was born. Jesus is one of the prophets of Allah, a reformer rabbi who decided to rethink the religion of his ancestors and make it simpler and more accessible to the people. Christians, that is, followers of Christ, honor Jesus as God's anointed on earth and adhere to the version virgin virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, from the Holy Spirit, who descended to earth in the form of. This is the basis of religion.

Initially, Christianity was spread by Jesus (and after his death by his followers, that is, the apostles) among the Jews. The new religion was based on Old Testament truths, but more simplified. Thus, the 666 commandments of Judaism in Christianity turned into the main ten. The ban on eating pork and separating meat and dairy dishes was lifted, and the principle “man is not for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man” was proclaimed. But the main thing is that, unlike Judaism, Christianity has become an open religion. Thanks to the activities of missionaries, the first of whom was the Apostle Paul, the Christian faith penetrated far beyond the borders of the Roman Empire, from Jews to pagans.

Christianity is based on New Testament, which, together with the Old Testament, makes up the Bible. The New Testament is based on the Gospels - the biography of Christ, starting from immaculate conception Virgin Mary and ending with the Last Supper, at which one of the apostles Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, after which he was declared a thief and crucified on the cross along with other offenders. Special attention focuses on the miracles that Christ performed during his life, and his miraculous resurrection on the third day after death. Easter, or the Resurrection of Christ, along with Christmas, is one of the most revered Christian holidays.

Modern Christianity is considered the most popular religion in the world, has about two billion followers and branches into many movements. The basis of all Christian teachings is the idea of ​​the trinity (God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit). The human soul is considered immortal, depending on the number of lifetime sins and virtues, after death it goes either to hell or to heaven. An important part of Christianity are the Sacraments of God, such as baptism, communion and others. Discrepancies in the list of sacraments, the importance of rituals and methods of prayer are observed among the main Christian branches - Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. Catholics, along with Christ, revere the Mother of God, Protestants oppose excessive ritualism, and Orthodox (orthodox) Christians believe in the unity and holiness of the church.

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Christianity is the largest (by number of adherents) world religion. The number of people who consider themselves Christians and more or less strictly adhere to religious canons today exceeds two billion people. Why did Christianity arise in the first place?

Of course, for people who hold materialistic views, there is not and cannot be an absolutely accurate answer to this question.

But there is another, very serious reason. Christianity originated during the heyday of the Roman Empire. She achieved such strength and influence that it seemed that her unshakable power in the conquered provinces was established forever. Any attempts to resist Roman power were useless, were mercilessly suppressed and only led to even greater troubles, humiliation and oppression. The people of Judea also learned this truth from their own experience. Many people who sincerely did not understand how this could be happening and why their god Yahweh turned away from his people, this led to despair. Therefore, it is not surprising that the basic postulates of Christianity, which state that those who unjustly suffer in earthly life, endure torment and humiliation, will subsequently receive a reward in the afterlife, and his oppressors and offenders will be doomed to eternal torment, found a gracious response in the hearts many people.

For the same reason, Christianity quickly gained many adherents among the population of other provinces under the yoke of Rome. And subsequently - among the Roman slaves, the number of which was simply enormous. There is nothing more natural than that people who were in complete subordination to their masters (often rude, cruel, even inhuman), enduring beatings and humiliation, were consoled by the thought: now we feel bad, it’s unbearably hard, but after death everyone will be rewarded according to their deserts, we will end up in heaven, and our tormentors go to hell. gave them hope and strength to endure the bitterness of their situation.

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Christianity arose about two thousand years ago and during this time it has become one of the most powerful world religions. Historians disagree about the origins of Christianity. Some believe that this was Palestine, others are convinced that the first Christian communities appeared in Greece and Rome.

Instructions

Judaism became the ideological basis of Christianity. At the same time, the provisions of the Old Testament did not lose their meaning, but received a new interpretation in the light of the events described in the Gospels and associated with earthly life Jesus Christ. Adherents of the emerging religion introduced new ideas into the doctrine of monotheism, messianism and the end of the world. The idea arose about the second coming of the Savior, after which his thousand-year kingdom would be established on earth.

In the 1st century AD, Christianity was just beginning to differentiate itself from Judaism. The mood in the religious environment was determined by faith in Jesus Christ, who came into the world to atone for the sins of mankind, as well as the conviction of his divine origin. The first Christians awaited the reappearance of the Savior from day to day, anticipating his just reprisal against those who oppressed the people of Palestine.

Where the position of Christianity turned out to be strong, religious communities arose that initially did not have centralization and special priests. The associations of the first Christians were headed by the most authoritative believers, whom the rest considered capable of receiving God's grace. Leaders of Christian communities often had charisma and strong influence on the Christian community.

Gradually, they began to stand out from among religious Christian communities special people who were engaged in the interpretation of the provisions of the Holy Scriptures. There were also those who performed technical duties. Over time, bishops began to occupy a dominant position in the communities, performing the functions of overseers and observers. Organizational structure Christianity began to take shape around the 2nd century AD.

At the next stage of the formation of Christianity, somewhat different sentiments spread in society. The intense anticipation of the next coming of the Savior was replaced by an attitude towards adapting to life with new social orders. At this time, the idea of ​​the other world, the immortality of the human soul, began to be developed in more detail.

Over time, the social composition of Christian communities began to change. Among the adherents of this religion, there are fewer and fewer poor and disadvantaged people; educated and wealthy citizens are actively beginning to accept Christianity. The community becomes more tolerant of wealth and political power. The complete separation of the new creed from Judaism occurred towards the end of the 2nd century, after which Christianity became an independent religion.