| “ | Christianity is the world's largest religion and is definitely one with the most influent over our current world. In the supernatural world, where the majority of its denizens are pagan or atheistic, Christianity still possesses an immense power over them as a world-wide organization that serves the purpose of protecting humanity from supernatural threats through all means necessary, even if it means genocide and mass cultural deletion. | „ |
| — Matt Wright. |
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Its adherents, known as Christians, believe that Jesus is the Christ, whose coming as the messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, called the Old Testament in Christianity, and chronicled in the New Testament.
Overview
Christianity began as a Second Temple Judaic sect in the 1st century in the Roman province of Judea. Jesus' apostles and their followers spread around the Levant, Europe, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, North Africa, Transcaucasia, Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia, despite initial persecution. It soon attracted gentile God-fearers, which led to a departure from Jewish customs, and, after the Fall of Jerusalem, which ended the Temple-based Judaism, Christianity slowly separated from Judaism.
Emperor Constantine the Great legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire by the Edict of Milan (313), later convening the Council of Nicaea where Early Christianity was consolidated into what would become the State church of the Roman Empire. The early history of Christianity's united church before major schisms is sometimes referred to as the "Great Church". The Church of the East split after the Council of Ephesus and Oriental Orthodoxy split after the Council of Chalcedon over differences in Christology, while the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church separated in the East–West Schism, especially over the authority of the bishop of Rome.
Similarly, Protestantism split in numerous denominations from the Latin Catholic Church in the Reformation era over theological and ecclesiological disputes, most predominantly on the issue of justification and the primacy of the bishop of Rome. Following the Age of Discovery, Christianity was spread into the Americas, Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and the rest of the world via missionary work.
Description
Christianity remains culturally diverse in its Western and Eastern branches, as well as in its doctrines concerning justification and the nature of salvation, ecclesiology, ordination, and Christology. The four largest branches of Christianity are the Catholic Church, Protestantism, the Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy, amid various efforts toward unity. Their creeds generally hold in common Jesus as the Son of God—the logos incarnated—who ministered, suffered, and died on a cross, but rose from the dead for the salvation of mankind; as referred to as the gospel, meaning the "good news", in scripture. Describing Jesus' life and teachings are the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John with the Jewish Old Testament as the gospel's respected background.
Christianity and Christian ethics played a prominent role in the development of Western civilization, particularly around Europe from late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Despite a decline in adherence in the West, Christianity remains the dominant religion in the region, with about 70% of the population identifying as Christian. Christianity is growing in Africa and Asia, the world's most populous continents. Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, especially in the Middle-East, North Africa and South Asia.
History
Myths and Legends
Notable Christians
Many humans who work in context of the supernatural and occult are also Christians. Some notables are:
- Abigail Hawkins
- Abraham Van Helsing
- Ashley Strode
- Damien Karras
- Dante Alighieri
- Ed Warren
- Edward Grey
- Elizabeth Sherman
- Integra Hellsing
- Ivan Romanov
- Jeanne d'Arc
- Astolfo
- Johann Kraus
- Lankester Merrin
- Liz Sherman
- Lorraine Warren
- Michel de Nostredame
- Natalia Romanov
- Ota Benga
- Saint Lucia
- SCP-166
- Sherlock Holmes
- Snorri Sturluson
- Trevor Bruttenholm
- John
- Mary Magdalena
- Judas Iscariot
Other Notable Christians
Former Christians
- Aleister Crowley
- Grigori Rasputin
- H.P. Lovecraft
Quotes
Gallery
Trivia
- It is the world's largest religion with about 2.5 billion followers.
