Origin of Christianity Southwest Asia

The two religions with the most adherents—Christianity and Islam—both originated in Southwest Asia. It is typical of universalizing religions such as Christianity and Islam that their places of origin are known and derived from events in the life of a specific person.

Origin of Christianity

Christianity was founded upon the teachings of Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem between 8 and 4 B.C.E. and died on a cross in Jerusalem about 30 C.E. Raised as a Jew, Jesus gathered a small group of disciples as well as a large group of followers and preached the coming of the Kingdom of God. The four Gospels of the Christian Bible—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—document miracles and extraordinary deeds that Jesus is believed to have performed. He was referred to as Christ, from the Greek word for the Hebrew word messiah, which means “anointed.”

According to the Gospels, in the third year of his mission, Jesus was betrayed to the authorities by Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve Disciples. After sharing the Last Supper (possibly the Jewish Passover Seder) with his disciples in Jerusalem, Jesus was arrested by the Romans and put to death as an agitator. On the third day after his death, his tomb was found empty. Christians believe that Jesus died to atone for human sins, that he was raised from the dead by God, and that his resurrection from the dead provides people with hope for salvation.

Roman Catholic Branch

Roman Catholics accept the teachings of the Bible as well as the interpretation of those teachings by the Church hierarchy, headed by the pope. Roman Catholics recognize the pope as possessing a universal primacy or authority, and they believe that the pope is infallible in resolving theological disputes. According to Roman Catholic belief, God conveys His grace directly to humanity through seven sacraments: Baptism, the Eucharist (the partaking of bread and wine that repeats the actions of Jesus at the Last Supper), Penance, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing the Sick.

Orthodox Branch

Orthodoxy comprises the faith and practices of a collection of churches that arose in the eastern part of the Roman Empire. The split between the Roman and Eastern churches dates to the fifth century, a result of rivalry between the Pope of Rome and the Patriarchy of Constantinople, which was especially intense after the collapse of the western Roman Empire. The split between the two churches became final in 1054, when Pope Leo IX condemned the Patriarch of Constantinople. Orthodox Christians accept the seven sacraments but reject doctrines that the Roman Catholic Church has added since the eighth century.

Protestant Branch

Protestantism originated with the principles of the Reformation in the sixteenth century. The Reformation movement is regarded as beginning when Martin Luther (1483–1546) posted 95 theses on the door of the church at Wittenberg on October 31, 1517. According to Luther, individuals have primary responsibility for achieving personal salvation through direct communication with God. Grace is achieved through faith rather than through sacraments performed by the Church.