Christianity

Overview

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth. Christianity teaches that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah (the savior of humanity foretold in the Torah, the primary scriptural doctrine of the Jewish faith). Christian scripture incorporates both the Torah (referred to by Christians as the Old Testament) with the story of Jesus, his teachings, and those of his contemporaneous disciples (the New Testament). These form the Bible, the central text of the Christian faith. Christianity began in Jerusalem as an outgrowth of Judaism that considered Jesus the Christ (meaning “anointed one”). This idea and its adherents spread rapidly through ancient Judea around the first century CE, then throughout the ancient world.

Christians believe Jesus successfully met and completed all the requirements of the Old Testament laws, took upon himself the sins of the world during his crucifixion, died, and rose to life again so that those who place their faith in him are forgiven their sins, reconciled to God, and granted grace for daily living. Christians maintain that heaven with God awaits them after bodily death, whereas eternal separation from God in hell awaits those who neither received forgiveness for their sins nor acknowledged Jesus as Lord.

Many forms of Christianity exist, with the faith’s three largest branches being Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Combined, Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with roughly 2.4 billion adherents, or 33% of the total population. (The Best Schools)

House of Worship Visit

Below are several options for house of worship visits in various Christian traditions. If you already practice Christianity in some form, we encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and attend the service of a denomination you are unfamiliar with. Reach out to Campus Ministry if you would like help connecting with a house of worship you are interested in visiting. Remember to complete your reflection afterward!

Reflection Questions

You may opt to reflect and respond to each of the questions below, or only those that stir a response in you. Make this reflective process your own and feel free to add any additional thoughts or information learned to your journal.

  • Was there anything you learned today about Christianity that surprised you? What denominations would you like to learn more about?

  • Where do you see intersections in values, important sites, rituals, and stories between Christianity and the other Abrahamic faiths (Judaism and Islam)?

  • Some posit for Protestant churches that asking “What denomination are you?” seems increasingly irrelevant as more churches own their own unique theological DNA. The real question is: 'What does your specific church believe?' What is your response to this? Have you had any experiences that support or contradict this theory?

If you visited a Christian house of worship service, please consider these questions...

  • What is something you saw in the service that resonated with you?

  • What questions do you have about the religion/aspects of the service?

  • Did you see your own religious practices reflected at any point in the service?

  • Did you feel connected to your own faith at any point in the service?

  • Is there anything from this experience that you can carry with you as you continue on your own personal faith journey?