Today, there are more than two billion Christians worldwide and Christianity has become the world's largest religion. Since the Renaissance era, with the European colonization of the Americas and other continents that was both supported and opposed by the Christian churches, Christianity has expanded throughout the world. Growing criticism of the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical structure and its corruption in the Late Middle Ages (from the 14th to 15th centuries) led to the Protestant Reformation and its related reform movements, which concluded with the European wars of religion. ĭuring the High Middle Ages, Eastern and Western Christianity grew apart, leading to the East–West Schism of 1054. ![]() ![]() Christianity played a prominent role in the development of Western civilization, particularly in Europe from late antiquity and the Middle Ages. In the Early Middle Ages, missionary activities spread Christianity towards the west and the north among Germanic peoples towards the east among Armenians, Georgians, and Slavic peoples in the Middle East among Syrians and Egyptians in Eastern Africa among the Ethiopians and further into Central Asia, China, and India. Arianism was condemned at the First Council of Nicea (325), which supported the Trinitarian doctrine as expounded in the Nicene Creed. Various Christological debates about the human and divine nature of Jesus consumed the Christian Church for three centuries, and seven ecumenical councils were called to resolve these debates. Brown asserts "it is impossible to speak of a Christian empire as existing before Justinian 1" in the sixth century. Historian Peter Brown has written that, "it would be profoundly misleading" to claim that the cultural and social changes that took place in Late Antiquity reflected "in any way" that the empire had become "Christianized". Ĭonstantine's policies were largely continued by his sons though not universally or continuously. Other pagan practices were tolerated, and Constantine did not stop the established state support of the traditional religious institutions, nor did society substantially change its predominantly pagan nature under his rule. Under Constantine and his sons, certain pagan rites, including animal sacrifice and divination, began being deprived of their previous position in Roman civilization. In 313, the Roman Emperor Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan expressing tolerance for all religions thereby legalizing Christian worship. Sociological studies indicate critical mass was achieved in the hundred years between 150 and 250 which saw Christianity move from fewer than 50,000 adherents to over a million. Christianity spread as a grassroots movement that became established by the third century. Christianity remained a Jewish sect for centuries, diverging gradually from Judaism over doctrinal, social and historical differences. ![]() The earliest followers of Jesus were apocalyptic Jewish Christians. His followers believe that, according to the Gospels, he was the Son of God and that he died for the forgiveness of sins and was raised from the dead and exalted by God, and will return soon at the inception of God's kingdom. ![]() AD 30–33 in Jerusalem in the Roman province of Judea. Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish teacher and healer who proclaimed the imminent Kingdom of God and was crucified c. The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, Christian countries, and the Christians with their various denominations, from the 1st century to the present.
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