Christianity (from the Greek . Christós, literally - the anointed one ) , one of the so-called. world religions (along with Buddhism and Islam ) . H. common in Europe, America , Australia, and , as a result of missionary activity - in Africa, the Middle East and in some parts of the Far East. Accurate data on the number of followers H. absent; according to official church statistics (usually overestimating the number of adherents ), H. professes about 1025 million. (1975). H. ( along with Judaism and Islam ) refers to the monotheistic religions . The main ideas of H.: redemptive mission of Jesus Christ imminent second coming of Christ , the Last Judgment , the heavenly reward and the establishment of the kingdom of heaven.
The basis of dogma and worship H. - Bible or Scripture . Christian church incorporated into it the Jewish Old Testament , only a part of the Christian Bible is the New Testament (it includes : four gospels tell of Jesus Christ , " Acts of the Apostles ," Epistles and the Apocalypse ) . Leading directly behind the Sacred Scripture stands tradition that the church raised by " divine right ." In all periods of its history (up to the present day ) H. appears as rival religious movements . Common feature that unites all Christian denominations , churches , sects , is the only faith in Christ , although even here there are differences between them [eg , according to doctrine of most Christian churches, Christ is inherent in the divine and human nature , according to the version of other Christian Churches ( Armenian- Gregorian , Coptic ) , Christ has only the divine nature ] . Main branches H.: 1) Catholicism 2) Orthodoxy [ there are 15 Orthodox autocephalous ( independent ) churches (see Orthodox Church ) and several autonomous churches ], 3 ) Protestantism (includes three major trends - Lutheranism , Calvinism , Anglicanism - and a great The number of sects , many of which have become independent churches - Baptists, Methodists , Adventists , etc.). In addition , H. has several smaller branches - monofisitstvo , Nestorianism , etc. ( More information about the development of certain areas of H. until the modern era , see the relevant articles : Catholicism , Orthodoxy , Protestantism , Lutheranism , Calvinism , etc.). In the USSR, all the main destinations H. act Christian churches operate religious schools that train clergy .
H. came in the 2nd half of the 1st century. n . e . in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire originally among the Jews, but in the first decade and has spread among the other ethnic groups. The crisis of the slave system , the heavy social and political oppression provoked mass uprisings of slaves, free poor, subjugated peoples . Rome after the suppression of popular movements in the beginning of 1 . n . e . widespread mood of despair , impotent hatred of the oppressors .