Editing Christianity

{{Infobox religion|name=Christianity|scripture=The Bible|type=Monotheistic, Abrahamic|number_of_followers=2.6 billion|icon=Christian cross.png|founded_date=~150 CE}}

'''Christianity''' is an Abrahamic and monotheistic [[religion]] with a dogma that is based around the writings contained within the [[Bible]], a set of myths imperfectly edited and translated for centuries. Christianity is currently the largest religion on Earth. There are about 2.6 billion adherents as of 2020.<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=countrymeters.info|title=World Population|date=2020|url=https://countrymeters.info/en/World#religion}}</ref>

In spite of many Christians claiming that they have the "one and true" faith, over 45,000 sects of Christianity exist on Earth, of which, the Roman Catholic church is the largest in terms of membership, followed by Protestantism (which itself is extremely fragmented), followed by Eastern Orthodoxy.<ref>{{News citation|author=Donavyn Coffey|newspaper=Live Science|title=Why does Christianity have so many denominations?|date=2021-2-27|url=https://www.livescience.com/christianity-denominations.html}}</ref>

Christianity (along with most religions in general) has been used by the [[ruling class]] during various stages of economic and historical development, mostly as a tool of justifying the social and economic order relative to that historical epoch, which would further secure the power and wealth of said ruling class. Things such as a "divine mandate" or a "god-given mission" and things of that nature have been used, be it in past or present eras, to legitimize [[slavery]],<ref>{{Citation|author=Edward J. Cashin|year=2001|title=Beloved Bethesda : A History of George Whitefield's Home for Boys|title-url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Beloved_Bethesda.html?id=XEmvyv3LO2AC|publisher=Mercer University Press|isbn=9780865547223|trans-lang=English}}</ref><ref>{{News citation|author=Juan Siliezar|newspaper=Harvard Gazette|title=Slavery alongside Christianity|date=2019-1-7|url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/01/a-harvard-exhibit-on-slavery-and-christianity/|retrieved=2022-6-16}}</ref> [[feudalism]],<ref>{{Citation|author=Gerd Althoff|year=2007|title=Christian Values and Noble Ideas of Rank and their Consequences on Symbolic Acts|title-url=https://journals.openedition.org/e-spania/4053}}</ref> [[fascism]],<ref>{{Citation|author=Roger Eatwell|year=2003|title=Reflections on Fascism and Religion|title-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070501024852/http://staff.bath.ac.uk/mlsre/ReflectionsonFascismandReligion.htm|trans-lang=English}}</ref> [[genocide]],<ref>{{Citation|author=Willliam E. Weeks|year=1996|title=Building the Continental Empire: American Expansion from the Revolution to the Civil War|title-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vcsk8UsgNRsC|page=61|trans-lang=English}}</ref> [[capitalism]],<ref>{{Citation|author=Kate Bowler|year=2013|title=Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel|title-url=https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199827695.001.0001/acprof-9780199827695|isbn=9780199827695|trans-lang=English}}</ref> and [[colonialism]].<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|newspaper=[[Tricontinental]]|title=Religious Fundamentalism and Imperialism in Latin America: Action and Resistance|date=2022-12-19|url=https://thetricontinental.org/dossier-59-religious-fundamentalism-and-imperialism-in-latin-america/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222193617/https://thetricontinental.org/dossier-59-religious-fundamentalism-and-imperialism-in-latin-america/|archive-date=2022-12-22|retrieved=2023-01-05}}</ref>

With the rise of mass public schooling, literacy, and other factors, adherence of religion has declined, with an increasing rate of [[secularism]], [[agnosticism]], [[atheism]], and other lack of religion.<ref>{{News citation|author=Ronald F. Inglehart|newspaper=Foreign Affairs|title=Giving Up on God:
The Global Decline of Religion|date=September/October 2020|url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2020-08-11/religion-giving-god}}</ref>
== History ==

=== Early development ===
The early history of Christianity is unclear, with there being few reliable facts and many myths. Being as how Christianity itself likely began with the life of [[Jesus Christ|Jesus]],<ref group="note">Aramaic: ''ישוע'' Koine Greek: ''Ἰησοῦς'' Latin: ''Iesus''</ref> of which, the earliest historical account of his life was made at around 70 CE—decades after his legendary death—it is unclear how and when Christianity first appeared as a distinct religion.<ref>{{Citation|author=Karen Armstrong|year=1993|title=A History of God|title-url=https://books.google.com/books/about/A_History_of_God.html?id=_n3cCF2I2FUC|chapter=3|page=79|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf|isbn=9780345384560|trans-lang=English}}</ref>

==== Divergence from Judaism ====
By the middle of the first century CE, a particular group of [[Judaism|Jews]] had emerged that had begun to adopt heterodox views compared to normal followers of Judaism. This nascent Jewish sect is known by modern scholars as "Jewish-Christians", or "Jewish followers of Jesus". The Jewish-Christians had applied the theological view of a "savior" or "messiah" to Jesus.<ref name=":0" /> Jesus's followers soon split into two groups: a revolutionary nationalist group that sought to overthrow Roman Rule and a more conservative faction that sought spiritual and not [[Materialism|material]] redemption. Roman authorities largely destroyed the revolutionary group their suppression of the First Jewish Revolt between 66 and 73, but the conservative group survived until the leadership of [[Paul of Tarsus]]. They recorded a [[Historical revisionism|revisionist]] and depoliticized narrative of Jesus's life that became the New Testament of the Bible.<ref name=":02">{{Citation|author=Neil Faulkner|year=2013|title=A Marxist History of the World: From Neanderthals to Neoliberals|chapter=The End of Antiquity|page=55–56|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzacedljwr5izotdclz23o3c5p4di4t3ero3ncbfytip55slhiz4otuls?filename=Neil%20Faulkner%20-%20A%20Marxist%20History%20of%20the%20World_%20From%20Neanderthals%20to%20Neoliberals-Pluto%20Press%20%282013%29.pdf|publisher=Pluto Press|isbn=9781849648639|lg=https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=91CA6C708BFE15444FE27899217FBA8E}}</ref> 

While the first followers of Jesus were located almost entirely in [[Roman Empire (27 BCE–395 CE)|Roman]] Judea (modern-day [[State of Palestine|Palestine]]), by means of missionaries, this early form of Christianity was able to spread across the Roman empire. These first theological missions were originally targeting the Jewish communities outside Judea, but over time, gentiles (non-Jews) became early Christians as well. As decades passed, the theological difference between Jewish-Christians and Jews got to a point where those Jewish-Christians became Christian''s'', particularly after more non-Jews became members of this sect.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|author=Ivor J. Davidson|year=2004|title=The Birth of the Church: From Jesus to Constantine, A.D. 30-312|title-url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Birth_of_the_Church.html?id=sucPAQAAIAAJ|publisher=Baker Books|isbn=9780801012709|trans-lang=English}}</ref>

==== Early Christianity ====
By the year 150 CE, early Christianity had appeared as a separate religion from Judaism. Furthermore, these early Christians lived in often urban communities, located in the heart of the Roman empire. The early Christians would begin to form a common clerical structure and theological doctrine. This phase in Christianity is known today as the ''ante-nicene period'', that is, the time before the first council of Nicaea, which happened in 325 CE.<ref name=":0" />

The time from 150–325 CE saw a wide range of Christian sects appear, often failing to concur with each other on things such as the divinity of Christ, the nature of the trinity, and other things such as that. The ante-nicene period also saw a large amount of persecution, namely from Roman authorities, with the Romans executing many early Christians.<ref name=":02" /> but as the turmoil of the [[crisis of the third century]] along with the hardships of the fourth and fifth centuries wore on, and as the old economic order of [[slavery]] and patricians was slowly replaced by the emerging economic system of [[feudalism]], the citizens and denizens of the moribund Roman empire slowly left behind their ancient [[Paganism|paganistic]] religion and embraced Christianity.<ref name=":0" />

By the fourth century CE, Christianity had become relatively common in Roman civilization, and in 313 CE, [[Constantine]] put the Edict of Milan in effect, legalizing the practice of Christianity. His successor, [[Theodosius]], banned paganism and gave temple estates to the church.<ref name=":02" />

==== Late classical age ====
In the year 380 CE, Christianity was made the official state religion of the Roman empire. Furthermore, with Christianity now enjoying acceptance at a governmental-level, the structure of the clergy would now change greatly. Among some of the most politically impactful changes would include the formation of a system known as the ''pentarchy'' - that is - a system where five bishops would be appointed to manage the theological workings of five locations, or ''sees''. These five locations included [[Rome]], [[Istanbul|Constantinople]], [[Jerusalem]], [[Antioch]], and [[Alexandria (City)|Alexandria]]. These bishoprics largely survive to this day, for example, the present ''bishop of rome'' is also known as the pope - and head of the [[Vatican City State]] of the [[Roman catholic church]]. 

By the end of the western part of the Roman empire in 476 CE, Christianity had firmly rooted itself in both the government and peoples of [[Europe]] and North Africa. During the fifth century CE, the theological leaders of Christianity were forced to adapt to the rapidly changing political and social climate of that time. The Christian clergy had to contend with the theological ideas of the new barbarian overlords, while still maintaining loyalty with the clergy of the [[Byzantium|remaining part of the Roman Empire]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Medieval period ===

==== Spread of Christianity during the low medieval period ====
[[File:Christianization of Europe.png|thumb|Spread of Christianity across Europe between 100 and 1800]]
In spite of the rapidly decaying societal state of western Europe in the decades following the fall of the western Roman empire, Christianity was nonetheless able to spread rapidly by means of missionaries. The primary regions that were converted to Christianity were the British Isles, largely [[Anglo-Saxons]] at first, and the barbarian rulers located in what is now [[France]]. Later on, the pagan regions in what is now northern [[Germany]] were forcefully converted to Christianity.

However, the area where Christianity was the dominant religion, would contract in size during the rise of [[Islam]], which happened during the seventh and eighth centuries CE. Before the Islamic invasions, regions such as northern [[Africa]] and the Levant (a region comprising modern-day Palestine, [[Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan|Jordan]], [[Lebanese Republic|Lebanon]], and [[Syrian Arab Republic|Syria]]) were largely Christian, and ruled by [[Byzantium]], a Christian empire; after the Islamic invasions of around 622 to 750 CE, these region would become mostly Muslim, and remain that way into the present era.<ref>{{Citation|author=Fred M. Donner|year=2014|title=The Early Islamic Conquests|title-url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Early_Islamic_Conquests/l5__AwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0|pdf=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Early_Islamic_Conquests/l5__AwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=1400847877|trans-lang=English}}</ref>

==== Eastern Roman Christianity during the low medieval period ====
Unlike in western Europe, eastern Europe, mainly the [[Byzantium|Eastern Roman Empire]], saw much more political stability. As such, mutations in the theological or clerical structures were generally slower than with the Christian church's western counterpart. 

==== East-West Schism ====
Due to centuries of political and geographic separation between the Christianity of western Europe and the Christianity of eastern Europe, there soon began to appear differences between the two churches. Many of these discrepancies while relatively small, such as the way in which ritualistic bread was prepared, others were relatively big, such as the practice of clerical celibacy, or the structure of the clergy.

These theological conflicts reached a metaphorical boiling point when, after a set of heated theological debates, the western and eastern Christian churches both excommunicated each other in 1054. By this point, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches had become distinct from each other. 

==== Crusades ====
[[File:Counquest of Jeusalem 1099.png|thumb|Portrait of the First Crusade.]]In 1095, Pope [[Urban II|Urban]] began the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. A feudal army of thousands of knights entered [[Syria]] in 1097, taking Antioch in 1098 and [[Jerusalem]] in 1099 and then forming four crusader states. The crusaders looted and destroyed cities and mass murdered civilians. A small military elite took control of the region and severely exploited the Arab [[peasantry]] while maintaining a hostile relations with neighboring states.

In the decades following the First Crusade, Islamic states centralized and struck back against the crusaders, with the Second Crusade of 1146–48 failing to stop Muslim resistance. [[Saladin]] united [[Egypt]] and Syria in 1183 and destroyed the entire crusader army of Jerusalem in 1187 at the Battle of Hattin.<ref name=":0222">{{Citation|author=Neil Faulkner|year=2013|title=A Marxist History of the World: From Neanderthals to Neoliberals|chapter=European Feudalism|page=80–82|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzacedljwr5izotdclz23o3c5p4di4t3ero3ncbfytip55slhiz4otuls?filename=Neil%20Faulkner%20-%20A%20Marxist%20History%20of%20the%20World_%20From%20Neanderthals%20to%20Neoliberals-Pluto%20Press%20%282013%29.pdf|publisher=Pluto Press|isbn=9781849648639|lg=https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=91CA6C708BFE15444FE27899217FBA8E}}</ref>

In the Fourth Crusade, the pope looted Constantinople (the capital of another Christian empire). He gave 25% of the loot to [[Most Serene Republic of Venice (697–1797)|Venice]], which had funded the crusader mercenaries.<ref name=":2">{{Web citation|date=2023-05-05|title=Origins of debt: Michael Hudson reveals how financial oligarchies in Greece & Rome shaped our world|url=https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/05/24/debt-michael-hudson-oligarchies-greece-rome/|newspaper=[[Geopolitical Economy Report]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528041512/https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/05/24/debt-michael-hudson-oligarchies-greece-rome/|archive-date=2023-05-28|author=[[Ben Norton]], [[Michael Hudson]]}}</ref>

=== Renaissance and Reformation ===
By the time of the Renaissance, the Catholic Church was highly [[Corruption|corrupt]], with aristocratic Italian families fighting over the papacy and indulgences (forgiveness for sins) sold like [[Commodity|commodities]]. Like the monarchy and nobility, the clergy owned massive plots of land and were very rich. In the 14th century, [[John Wycliffe]] translated the Bible into English for the first time, and possession of his translation instead of the traditional Latin version was punishable by death.<ref name=":02222">{{Citation|author=Neil Faulkner|year=2013|title=A Marxist History of the World: From Neanderthals to Neoliberals|chapter=The First Wave of Bourgeois Revolutions|page=93–96|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzacedljwr5izotdclz23o3c5p4di4t3ero3ncbfytip55slhiz4otuls?filename=Neil%20Faulkner%20-%20A%20Marxist%20History%20of%20the%20World_%20From%20Neanderthals%20to%20Neoliberals-Pluto%20Press%20%282013%29.pdf|publisher=Pluto Press|isbn=9781849648639|lg=https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=91CA6C708BFE15444FE27899217FBA8E}}</ref>

In 1515, Pope [[Leo X|Leo]] lifted the church's ban on charging [[interest]] on loans.<ref name=":2" />

==== Protestant Reformation ====
In 1517, the [[Holy Roman Empire|German]] cleric [[Martin Luther]] posted his a series of 95 theses criticizing the Catholic Church on the door of the Wittenburg Cathedral. He rejected the sale of indulgences and favored personal religious beliefs over the authority of priests. The Holy Roman Emperor threatened to execute him at the Diet of Worms in 1521, but he refused to rescind his beliefs and became the  founder of Protestantism, which eventually spread to two-thirds of Germany. [[John Calvin]] led the second phase of the Reformation by creating a theocracy in Geneva and replacing the hierarchy of bishops with congregations of [[Bourgeoisie|bourgeois]] elders. Protestantism largely ceased to be a popular force as many German princes hostile to the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor adopted it and targeted more radical Protestants like [[Thomas Müntzer]]. Much of southern Germany returned to Catholicism, but [[Utopian socialism|utopian socialist]] radicals led by [[Jan van Leyden]] took control of Münster until 1535, when conservative elites defeated them and murdered their leaders.<ref name=":02222" />

==== Counter-Reformation ====
The [[Council of Trent]] met between 1545 and 1563 to reduce corruption in the church and reassert Catholic dogma. They banned church officials from holding multiple posts or buying and selling their posts. Pope [[Alessandro Farnese|Paul Farnese]] gave approval to the Jesuits, who participated in the colonization of [[Americas|America]] and subverted Protestant-ruled states in Europe. In 1542, the Pope reestablished the [[Inquisition]] to repress non-Catholics across Europe.<ref name=":02222" />

== Beliefs ==

== Demographics ==
The overwhelming majority of [[Latin America|Latin Americans]] are Christian, including over 90% in [[Plurinational State of Bolivia|Bolivia]], [[Republic of Ecuador|Ecuador]], [[Republic of Paraguay|Paraguay]], and [[Republic of Peru|Peru]]. The only Latin American country without a Christian majority is [[Oriental Republic of Uruguay|Uruguay]], with a 44% Christian population. Many Latin American countries are transitioning from Catholicism to Protestantism.<ref name=":1" />

== External links ==

* [https://religions.wiki/index.php/Christianity Religions Wiki]

== See also ==

* [[Islam]]
* [[Judaism]]
* [[Christian fundamentalism]]
* [[Liberation theology]]
* [[Bible]]
==Notes==
<references group="note" />
== References ==
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[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Religions]]
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