What is at the core of Christianity. What is Christianity

Name: Christianity ("messiah")
Time of occurrence: beginning of our era
Founder: Jesus Christ
Holy Scriptures: bible

Christianity - Abrahamic world religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament. Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Son of God and the Savior of mankind.

Christianity is the largest world religion both in terms of the number of adherents, which are about 2.3 billion, and in terms of geographical distribution - in every country in the world there is at least one Christian community.

The largest currents in Christianity are and. In 1054 there was a split christian church to the western () and eastern (Orthodox). The appearance was the result of the reform movement in the church in the 16th century.

Christianity originated in the 1st century in Palestine, among the Jews in the context of the messianic movements of Old Testament Judaism. Already in the time of Nero, Christianity was known in many provinces of the Roman Empire.

The roots of Christian doctrine are connected with Old Testament Judaism. According to the Holy Scriptures, Jesus was circumcised, brought up as a Jew, observed the Torah, attended the synagogue on Shabbat (Saturday), observed holidays. The apostles and other early followers of Jesus were Jews.

According to Christian doctrine, man is created in the image and likeness of God. He was perfect from the beginning, but fell due to the fall. Fallen man has a gross, visible body, filled with passions in soul and spirit, aspiring to God. Meanwhile, man is one, therefore, not only the soul, but the whole person, including the body, is subject to salvation (resurrection). The perfect man, inseparable from the divine nature, is Jesus Christ. However, Christianity also implies other forms of posthumous existence: in hell, paradise and purgatory (only in).

The main commandments of Christians from the New Testament, given by Christ himself (Matthew 22:37-40):

1. "Love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind."
2. "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Currently, the number of adherents of Christianity around the world is about 2.35 billion, including:

• - about 1.2 billion;
• - about 420 million;
• 279 million Pentecostals;
• 225 to 300 million Orthodox;
• about 88 million Anglicans;
• about 75 million Presbyterians and related movements;
• 70 million Methodists;
• 70 million Baptists;
• 64 million Lutherans;
• 16 million Seventh-day Adventists;
• adherents of the ancient Eastern churches are about 70-80 million.

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Conditions for the formation of Christianity and its ideological origins

The history of Christianity has more than two thousand years. Along with Buddhism and Islam, it is one of the three world religions. About a third of the world's inhabitants profess Christianity in all its varieties.

Christianity arose in the 1st century. AD within the territory of the Roman Empire. There is no consensus among researchers about the exact place where Christianity originated. Some believe that this happened in Palestine, which was then part of the Roman Empire; others suggest that it happened in the Jewish diaspora in Greece.

Palestinian Jews have been under foreign domination for many centuries. However, in the II century. BC. they achieved political independence, during which they expanded their territory and did a lot for the development of political and economic relations. In 63 BC Roman general Gnaeus...

How did Christianity originate?

Christianity is one of the world religions. It appeared about 2 thousand years ago. How did this religion come about?

The Bible paints such a picture of the emergence of a new religion. In the days of King Herod in the city of Bethlehem, a simple girl, Mary, had a son, Jesus. It was a miracle, because he was born not from an earthly father, but from the "Holy Spirit" and was not a man, but a god. Eastern astrologers learned about this event from the movement of a star in the sky. Following her and noticing the place where she stopped, they found the right house, found the newborn, in whom they recognized the Messiah (in Greek - Christ) - God's anointed, and brought gifts to him.

When Jesus, narrated further, matured, he gathered around him a circle of 12 trusted people - disciples (in the New Testament they are called apostles) and, making multiple tours of the cities and villages of Palestine with them, preached a new religion brought by him from heaven. At the same time, he worked miracles: he walked on water, as if on land, with his own ...

Christianity is a world religion, the emergence of which is the subject of eternal discussions and disagreements. Philosophers and representatives of the spiritual stratum of society are not completely sure of all the facts that history provides on this occasion, but one thing is certain: Christianity arose on the territory of modern Palestine. The territory of this state was constantly changing (this is happening even today), therefore Jerusalem is now considered the birthplace of this world religion.

The birth of Christianity is identified with the birth of Jesus, whom the people called Christ, that is, the "anointed one." As you know, the child of the Virgin Mary was considered the Son of God, since he preached dogmas that were completely unusual for that time, which were characterized humane attitude to a person. Jesus gathered a lot of disciples around him, who later became apostles and contributed to the spread of this faith throughout the world. It is worth noting that in those distant centuries, many ...

The history of the emergence of Christianity

Christianity belongs to one of the three largest world religions. In terms of the number of adherents and the territory of distribution, Christianity is several times larger than Islam and Buddhism. The basis of religion is the recognition of Jesus of Nazareth as the messiah, belief in his resurrection and following his teachings. Before the moment of its formation, Christianity passed a long period.

Place and time of the birth of Christianity

The birthplace of Christianity is considered to be Palestine, which at that time (I century AD) was under the rule of the Roman Empire. In the early years of its existence, Christianity was able to significantly expand to a number of other countries and ethnic groups. Already in 301, Christianity acquired the status of the official state religion of Greater Armenia.

The origin of the Christian doctrine was directly connected with Old Testament Judaism. According to Jewish belief, God had to send his son, the messiah, to earth, who would purify with his blood…

Christianity arose in the Greco-Roman Mediterranean world when it was undergoing an era of religious ferment. There were many cults, including the cult of the gods of Rome and the cults of the gods of those cities and countries that became part of the Roman Empire. Particular importance was attached to the cult of the emperor. Mystery cults dedicated to various Greek deities were widespread. All of them were associated with the worship of a certain god, who was put to death by his enemies, and then rose from the dead. These rites were kept secret from outsiders, but the initiates believed that by performing these rites, they participate in the death of God and through his resurrection gain immortality.

Another religious tradition, Hermeticism, promised its adherents liberation from the shackles of the flesh and immortality.
Christianity rejected the worship of pagan gods and the emperor. It had certain similarities with the mystery cults, but differed significantly from them - in particular, in that it ...

Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with over 2 billion followers. It can also be called the most ancient world religion. When and under what circumstances did Christianity arise? Christianity appeared in Palestine, in the territory where the state of Israel is currently located, in the 1st century BC. AD (Palestine was part of the Roman Empire at the time). The only monotheistic religion at that time was Judaism, but the faith of the majority of the population of the Mediterranean was paganism.

It originated among the Jews, who at that time were waiting for the messiah, the anointed one (“Christ”, from the Greek “anointed one”), in the hope that he would free the Jewish people from the oppression of the Roman Empire. In such an environment in the I century. and the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, was born ( modern science it is proved that Jesus Christ is a historical person, there are many written references to him), who began to testify about God, preach His will, prophesy, heal, and even ...

Christianity began to penetrate Rus' at the end of the 10th century. In 988, Prince Vladimir declared the Byzantine branch of Christianity the state religion. Kievan Rus. Previously Slavic tribes, who inhabited the territory of the ancient Russian state, were pagans who deified the forces of nature. By the end of the 10th century, the pagan religion, divided into the beliefs of individual Slavic tribes and sanctifying tribal fragmentation, began to impede the strengthening of the centralized power of the Kyiv prince. In addition, there was a growing need to bring the ancient Russian state closer to European nations, with Byzantium, where Christianity dominated and with which Kievan Rus sang a lively trade. Under these conditions, Prince Vladimir carried out the “baptism of Rus'” and introduced Christianity instead of the pagan religion.

Temples and idols indulged in destruction and annihilation. Many people of Kiev did not want to accept the new faith. They were forcibly driven to the Dnieper and on one of the outskirts of ancient Kyiv (now Khreshchatyk). driven into the water, "like ...

Introduction

1. The emergence of Christianity, the main stages of its development

1.1 Pre-Nicene period (I - the beginning of the IV century)

1.2 Period of Ecumenical Councils (IV-VIII centuries)

1.3 The period after the Ecumenical Councils (IX-XI centuries)

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

Christianity (from the Greek ....

Orthodoxy is not Christianity. How historical myths appeared [video]

Wednesday, 18 Sep. 2013

The Greek Catholic Orthodox (Right Faithful) Church (now the Russian Orthodox Church) began to be called Orthodox only on September 8, 1943 (approved by Stalin's decree in 1945). What, then, was called Orthodoxy for several millennia?

“In our time, in modern Russian vernacular, in the official, scientific and religious designation, the term “Orthodoxy” is applied to anything related to the ethnocultural tradition and it is necessarily associated with the Russian Orthodox Church and the Christian Judeo-Christian religion.

To a simple question: "What is Orthodoxy" any modern man, without hesitation, will answer that Orthodoxy is the Christian faith that Kievan Rus adopted during the reign of Prince Vladimir the Red Sun from Byzantine Empire in 988 AD. And that Orthodoxy, i.e. The Christian faith has existed on Russian soil for more than a thousand...

You can peep answers to all questions about History at the Avataria school on this site, just use the search on the page. In the section of the game called "History" there are questions concerning both the most ancient times and new history, so you need to either remember the history lessons from school, or look at the tips that our site has prepared. We also have answers for other subjects, so bookmark the site and check back every day.

School - History
Choose the first letter of the question: B C D F G I K L N O P R S T X Z

sun god in ancient egypt called?
Answer: Ra

fast and profound change fundamental principles of political and social order produced with overcoming the resistance of social groups?
Answer: Revolution

In which country did fascism originate?
Answer: Italy

What year was October Revolution in Russia?
Answer: in 1917

In what year was the Decembrist uprising on the Senate ...

The Rise of Christianity Judaism and Christianity Disputes about Jesus Christ Fundamentals of Christian Doctrine Charismatic Leaders of Early Christianity Transformation of Early Christianity Catholicism and the Reformation Greek Orthodox Church Orthodox Church in Russia Christianity and Traditions European culture Christianity in the East

Christianity

Christianity is the most widespread and one of the most developed religious systems in the world. And although it, in the person of its followers, is found on all continents, and on some it absolutely dominates (Europe, America, Australia), it is, first of all, the religion of the West. Actually, this is just the only religion (except for its division into numerous churches, denominations and sects), which is typical for the Western world, as opposed to the Eastern one with its many different religious systems. Nevertheless, within the framework of this work, it is necessary to pay attention to Christianity - not ...

The emergence of Orthodoxy Historically, it so happened that on the territory of Russia, for the most part, several Great world religions have found their place and have peacefully coexisted from time immemorial. Paying tribute to other Religions, I want to draw your attention to Orthodoxy as the main religion of Russia.
Christianity(originated in Palestine in the 1st century AD from Judaism and received a new development after the break with Judaism in the 2nd century) - one of the three main world religions (along with Buddhism And Islam).

During the formation Christianity broke up into three main branches :
- Catholicism ,
- orthodoxy ,
- Protestantism ,
in each of which the formation of its own, practically not coinciding with other branches, ideology began.

ORTHODOXY(which means - to praise God correctly) - one of the directions of Christianity, isolated and organizationally formed in the XI century as a result of the division of churches. The split occurred in the period from the 60s. 9th century until the 50s. 11th century As a result of the split in the eastern part of the former Roman Empire, a confession arose, which in Greek began to be called orthodoxy (from the words “orthos” - “straight”, “correct” and “doxos” - “opinion”, “judgment”, “teaching”) , and in Russian-speaking theology - Orthodoxy, and in the western part - a confession, which its followers called Catholicism (from the Greek "catholikos" - "universal", "universal"). Orthodoxy arose on the territory of the Byzantine Empire. Initially, it did not have a church center, since the church power of Byzantium was concentrated in the hands of four patriarchs: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem. As the Byzantine Empire collapsed, each of the ruling patriarchs headed an independent (autocephalous) Orthodox Church. Subsequently, autocephalous and autonomous churches arose in other countries, mainly in the Middle East and in Eastern Europe.

Orthodoxy is characterized by a complex, elaborate cult. The most important postulates of Orthodox doctrine are the dogmas of the trinity of God, the incarnation, redemption, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. It is believed that dogmas are not subject to change and clarification, not only in content, but also in form.
The religious basis of Orthodoxy is Holy Scripture (Bible) And sacred tradition .

The clergy in Orthodoxy is divided into white (married parish priests) and black (monastics who take a vow of celibacy). There are male and female monasteries. Only a monk can become a bishop. Currently in Orthodoxy highlighted

• Local Churches
• Constantinople
• Alexandria
• Antioch
• Jerusalem
• Georgian
• Serbian
• Romanian
• Bulgarian
• Cypriot
• Helladic
• Albanian
• Polish
• Czecho-Slovak
• American
• Japanese
• Chinese

The Russian Orthodox Church is part of the Churches of Ecumenical Orthodoxy.

Orthodoxy in Rus'

The history of the Orthodox Church in Russia still remains one of the least developed areas of Russian historiography.

The history of the Russian Orthodox Church was not unambiguous: it was contradictory, replete with internal conflicts, reflecting social contradictions throughout its path.

The introduction of Christianity in Rus' was a natural phenomenon for the reason that in the VIII - IX centuries. the early feudal class system begins to emerge.

Major events in history Russian Orthodoxy. In the history of Russian Orthodoxy, nine main events, nine main historical milestones can be distinguished. Here's what they look like in chronological order.

First milestone - 988. This year's event was called: "The Baptism of Rus". But this is a figurative expression. But in fact there were following processes: the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion of Kievan Rus and the formation of the Russian Christian Church (in the next century it will be called the Russian Orthodox Church). A symbolic action that showed that Christianity had become the state religion was the mass baptism of the people of Kiev in the Dnieper.

Second milestone - 1448. This year the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) became autocephalous. Until this year, the ROC was integral part Patriarchate of Constantinople. Autocephaly (from Greek words“auto” - “self” and “mullet” - “head”) meant complete independence. This year Grand Duke Vasily Vasilyevich, nicknamed the Dark One (in 1446 he was blinded by his rivals in the interfeudal struggle), ordered not to accept the metropolitan from the Greeks, but to choose his metropolitan at the local council. At a church council in Moscow in 1448, Ryazan Bishop Jonah was elected the first metropolitan of the autocephalous church. The Patriarch of Constantinople recognized the autocephaly of the Russian Orthodox Church. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire (1553), after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, the Russian Orthodox Church, being the largest and most significant among the Orthodox Churches, became a natural stronghold of Universal Orthodoxy. And to this day the Russian Orthodox Church claims to be the "Third Rome".

Third milestone - 1589. Until 1589, the Russian Orthodox Church was headed by a metropolitan, and therefore it was called a metropolis. In 1589, the patriarch began to head it, and the Russian Orthodox Church became a patriarchy. Patriarch is the highest rank in Orthodoxy. The establishment of the patriarchate raised the role of the Russian Orthodox Church both in the internal life of the country and in international relations. At the same time, the importance of royal power, which no longer relied on the metropolis, but on the patriarchy. It was possible to establish a patriarchate under Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, and the main merit in raising the level of church organization in Rus' belongs to the first minister of the Tsar, Boris Godunov. It was he who invited the Patriarch of Constantinople Jeremiah to Russia and obtained his consent to the establishment of a patriarchate in Rus'.

The fourth milestone - 1656. This year, the Moscow Local Cathedral anathematized the Old Believers. This decision of the council revealed the presence of a schism in the church. The denomination separated from the church and became known as the Old Believers. In his further development Old Believers have become a collection of confessions. main reason The split, according to historians, were social contradictions in Russia at that time. The Old Believers were representatives of those social strata of the population who were dissatisfied with their position. Firstly, many peasants became Old Believers, who were finally enserfed at the end of the 16th century, abolishing the right to transfer to another feudal lord on the so-called “St. George's Day”. Secondly, a part of the merchant class joined the Old Believer movement, because the tsar and the feudal lords, with the economic policy of supporting foreign merchants, prevented the development of trade for their own, Russian merchant class. And finally, some well-born boyars, dissatisfied with the loss of a number of their privileges, joined the Old Believers. The reason for the split was the church reform, which was carried out by the higher clergy under the leadership of Patriarch Nikon. In particular, the reform provided for the replacement of some old rites with new ones: instead of two-fingering, three-fingering, instead of bowing to the ground during worship, waist ones, instead of a procession around the temple in the sun procession against the sun, etc. The breakaway religious movement advocated the preservation of the old rites, and this explains its name.

Fifth milestone - 1667. The Moscow Local Council of 1667 found Patriarch Nikon guilty of blaspheming Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, deprived him of his rank (proclaimed a simple monk) and sentenced him to exile in a monastery. At the same time, the cathedral for the second time anathematized the Old Believers. The Council was held with the participation of the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch.

Sixth milestone - 1721. Peter I established the highest church body, which was called the Holy Synod. This government act completed the church reforms carried out by Peter I. When Patriarch Adrian died in 1700, the tsar “temporarily” forbade the election of a new patriarch. This “temporary” term for the abolition of the election of the patriarch lasted 217 years (until 1917)! At first, the church was led by the Theological College established by the tsar. In 1721, the Holy Synod replaced the Theological College. All members of the Synod (there were 11 of them) were appointed and removed by the tsar. At the head of the Synod, as a minister, a government official appointed and dismissed by the tsar was placed, whose position was called “chief prosecutor Holy Synod". If all members of the Synod were required to be priests, then this was optional for the chief prosecutor. So, in the 18th century, more than half of all chief prosecutors were military men. The church reforms of Peter I made the Russian Orthodox Church part of the state apparatus.

Seventh milestone - 1917. This year the patriarchate was restored in Russia. On August 15, 1917, for the first time after a break of more than two hundred years, a council was convened in Moscow to elect a patriarch. On October 31 (November 13, according to the new style), the cathedral elected three candidates for patriarchs. On November 5 (18) in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the elder monk Alexy drew lots from the casket. The lot fell on Metropolitan Tikhon of Moscow. At the same time, the Church experienced severe persecution from the Soviet authorities and underwent a series of schisms. On January 20, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a Decree on freedom of conscience, which “separated church from state.” Every person received the right to “profess any religion or not profess any.” Any infringement of rights on the basis of faith was prohibited. The decree also "separated the school from the church." The teaching of the Law of God was forbidden in schools. After October, Patriarch Tikhon at first spoke out with sharp denunciations of Soviet power, but in 1919 he took a more restrained position, urging the clergy not to participate in the political struggle. Nevertheless, about 10 thousand representatives of the Orthodox clergy were among the victims. civil war. The Bolsheviks shot priests who served thanksgiving services after the fall of local Soviet power. Some of the priests accepted Soviet power and in 1921-1922. started the renewal movement. The part that did not accept this movement and did not have time or did not want to emigrate went underground and formed the so-called "catacomb church". In 1923, at the local council of the Renovationist communities, programs for the radical renewal of the Russian Orthodox Church were considered. At the council, Patriarch Tikhon was deposed and full support for the Soviet government was proclaimed. Patriarch Tikhon anathematized the Renovationists. In 1924, the Supreme Church Council was transformed into a Renovationist Synod headed by the Metropolitan. Part of the clergy and believers who found themselves in exile formed the so-called "Russian Orthodox Church Abroad". Until 1928, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia maintained close contacts with the Russian Orthodox Church, but these contacts were subsequently terminated. In the 1930s, the church was on the verge of extinction. Only since 1943 did its slow revival as a Patriarchate begin. In total, during the war years, the church collected over 300 million rubles for military needs. Many priests fought in partisan detachments and the army, were awarded military orders. During the long blockade of Leningrad, eight Orthodox churches did not cease to operate in the city. After the death of I. Stalin, the policy of the authorities towards the church became tougher again. In the summer of 1954, the decision of the Central Committee of the party to intensify anti-religious propaganda appeared. At the same time, Nikita Khrushchev made a sharp speech against religion and the church.

Instruction

Christianity originated in the first century AD (modern chronology is from the Nativity of Christ, that is, the birthday of Jesus Christ). Modern historians, religious scholars and representatives of other religions do not deny the fact that in the Palestinian Nazareth, more than two thousand years ago, he was born, who became a great preacher. In Jesus - one of the prophets of Allah - a rabbi-reformer who decided to rethink the religion of his ancestors and make it simpler and more accessible to the people. Christians, that is, followers of Christ, honor Jesus as God's anointed on earth and adhere to the version of the immaculate Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, from the Holy Spirit, who descended to earth in the form. This is the basis of religion.

Initially, Christianity was spread by Jesus (and after his death by followers, that is, the apostles) in the environment. The new religion was based on Old Testament truths, but more simplified. So, 666 commandments turned into the main ten. The ban on the consumption of pork and the separation of meat and dairy dishes was lifted, and the principle "not a man for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for the man" was proclaimed. But most importantly, unlike Judaism, Christianity has become an open religion. Thanks to the activities of missionaries, the first of whom was the Apostle Paul, the Christian doctrine penetrated far beyond the borders of the Roman Empire, from Jews to pagans.

At the core of Christianity is New Testament which, together with the Old Testament, makes up the Bible. The New Testament is based on the Gospels - the life of Christ, starting from the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and ending with the Last Supper, at which one of the apostles Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, after which he was declared and crucified on the cross along with other offenders. Particular attention is paid to the miracles that Christ performed during his lifetime, and his miraculous resurrection on the third day after death. Easter, or the Resurrection of Christ, along with Christmas is one of the most revered Christian holidays.

Modern Christianity is considered the most popular religion in the world, has about two billion followers and branches into many currents. At the heart of all Christian teachings is the idea of ​​trinity (God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit). human soul is considered immortal, depending on the number of lifetime sins and virtues after death, falling either into hell or into paradise. An important part Christianity are the Sacraments of God, such as baptism, communion and others. The discrepancy in the list of sacraments, the importance of rites and methods of prayer is observed among the main Christian branches - Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Catholics, along with Christ, revere the Mother of God, Protestants oppose excessive ritualism, and Orthodox (orthodox) Christians believe in the unity and holiness of the church.

Most of the world's population believes in God, the Father and the Holy Spirit, prays in churches, reads the Holy Scriptures, listens to cardinals and patriarchs. This Christians . So what is Christianity? Christianity (from the Greek Χριστός - “anointed one”, “messiah”) is an Abrahamic world religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ described in the New Testament. Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. Christians do not doubt the historicity of Jesus Christ.

What is Christianity

In short, it is a religion based on the belief that more than 2,000 years ago God came into our world. He was born, received the name Jesus, lived in Judea, preached, suffered and died on the cross like a man. His death and subsequent resurrection from the dead changed the fate of all mankind. His preaching marked the beginning of a new European civilization. What year are we all living in? The students answer. This year, just like the others, we count from the birth of Christ.

Christianity is the largest world religion both in terms of the number of adherents, which are about 2.1 billion, and in terms of geographical distribution - in almost every country in the world there is at least one Christian community.

More than 2 billion Christians belong to various religious denominations. The largest currents in Christianity are Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. In 1054, the Christian Church split into Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox). The emergence of Protestantism was the result of the reform movement in the Catholic Church in the 16th century.

Interesting Facts about religion

Christianity originates from the creed of a group of Palestinian Jews who considered Jesus to be the messiah, or "anointed one" (from the Greek Χριστός - "anointed one", "messiah"), who should free the Jews from Roman rule. The new teaching was spread by the followers of the Master, especially the Pharisee Paul converted to Christianity. Traveling throughout Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome, Paul preached that faith in Jesus freed his followers from the observance of the rituals prescribed by the Law of Moses. This attracted many non-Jews to the Christian faith, who were looking for an alternative to Roman paganism, but at the same time did not want to recognize the obligatory rites of Judaism. Despite the fact that the Roman authorities from time to time resumed the fight against Christianity, its popularity grew rapidly. This continued until the era of Emperor Decius, under which (250) the systematic persecution of Christians began. However, instead of weakening the new faith, oppression only strengthened it, and in the 3rd century. Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire.

Before Rome, in 301, Christianity was accepted as the state religion by Armenia, then an independent kingdom. And soon began the victorious procession of the Christian faith across the Roman lands. The Eastern Empire was built from the very beginning as a Christian state. Emperor Constantine, the founder of Constantinople, stopped the persecution of Christians and patronized them.Under Emperor Constantine I, starting with the edict of 313 on freedom of religion, Christianity began to acquire the status of a state religion in the Roman Empire, and on his deathbed in 337 he was baptized. He and his mother, the Christian Elena, are revered by the Church as saints. Under Emperor Theodosius the Great at the end of the 4th century. Christianity in Byzantium established itself as the state religion. But only in the VI century. Justinian I, a zealous Christian, finally banned pagan rites in the lands of the Byzantine Empire.

In 380, under Emperor Theodosius, Christianity was proclaimed the official religion of the empire. By that time, the Christian doctrine had come to Egypt, Persia, and, possibly, to the southern regions of India.

Around 200, church leaders began to select the most authoritative Christian writings, which subsequently compiled the books of the New Testament that were included in the Bible. This work continued until 382. The Christian creed was adopted at the Council of Nicaea in 325, but as the Church's influence expanded, divisions over doctrine and organizational matters intensified.

Starting with cultural and linguistic differences, the confrontation between the Eastern Church (with its center in Constantinople) and the Western Roman Church gradually acquired a dogmatic character and led in 1054 to a split in the Christian Church. After the capture of Constantinople by the crusaders in 1204, the division of churches was finally established.

Political, social and scientific revolution 19th century brought new tests to Christian doctrine and weakened the ties between church and state. The achievements of scientific thought were a challenge to biblical beliefs, especially the story of the creation of the world, the truth of which was called into question by the theory of evolution created by Charles DARWIN. However, it was a time of active missionary activity, especially from Protestant churches. The stimulus for it was the emerging social consciousness. Christian doctrine often became an important factor in the organization of many social movements: for the abolition of slavery, for the adoption of legislation in defense of workers, for the introduction of a system of education and social security.

In the 20th century, in most countries, the church almost completely separated from the state, and in some it was forcibly banned. IN Western Europe the number of believers is steadily declining, while in many developing countries on the contrary, continues to grow. Recognition of the need for the unity of the church found expression in the creation of the World Council of Churches (1948).

The spread of Christianity in Rus'

The spread of Christianity in Rus' began around the 8th century, when the first communities were founded in the Slavic territories. Western preachers asserted them, and the influence of the latter was not great. For the first time, the pagan Prince Vladimir decided to convert Rus' for the first time, who was looking for a reliable ideological bond for the disunited tribes, whose native paganism did not satisfy his needs.

However, it is possible that he himself sincerely converted to the new faith. But there were no missionaries. He had to lay siege to Constantinople and ask for the hand of a Greek princess to be christened. Only after that, preachers were sent to Russian cities, who baptized the population, built churches and translated books. For some time after that, there was pagan resistance, revolts of the Magi, and so on. But after a couple of hundred years, Christianity, the territory of which had already covered all of Rus', won, and pagan traditions have sunk into oblivion.

Christian symbols

For Christians, the whole world, which is the creation of God, is full of beauty and meaning, filled with symbols. It is no coincidence that the holy fathers of the Church claimed that the Lord created two books - the Bible, which glorifies the love of the Savior, and the world, which glorifies the wisdom of the Creator. Deeply symbolic and all Christian art in general.

The symbol connects the two halves of the split world - the visible and the invisible, reveals the meaning of complex concepts and phenomena. The most important symbol of Christianity is the cross.

The cross can be drawn in different ways - it depends on the directions of Christianity. Sometimes one glance at the image of the cross depicted on the church or on the cathedral is enough to tell which Christian direction the building belongs to. Crosses are eight-pointed, four-pointed, can be with two bars, and indeed there are dozens of options for crosses. Much can be written about the existing variants of the image of the cross, but the image itself is not so important, the very meaning of the cross plays a more important role.

Cross- it is more a symbol of the sacrifice that Jesus brought to atone for human sins. In connection with this event, the cross became a sacred symbol and very dear to every believing Christian.

The symbolic image of a fish is a symbol of the Christian religion. Pisces, namely its Greek description, is seen in the abbreviation Son of God Savior Jesus Christ. The symbolism of Christianity includes a large number of Old Testament symbols: a dove and an olive branch from the chapters that were devoted to the WorldFlood. Entire legends and parables were composed not only about the Holy Grail, but whole troops were sent to search for it. The Holy Grail was the chalice from which Jesus and his disciples drank at the Last Supper. The cup had miraculous properties, but traces of it were long lost. Grape ash, which symbolizes Christ, can also be attributed to the New Testament symbols - bunches of grapes and a vine symbolize the bread and wine of the sacrament, the blood and body of Jesus.

Ancient Christians recognized each other by some symbols, while other groups of Christians wore symbols with honor on their chests, and some were the cause of wars, and some symbols will be of interest even to those who are far from the Christian religion. The symbols of Christianity and their meanings can be described indefinitely. Nowadays, information about symbols is open, therefore everyone can independently find information about the symbols of Christianity, read their history and get acquainted with the reasons for their occurrence, but we decided to tell you about some of them.

Stork symbolizes prudence, vigilance, piety and chastity. The stork announces the coming of spring, therefore it is called the Annunciation of Mary with the good news of the coming of Christ. There is a northern European belief that a stork brings children to mothers. So they began to speak because of the connection of the bird with the Annunciation.

The stork in Christianity symbolizes piety, purity and resurrection. But the Bible lists stilted birds as unclean, but the stork is seen as a symbol of happiness, largely due to the fact that he swallows snakes. By this he points to Christ with the disciples who were engaged in the destruction of satanic creatures.

Angel with a fiery sword is a symbol of Divine justice and wrath.

Angel with a trumpet symbolizes the terrible judgment and resurrection.

Wand surmounted by a lily or the white lily itself considered symbols of innocence and purity. The unchanging and traditional attribute of Gabriel, who with a white lily, appeared in the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. The lily flower itself symbolizes the virginal purity of the Virgin Mary.

Butterfly is a symbol of new life. This is one of the most beautiful symbols of the resurrection, and also eternal life. At the butterfly short life, which can be divided into three stages.

• The stage without beauty is the larva (caterpillar).
• The stage of transformation into a cocoon (chrysalis). The larva begins to encase itself, sealing itself in an envelope.
• The stage of tearing the silk shell and going out. Then a mature butterfly appears with a renewed and beautiful body with brightly colored wings. Very quickly, the wings will get stronger and it takes up.

Surprisingly, these three life stages butterflies are similar to life in humiliation, burial and death, and then the resurrection of Christ. He was born in human body like a servant. The Lord was buried in a grave, and on the third day, already in an Orthodox body, Jesus resurrected, and after forty days he ascended into heaven.

People who believe in Christ also experience these three stages. By nature, mortal and sinful beings live in humiliation. Then death comes, and the lifeless bodies are buried in the earth. When Christ returns in glory, on the Last Day, Christians will follow Him in renewed bodies, which are created in the image of the Body of Christ.

Squirrel is a Christian symbol of greed and greed. The squirrel is associated with the devil, embodied in an elusive, swift and reddish animal.

A crown made from thorny thorns. Christ suffered not only moral suffering, it was also the physical torment that he experienced at the trial. He was mocked several times: one of the ministers hit him at Anna's during the first interrogation; he was also beaten and spat upon; flogged with whips; he was crowned with a crown made of thorny thorns. The ruler's soldiers took Jesus to the praetorium, called the whole regiment, undressed Him and put on Him a purple robe; when they wove a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and gave him a cane in his hands; they knelt down before Him and mocked, beat Him on the head with a cane and spat on Him.

Crow in Christianity it is a symbol of hermit life and solitude.

Bunch of grapes is a symbol of the fertility of the promised land. In the Holy Land, grapes were grown everywhere, most often vineyards could be seen on the hills of Judea.

the Virgin Mary also has symbolic meaning. The Virgin Mary is the personification of the church.

Woodpecker is a symbol in Christianity of the devil and heresy, which destroy the nature of man and lead him to damnation.

Crane symbolizes fidelity, good life and asceticism.

Font is a symbol of the immaculate womb of the Virgin. It is from this that the initiate is born again.

Apple is a symbol of evil.

Traditionally Christian temples in plan they have a cross - a symbol of the cross of Christ as the basis of eternal salvation, a circle (a type of rotunda temple) - a symbol of eternity, a square (four) - a symbol of the earth, where people converge in the temple from the four cardinal points, or an octagon (an octagon on a quadrangle) - a symbol guiding star of Bethlehem.
Each temple is dedicated to a Christian holiday or saint, whose day of memory is called a temple (patronal) holiday. Sometimes several altars (chapels) are arranged in the temple. Then each of them is dedicated to its saint or event.

According to tradition, the temple is usually built with the altar facing east. However, there are exceptions when the liturgical east may not correspond to the geographical one (for example, the Church of the Martyr Julian of Tarsus in Pushkin (the altar is facing south), the Church of the Assumption Holy Mother of God in the Tver region (the village of Nikolo-Rozhok) (the altar is turned to the north)). Orthodox churches were not built with the altar part facing west. In other cases, orientation to the cardinal points could be explained by territorial conditions.
The roof of the temple is crowned with a dome with a cross. According to a common tradition, Orthodox churches can have:
* 1 chapter - symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ;
* 2 chapters - two natures of Christ (divine and human);
* 3 chapters - Holy Trinity;

* 4 chapters of the Four Gospels, four cardinal directions.
* 5 chapters - Christ and the four evangelists;
* 7 chapters - seven Ecumenical Councils, seven Christian sacraments,seven virtues;

* 9 chapters - nine ranks of angels;
* 13 chapters - Christ and 12 apostles.

The shape and color of the dome also have symbolic meaning. The helmet-shaped form symbolizes the spiritual warfare (struggle) that the Church is waging with the forces of evil.

The shape of the bulb symbolizes the flame of a candle.

The unusual shape and bright coloring of the domes, as, for example, at the Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg, speaks of the beauty of heavenly Jerusalem - Paradise.

The domes of the temples dedicated to Christ and the Twelve Feasts are gilded /

Blue domes with stars indicate that the temple is dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos.

Temples with green or silver domes are dedicated to the Holy Trinity.

In the Byzantine tradition, the dome was roofed directly over the vault; in the Russian tradition, in connection with the “stretching” of the dome shape, a space arose between the vault and the dome.
In the Orthodox Church there are three parts: vestibule, the main volume of the temple - catholicon(middle) and altar.
Previously, those who were preparing for baptism and the penitents, temporarily excommunicated from communion, stood in the narthex. The vestibules in the monastery churches were also often used as refectories.

The main parts of the Orthodox church (schematic representation).

Altar- the place of the mysterious stay of the Lord God, is main part temple.
The most important place in the altar - throne in the form of a quadrangular table, it has two clothes: the lower one is made of white linen (srachica) and the upper one is brocade (inditia). The symbolic meaning of the throne is as the place where the Lord dwells invisibly. On the throne is antimension- the main sacred object of the temple. This is a silk scarf consecrated by a bishop depicting the position of Christ in the tomb and sewn up with a particle of the relics of a saint. This is due to the fact that in the first centuries of Christianity, the service (liturgy) was performed on the tombs of the martyrs over their relics. Antimins is stored in a case (iliton).

Near the eastern wall in the altar is " mountainous place» - an elevated seat intended for a bishop and sintron - an arched bench for the clergy, adjoining from the inside to the eastern wall of the altar, symmetrically to its longitudinal axis. By the XIV-XV centuries. the stationary syntron disappears altogether. Instead, during hierarchal worship, a portable chair without backs and handles is installed.

The altar part is separated from the katholikon by an altar barrier - iconostasis. In Rus', multi-tiered iconostases appear in the beginning. 15th century (Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir). In the classic version, the iconostasis has 5 tiers (rows):

• local(locally venerated icons, royal doors and deacon doors are located in it);
• festive(with small icons of the twelfth holidays) and deesis rank (the main row of the iconostasis, from which its formation began) - these two rows can change places;
• prophetic(icons of the Old Testament prophets with scrolls in their hands);
• ancestral(icons of Old Testament saints).

However, in a wide distribution of rows, there may be 2 or more. The sixth tier may include icons with scenes of passions or saints who are not included in the apostolic row. The composition of the icons in the iconostasis may be different. The most traditionally established images are:

• On the double-winged royal doors, located in the middle of the local row, they most often have 6 hallmarks - the image of the Annunciation and the four evangelists.
• To the left of the royal doors is the icon of the Mother of God, to the right is Christ.
• The second icon to the right of the Royal Doors corresponds to the throne (temple icon).
• On the deacon's doors are usually archangels or saints associated with power structures.
• Above the Royal Doors The Last Supper”, above (on the same vertical) - “The Savior in strength” or “The Savior on the throne” of the deesis rank, to the right of Him is John the Baptist, to the left is the Mother of God. A feature of the icons from the Deesis is that the figures are slightly turned, facing the central image of Christ.

The iconostasis ends with a cross with the figure of Christ (sometimes without it).
There are iconostases pavilion type (Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow), tablovye(were common in the XV-XVII centuries) and frame(appear with the beginning of the construction of baroque temples). The iconostasis is a symbol of the heavenly Church coming with the earthly.
The curtain separating the throne from the royal doors is called catapetasmoy. The color of the catapetasma is different - dark on tragic days, on festive services - gold, blue, scarlet.
The space between the catapetasma and the throne should not be crossed by anyone except the clergy.
Along the iconostasis from the side of the main space of the temple there is a small elongated elevation - salt(outer throne). The general level of the floor of the altar and the solea coincide and are raised above the level of the temple, the number of steps is 1, 3 or 5. The symbolic meaning of the salt is the approach to God of all the sacred actions taking place on it. Arranged there pulpit(salt protrusion in front of the royal doors), from which the priest pronounces the words of the Holy Scriptures and sermons. Its significance is great - in particular, the pulpit represents the mountain from which Christ preached. Cloud pulpit represents an elevation in the middle of the church, on which the solemn vestment of the bishop is performed and the presence before entering the altar.
Places for choristers during worship are called kliros and are located on the salt, in front of the flanks of the iconostasis.
The eastern pair of pillars of the katholikon can have royal place - at the south wall for the ruler, at the north - for the clergy.

Other structural parts of an Orthodox church are:

• The main area of ​​the temple catholicon ) - the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe earthly stay of people, a place of communication with God.
• Refectory (optional), as the second (warm) temple - a symbol of the room where the Easter Last Supper took place. The refectory was arranged along the width of the apse.
• vestibule (pre-temple) - a symbol of the sinful land.
• Annexes in the form of a gallery, additional temples dedicated to individual saints - a symbol of the city of heavenly Jerusalem.
• Bell tower in front of the entrance to the temple symbolizes a candle to the Lord God.

It is necessary to distinguish the bell tower from belfries- structures for hanging bells, which do not have a tower-like appearance.

A temple, a church is the most common type of religious building in Orthodoxy and, unlike chapels has an altar with a throne. The bell tower can stand either close to the temple or separate from it. Often the bell tower "grows" out of the refectory. In the second tier of the bell tower there can be a small temple (» dungeon»).
In later times, when “warm” churches were built, a stove was arranged in the basement to heat the entire building.
The area around the temple was necessarily landscaped, the site was fenced, trees (including fruit trees) were planted, for example, a circular planting, forming a kind of gazebo. Such a garden also had the symbolic meaning of the Garden of Eden.