Description
Book SynopsisWhat Is Christianity?providesafascinating overviewof the world's largest religion, weavinghistory,theology,spirituality,denominational divisions,and globalgrowthintoa singlecompellingstory.Written inclear and captivatingprosethatrequires no previous knowledge of Christianity, itdescribesthe religion inspired by Jesus as a living faith thatis stillchanging anddevelopingtoday. Reader-friendly chapters introducethemajor traditionsof Christianity(Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Pentecostalism), explainingtheir spiritual appealandtracingtheir evolution over the centuries. Christianity's recent global expansion ishighlighted,but Christianity has been a diverse and multicultural movement from the very beginning.Each chapter providesthought-provokinginsights into the beliefs, values,practices,achievements,andfailuresof Christians as theytriedto remainfaithfulto the message and meaning of Jesus in different times and places. Condenses a vast amount of information into
Table of ContentsList of Figures ix
List of Tables xi
Introduction: What Is Christianity? 1
1 Christian Beginnings 5
The Jewish Roots of Christianity 6
Jesus and the Gospel 7
Christianity’s Original Diversity 9
Emergence of the Great Church 11
The Roman Imperial Church 12
Christian Diversity and Unity in the Year 500 14
The Great Division 15
The “Traditioning” of Christianity 19
2 Orthodoxy: Preserving Ancient Ways 21
Orthodox Spirituality 21
The Orthodox Understanding of Salvation 26
Orthodox History 28
Institutional and Social Structure of Orthodoxy 35
3 Catholicism: The Church 40
Catholic Spirituality 41
The Catholic Understanding of Salvation 45
Catholic History 47
Institutional and Social Structure of Catholicism 54
4 Protestantism: The Bible and the Individual 59
Protestant Spirituality 60
The Protestant Understanding of Salvation 64
Protestant History 67
Institutional and Social Structure of Protestantism 74
5 Pentecostalism: The Power of the Spirit 79
Pentecostal Spirituality 80
The Pentecostal Understanding of Salvation 85
Pentecostal History 87
Institutional and Social Structure of Pentecostalism 91
6 Becoming Global 95
Catholic Globalization 96
Protestant Globalization 101
The Bigger Picture: From Eurocentrism to World Christianity 105
7 The Contemporary Geography of Christianity 111
Mapping Christianity’s Regional Differences 111
The Middle East and North Africa 113
Eastern Europe 115
Western Europe 116
India and Central Asia 117
Sub-Saharan Africa 118
East Asia 120
Latin America 121
North America 122
Oceania 124
Christian Interactions Today 125
8 Common Threads and Shared Challenges 128
Common Threads in the Early Christian Movement 128
The Modern Search for Christian Unity 131
Christian Commonalities Today 134
Contemporary Challenges 137
Conclusion: What Is Christianity Today? 145
Index 149
