Christianity - world’s largest religion
- about 2.4 billion followers.
- roots to Judaism, and its followers,
which is known as Christians,
consider the emergence and
development of Christianity as a
fulfillment of the plan of salvation
which God had promised Abraham.
- This promise includes the prophecies
of a Saviour being born to Abraham’s
descendants (Corral & Kupang, p. 71).
- And that promise is fulfilled through the
mystery of incarnation, ie., when the
son of God, Jesus Christ became one
with humanity except in sin. It is during
that time that the history of Christianity
began.
BRIEF HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY
- It is a monotheistic faith based on
the life, works & teachings of Jesus
Christ.
- The adherents of Christianity are
called CHRISTIANS, a term which
was first used to refer to Jesus’
disciples when they were preaching
in Antioch (Acts 11:26).
- Christians believe that the
relationship between God and man
is mediated by the person Jesus
Christ, and that Christ’s life, actions,
and teachings embody God’s plan
for the salvation of mankind (Corral
& Kupang, p. 71)
- SACREDNESS OF THE
BIBLE (Corral & Kupang, p. 81)
- It is the Sacred Text of Christianity
that consists of the WRITTEN
WORD OF GOD and accounts of
believers of their encounters and
experiences with the saving love of
God. The text of the Bible was taken
from ORAL HISTORIES, TRADITION,
TESTIMONIES, and its books were
written down and compiled over the
centuries. It is divided into THE OLD
TESTAMENT & NEW TESTAMENT.
The former reveals prophecies
regarding the coming of the savior
of the world. And the latter narrates
the fulfillment through the life and
evangelizing mission of Jesus
Christ. Moreover, it is also sacred
because Christians believed that
God is the primary author of it while
the secondary authors are the
sacred writers who are inspired by
the Holy Spirit.
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- CHRISTIANITY'S CORE BELIEFS
AND DOCTRINES
- BELIEF IN THE TRIUNE GOD
- It is the most fundamental and
central doctrine of Christian faith. It
is a belief in one living God, existing
as three divine persons: God the
Father, Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, and the Holy Spirit. It is based
on scripture passages, and one of
which is the gospel account of
Matthew 28:19  that says, “Go
therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.”
-
- BELIEF IN THE RESURRECTION:
- The belief in the resurrection of
Jesus is the crowning truth of the
Christian faith. It means that
without Jesus Christ resurrection
there could be no Christian Faith at
all. It also represents the fulfillment
of God’s promise of salvation for
all, and confirms Christ divinity, and
conquest of death and sin. As St.
Paul in his 1st Corinthians 15:14
states, “If Christ has not been
 raised, then our preaching is in vain
and your faith is in vain.”
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- CHRISTIAN MODE OF WORSHIP
- HOLY EUCHARIST:
- It is the source and summit of
Christian Life (CCC 1324-1327). It is
the highest form of Prayer for it is in
the Eucharist that the “re-
presentation” of the paschal
mystery of Jesus Christ takes
place, ie. the passion, death, and
resurrection of Jesus is really and
truly present.
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- CHRISTIAN MORALITY
- PRINCIPLE OF THE INVIOLABILITY
OF LIFE
- This principle springs from the
essential belief that life, any human
life, is of infinite value as it is a
sacred and precious gift from God.
- PRINCIPLE OF STEWARDSHIP
- This principle springs from the
essential belief that all life comes
from God, the supreme creator and
maker of all. Thus, no human being
has the sole authority to do
whatever he wants to anything that
is in the world and that of his/her
own body.