Christianity has over one thousand millions followers, making it the most popular religion in the world. This faith is based on the teaching of Jesus Christ, who was believed to be the Son of God. Over 2000 years old, this religion began in the Middle East, and was founded by Jesus Christ’s followers. The holy book studied by Christians is the old and new testament of the Bible.

Some basic Christian beliefs

Christianity is a hugely popular religion, and beliefs can vary amongst practising Christians. However, some Christian beliefs include:

• There is only one God, and Christians refer to God as ‘Father’
• Jesus Christ was the Son of God, sent as a Saviour to mankind, and that he was crucified and resurrected.
• God is the Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
• There is life after death and eternal life
• God created the universe and all that is in it
• Jesus Christ was born from an immaculate conception to the Virgin Mary
• Jesus will one day return to judge both the living and the deceased
• Repenting your sins and confirming your belief in Jesus means you will be forgiven
• Anyone can have salvation in the name of Jesus

Practices in Christianity

There are a number of Christian practices that are part of normal life as part of this faith. They include:

• Sharing of bread and drinking wine in commemoration of the last supper. This is known as Eucharist.
• Confessing in order to gain forgiveness, which is known as penance.
• Baptism, which is immersion in or anointment with holy water, as a representation of being born again and the belief in Christ.
• Sunday worship – attending church in order to worship

Christian Holy days

• Annunciation: This is to signify the announcement of Mary’s pregnancy by the angel Gabriel. The Feast of Annunciation is on 25 th March.
• Christmas: A celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ
• Lent: This is a forty day period of repenting, where Christians fast and deny themselves of something that they enjoy. This signifies Jesus’ time in the desert, when he fasted for forty days.
• Palm Sunday: This is the Sunday before Easter, and is a commemoration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
• Maundy/Holy Thursday: This is on commemoration of the Last Upper, and is on the Thursday prior to Easter Sunday.
• Good Friday: This is in commemoration of Jesus’ crucifixion, and is signified by prayer and penance.
• Holy Saturday: This is in commemoration of Jesus’ burial.
• Easter Sunday: This is in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus.

There are three areas of Christianity, about which you can find out more on this site. These include:

• The Eastern Orthodox Church: You can find out more about the divide between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, read a brief history of the divide, and learn about the events and celebrations of the Orthodox Church.
• The Roman Catholic Church: You can discover some brief history about Roman Catholicism and its hierarchy, as well as facts about the beliefs and holy days of this faith.
• The Protestant Church: You can learn more about the protestant religion and background, as well as various areas of the religion including Presbyterian, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Seven Day Adventists.