The Birth and Development of Christianity
1. Formation of Early Christianity (100 BC)
“Dead Sea Scrolls”死海古卷* : 100 BC- 60 AD
a collection of manuscripts in Hebrew discovered in caves near the Dead Sea between 1947
and 1956
widely held to provide important biblical evidence
The earliest secret organization (2nd century BC－2nd century AD):
came into being among the Jews in Asia Minor小亚细亚, advocating faith in Messiah.
Messiah弥赛亚
A messiah (literally, “anointed one“受膏者)has come to be seen as a saviour or liberator of a group of people, most commonly in the Abrahamic religions.
Islamism: Mohammed
Christianity: Jesus Christ
2. The Legends of Jesus Christ (6BC - 30AD)
Jesus of Nazareth 拿撒勒（an ancient city in North of Palestine）
crucifixion，钉死在十字架
worshippingresurrection 复活
ascension 升天
sacrificed his life in order to save humankind
Nativity(The Birth of Jesus Christ)
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel以马内利（耶稣基督的别称）, which being interpreted is, God with us.”-- Matthew 1:23.
the incarnation of Jesus as the second Adam: in fulfillment of the divine will of God, undoing the damage caused by the first Adam
humility of Jesus: a tender image in Christian arts.
Virgin Mary圣母玛利亚
The Baptism洗礼
Jesus was baptized at the age of 29 in the river Jordan (约旦河) as a Judaist by John the Baptist (施洗约翰).
The Beatitudes (山上宝训/八种福乐)
Jesus delivered his most famous sermon布道on a mountain. In it, Jesus taught his listeners to: - Love your enemies.
- Do not judge others.
- Trust God.
- Don't be anxious about tomorrow.
- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (The "golden rule").
12 Apostles 十二使徒
Jesus stated in the bible to have had 12 apostles who by the great commission spread the message of the Gospel（good news 福音）after his resurrection复活.
The Last Supper, by Da Vinci, 1490
The betrayer: Judas
sold Jesus to his enemies, and the price was 30 pieces of silver
Judas kiss: gave Jesus a kiss to identify him to the crowd who then arrested him
Some festivals
Christmas:  celebrate Jesus' birth on December 25th. It follows a month of preparation (Advent)
and involved lots of festivities, school plays telling the story of the nativity, exchanging Christmas cards and presents, special meals, special decoration - very much like big festivals in other world religions.
Easter Sunday : The most important festival for Christians. It is a very joyous occasion marked in churc
hes by wonderful music and flowers. Out of church by the exchange of cards and Easter eggs - a symbol of spring and new life as Jesus' death brought new life to Christians.
2.The Dissemination (传播) and Perfection of Christianity
Why is Christianity, a religion that originated in the Middle East, is regarded as the religion of the West?
The disciples were also persecuted by the Roman authorities and the Palestinian kings.
The followers of Jesus had to get to the other places in Palestine.
After Jesus’death, his followers began to spread his ideas:
“People are brothers and sisters and they should love each other, behave themselves, since all of them are the children of God.”
St. Paul (圣徒保罗)
Paul is as old as Jesus. Educated in both Judaism and Hellenistic希腊文化的traditions, he was once engaged in the persecution迫害of Christians
but around 33 AD he accepted Jesus’ideas after some mysterious experience, and started his missionary movement and set up a number of Christian branches in Asia Minor (小亚细亚) and Greece.
Paul wrote in the 50s and 60s some epistles书信集/letters to those branches expounding Christian doctrine, which helped greatly to shape Christianity.
Saint Peter圣彼得
Simon Peter preached Jesus’ideas in various places in the Roman Empire and around Rome. Peter also wrote several letters. He finally became the bishop of Rome in the early 60s AD (He is
the successor of Jesus). (St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome designed by Michelangelo in 1506) Persecution against Christians
A group of Christians began to be recognized in the Roman Empire in the early 60s AD. Although there was no official religion in the Empire at that time (Emperor worship and worshipping of Roman gods were practiced, though.)
the Christian movement offended the ruling class.
In 64 AD, both St. Paul and St. Peter were killed.
Christianity as the state religion
In the fourth century AD, the religion of Mithraism (密特拉教，拜日教)was still very popular in the Roman Empire. In Zoroastrianism (起源于古波斯的琐罗亚斯德教，祆教，拜火教), Mithra光明神is a god close to the Sun.
Developed from Persian thought, Mithraism became a popular cult among Roman soldiers stationed in Anatolia (安那托利亚)during the late Republic.
But by 250 AD Christianity had become the most popular religion in the central area of Anatolia.
By the late third century it had covered Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa, Greece, Italy, Spain and Gaul高卢.
Christianity Turned into a National Religion of the Roman Empire
Constantine the Great (君士坦丁大帝  c. 272-337 ): moved the capital from Rome to Constantine & declared the tolerance of Christianity.
Theodosius I (狄奥多西):    c. 346－395 --- the last monarch of Roman Empire
300-500AD: development of Christian doctrines, Biblical commentaries --- establishment of standard system of Christian teaching
391: Christianity became the official religion of Roman Empire.
Why did Roman accepted Christianity at last?
People were tired of wars. Chiristianity could comfort them.
Kings, emperors and aristocrats always need something to control their subjects ideologically and intellectually
Help people to accept the new ruler and his followers
Suggeted social stability, reassured people that their life and properties were protected.
3. The Principal Doctrines of Christianity
1)The fall and curse of man
2)Atonement 赎罪
3)Regeneration 重生
4)Assurance 保证
5)Forgiveness
三位一体The Trinity: the central dogma中心法则of Christian theology神学
Holy Father (God) –power
Holy son (Jesus) - wisdom
Holy Spirit –love
Unity of the Three: “the one God exists in three Persons”
The Principal Factions of Christianity
1. Roman Catholicism 罗马天主教
2. Protestantism 新教
3. Eastern Orthodox 东正教
Church Organization
More and more people were converted to Christianity. Christians borrowed the structure of the government of the Roman Empire to establish a church organization with various church leaders.
a parish（教区）with a full time leader---priest教士.
A diocese (主教管区)headed by a bishop (主教),
In a Roman province (行省)an archbishop (大主教) was chosen
the archbishop of Rome later claimed authority over the other archbishops: Pope教皇The Christian Schism分裂
In 1054, the Christian Church was divided into two parts:
the Roman Catholic Church seated in Rome
the Eastern Orthodox Church seated in Constantinople君士坦丁堡.
Reform movement in 16th c Christianity: “Protestant Reformation”
* Martin Luther(1483-1546)
his Reformation theology:
- salvation as a free gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ
- Bible as the only source of divinely revealed knowledge from God ---challenged the authority of
the Pope of Roman Catholic church
His translation of the Bible in 1534
The Reformation of Christianity
1520s establishment of the Protestant churches.
The movement was started by Martin Luther*马丁路德and joined by Calvin 加尔文and others Millions of people died during the resulting religious wars.
The reformation led to the fracturing of Christianity into approximately 35,000 faith groups.
4 The Decline and Secularization of Christianity
1. 18th c: Enlightenment and the Deist God自然神论
2. 19th c: God’s Death in late 19th C
Friedrich Nietzsche 尼采: God is dead and man must find a new mode of being.
Today’s Function of Christianity
Secularized世俗化的, declining, but remains the spiritual food for
1) the conservatives: regarding themselves as God’s chosen people;
2) some moral idealists and those who commit in charity;
The relationship between Christianity and Judaism
1) Similarity: a monotheistic  religion/one God (唯一神教); omniscience/ “knows all things”(全知全能) and omnipotence /“all powerful” (无限强大）of God; moral standards;
2) Differences:
Judaism: Jesus NOT as the God; waiting for their Messiah; the Hebrew Bible VS The New Testament as a part of Bible
Christianity: Jesus as the God, the Messiah; The New Testament as a part of Bible