What Is the Origin of Christianity - Literature review Example

What is the Origin of Christianity? What is the Origin of Christianity? Purpose and Scope of Study William Edward Lecky (1913) once said, “The greatest religious change in the history of mankind [happened] under the eyes of a brilliant galaxy of philosophers and historians who disregarded as contemptible an Agency (Christianity) which all men must now admit to have been . . . the most powerful moral lever that has ever been applied to the affairs of men” (pp. 28–29). There is no denying that Christianity has wide-ranging effects on the history of man. It has been an important force that shaped culture and society. This paper aims to look at the history of Christianity, in order to determine how it changed society and culture at its period of establishment. Through the use of the Bible and historical documents, the researcher hopes to create a picture of society of the period covered by the period covered by the Holy Book, in order to understand the context of Christianity’s introduction. This research hopes to identify why and how Christianity became a source of development in the Western world. Moreover, through the use of biblical and historical text, the researcher can determine why Christianity was instituted in the first place. By gaining an insight as to the purpose of Christianity, this research can pose some recommendations on how the thousands of Christian denominations found in the world today can work together and bring about lasting change. This research aims to rediscover the Christian legacy and help Christian denominations fine their common heritage in order for them to face the challenges of the future.This research also hopes to understand why the Western world is now in the process of abandoning its Judeo-Christian tradition and determine whether such a move is beneficial or harmful for development. Significance of the Study/Significance to Reader As has been mentioned in the previous section, Christianity has been a major force of change in history. While a study of history shows that the effects of Christianity has not always been positive, it is also true that many values such as freedom and equality would not be present today. In R.R. Palmer’s words: It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of the coming of Christianity. It brought with it, for one thing, an altogether new sense of human life. For the Greeks had shown man his mind; but the Christians showed him his soul. They taught that in the sight of God, all souls were equal, that every human life was sacrosanct and inviolate. Where the Greeks had identified the beautiful and the good, had thought ugliness to be bad, had shrunk from disease and imperfection and from everything misshapen, horrible, and repulsive, the Christian sought out the diseased, the crippled, the mutilated, to give them help. Love, for the ancient Greek, was never quite distinguished from Venus. For the Christians held that God was love, it took on deep overtones of sacrifice and compassion. (as quoted in Williams, 2012) As the world forges its way to modernity, the value of religion and Christianity is slowly being degraded. The West, the very recipient of the change and development brought about by the introduction of Christianity is abandoning its Christian legacy as horrors made in the name of religion (i.e. the Crusades, Inquision, black slavery, etc.) come into light. It is true that the formal church is (as represented by the Papacy) has not always been a positive influence for social change. As more and more people reject the value of God and the divine, it is important for believers to merge what they know about Christianity and the facts of history in order to fortify their belief. It is no longer possible for believers to disregard the crimes made in the name of Christ. The study is important because it provides a scientific understanding of Christianity and its context. It also tries to determine the purpose that Christianity served in human history, provides and insight into the future role of Christianity in human evolution. Why should man continue to believe in the divine? How does Christianity make life more meaningful for humanity? How does Christianity hope to future human evolution? These are just some of the questions this study hopes to address. Religion Overview A search on EBSCO shows that various cultures have created different definitions of Christianity. For example, an Orthodox Christian priest in the United States says that he believes in “the faithful continuation of Christianity from the New Testament church through the history known as Byzantium” (Frase, 2007, p. 419). Meanwhile, various articles (Iwai, 2009; Kim, 2006; Verstraelen, 2002) looks at Christianity in the context of culture. From a review of these articles, one can already see how the extent to which Christianity has been adapted. Initial assessment shows that there is a truth in Christianity which other peoples are able to relate to. The process of integrating Christianity and culture differ, depending on the territory. For example, some aspects of African culture has allowed an easier incarnation of Christianity. Such a claim is reinforced by Frans J. Verstraelen (2002) who said: “Africa and Africans existed a long time before historical Christianity came into being, but Christianity, since its beginning, has been present in Africa” (p. 171). Meanwhile, in Korea, Christianity had a rough road in integrating with social realities, but it has flourished, and has enjoyed unique success (Kim, 2006, p. 162). Such experiences show that Christianity has been reformulated in various ways from its inception. Its gospels have been rewritten to fit the culture and society where it is present. Having it said that, it is possible that the Christianity we know today as modern people is not the same Christianity it was in the past. Hence, it is important to distill the essence of Christianity in order to understand its unique characteristics that enabled people to discover a new meaning for their existence. Through a historical study of Christianity, Christians may discover the real meaning of the gospels and gain an insight on its real purpose in human life. Identification and Discussion of Issues Jane Fonda once said, “It’s not hard to be hostile to the church…you can go through history, the Crusades and the inquisitions, and the formal church has a lot to apologize for” (Caroll & Shiflett, 2002, p. 1). While many Christian denominations are quick to blame such abominations to the Holy Roman Empire, now embodied by the Roman Catholic Church, the truth is that, Christianity in general has been used to justify various crimes against humanity. Adolf Hitler used it to justify the extermination of the Jews; meanwhile White Americans believed that they had the right to treat pagans as inferior peoples (Meager, 2007). Christianity has been used as a tool to enslave, discriminate and corrupt individuals in the hope of achieving progress in certain nations. But despite all these, Christianity has survived to modernity, which means that its philosophy is an integral part of a universal truth expressed in various forms. Meanwhile, Christianity is again under attack, as church attendance falls in almost all Christian churches. Why is this happening? It is possible that the message of Christianity has been diluted and people are now asking a deeper meaning for its existence. If Christianity is to survive, it has to address the many questions posed by non-believers? Why do some Christian denominations allow their priests (leaders) to marry, and why does the Catholic church continue to mandate celibacy? What kind of a God allows the death of other human beings? Should the church be a part of state decisions? Is there still a need for Christianity? It is the researcher’s belief that Christianity and organized religion are two different things. It is an experience, more than a strict set of rules can provide. Its message contains a deep meaning for human evolution. It tells humans why they are on earth in the first place. Questions to be Answered In order to guide this study, the researcher proposes the following research questions: 1. How did Christianity begin? 2. What is the major concept/main purpose behind Christianity? 3. What is the context of the establishment of Christianity? 4. What are the major events in Christianity? How are these related to history? 5. What makes Christianity different from other world traditions such as Judaism and Islam? 6. What is the similarity of Christianity and other major world traditions? 7. What changes did Christianity introduce to the world? 8. What changes to Christianity can be observed that allowed it to continue to the modern world? 9. What is the significance of Christianity in the modern world? 10. What potential changes and developments can Christianity usher into the world? Works Cited Caroll, V., & Shiflett, D. (2002). Christianity on Trial: Arguments Against Anti-Religious Bigotry. New York: Encounter Books. Frase, K. (2007). Byzantine Christianity: A People’s History of Christianity, Volume III. Dialog: A Journal of Theology, 46(4), 419–420. Iwai, S. (2009). The Perspective of Ebina Danjō’s Japanized Christianity: A Historical Case Study. Exchange, 38(1), 21–33. Kim, H. S. (2006). Is Christianity a Koream Religion? One Hundred Years of Protestant Churches in Korea. Evangelical Review of Theology, 30(2), 162–168. Lecky, W. E. (1913). History of European Morals. London: Longmans, Green and Co,. Retrieved from http://archive.org/stream/historyofeuropea0leckuoft#page/n5/mode/2up Meager, D. (2007). Why did Christians Justify African Slavery? Cross Way, (104). Retrieved from http://www.churchsociety.org/crossway/documents/Cway_104_AfricanSlavery.pdf Verstraelen, F. J. (2002). History of Christianity in Africa in the Context of African History - Four Recent Contributions Compared. Exchange, 31(2), 171. Williams, J. (2012). The Social and Historical Impact of Christianity. Probe Ministries. Retrieved April 13, 2013, from http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4220739/k.E4FC/The_Social_and_Historical_Impact_of_Christianity.htm#text1 Read More