History
Early times
"Christian" was at first a derogatory term related to persecution, but early Christians were taught by their leaders to bear that name proudly. Their spirituality spread especially during the so-called Pax Romana. Although they included every culture, nationality and occupation found in the Roman Empire, ancient Christians held together in a close-knit community. The term "Church" refers to this single, universal community. As such, the history of the early Christians is the history of the Church.
Then as now, the Church included all who held to her common teaching including the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body. These teachings were acted out in worship, taking the form of Baptism and The Lord's Supper. They were passed down though catechisms based on creeds such as the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed.
Christian spirituality blossomed in the Roman Empire between A.D. 100 and 300 in spite of official efforts to the contrary. Sometime around A.D. 200, one leader, Tertullian, is often quoted saying, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed [of the Church]" to account for this phenomenon. In A.D. 313, the "Edict of Milan" ended official persecution, and under the Emperor Constantine, Christians acquired powerful political influence, the results of which are controversial to this day.
Medieval times
In Medieval Western Europe, the Roman Catholic Church was a very powerful institution which was more important than most smaller states. Not only was the church and its organizations extremely wealthy, owning extensive properties in many countries but through its dominant spiritual influence, it rivalled the political power of most Monarchs for support of the population. This made the Pope an important figure in the life of the continent.
This wealth often expressed itself in the building of beautiful cathedrals and supporting great artists. The church's monasteries were seats of learning and study which evolved into modern universities. They also provided the first hospitals for the care of the sick.
Later Medieval times
The power and prestige of the Church led to increasing separation between Christians and their leaders. The Middle Ages eventually saw the emergence of a professional clergy. The Great Schism was the result of a dispute over the organization of the clergy and the role of the Pope, leading to the division of the Church into "Orthodox" and "Catholic".
Medieval times saw the emergence of the sacraments, and Christian life centered around these religious acts that conferred God's grace. Christian spirituality was based in the spiritual nourishment of the sacrament, and in the application of faith to demands of daily existence. The goal of medieval Christianity was unity among people and with God as mediated through the Church. But the power to confer sacraments and otherwise control spiritual things fell under the sole jurisdiction of the clergy and as such was open to abuse. The resulting corruption led to the reformation, and the further division of the Christians into Protestant and Catholic.
Modern times
The history of the Christian faith in modern times must be studied movement by movement, such is its diversity. In the west The Enlightenment led to a separation of faith from science and profoundly conditioned the relationship between church and state. Intellectual pressure from the Enlightenment led to a religious reaction in the North American colonies-- the so-called Great Awakening to which Protestant North American Christians owe much of their pattern of practice.
Widespread Christian missions (Mission (Christian)) by Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox created today's situation in which Christians are to be found in almost every part of the world.
Today many modern Christians still live their lives in relation to a community of faith, usually a local church. These churches stand in a variety of traditions as a result of of history. Renewal is a process that restores an organization to its original purposes or values. New Christian denominations and other organizations are usually the result of renewal movements that seek to bring back some aspect of the Christian faith.
The life of a Christian is still characterized by faith in the figure of Jesus as represented in the New Testament. Sacraments aside, the concept of grace is still uniquely Christian: the idea, or as some call it a mystery, that spiritual wholeness comes only as a result of a gift.
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