Portal:Christianity

Welcome To The Christianity Portal
Main   Indices   Projects

Introduction

Christianity (/ˌkrɪst(ʃ)iˈænɪti/) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.4 billion followers, comprising around 31.2% of the world population. Its adherents, known as Christians, are estimated to make up a majority of the population in 157 countries and territories. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, whose coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible (called the Old Testament in Christianity) and chronicled in the New Testament.

Christianity remains culturally diverse in its Western and Eastern branches, and doctrinally diverse concerning justification and the nature of salvation, ecclesiology, ordination, and Christology. The creeds of various Christian denominations generally hold in common Jesus as the Son of God—the Logos incarnated—who ministered, suffered, and died on a cross, but rose from the dead for the salvation of humankind; and referred to as the gospel, meaning the "good news". The four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John describe Jesus's life and teachings, with the Old Testament as the gospels' respected background.

The six major branches of Christianity are Roman Catholicism (1.3 billion people), Protestantism (1.17 billion), Eastern Orthodoxy (230 million), Oriental Orthodoxy (60 million), Restorationism (35 million), and the Church of the East (600 thousand). Smaller church communities number in the thousands despite efforts toward unity (ecumenism). In the West, Christianity remains the dominant religion even with a decline in adherence, with about 70% of that population identifying as Christian. Christianity is growing in Africa and Asia, the world's most populous continents. Christians remain greatly persecuted in many regions of the world, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa, East Asia, and South Asia. (Full article...)

This is a Featured article, which represents some of the best content on English Wikipedia.

Elgin Cathedral, a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, northeast Scotland, was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It was established in 1224 on land granted by King Alexander II and stood outside the burgh of Elgin, close to the River Lossie. It replaced the cathedral at Spynie located 3 kilometres (2 mi) to the north, which was served by a small chapter of eight clerics. By 1226, the new and developing cathedral was staffed with 18 canons, a number that increased to 23 by 1242. A damaging fire in 1270 led to significant enlargement. It remained unscathed during the Wars of Scottish Independence but suffered extensive fire damage in 1390 when attacked by Robert III's brother Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, also known as the Wolf of Badenoch. In 1402, the cathedral precinct faced another incendiary attack by the Lord of the Isles followers.

As the cathedral grew, so did the number of clerics and craftsmen. Repairs following the fires of 1270 and 1390 resulted in the choir's doubling in length and the addition of outer aisles to both the nave and choir. While some parts of walls retain their full height, others are at foundation level, yet the overall cruciform shape is still discernible. A mostly intact octagonal chapter house dates from the major enlargement after the fire of 1270. The near intact gable wall above the double door entrance linking the west towers was rebuilt after the fire of 1390. It contains fragments of a large rose window with remnants of tracery work. The transepts and the south aisle of the choir contain recessed and chest tombs with effigies of bishops and knights. The now grass-covered floor bears large flat slabs marking early graves. The residences of the dignitaries, canons and chaplains within the chanonry were also destroyed during the fires of 1270, 1390 and 1402, forming part of the overall reconstruction process. Only the precentor's manse remains substantially intact, while two others have been incorporated into private buildings. Both west front towers, part of the initial construction, are mostly complete. A massive protective wall surrounded the cathedral precinct, but only two small sections have survived. Of the wall's four access gates, only the Pans Port remains. (Full article...)
List of Featured articles

General images

The following are images from various Christianity-related articles on Wikipedia.

Related portals

Good article - show another

This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Christ crowning Yaropolk and his mother Gertruda, 11th-century miniature from the Gertrude Psalter

Yaropolk Iziaslavich (died 22 November 1086/1087) was Prince of Turov and Prince of Volhynia from 1078 until his death.

The son of Grand Prince Iziaslav I of Kiev by a Polish princess named Gertruda, he is visible in papal sources by the early 1070s, but largely absent in contemporary domestic sources until his father's death in 1078. During his father's exile in the 1070s, Yaropolk can be found acting on his father's behalf in an attempt to gain the favor of the German emperors and the papal court of Pope Gregory VII. His father returned to Kiev in 1077 and Yaropolk followed. (Full article...)
List of Good articles

Selected image

Conversion of Saint Paul
Conversion of Saint Paul

Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. It has been called the foundational experience of Christian life. Conversion to Christianity primarily involves belief (faith) in the Christian God, thinking that they are far short of the Christian God's apparent "glory and holiness" (sin), repentance of "sin", and confession of their belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the all-sufficient and only means by whom one's sin can be atoned for and therefore the only route to salvation.

Did you know (auto-generated) - load new batch

Topics

Selected scripture

Categories

Category puzzle
Category puzzle
Select [►] to view subcategories

Previous portal content

2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • ArticleBiographyPictureScriptureNominationsScheduleTalk


2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • ArticleBiographyPictureScriptureNominationsScheduleTalk

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:


© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search