This Article

published: 3/17/04
updated: 12/5/07

Christianity


A Christian church in England. Photo: Sacred Destinations.
"From the majestic pontifical High Mass in St. Peter's to the quiet simplicity of a Quaker meeting,

from the intellectual sophistication of Saint Thomas Aquinas to the moving simplicity of spirituals such as "Lord, I want to be a Christian,"

from St. Paul's in London to Mother Teresa in the slums of Calcutta...

all this is Christianity."

--Huston Smith,
The World's Religions

Christianity was founded in the early 1st century AD, with the teaching, miracles, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Today it is the largest religion in the world, with around 2 billion followers. Especially dominant in the western world, today's Christianity has a wide variety of forms, beliefs and practices but all center around faith in Jesus Christ.