Christian religions. Religion Christianity, its foundations and essence

from the Greek Christos, lit. - anointed) - one of the so-called. world religions (along with Buddhism and Islam). X. is widespread in the countries of Europe, America, Australia, and also, as a result of active missionary activity, in Africa, on Bl. East and to a certain extent in a number of areas of the Far East. Accurate data on the number of followers of X. are not available; according to official church statistics (usually overestimating the number of adherents), X. profess approx. 920 million people (70s of the 20th century). X. in all periods of its history (up to the present day) invariably appears in the form of competing directions. A common feature that unites all Christ. religions, churches, rumors, sects, is only faith in Jesus Christ, although there are disagreements between them (for example, according to the doctrine of most Christian churches, both divine and human nature are inherent in Christ; according to the version of other Christian churches ( Armenian-Gregorian, Coptic), Christ has only a divine nature). X. breaks up into 3 main. branches: Catholicism (approx. 550 million followers; especially common in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Austria, in Latin-American countries; in socialist countries, Catholics predominate among the believing part of the population in Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia , in Cuba), Orthodoxy (about 140 million followers; there are 14 Orthodox autocephalous churches (see. Orthodox Church) and sects that broke away from the Orthodox Church - the Old Believers, whips, Doukhobors, Molokans, etc.), Protestantism (c. 225 million followers, includes 3 main streams (Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism) and a large number of sects, of which many have turned into independent churches - Baptists, Methodists, Adventists, etc.; common in England, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, USA, Canada, Australia, as well as in the GDR, the USSR, etc.). In addition, X. has a number of smaller branches (monophysiteism, Nestorianism, etc.). According to the church version, X. arose in Palestine as a result of the preaching of Jesus Christ, who descended to earth in the form of a man and suffered for the sake of delivering people from "original sin." Science has refuted this theological scheme by establishing an ideological and socio-political. the prerequisites for the emergence of X., revealing the history of the formation and development of X., determined the essence of X., the way to overcome Christ. illusions. X. arose in the 2nd floor. 1 in. n. e. in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire in the face of a sharp aggravation of social contradictions. Heavy social and political. oppression, extreme lack of rights caused mass uprisings of slaves, free poor, subjugated peoples. After the suppression by Rome movements at the beginning 1 in. n. e. sentiments of depression, despair, and impotent hatred of the oppressors became widespread. The immaturity and weakness of the movement of the masses led to the widespread dissemination of religions. fiction. Rebellious ideas appeared in the confusion of visions, prophecies, and in the minds of the oppressed there arose hope for supernatural deliverance. The way out was found, as F. Engels wrote, in the field of religion; appeared X. created heaven and hell, promising "suffering" after death eternal paradise (F. Engels, in the book: Marx K. and Engels F., Soch., 2nd ed., vol. 22, p. 483). The religions that existed at that time could not satisfy the heterogeneous mass of the dispossessed of the vast Rome. empire. These religions differed ethnically. limitation. X. was a new, universal religion, for the first time addressed to all "suffering" regardless of what nationality Rome. they belonged to the empire, to all social strata, including slaves. X. proclaimed the abstract equality of all people (in the form of their equality before God), promising them deliverance from all troubles (in the other world). X. developed predominately. on the basis of Jewish radical sects, currents - Zealots, Essenes (social relations, life, the ideology of one of the Essene communities are revealed by Qumran finds), etc. They were intermediate links between Judaism and early X. In the formation of Christ. creeds played a big role Greco-Roman. philosophy, religions of the East (Egyptian, Iranian and even Indian traditions and beliefs). "Father of Christianity" F. Engels called the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria (1st century AD): X. drew his ideas about deities. logos - the mediator between God and people, the messiah, the savior of the human race. An important ideological source of X. is the philosophy of the Roman Stoic Seneca (1st century AD), who expressed thoughts about the frailty of earthly existence and otherworldly retribution, about the equality of all people, including slaves, before fate. Christ. mythology developed under the great influence of the East. cults (for example, the cult of Isis and Osiris, the dying and resurrecting god, the cult of Mitra, etc.). X. fully incorporated the Old Testament into its doctrine. X. arose as a religion. the protest of the slaves, the oppressed strata against the existing order, against the slave-owners. state-va. The most important difference between the emerging Kh. and other religions of antiquity was the complete rejection of ethnic. and social partitions in matters of faith, from sacrifices, to. -l. rituals. Success X. contributed to his teaching about the immortality of the soul and the afterlife retribution. Explaining the general moral and material poverty ext. depravity, sinfulness of each dep. man, X. proclaimed the spiritual salvation of all people through faith in the atoning sacrifice of the divine savior as a guarantee of the deliverance of people from sin. Thus, there was a form of "...internal salvation from a corrupted world, consolation in consciousness, to which everyone so passionately aspired" (Engels F., ibid., vol. 19, p. 314). The first communities that recognized the new savior god Christ appeared in M. Asia (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Tiatira, Sardis, Laodicea) and in Egypt. Alexandria (some researchers believe that the first Christian communities arose in Palestine). Their members were recruited from the lower social classes. Early X. was "... the religion of slaves and freedmen, the poor and disenfranchised peoples conquered or scattered by Rome" (Engels F., ibid., vol. 22, p. 467). The communities were distinguished by their simplicity of organization and the absence of a clergy. At the head of the communities were elders - presbyters and prophesying preachers; members of the communities arranged joint meals, meetings, at which sermons were delivered. There was still no ordered cult even before the beginning. 2 in. there was no single creed. Early X. is characterized by a variety of circles, currents, between which there was no agreement on a number of important issues of dogma. But united the first Christ. communities impotent hatred of Rome and a passionate hope for its imminent fall, deliverance from its yoke and the establishment on earth of the "kingdom of God" headed by Christ. This faith permeates the most ancient monuments of Christ that have come down to us. literature - Apocalypse (2nd half of the 1st century), a source that allows you to mean. measure to determine the nature of the original X. From the Apocalypse it is clear that Christ. mythology, dogmas and cult had not yet developed by this time; in it Christ is not a god-man, but a cosmic one. creature (there are no stories about his earthly life and suffering); there is no hint of the sacraments, not even of baptism; no mention of k.-l. church organizations. Apocalypse reflecting ch. arr. discontent and rebellious moods of the Israeli people oppressed by Rome. state, at the same time testifies to the presence in X. of this period and a different trend: in this work, although less clearly than the spirit of resistance, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bforbearance and humility is also expressed, a call for passive expectation of the denouement of the struggle of divine forces with the Antichrist and the offensive "millennium". In the process of evolution of X., changes in the social composition of communities, rebellious moods in X. gradually faded into the background (which was ultimately due to the political weakness of the mass movement). In the 2nd century the current prevailed, calling on the working people to meekly "carry their cross", relying on the supernatural. deliverance, to "God's will." In the dogma, the suffering of the savior god was increasingly emphasized, his cult became, in essence, the deification of human suffering, humility and patience. Over time, suffering began to appear in X. as a necessary condition for achieving bliss in the "afterlife" ("... through many sorrows we must enter the kingdom of God," - Acts, XIV, 22). The victory of the current, calling for reconciliation with the existing order, marked a new stage in the development of the early X. The "second coming" of Christ was postponed to an indefinite future. This stage in the development of X. can be traced by the so-called. "The Epistles of the Apostle Paul" (late 1st - 1st half of the 2nd centuries). They emphasize that every earthly authority is established by God and must be obeyed; children must obey their parents, wives their husbands, and slaves must humbly obey their masters "...with fear and trembling, in the simplicity of your heart, as to Christ" (Ephesians VI, 5). The epistles express a tendency for a radical break with Judaism (for the first time, the accusation of the Jews in the murder of Christ was formulated here - see First Epistle to the Thessalonians, II, 15), accompanied by the formation of purely Christ. ideology. The appearance of Jesus Christ began to take on human features (but there are still no details about his earthly life in the epistles). X. appears as a more or less established religion (with its own dogma, creed and ritual) in the writings of the first Christ. apologist Justin (c. 150), where the biography of Christ largely coincides with the gospel narratives. Justin has already described the various Christos in detail. sacraments, formulated, albeit in an undeveloped form, the creed. The completed form of the life of Christ appears in the gospels. 4 of them (from Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), recognized by the emerging Christ. church "inspired", were included by it in the New Testament and were the main. sacred books X. Canonization of the New Testament gospels in the 2nd half. 4th c. testified to the completion of the process of myth-making, the creation of a legend about the God-man, about the son of God, who endured deathly torments for the sake of atoning for the sins of the human race. The striking contradictions that exist between these gospels (written in the 1st half. 2 c.) and within each of them, not only in the presentation of facts, but also in the very sense of the sermon (for example, in the Gospel of Matthew Christ says: “Blessed are the peacemakers”, V, 9, and in another place of the same gospel - "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword", X, 34) reflected different stages in the development of X's ideology and the difference of currents that still remained in it. In the gospels, the most clearly expressed of all the writings of the New Testament is the doctrine of non-resistance to evil ("... do not resist evil. But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other" - Matt., V, 39) and afterlife retribution bliss for earthly suffering. The preaching of the coming kingdom in the gospels loses its former anti-Roman. direction, there is a call for reconciliation with those in power, with the "language." imperial power (the saying was put into the mouth of Christ: "... give what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God" - Matt., XXII, 21). Over time, this made it easier for the exploiting classes to use X for their own purposes. Changes in Christ ideology in the 2nd-3rd centuries. were closely related to the change in the original composition of Christ. communities. Crisis of the slave owner. way of production increasingly affected the wealthy strata of society. In Christ. communities in large numbers began to join and rich people. If during the first century of the existence of Christ. communities, all their members were considered equal, there was no special apparatus of management, then from the middle. 2 in. organization becomes more complex. Wealthy Christians who donated part of their funds to the community funds acquired a lot. influence; b. h. they occupied those created in the middle. 2 in. positions of bishops and deacons in charge of community property, households. community affairs. Gradually, the administration of Christ was concentrated in the hands of the bishops (first elected and then appointed). communities; from the former democratic there was no trace of principle left, a monarchic arose. episcopate. Bishops and deacons became more and more isolated. To justify their privileged position, the doctrine of a special "grace" sent down by God to these officials, giving them exclusion, was developed. the right to perform religion. rituals, to be mentors to other members of the community, to decree the principles of the dogma. Thus the church was formed. an organization divided into clergy (clergy) and laity. The institution of monasticism began to take shape. Strengthening links between departments communities contributed to the process of formation of a single Christ. churches ruled by bishops. The emerging church more and more resolutely refused democratic. tendencies initially. X. and sought first to compromise with the language. imperial power, and then to a direct alliance with the slave owner. state-tion, which caused a protest means. part of the Christians and contributed to the emergence of heresies (Ebionites, Novatians, Montanists, etc.). Heretics, as a rule, defended the principles of the original Christs. communities. The most dangerous enemy of the church were the Montanists, who opposed the clergy, the dominance of the bishops. With the formation of the church organizations were more and more developed and complicated the cult, mythology and dogma of X. To develop a single dogma, the canonization of certain Christs was begun. writings. When the works were included in the New Testament, a desire was manifested to reject writings that reflected democratic. tendencies initially. X., rebellious moods. In the dogma, the idea began to be carried out that not only the poor can achieve blessedness (as was often emphasized at an early stage in the development of X.), but all those who believe in Christ, performing the church. ceremonies subordinate to the church. discipline, showing humility and patience. Initial communal meetings, suppers, suppers turned into divine services. The rituals became more and more complicated, absorbing the cult actions of the religions of the ancient world, primarily the cults of the suffering, dying and resurrecting gods Dr. East (Osiris, Adonis, and others), as well as Mithraism, Judaism, and others. developed the main Christ. sacraments, feasts, divine services performed by the clergy and preserved to this day. The formed Christ. the church began to represent political strength. Rome. emperors, considering Christ. church as a possible political rival, in the context of the intensified class struggle during the crisis of the 3rd century. brutally persecuted X., equating him with the political. unreliability refusal of the mass of Christians from sacrifices in honor of Rome. gods (persecution of Christians in the 2nd half of the 3rd - early 4th centuries under the emperors Decius, Valerian, Diocletian). However, recognizing the essence of ideology, the nature and significance of the activity of Christ. churches, imp. the authorities decided to dispose of Christ. organization to ensure the obedience of the people. wt. The church was used in the 4th century. also in the struggle for the imperial throne. One of the contenders for the throne is Constantine, seeking to win Christ over to his side. church, promised to establish X. equality with other religions. Having come to power and remaining a "pagan", Constantine I declared X. an officially permitted religion (by agreement with him, the Edict of Milan 313 was issued by Licinius on the free confession of X.). In 325, the emperor convened the first Ecumenical Council of representatives of the church. tops (Nicean Council). At the council, a "symbol of faith" was adopted (revised in the 2nd half of the 4th century; the "symbol of faith" first of all proclaimed faith in the "triune God": God the Father (who created the world), God the Son (who descended to earth, crucified, resurrected and ascended to heaven in order to come to earth a second time to judge all the living and the dead) and the Holy Spirit), an alliance between the imperial power and the church was formalized, and the emperor was recognized as the head of the church. Imp. Theodosius I (379-95) issued a decree on the closure of all languages. temples. So X. from a persecuted religion turned into a state religion, consecrating all those social orders that aroused indignation and hatred among the first Christians. "... Christians, having received the position of state religion, "forgot" about the "naivety" of primitive Christianity with its democratic revolutionary spirit" (V. I. Lenin, Poln. sobr. soch., 5th ed., vol. 33, p. 43 (vol. 25, p. 392)). Christ. the church waged a fierce struggle not only with paganism, but also with dissidents within X. (heresies were condemned: Docetism, Montanism, the heresy of the agonists, Arianism, then Manichaeism). The success of X. in the fight against the tongue. religions contributed to cult borrowings from them, especially in the 4th century. In Christ. the cult spread the veneration of saints, martyrs, angels, "sacred objects". Numerous demigods were b. h. the successors of the gods of ancient religions. In the 6th c. Christ. the church introduced a new era of reckoning - from "the birth of Christ" (conditionally the 1st year AD; in most European countries this reckoning was adopted only in the 16th century). Features ist. development app. and east. parts of Rome. empires led to differences between Christ. the churches of the West and the East, especially strengthened after the division in 395 Rom. empire into 2 states. Rome. bishops (from the 5th century - "popes") claimed a dominant position in Christ. world (see Papacy). In Vost. Rome. empire (Byzantium) they were opposed by the patriarchs of Constantinople. The rivalry between these churches. org-tions was a source of controversy on issues of dogma and cult. Separation of Christ. churches into the Catholic (Western) and Orthodox (Eastern) occurred in 1054, finally - at the beginning of the 13th century. The difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy lies in the meaning. least in their introduction to dogma, cult, church. org-tion of innovations not accepted by the Orthodox Church (adding to the "creed" filioque (about the descent of the holy spirit not only from God the Father, but also "from the son"), the idea of ​​purgatory, the doctrine of the "treasury of abundant grace" and as a consequence - recognition of the possibility of indulgence, a sharp distinction between the laity and the clergy (for the Catholic. clergy was established celibacy, communion with wine and bread, while the laity could only partake of bread, etc.)). Church. organization in Catholicism is centralized, built on a strictly hierarchical basis. principle. At the head of the Catholic the church is pope. Main dogmatic a feature of Catholicism is the recognition of the supreme authority and infallibility of the pope, regarded as the vicar of Christ on earth. Church. the organization of the Orthodox Church, which took shape under the conditions of a centralized Byzantine state with a despotic. the power of the emperor, did not acquire such a hierarchical. and monarchy. character and was subordinate to the supreme power of the Byzantine. emperor (with the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Orthodox autocephalous (independent, independent of each other) churches arose on its territory and in neighboring states). In Rus', X. was adopted in the 10th century. However, the social role of both directions of X. in the era of feudalism was common: both of them served to strengthen the feuds. building, religion means sanctioned and consecrated the feud. way of being. Economical the basis of both churches was a large church (especially monastic) feud. land ownership. During the era of feudalism in Europe. state-wah X. became the dominant ideology. On Wednesday. centuries, the monopoly on the system of education, education was concentrated in the hands of Christ. churches. Science was fettered theological. restrictions, philosophy has become the servant of theology; Christ. the church persecuted the slightest manifestations of freethinking. Wed-century. anti-feudal movements. building, the opposition of the peasants, the plebeians, the burghers, first of all, poured out in protest against Christ. the churches that consecrated this system most often took the form of heresies (Paulicians, Bogomilism, Cathars, Waldensians, Strigolniks, etc.). The greatest scope of anti-feud. movement in the form of a struggle against the Catholic. reached the church during the Reformation. In the 16th century as a result of the Reformation, a number of churches that formed in England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Holland, partly in Germany, Switzerland, and others fell away from Catholicism; took shape third (along with Catholicism and Orthodoxy) DOS. branch X. - Protestantism. Protestantism was a religion that reflected the interests of the bourgeoisie, who opposed the feuds. churches. The Protestant varieties of X. (Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Church, etc.) are connected by a commonality of essential features of the dogma, which is permeated with the idea of ​​a direct connection between man and God without the help of the church and the salvation of man by "personal faith", and not through the mediation of the church; Accordingly, the Protestants simplified, reduced the cost of religion. cult, the number of sacraments has been reduced, they do not worship saints, they do not recognize angels, there is no monasticism, celibacy. Sacred tradition is not recognized as "divine revelation". Protestantism was the banner of the first bourgeois revolutions and played a relatively progressive role in that period. After the English Revolution of the 17th century, which still acted under the banner of Protestantism, the latter lost its historically progressive character. Protestant churches that arose during the Reformation are turning into typical bourgeois churches. Historically connected with feudalism, Catholicism and Orthodoxy from the 2nd half. 19th century began to adapt to the conditions of capitalism. society and became the backbone of the bourgeoisie. Christ. churches began to preach the sanctity of capitalist. private property, the spread of socialist. ideas to oppose the idea of ​​class peace, the harmony of interests of employers and workers. A striking example of the policy of Christ. churches in bourgeois conditions. state-va - the encyclical of Pope Leo XIII "Rerum Novarum" (1891), justifying and defending the capitalist. build. In his work, Christ Churches make extensive use of social demagogy, promoting the idea of ​​X. as a spokesman and defender of universal interests, putting forward the idea of ​​the possibility of "Christianization" of capitalism and its recovery, which is still believed by the politically backward sections of capitalist workers. countries - part of the proletariat, the petty bourgeoisie, etc. In con. 19th century in connection with the imperialist struggle. powers for the division of the world, the missionary activity of Christ intensified. churches (see Missionary work). In many countries, Christian trade unions were created (they began to be created as early as the 70s of the 19th century), parties, youth and other mass organizations on a confessional basis in order to split the class organizations of workers and propagate reaction. ideas of class cooperation. The leadership of these organizations prevented the development of the revolutionary struggle of the proletariat, was hostile to any manifestations of the revolutionary activity of the people, and supported the reactionary regimes in various countries in every possible way. Christ. Churchmen with hatred met the victory of the Great Oct. socialist. revolution in Russia, actively helping internal. and international reaction in its attempts to restore capitalism. reaction Christian leaders. churches are systematic ideological. and political fight against the socialist countries, communist movement, falsifying its tasks and ideals, depicting communism as a sinful doctrine, allegedly rejecting the highest spiritual values, hostile to man and civilization. In 1949 and 1959, the Vatican issued decrees excommunicating Catholics who sympathized with the communist parties and c.-l. cooperating with them. The new alignment of forces in the world after World War II, the strengthening of the world socialist system, the growth of the national liberation. movements caused a certain change in the course of Christ. churches not only in the socialist. countries (where they were forced under the influence of the masses of believers, as well as representatives of the lower clergy, to take a loyal position in relation to the state system), but also in the capitalist. gos-wah. Modern The era leaves its mark on all Christ. directions and their institutions. In the bourgeois countries, despite the desire of the ruling circles to make every possible use of X. in all spheres of the spiritual and societies. life, there is a weakening of traditions. X. impact on believers. Depreciation X. occurs under the influence of scientific. and social progress. Position X. eroded due to the growth of democratic. and socialist. movements, the participation of believers in them, who are increasingly aware that in order to achieve social justice and lasting peace, organized actions of the working people themselves are needed. The number of people who are inclined to entrust their fate to some otherworldly savior and his earthly servants is decreasing. Never since the emergence of X. so clearly manifested the opposition between the interests of the people and Christ. creed. The speeches of the working class, of all working people in defense of their vital interests, not only are not "sanctioned" by the church, but are in direct contradiction with its social doctrine, political. theories and practice. Hence the inevitable break with tradition. church settings. Modern crisis X. has dec. manifestations: the growth of godlessness, anti-clericalism and free-thinking among various sections of the population, and above all the working class. It is also expressed in the desire of believers, still under the influence of the church, to re-evaluate as their religions. ideas, as well as the entire practice and policy of the church, so that they do not clearly contradict the spirit of modernity, the vital interests of the people. Changes are observed both in the sphere of "mass" religion. consciousness, and in the official. interpretations of tradition. Christ. dogmatists. In the inner transformation of the structure of faith, in a new interpretation of the main. dogmatic the establishment of X. the main thing is most likely a new relationship between transcendental and earthly values. T. n. deteologization of religion. categories is expressed primarily in the fact that the believer is increasingly guided by real secular goals, the criteria of societies. needs. Religious devaluation. categories, the ideas of the supernatural, the spread of "theological. practicalism" lead to the fact that in X. they want to see only one auxiliary means of resolving pressing everyday issues. "Devaluation" of the divine halo X. in the minds of the masses of believers gives rise to a different approach to his servants. Believers want to see them democratic, preoccupied with earthly affairs, helping in the fight against the powers that be. Thus, creatures are introduced into the relationship "flock - shepherds - the Most High". adjustments. These moods, a turn in the minds of believers, are forcing the leaders of X. to adapt the church to the modern. era, to modernize its ideology, cult, organization, missionary activity. A new attitude towards the worker and the national liberation is being worked out. movement, communism and atheism, to modern. scientific and tech. progress, philosophy knowledge, to secular power, including to bourgeois. state-woo, to other Christs. and non-Christ. churches, etc. In the midst of Christ. clergy of various directions are increasingly distinguished by figures, groups, to-rye strive to take into account the new situation as much as possible. At the same time, however, in bourgeois. most Christian countries. churchmen continues to defend the foundations of capitalism. New, loyal positions in relation to socialism were occupied by Christ. churches in the socialist countries. In the capitalist countries there are many clergymen, figures of leftist religions. currents, to-rye sincerely believe that the creed they profess is an incentive to ensure "social welfare". They advocate anti-imperialist. positions in the international relations, stand up for the interests of the working people, for social transformations. Without taking into account these various relig.-political. directions, without a specific analysis of the contradictions between them, it is impossible to form a correct idea of ​​the politics of modern X. As for the intra-church organization, dogma, a process is taking place in this area, which V. I. Lenin figuratively called "renovation" and "cleansing" of religion (see Poln. sobr. soch., 5th ed., vol. 45, p. 27 (vol. 33, p. 205)). Modern "erasure" is an attempt to better fit the spirit of the age of religions. doctrine and organization, so that they are not too contrary to the secular mindset, materialistic. the views of modern person, achieve max. mobility of all detachments of the church, "democratize" the complex Christ. cult. "Erasure" of X. is also manifested in the desire to dissociate "ideal Christianity" from "historical Christianity", compromised by close ties with the powerful of this world; avoid a shameful role, in which X. appears before the peoples of the liberated countries of Asia and Africa as an accomplice of colonialism and neo-colonialism. Social demagogy becomes more sophisticated. Demands are expressed to demonstrate their "closeness" to ordinary people, limiting the luxury of temples, abandoning traditions. pomposity of cult ceremonies. Supporters of the "liberal" direction under the pressure of the achievements of modern. science and history progress are forced to advocate the rejection of a literal understanding of the most ridiculous Old Testament ideas. Traditional militant obscurantism is becoming obsolete. Some representatives of Christ. intellectuals express ideas that in some cases go beyond religions. dogmas. Thus, a new approach to scientific and cultural progress is observed in the optimistic and evolutionary system of the French. theologian P. Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), who is expanding his position in modern times. Catholic philosophy (Teilhard de Chardin tried to replace dogmatic, middle-century ideas that did not correspond to the mental and mental makeup of modern man with religious principles that would not contradict humanistic ideas and data of science). In the non-socialist countries in the content of the social philosophy of X. more and more reflected are those forced concessions to the workers, working people, to-rye are now "recognized" in the developed capitalist. bourgeois countries. democracies. The Church sanctions what has been achieved in the tense class struggles of the working people. Thus, the constitution adopted by the 2nd Vatican Council (1962-65) "The Church in the Modern World" emphasizes the dignity of labor (contrary to the biblical interpretation of labor as a curse), speaks of the right of workers to unite, and recognizes the legality of a strike as a means of protecting rights. New stage of Christ. ideology, adopting and reproducing the canons and ideas of modern. bourgeois democracy, is also manifested in the denial, condemnation of large zem. possessions in underdeveloped countries, feud. latifundium (during the period of feudalism, Catholicism, protecting the ruling system, sharply opposed capitalist methods of management), in the use of sociological. and economic liberal concepts available in the arsenal of modern. bourgeois sociological thoughts (ideas of diffusion of property, "people's capitalism" achieved through the distribution of shares, "industrial society" as a means of eliminating social inequality, etc.). An important place in the activities of modern. Christ. org-tsy is occupied by the policy of ecumenism, aimed at alleviating inter-confessional strife, at bringing together varieties of X. and creating a united front against atheism and materialism (see. ecumenical movement). In the ideological doc-tah of various Christs. Churches increasingly can be found underlining put. the significance of the theological and cult heritage of other varieties of X. At the meetings of the 2nd Vatican Council, M. Luther was sometimes even quoted, who was once the worst heretic and apostate from the point of view of orthodox Catholicism. Dec 7 1965 simultaneously in Rome and Istanbul were read the texts of the joint statement of the Roman Catholic. churches and the Orthodox Church of Constantinople about the mutual rejection of the anathema, which the heads of these churches betrayed each other in 1054. Contacts between various Christs revived. churches. The World Council of Churches (WCC) brings together 235 Protestant and Orthodox organizations. There were mutual visits of Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople (1967), and trips of papal diplomats to other Orthodox centers, including the Moscow Patriarchate, became more frequent. Cooperation between the Vatican and the WCC was established, the residence of this organization in Geneva was visited by Paul VI (1969). For the first time after the Reformation, an official trip to Rome of the head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Ramsey (1966); began to practice intrastate meetings of Catholic. and Protestant bishops (in the FRG such a meeting took place in 1966). Analysis of modernism in modern. X. shows that no matter how X. "updated" with each new phase ist. development, it does not change its essence as an illusory form of social consciousness. At the same time, new tendencies of mass Christ. org-tions of a number of countries confirm the correctness of the Marxist-Leninist demand to combine a comprehensive exposure of the ideology and politics of the reactionaries. clericalism with cooperation with working-believers on topical socio-political. questions. The participation of Christian believers in the construction of a new society in the USSR and other socialist countries is growing. countries, and in the capitalist. world - in the class and nat.-liberate. fight. Any attempt at reaction forces to ignite religion. enmity in order to divert the attention of the masses from the really important and fundamental economic and political questions, communist the parties, following Lenin's precepts, are contrasted with a restrained and patient sermon, alien to any kindling of minor disagreements. solidarity and scientific worldview. Lit .: Marx K. and Engels F., On Religion. (Collection), M., 1955; Lenin V.I., On Religion and the Church. (Collection), M., 1966; Figures of October on religion and the church. (Collection), M., 1968; Momjyan H. N., Communism and Christianity, M. , 1958; Ksyanev Yu. V., Opposite of Christ. ideology and scientific communism, M., 1961; Sheinman M. M., Christian socialism, M., 1969; Vipper R. Yu., Rome and early Christianity, M., 1954; Ranovich A. B., On early Christianity, M., 1959; Lenzman Ya. A., The Origin of Christianity, 2nd ed., M., (1963); his own, The study of owls. scientists of early Christianity, in the book: Questions of scientific atheism, v. 4, M., 1967; Kovalev S.I., Osn. questions of the origin of Christianity, M.-L., 1964; Kovalev S. I., Kublanov M. M., Finds in the Judean Desert (Discoveries in the Dead Sea region and questions of the origin of Christianity), 2nd ed., M., 1964; Kazhdan A.P., From Christ to Constantine, (M., 1965); Golubtsova N.I., At the origins of Christ. churches, M., 1967; Livshits G.M., The Origin of Christianity in the Light of the Dead Sea Manuscripts, Minsk, 1967; Kryvelev I. A., What does history know about Jesus Christ?, M., 1969; Robertson, A., The Origin of Christianity, trans. from English, M., 1959; Hughes Ph., A history of the church, v. 1-3, L., 1934-47; Walker, W., A history of the Christian church, N. Y., 1959; Schneider K., Geistesgeschichte des antiken Christentums, Bd 1-2, Mönch., 1954; Carrington Ph., The early Christian church, v. 1-2, Camb., 1957; Kelly J. N. D., Early Christian doctrines, 2 ed., L., 1958; Gilson E., History of Christian philosophy in the middle ages, L., 1955; Nichols J. H., History of christianity 1650-1950, N. Y., 1956; Girardi J., Marxismo e cristianesimo, Assisi, 1966. M. P. Mchedlov. Moscow.

The message about Christianity will briefly tell you a lot of useful information about one of the most influential religions in the world. The report on Christianity can be used in preparation for classes.

message about christianity

Christianity is an ancient religion with a history of more than 2000 years. Together with Islam and Buddhism, it is one of the world's religions. Approximately 1/3 of the world's inhabitants profess Christianity.

The religion originated in the 1st century AD. The area where Christianity spread was the Roman Empire. To be more precise, here the opinions of scientists are divided. Some believe that Palestine is his homeland, while others believe that the Jewish diaspora in Greece.

Prerequisites for the emergence of Christianity

Already by the 1st century BC. The Mediterranean was under the rule of the Roman Empire. She owned a large number of colonies, in which many peoples lived, professing their religious beliefs. For a long time there was no single religion in the vast empire. In 63 BC, Rome captured Judea and Syria. Jerusalem also became part of the empire. The people who lived in these territories previously professed Christianity, which, having no written sources, existed at first only in the oral tradition. With the appearance of the first Christian documents of the "Revelation of John", "Epistle of Paul" in the 1st century, the persecution of the first Christians by the Emperor Nero began. They were considered dissidents, because they believed not in the pantheon of gods, but in a single savior.

After the execution under Tiberius of Jesus Christ, on behalf of whom the name of the religion came about, superstition, “harmful” for Rome, began to spread in the empire itself. Christians were persecuted, mocked, given to wild beasts to be torn to pieces, crucified on crosses, burned at night to light the streets. But it was not possible to suppress the spread of Christianity - the political and social oppression of the empire by the colony gave rise in the minds of people to the idea of ​​the existence of God, who, through the path of repentance in earthly life, will give life in heaven in heaven.

Until the 5th century, Christianity covered the geographical limits of the entire Roman Empire and the spheres of its cultural influence - Armenia, Ethiopia. Further it spread among the Slavic and Germanic peoples. In the XIII-XIV centuries, religion was practiced by the Finnish and Baltic peoples. In modern times, its spread outside of Europe was facilitated by the activities of missionaries and colonial expansion.

Christianity basic ideas

Briefly, all the ideas of Christianity boil down to the following:

1. God created the world - this is the main position of Christianity. It happened in 5508 BC (according to some sources).
2. In man there is a spark of God - the soul. It is eternal and does not die after the death of the body. The first God-created people were given a soul pure and unclouded. But when Eve ate the apple from the tree of knowledge and gave it to Adam, original sin arose.
3. The original sin, lying on all people, after the life of Adam and Eve was redeemed by the death of Christ. A person leads a sinful life, violating the 7 commandments of God (pride, gluttony, honoring neighbors, etc.)
4. To atone for sins, it is necessary to lead a righteous life - do not violate God's laws, repent of your deeds and pray for the redemption of the soul.
5. If a person leads an unrighteous life, then after death he will go to hell.
6. God is merciful. He forgives all created sins if a person sincerely repented of his deed.
7. The world is waiting for the Last Judgment, when the Son of Man will come to earth again and will judge the dead and the living, separating the sinners from the righteous. And the end of the world will come.

Directions and currents of Christianity

Directions of modern Christianity:

1. Catholicism.This is the western branch of the religion, which was formed in 1054. The church is headed by the Pope.
2. Orthodoxy. This is the eastern part of Christianity. Unlike the Catholics, it does not have a single center and is divided into 15 independent churches.
3. Protestantism. This direction appeared in the 16th century during the European Reformation. Its founder was Martin Luther. Protestantism has several currents:

• Lutheranism. It originated in the sixteenth century. Founder Martin Luther. Recognize the liturgy, baptism and communion.
• Baptism. Originated at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Founder John Smith. The main idea is that only adults who have consciously made their choice can be baptized. Rites: marriage, baptism, communion and ordination.
• Pentecostalism.Originated in the 19th century in the USA. Recognizes the baptism of only adults. It is based on the belief that after Easter (on the 50th day) every Christian can receive various abilities from the Holy Spirit.
• advendism. Originated in the 30s of the nineteenth century in the United States. Founder William Muller. Lots of restrictions on relationships and food. They honor the Sabbath and engage in missionary work.
• Jehovah witnesses. Originated in the 70s of the nineteenth century in the United States. Founder Charles Teise Russell.
• Calvinism. Founder John Calvin. The goal of a Christian is conscientious work and worldly asceticism.

We hope that the message about Christianity helped you to learn many interesting facts about one of the dominant religions in the world. A short story about Christianity can be supplemented through the comment form below.

The most powerful, influential and numerous of all the main ones that exist today, ahead of Buddhism and Islam, is Christianity. The essence of religion, which breaks up into the so-called churches (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and others), as well as many sects, is the veneration and worship of one divine being, in other words, the God-man, whose name is Jesus Christ. Christians believe that he is the true son of God, is the Messiah, that he was sent down to Earth for the salvation of the world and all mankind.

The religion of Christianity was born in distant Palestine in the first century AD. e. Already in the first years of its existence, it had many adherents. The main reason for the emergence of Christianity, according to the clergy, was the preaching activity of a certain Jesus Christ, who, being essentially a demigod-half-man, came to us in human form in order to bring the truth to people, and even scientists do not actually deny his existence. Four sacred books, called the Gospels, are written about the first coming of Christ (the second Christendom is only awaiting). the glorious city of Bethlehem, about how he grew up, how he began to preach.

The main ideas of his new religious teaching were the following: the belief that he, Jesus, is indeed the Messiah, that he is the son of God, that there will be his second coming, there will be the end of the world and the resurrection from the dead. With his sermons, he called to love neighbors and help those in need. His divine origin was proved by the miracles with which he accompanied his teachings. Many sick people were healed by his word or touch, three times he raised the dead, walked on water, turned it into wine and fed about five thousand people with just two fish and five cakes.

He expelled all merchants from the Jerusalem temple, thus showing that dishonorable people have no place in holy and noble deeds. Then there was the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, the accusation of deliberate blasphemy and brazen encroachment on the royal throne and the death sentence. He died, being crucified on the cross, taking upon himself the torment for all human sins. Three days later, Jesus Christ resurrected and then ascended to heaven. Christianity says the following about religion: there are two places, two special spaces that are inaccessible to people during earthly life. and paradise. Hell is a place of terrible torment, located somewhere in the bowels of the earth, and paradise is a place of universal bliss, and only God himself will decide who to send where.

The religion of Christianity is based on several dogmas. The first is that the Second is trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The birth of Jesus happened at the instigation of the Holy Spirit, God incarnated in the Virgin Mary. Jesus was crucified and then died, atoning for people's sins, after which he was resurrected. At the end of time, Christ will come to judge the world, and the dead will rise. Divine and human nature are inextricably linked in the image of Jesus Christ.

All religions of the world have certain canons and commandments, but Christianity preaches to love God with all your heart, and also to love your neighbor as yourself. If you don't love your neighbor, you won't be able to love God.

The religion of Christianity has its adherents in almost every country, half of all Christians are concentrated in Europe, including Russia, one quarter - in North America, one sixth - in South, and significantly fewer believers in Africa, Australia and

Christianity is largest of the world's religions. In terms of the number of believers, it exceeds the number of Muslims, Buddhists or Jews. Christianity is based on faith in one God and his son, the greatest prophet Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to atone for all the sins of people before his Father.

The Christian reveres holy book bible, which consists of 66 books and treatises. It is divided into the Old and New Testaments, more important for a Christian is not the Old (where there are many contradictions and inconsistencies), but the New Testament. Also a Christian, to be considered righteous, must keep the 10 commandments, which, according to the Bible, were brought to people by the prophet Moses from the Lord himself. Among them - do not steal, do not kill, honor your father and your mother, and so on.

Essence of Christianity- humanity and faith. A person is saved by faith in God's love and forgiveness for him, moreover, his task is to lead a righteous life, not offend other people and do good deeds. As an example in life, a Christian should take Jesus, who healed the sick, raised the dead with miraculous power, lived very modestly, was not tempted by the money and power that the devil offered him, and so on. Kindness and humanity, self-sacrifice is the most important thing for a person, says Christianity.

The emergence of the Christian religion

Christianity arose in the homeland of Jesus - in Palestine(Jesus was executed in Jerusalem, on the territory of modern Israel), from there it began to spread throughout the Roman Empire. At first, Christians suffered terrible persecution: some of the disciples of Jesus, his apostles, were executed. Roman emperors threw Christians to feed the beasts for the amusement of the crowd. But in the 4th century AD, the attitude towards Christians changed - first Armenia, and then the Byzantine Empire adopted Christianity as the state religion.

Christianity is divided into three main branches: Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox. In turn, the division occurs in line with these religious movements. Catholics are more or less united, Protestants are divided into Lutherans and Protestants proper - the same are divided into many churches: Baptists, Pentecostals, Charismatics, and so on.

Orthodox are divided into churches according to national characteristics: the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and others. The connecting "bridge" between the Catholics and the Orthodox are the Uniate Christians: the so-called Greek Catholics. In addition, there are many narrow sects and beliefs in Christianity (Jehovah's Witnesses can serve as an example).

The adoption of Christianity in Rus'

Christianity entered Rus' around the 8th-9th centuries AD along with merchants, Christian missionaries and travelers from the south. In those times Russians were pagans, believed in many different gods- each god was "responsible" for different spheres of life. For example, Perun controlled lightning and thunder, and Mokosh was the goddess of love, family and natural forces.

By the 10th century, many Christians already lived in Rus'. For example, Princess Olga was a Christian, widow of Prince Igor of Kyiv, mother of the great warrior Svyatoslav. According to one version, Olga converted to Christianity only in order to "get out" of a forced marriage with the Byzantine emperor Constantine and thus preserve the independence of Rus' from Byzantium. Having become Olga's godfather, Konstantin could no longer marry her.

According to another version, Olga was really imbued with Christianity and advised her son to accept it, but Svyatoslav flatly refused.

The baptism of Rus' took place in 988 - Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, Olga's grandson, decided to unite Rus' with the help of one state religion and sent the people of Kiev to be baptized en masse in the Dnieper. Further, the process of Baptism was carried out in all the principalities of Rus': Novgorod resisted it the longest.

There is historical information, though controversial, that the Slavs of different tribes believed in different gods, called them differently, because of this they had civil strife. The adoption of a single religion with a single God, according to the prince, would unite people (by the power of one prince), put an end to disputes and fuss around numerous gods. This is practically what happened.

Islam and Judaism as a single religion were rejected by Vladimir at the State Council. Judaism was the main religion of the Khazar Khaganate, with which the Russians fought: a military squad, the prince's fighters would not accept the religion of the enemy. Islam forbade drinking wine, beloved by the prince's retinue.

Vladimir is criticized for "baptism with fire and sword", since a large number of Slavs did not accept Christianity voluntarily, but by order of the prince, including by force. Pagans in Rus' began to be severely persecuted, forgetting about the commandments of Christian mercy.

The enormous and positive significance of the adoption of Christianity in Rus' is that the country entered the cultural space of other Christian countries, began to establish ties with them, and for the first time received through Christian missionaries writing, the first libraries and educational institutions. In the person of these countries, she received associates and allies in politics, including such a powerful and developed neighbor as the Byzantine Empire. The Russians learned a lot from the Byzantines in terms of culture, life, and art.

As well as their classifications. In religious studies, it is customary to distinguish the following types: tribal, national and world religions.

Buddhism

is the oldest religion in the world. It originated in the 6th century. BC e. in India, and is currently distributed in the countries of South, Southeast, Central Asia and the Far East and has about 800 million followers. Tradition links the emergence of Buddhism with the name of Prince Siddhartha Gautama. His father hid bad things from Gautama, he lived in luxury, married his beloved girl, who bore him a son. The impetus for a spiritual upheaval for the prince, as the legend says, was four meetings. At first he saw a decrepit old man, then a leprous sufferer and a funeral procession. So Gautama learned old age, sickness and death are the fate of all people. Then he saw a peaceful, impoverished wanderer who needed nothing from life. All this shocked the prince, made him think about the fate of people. He secretly left the palace and family, at the age of 29 he became a hermit and tried to find the meaning of life. As a result of deep reflection, at the age of 35 he became a Buddha - enlightened, awakened. For 45 years, the Buddha preached his teaching, which can be briefly reduced to the following main ideas.

Life is suffering, the cause of which are the desires and passions of people. To get rid of suffering, it is necessary to renounce earthly passions and desires. This can be achieved by following the path of salvation indicated by the Buddha.

After death, any living being, including humans, is reborn again, but already in the form of a new living being, whose life is determined not only by its own behavior, but also by the behavior of its "predecessors".

We must strive for nirvana, i.e., dispassion and peace, which are achieved by renunciation of earthly attachments.

Unlike Christianity and Islam Buddhism lacks the idea of ​​God as the creator of the world and its ruler. The essence of the doctrine of Buddhism boils down to a call to every person to embark on the path of seeking inner freedom, complete liberation from all the shackles that life brings.

Christianity

It arose in the 1st century. n. e. in the eastern part of the Roman Empire - Palestine - as addressed to all the humiliated, thirsting for justice. It is based on the idea of ​​messianism - the hope for the Divine deliverer of the world from everything bad that is on Earth. Jesus Christ suffered for the sins of people, whose name in Greek means "Messiah", "Savior". By this name, Jesus is associated with the Old Testament traditions about the coming to the land of Israel of a prophet, a messiah who will free the people from suffering and establish a righteous life - God's kingdom. Christians believe that the coming of God to Earth will be accompanied by the Last Judgment, when He will judge the living and the dead, direct them to heaven or hell.

Basic Christian ideas:

• Belief that God is one, but He is a Trinity, i.e. God has three "persons": the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, which form the one God who created the Universe.
• Faith in the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ - the second person of the Trinity, God the Son - this is Jesus Christ. He has two natures simultaneously: Divine and human.
• Faith in Divine grace - a mysterious power sent by God to free a person from sin.
• Belief in the afterlife and afterlife.
• Belief in the existence of good spirits - angels and evil spirits - demons, along with their master Satan.

The holy book of Christians is Bible, which means "book" in Greek. The Bible consists of two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the oldest part of the Bible. The New Testament (actually Christian works) includes: four gospels (from Luke, Mark, John and Matthew); the deeds of the holy apostles; Epistles and Revelation of John the Theologian.

In the IV century. n. e. Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. Christianity is not one. It split into three streams. In 1054 Christianity split into Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. In the XVI century. The Reformation, an anti-Catholic movement, began in Europe. The result was Protestantism.

And recognize seven christian sacraments: baptism, chrismation, repentance, communion, marriage, priesthood and unction. The source of doctrine is the Bible. The differences are mainly as follows. In Orthodoxy there is no single head, there is no idea of ​​purgatory as a place of temporary accommodation for the souls of the dead, the priesthood does not give a vow of celibacy, as in Catholicism. At the head of the Catholic Church is the pope, elected for life, the center of the Roman Catholic Church is the Vatican - a state that occupies several quarters in Rome.

It has three main streams: Anglicanism, Calvinism And Lutheranism. Protestants consider that the condition for the salvation of a Christian is not formal observance of rituals, but his sincere personal faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Their teaching proclaims the principle of a universal priesthood, which means that every lay person can preach. Virtually all Protestant denominations have reduced the number of sacraments to a minimum.

Islam

It arose in the 7th century. n. e. among the Arab tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. This is the youngest of the world. There are followers of Islam more than 1 billion people.

The founder of Islam is a historical figure. He was born in 570 in the city of Mecca, which at that time was a fairly large city at the crossroads of trade routes. In Mecca, there was a shrine revered by most pagan Arabs - the Kaaba. Muhammad's mother died when he was six years old, his father died before his son was born. Muhammad was brought up in the family of his grandfather, a noble family, but impoverished. At the age of 25, he became the manager of the household of the wealthy widow Khadija and soon married her. At the age of 40, Muhammad acted as a religious preacher. He declared that God (Allah) chose him as his prophet. The ruling elite of Mecca did not like the sermon, and by 622 Muhammad had to move to the city of Yathrib, later renamed Medina. The year 622 is considered the beginning of the Muslim calendar according to the lunar calendar, and Mecca is the center of the Muslim religion.

The Holy Book of Muslims is a processed record of Muhammad's sermons. During the lifetime of Muhammad, his statements were perceived as the direct speech of Allah and were transmitted orally. A few decades after the death of Muhammad, they were written down and will compose the Qur'an.

plays an important role in the beliefs of Muslims Sunnah - collection of instructive stories about the life of Muhammad and Sharia - a set of principles and rules of conduct binding on Muslims. The most serious ipexa.Mii among Muslims are usury, drunkenness, gambling and adultery.

The place of worship for Muslims is called a mosque. Islam forbids depicting a person and living creatures; hollow mosques are decorated only with ornaments. There is no clear division between clergy and laity in Islam. Any Muslim who knows the Qur'an, Muslim laws and rules of worship can become a mullah (priest).

Ritualism is given great importance in Islam. You may not know the intricacies of faith, but you should strictly follow the main rites, the so-called five pillars of Islam:

• pronouncing the formula of the confession of faith: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet”;
• performing a daily fivefold prayer (prayer);
• fasting in the month of Ramadan;
• giving alms to the poor;
• making a pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).