Christianity

Faith in Jesus as the risen Messiah, grown from Judaism into the world's largest religion.

c. 30 CE → · Originating in Judea · Abrahamic

Christianity began as a movement within Second Temple Judaism proclaiming Jesus of Nazareth as the crucified and risen Messiah, whose life, death, and resurrection open salvation to all. Spreading through the Hellenistic world — where Greek philosophy shaped its theology — it developed the doctrine of the Trinity and grew into the largest religion on Earth, later branching into Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant families.

Key figures

• Jesus of Nazareth
• The Apostles
• Paul of Tarsus

Texts

• The Bible (Old & New Testaments)
• The Gospels

Beliefs

• Jesus as Messiah and Son of God
• Salvation through his death and resurrection
• God as Trinity (in most traditions)
• Love of God and neighbor

Rituals

• Baptism and the Eucharist
• Prayer and worship
• Observing the church year

Grew from

• Judaism
• Ancient Greek Religion

Connections in the atlas

• Angel of Mons
• William Wadé Harris
• Etchmiadzin Cathedral
• St Hilda turns the snakes to stone
• The word heaven
• Via Francigena
• The Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls
• Melusine
• Pendle Hill and the Forest of Pendle
• Thomas the Apostle
• Chi-Rho
• ? What was the Star of Bethlehem?