The History of Christianity in 5 minutes

Summary

Christianity began with Jesus Christ, whose followers spread his teachings across the world after his resurrection. Despite early persecution, Christianity grew rapidly, especially within the Roman Empire. Key events include Emperor Constantine's legalization of the faith, the establishment of church structures, and significant theological councils. Major splits occurred, notably between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1054, and later, the Protestant Reformation led by figures like Martin Luther. Over the centuries, Christianity expanded globally, becoming one of the world's largest religions, with around 2.1 billion adherents today.

Takeaways

• ✝️ Christianity began with Jesus Christ, from whom it gets its name.
• 🌍 After Jesus's resurrection, his followers spread the message of salvation globally.
• ⛪ Early Christian communities quickly formed in cities across the Roman Empire.
• 🕰️ Early Christians believed Jesus would return in their lifetimes, but they eventually built a more permanent church structure.
• ⚔️ Christianity faced persecution from Jews and Romans, including intense periods under Roman Emperor Nero.
• 👑 In 313 A.D., Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity with the Edict of Milan, ending persecution.
• 📜 Important church councils established key Christian doctrines, including the list of books in the Bible.
• ⚡ The Christian church split in 1054 A.D. into the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East.
• 🛑 Martin Luther and other Protestants led a breakaway from the Roman Catholic Church, resulting in the Protestant Reformation.
• 🌎 Christianity spread globally, especially to the Americas, Africa, and Asia, and today around 2.1 billion people identify as Christians.

Q & A

Who is the central figure of Christianity?

Jesus Christ is the central figure of Christianity, from whom the religion gets its name.

What event marked the beginning of Christianity's spread?

Christianity began spreading after Jesus's resurrection when He sent His followers to spread the news of salvation across the world.

How did Christianity initially spread after Jesus's resurrection?

Christianity spread through the efforts of Jesus's followers, who began in Jerusalem and quickly moved to other cities and nations, with preachers like Paul the Apostle traveling throughout the Roman Empire.

What was the initial expectation of early Christians regarding Jesus's return?

Early Christians believed that Jesus would return within their lifetimes, but as the original disciples grew old and passed away, they realized they needed to prepare for a longer stay on Earth.

How did Roman authorities react to the growth of Christianity?

As Christianity grew, Roman authorities grew fearful, and after the great fire of Rome in AD 64, Emperor Nero blamed the Christians and began persecuting them, making Christianity illegal in the Roman Empire.

What significant event ended the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire?

The persecution ended in 313 AD when Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, making Christianity legal and ending the Roman Empire's official persecution of Christians.

What were some key outcomes of the church councils held after the Edict of Milan?

The church councils established key points of Christianity, including the list of books that became the Bible, and resolved disputes between different churches.

What caused the split between the Eastern and Western Churches in 1054 AD?

The split occurred due to major differences in church governance, with the Roman Catholic Church in the West having a structured hierarchy led by the Pope, while the Eastern Orthodox Church opposed centralized leadership under one person.

Who was the most significant figure in the Protestant Reformation, and why?

Martin Luther was the most significant figure in the Protestant Reformation. He was a Catholic priest who became disillusioned with the Catholic Church's practices and ultimately rejected it, forming a new Protestant movement.

How did Christianity spread to the Americas and other parts of the world?

Christianity spread to the Americas with European explorers and settlers. Catholics settled much of South and Central America, while Protestants established colonies in North America. Later, missionaries were sent to places like China, Japan, India, and Africa.

Outlines

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🌟 The Beginning of Christianity

Christianity originates with Jesus Christ, whose resurrection led his followers to spread the message of salvation. Starting in Jerusalem, the movement quickly expanded to surrounding cities and nations. Early Christian leaders like Paul the Apostle were instrumental in spreading Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, establishing churches and communities in almost every town. Early Christians believed Jesus would return within their lifetimes, but as time passed, they realized the need to build more permanent structures and connected leadership for the growing movement.

⚔️ Early Persecution and Roman Resistance

As Christianity gained momentum, Jews initially persecuted Christians for spreading what they believed were false teachings. Originally considered a branch of Judaism, Christianity began to distinguish itself as a separate religion. The rapid growth of Christianity alarmed Roman authorities, particularly after a large fire in Rome in AD 64, which Emperor Nero blamed on Christians. This accusation marked the beginning of a long period of persecution, with Christians forced to practice in secrecy under the threat of death, a situation that persisted for over two centuries.

🏛️ Constantine and the Legalization of Christianity

In 306 AD, Emperor Constantine came to power and experienced a conversion to Christianity. In 313 AD, he issued the Edict of Milan, making Christianity legal and ending centuries of persecution in the Roman Empire. Constantine's reign marked a new era for Christianity, as it became the official religion of the empire. Prominent Christian thinkers like Jerome, Ambrose, and Augustine emerged, and the church held councils to define key theological principles and create the Bible as it is known today.

✝️ The Great Schism: East vs. West

By 1054 AD, tensions between the churches in the East and the West led to the Great Schism. The Western Church, with its hierarchical structure including deacons, priests, bishops, and the Pope, clashed with the Eastern Church, which rejected the idea of one man ruling over the entire church. This division resulted in two separate branches of Christianity: the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East.

📜 The Protestant Reformation

Over time, certain practices within the Roman Catholic Church sparked protests, leading to the rise of Protestantism. Key figures in this movement included Erasmus, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin, but the most influential was Martin Luther. Luther, a Catholic priest, was deeply troubled by the church's corruption and broke away, creating a new branch of Christianity. This split led to centuries of religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants, with Protestantism remaining a collection of smaller movements rather than a unified structure like the Catholic Church.

🌍 Christianity Spreads to the Americas

As European nations explored and colonized the Americas, both Catholics and Protestants competed to spread their faith in the new lands. Catholics dominated much of South and Central America, while Protestants settled primarily in North America. Persecuted Protestants from Europe flocked to the New World, seeking religious freedom. The North American colonies grew into powerful entities and eventually declared independence, founding the United States of America, where Protestantism became a significant influence.

🚀 Christianity Reaches the World

Following the establishment of the Americas, missionaries were sent all over the world, including to regions like China, Japan, India, and Africa, to spread the Christian faith. Over 2,000 years after Jesus's life, Christianity has spread across the globe, with around 2.1 billion adherents today, accounting for about 30% of the global population. Christianity's growth and evolution have transformed the world, starting from the teachings of one unique individual, Jesus Christ.

Keywords

💡Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the central figure of Christianity, from whom the religion derives its name. The video describes how after his resurrection, Jesus sent his followers to spread the news of salvation, initiating the growth of Christianity. His life, death, and resurrection are foundational to Christian belief, as depicted in the script.

💡Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus refers to his rising from the dead after his crucifixion, which is a cornerstone of Christian faith. The video emphasizes this event as the turning point from which Jesus's followers began spreading Christianity across the world, marking the beginning of the religion's rapid expansion.

💡Roman Empire

The Roman Empire played a significant role in the early spread and persecution of Christianity. The video explains how apostles like Paul traveled through the empire spreading Christianity, but also describes how Roman emperors, especially Nero, persecuted Christians until Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal with the Edict of Milan.

💡Persecution

Persecution refers to the systematic mistreatment or punishment of Christians, especially during the first few centuries of Christianity. The video details how both Jewish and Roman authorities persecuted Christians, often through torture and execution, before Christianity became legalized under Emperor Constantine.

💡Constantine

Constantine was the Roman emperor who played a crucial role in Christianity’s acceptance within the Roman Empire. The video highlights his conversion to Christianity and the issuance of the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., which legalized Christianity and ended years of persecution. This marked a turning point in the religion’s history.

💡Edict of Milan

The Edict of Milan was a decree issued by Emperor Constantine in 313 A.D. that granted religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire, effectively legalizing Christianity. This pivotal event, as described in the video, allowed Christianity to flourish openly after centuries of persecution.

💡Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church is one of the two main branches of Christianity that emerged after the Great Schism of 1054 A.D. The video explains how this church grew powerful in the West, developing a hierarchical structure with the Pope at its head, and how it later faced criticism leading to the Protestant Reformation.

💡Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was a religious movement in the 16th century that led to the creation of Protestantism. The video discusses how figures like Martin Luther rejected certain practices of the Roman Catholic Church, leading to the formation of new Protestant denominations and causing significant religious conflict in Europe.

💡Missionaries

Missionaries are religious individuals who travel to spread their faith. The video mentions how, after the Americas were discovered, both Catholics and Protestants sent missionaries around the world, especially to Africa, Asia, and the Americas, in an effort to convert people to Christianity and expand the religion’s influence.

💡Great Schism

The Great Schism refers to the split between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in 1054 A.D. The video explains that the churches in the East and West disagreed on key governance issues, leading to the separation of these two major branches of Christianity, each developing its own traditions and hierarchy.

Highlights

Christianity begins with Jesus Christ, whose resurrection is central to the faith.

After Jesus's resurrection, his followers spread the news of salvation, starting in Jerusalem and moving outward.

In the first 100 years, Christianity grew rapidly throughout the Roman Empire.

Preachers like Paul the Apostle traveled and helped establish Christian communities across the empire.

Early Christians initially believed Jesus would return in their lifetimes, but later prepared for a longer stay by organizing churches.

The Jewish community persecuted early Christians, seeing them as false teachers, leading to Christianity being seen as a separate religion.

In AD 64, Emperor Nero blamed Christians for the fire in Rome and began a period of persecution lasting over 200 years.

Christianity became legal in AD 313 with Emperor Constantine's Edict of Milan, ending the persecution.

Christianity eventually became the official religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine.

Councils established key Christian doctrines and determined the canonical books of the Bible.

A significant schism in 1054 split the church into the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East.

Martin Luther, upset with corruption in the Roman Catholic Church, led the Protestant Reformation, creating new denominations.

The Protestant Reformation resulted in religious wars across Europe between Catholics and Protestants.

Protestants, fleeing persecution in Europe, settled in North America to freely practice their religion.

Missionary efforts expanded Christianity to other continents, including Africa, Asia, and the Americas, spreading the faith worldwide.

Transcripts

story of Christianity in five minutes or

less

the story of Christianity begins of

course with Jesus Christ from whom

Christianity gets its name after Jesus's

resurrection from the dead he sent his

followers to spread the news of

Salvation across the world

his followers began in Jerusalem but

quickly spread out to the surrounding

cities and Nations

the popularity of Christianity exploded

in the first hundred years after Jesus

has returned to Heaven preachers such as

Paul the Apostle traveled throughout the

Roman Empire spreading the word

everywhere they went churches and

gathering places for Christians sprang

up in nearly every time at first these

early Christians thought that Jesus

would come back within their lifetimes

but as the original disciples grew old

and began to pass away they realized

that they needed to prepare for a longer

stay on Earth just in case

they began to establish more permanent

more connected churches with greater

structure and official leaders

as Christianity spread throughout the

land Jews began to persecute Christians

as liars and false teachers

before this persecution Christianity had

generally been considered a part of

Jewish beliefs

now Christianity began to be thought of

as a religion of its own Christianity

expanded so fast that Roman authorities

grew afraid of it when a large section

of Rome burned to the ground in ad64

Emperor Nero blamed the Christians and

made Christianity illegal in the Roman

Empire this began a massive terrible

persecution of Christians that lasted

for over 200 years

Christians were forced to meet in secret

under threat of torture and death

finally in 306 A.D emperor Constantine

came to power

Constantine claimed to have undergone a

conversion to Christianity in 313 A.D he

issued the edict of Milan which made

Christianity legal again and ended the

persecution in the Roman Empire

eventually Christianity even became the

official religion of the Roman Empire

Constantine ushered in a new phase of

Christianity following the Edict of

Milan Christianity became popular

Christians such as Jerome Ambrose and

Augustine became the great thinkers of

the world the churches which had lost

contact with each other during the

persecution held several important

councils in which they established key

points of Christianity

these councils established the list of

books we now consider the Bible

throughout several false ideas that

arose made compromises between arguing

churches

however during the last of these

councils it became clear that there were

major differences between churches in

the East and churches in the West

the West had established a formal

structure of church government including

deacons priests Bishops archbishops

Cardinals and at the very top of the

church the Pope the east on the other

hand disliked having one man over the

whole church

the problems grew until finally in 1054

A.D the church split into with the Roman

Catholic Church in the west and the

Eastern Orthodox Church in the East the

Roman Catholic Church grew larger and

larger over the next several centuries

as it did several questionable teachings

became part of the church some men began

to protest against these practices

earning the name Protestants

some of the most important Protestants

were Erasmus Ulrich zwingli and John

Calvin but the most important Protestant

was Martin Luther

Luther was a Catholic priest but he

became so upset at the problems in the

church that he rejected the Catholic

Church altogether and began a whole new

type of church so after splitting into

the Eastern Orthodox church and the

Roman Catholic Church Christianity split

again when the Protestant Church broke

off after this split Europe went through

several centuries of war between

Catholics and Protestants the Protestant

Church never formed one large leadership

structure like the Catholics did but

instead remained a lot of smaller pieces

when the Americas were discovered

Catholics and Protestant countries began

to compete for control of the new lands

sending missionaries along with

explorers and conquerors

Catholics were the first to arrive in

much of South and Central America while

North America was mostly settled by

Protestants North American colonies

looked very attractive to Protestants

who were being persecuted in their home

countries

large numbers of Protestants traveled

the ocean to set up colonies where they

could freely practice their own

religions these colonies grew large and

gradually grew angry at the oppressive

countries from which they had come such

as England

eventually they declared their

independence and after a period of War

they founded a country known as the

United States of America after the

Americas were established countries

began sending missionaries all over the

world including China Japan India and

especially Africa

the good news of Christianity has

reached all the way around the globe

though with varying levels of success

today about 2.1 billion people claim to

be Christians about 30 percent of

everyone in the world

and all this took place in just over 2

000 years starting with one very unique

person Jesus