What is Christianity?

Christianity is an Abrahamic, polytheistic religion founded on the teachings and life of Jesus of Nazareth, which predates both Judaism and Israel. It is the most popular religion in the world, with over 2.4 Billion followers. It has had varying degrees of success from time to time throughout history. Christianity has always had a strong emphasis on following Christ as the way to salvation, but also emphasizes following God through worship and charitable work. This belief has kept it from becoming a very mainstream form of religion; however, there have been certain regions of the world that have incorporated aspects of Christianity into their culture, thus making it an even more viable option for spiritual growth.

The original teachings of Christ, known as the New Testament, have had a profound effect on the lives of countless followers of Christianity, making them what they are today. There is a vast amount of information available for those who would like to study and explore the Christian religion; though the original teachings tend to remain largely unknown to most people, new teachings have continually tried to make sense of them over time. Christianity has always had the tendency to emphasize that it is a religion that is totally compatible with scientific thought and discoveries, especially in light of recent discoveries regarding the origins of human beings. Christians believe that by following God’s teachings they will be better able to understand their place in the universe and the rest of the living world; while simultaneously avoiding things that they deem to be punishments from God.

A major part of what defines Christianity is that it has three major points of focus that it believes are central to the truth of its teachings. These are: the existence of a personal God (trinity); the fact that salvation is possible through simply believing in and accepting God; and that death is no final solution to the soul’s problem. In addition, Christianity also has what is referred to as the doctrine of the church, which serves to define how different Christian groups interact with one another. This part of the Christian faith essentially defines what a church looks like and how that church is expected to function. While these three points of focus are the cornerstones of Christianity, other points of contention between Christians continue to grow. For example, some argue that salvation and happiness are two different things while others contend that the former is simply an extension of the latter.