Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Christianity
To his followers, Jesus of Nazareth was more than
just a prophet, he was the Son of God and bringer
of a new covenant replacing the one given by God
to Abraham (see p22) . His Crucifixion in Jerusalem
came to be seen as self-sacrifice for the salvation of
humankind and inspired a new religious movement
based on his teachings. At first this existed as a subsect
of Judaism; Jesus came to be known as Christ ( Christos ,
the anointed one, in Greek), as he was held to be
the Messiah of Jewish prophecies. However, the new
religion spread far beyond Judaea. It saw persecution,
then recognition by the Roman Empire, eventually
becoming its dominant religion in the 4th century AD.
The cross is a symbol of the
Crucifixion of Christ. An
empty cross shows that he
has risen from the dead.
THE EUCHARIST (MASS)
Greek Orthodox priests celebrate the Eucharist,
the taking of bread and wine, representing the
body and blood of Christ. One of the central
sacraments of Christianity, it was instituted by
Jesus himself at the Last Supper (see p117) .
The Christian Bible is
in two parts: the Old
Testament consists of
Jewish sacred texts; the
New Testament relates
the life and teaching of
Jesus and his Apostles.
The latter was written
from the mid-1st
century. Most early
texts were in Greek; a
definitive Latin version
by St Jerome (see p195
)
appeared in about
AD 404. The Protestant
Reformation inspired
translations into many
other languages, such
as this English version,
from the 16th century.
Icons play a major role in the Greek
and Russian Orthodox churches.
This example from St Catherine's
Monastery (see pp246-9 y shows
Christ in Majesty . Usually painted
on wood, they are used as aids to
devotion, bringing the worshipper
into the presence of the subject.
The Virgin and Child is a favourite
Christian image. Depictions of the
baby Jesus emphasize the human
side of his nature, while the cult of
his mother, the Virgin Mary, allows
the faithful to identify with the
joys and suffering of motherhood.
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