On this occasion we want to make a list of what are the main characteristics of Christianity, religion – which according to the publication of the Vatican Agency Asianews in 2012 – is practiced on the planet by at least two hundred and eighty million people, of whom fifty percent are made up of Catholic parishioners, with the other half corresponding to the many cults whose dogmas and beliefs also revolve around the figure of Christ. Here are some of the characteristics of Christianity:

Christ as a central figure

Christianity, taken as the sum of religions around the worship or veneration of Christ, is characterized by being a Messianic religion, which fervently believes that the historical character of Jesus of Nazareth (more information in Jesus’ Biography of Jesus of Nazareth Nazareth) came to earth, as an incarnation of God (at the time he is also his son) to fulfill the Jewish prophecies, which spoke of the advent of a Savior, who would come to cleanse man from original sin. For Christians this messiah is Christ.

The influence of this historical figure and this religion on the world is such that not only is the death of this historical character – and resurrection, according to Christian texts – marks the beginning of Christianity, but the world today tells its time from birth of Christ, that is, for historians our age was born with Jesus, so that all that event is measured in years before Christ (BC) and after Christ (d.C).

Human-divine duality of Christ

Likewise, Christianity is characterized by the strong belief that Christ constituted a being that encompassed in him both divine qualities, since he was the “incarnate verb”, son of God, as well as human qualities, precisely because he was incarnated in the figure of a Man.

However, it is noteable that this incarnation occurred cyclically, that is, that the Son of God was gestated as a human in the womb of a woman, was brought into the world through childbirth, grew, educated, and also led a human life, with the fragility and sensitivity that this implies.

In this way, Christians believe that Jesus the Christ not only possessed the wisdom and divine gifts, but because of his stay on earth he suffered and felt like one of them, even giving his life and blood to save them from eternal damnation, to which Adam and Eve had subdued humanity.

The Holy Trinity, as a mystery

Likewise, another of the basic beliefs of every Christian is the Holy Trinity, which consists of a triad made up of God, Jesus his son and the Holy Spirit. However, this deity is one of the great theological mysteries, for according to Christianity it is not three different forces or deities that make up a single force, but that all three are the same deity, that is God.

In this way God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit form the great mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, which is also revered by the followers of this belief.

The Bible, the greatest book of Christianity

Formed by the Old Testament (book in common with followers of Judaism) and the New Testament, the Bible is made up of several books attests to the events of the Jewish people from its appearance (Old Testament) to the arrival of Christ and the events that occurred after his departure (New Testament).

Within the Bible, the Gospels stand out, books written in the handwriting of four men that narrate the facts of Jesus’ life, from his birth to his public appearance, his preaching, his death, resurrection and transfiguration.

Despite the fact that most Christians believe only in the existence of these four gospels, over the years some researchers have affirmed the existence of other texts that bear witness to Jesus’ passage through the earth, such as those attributed to Mary Madeleine or even Jesus of Nazareth himself. However, this is a topic of discussion, being recognized by the Christian Faith only those of Luke, Matthew, John and Mark.

Heavenly paradise as a promise

Another of the main characteristics of Christianity is to believe in the existence of a heavenly Paradise that will be given as a reward only to the righteous at heart.

In this sense, for Christians, the Demon or Satan (evil deity that goes against God) is in constant work to tempt humanity to commit sins (act that goes against the principles of God, saddening it) in order to be damned. That is when the figure of Christ arises, for it is he who accompanies man in his struggle to achieve the salvation of his spirit.

Likewise, another characteristic of Christianity emerges from this belief, and it is that of not believing in reincarnation,a possibility assumed as real by religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

On the contrary, for Christianity once the human dies, his soul immediately goes to the presence of God, in order to account for those he did in life, and from there the spiritual fate of the individual is decided, either if he goes to hell (place of punishment and torment, where Satan reigns) or Paradise, where he will rest in God’s boon.

Final Judgment

Likewise, beyond the individual judgments that each soul has when he leaves his body and goes before the presence of God, based on Christian beliefs. This religion also believes in the end of the world, so it is not only a messianic religion, but Christianity also has beliefs that make it an apocalyptic religion, that is, it believes in the advent of an apocalypse.

In this way, Christianity firmly believes that Jesus will return to earth a second time, but this time to judge the behavior of humanity. However, before the world as we know it will be destroyed.

Likewise, Christians believe that at the time of the Second Coming, the dead will rise from their graves, and the Great Universal Judgment will occur, that is, the moment when God will judge the living and dead, deciding the fate of each, according to the actions they have had it in life.

Some will be taken to Paradise; others thrown to hell. So it could be said that the ultimate goal of the Christian Religion is then to seek the eternal salvation of the spirit, which is achieved through faith in Christ, in God and in the Holy Spirit, as well as in the follow-up of Christian doctrine, preached by Jesus during his stay on earth.

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