Ecumenical movements within Protestantism have focused on determining a list of doctrines and practices essential to being Christian and thus extending to all groups which fulfill these basic criteria a (more or less) equal status, with perhaps one's own group still retaining a "first among equal" standing. This process involved a redefinition of the idea of "the Church" from traditional theology. This ecclesiology, known as denominationalism, contends that each group (which fulfills the essential criteria of "being Christian") is a sub-group of a greater "Christian Church", itself a purely abstract concept with no direct representation, i.e. no group, or "denomination", claims to be "the Church". Obviously, this ecclesiology it at variance with other groups that indeed consider themselves to be "the Church". But moreover, because the "essential criteria" generally consist of belief in the holy Trinity, it has resulted in strife between these Protestant ecumenical movements and non-Trinitarian groups such as Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and Jehovah's Witnesses, which are not often not regarded as Christian by these ecumenical groups.
The following links give an overview of the history of Christianity:
The following link provides quantitative data related to Christianity and other major religions, including rates of adherence at different points in time:
Timeline of Christianity
This timeline is to show the history of Christianity from the beginning to the present. Question marks on dates mean that dates are not exact.
Western culture and Christian churches use the Gregorian calendar. The Gregorian calendar has been in use since 1582 when it replaced the less precise Julian Calendar. The Gregorian calendar began in Europe, in the reign of Pope Gregory XIII. The Gregorian calendar is now used almost everywhere in the world (except for calculating the holy days of other religions).
The Gregorian calendar dates years from before or after the birth of Jesus. Years that are before the birth of Jesus have the initials BC (before Christ) and years that are after (traditionally) have the initials AD (anno Domini – "in the year of our Lord"). Nowadays these are often written BCE ("before the Common Era") and CE ("Common Era").
The "year one" is the first year in "anno Domini" (the Common Era). There is no year zero. When the Gregorian calendar was calculated, the scholars tried to work out exactly when the birth of Jesus happened. The exact date is not certain, but most agree that it was between 6 BC and 4 BC.
This list tells only about the things that happened in the part of the world where Jesus was born. This region is now called Israel and Palestine. In the time of Jesus, it was under the rule of the Romans.
Jesus began his ministry after his baptism by John and during the rule of Pilate, preaching: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (). While the historicity of the gospel accounts is questioned to some extent by most critical scholars and non-Christians, the traditional view states the following chronology for his ministry: Temptation, Sermon on the Mount, Appointment of the Twelve, Miracles, Temple Money Changers, Last Supper, Arrest, Trial, Passion, Crucifixion on Good Friday (, ), Nisan 14th (, , Gospel of Peter) or Nisan 15th (Synoptic Gospels), (7 Apr 30, 3 Apr 33, 30 Mar 36, possible Fri-14-Nisan dates – Meier), entombment by Pharisees Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus of the Sanhedrin, Resurrection by God on Easter Sunday, appearances to Paul of Tarsus (), Simon Peter (), Mary Magdalene (, ), and others, Great Commission, Ascension, Second Coming Prophecy to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment, and establishment of the Kingdom of God and the Messianic Age. See also Chronology of Jesus.
Shortly after the Crucifixion of Jesus (Nisan 14 or 15), the Jerusalem church was founded as the first Christian church with about 120 Jews and Jewish proselytes (), followed by Pentecost, the Ananias and Sapphira incident, Pharisee Gamaliel's defense of the Apostles (), the stoning of Saint Stephen (see also Persecution of Christians) and the subsequent dispersal of the church () which led to the baptism of Simon Magus in Samaria (), and also an Ethiopian eunuch (). Paul's conversion to "Apostle to the Gentiles" is first recorded in (, cf. ). Peter baptized the Centurion Cornelius, who is traditionally considered the first Gentile convert to Christianity (). The Antioch church was founded. It was there that the term Christian was first used (). Saint James was executed by Agrippa I (ruled 39–44) during a Passover (Nisan 15) ().
Constantine called the First Council of Nicaea in 325 to unify Christology, also called the first great Christian council by Jerome, the first ecumenical, decreed the Original Nicene Creed, but rejected by Nontrinitarianism such as Arius, Theonas, Secundus, Eusebius of Nicomedia, and Theognis who were excommunicated, also addressed Easter controversy and passed 20 Canon laws.
List of coats of arms of the districts in Rhineland-Palatinate
List of coats of arms of the 24 districts and the 12 urban districts in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Schism (religion)
The word schism ('sɪzəm or ), from the Greek σχίσμα, "skhísma" (from σχίζω, "skhízō", "to tear, to split"), means a division or a split, usually in an organization or a movement.
A schismatic is a person who creates schism in an organization or who is a member of a splinter group. "Schismatic" as an adjective means belonging to a schism or schisms, or to those ideas, policies, etc. that are thought to lead towards schism.
The words "schism" and "schismatic" have found perhaps their heaviest usage in the history of Christianity, to speak of splits within a church.
Within Christianity the word "schism" may refer to:
Though it is very important to note the difference between schism and heresy. Heresy is to reject or doubt the beliefs of the Church after having been baptised. Schism means that the opposing parties have a disagreement within the establishment. Both groups have to accept that they are in schism. In the canon law of the Catholic Church, an act of schism, apostasy or heresy brings the penalty of excommunication.
There are divisions between Sunni, Shia, and Kharijite Islam in CE 632 regarding the rightful successor to the prophet Muhammad. In 661 and 680 there were divisions regarding the rightful claimant to the Caliphate.
In Buddhism, the first schism was set up by Devadatta, during Buddha's life. After Buddha's passing away, the early Buddhist schools developed various schisms. In the old texts, 18 or 20 early schools are mentioned. Later, there were the Mahayana and Vajrayana movements, which can be regarded as being schismatic in origin. There are now perhaps thousands of different Buddhist sects.
Throughout the Jewish history, Judaism survived many schisms. Today, major Jewish denominations are Orthodox Judaism and non-Orthodox: Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist.
Proselyte
Proselyte, from Greek "/proselytos", is used in the Septuagint for "stranger", i.e. a newcomer to Israel; a sojourner in the land, and in the New Testament (Strong's G4339) for a convert to Judaism from Paganism. It is a translation of the Hebrew word "/ger" (Strong's H1616).
There are two kinds of proselyte:
A righteous proselyte was a Gentile who had converted to Judaism, was bound to all the doctrines and precepts of the Jewish economy, and was considered a full member of the Jewish people.
A gate proselyte was a "resident alien" who lived in the Land of Israel and followed some of the customs.
The "religious proselytes" spoken of in Early Christian writings were righteous proselytes, as distinguished from gate proselytes.
Twelve Apostles