The Christian does not think

God will love us because we are

good, but that God will make us
good because He loves us.
C.S. Lewis
Welcome to the
world of
CHRISTIANITY
Christianity is a
monotheistic religion
centered on the life and
teachings of Jesus as
presented in the New
Testament.

Adherents of Christianity,
known as Christians, believe that
Jesus is the only begotten Son of
God and the Messiah (Christ)
prophesied in the Hebrew Bible
(the part of scripture common to
Christianity and Judaism).
Christian theology : Jesus
Christ is a teacher, the model
of a virtuous life, the revealer
of God, incarnation of God, &
most importantly the savior of
humanity who suffered, died,
was resurrected to bring about
salvation from sin.

Christians maintain that
Jesus ascended into heaven,
and most denominations teach
that Jesus will return to judge
the living and the dead,
granting everlasting life to his
followers. Christians call the
message of Jesus Christ the
Gospel ("good news") and
hence label the earliest written
accounts of his ministry as
gospels.
A Brief History
>> Christianity is classified as an Abrahamic religion.

>> Christianity began as a Jewish sect in the eastern Mediterranean, quickly grew
in size and influence over a few decades, and by the 4th century had become the
dominant religion within the Roman Empire.

>> During the Middle Ages, most of the remainder of Europe was Christianized,
with Christians also being a (sometimes large) religious minority in the Middle
East, North Africa, and parts of India. Following the Age of Discovery, through
missionary work and colonization, Christianity spread to the Americas and the rest
of the world.

>> Christianity has played a prominent role in the shaping of Western civilization
at least since the 4th century. As of the early 21st century, Christianity has
between 1.5 billion and 2.1 billion adherents, representing about a quarter to a
third of the worlds population

Christianity in Western Europe
The spread of Christianity, largely through the work of
missionaries and monks, helped unify western Europe
after the collapse of the Roman Empire.

New Kingdoms in Europe

The fall of Rome had different results. In the east, the Byzantine
Empire flourished. In the west, no single empire arose from Romes
ashes. Germanic groups established many small kingdoms.
Angles, Saxons
among Germanic
peoples establishing
kingdoms in Europe
400s, migrated to
Britain and seven
small, independent
kingdoms established
Angles, Saxons

Anglo-Saxon
kingdoms were not
Christian at first
Late 500s, group of
monks led by
Augustine of
Canterbury arrived in
kingdom of Kent
Anglo-Saxon
England
Augustine converted
many people of Kent

Named Archbishop of
Canterbury

Christianity slowly
spread through rest
of England
Christianity Slowly
Spread
Christian European Society
When Rome fell in late 400s, Christianity mostly confined to southern
Europe
By about 600, Christianity had spread northward into other parts of
continent
Conversion of Anglo-Saxons, Franks helped make western Europe into
largely Christian society
Following fall of Rome, Christianity appealed to many Europeans
Period known as Middle Ages, or medieval times
Many peoples lives filled with doubt, suffering hardship
Christianity offered comfort, promise of happy afterlife, sense of community
Among most famous, Patrick

Went to Ireland in 400s; faced
opposition, hostility, but
continued to preach

At time of death around 460,
nearly all Ireland was Christian

Through missionary work,
Christian society,
Christendom, linked most
western Europe
Patrick
Appeal of Christianity led many
Europeans to want to share
beliefs with others

Some became missionaries,
people who travel to spread
their religion

In addition to Augustine of
Canterbury, many others went
to new lands to spread
Christian beliefs
Missionaries
Spreading Christianity
Popes Influence

>> Early in Middle Ages, most popes had little
authority

>> Most saw pope as just another bishop

Gregory the Great

>> Lack of authority ended with Gregory the
Great

>> Worked to change views of papacy,
increase influence


Supreme Patriarch


>> Gregory thought, as successor to Peter,
pope should be supreme patriarch of church

>> Undertook reforms to strengthen papacy,
canon law


GregoryS Reforms

>> Encouraged missionary work and
monasticism, voluntary separation from
society

>> Encouraged people to care for poor, less
fortunate
Strengthening
the Papacy
Interpretations of Faith
As Christianity spread through diverse populations, people interpreted faith in
different ways
Debates arose over questions like humanity, divinity of Jesus
Used Ideas of Plato
Augustines writings helped shape Christian doctrine for centuries
City of God: people should pay less attention to material world than to Gods
plan for world; attempted to convince Romans God had not abandoned them
Written Explanations
To prevent, resolve conflicts, influential theologians wrote explanations to set
forth churchs official positions
Most influential of medieval theologians, Augustine of Hippo
Sharing Beliefs
Both forms had similar rules about communal life, but the organization and details of
life in their monasteries were quite different.
Gregory the Great increased emphasis on monasticism
Believed monks played important role in church
Monasticism gained popularity in the early Middle Ages.
Not new, first Christian monks in
Egypt in the 200s
Lived alone as hermits, or in
small groups
During Middle Ages, new form
of monasticism developed
Monasticism
Monks and Monasteries
Groups of monks lived in
monasteries, abided by strict
code of rules
Two monastic forms common in
Europe in early Middle Ages:
Benedictine, Celtic
Monasteries
Kingdoms and Christianity

Christianity in India

1. From the earliest times down
to the advent of Portuguese
2. Modern missionary enterprise
(Portuguese arrival)
3. Contemporary Christianity and its
Struggle
1. Early Church in India
(Thomas Christians)
Story of St. Thomas: Came to India 52AD to spread the
Gospel to the Jews of Kerala who came to India 562BCE
after the destruction of the Temple.
Language & Liturgy: Syriac (a dialect of Aramaic) used by
the Jews in India.
Mar Thoma (Church of Thomas): Thomas evangelized along
Malabar Coast of Kerala in the South India. Along Periyar
river, where Jewish colonies existed.
Martyrdom of St. Thomas: Chennai & buried at San Thome
Cathedral.

San Thom Cathedral in Chennai
(Figure)
St. Thomas believed to have
been buried here
Neo-Gothic style of
architecture, favoured by the
British architects of the 19th
century.
183 feet high spire was built in
1894.
Quick facts
4
th
C Missions
Christian Merchants: Flourishing trade with Central Asia,
Mediterranean, and Middle East along Mountain passes in the
North & Western and Eastern sea routes.
Travancore Manual: Thomas of Cana (a merchant & missionary):
brought 400 Christians from Baghdad, Nineveh and Jerusalem in
345AD.
Colony of Syrian Christians: First recorded Christian Community in
the South at Kondungallur.
Thus arrived Christianity in India in the 4
th
C AD
The earliest renovated existing Church in the
South India: 52AD
Modern Missionary Enterprise
(arrival of Catholicism)
The First Bishop of India: Jordanus Catalani (1320): French Dominican
missionary in Gujarat & Quilon: Conversion take place.
Portuguese Mission 15C: Pope gives Asia to the care of King Afonso V
in 1455 thus arrived Fransiscans, Dominicans, Jesuits, Augustinians
etc.
Vasco da Gama: Missionaries arrived in Kerala along in 1498.
Pedro lvares Cabral 1500: Arrived with 13 ships and 18 priests.
Diocese of Lisbon: Whole of the west was under the jurisdiction.
A Scar: Inquisio de Goa (1560-1812): To punish the recent converts
who still followed their ancestral religion in secret. 16,202 persons
were brought to trial.

Protestant Mission
1705
Lutherans: First protestant missionaries. Translated
the bible to Tamil language then Hindustani etc.
18
th
C; protestant missionaries spread throughout
the country.
19
th
C several Baptist American missionaries came
into existence.
Indian way of celebration
Christianity in the Modern Era
In the Modern Era, Christianity was confronted with various
forms of skepticism and with certain modern political
ideologies such as liberalism, nationalism and socialism.
Christian commitment in Europe dropped as modernity and
secularism came into their own in Western Europe, while
religious commitments in America have been generally high
in comparison to Western Europe.
The late 20th century has shown the shift of Christian
adherence to the Third World and southern hemisphere in
general, with western civilization no longer the chief standard
bearer of Christianity.
A Christian Worldview In A
Global Business Economy
Christian standpoint :Just because something is acceptable or legal
in the world does not make it acceptable to someone with a
Christian worldview. John 17:17 says that, "The word is truth," so
when one is looking for direction and guidance in any aspect of
business he will always know that the word of God is truth that he
can turn to. Although the field of business has many negative
connotations with Christianity there are also positive ones. The first
issue, pollution, can be view negatively. The second issue, job
opportunities, can be view positively.
Job opportunity is something very positive that Global business
offers not just to people in ones own nation but to other nations.
The Bible tells us to "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to
mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we
told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders
and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

At this past years "Christians in the Market Place," panel discussion several
of the speakers touch on what is probably the most important thing to
remember when trying to look at the business world from a stand point of a
Christian, and that was living a holistic life.
Mr. Andrew Corley, a business man said "I am who I am at work and at
home." This can make a huge impact on any aspect of business.
Mr. Eric Reynolds, a news anchor for Fox 10 here in Mobile, talked about
working in the secular world.
Mr. Reynolds : Since the world knew our school as a Christian school they
expect more out of its students as far as integrity and things of that nature.
This is a very true statement.
As stated earlier other countries expect more out of the United States,
because it is known as a Christian nation. Even though we, citizens of the
United States, know this is not true. The surrounding nations do not look at
it like that. It is refreshing to know that there is a place, a school, that is
educating its future global business candidates not to just go out into the
world and conduct business with people; but to go out into the world and
conduct business with people while still maintaining a Christian emphasis.
"The purpose of developing a Christian view of the world is not merely to
evaluate and judge the world, but to change it," (Boa, 2004). That is our
mission, "Changing Lives to Change the World."



Let us all hope for the Religious
Unity in India
Aakanksha Vats
PGDM (HR)
Roll No. 061