christianity - dk

EyewitnessCHRISTIANITY

RussianOrthodox

icons

SalvationArmysong

leaderplaying a

cornet

Abbot’scrozier

Model of the Mayflower

Horn of SaintHubert

Holywaterstoup

Stained-glass fragmentdepicting the Madonna

and Child

Written by

PHILIP WILKINSONPhotographed by

STEVE TEAGUE

Illuminated Latin psalter

EyewitnessCHRISTIANITY

Carving ofan angelswinging a censer

Gargoyle

Censer andincense boat on stand

Statue ofSaint Joseph

Bread and wine forHoly Communion

Rosary with medals

Rosarymedal

Model ofa baroque

church

Discover more at

For Bookwork LtdEditor Annabel Blackledge

Art editor Kate Mullins

For DK PublishingManaging editor

Andrew MacintyreManaging art editors

Clare Shedden, Jane ThomasUS editors Margaret Parrish, Christine Heilman

Category publisher Linda MartinProduction controller Erica Rosen

Picture researchersAngela Anderson, Bridget Tily

Picture librarian Claire BowersDTP designer Siu Yin Ho

Jacket designer Dean Price

Consultants Annette Reynolds,

AD Publishing Services Ltd, Jon Reynolds, Diocesan Director of Education

PAPERBACK EDITIONEditor John Searcy

Writer Elizabeth HesterConsultant Peggy Morgan

Publishing director Beth SutinisSenior designer Tai BlancheDesigner Diana Catherines

Photo research Chrissy McIntyreArt director Dirk KaufmanDTP designer Kathy Farias

Production Ivor Parker

This Eyewitness ® Guide has been conceived by Dorling Kindersley Limited and Editions Gallimard

Hardback edition first published in Great Britain in 2003This edition first published in Great Britain in 2006 by

Dorling Kindersley Limited,80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Copyright © 2003, © 2006 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London

A Penguin Company

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,

recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN-13: 978-1-40531-603-3ISBN-10: 1-4053-1603-9

Colour reproduction by Colourscan, Singapore

Printed in China by Toppan Co. (Shenzen) Ltd.

LONDON, NEW YORK, MELBOURNE,MUNICH, and DELHI

6In the beginning

8The birth of Jesus

10The teachings of Jesus

14The crucifixion

16The resurrection

18Spreading the word

20God’s book

26Heaven and Hell

28Catholicism

32The Orthodox church

34The Reformation

36Protestantism

40The Christian life

44Monks and nuns

48The priesthood

50The church

52Holy Communion

54Ways to worship

56Christian calendar

58The cycle of life

60Christian culture

64Did you know?

66Timeline

68Find out more

70Glossary

72Index

ContentsAbbot in

ceremonialrobes

66

In the beginningTHE BIBLE BEGINS WITH stories of the creation of the worldand the early Jewish people. These books, which make upthe Old Testament of the Christian Bible, and which are also sacred to the Jews, were written by Jewish scribes longbefore the birth of Jesus. For the Jews they are importantbecause they describe the covenant, or special relationship,between God and the Jewish people. For Christians the Old Testament has added significance because many of thestories seem to prefigure, or mirror, events that happened later when Jesus came to save humankind from sin.

ENEMY IN EDENSatan, who lived in Hell (pp. 26–27), was God’s

archenemy. Early Jewish writers said that theserpent in the Garden of Eden, a cunning tempter,was Satan in disguise. In the Book of Genesis, theserpent tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, just

as Satan later tempted Jesus in the New Testament.

ORIGINAL SINThe serpent tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit,and Adam followed suit. God was angry at theirdisobedience and threw them out of the Garden ofEden. Christians believe that Adam and Eve, andtheir descendants, were tainted with this “originalsin”. Only the coming of Jesus Christ wouldeventually offer humankind a way of escaping sin and achieving everlasting life with God.

FORBIDDEN FRUITGenesis, the first book of the Bible (p. 20), tells howGod created Heaven and Earth, land and water,animals and birds, and finally Adam and Eve – thefirst man and woman. God put them in the Gardenof Eden, and told them that the only fruit they mustnot eat was the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.

The serpent isoften pictured as asnake like this red

spitting cobra

The forbidden fruitis often imagined tohave been an apple

Satan

Saint Michael is weighing souls to determine whether theyshould go to Heaven or Hell

This 12th-centurypainting of Satan showshim with Saint Michael

4th-century depiction of Adam and Eve in Eden

7

PROPHETS AND LEADERSThe Old Testament contains storiesabout Jewish ancestors such asAbraham and the great leader Moses,who guided the Jews from slavery inEgypt back to their homeland. TheOld Testament also includes writingsabout and by prophets such as Isaiahand Daniel, who told of the comingof a Messiah, or saviour.

“Don’t hurt the boy or do anything to him. Now I know that you

honour and obey God.”GENESIS 22:12

Angel of the Lord to Abraham

7

THE GREAT FLOODAnother story in Genesis tells how God became disenchanted with all the evil in the world, and sent a great flood to destroy much of thewickedness. Only one good man, Noah, was allowed to escape withhis family. He built a great boat, the ark, in which he, his sons andtheir wives, and all the birds and animals took refuge. Christiansthink of Noah as the second father of the human race, after Adam.

SACRIFICIAL RAMGod ordered Abraham to kill his son Isaac as asacrifice. Abraham was about to obey when anangel told him to stop and kill a ram instead.Christians see this story as a prophecy of theway in which God would sacrifice Jesus.

The dove brought Noah a leaf to showthat the flood waters were going down

Moses window from AugsburgCathedral in Germany

Mosaic of Noah andhis family in the ark

Isaiah window fromAugsburg Cathedral

in GermanyDaniel window fromAugsburg Cathedral

in Germany

Godprovided a

ram forAbraham’s

sacrifice

8

JOHN THE BAPTISTJohn led the life of a prophet andpreacher, encouraging people torepent their sins and be baptized.John’s preaching prepared theway for Jesus, and when Jesusgrew up he asked John tobaptize him in the River Jordan.

8

The birth of JesusTHE GOSPELS (p. 21) tell how a virgin called Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.

Followers of Christ (Christians)believe that Jesus was God’s son, andthat the prophets of the Old Testamenthad predicted he would come andsave humankind from sin. The ideathat God became human in this way is called the incarnation, meaning that

God’s spirit was made into human flesh. The birth ofJesus marked the origin of the Christian religion.

GLAD TIDINGSLuke’s account of the nativity

describes how angels appearedto shepherds in the fields just

outside Bethlehem. The angelstold them the good news of

Jesus’ birth and the shepherdscame down from the fields into

the town to worship the newbornking. This story shows that Jesus

is important to everyone, even“outsiders” like the shepherds.

MADONNAAND CHILDStatues of Mary, or theMadonna, andthe infant Jesusare a reminder ofMary’s vital role

in the Christianstory. She is a link

between the humanand spiritual worlds.

THE ANNUNCIATIONLuke’s Gospel describes how the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary totell her that, even though she was a virgin, she was about to becomepregnant. Gabriel announced that Mary would be visited by the HolySpirit (p. 26) and would give birth to God’s son, who would be a kingwhose rule would last for ever. Mary was told to call her son Jesus.

The angels play instrumentsthat were popular in the16th century, when thisaltarpiece was made

Mary is traditionallyshown wearing blue

Modernmosaic fromOld PlazaChurch inCalifornia,USA

The HolySpirit isshown inthe formof a dove

John carries a banner bearing Latin wordsmeaning ”Behold the Lamb of God”

John wears camel-hair clothes,the typical garments of a prophet

HUMBLE BEGINNINGSMary and Joseph werestaying in Bethlehem atthe time of the nativity,or birth, of Jesus. All theinns in the town werefull, so Jesus had to beborn in the humblest ofsurroundings – a stable.

Statue byDonatello,1386–1466

99

15th-centurystained glass

from UlmCathedral in

Germany

ROYAL RIVALRYKing Herod ruled the

Holy Land on behalf of the Romans. According to Matthew, he tried to

destroy Jesus, whom he saw as a rival to

his throne. Herod told his men to kill all the

children in Bethlehemwho were less thantwo years old. God

warned Joseph ofthis, and he escaped withMary and Jesus to Egypt.

FOLLOW THE STARMatthew’s Gospel tells

how magi, or wisemen, followed a star

from the east toJerusalem in search

of a child born to rule the people of Israel. King

Herod sent themto Bethlehem,

where theyfound Jesus.

The shepherdswatch theirflocks of sheep

God looks downfrom Heaven

Mary, her husband Joseph,and the baby Jesus

Glazed earthenwarealtarpiece made by Giovanni della Robbia, 1521

FIT FOR A KINGThe magi worshipped Jesus and gave him three gifts: gold,frankincense, and myrrh. Thesymbolism of these gifts may beinterpreted in different ways. Oneinterpretation is that gold representsriches, frankincense kingship, andmyrrh a special spiritual calling.

14th-centurypendant showingthe magi with Jesus

Gold

Frankincense

Myrrh

1011

HUMBLE LEADERJesus called 12 disciples to be hisspecial companions. They wereexpected to leave their familiesand possessions to follow andhelp Jesus, and carry on his workafter his death. When he washedthe disciples’ feet, as shown onthis French manuscript, Jesus wasshowing them that they shouldbe as humble as their leader.

The teachings of JesusJESUS’ MINISTRY – his period of teaching –probably lasted no more than three years, butit had an enormous impact. During this shorttime he preached, taught, and performedmiracles in the Holy Land, especially in thevillages around the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was a brilliant teacher who could explain things in ways that everyone could understand. Histeachings attracted many followers becausethey revealed a new way of looking at God’s

kingdom. He said it was open to all believers who would turn awayfrom their sins, including the poor, the sick, and social outcasts.

FISHERS OF MENAs this Italian mosaic shows,Andrew and Simon were fishermen.Jesus called them to be his disciples,telling them that, if they followedhim, he would teach them to catchpeople (enlist new followers ofChrist) instead of fish.

A LIFE IN GLASSThis window from St Albans Cathedral inHertfordshire, England,shows key episodes fromthe life of Jesus. It includeshis baptism, the water intowine miracle, and thecrucifixion. The bottomright-hand panel of thewindow shows Jesus as ashepherd, a symbol of theway in which he cared forthe people around him.

FEEDING THE MULTITUDEThis is the only miracledescribed in all four of theGospels. After a long day’spreaching, Jesus and thedisciples wished to rest, but they were followed by a vast crowd who wantedto hear Jesus speak. Jesusfelt sorry that the crowdhad no food, and producedenough for all of themfrom the only availablefoodstuffs – five smallloaves and two fishes.

Jesus turns waterinto wine at Cana

Jesus on the crosssurrounded by

Roman soldiers andthe two Marys

CALMING WATERSJesus grew up in Nazareth, butmoved to Capernaum, on the banksof the Sea of Galilee, where he beganhis ministry. Jesus did much of histeaching in this region, and one of hismiracles was the calming of a stormon the lake’s waters. When he wanteda quiet place to pray, Jesus travelledinto the local hills, which can be seenin the background of this photographof the Sea of Galilee’s northern shore.

WATER INTO WINEJesus’ first miracle, which is

described in John’s Gospel, took place at a wedding that he attended at Cana in Galilee. When the wine ran out, Jesus

told the servants to fill six large pots with water,and when they poured the liquid out of the pots it had

turned into wine. The wine was so good that the gueststhought the bridegroom had kept the best until last.

The miraclesThe Gospels describe more than 30 of Jesus’miracles. Some of these involved feeding theneedy, others were “nature miracles”, such ascalming the storm or walking on the water. But the majority involved some sort of healing –either curing people of physical diseaseslike leprosy and paralysis or “casting outdemons” to rid people of mental illness.The Gospels record three occasions whenJesus even raised people from the dead.

TAX COLLECTORSSome members of a Jewish groupcalled the Pharisees tried to trickJesus into criticizing the Romanauthorities. They asked him whetherit was right that they should paytaxes to the Romans. Jesus showedthem the emperor’s portrait on thecoins and said that they should give

Terracotta jars for storing water

Paying the tax collector

GOD’S OWN SONThe Gospels describe

how, when Jesus was baptized (p. 58), the Holy Spirit camedown like a dove and God’s

voice was heard saying, “Thisis my own dear Son”. This

momentous event, shown herein a 5th-century mosaic from

Ravenna in Italy, marks thebeginning of Jesus’ ministry.

Continued on next page

12

PLANTING WORDSJesus compared his words to seedsscattered by a farmer. Some of theseed fell on the path and was steppedon. Some fell on rocky ground or

among thorn bushes, where seedlingscould not grow. Finally, some fell ongood soil and grew into corn. Jesus saidthat people who heard and understood his words were like the good soil.

Continued from previous page

Parables and lessonsJesus’ favourite way of teaching was to use parables – short stories that make their point by means of a simplecomparison. Jesus used these parables to talk about thekingdom of God, and to illustrate how people shouldbehave towards each other. Jesus also preached morallectures called sermons. The most famous of these was the Sermon on the Mount, in which he explained the keyfeatures of the kingdom of God (p. 26) and the Christianway of life. Above all, Jesus said that you should “Do forothers what you want them to do for you”.

LESSON OF THE FIG TREEJesus told people to think of a

fig tree. When its leaves start toappear, people know that summeris on its way. Similarly, they should

look out for signs of Jesus’ secondcoming. When strange things happen

to the moon and stars, when wholecountries are in despair, and people are

faint from fear, then they will know that the kingdom of God is about to come.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN Jesus taught that you should love your neighbour. When someone asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?” he told this story: A man was robbed and left for dead. A Jewish priest and a Levite passed, but did not help. Then aSamaritan – a member of a group scorned by the Jews – came by. He helpedthe injured man and took him to safety. The Samaritan was the true neighbour.

Figs andfig leaf

12

19th-centurywindow ofthe GoodSamaritan

Sower’s bagand seeds

THE LOST SONThis parable tells of a man who divided his wealth between his two sons.The younger son went off and spent his share, while his brother workedhard at home. When the younger son returned, his father killed his prizecalf for a celebratory feast. The elder son objected, but his father said,“He was lost, but now he has been found”. These Chinese illustrationsshow the story from the handing over of the money to the family feast.

SERMON ON THE MOUNTIn this sermon Jesus said that members of God’s kingdom should try to achieve the perfection shown by God. Forexample, he explained that it is not enough simply to obey thecommandment, “Do not commitmurder”. Christians should avoid anger completely.

The disciples havehaloes, to indicatetheir holiness

1313

“Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be

merciful to them! Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God!”

MATTHEW 5:7–8Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

15th-century frescoby Fra Angelico

Jesus wouldprobably havesat down todeliver thesermon

THE LORD’S PRAYERJesus gave his most important lesson about

prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. He toldhis listeners not to pray ostentatiously withlong, elaborate prayers – God knows whatyou need before you ask. Instead, he gave

them the Lord’s Prayer beginning, “Our Fatherin Heaven, hallowed be your name…”. It has

been translated into languages as diverse asSpanish and Chinese, and is repeated in

Christian churches the world over.

Horn bookwith the

text of theLord’s

Prayer inLatin

FLOWERY FINERYDuring the Sermon on

the Mount, Jesus told hislisteners that they should not

care too much about everydaythings like food and clothes.

Wild flowers do not have finegarments, but they are stillbeautifully dressed. People

should be concerned withGod’s kingdom, not with

possessions or finery.

Commonpoppies

1415

The crucifixionJESUS WARNED HIS DISCIPLES several times that hewould soon die. He told them that the Jewish chiefpriests would reject him, that he would be killed, and that he would rise again after three days. Thedisciples failed to understand these warnings, and were unprepared for what happened when Jesus went to Jerusalem. Jesus was put on trial and condemned todeath on the cross. This is the most solemn part of theChristian story, but it is also the major turning point –

Christians believe Jesus’ blood was spilt so that they could be granted eternal life with God.

IN DENIALJesus was taken to theHigh Priest, Caiaphas,and was put before thesupreme Jewish council.As the disciple Peter satoutside he was accusedthree times of being oneof Jesus’ followers, but hedenied it each time. Acockerel crowed as Petermade his third denial. Jesus had told Peter thatthis would happen.

ENTRY INTO JERUSALEMJesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, as shown in thispainting from the Oratory of Saint Pellegrino in Italy.Many people laid downpalm leaves, or eventheir coats, to cover thedusty path in front of him.They were happy becausethe prophet Zechariah hadpredicted that their kingwould arrive on a donkey.

THE LAST SUPPERAt the time of Jesus’ arrest it wasPassover – the festival that celebratesthe freeing of the Jews from slaveryand looks forward to the coming ofthe Messiah. Jesus told his disciplesto arrange a Passover meal. He saidthat this would be the last meal hewould share with them and that oneof them would soon betray him.

BODY AND BLOODAt the last supper with his disciples, Jesus broke the bread and told them to eat it, saying,

“This is my body”. He then gave them thewine, saying, “This is my blood”. WhenChristians celebrate Communion (pp. 52–53)they remember or recreate these events.

Christ lookstriumphant,not suffering

Manychurcheshave acockerelweathervane toremindus of thedenial

JUDAS KISSAfter the last supper, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane.His disciple Judas Iscariot arrived with Roman soldiers and theJewish Temple guard. Judas greeted Jesus with a kiss – a signalhe had agreed with the soldiers. The soldiers arrested Jesus,who told his disciples not to resist but to accept God’s will.

10th-century crucifixfrom Denmark, made of

gilded carved oak

ON THE CROSSIn Jesus’ time

crucifixion was thenormal way in which

the Romans imposed the death sentence. Jesuswas crucified between twocriminals, and the Gospelsrecall that his death tookabout three hours – muchfaster than usual. At thepoint of Jesus’ death thecurtain in the Temple inJerusalem was torn in two and an earthquakeshook the ground.

Rosary medalshowing

Jesus carryinghis cross

THE ROAD TO CALVARYJesus was flogged andmocked before his death.Because he had beencalled King of the Jews he was forced to wear acrown of thorns. He wasmade to carry his heavycross along the steep roadto Calvary, the place ofcrucifixion. Jesus tried but he was too weak, so a spectator, Simon ofCyrene, carried it for him.

Rosary medalshowing Jesus

wearing thecrown of thorns

A modernreconstruction of the crown

of thorns

Jesus is shown withthe marks of the

nails in his palms

13th-century Syriac manuscript

The Kiss of Judas by Giotto di Bondone

A CONDEMNED MANThe council elders took Jesus to Pontius Pilate, theRoman governor, who hadthe power to impose thedeath penalty. Jesus wasaccused of setting himselfup as King of the Jews but,when asked about this, Jesussimply said, “So you say”.Pilate was unwilling tocondemn Jesus, and said the crowd could choose oneprisoner to be set free. Butthey refused to release Jesus.

1616

RISEN FROM THE DEADPontius Pilate ordered soldiers to guard Jesus’ tomb in case the disciplescame to take away his body. But the Gospels tell how, on the third dayafter the crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead while the guards slept.This set of three 15th-century Italian paintings (see also opposite) showsJesus rising from a Roman-style sarcophagus, or tomb, set into the rocks.

CHRISTIANS BELIEVE that on the third day after his crucifixion Jesus rose from the dead.The Gospels (p. 21) describe how, when heappeared to his disciples after the resurrection,some of them did not recognize him. Jesus’ bodyseemed to have changed, and he apparently was ableto appear and disappear at will. Christians believe inthe resurrection in different ways. Some are convincedthat the risen Jesus was literally alive on Earth. Others believe his presencewas a spiritual one, seenonly in the ways in which

his followers behaved. Most Christiansbelieve that Jesus joined God in Heaven, where he will stayuntil the last judgement (p. 26).

ROCK TOMBJoseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus,offered his own tombfor Jesus’ burial.This tomb wasprobably similar to the one above. Called an arcosolium, it hasbeen cut into the rock of a cliff face and sealedwith a large, round stone.

John, whosesymbol is an eagle

Mark,whosesymbol is a lion

THE EMPTY CROSSAn empty cross is a reminder ofJesus’ resurrection. The lamb at

the centre is a familiar symbol ofJesus, who is often referred to asthe Lamb of God. The lamb is an

innocent creature that is easilykilled, so it reminds Christians of

the sacrifice made by God in orderto redeem humankind from sin.

The resurrection

STRONG SYMBOLThe resurrection is one of the mostimportant parts ofthe Christian story.It is often depictedsymbolically, as in the case of thisembroidereddecoration from apriest’s clothing.

Matthew,whose symbolis a man

17

DOUBTING THOMASThe disciple Thomas said that he would believe in Jesus’ resurrection only if he sawthe wounds that Jesus had received whenhe was crucified. John’s Gospel recallsthat, when Jesus met the disciples, he showed Thomas his wounds.

17

Jesus is shownsurrounded by

clouds and angels

THE EMPTY TOMBA group of women, probably including Jesus’ follower Mary Magdalene,went to the tomb to anoint his body with spices. When they arrived,they found the tomb open and empty. An angel appeared to them andtold them that Jesus had risen from the dead. In Matthew’s account ofthis story, the amazing news was accompanied by an earthquake.

Illustration froma 15th-century

Italian Bible

LOOKING FOR JESUSJohn’s Gospel contains a moving account of Mary Magdalene’s searchfor Jesus’ body. As she wept at his disappearance, a man appearedwhom Mary believed to be a gardener. But when he spoke her name,she realized immediately that it was Jesus. He said, “Do not hold onto me, because I have not yet gone back up to the Father”.

12th-century stone relieffrom Saint Dominic’sAbbey in Silos, Spain

Luke, whosesymbol is an ox

“The Messiah mustsuffer and must rise

from death three days later.”

LUKE 24:46Jesus to his disciples

SUPPER AT EMMAUSShortly after the resurrection, Jesus met two of hisdisciples near a village called Emmaus. The pairdid not recognize him, but invited him to supperwith other disciples. It was only when Jesus brokethe bread and blessed it that they recognized him.Then he disappeared from their sight.

THE ASCENSIONThe Gospels and another

New Testament book calledActs record that, after telling

his disciples to spread theword (pp. 18–19), Jesus

joined his Father inHeaven. He was raised

up into the sky and thenvanished behind a cloud.

Mural from the Holy Trinity

Church in Sopocani,Serbia, c. 1265

1818

Spreading the wordIN THE DECADES following Jesus’ crucifixion, his disciplescontinued his work of teachingand preaching. Saint Paul wasthe most important of theseearly preachers. He foundedchurches around theMediterranean, and hisletters to these and otherchurches make up many of the books of the NewTestament. These letters haveproved a source of inspirationto the countless others whohave come after Paul and who have worked to spreadChristianity around the world.

TONGUES LIKE FIREThe Book of Acts describes how the discipleswere gathered together for an ancient Jewish

festival called Pentecost. There was a sound likea wind blowing through the room, and tongues

like fire spread out and touched each disciple,filling them with the Holy Spirit. Pentecost took

on a new significance to Christians after this day.

PERSECUTED CHRISTIANSAfter Pentecost, the Christian community started to grow, andPeter began to allow non-Jews to join the church. The Romanauthorities did not approve of Christianity, however, and manybelievers were persecuted. When the faith spread to Romeitself, many Christians kept their beliefs secret, even goingdown into the catacombs (underground tombs) to worship.

12th-century portrayalof Pentecost on the

Verdun Altar in Austria

The seated disciples aresurrounded by tongues like flame

Catacombs of Priscalla, Rome, Italy

PASSIONATE SAINT PETERPeter, as pictured on this 1430s Italian prayer book, wasone of the leaders of the disciples. At Pentecost, he spokepassionately to the others, telling them that they had beenvisited by the Holy Spirit and saying that Jesus had risenfrom the dead and was the Messiah promised by God.

1919

SAINT PAUL’S LEGACYEver since Saint Paul went on his journeys, Christians havetravelled around the world preaching the faith. Much of thismissionary activity took place in the 19th century, withEuropeans like Charles Creed preaching in countries such as New Zealand, as pictured here.

ANCIENT EPHESUSThe ancient city of Ephesus

(now in Turkey) was the siteof one of the most important

churches founded by Paul.His letter to the Ephesiansencourages unity, and tells

believers to follow theChristian path.

PAUL’S JOURNEYSAfter his vision on the road to Damascus, Saul converted toChristianity and took the namePaul. He travelled around theMediterranean, convertingpeople to Christianity andsetting up churches. As shownby this map, Paul’s journeystook him to Cyprus, Turkey,Macedonia, and Greece.

THE FIRST CHRISTIANSFor some time, Paul taught in thecity of Antioch in Syria, where thischurch was built many years later.Paul sometimes referred to Jesus as Christ, meaning “the AnointedOne”, so from this time on believersbecame known as Christians.

CONSTANTINE THE CONVERTIn 312, Constantine I became

emperor of Rome. The followingyear, he became a Christian andpassed the Edict of Milan, which

proclaimed that Christians shouldbe tolerated not persecuted. Thefaith could now spread with ease

across the vast Roman empire.

EASTERN EMPERORJustinian I, a Christian emperor, ruled the eastern, orByzantine, empire from 527 to 565. He encouragedreligious tolerance, tried to make peace between

the rival Christian sects that existed at the time, and built churches in his capital city of

Constantinople (now Istanbul in Turkey).

Saint PaulSaul was a Roman citizen and a Jew. He persecutedChristians and was presentat the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr(someone who dies for theirfaith). While on a journey to Damascus in Syria, Saulwas temporarily blinded by a dazzling light, and he heard the voice of Godasking him why he wasattacking the church.

Coin depictingJustinian I

Coin depictingConstantine I

20

HOLY PLACEBuilt by King Solomon,

the Temple in Jerusalem was the holiest of all places to theJews. It was destroyed by the

Babylonians, but the Jewseventually restored it. In the

Roman period, the Temple wasrebuilt again by Herod the Great.

Luke’s Gospel describes Jesusvisiting this temple as a boy.

GETTING HISTORICALMany of the Old Testament books are historical,

following the fate of the Jewish people over hundreds of years. These historical writings describe events in the

lives of notable kings, such as Solomon, who was famously visited from afar by the Queen of Sheba and her entourage.

God’s bookTHE CHRISTIAN BIBLE consists of more than 60 separate bookswritten over many centuries. These books are divided into twomain groups. The Old Testament contains the history and sacredwritings of the Jewish people before the time of Jesus, which are sacred to Jews as well as to Christians. The New Testament

deals mainly with Jesus and his early followers. The originaltexts (the Old Testament written in Hebrew and Aramaic, andthe New in Greek) were translated into modern languages by biblical scholars in the 20th century (pp. 34–35).

2,500-year-oldcarved head of a womanfrom Sheba

THE FIRST FIVEThe first five books of the Bible describe the creation of theuniverse and tell stories of the earliest Jewish ancestors. One ofthe most important stories relates how the Jewish leader Mosesreceived the tablets of law, or ten commandments, from God. Itis sometimes claimed that Moses was the author of these books.

WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?The Bible was actually

written by many differentpeople. The books of

the Old Testament werewritten by unknown

scribes over hundreds ofyears. The authors of the

New Testament were earlyChristians. Scribes later made

copies of these original texts by hand using quill pens.

2020

Quill pensand inkhorns

Artist’s impression of Solomon’sTemple in the time of Christ

Mosaic of the creation of the birds,

Monreale Cathedral,

Sicily

21 Continued on next page

John, the eagle Matthew, the angel Mark, the lion

The symbols of the evangelists, or writers of the Gospels, bymodern artist Laura James

WORDS OF WISDOMThe wisdom books are a group of OldTestament books written in variousstyles and on a range of subjects.The Psalms (originally said to have been written by King David) contain poetry praising God; theProverbs consist of pithy,instructive sayings; andother books, such as Job,discuss human suffering.

SEEING TOGETHERThe first four books of theNew Testament – the Gospels– tell the story of Jesus’ life,crucifixion, and resurrection.The Gospels of Matthew,Mark, and Luke are verysimilar and are known asthe “synoptic” (seeingtogether) Gospels. Thesewere probably written soonafter A.D. 65. John’s Gospel isthought to have been writtenat the end of the 1st century.

STORY WITH A MORALGod told the prophet Jonah to visit the city

of Nineveh to persuade the people to repenttheir sins. When Jonah refused, God sent a

storm. Jonah was thrown overboard from hisship, and was swallowed by a great fish.

When the fish finally spewed Jonah onto dryland, the prophet went straight to Nineveh.

THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETSA large number of Old Testament bookscontain the sayings of prophets, such as

Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. These menbrought messages from God, telling

people about God’s will inrelation to everything

from everyday life to the future of the

Jewish people. To earlyChristians, many ofthe prophets’ words

seemed to predict the coming of Jesus.

Depiction of Jeremiahfrom a 12th-century wallpainting from Cyprus

13th-centuryillustrationof Davidplaying a harp

Illustrationof Paul’s

death from a12th-centurymanuscript

2121

WORK OF GODThe later books of the New

Testament are concerned mostlywith the work of Jesus’ followers,

who carried on his mission afterthe resurrection. This work isdescribed both in the book of

Acts and in the various epistles(letters) written by early church

13th-century illustration of Jonah

and the fish

Luke, the winged ox

23

Early Bible textsThe books of the Bible were first written down by hand in the local languages of the easternMediterranean – Hebrew, Aramaic,and Greek. When different scribescopied out the texts, small variationsoccurred. The books were thentranslated into other ancientlanguages, such as Syriac. As a result,scholars translating the Bible intomodern languages have a range ofdifferent sources to refer to, whichhelps them to make their version as close as possible to the original.

COVER UPIn the west, the Torah is usually kept in a clothcovering called a mantle.This is often embroideredwith religious symbols. On this mantle, the crownis the symbol of the Torah,the Hebrew writing reads“Crown of the Torah”, andthe lions represent Judah,one of the tribes of Israel.

HIDDEN TREASUREThe original owners of the Dead Sea Scrolls were members of a Jewishgroup called the Essenes. They keptthe texts in large pottery jars. Whentheir area was overrun by the Romans,the Essenes hid the Scrolls, which layundiscovered for almost 2,000 years.Most of the Scrolls were damaged, but they have helped modern Bibletranslators, and taught scholars muchabout life in the 1st century A.D.

GUIDANCE FROM GODThe Hebrew Bible – the Torah plusother books of narrative, prophecy, and wisdom – also makes up the OldTestament of the Christian Bible. Jesusoften referred to these ancient Jewishscriptures, calling them the Law or the Writings. The five books that makeup the Torah are Genesis, Exodus,Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.They are central to the Jewish faith, and Deuteronomy includes 613commandments that Jews try to follow in their everyday lives.

BOOK BINDERUnderneath the mantle,the Torah is bound witha cloth called a mappah.Beneath this band is the scroll containing thetext of the Torah. ThisHebrew text is read inall synagogues (Jewishplaces of worship) andJews believe that, if theyfollow the Torah, theyare following theguidance of God.

Potteryscrolljars

“What gives life is God’s spirit;

human power is of no use at all.

The words I havespoken to youbring God’s

life-giving spirit.”JOHN 6:63

Jesus to his followers

SIMPLY SYRIACTranslations of the Bible into Syriac

appeared very early – probably in the 1st or 2nd century A.D. Called the Peshitta(meaning “simple”), the Syriac Bible has

been used ever since in churches in Syriaand neighbouring areas, and was the basis

for translations into Persian and Arabic.

ALL GREEKThe Gospels were written inthe 1st century B.C. in Greek, a language shared by manyearly Christians. By this time,the Old Testament had beentranslated into Greek as well.The Greek Old Testament,called the Septuagint, was theversion used by the earliestChristian communities andreferred to in the Gospels.

Tik, or Torah case,commonly used by Spanish

and eastern Jews

Crown-like finials, or tips, indicatethe importance of the Torah


Continued on next page

EARLIEST EXAMPLESThe Dead Sea Scrolls were found at Qumran in Jordan, on the edge of the Dead Sea, in 1947.They contain the earliest surviving manuscripts of most of the books of the Old Testament and also other texts in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaicwritten down as early as the 2nd century B.C.

4th-century Greektext of Saint

John’s Gospel

The text of the Torah is written in Hebrew on a continuous scroll

2424


Later Bible textsFrom the 4th to the 15th centuries,monks translated the Bible into Latin,the language of the western church.But the Reformation (pp. 34–35)brought a new demand for vernacular(local or current language) Bibles.People have been translating the Bibleever since, and today’s translators tryto be as accurate as possible whileusing words and phrases that arefamiliar to ordinary people.

The text of the Gutenberg Bibleis the Latin Vulgate translation

The coloured decorations in theGutenberg Bible were added byhand after the text was printed

THE ONE AND ONLYSeveral Latin translations of theBible were made, but the mostfamous was the one called theVulgate, made by Saint Jerome inthe late-4th century at the requestof the pope. In 1546, the Council ofTrent, a meeting of church leaders,declared the Vulgate to be the onlyauthentic Latin text of the Bible.

IN PRINTJohannes Gutenberg (p. 34)produced the first printededition of the entire Bible inGermany in 1455. Suddenly, it became possible to producelarge numbers of Bibles quickly,bringing knowledge of theactual words of the Bible tomore people than ever before.

HANDY WORKIn the days before printing,monks wrote out the Latin textsof the books of the Bible by hand,often decorating the pages withbeautiful illustrations. Psalters,which contain the words of thePsalms, were in great demand foruse in services. This one includesan Old English translationbetween the lines of Latin text.

Illuminated Bible with Latin text

2525

Illustrationshelp bring the

text to life

A GOOD INFLUENCEIn the early-16th century, reformer William Tyndalewanted to translate the Bible into English. The Englishchurch would not allow this, so Tyndale moved toGermany, where he published his New Testament inEnglish in 1525. This copy is a revised version, printedin 1534. It greatly influenced later Bible translators.

GOOD NEWSBy the 20th century, most translations

of the Bible seemed old-fashioned, anddemand for Bibles written in modern

languages grew. The Good News Bible andthe New International Version, translated

into modern English from the best Hebrew and Greek sources, met this

need and have sold millions of copies.

LOTS OF LANGUAGESThe interest in Bible translation, and the need to compare different texts, led to the productionof polyglot Bibles, in which the text is printedside-by-side in several different languages.These pages come from an early polyglot Bible of 1516, with the text in Hebrew,Greek, Latin, and Arabic.

The different languages aredivided into columns and blocks

AHEAD OF THEIR TIMEGerman theologians translated parts of the Bible intotheir native language throughout the Middle Ages. Thewhole Bible was translated by about 1400, but the churchfrowned on vernacular Bibles, and these were not widelyavailable until after the Reformation (pp. 34–35).

ModernGerman

Bible

2626

Heaven and HellALL CHRISTIANS believe in oneeternal and almighty God, whoexists as three beings – the Father,the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Theybelieve that Jesus is the Son of God,that he lived on Earth as the son ofthe Virgin Mary, and that he wascrucified and rose from the dead.Christians have faith that if they follow

the teachings of Jesus and repent their sins they will berewarded after death with everlasting life in Heaven – the traditional name for God’s eternal kingdom. Itsopposite, the place or state without God, is known as Hell.

LAST JUDGEMENTChristians look forward to a time whenJesus will return to Earth. They believe thathe will come again in glory to judge theliving and the dead. Jesus will reward therighteous with eternal life, and the kingdomof God will truly exist and have no end.

WINGED MESSENGERSThe Bible refers to angels as spiritual beings wholive with God in Heaven. They act as messengers,bringing God’s words and judgements to peopleon Earth and providing spiritual guidance. The

Bible gives few clues about what angels look like, but they are traditionally portrayed as

winged beings with human bodies.

THREE IN ONEThe idea of theHoly Trinity, the

one God who existsas three beings, is one of the deepest

mysteries of Christianfaith. God the Father isthe almighty creator ofthe universe. God the

Son is Jesus, God made human.God the Holy Spirit is God’s power

on Earth. The Bible describes Jesus assitting at God’s right hand in Heaven.

Ivory counter showing humanfigures fighting off the demons of

Hell to ascend to Heaven, 1120

Angel carrying agolden censer

IN HEAVENFor some, Heaven is a literal place,

a paradise where God dwells. Othersemphasize that Heaven is not a place, but

a state of being with God for ever. Catholics(pp. 28–31) believe that a person’s soul goesfirst to a third place, called Purgatory, where

it is purified before entering Heaven.

This medievalillustration showsangels blowingtheir trumpets as the dead rise from their graves

14th-centurypainting of theHoly Trinity byAndrei Roublev

12th-century icon from Saint

Catherine’sMonastery in Sinai,Egypt, depicting the

last judgement

2727

JACOB’S LADDERThe life of Jacob, one of the ancestors of thepeople of Israel, is described in the Book ofGenesis. Jacob had a dream in which he sawa ladder connecting Heaven and Earth. AsJacob watched angels passing up and downthe ladder, God spoke and promised that theland where he slept would one day belongto him and his descendants.

THE FALL OF SATANAccording to the Book of Revelation, Satan

– a member of the highest rank of angels, thearchangels – started a war with God. As a result

he was thrown out of Heaven and started hisown evil kingdom in Hell. Some Christians

believe Hell to be a place of pain, where Satan and his demons torture the souls of the

damned, forcing them to endure everlasting fire.

Angel carryinga model church

ModernMexican stamp

depicting adevil

Angel carrying a casketthat may contain

saintly relics(pp. 42–43)

Relief of Jacob’s ladder, westfront of Bath Abbey, England

DEVILISH DEPICTIONSSince medieval times, artists have

portrayed Satan and his demons asgrotesque creatures, human in form but

with horns, tails, and cloven hoofs. MostChristians today are less concerned with

the appearance of Satan and Hell, andare more likely to think of the torture of

Hell as the agony of an existencewithout the love of God.

Angels are often portrayedwith shining, golden wings

2828

CatholicismTHE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH is the largest of the

Christian churches. Catholics place special stress on theEucharist, or Mass (pp. 52–53), and are expected to go to

Mass every Sunday. One distinctive feature of Catholicworship is commemoration of the saints. There isalso a stress on devotional practices such as

praying the rosary (p. 30) and makingpilgrimages to shrines (pp. 42–43). Inaddition to the New Testament, Catholics

are guided in their lives by theteachings of the church, which producesinstruction on a range of topics fromsocial justice to the church’s contactwith other faiths.

PAPAL SYMBOLThe papalsymbol of the keys can beseen on Catholicbuildings in manyplaces around theworld. This exampleis on the Hospital delos Venerables inSeville, Spain.

The lid lifts up sothat the censer

can be filled

CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE

Incense is used widely in the Catholic church. It

is burned in a vessel called a censer – a

pierced metalcontainer hung on chains. When the

censer is swunggently from side to

side, sweet-smelling smoke

comes out of theholes in the top

of the vessel.

CONFESSIONSCatholics are expected to confess their sinsregularly to a priest, who sits in a box-likestructure called a confessional. The priestacts as an intermediary between God andthe sinner, and pronounces God’swillingness to forgive. The sinner may beasked to perform a penance – an action toshow that they are truly sorry for their sin.

CHARTRES CATHEDRALCombining magnificentGothic and Romanesquefeatures along with over200 stained glasswindows, Chartrescathedral is often calledthe greatest in Europe.The cathedral wasbegun in 1020,destroyed by fire in1194, and rebuilt inthe mid 13thcentury.

DISPLAY CASEThis vessel, known as a monstrance,

is used to display the host (the consecrated bread used during Mass). It consists of a

glass-covered compartment surrounded by a metal frame with outward-spreading rays.

It is used when the host is carried in processions,during a service called Benediction, and when the host is displayed for

the purposes of devotion.

Baroqueconfessional boxfrom Vienna inAustria

Golden angelsface into thecentre of themonstrance

Censerstand isshaped likea crozier(p. 31)

29

CATHOLIC HEADQUARTERSAs well as being leader of the church, the pope is

the Bishop of Rome, and lives in the Vatican City –a tiny independent state within Rome itself. TheVatican City is the headquarters of the Catholic

church and contains Saint Peter’s Basilica, the main church in the Catholic world.


The popeThe Catholic church is led by the pope, whom Catholicsbelieve to be the direct successor of the disciple Peter – the first pope. Because Peter’s authority came direct from Jesus, Catholics believe the pope’s decisions on faith andmorality to be infallible. The pope’s teachings, explainedin his letters and other documents, therefore have a huge influence on Catholics all over the world.

TIME TO BURNIncense, which may bekept in an incense boat,is burned by being putinto a censer along withhot charcoal. Incense is often used in theprocession duringwhich the priest entersthe church. It may alsobe used at other times,such as the elevation ofthe host during Mass.

Bird’s-eye view of an

incense boatBenedictinemonk sprinklingholy water

Incense boat

Aspergillum

Incense

Charcoal

SOLEMN RITESWater that has

been blessed may be sprinkled duringsolemn rites such asblessings, exorcisms

(the banishing of evil spirits),and burials. People may also

be sprinkled with holy waterduring Mass. The sprinklingdevice, called an aspergillum, is

a rod tipped with a bulb or brush.

BADGE OF OFFICEThe ring is one of the pope’s badges of office. This one belonged to Eugenius IV (pope from 1431 to 1437). In those days, popes werefamed for their fine robes and jewellery. Modern popes are moreoften known for their moral guidance and wide contacts with the world’s churches.

3030


Leadership and spiritualityThe leadership of the Catholic church is provided by both thepope and by a hierarchy of clergy – archbishops, bishops, andpriests. Bishops and priests lead by spiritual example, and also by teaching their flock about all areas of the Catholic faith. It is their job to educate members of the Catholic church on everything from the meaning of Mass (pp. 52–53) to theimportance of prayer and reverence for the Virgin Mary.14th-century

bishopswearing fullvestments

Mary beingcrowned

Jesus raising hishand in blessingDepiction of the

Annunciation

A BISHOP’S WORKA bishop oversees the churchesand priests in his diocese. Hepreaches, writes advisory letters

to the local clergy, and directs the training of priests and the

religious instruction given inCatholic schools. Bishops also

belong to local or nationalgroups called Bishops’

Conferences, whichmeet to discuss

collective policies.

Rosary withmedals showing

saints forcontemplation

PRAYING THE ROSARYCatholics use rosaries as anaid to prayer. Three differentprayers – the Hail Mary, theOur Father or Lord’s Prayer,and the Glory to the Father –are repeated as the personmeditates on the key stagesof the Christian story. Therosary beads are used to count the prayers.

14th-century Frenchmitre showing

the coronationof the Virgin

14th-centurydesigns for mitres

STATUS SYMBOLSMitres, pointed headdresses with two

ribbons hanging at the back, are wornby bishops, archbishops, and abbots

(p. 48). They are usually decoratedwith religious symbols or scenes.

The mitre’s tall shape is a sign ofits wearer’s status, the highest

form of sacred ministry below that of the pope.

31

White rosesof the

Virgin Mary

Madonna andChild, paintedwood, c. 1320

Gothic

31

Medievalcrozierused by a bishop

PRIESTLY JEWELSThis chain was worn by a priest in 15th-century Italy.

Modern priests rarely wear elaborate regalia likethis, but they share the roles and values oftheir predecessors. Catholic priests must be

male and are usually unmarried. Theycelebrate the sacraments, preach,provide instruction in the faith,

and care spiritually for thepeople in their parish,

or district.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;

blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.”

THE HAIL MARY

Sapphire mountedin chain

Link made ofgilded bronze

Virgin Mary

AngelGabriel

Enamelledand gildeddecoration

Pendant withnativity scene

THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARYCatholics regard the Virgin Mary with special devotion, and scenes from her life appear on many works of religious art, as well as on vestmentsand everyday objects. The Catholicchurch teaches that Mary was freefrom original sin and that at the end of her life on Earth she was taken up, body and soul, into Heaven – an event referred to as the Assumption. Because Mary is so revered, several festivals associated with her are held throughout the church year.

32

HOLY FOCUSIcons – usually small

paintings of Jesus, Mary,or the saints – play a key

part in Orthodox worship.Orthodox Christians seeicons as reminders that

God became human in the form of Jesus. They use them to help

focus their prayers and devotions.

32

The Orthodox churchTHE FORM OF CHRISTIANITY that is strongest in eastern Europe and western Asia is known as the Orthodox church. It developedbetween the 9th and 11th centuries as a result of a split betweeneastern and western Christians, and claims to be closest to the faith as originally practised by Jesus’ disciples. Like the Catholics,Orthodox Christians recognize several sacraments and venerate the Virgin Mary, but they do not recognize the authority of the pope. They place a heavy stress on holy

tradition as revealed through the Bible and the collectivedecisions and teachings of the early church leaders.

Greek icon showing three saints

Portable icondesigned tobe worn as a pendant

Orthodoxpriests oftenhave longbeards andlong hair

THE HEART OF THE MATTEROrthodox priests must be more than 30 years old, and theyare allowed to be married. Thecelebration of Holy Communion(pp. 52–53), usually referred to asthe Liturgy, is at the heart of theirwork. Orthodox Christians believethat, during the Liturgy, God isespecially present in the wine.

ROYAL DOORSIn Orthodox churches, the

sanctuary (the area containing the altar) is hidden by a screen

called the iconostasis. The screenhas a pair of doors called the

royal doors, which are frequentlybeautifully decorated. These royaldoors from the Russian Orthodox

church in London, England, aredecorated with images of the

annunciation and the evangelists.

ORTHODOX CHURCHESThe Orthodox church is a group ofindividual churches, each led by apatriarch, or senior bishop. SaintBasil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia– with its striking onion domes – isunder the leadership of the Patriarchof Moscow and all Russia.

PORTABLE ICONSAlthough the main place to display icons is inchurch, Orthodox Christians also use portableicons. These can be carried in processions, hungat shrines by the roadside, or used at home to help concentrate the mind during privateprayer. Portable icons and similar items likethis crucifix are especially popular in Russia.

The nails inChrist’s hands

are clearly visible

Crucifix iconfrom the

Crimean War

Russian annunciation icon

3333

ORTHODOX MONASTICISMMonasticism (pp. 44–47) began in the east,

in areas such as Egypt and Syria, and is stillan important part of Orthodox religious

life. Orthodox Christians believe that thepresence of the Holy Spirit is revealed in the

lives of monks and nuns. The most famousOrthodox monasteries are on Mount Athos

in Greece, a monastic republic where monkshave lived since the 10th century.

Cuff symbolizesthe power ofGod’s right hand

The croziersymbolizesthe priest’spower overhis flock

OIL OF GLADNESSWhen infants are baptized inthe Orthodox church the priestimmerses them three times inthe font before anointing themwith the “oil of gladness”. The priest then performs the

ceremony of chrismation,anointing the child on thehead, eyes, nose, ears,and mouth. Chrismationin the Orthodox church

is the equivalent to thewestern ceremony ofconfirmation (p. 58).

Stoles were originally madeof wool to symbolize the

flock for which priestsare responsible

BISHOP’S BUSINESSAll bishops are equal inthe Orthodox church.They do have anoverall leader –the Patriarch ofConstantinople(Istanbul) – but hehas no authorityover the others.The mainauthority comesfrom synods, ormeetings, ofbishops held ineach of the Orthodoxchurches to make decisionson matters affecting the church asa whole. Orthodox bishops are notpermitted to marry, so bishops begintheir calling as monks not priests.

Orthodoxbishop’s

vestments

3434

The ReformationDURING THE 14th and 15thcenturies, many people in Europewere worried that the Catholic churchwas becoming corrupt. In the early-16thcentury three men – Martin Luther from Germany, Ulrich Zwingli fromSwitzerland, and John Calvin fromFrance – spearheaded the reform of thechurch across Europe. In the movementnow known as the Reformation, theyand their followers founded new,Protestant churches. These churchesrejected the control of the pope andbishops and stressed the importance ofthe Bible and preaching God’s word.

AGAINST CORRUPTIONThis coin was made in honour of Jan Hus, a Czech priest whobecame a reformer in the early-1400s. He spoke out against thecorruption of the church but,despite support from ordinarypeople, was prevented frompreaching, excommunicated,forced to leave Prague, andeventually burned at the stake.

PRINTING PRESSIn the 1450s, craftsman Johannes Gutenberg of Mainz in Germany invented a new methodof printing. It enabled books to be printedquickly and cheaply. This major advanceallowed the ideas of the Reformation to travel around Europe at great speed.

EARLY IDEASEnglishman John Wyclif, a theologian andpolitician, began to demand church reform in thelate-14th century. Many of his ideas – such as the denial ofthe pope’s authority and the call for the Bible to be translatedinto modern European languages – were taken up by laterreformers all over Europe. In this painting by Ford MadoxBrown, Wyclif is reading from his translation of the Bible.

CHURCH ABUSESReformers objected to

several practices in theCatholic church. One of

the most widespreadabuses of the church wasthe use of indulgences –

the payment of moneyinstead of doing penance

for sins. Even somepopes were corrupt, and

objectors often portrayedthem as devil-like figures.

Bar, to screwdown the platen

The coffin ispushed beneath

the platen

Platen, used topress the inkonto the paper

Ink ball, to spread the ink evenly

Medal from the1500s depicting

the pope as Satan

35

Full- and pocket-sizedcopies of the Book of

Common Prayer

16th-centuryportrait of

Henry VIII byHans Holbeinthe younger

FAMOUS THESESIn October 1517, Martin Lutherposted 95 theses (arguments againstindulgences) on a church door inWittenberg, Germany. He followedthis with several books aboutreform. He argued that salvationcame from God’s grace through the individual’s faith in Christ, and could not be bought.

VOICE OF REASONEducation developed rapidly at the time of the Reformation through the work of teachers like Desiderius Erasmus, shown here in a painting by HansHolbein. His methods were different from Luther’s passionate, revolutionaryapproach – he hoped to reform the church through reason and scholarship.Erasmus edited the Greek New Testament, which was a great help to thescholars who would later translate the Bible into modern European languages.

MOTHER TONGUEIn 1549, the Archbishop ofCanterbury, Thomas Cranmer,published the Book of CommonPrayer – a church service bookin English. It enabled Englishpeople to hold services in theirown language for the first time. When England brieflyreturned to Catholicism, under Queen Mary I in 1553,Cranmer was executed.

DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIESHenry VIII ordered his chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, to compilea report on the monasteries in England. Cromwell concluded thatmany were rich and corrupt, so Henry ordered all the monasteriesto be dissolved (closed). He seized the wealth of the monasteriesand gave many of their lands to his lords. Most of the monasterybuildings, like Bolton Abbey, were left to become ruins.

Tympan, wherethe paper is put

Gallows, to supportthe tympan

Bolton Abbey, England

CHURCH LEADERIn 1534, King Henry VIII forced

the English church to break fromRome because the pope would

not allow him to divorce hiswife, Catherine of Aragon.

Henry himself became leader ofthe English church although,

apart from his rejection of thepope, he remained Catholic

in his beliefs. Despite this, he began the process that brought

Protestantism to England.

3636

ProtestantismSINCE THE REFORMATION, many different Protestant churches have been founded, all stressing the Bible as the source of theirbeliefs, and many advocating that salvation comes by God’s grace,

which is given to the believer through faith. Protestantchurches range from huge international organizations,such as the Methodist, Anglican (p. 52), and Lutheran(pp. 34–35) churches to smaller groups like theQuakers, Shakers, and Seventh Day Adventists.

PERSECUTED PURITANSThe Puritans were 17th-centuryEnglish Protestants who wanted to cleanse the church of elements

that they saw as Catholic, or“Popish” – such as vestments

and bishops. Puritans, whostood out because of

their plain clothes, were persecuted athome, so manymoved abroad.

Woman in17th-centuryPuritan dress

The cramped accommodationbelow deck was home to 102

pilgrims for 67 days

The ship was only 40 m (132 ft) long

17th-centuryQuaker

PURE AND SIMPLEProtestant church buildings,like the one pictured above,tend to be plain with little of the decoration socommon in Catholicand Orthodoxinteriors. The seatsare arranged so thateveryone can hearthe sermons (p. 54) andreadings.

Quaker meetinghouse, Cornwall,

England

MOVING MEETINGSThe Quakers worship inunadorned buildings calledmeeting houses. A typicalQuaker meeting is simpleand does not follow a setpattern. There are periodsof meditation and silenceuntil the Holy Spirit movesone or more of thosepresent to speak or pray.

FRIENDS OF SOCIETYThe Quakers, originally

called the Religious Society of Friends, were founded during the

17th century in England by GeorgeFox. They have no Creed (p. 52), nosacraments, and their ministers are

not ordained (pp. 48–49). Quakers arecommitted to peace, equality, and other

social improvements, and played amajor role in the abolition of slavery.

Model of the Mayflower


A Methodist Episcopalchurch, USA

Wesley preaching thegospel, Wesley’sChapel, London,

England

TOURING PREACHERWesley was originally an Anglican clergyman who

preached outside so that large numbers of peoplecould hear him. He toured widely, preaching

in both Britain and North America. Thisled to the founding of Methodistchurches – groups of Christians

who aimed to achieveholiness through the“method” laid down

in the Bible.

WORLDWIDE WORSHIPThe first Methodist churches were founded by the British preacher John Wesley in the mid-18th century.Since then, Methodism has spread all over the world.With independent branches like the Methodist Episcopalchurch in North America, Methodism has grown tobecome one of the largest Protestant groups.

JOYFUL WORSHIPWorship in Methodist churchesfollows a pattern similar to that in Anglican and other Protestantchurches, with hymns, prayers,Bible-readings, a sermon, and therecital of the Creed. Within thisframework, individuals in somechurches stand up to affirm theirfaith with a joyful voice.

THE VOYAGE OF THE MAYFLOWERIn 1620, a group of Puritans fromEngland and Holland sailed to Americaon the Mayflower. After a hard voyage,the group, later known as the Pilgrims,landed in Massachusetts, USA. Here they

set up Plymouth Colony, a communitywhere they could live and worship in theirown way without fear of persecution.

Cross of SaintGeorge – theEnglish flag

MethodistCommunion

in Harare,Zimbabwe

3838


Shakermeeting

with leaderMother Ann

Lee, 1774

THE SIMPLE LIFEThe Shaker movement reached its peak in the 19th century, and now there are very fewShakers. Members follow a simple lifestyle;they dress plainly, avoid alcohol and tobacco,and live in communities set apart from theoutside world. Shakers are famous for theirsimple, well-made furniture that seems to sum up their way of life.

SalvationArmy badge

SEEKING SALVATIONMethodist minister

William Booth foundedthe Salvation Army in

the late-19th century, andit has since become a

worldwide organization.The Salvation Army isfamous for its outdoor

preaching, its tunefulmusic, and its work to

help the poor and needy.It preaches a Bible-based

Christianity centred onthe immortality of thesoul and salvation by

faith through grace.

Member of theSalvation Army

saluting GodShaker table and

sewing chair

RESPECT YOUR ELDERSThere are a number of Presbyterianchurches around the world, andthey share one key feature – they aregoverned by presbyters, or elders,who may be either ministers or laypeople. This kind of organizationwas based on the ideas of reformerJohn Calvin. Worship is simple and centres on preaching and – as shown in this 19th-centurypainting – study of the scriptures.

3939

Modern Salvation Army man’s hat

Victorian SalvationArmy woman’s bonnet

SOLDIERS OF GODThe Salvation Army is organized alongmilitary lines. It is led by a “general”, otherchurch leaders are known as “officers”, andmembers, or “soldiers”, wear a distinctiveuniform. Those who enroll sign a declarationof faith known as the “Articles of War”. All members are entitled to bear theorganization’s red shield.

SEVENTH HEAVENSeventh Day Adventists, likethis couple in Mozambique,believe that the time will comewhen they will be taken toHeaven for 1,000 years whileSatan rules on Earth. At theend of this time, Jesus willreturn, destroy Satan, andcreate a new Earth. Adventistsoperate schools and a networkof hospitals and clinics.

SalvationArmy tie

Salvation Army songsterleader playing the cornet

Modern Salvation Army woman’s hat

THE HOLY LIFEFounded by a follower

of the reformer Zwingli,Mennonites aim to live alife of holiness, set apart

from the world in self-contained communities.

They are pacifists, andthey carry out reliefwork in many parts

of the world.

LIMITLESS WORSHIP All Christians consider

the work of evangelism, or spreading the Gospel,

to be part of their faith.Many Protestants, like

these in Guatemala, arevery active evangelists.

They often worship andpreach outdoors, so their

congregations are notlimited by the size of a

church building, andeveryone who passes bycan hear their message.

Mennonite children in Belize

Red shieldbadge

40

The Christian lifeCHRISTIANS TRY TO FOLLOW Jesus’ teachings and apply them to theirown lives. All such believers are said to be part of the “community ofsaints”. But some go to exceptional lengths for their faith, enduringsuffering or persecution, or even becoming martyrs. Some of thesemen and women who have lived lives of special holiness are declaredsaints by the church. Saints are especially revered in the Catholic and Orthodox churches, where it is believed they can act as intermediaries between individualChristians and God.

CHEATING DEATHOne of the many Christians

who were persecuted by theRomans, Lucy remained true

to her faith and gave away herpossessions to the poor. The

Romans were said to havetried to kill her by burning

and by putting out hereyes. Lucy miraculously

survived, and her eyeswere restored. She was

finally put to deathby the sword.

DRAGON SLAYERGeorge is thought to have been a 3rd-centurysoldier from the easternMediterranean. The best-known story about himtells how a dragon was terrorizing theneighbourhood and was about to devour the king’s daughter.George said he wouldkill the monster if thepeople would believe inJesus and be baptized.After killing the beast he would take no reward,but simply asked the king to help the church.

FEEDING THE HUNGRYBorn in Ireland in the 6thcentury, Brigid became anun and helped to spreadChristianity by founding amonastery in Kildare. Brigidwas famous for helping thepoor, and was said to beable miraculously to makefood multiply.

Eyes ona platter

The palm is a symbol of thevictory of the faithful over the

enemies of the soul, and isoften associated with martyrs

Ivory reliefof Georgeand thedragon

Medievalgilded plaqueof Saint Lucy

The cross ofSaint Brigid

41

POPULAR SAINTS Maurice, a soldier from Egypt,and Erasmus, a Syrian bishop,were martyred in the late-3rdcentury. Although little is knownof their lives, they were includedin books of martyrs and becamepopular saints in the Middle Ages.


JOSEPH THE PROTECTORAs protector of the holyfamily, Joseph plays a vitalpart in the Christian story,and is especially revered inthe Catholic church. Joseph is celebrated as the patronsaint of fathers, carpenters,the dying, social justice, and the universal church.

HELPING HAND Jesus told his followers

to love their neighbours and give their wealth to the poor. Christians may follow

these instructions throughindividual acts of kindness or

through organizations thatwork to relieve suffering

throughout the world.

FAMILY LIFEThe family has a central role in Christian life. The Christianstory begins with a family –Mary, Joseph, and Jesus – so it is seen by Christians as theideal environment in which toraise children. This illustrationshows a family walking tochurch on Christmas Eve.

20TH-CENTURY SAINTItalian Padre Pio wasconvinced of his “calling”as a child. When hebecame a Franciscan friar,he experienced visions ofJesus and received thestigmata – the miraculousappearance of woundslike those received byJesus on the cross. PadrePio endured his painbravely, and devoted hislife to prayer and servingGod. He was declared asaint in 2002, 34 yearsafter his death.

SEEING THINGSHubert, the owner of this horn, lived in the 8th century and

became a Christian after seeing a vision of the crucifixionbetween the antlers of a stag while out hunting. From

then on he devoted himself to converting others to Christianity in his native Belgium. He eventually

became Bishop of Maastricht and Liège.

A MAN OF INFLUENCEBorn in Algeria in 354,

Augustine became one of themost influential theologians of alltime. He was a lawyer and teacher

before converting to Christianity in his 30s. His many books on

subjects such as the HolyTrinity, charity, and thePsalms are still read

today. He was alsoBishop of Hippo

in North Africa, asshown in this 15th-

century painting.

16th-centurypainting of SaintsErasmusand Maurice

Plaster statueof SaintJoseph

Orphaned children helped bythe Christian charity Tearfund

42


Pilgrimages and relicsA pilgrimage is a journey to a place of religioussignificance. Many Christians, especially RomanCatholics, go on pilgrimages. They do so for various reasons – to visit places that are importantfor their faith, as an act of penance for their sins, to ask for help, or to give thanks to God. The most popular pilgrimage destinations are shrines. A shrine is a place linked to a particular saint, often housing their relics, or remains. Many sickpeople make pilgrimages to shrines such as Lourdes in the hope of a miraculous cure, butpilgrims are just as likely to travel in search of spiritual growth as physical healing.

The top liftedoff to reveal the remains

stored within

Head is made of silver, but gildinggives it a goldencolour

The base of the casket isdecorated withholy figures

Ornate outercase for the relics

of Saint Eustace

Wooden inner case –the true receptacle

for the relics of Saint Eustace

INSIDE STORYThis elaboratereliquary wasmade in about1240 to holdremains. Theseincluded some ofthe bones of Saint Eustace, an early Christian who converted to the faith afterseeing a vision of the crucifixion. The shiningmetal outer covering and wooden inner boxdid not contain Saint Eustace’s whole skull,but held a number of bones, which were said to belong to several different saints.

Crown of semi-precious stones

The Virgin Mary at Lourdes

Santiago de Compostela

PILGRIMAGE PLACESCompostela in Spain and Lourdes in south-westernFrance are two of Europe’s best-known pilgrimage sites.Compostela is said to be the burial-place of Saint James,one of Jesus’ disciples. Lourdes is a more recent shrine,the place where Saint Bernadette had a series of visionsin the 19th century, and where many apparentlymiraculous healings have taken place.

43

The Manat Law

The Wifeof Bath

TheKnight

ThePrioress

TheSquire

43

Pewter badgeof SaintThomas Becket

Scallop-shapedampulla, or

flask, for holy water

INTO BATTLEThis reliquary, said to containsaintly bones, was carried intobattle by the Abbot of ArbroathAbbey in Scotland. The occasionwas the Battle of Bannockburnin 1314, when the Scots, undertheir leader Robert Bruce,defeated the English.

TREASURED REMAINSRelics do not have to be actualhuman remains. Fragments ofobjects that played a part in theChristian story are also revered.This collection of tiny relics, keptat a British Benedictine abbey, issaid to include fragments of thecross, Jesus’ crib, and the veil of the Virgin Mary, as well asrelics of several saints.

BECKET’S BONESThomas Becket was

Archbishop of Canterburyin England during the reign

of Henry II in the 12th century.When Becket fell out with theking, four of Henry’s knightsmurdered him in CanterburyCathedral. A shrine was soon

built in the cathedral, andBecket’s remains were kept

in this beautiful casket.

MARK OF THE PILGRIMIn the Middle Ages, people

often wore badges to show thatthey had been on a pilgrimage.The scallop shell, originally thebadge of Compostela but later

worn by pilgrims to any shrine,was the most common, but many

places had their own badges.

Fragments of bone,wood, and fabric arebeautifully displayed

One of theking’s knightsslices offBecket’s head

Crosssurrounded

by pearls

Pieces of boneset in gold

CHAUCER’S PILGRIMSIn medieval England the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury was the mostpopular place of pilgrimage. Thepoet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a longpoem called The Canterbury Tales,made up of a series of stories toldby a group of pilgrims as theytravelled on horseback fromLondon to Canterbury.

PORTABLE RELICSIn the Middle Ages, somepeople carried holy relics

around with them, in the hopethat the remains would bring them closer

to God. This small reliquary holds tinypieces of the bones of saints, together with

a small cross set amongst pearls. The useof gold and pearls in the reliquary reflects

the high value of the items it contains.

4444

Monks and nunsFOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, some Christians have felt theneed to live separately from the rest of society, in specialcommunities devoted to serving God. Such communitiesare called monasteries, and their inhabitants – monks ornuns – live a life that is harsher and stricter than normal.They make solemn vows to God of poverty, chastity, andobedience – promising to give up personal possessionsand sexual relations and to obey both the head of themonastery (the abbot or abbess) and the set of rules

by which they live.Monasticism plays anespecially important part

in the Catholic andOrthodox churches.

Infirmary,where the sick

are treated

INSIDE A MONASTERYA monastery has to providesomewhere for its monks or

nuns to live, work, and worship.Traditionally, the main buildings are

arranged around a courtyard called thecloister to one side of the church. These

main buildings include a place to sleep, aplace to eat, and a place in which to hold

meetings. Fields and gardens for growing foodare usually situated beyond the main complex.

Gatehouseprovides anentrance to

the monastery

Outer wall cutsoff building fromthe outside world

Cloister gives access tomain buildings and

provides space forprivate study

Dormitory,where themonks or

nuns sleep

DESERT FATHERSMonasticism began in Egypt inthe 3rd century, when men such as Saint Antony withdrew to thedesert to live as hermits. These“desert fathers” eventually joinedto form monasteries, and theirtraditions are carried on today bymembers of the Coptic church.

A SIMPLE LIFESaint Benedict wrote his rule at the monastery of

Monte Cassino, Italy, in the6th century. The rule imposes

a simple life dominated byworship, prayer, reading, and work. It was adoptedwidely, and there are still a number of Benedictine

monasteries today.

Chapter house,where regular

meetings are held

Herb and vegetable gardens

Refectory, wheremeals are taken

Modern-dayCoptic monk

NUN AND MONKIn the Middle Ages,new orders of monksand nuns were oftenfounded becausepeople felt the need to live by stricter rulesthan those governingother monasteries.Members of differentorders, like this Servitenun and Slavonicmonk, can often bedistinguished by thecolour of their clothes.

Church


PRIVATE PRAYERIndividual worship plays a vital part

in the daily life of all monks and nuns.These Franciscan nuns – known as PoorClares after their founder, Saint Clare –

are praying the rosary. Some orders count their prayers using knots on a

piece of rope instead of rosary beads.

DIVINE LIGHTSeveral of the “hours” of the divine officeare celebrated when it is dark. Mattinstakes place at 2 am, vespers during theevening, and compline before bed-time.Traditionally, worship at such times hadto be celebrated by candlelight. Thecandles would also have reminded thosetaking part of the idea of Jesus as a divine light shining in the world.

THE WORK OF GODThe most important activity for a monk or nun is regular

religious observance at set hoursof the day. Saint Benedict calledthis the “Work of God”, but it isalso known as the divine office.

Everyone in the monastery meetseight times every day to pray,

read lessons from the Bible, andsing hymns and Psalms.

15th-century monastic service book

Poor Clares –Franciscan nuns

HOLY READINGBenedictine monks are encouraged to read the Bible (and otherreligious writings) in a devotional, contemplative way to bringthem into close communion with God. This activity, known asLectio Divina (holy reading), does not involve analysing thetext, as some Bible-reading does. The reader should simplyabsorb the words and allow God’s message to filter through.

Benedictine monkin quiet

contemplation

FIGHTING MONKSIn the Middle Ages there werespecialized orders of “fightingmonks”, who lived by monasticrules and gave armed protectionto pilgrims in the Holy Land.This gunpowder flask bearsthe emblem of one suchorder, the Knightsof Saint John.

46

Lemon balm

46


Everyday life and workAlthough the divine office and prayer are at the heart ofmonastic life, monks and nuns are also expected to work hardto support themselves and their community. Monasteries oftentry to be as self-sufficient as possible, with many producingtheir own food, and some making items for sale. With theiratmosphere of quiet contemplation, monasteries have alwaysbeen centres of learning. In the Middle Ages, they providedEurope’s only education and health services, and today manymonks and nuns still teach in schools. They may also work inthe wider community, giving aid to the sick, poor, and needy.

SCENTED SERVICESIncense – a substance that makes a sweet scent when it is burned –is used widely during services inboth the Catholic and Orthodoxchurches. Some monasteries makeincense, both for use in their ownchurch and for sale to raise money.

Rawolibanum

gum

Marjoram

Ground rawolibanum

gum

Rubber glovesprovide protectionfrom the highlyconcentrated oil

Feverfew

FOOD FOR THOUGHTIn most monasteries,the monks or nuns eat together atlong tables in a large communalrefectory, or dining room. The foodis simple but nourishing. Religiousdevotion even continues at mealtimes – everyone is expected to eatin silence while one of their numberreads passages from the Bible.

Benedictinemonks in the

refectory

1 NATURALLY SWEETThe naturally sweet-

smelling raw olibanumgum is ground intosmaller pieces. The monkthen measures out a smallamount of concentratedperfume oil and mixesthis thoroughly with the ground gum.

2 DRYING OUTThe monk places

shovels of the scented,ground gum into a large,wooden tray with a wirebottom and spreads it outevenly. He leaves theincense mixture until itis dry and then packsit up ready for sale.

HEALING HERBSIn the Middle Ages, monks grew plants like feverfew, lungwort,lemon balm, and marjoram to make medicines for ailments suchas headaches and respiratory disorders. The monks wrote downtheir discoveries about the healing powers of plants in bookscalled herbals. Herbs are still grown alongside other food plantsin many monastery gardens today.

Lungwort

Finishedincense

4747

CHRISTIAN CROCKERYThe pottery founded by the Benedictinemonks of Prinknash Abbey in England

produces simple wares for everyday use, andmore decorative ceramics that are especially

attractive to visitors. Their millennium platebears a picture of an angel, a reminder that the

year 2000 was, above all, a Christian event – the2,000th anniversary of Jesus’ birth.

Wax tablet for writingholy passages on

The text is inLatin and isbeautifullydecorated

The desk slopes to make writingfor long periods

more comfortable

The angel’s banner says “With the Lord a

thousand years is a single day”

WRITING FOR GODIn the Middle Ages, monks and nuns wereamong the few people who produced books.They wrote out each page by hand anddecorated them to produce results like thisbeautiful music manuscript. Today, somemonks preserve these ancient skills, whileothers are notable scholars. They write bookson subjects such as the Bible, theology, andthe history of the church.

Monasticscribe’s desk

Plate made tocommemoratethe year 2000

FAR FROM HOMEMany monks and nuns travellong distances to take part inaid programmes in areas thatare affected by drought, war,

famine, or other disasters.Members of monastic ordershelp to save lives and bring

education to areas wherethere are no state schools.

The nunstudies the

honeycomb tosee if it is ready

for harvesting

FLAT BREADIn many churches, specially made wafers – traditionally

manufactured in monasteries –are used instead of ordinarybread during Communion(pp. 52–53). The processstarts with a bread doughmix. This is pressed into thin

sheets, often marked with aChristian symbol, and cut into

small discs. The finished wafersare then packaged and suppliedto churches all over the world.

SWEET AND SYMBOLICHoney is an ancient Christian

symbol that reminds the faithfulof the sweetness of Jesus’ words.This Franciscan nun has learnedthe valuable skill of beekeeping,

providing a nutritious foodsource for her sisters and beeswaxfor making candles. Many monks

and nuns sell any honey and wax they do not use themselves

to members of the public.

Nun distributingcooking oil in Rwanda

Wafer press and wafers decorated with

Christian symbols

4848

The priesthoodPRIESTS, AND ministers – their equal in many Protestant churches,provide spiritual teaching, celebratethe sacraments, and play the leadingrole in rituals and worship. Theyalso care for people in their parish,or area, for example by visitingthe sick and caring for thosewith special needs. Being apriest is demanding, andmost people who take on the role do so because

they feel a spiritual “calling”. In theCatholic and Orthodox churches,ordination, or admission, is asacrament and is permanentlybinding, whereas in theProtestant churches it is not.

Labels

Early-20th-century silver

crozier, carriedonly by higher

members ofthe clergy

Red cope worn onmajor feast days, suchas Pentecost, Easter,and Christmas

Surplice,or alb,wornbeneathcope

Cowl, or hood

Habit, or tunic,wornbeneathvestments

Ornamentalcross

Benedictineabbot in

ceremonialvestments

Rear view of abbot’svestments

Mitreshows thatthe weareris an abbot

HOLY LEADERSThis ancientivory chesspieceshows a bishop –a senior Catholic,Orthodox, or Anglicanclergyman whooversees thework of other priests.

RELIGIOUS PRIESTSAn abbot is a priest who is the leader

of a monastery. He and the monks in his charge are known in the Catholic church as

“religious priests”. The other members of theCatholic clergy – such as bishops and parishpriests – are referred to as “secular priests”.

4949

SEVEN SACRAMENTSThe Catholic and Orthodox churches celebrate seven sacraments – rites

that constitute a visible sign of the inward grace of God. The sacramentson this 15th-century altarpiece are ordination, confirmation, Eucharist,

penance, anointing the sick, baptism, and marriage. Many Protestantchurches recognize only two sacraments: baptism and Communion.

SIMPLE STYLEThe Anglican church allows both men andwomen to become priests,or vicars, as they are oftencalled. Much of the timevicars wear simple clothes,such as a round clericalcollar and plain shirt. For services they may wear vestments, thestyle of which canvary accordingto the occasionand their own views.

Gold trimmingsadd to the splendour

of the outfit

Anglicanvicar wearing

everydayclothes

Anglican vicardressed for HolyCommunion

Clerical collars aresometimes referredto as “dog collars”

Confirmation

Baptism

TEACHING PRIESTSThe Society of

Jesus, or Jesuits,are an order

of Catholic priests founded in the 16th centuryby former soldier Ignatius of Loyola. The Jesuitshave always been committed to missionarywork and education, and priests often teach in schools or universities. After his death in1556, Ignatius of Loyola was made a saint.

SaintIgnatius of

Loyola

Anointingthe sick

Eucharist

IN UNIFORMWhen celebrating

the sacraments, priests wear special clothes called

vestments. These garments aresimilar in design to those worn

by early Christians in ancientRome. They consist of several

layers, including a white tuniccalled an alb, a coloured over-

garment called a chasuble, anda long, scarf-like stole.

50

GOSPELS IN GLASSIn ancient churches,

stained glass was a wayof teaching Bible stories

to ordinary people, mostof whom were not able to

read or write. Christiansymbols like this fish

from Prinknash Abbey inGloucestershire, England,

are particularly popularin modern churches.

50

THE WORD CHURCH means a community ofChristian believers, but it is also used to refer to a building in which Christians worship. Churchesvary widely, but most have a large main space –often called the nave – for the congregation. Manychurches also have a chancel or sanctuary, whichhouses the altar (p. 52); side chapels, used forprivate prayer; a vestry, where the priestprepares for services; and a space in which baptisms take place.

ALL SHAPES AND SIZESThere are many differentchurch designs. The missionchurch at San Ignacio (above)and Saint George in the East(right) are in the baroquestyle, which uses decorativefeatures adapted frombuildings in ancient Rome.Both have a bell tower and a large door leading to the nave. Elaboratearchitecture like this iscommon in Catholicchurches, but Protestantbuildings tend to be plainer.

A WORLD OF HORRORIn the Middle Ages, buildersoften placed carvings of uglyfaces, monsters, and otherweird beasts on the outsidewalls of churches. People

looking at these grotesquecarvings knew that when they

went inside the church they wereleaving behind the world of horror

and the evil that went with it.

MAKING AN ENTRANCEChurch doorways are

sometimes surrounded by statues of saints andbiblical scenes, which

remind people thatthey are entering a

sacred building. Thisdoorway is topped bya carving of the baby

Jesus and the magi.

HOLY WATER In many churches there is a stoup, or basin, near thedoor. This containsholy water with

which people cancross or sprinklethemselves as they

enter the building, as a way of affirmingtheir baptism (p. 58).

The church

PRAYER IN PRIVATEThe earliest churches wereoften small and very simplein design. This 6th-centurybuilding in Ireland is anoratory, a place wheresomeone can pray in privaterather than a church for alarge congregation. It hassloping stone walls, a singledoor, and no windows.

Doorway to a 12th-century

church atLoches in

France

Carving ofa bishop

Bell tower

Main entrance

Model of SaintGeorge in theEast church,London, England

Carving ofSaint Peter

18th-centurychurch, SanIgnacio,Mexico

Ornate holywater stoup

51

ELEVATED POSITIONThe structure in which the priest or

minister stands to preach the sermon (p. 54) is called the pulpit. It is generally

raised so the preacher can be seen andheard by everyone in the congregation. InCatholic churches the pulpit is usually set

to one side, but in Protestant churches it isoften central – reinforcing the emphasis

on the importance of God’s word.

SITTING COMFORTABLYIn a Catholic church likethis English monasticchapel, the congregationsits in pews in front of the altar, which is the main focus. In Orthodoxchurches the altar ishidden behind a screenand there are few seats, somost of the worshippersstand. Congregations inProtestant churches tend to sit facing the pulpit.

51

FOCAL POINTBehind the altar in many churchesthere may be an altarpiece. This is ascreen, painting, or carved relief thatfocuses attention on the altar itself. An altarpiece may be decorated withscenes from the Bible, images of saints,or representations of everyday life, asin this example that shows a familycaring for a newborn child.

CHURCH READINGSThe word of God is

central to the Christianfaith and Bible-readingsare part of almost every

service. Most churcheskeep a large Bible

open on a stand calleda lectern. Lecterns are

often made in theshape of an eagle,

the emblem ofSaint John the

Evangelist.

Lectern Bible

15th-centuryGerman

altarpiece

Medieval lectern

Portuguesepulpit with

a spiralstairway

5252

FOR MOST CHRISTIANS, the church’s supreme rite is the re-enactment of the last supper, whenparticipants receive the consecrated, or blessed, bread and wine. Catholics know this as the Mass or Eucharist, Orthodox Christians call it the Holy Liturgy, and Protestants may call it the Holy Communion or the Lord’s

Supper. In all churches, the bread and wine are identifiedwith the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Protestants see the two elements as reminders of Jesus’ sacrifice.Catholics believe that Christ’s body and blood areactually present in the elements of the Mass.

1TAKE THE BREADAfter the Peace,

a hymn, and anoffering, the priest’swords recall the last supper. Hetakes the bread fromthe Communiontable, which mayalso be referred to as the Lord’stable or altar.

2 GIVE THANKSFOR THE

BREADThe priest givesthanks to God forthe bread, echoingas he does so thedescription in theGospels of howJesus blessed thebread at the

3 BREAK THE BREAD

Again followingthe actions of Jesusat the last supper,the priest breaksthe bread. This is so that thosepresent may“share in the body of Christ”.

4 RECEIVE THE BREAD

The priest invites the congregation totake Communion,and prays that theirbodies will becleansed throughJesus’ body. Thepriest then takes and eats part of theconsecrated bread.(Some priests receivethe bread afterblessing the wine.)

THE ANGLICAN WAYThe various branches of the Christian church celebrate HolyCommunion in different ways. These two pages show how Communionis celebrated in an Anglican church. The first part of the service focuseson the word (p. 54). It includes prayers, one or more Bible-readings, a sermon, the Creed (the statement of belief in God), and the Peace (“The Peace of the Lord be always with you”).

5 TAKE THE WINENext, the priest takes the wine from

the Communion table. The wine is usuallycontained in a special goblet, or cup, called achalice. The chalice represents the vessel thatwould have held the wine at the last supper.

Holy Communion

The design on thiskneeler combines thebread and wine withchi and rho, the firstletters of the wordChrist in Greek.

5353

PRECIOUS PLATEThe consecrated

bread at HolyCommunion is

placed on a plate,known as a paten,

which usually matchesthe chalice. Because the

bread and wine are soimportant, both the

paten and the chaliceare often made of

precious metals, such as silver or gold.

SMALL SCALEAlthough the usual place to celebrate Holy

Communion is in church, it may also take placeelsewhere. If a priest or vicar is celebrating Holy

Communion with a sick person, he or she will take a portable Communion set consisting of a box for

consecrated bread or wafers, a bottle for wine, and a scaled-down paten and chalice.

6 GIVE THANKS FOR THE WINEThe priest blesses the wine.

By giving thanks in this way, he has prayed that the souls ofboth clergy and congregationmay be washed with Jesus’ “most precious blood”.

7 RECEIVE THE WINERaising the chalice to his

lips, the priest receives the wine.He is now ready to offer HolyCommunion to those membersof the congregation who havecome forwards to take it.

8 GIVE THE BREADWhen enough bread for the

congregation to share has beenbroken, it is distributed to thosepresent. In some churches, thebread may take the form ofsmall, unleavened wafers.

PortableCommunion set

Paten

Tin to holdCommunion

wafers

Chalice

The priest offers the bread to the

member of thecongregation

kneeling before him

The priestraises hisright handin a gestureof blessing

Bottle containing wine

9 GIVE THE WINEThen members of the

congregation take the wine from the chalice in turn. Afterwards, theysay a further prayer of thanksgivingbefore the final hymn, prayer, andblessing bring the service of HolyCommunion to an end.

HOLY CUPThis 16th-century chalice is made of

silver, and is beautifully decoratedwith the heads of saints. Although

similar chalices are still used today, insome churches, especially those with

large congregations, tiny individualcups are handed round instead.

54

Ways to worshipCOMMUNAL WORSHIP IS at the heart of the Christianfaith, and many Christians come together regularly to praise God, confess their sins, and show that they are followers of Jesus Christ. Worship can involve all

sorts of activities. Reading the Bible, singing hymns, songs and Psalms, praying, and listening to sermons are all aspects of Christian worship used in church services the world over.These services may vary widely in tone and mood, but mostcontain several of these key elements. For committedChristians, however, worship does not begin and end in church – they dedicate their whole life to God.

POPULAR PSALMSBooks of Psalms calledpsalters, like this 700-year-oldexample, were some of themost beautiful volumes in theMiddle Ages. Psalms are stillsung, chanted, or spoken outloud today, and are widelyused as the basis for popularhymns and prayers.

ANCIENT AND MODERNCarols are songs thatexpress religious joy, mostwidely sung at Christmas.Carols first became popularin the 15th century, butnew ones are still beingwritten, sung, and enjoyedalongside the old.

THE WORDReligious speeches known as sermons became popularin the Middle Ages, as shownby this 1491 woodcut, and are still a vital part of manychurch services. The preacheroften takes a passage from theBible as a starting point forthe sermon, and uses it toexplain a Christian message.

THE SABBATH DAYFor thousands of years,the Jews have observedtheir Sabbath – a day set aside for rest andreligious observance tomark God’s day of restafter the creation – on a Saturday. The earlyChristians decided tomake Sunday theirSabbath, and this day is still a day of rest inChristian countries.

HOLDING CROSSThis simple cross

is made of olive tree wood from the Holy Land, and is designed

to be held in onehand during worship. Its

rounded, smooth shapemakes it comfortableand easy for a sick or

elderly person to grip.

DAILY SERVICEA breviary is a book used in theCatholic church that containsdaily services for the canonical hours – services that are held at regular timeseach day. Each service consists of a shortprayer, a hymn, three Psalms, a lesson,and final prayers. Modern breviariescontain services for morning, daytime,evening, and night time.

5454

Representation of Godresting on the Sabbath

Medievalbreviary

55

Antiphonal, or song book

Selection ofmetal andwooden

organ pipes

Modern organ

PIPED MUSICA vast instrument capable of a hugerange of sounds, the organ has beenused to accompany singing in churchesfor hundreds of years. A traditionalorgan works by blowing air into aseries of pipes, which vary in size andso produce notes of different pitches.Each note is controlled by one of aseries of keys and pedals, operated by the organist’s hands and feet.

PERFECTHARMONYThis abbotfrom aBenedictinemonastery iswearing a habitcalled a choir cowl.He is singing froman antiphonal, a book of songsdesigned to besung by two groupsduring worship. Themusic of one groupresponds to that of theother in a kind of echo.The two groups, who may stand on either sideof the church, combine in beautiful harmony.

LET US PRAYChristians pray for allsorts of reasons. Theypray to give thanks toGod for the creation and for the route toeverlasting life giventhrough Jesus Christ.They may also pray

to ask for forgiveness for sins, and to ask for God’s help in the lives of individuals, groups,or the world as a whole.

BEAUTIFUL BOOKSIn medieval Europe many rich people

owned a Book of Hours. These beautifullyillustrated books contained the words of

short religious services to be performed inchurch or recited at home as part of aperson’s private religious observance.

CHRISTIAN CUSHIONPeople usually kneel or bow their heads when they pray, andsome churches provide cushions on which to kneel. These areoften embroidered with Christian symbols or scenes. Adoptinga special posture for prayer can help concentration, and showsreverence, or respect, when communicating with God. The words

to the songsare in Latin

Carved angelfrom the altar atSaint Michael’sCathedral,Chicago, USA

55

Crossed keys arethe symbol ofSaint Peter

5656

Christian calendar

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMASTo most Christians, Advent is theperiod leading up to Christmas,including the four Sundaysbefore 25 December. Duringthis season, Christians celebratethe arrival of John the Baptist,the coming of the Messiah, andJesus’ future second coming.Calendars offering a treat toeat on each day of Advent aretraditional in many homes. FESTIVE FUN

Jesus’ birth is celebrated on 25 December in mostbranches of the Christianchurch. People attend joyfulservices, decorate theirhomes, exchange presents,and eat festive meals. In thewest, a traditional Christmasdinner consists of roastturkey with a selection of vegetables and sauces.

GIFTS FOR THE GOODEpiphany, on 6 January, marks thevisit of the magi to Bethlehem – thefirst time that Jesus was revealed tonon-Jews. In Spain, children believethat the magi come to givethem presents. They putout fruit and nuts for“the magi”, wholeave behind giftsfor well-behavedchildren andsweets that look like coal for those who have misbehaved.

VISUAL REMINDERA crib is a model of the stable where Jesus was born, featuring the holy family,shepherds, animals, and magi. Thisexample comes from El Salvador. Cribsare a good visual aid for teaching childrenabout the Christmas story – and are areminder to all of the Christmas message.

Satsumasand

walnuts

“This very day in David’stown your Saviour wasborn – Christ the Lord!”

LUKE 2:11 Angel of the Lord to the shepherds

AmericanChristmas meal

German Adventcalendar

CALENDAR COLOURSMany priests weardifferent colouredvestments at differenttimes in the churchcalendar. The coloursvary, but red is oftenworn for Pentecost andgreen for the Sundaysafter Epiphany andTrinity, when the HolyTrinity is honoured.

THE CHRISTIAN YEAR is dominated bytwo major cycles, or groups of festivals.The first, at the beginning of the churchyear, starts with Advent and leads to Christmas. But, at the heart of theChristian calendar, is the observance of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.This begins with the period of Lent,followed by Holy Week, the mourningof Jesus’ death on Good Friday, and thecelebration of his resurrection on EasterSunday. The other major Christianfestival is Pentecost, which marks thegift of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ disciples.

Coal sweets

Spanish girlwith chocolate

models of the magi

Priest wearing coloured stoles

57

A NEW LIFEEaster is the feast of Jesus’resurrection. In church,priests read the Gospel storyof the resurrection and leadjoyful prayers, hymns, andprocessions to celebrate therisen Christ. Eggs are seen as symbolic of Jesus’ newlife, and many people eatchocolate eggs or decoratereal eggs at Easter time.

57

LIFE AND DEATHAll Soul’s Day, on 2 November, is a popular Catholic festival. It

is a day when people pray for the souls of the dead and put

flowers on family graves. Peoplein Mexico celebrate two Days of

the Dead at this time of year.They exchange gifts like this

sugar skull as reminders ofdeath and the continuity of life.

PALM SUNDAYOn the Sunday before Easter,

Christians commemorate Jesus’entry into Jerusalem. Peopletake part in processionscarrying, wearing, andwaving palm leaves

and palm crosses.Palm Sunday marksthe beginning of

Holy Week, the timewhen people rememberthe events that led up

to the crucifixion.

GIVING THANKSHarvest festival is not part

of the official church calendar,but Christians in many places get together each year to givethanks for the produce of the

land. People sing special hymnsand bring produce to churches

to be distributed to the poor and needy. Some seaside towns

celebrate the “harvest of the sea”brought in by local fishermen.

A SOLEMN TIMEShrove Tuesday is traditionally a time for peopleto confess their sins and use up rich foods beforeLent – the 40-day period preceding Easter. Lentis a time of solemnity, penance, and devotion to God. It was

originally a time of fasting, but today most Christians fast

only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Pumpkin – a traditional

harvest vegetable

Jesus reigningfrom the cross

Palmring

16th-century ItalianLent parade helmet

Ethiopian boy in PalmSunday dress

Palm leafcrown

Benedictine monktaking part in an Easterprocession

5858

The cycle of lifeAS A CHRISTIAN passes through the keystages of life, their relationship with thechurch develops. This development is markedwith rites such as baptism (when a personenters into the church), confirmation (when they confirm their faith), marriage(when a couple are united in the eyes of the church), and funeral services (when a person dies). Baptism, together with confirmation andmarriage in the Catholic church, is a sacrament, an outward sign ofGod’s inward and spiritual grace.

Anglicanpriest

baptizinga baby

The baby isdressed inwhite as a symbol of purity

BABY BAPTISMWhen an Anglican

priest baptizes a baby,she brings the child to

the font, reads from theGospels, says a prayer,

and addresses its carersabout its Christian

upbringing. She thenbaptizes the child,

pouring holy waterover its head andsaying, “I baptize

you in the name of the Father, and of theSon, and of the Holy

Spirit”. In the Catholicchurch, the baby isalso anointed with

consecrated oil, called chrism.

THE BAPTISM OF JESUSIt is the baptism of Jesus by John theBaptist in the River Jordan that has ledseveral Protestant churches to follow this practice. The total immersion isconsidered to be symbolic of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

BORN AGAINIn the Baptistchurch, and someother churches,people are baptizedonly when they are old enough to decide forthemselves that they believe in God.In this “believer’sbaptism”, the personconfesses their faithand is completelyimmersed in water.The baptismsymbolizes beingwashed clean andborn again in Jesus.

MAKING A COMMITMENTWhen an infant is baptized, the

parents and godparents make a commitment to Christianity

on the baby’s behalf. Whenold enough, the child

confirms their faith. Aftera preparatory course,

the candidate forconfirmation vows toleave evil behind and

to be a committedChristian. The

bishop lays hishands on the

candidate’s head and blesses them.

Portablefont filled

with holy water

Kneelingcushion with

a design for aconfirmation

service

59

Wedding kneeler

The doveremindscouples of thepresence of theHoly Spirit

59

WEDDING CEREMONIESChurches all over the world hold wedding

ceremonies. These are joyful occasions oftenattended by many guests. The priest establishes

that the couple are free to marry, vows andrings are exchanged, and the union is blessed.

DEATH CEREMONIESFunerals vary widely in style,

from solemn and contemplative to noisy and expressive. Protestant

funerals include prayers, Bible-readings, hymns, and a eulogy,

or speech, commemorating thedeceased before the burial or

cremation. Catholics prayfor the soul of the deadperson and may hold

a special Requiem Mass in their honour.

Lilies are symbolsof purity: they alsorepresent theVirgin Mary

White wedding dresses have beenpopular since the 19th century

CELEBRATING A LIFEWhen someone dies, their

body is placed in a coffin andtaken to church, where mournersgather to celebrate the life of thedeceased. Prayers, readings, and

hymns remind mourners that the soul of the dead person will live on, and givethanks for this. Finally the body is either

cremated or buried in a consecrated graveyard.

‘TIL DEATH US DO PARTChristians see marriage as a lifelongpartnership and some churches, such asthe Catholic church, do not recognizedivorce. A wedding is therefore both ahappy event and a serious one. Weddingsare full of symbolism. Orthodox couples,for example, are crowned with wreaths to show that they are rulers of theirkingdom – the family.

Ivory counter showing burial scene

Mourningbroochesfrom the

mid-1800s

The bridetraditionallywears a veil, a symbol of

chastity

Jazz funeral, NewOrleans, USA

6060

Christian cultureARTISTS, WRITERS, AND MUSICIANS have been responding to the Christian message for 2,000 years. Very early in the history of Christianity, people were decorating church walls and writingmusic for use during services. Soon, much of the art produced inthe western world was Christian, and as the faith spread aroundthe world, its influence on art followed. Although there are fewerChristian artists today, Christianity still influences both our art andlives. We swear oaths incourt, listen to gospelmusic, watch films basedon Bible stories, and seepaintings, statues, andbuildings that reworkChristian subjects inexciting new ways.

The visual artsFrom paintings and statues ofJesus to soaring cathedrals thatseem to reach to the heavens,Christianity has had a hugeimpact on the visual arts. Mostfamous examples date fromearlier times, but visual artists are still being inspired by thefaith. Some make art to adornchurches, and others draw onChristian imagery to produceworks for a wider public.

SOLEMN PROMISESIn Christian cultures, the

most solemn, bindingpromise is an oathsworn on the Bible, “byalmighty God”. A courtofficial like this judgeswears to do his job tothe best of his ability. Awitness in court swearsto tell the entire truth.

CHRIST OF RIOCompleted in 1931, Christthe Redeemer stands morethan 30 m (100 ft) tall andoverlooks Rio de Janeiro inBrazil. It was designed byartist Carlos Oswaldo andcarved from soapstone,which, although quite soft,is resistant to weatherdamage. From the top of the rocky outcrop ofCorcovado, the statuedominates the city and hasbecome known the worldover as a symbol of Rio.

STEEL ANGELAntony Gormley’s Angel of the North, whichstands in Gateshead in England, has wings

54 m (175 ft) wide – similar in size to thewings of a jumbo jet. This modern angel,

completed in 1998, is seen by thousands oftravellers on the road and railway line that

pass the site. Made of a special steel thatcontains copper, the statue has a rich reddish-brown colour that stands out against the sky.

The wings are tiltedforwards to give asense of embrace

PUBLIC PRAYERMany Christians pray at home, but people will also pray in public at times of trouble or prior to performing an important task. Before her race, this athlete asks God for help and dedicates her efforts to God.

“...in all yourprayers ask God

for what you need,always asking

him with athankful heart.”

PHILIPPIANS 4:6 Paul in his letter to the

church at Philippi


GLASSY GLORYPopular since the early Middle Ages,stained glass windows flood the interiorsof many churches with beautiful colouredlight. This spectacular spiral window,leading the eye up towards the heavens, is a modern take on this old tradition.Installed in 1996 at ThanksgivingChapel in Dallas in the USA, the Glory Windowwas designed by French artist Gabriel Loire.

THE NINE SAINTSModern New York

painter and illustratorLaura James is inspired

by the art of Ethiopia,and in her painting ofnine Ethiopian saints

she hopes to introducepeople to the history of

this country. Christianitycame to Ethiopia in the

4th century, so the artisthas a long tradition of

Christian art from whichto draw inspiration.

UNDER CONSTRUCTIONMost of the world’s cathedrals

were finished long ago, but a feware still being built. Barcelona’s

vast cathedral of the SagradaFamilia (Holy Family) was

designed by Catalan architectAntoni Gaudí. Construction

began in the 1880s,but the huge

building projectcontinues to

this day.

6262


The performing artsMusic has been a part of Christian worship for centuries,and many composers in the Middle Ages were monkswho spent their lives writing and singing church music.But from the beginning, religious music influenced othertypes of music, from extravagant choral pieces to dancesand popular songs. Drama has also been influenced by Christianity for hundreds of years, and there arenumerous famous films and plays with religious themes.

ACTING WITH PASSIONIn some parts of Europe, local people put on traditional plays enactingthe story of the Passion – the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. In the village of Oberammergau in southern Germany, the Passion play has been staged regularly ever since the people escaped theplague in 1633. The play is now produced every ten years.

FROM STAGE TO SCREENThe “rock opera” Jesus Christ Superstar was first staged in 1970, andmade into a film in 1973. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber andwords by Tim Rice, the production was one of the most popular 20th-century treatments of the Christian story.

EPIC MOVIEThe Ten Commandments – a film created in 1956 by Hollywood director Cecil B. de Mille – tells howMoses led his people out of slavery in Egypt to theirpromised homeland. It features a huge cast, withCharlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Rameses II, and spectacular special effects, such as the parting of the Red Sea to let the Israelites pass.

This scene is setin the discipleSimon’s house

Moses Rameses II“Sing to the Lord, all the world!

Worship the Lord with joy; come before him with happy songs!”

PSALM 100:1–2 A hymn of praise

The parting of the Red Sea

6363

SACRED SONGSSacred oratorios (a blend ofsolo and choral music) becamepopular in the 18th century.Among the most famous are J. S. Bach’s two settings of the Passion story and G. F.Handel’s Messiah. Handelwrote the piece in less thanfour weeks in 1741, and itsportrayal of Jesus’ life is still enjoyed by audiencestoday, especially aroundChristmas time.

GRACEFUL GOSPELSoul singer Aretha

Franklin is the daughter of a preacher and a gospelsinger from Detroit in the

USA. She sang with herfather’s choir before starting

to make her own records.Her music is powerfully

emotional and full of strongvocal effects, showing herroots in gospel music. Her

album Amazing Grace is a collection of reworked

gospel songs.

THE KINGRock and roll legend ElvisPresley learned to sing in

his local church choir, andwas influenced by gospelmusic. He combined this

with rhythm and blues andcountry music to create aunique style. Later in his

career, he recorded uniqueversions of a number of

hymns and carols.

MUSICAL CONVERSATIONBaptist churches in the USA are the originalhome of gospel music, in which the preacherand congregation create an emotional musicalconversation. The excitement of gospel music– with its sliding melodies, joyful shouts, andother vocal effects – has had a huge influenceon singers in many diverse areas of modernmusic, from soul to rock.

Handel’s originalscore of Messiah

Gospel choir performing in Washington D.C. in the USA

64

Did you know?

In the 5th century, the monkDionysius the Short introduced a

new Christian calendar centred around thedate of Jesus’s birth, using the terms AD(Anno Domini or Year of our Lord) and BC(Before Christ). This calendar is still usedtoday, even though Dionysius had Jesus’sbirthday wrong by at least three years.Sometimes BCE (Before the Common Era)and CE (Common Era) are used instead.

Roughly two billion Christiansmake up a third of the world’s

population. As the number of practisingChristians in Europe and America (mostlyProtestant) declines, Christianity’s centre isshifting to the Southern hemisphere ofAfrica, Latin America, and Asia (mostlyCatholic and Pentecostal).

St Pius I (AD 140–155) was the firstbishop of Rome to exercise sole

authority over the Church. Before this, the Church was governed by a council of elders or deacons. Until 1073, allbishops had the title “pope”.

The Catholic Churchdivides holy relics

into three categories.A first-class relic ispart of a saint’sbody or an objectdirectly relatingto the events of a saint’s life.A second-classrelic is an objector article ofclothing ownedby a saint. A third-class relic is a piece of clothtouched to the body of a saint after death, or else brought to a saint’s shrine.

An importantduty of early

monks was tocopy the scripturesby hand ontoilluminated (orillustrated) pages.The detailedartwork usedpigments madefrom precious metals and stones,such as gold andlapis lazuli – a stoneso rare that its richblue was reserved for the robes of theVirgin Mary.

There have been 266popes of the Roman

Catholic Church. Theyinclude 205 Italians, 19

Frenchmen, 14 Greeks,8 Syrians, 6 Germans,3 Africans, 2Spaniards, anAustrian, a

Palestinian, anEnglishman, aDutchman, and a Pole.

Many popularchildren’s books

are based on theChristian story,including C. S. Lewis’sChronicles of Narniaseries. Aslan the lionsymbolizes Christ,while his adversary, theevil White Witch,symbolizes the forces ofevil. The stories contain

many allusions to Christ’s sacrifice and theconstant struggle between good and evil.

The Vatican City in Rome, Italy, is theworld’s smallest independent state,

with a population of just over 900.

Many of the world’s most importantcivil rights leaders have begun as

Christian ministers – including ReverendMartin Luther King Jr, who led the CivilRights Movement in the United States, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who wonthe Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his work against apartheid in South Africa.

Charles Darwin was training to be apriest before a scientific fact-finding

trip around the world on HMS Beagle ledhim to develop his theory of evolution. Bythe time he finally published The Origin ofSpecies in 1859, he had lost his faith andbecome agnostic. His theories were greetedwith much controversy at the time but arenow widely accepted. However, they arestill rejected by fundamentalist Christiansknown as Creationists.

Early Christians used secret symbolsto help them communicate and

worship without persecution. One way ofencoding Jesus’s name was the fish symbol– the Greek word for fish, ichthys, can alsostand for “Jesus Christ, Son of God,Saviour”. After AD 313, Christians wereallowed to worship in public by imperialdecree, yet many of these coded signs arestill used in Church iconography today.

Martin Luther (1483–1546),renowned for igniting the Protestant

movement, also contributed to thepopularization of the Church bytranslating the Bible into his nativeGerman (at a rate of more than 1,500words per day) and writing some ofChristianity’s most popular hymns.

In the 2001 UK census, 72 percent of Britons identified

themselves as Christian, althoughonly 7 per cent are regularchurch-goers. Anglicans andCatholics make up the twolargest groups.

Since the 4thcentury, bishops

have worn purple as asymbol of their status.Purple, made from anexpensive dye, wasonce worn only by theRoman emperor andsenators. The bishops’purple sash showed

that they had the samestatus as Roman senators.

AMAZING FACTS

Mary in blue robes

The fish symbol and ichthys label

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Benedict XVI

St Peter’s chainsare a first-class relic

65

QWhat are the sacraments?

AA sacrament is a Christian rite intendedto confer God’s grace on the recipient.

Seven sacramental rites have been used sincethe earliest days of the Church. Protestantsregard only baptism and the Eucharist (orcommunion) as sacramental rites. TheCatholic and Orthodox churches alsoconsider confirmation, ordination, marriage,confession, and holy unction (or anointingthe sick) as sacramental rites.

QHow long did it take to build a Gothic cathedral?

AThe Gothic cathedrals that cameinto fashion in the 12th century

were so massive and ornate that fundsoften ran out before they could befinished. For this reason, and because of the sheer amount of labour required, a church could take centuries to build.Cologne Cathedral in Germany tookmore than 700 years to complete.

QWhy do the colours onthe altar and on a priest’s

vestments change?

AEvery season has its owncolour, chosen to suit the

mood of the events itcommemorates. For example,during Lent, purple is used toremind Christians that they are beingasked to make sacrifices and preparefor Easter. On Easter Sunday, whiteis used to reflect the joyfulness ofChrist’s resurrection.

QWhat are the core beliefs?

AMost denominations agree that a list of core beliefs should

include the Trinity (God, Jesus, andHoly Spirit), the deity (godlikenature) of Jesus, his resurrectionfrom the dead, his death asatonement for our sins, andsalvation through faith or gracealone. Catholics also stress thesacred nature of Jesus’s mother, the Virgin Mary.

QWho becomes a saint?

AA saint or holy person issomeone who after their

death is recognized as havingachieved, through their virtuousbehaviour or deeds, the right to be worshipped or held up by thecommunity as a role model.Canonization is the process ofofficially recognizing a person as a saint.

QCan any breadbecome

communion?

AA priest’sblessing makes

any bread suitablefor communion.However, mostchurches choose to

use simple, unleavenedbread, which is what

Jesus would have blessed at the Last Supper.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

QWhat denominations make upChristianity?

AChristianity is the world’s largestreligion, followed by Islam and

Hinduism. The major Christiandenominations include Roman Catholics,Orthodox Christians, Baptists, Anglicans (orEpiscopalians), Presbyterians, Lutherans,Pentecostalists, and Methodists. Most sharea belief in the Trinity of Father, Son, andHoly Spirit. Many of the smaller Protestantsects, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, are

centred around theirfounder’s unique

interpretation ofJesus’s teachings.

QWhat is the “Christian Right”?

AThe Christian Right is an umbrellaterm for the American supporters of

a fundamental brand of Christianity, whichholds very conservative social and politicalviews. They oppose any policies that theysee as un-Christian, such as the right toabortion and the teaching of evolution inschools. Through their churches, theyinfluence large numbers of voters to electand put pressure on governments to turntheir values and beliefs into official policy.

QHow is the pope chosen?

AAfter a pope’s death, cardinals gatherat the Vatican to elect a new pope.

They cast their votes on paper ballots,which are counted and burned. Blacksmoke from the chimney signals that nocandidate has received a two-thirdsmajority and the votes are recast. Whitesmoke marks the election of a new pope.

Jerry Falwell, a leader of the Christian Right

Cologne Cathedral

Flying buttressessupport much ofthe weight

White smoke at the Vatican

Communion wafers

LARGEST CATHEDRALThe Cathedral of St John the Divine in New YorkCity measures 36,880 sq m (121,000 sq ft) – the size of two football pitches.

LONGEST-REIGNING POPESome Christians consider St Peter, one of Christ’sapostles, to be the longest-reigning pope. He supervised the early Church for over 34 years.Others give the title to Pius IX, who held office for 31 years during the 19th century.

OLDEST CHURCHThe earliest known church built specifically as a Christian place of worship was found in Aqaba,Jordan. It dates from the late 3rd century.

MOST POPULAR HYMNAccording to an online poll, the most popularhymn is Amazing Grace, which was composed in the 18th century by John Newton.

LARGEST BIBLEThe world’s largest Bible is 110 cm (43 1⁄2 in) tall,has a spine that is 86 cm (34 in) wide, and weighs496 kg (1,094 lb).

Record Breakers

66

TimelineCHRISTIANITY HAS ITS ROOTS in the Old Testament booksof the Bible with their stories of creation and God’sspecial relationship with the Jewish people. The pivotalevent, however, is the birth of Christ. Documents from theearly years disagree about some of the dates, so it is notalways possible to pin them down exactly. But as thistimeline shows, Christianity has helped to shape much ofthe history of the Western world.

AD 313Emperor Constantine converts toChristianity. His Edict of Milan decreesfreedom of worship for all Roman subjects.

AD 325Constantine summons 300 bishops to aCouncil at Nicaea to draw up the statementof Christian beliefs known as the NiceneCreed. It promotes the idea of the Trinity, or God as three beings in one: Father (God),Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit (God’scontinuing presence in the world).

AD 367Bishop Athanasius authorizes 27 books to be included in the New Testament.

AD 380Christianity is made the official religion of the Roman Empire.

AD 382–405 Jerome works on the Vulgate, a translationof the Bible from its Hebrew, Aramaic, andGreek parts into a single Latin volume.

AD 430Death of Saint Augustine of Hippo, one ofthe most important figures in thedevelopment of Christian beliefs. Author ofmany works, he promotes key doctrines,such as salvation, grace, and original sin.

C. 2100 BC

Birth of Judaism. According to the Bible’sBook of Genesis, God made a Covenantwith Abraham, promisinghim a new land inCanaan where he would found a great nation, andthat the Jewswould be God’s“chosen people” if they agreed notto worship anyother god.

C. 1250 BC

Moses leads theJewish people outof Egypt in theExodus. Hereceives the TenCommandmentsfrom God on Mt Sinai, en route to Canaan.

37 BC

King Herod is appointed ruler of Judaea,where Jesus will be born. This smallprovince in the Roman Empire includeswhat is now Israel and the Palestinianterritories. Many of Herod’s subjects areunhappy with his reign.

31 BC

Octavian, Julius Caesar’s adopted son,becomes Augustus, emperor of Rome.Jesus’s parents, Joseph and Mary, willtravel to Bethlehem for Augustus’s census.

C. 4 BC

Birth of Jesus inBethlehem.

Constantine

4 BCHerod dies and his kingdom is dividedamong his sons.

C. AD 26 John the Baptist, Jesus’s cousin, begins hisministry, at the age of 27. Living in thedesert, he performs mass baptisms and triesto prepare the people of Jerusalem for thecoming of a new Christ, or Messiah.

C. AD 27Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist andbegins his ministry. He travels aroundGalilee and Judaea, preaching a gospel offaith and salvation with the help of his 12 apostles, or disciples.

C. AD 30 Jesus is crucified on the orders of theRoman governor, Pontius Pilate, havingbeen charged with sedition (incitingrebellion against the state).

C. AD 49 The Council of Jerusalem, presided over byPeter, decides that many Jewish laws, suchas circumcision and dietary restrictions, donot apply to Christian converts.

AD 64–311Persecution of Christians in theRoman Empire starts with EmperorNero, who finds them usefulscapegoats for the Great Fire of Rome.Their active proselytization (looking fornew converts) and allegiance to Christare seen as a threat to the emperor’sauthority, since emperors are held up as

gods themselves. Many Christians aremartyred (killed for their faith), and

some will become saints.

AD 70

A fierce Jewish rebellionagainst Roman rule

ends with the Fall ofJerusalem and the

destruction of theTemple. About600,000 people are killed.

Moses with the TenCommandments

The HolyFamily

Pages from a 15th-century Vulgate

67

AD 432 Saint Patrick brings Christianity to Ireland.It later spreads to Scotland with SaintColumba, who founds a community on theisland of Iona. This marks the beginning of Celtic Christianity.

1054Disagreements between the heads of theWestern and Eastern churches lead to thesplit known as the Great Schism, when PopeLeo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerulariusexcommunicate each other. The Westernchurch, based in Rome, becomes known asRoman Catholic, and the Eastern church,based in Constantinople (capital of theByzantine empire), as Orthodox.

1095Pope Urban II calls for a crusade to defendChristian lands in the East against theTurks. In response, European rulers raisearmies for the First Crusade and takeJerusalem in 1099, massacring its Muslimpopulation. Eight more Crusades follow,after losing Jerusalem, but fail to retake it.The last is in 1271.

1215 The Fourth Lateran Council is the mostimportant church council of the MiddleAges. Amongst other decrees, it promotesthe doctrine of transubstantiation.

1378–1423Disagreements over the election of Urban VIlead to a new election of a second pope,who is installed in Avignon, France. TheWestern Schism brought about by theseevents is finally resolved when the papacyis re-established in Rome.

1431After responding to divineinspiration and leading the

armies of France, Joan of Arcbecomes a martyr when she

is burned at the stake for witchcraft.

1478–1834The Spanish Inquisition, founded byFerdinand and Isabella of Castile, becomesan institution notorious for its use of tortureand execution to suppress heresies withinthe Catholic Church. Historians estimatethat between 2,000 and 30,000 people werekilled during this period.

1517 Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to a churchdoor in Wittenberg, Germany, in protestagainst the Church’s corrupt practices,including the sale of Indulgences. Intendedas a call for reform, their unexpectedconsequence wil be to split the Church intwo and start the Protestant Reformation.

1534After the pope refuses to allow Henry VIII to divorce his wife, the king forces theEnglish Church to break from Rome andmake him its new leader. This starts theprocess that brings Protestantism toEngland. In 1559, his daughter Elizabeth Iestablishes the Reformed Church of

England, also known as the Anglican or Episcopalian Church.

1536French theologian JohnCalvin publishes hisdefence of Protestant ideasand is forced into exile. Thecity-state of Geneva invites himto put his ideas into practice,setting an influential exampleand becoming a renownedsanctuary for religious refugees.

1791Death of John Wesley, founder of theMethodist Church and famed for hisopen-air preaching among the poor. Histeachings will inspire the 20th-centuryCharismatic Movement.

1841David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary,starts to set up missions across Africa.

1869The First Vatican Council announces theDogma of Papal Infallibility, which statesthat certain decrees are inherently correct.

1925The “Scopes Monkey Trial” in Tennessee,USA, draws widespread attention to theopposition of Christian fundamentalists toCharles Darwin’s theory of evolution,published 65 years earlier.

1948The World Council of Churches holds its first meeting. Part of the ecumenical

movement, its main aim is to promoteunity between the different

Christian Churches.

1962–65The Second Vatican Council

calls for a spiritual renewal of the Catholic Church

and greateraccommodation with

the modern world.Reforms include

making Massmore accessibleby replacingLatin with thelocal language.

1989Barbara Harris of

Massachusetts, USA, isordained the first female

Anglican bishop.

2005Benedict XVI, a German, is elected the 266th pope.

Creationist Christians selling literature at the Scopes trial

Bishop Harris

Joan of Arc

68

PARTICIPATE IN YOUTH GROUPS Local churches can help you find Christianyouth groups in your area – or you can trythe Internet. Many youth groups spend timereading the scriptures together ordiscussing the readings and sermonsfrom that week’s service. Somealso put on special holidayprogrammes and are activevolunteers in theircommunities.

Find out moreWHETHER YOU LIVE IN A BIG CITY WITH ACCESS to topmuseums or a small community with a single church,there are plenty of opportunities to learn more aboutChristianity. Often the best place to start is your localchurch. Many churches run youth programmes, socialactivities, and performances of devotional music. You can also find many examples of Christian art in galleriesand museums. The Internet is full of resources andinformation that are only a click away.

USEFUL WEBSITES

READ THE BIBLE There are many different versions of the Bible, so if you findyours difficult to understand, visit a Christian bookstore forhelp in finding one that is more accessible. Somecome with illustrations, backgroundinformation, or study guides to help you get the most out of your reading.

Playing an angelin the Nativity, a

re-enactment ofChrist’s birth

VISIT MUSEUMS Most major museums or galleries havepermanent exhibits of religious art andartefacts. Look for paintings andstatues of Jesus, stained glass, and even richly decorated chalices.

• To find statistics on the world’sreligions, including every Christiandenomination; also lists the religiousaffiliations of famous people:www.adherents.com• For information on the popes,biographies of the saints, news updatesfrom Rome, and a map of Vatican City:www.vatican.va• For explanations of different religions,including plenty of history and factsabout Christianity:www.religionfacts.com• For a good example of a Christian youthsite full of useful links and information:www.kernowyouth.co.uk

69

Places to visit

LISTEN TO CHURCH MUSIC If your church has a resident choir, find out when they perform and drop by to

listen. You can find out about other choirs or performances of religious worksby renowned composers by checking the listings in your local newspaper.

You will find that different churches use different styles of music – Latin Masses in Catholic churches, celebratory hymns in Anglican

churches, or gospel music in Pentecostal churches.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY, LONDONThis largely Gothic church, built on the scale of acathedral, is the traditional place of coronation forEnglish monarchs. The original Abbey was builtby the Saxons. Many famous people, such asIsaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Dr Johnson,lie buried within its walls.

ROSSLYN CHAPEL, EDINBURGHThe 15th-century Rosslyn Chapel was originallyintended as part of a larger building. A visit is a thrilling experience as almost every surface iscovered in detailed carvings of biblical scenes or vivid symbolic imagery. The Chapel featuredin the bestselling book The Da Vinci Code.

SKELLIG MICHAEL, COUNTY KERRYThis mysterious barren rock rises 213 m (700 ft)out of the sea 13 km (8 miles) off the Irish westcoast. Now a World Heritage Site, during the1st century it was home to a community of 12monks for over 200 years until disruption byViking raids. Today, the tiny monastery is aplace of pilgrimage and can be reached by a steep stairway of 600 stone steps.

ST PETER’S BASILICA, ROMEConceived as the “greatest church inChristendom” and completed in 1590, St Peter’s dominates the tiny Vatican state.Designed in the form of a cross with a hugedome over its centre, it is built on the legendarytomb of St Peter, Christ’s disciple and the firstpope. Many important architects and artistsworked on it, including Bramante andMichelangelo, who designed the dome andpainted the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The world’slargest church, in Yamassoukro, Ivory Coast, is modelled on St Peter’s.

SANTIAGO DI COMPOSTELA CATHEDRALSantiago di Compostela in northwest Spainonce marked the destination of an importantmedieval pilgrimage route and is still walkedtoday. A mixture of Romanesque and baroquestyles, the cathedral is built over the remains of Saint James, one of Christ’s disciples. Those who completed the trail wore

a white cockleshell as a badgeof honour.

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, USA

VISIT A CHURCH Visit churches in your

community to seedifferent styles ofarchitecture andworship. Regularservices are open to everyone, but be

sensitive – if theservice is not ofyour faith, youmay want to stayseated during thecommunion orother blessings.

WATCH FILMS Cinema has often borrowed Christian

themes and stories to draw in audiences.Musicals, such as Jesus Christ Superstar,treat Jesus’s story with a light touch,

in contrast with more dramatic re-enactments, such as The Passion of Christ. This created controversy with its graphic portrayal of Jesus’s

suffering in the period before and during his Crucifixion.

70

EUCHARIST Another word forcommunion; the re-enactment of Christ’ssharing of bread and wine as his body

and blood at the Last Supper.

EXCOMMUNICATETo expel from

membership of the Church.

GOOD SAMARITANLike the character in

Jesus’s parable, someonewho is willing to helpanother person, even if the person is an

enemy or stranger.

GOSPEL One of the firstfour books of the

New Testament,by Matthew,

Mark, Luke,and John.Each gospelpresents

the story ofJesus Christ from

his birth to his deathand resurrection. A gospel reading

is included in most church services.

GRACE The spiritual state of being close toGod; a short prayer recited before or after ameal to invoke a blessing on the food.

HABIT A nun’s or monk’s uniform.

HERETIC A baptized person who holdsbeliefs contrary to Church teachings.

HOLY ORDERS The sacrament of beingordained as a priest, nun, or other minister

of the Church.

HOLY WATER Water that hasbeen blessed by a priest for usein church services.

ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT A handwrittenbook whose pages areillustrated with colourful,intricate artwork, usually byscribes in a monastery.

INDULGENCE A “credit” for grace or absolution(forgiveness of sins) that was once sold to parishionersby Catholic Church officials.

CATHEDRAL The pricipal church of adiocese, often large and ornate. The name is derived from cathedra, which is the Latinword for “throne”, or the official seat of a bishop.

CHALICE A ceremonial cup fromwhich communion wine

is taken.

CONFESSIONA sacrament

in which a person

confessestheir sins in order to be absolved

or forgiven. In the Catholic tradition, a priest hears confession beforegranting absolution. In the Protestanttradition, the sincere act of confessionthrough prayer is believed to achieveabsolution.

COWL The hood or hooded cloakworn by a monk.

CROZIER A tall staff shaped likea shepherd’s crook that symbolizesa bishop’s or abbot’s office.

CRUCIFIXION The act of executing aperson by hanging them on a cross;specifically, Jesus’s death on the cross.

DENOMINATION An organized group ofChristians that adheres to a certain set ofpractices and beliefs.

DOGMA A decree handed down as anabsolute truth from the pope.

ENCYCLICAL An official letter from thepope to all Roman Catholic bishops.

EPISTLE A letter, especially a formal or official letter.

ABBOT/ABBESS The head of a communityof monks or nuns.

ALTAR A raised structure at the east end ofa church, where bread and wine areconsecrated.

ANGEL A spiritualbeing who may actas a messengerfrom God or asa guardianto humans.

ANNUNCIATION Anannouncement, specificallythe announcement that Marywould bear the Son of God.

ANOINTING The act ofconferring a blessing,typically by making the signof the cross over a person’shead with oil or water.

APOSTLE A missionary, asupporter, or a person sent to spread the word of Christ;specifically, one of Jesus’s 12 disciples during his lifetime.

ASPERGILLUM A small,perforated ball or brush used forsprinkling holy water during church services.

ASSUMPTION The taking of a soul intoHeaven. The religious holiday called theFeast of the Assumption celebrates thetaking of Mary’s soul into Heaven.

BAPTISM A sacrament in which holy wateris used to bless a new member of the churchand “wash away” his or her original sin.

BISHOP A high-ranking member of theclergy with spiritual andadministrative powers over adiocese or group of churches.

CARDINAL Senior official in theRoman Catholic Church, rankingjust below the pope. Dutiesinclude advising the pope andelecting new popes. Most alsolead a diocese or archdiocese.

CATACOMBS Undergroundcemeteries made up of cavelikehallways. During the 300 yearsafter Christ’s death whenChristianity was illegal, manyChristians used the catacombs to worship in secret.

Glossary

Angel

Catacomb

Chalice

71

SACRAMENT A formal religious ceremonyconferring God’s grace on those who receiveit. All denominations recognize baptism andthe Eucharist as sacramental rites.

SACRIFICE An offering ofsomething valued to a god

or for the sake of a higherconsideration.

SAINT A person whosegood works on Earthhave earned them official

recognition as holybeings from theChurch after his or her death.

SCHISM One of twomajor breaks in theChristian Church –between the Easternand Western churchesin the 11th century, or

between the papalseats of Rome andAvignon during

the 14th and 15th centuries.

SCRIPTURE The writings of the Bible, alsoknown as Holy Writ.

SECT see DENOMINATION.

SHRINE A place or object of worship.

SOUL The spiritual part of a person asopposed to the physical body.

SPIRE A vertical, pointed structure thatrises above a church’s roofline.

STOLE A long, thin band worn over the shoulders of a priest.

TRANSUBSTANTIATIONThe Catholic doctrinethat bread and winechanges into the bodyand blood of Christwhen blessed duringthe Eucharist.

TRINITY The threeaspects of God,consisting of theFather, Son, andHoly Spirit.

VESTMENTSCeremonialclothing.

VESTRY A roomin a church wherevestments are kept andparochial meetings are held.

MAGI Wise men from the East, oftenreferred to as the three kings, who visitedthe baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

MANGER A trough from which animalseat; specifically, used as a “cradle” for thebaby Jesus.

MANTLE A loose, sleeveless overgarmentworn by priests during church services.

MARTYR A person who suffers deathrather than renounce their religious beliefs.

MESSIAH One of Christ’s titles;specifically, the long-awaited saviour ofthe Jews.

MIRACLE An occurrence thatcannot be explained by the lawsof nature and is attributed to God or a saint.

MITRE A tall, pointedheaddress wornby bishops andabbots.

MONASTERY A place wheremonks live and worship togetheras a community.

MONK A male member of areligious community whohas taken a vow ofpoverty, chastity,and obedience.

MYRRH Akind offragrant resin;one of the giftsbrought to thebaby Jesus bythe magi.

NUN A female member of a religiouscommunity who has taken a vow ofpoverty, chastity, and obedience.

ORTHODOX Relating to the Eastern branch of Christianity.

PAGAN A person who worships manygods or any religion other than Christianity,Judaism, or Islam.

PARABLE A story told to teach a lesson.

PATEN A ceremonial plate used to carry bread for the Eucharist.

PIETÀ A scene, often depicted in religious art, of Mary holdingthe dead Jesus after he has beentaken down from the cross.

PILGRIM A person whotravels to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion.

POPE The elected head of the Catholic Church.

PRIEST A person ordainedto lead church services andperform sacraments.

PSALM A sacred songor poem.

PSALTER A book of psalms for devotional use.

PULPIT A podium in a church fromwhich readings or sermons are

delivered.

PURGATORY According to Catholic belief, a place

between Heaven and Hell,where one may have

to wait for sins to be

absolvedbefore being

admitted into Heaven.

RELIC A scrap of clothing, bone,or other artefact from the life of a

saint, which is believed to helpits holder in understandingthe scriptures and often to

have healing properties as well.

RESURRECTION Jesus’scoming back to life from death.

RITUAL A prescribed form of religious ceremony.

ROSARY A circular string of beadswith a crucifix attached, used as a devotional aid in Catholic prayer.

SABBATH A day of rest and worship: Sunday for Christians, Saturday for Jews.

Pulpit

Pietà

Vestments

Magi

72

Index

Aabbots, 30, 31, 44, 48, 54Abraham, 7, 66Acts, Book of, 17, 18, 21Advent, 56All Souls Day, 57altars, 50, 51, 52, 65angels, 8, 17, 26–27, 55, 60Anglicanism, 35, 36, 48,

49, 52–53, 58, 67annunciation, 8, 32Antony, St, 44Aramaic, 20, 22art, 60–61, 68ascension, 17assumption, 31Athos, Mount, 33Augustine, St, 41, 67

Bbaptism, 8, 10, 33, 50, 58Baptist church, 58, 63Becket, Thomas, St, 43Benedictines, 44, 46, 48Benediction, 28Bernadette, St, 42Bethlehem, 8, 56, 66Bible, 20–25, 32, 34, 36

Gospels, 8–9, 11, 16–17, 20, 21, 23, 52

Latin, 24 modern, 25 New Testament, 17, 18,

20–21Old Testament, 6–7,

20–23 polyglots, 25texts, 22–25 translations, 20, 34–35,

64bishops, 30, 31, 33, 36, 48,

64Book of Common Prayer,

35Book of Hours, 55Booth, William, 38breviaries, 54Brigid, St, 40Byzantine empire, 19, 67

CCaiaphas, 15Calvary, 15Calvin, John, 34, 38, 67carols, 54, 63cathedrals, 29, 32, 43, 61Catholicism, 26, 28–31,

34, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 49,64, 65

censers, 28,–29chalices, 52–53Chaucer, Geoffrey, 43Christmas, 48, 54, 56, 63churches, 36, 50–51, 69Compostela, 42, 43, 69confession, 28, 65confirmation, 33, 58, 65Constantine I, Emperor,

19, 66Constantinople, 19, 33, 67Coptic church, 44Cranmer, Thomas, 35creation, 6, 20, 54, 55Creed, Charles, 19crib, 56 Cromwell, Thomas, 35crosses, 16, 32, 54croziers, 31, 33, 48Crucifixion, 10, 14–15, 26,

56, 66

DDaniel, 7David, King, 21Dead Sea Scrolls, 22desert fathers, 44devils, 27Deuteronomy, Book of,

22 disciples, 10, 12, 17, 18,

32divine office, 45, 46

EFEaster, 48, 56, 57Eden, Garden of, 6Emmaus, 17Ephesus, 19Epiphany, 56Epistles, 18, 21Erasmus, Desiderius, 35Erasmus, St, 41Essenes, 22

Eugenius IV, Pope, 29Eustace, St, 42evangelism, 39festivals, 31, 56–57films, 60, 62, 69Fox, George, 36funerals, 58, 59

GGabriel, Angel, 8, 31Galilee, Sea of, 10, 11Genesis, Book of, 6, 7, 22,

27 George, St, 40Gethsemane, Garden of,

15God, 6, 7, 9, 12, 26, 54Good Samaritan, 12Greek, 20, 22, 23, 35Gutenberg, Johannes, 24,

34

HHail Mary, 30, 31Heaven, 6, 16, 26–27, 39Hebrew, 6–7, 20, 22–23Hell, 6, 26–27Henry II, King, 43Henry VIII, King, 35, 67Herod, King, 9, 20, 66Holy Communion, 14, 32,

47, 52–53Holy Spirit, 8, 10, 18, 26,

33, 56, 58Holy Trinity, 26, 41, 56holy water, 29, 43, 50honey, 47Host, 28, 29, 47Hubert, St, 41Hus, Jan, 34

IJicons, 32Ignatius, St, 49incarnation, 8incense, 28–29, 46indulgences, 34, 35Isaac, 7Isaiah, 7Jacob, 27James, St, 42, 69Jeremiah, 21Jerome, St, 24, 66

Jerusalem, 14, 20, 57, 66,67

Jesuits, 49Jesus, 29, 60

baptism, 8, 10, 58life, 8–10, 63death and resurrection,

10, 14–17teachings, 10–13

Jews, 6–7, 14, 20, 22-23,54, 66

Job, Book of, 21John the Baptist, 8, 56, 58Jonah, 21Jordan River, 8Joseph, 8, 9, 41Joseph of Arimathea, 16Judas Iscariot, 15Justinian I, Emperor, 19

KLKnights of St John, 45Lamb of God, 16Last Judgement, 16, 26Last Supper, 14, 15, 52Lent, 56, 57Lord’s Prayer, 13, 30Lourdes, 42Lucy, St, 40Luther, Martin, 34, 35, 64,

67Lutheran church, 36

MMadonna, see MaryMagi, 9, 50, 56Mardi Gras, 57 marriage, 58, 59martyrs, 19, 40–41, 66Mary, 8, 9, 26, 30, 31, 32,

41, 58Mary I, Queen, 35Mary Magdalene, 10, 17Mass, 28, 29, 30, 52, 67Maurice, St, 41Mayflower, 36–37Mennonites, 39Messiah, 7, 15, 18, 56Methodism, 36, 37, 67Michael, St, 6Middle Ages, 25, 50, 54miracles, 10–11missionaries, 19mitres, 30, 48monasticism, 33, 35,

44–47, 62, 64

monks, see monasticismmonstrance, 28Moses, 7, 20, 62, 66music, 55, 59, 60, 62–63,

69

NOnativity, 8–9Noah, 7nuns, see monasticismoriginal sin, 6, 31, 67Orthodox church, 32–33,

40, 44, 46, 48, 49, 65, 67

PQPalm Sunday, 57parables, 12–13Passion plays, 62patriarchs, 32, 33Paul, St, 18, 19, 21penance, 28, 42Pentecost, 18, 48, 56Peter, St, 15, 18, 29, 55, 69Pharisees, 11pilgrimage, 28, 42–43Pilgrims, 37Pio, St, 41Pontius Pilate, 15, 16, 66Poor Clares, 45popes, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34,

64, 65prayer, 13, 28, 30, 45, 55,

60preaching, 37, 38Presbyterianism, 38Presley, Elvis, 63priests, 28, 30–32, 48–49prophets, 7, 8, 14, 21Protestantism, 34, 35,

36–39, 48, 65, 67Proverbs, Book of, 21Psalms, Book of, 21, 24,

41, 54, 62Purgatory, 26Puritans, 36, 37Quakers, 36

RReformation, 24, 25,

34–35, 67relics, 42–43, 64Resurrection, 16–17, 26,

56, 65

Revelation, Book of, 27 Roman Catholics, see

CatholicismRomans, 14, 18, 19, 22, 40rosaries, 28, 30, 45

SSabbath, 54sacraments, 49, 58, 65saints, 28, 30, 40–43, 61,

65Salvation Army, 38–39Satan, 6, 27, 39Saul, 19second coming, 12, 26, 56Sermon on the Mount,

12–13sermons, 36, 51, 54Seventh Day Adventists,

39Shakers, 36, 38Sheba, Queen of, 20shrines, 28, 42Simon of Cyrene, 15sin, 6, 8, 16, 26, 28, 42, 54Solomon, King, 20stained glass, 7, 10–11, 50,

61Stephen, St, 19stigmata, 41synods, 33

TUTen Commandments, 20Thomas, 17Torah, 22–23Trent, Council of, 24Tyndale, William, 25Urban VIII, Pope, 29

VWZVatican, 29, 64, 67vestments, 30, 33, 36,

48–49, 56vicars, 49Virgin, see MaryVulgate, 24wafers, 47, 53Wesley, John, 37, 67wise men, see MagiWyclif, John, 34Zechariah, 14Zwingli, Ulrich, 34, 39

The publisher would like to thank models:Father Francis Baird, Father Stephen Horton,Julian Brand, Valerie Brand, Sister SusannaMills, Sister M. Anthony, Sister Irene Joseph,Rev. Malcom Allen, Rev. Stephen Tyrrell, Rev.Felicity Walters, and Amber Mullins. Withspecial thanks to: the monks of PrinknashAbbey, Cranham, UK, and the nuns of theConvent of Poor Clares, Woodchester, UK.Index: Chris Burnstein.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEWINTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®.Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

The publishers would like to thank the following for their kindpermission to reproduce their photographs:a=above; b=below; c=centre; l=left; r=right;t=top

AKG London: 6br, 17tr, 19cb, 20bl, 21tl, 26tr,33tl, 35tc, 36bc, 38tl, 38tc, 43t, 43t; BritishLibrary 63t; Erich Lessing 6tl, 7bc, 7cbr, 7r,11bl, 15C, 18tr, 20tr; alamy.com: 28bc; BrianHarris 54b; All Saints Church: 2tl, 26br, 27tr,

27cl; Ancient Art & Architecture Collection:10clb, 14r, 17tl, 61br; R. Sheridan 26tl, 27cr;Arcaid: Alex Bartel 32tl; Bridgeman ArtLibrary, London/New York: 12cr, 21b, 25br,35bc, 35br, 38c, 41clb, 41bcl, 61bl; AltePinakothek, Munich, Germany 41cla; AmericanMuseum, Bath, Avon 38cl; BibiliotequeMazarine, Paris 21cr; Bible Society, London,UK 23tr, 23br; Biblioteca Publica Episcopal,Barcelona 49bc; Bradford Art Galleries andMuseums 34bl; British Library, London, UK24br; The Fine Art Society 38bl; Instituto daBiblioteca Nacional, Lisbon 21cl; KoninklijkMuseum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp 49tr;Musee Conde, Chantilly, France 26cl; Museo diSan Marco dell' Angelico, Florence, Italy 18bl;Museum of the City of New York, USA 37tl;National Museum of Ancient Art, Lisbon,Portugal 41c; Private Collection 27br; RafaelValls Gallery, London, UK 36cal; Richardsonand Kailas Icons, London 32cal; Sixt ParishChurch, Haute-Savoie, France 30c; Victoria andAlbert Museum, London 26bc; Wesley'sChapel, London, UK 37tr; British Library: 24tr,24bl, 54c; British Museum: 1c, 16r, 22ca, 29tr,29tr, 42c, 43br, 48tl, 59cr; Corbis: 61tl; Dallasand John Heaton 29br; Peter Turnley 63cr;Philip Gould 59br; Danish National Museum:14t; DK Picture Library: Barnabas Kindersley

56tr, 56tr, 56tr, 56cl, 56br, 57bl; Mary EvansPicture Library: 12tr; Florence NightingaleMuseum: 32bc; Getty Images: Allsport 60tl;Sonia Halliday Photographs: 10c, 16bc, 19cla,21c; Laura Lushington 9br, 12cl; JewishMuseum: 22b, 23bl; Museum of London: 39ca,39ca, 43cra; Museum of Order of St John: 45tr,53bc, 54tl; National Gallery, London: 16bl,17bl, 17br; National Maritime Museum: 2b,36br; National Museums of Scotland: 43bl;Christine Osborne: 42tcl, 58bl; Liam White47tr; Panos Pictures: Adrian Evans 36cl; Alainle Garsmeur 39cra; Jan Hammond 39c; EricMiller 60br; Chris Sattlberger 37cr, 59tr; PaulSmith 39br; The Picture Desk: Art ArchiveMonastery of Santo Domingo de Silas, Spain/Dagli Orti (A) 17ca, DiocesanMuseum,Vienna/ Dagli Orti 31br; PictorialPress Ltd: 62bl, 62br; PowerstockPhotolibrary: 33tr; Prinknash Abbey,Gloucestershire, UK: 44cr, 50br, 51bl; Robin W.Symons 46c; Zev Radovan, Jerusalem: 10br,20r, 22tl, 22c; Royal Museum of Scotland: 51tl;Russian Orthodox Church, London: 32c, 33c;Saint Bride Printing Library: 34c; ScalaGroup S.p.A.: 8bl, 10tl, 10tr, 14bl, 15br, 18br,19tr, 20cl, 35tl, 42tl; Pierpont MorganLibrary/Art Resource 10cl; Science Museum:40c; Sir John Soane's Museum: 4cal, 50cbr;South of England Rare Breeds Centre: 7bl;Tearfund: Jim Loring 41br; TophamPicturepoint: 19bc, 60tr, 60c, 62t; Image Works63bl; UPPA Ltd 63br; Wallace Collection: 28tl,28l, 34cl, 40cl, 41t; Warburg Institute: 54t;

York Archaelogical Trust: 20tl.

AKG Images: 66brAlamy: Christine Osbourne 65br; Chad Ehlers69cl; V&A Images 71brAP Wideworld Photos: 64tl, 64blBridgeman Art Library: 1448.5 TheAnnunciation, illuminated manuscript page,1498 (vellum), French School, (15th century) / © Lambeth Palace Library, London, UK /Bridgeman Art Library 64br; Moses with theTablets of the Law, 1663 (oil on canvas),Champaigne, Philippe de (1602-74) / Musee dePicardie, Amiens, France, Giraudon /Bridgeman Art Library 66tl; EmperorConstantine I (c.274-337) the Great (mosaic),Byzantine / San Marco, Venice, Italy, Lauros /Giraudon / Bridgeman Art Library 66trCorbis: Bettman 67tr; David Lees 65bl; WallyMcNamee 65tl; Gianni Dagli Orti 66bl, 67br;Reuters 67br, 69tr; Ariel Skelley 68bGetty Images: 64trKobal Collection: Icon Prod. / Marquis Films / The Kobal Collection / Antonello,Phillipe: 69br

All other images © Dorling KindersleyFor further information see:www.dkimages.com

Acknowledgements