A Brief History of Christianity

Christianity began in the 1st century following the life, crucifixion, and purported resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over time, it developed into a structured religion known as Catholicism. In 1054, the Great Schism split Christianity into Western Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation led to Protestantism breaking off from Roman Catholicism. Today, about half of the 2.6B Christians on Earth are Catholic, nearly half (37%) are Protestant (including the Dutch Reformed), and the remaining percentage, including Eastern Orthodox and other smaller branches, makes up less than 15%.

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Some key takeaways:

• Christianity, like Hinduism, is actually an umbrella term. There is no one religion that is "Christianity."
• The Christian population is still growing, with projections of over 3B by 2050.
• The main sects of non-Roman western Christianity are Lutheran (the biggest), Anglican, Presbyterian/Reformed, and Free Church.
• "Evangelical" Christians aren't their own sect - it's more a description of certain Protestants who believe in a personal relationship with Jesus, converting others into Christianity, Biblical authority, and salvation through Christ.