Stephen McNeeseDr. BrasingtonHistory of ChristianityApril 23, 2014A historical survey of Christianity1. IntroductionThe rise of Christianity from its humble first-century roots in the Levant (modern-day Israel and Palestine) to a religion adopted by more than a third of humanity is the most well-documented narrative in history. Although significant controversy exists regarding the exact historical details of the development of Christianity, historians unequivocally agree that Christianity has had a substantial impact on the development of modern social views, moral and philosophical schools of thought, and governmental structure: in short , collective anthropology. evolution. Of particular interest is the development of a rigid Church leadership hierarchy, one of the driving forces behind the explosive acceptance of Christianity among seemingly disparate cultures. We examine the rise of organized Christian stewardship in the context of evolving social mores and varying interpretations of the doctrinal narrative over the past two millennia.2. Emergence of Christianity “Early Christianity” is generally regarded as encompassing the period of time between the origins of Christianity (during the life of Jesus Christ and his apostles) and the end of the Roman persecution of Christ and his followers around 300 AD. First Episcopal Council of Nycea in 325 AD marked the beginning of the structural hierarchy of Christianity and the establishment of canon laws regulating the behavior of Christians. The three hundred years between the life of Jesus Christ and the First Council of Bishops were characterized by a gradual transition from relatively established Judaistic beliefs and traditions to a rapidly evolving new Christ code... middle of paper.... .. recanting the his writings, the church excommunicated Luther. Luther's final years after his excommunication were not as crucial to the splintering of the Catholic church. In fact, he would later distance himself from the more radical followers who characterized some of the years immediately following his writings. His main contributions to the Protestant faith were his writings and the idea that salvation should be rooted in faith rather than practice. Its influence on Western Christianity is immeasurable and is best examined by understanding the development of the Protestant church and its modern manifestations. (It touches on Zwingli, Calvin and Luther and goes through the detailed Protestant Reformation. At least 4 more pages. Spend maybe 1 to 1.5 pages on the directions of modern Christianity, but don't dwell too much on that. Back to canon law).