• ↑↓ to navigate
  • Enter to open
  • → to select
  • Ctrl + Alt + Enter to open in panel
  • Esc to dismiss
⌘ '
keyboard shortcuts
Search

  • published

  • modified

  • reading time

    20 min read (3873 words)

  • Tag

    • Christianity

    Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world’s largest religion, with about 2.5 billion followers. Its adherents, known as Christians, make up a majority of the population in 157 countries and territories, and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, whose coming as the messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible (called the Old Testament in Christianity) and chronicled in the New Testament.Christianity remains culturally diverse in its Western and Eastern branches, as well as in its doctrines concerning justification and the nature of salvation, ecclesiology, ordination, and Christology.

    ― wikipedia/en/ChristianityWikipedia

    The doctrine of penal substitution, also known as vicarious atonement or substitutionary atonement, is the belief that Jesus Christ took on the punishment for humanity's sins: 

    • Explanation

      This theory states that God requires satisfaction for sin before he can forgive it, and that Jesus suffered the punishment for humanity’s sins in order to satisfy God’s justice. 

    • Biblical support

      Some Bible verses that support this theory include: 

    • Second Corinthians 5:21: “God the Father ‘made him to be sin who knew no sin’” 

    • Isaiah 53:4–6: The Messiah was to be “crushed for our iniquities” 

    • John 10:10: Jesus claims to be the “good shepherd” who lays down his life for the sheep 

    • Historical context

      The Reformers, including Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and Melanchthon, were pioneers in stating this idea. 

    • Contrast with other theories

      The penal substitution theory contrasts with Anselm’s Satisfaction Theory, which holds that God is satisfied with a debt of justice being paid by Jesus.

    The Nicolaitans were a Christian sect that appears in the New Testament's Book of Revelation. The Nicolaitans were considered heretical by the early Christian Church.

    Here are some things about the Nicolaitans:

    • Teachings

      The Nicolaitans taught that it was acceptable to have one foot in both the Christian and pagan worlds. They also taught that liberty should replace license, and that grace should be perverted. 

    • Practices

      The Nicolaitans were known for eating food offered to idols and for sexual immorality. 

    • Origin

      The exact origin of the Nicolaitans is unclear, but some believe they were named after Nicolas, a proselyte who was one of the first seven deacons in Jerusalem. Others believe the name comes from the Greek word Nicolah, which means “let us eat”. 

    • Location

      The Nicolaitans were described as existing in Ephesus, Pergamus, and other cities of Asia Minor. 

    • Other sources

      The Nicolaitans are also mentioned in the works of Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Hippolytus.

    The Carpocratians (wikipedia/en/Greek_languageWikipedia: Καρποκρατιανοὶ) was a wikipedia/en/GnosticismWikipedia sect partially based on wikipedia/en/PlatonismWikipedia that was established in the 2nd century wikipedia/en/Anno_DominiWikipedia and existed until the 6th. It was named after wikipedia/en/CarpocratesWikipedia, its founder, and gained its final form in the writings of his son, wikipedia/en/Epiphanes_(Gnostic)Wikipedia. Only fragmentary sources remain about their beliefs and practices, and wikipedia/en/Proto-orthodox_ChristianityWikipedia Christians of the time mischaracterised their wikipedia/en/TheologyWikipedia to discredit them, accusing them of debauchery.

    According to the wikipedia/en/PanarionWikipedia of wikipedia/en/Epiphanius_of_SalamisWikipedia (ch. 26), and wikipedia/en/TheodoretWikipedia’s Haereticarum Fabularum Compendium, the Borborites or Borborians (wikipedia/en/Greek_languageWikipedia: Βορβοριανοί; in wikipedia/en/EgyptWikipedia, Phibionites; in other countries, Koddians, Barbelites, Secundians, Socratites, Zacchaeans, Stratiotics) were a wikipedia/en/Christian_GnosticismWikipedia wikipedia/en/SectWikipedia, said to be descended from the wikipedia/en/NicolaitansWikipedia. It is difficult to know for sure the practices of the group, as both Epiphanius and Theodoret were opponents of the group. According to Epiphanius, the sect were wikipedia/en/LibertineWikipedia who embraced the pleasures of the earthly world.

    —–

    The Reconquista was a series of military and cultural campaigns by European Christian kingdoms to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule: 

    • Dates: The Reconquista began in 722 AD and ended on January 2, 1492.
    • Location: The Reconquista took place in the Iberian Peninsula, which includes present-day Spain and Portugal. 
    • Participants: Christian soldiers, including warrior monks from the Knights Hospitaller, Knights Templar, and the Order of Calatrava, participated in the Reconquista. 
    • Goals: The Reconquista sought to “liberate” Al-Andalus, a territory that was ruled by Muslims for eight centuries. 
    • Results: The Reconquista culminated in the reign of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain.

    The Reconquista was a bloody and harsh period that led to the Spanish Inquisition, which eliminated heretics. The Reconquista also led to the spread of Christianity through violence, an ideology that was later applied to the Spanish and Portuguese conquests of the New World.

    Here is Part 1 of a full, deeply structured Christian Theology Map of Content, matching the precision and depth you expect. This section covers the scope, structure, and foundational categories. The next batches will unpack each domain further (e.g., Christology, Trinity, etc.).

    Christian Theology

    Christian Theology

    The study of God, divine attributes, creation, salvation, and humanity in relation to God within the Christian tradition. It includes both historical development and systematic articulation of doctrine across denominations and time periods.

    I. Foundational Subfields of Christian Theology

    II. Branches and Forms of Theology

    A. By Method

    B. By Tradition

    III. Philosophical Frameworks in Theology

    IV. Theological Sources and Norms (Wesleyan Quadrilateral)

    Also connected to:

    V. Theological Movements and Schools

    VI. Theology and Society

    VII. Comparative and Interfaith Dimensions

    VIII. Theology in Practice

    IX. Canonical Theologians and Texts

    I. Christology

    The branch of theology dealing with the identity, nature, and work of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity.

    1. Major Christological Doctrines

    • Hypostatic Union – The doctrine that Jesus Christ is one person with two natures: fully divine and fully human.

    • Incarnation – The belief that God became flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

    • Virgin Birth – The belief that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

    • Pre-existence of Christ – The belief that Christ existed before the incarnation.

    • Logos Christology – The understanding of Jesus as the Logos (Word) of God (cf. John 1:1).

    • Kenosis – The “self-emptying” of Christ in taking on human form (Philippians 2:7).

    • Christus Victor – A model of atonement where Christ defeats the powers of sin, death, and the devil.

    • Penal Substitution – A Protestant doctrine asserting that Christ bore the punishment for sin.

    • Moral Influence Theory – Jesus’ death inspires ethical transformation.

    • Recapitulation – Jesus relives and restores all aspects of human life (Irenaeus).

    • Suffering Servant Theology – Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy by suffering for humanity’s sins.

    2. Major Christological Debates and Heresies

    • Arianism – Denied the full divinity of Christ; condemned at the First Council of Nicaea (325).

    • Docetism – Claimed Jesus’ humanity was an illusion.

    • Nestorianism – Over-emphasized the disunion between Jesus’ divine and human natures.

    • Monophysitism – Claimed Jesus had only one (divine) nature.

    • Dyophysitism – Affirmed two natures in one person (Chalcedonian orthodoxy).

    • Adoptionism – Jesus was a man who became divine at baptism.

    • Apollinarianism – Christ had a human body but a divine mind.

    • Ebionism – Early Jewish Christians who saw Jesus as a prophet, not divine.

    • Kenotic Heresies – Excessive emphasis on Christ’s self-emptying as implying loss of divinity.

    3. Christology by Denominational Perspective

    4. Christological Titles

    II. Trinitarian Theology

    The doctrine that God exists eternally as three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are consubstantial and coequal.

    1. Core Concepts

    2. Historical Development

    3. Trinitarian Heresies

    4. Trinitarian Models (Modern Theology)

    5. Denominational Approaches

    III. Soteriology

    The doctrine of salvation—its meaning, process, and means in Christian theology.

    Major Themes

    Traditions

    IV. Pneumatology

    The theological study of the Holy Spirit: His person, divinity, work, and role in Christian life.

    Core Doctrines

    Key Movements

    V. Ecclesiology

    The doctrine of the Church — its nature, mission, authority, and structure.

    Nature and Identity

    Marks of the Church

    Models of Church

    Church Governance

    Church Functions

    Denominational Views

    VI. Christian Eschatology

    The theological study of the last things: death, judgment, heaven, hell, and the return of Christ.

    Personal Eschatology

    Cosmic Eschatology

    Millennial Views

    Theological Concepts

    VII. Sacramental Theology

    Theology of rites understood as visible signs of divine grace.

    Major Sacraments

    Views on the Eucharist

    Denominational Variations

    VIII. Bibliology

    The doctrine of Scripture — its nature, authority, interpretation, and role in theology.

    Nature and Attributes

    Interpretation and Use

    Denominational Perspectives

    IX. Anthropology (Christianity)

    The theological study of human beings in relation to God, creation, and salvation.

    Core Concepts

    Theological Issues

    X. Hamartiology

    The theological study of sin, its origin, nature, consequences, and cure.

    Origin and Nature

    Types and Classifications

    Theological Consequences

    XI. Theology Proper

    The doctrine of God — His nature, existence, attributes, and relationship to the world.

    God’s Existence and Knowability

    Divine Attributes

    Names and Descriptions of God

    God’s Relationship to the World

    XII. Systematic Theology

    The discipline of organizing theological doctrines into a coherent, interrelated whole, based on the topics of God, humanity, and salvation.

    Structure

    Features

    Methodologies

    XIII. Historical Theology

    The diachronic study of how Christian doctrines have developed through history.

    Periods

    Doctrinal Milestones

    XIV. Constructive Theology

    A creative theological approach that re-articulates doctrine in contemporary contexts, often interdisciplinary and speculative.

    Key Traits

    Methodologies

    XV. Practical Theology

    The theological study of how faith is lived out in the life of the Church and the world.

    Subfields

    XVI. Doctrinal Development Theory

    How Christian doctrine emerges, matures, or changes through time.

    Key Thinkers

    Models

    Christian Theology by Denomination

    I. Catholic Theology

    Foundations

    Doctrinal Themes

    II. Eastern Orthodox Theology

    Foundations

    Doctrinal Themes

    III. Reformed Theology

    Foundations

    Doctrinal Themes

    IV. Lutheran Theology

    Foundations

    Doctrinal Themes

    V. Anglican Theology

    Foundations

    Doctrinal Themes

    VI. Baptist Theology

    Foundations

    Doctrinal Themes

    VII. Pentecostal Theology

    Foundations

    Doctrinal Themes

    VIII. Anabaptist Theology

    Foundations

    Doctrinal Themes

    IX. Nontrinitarian Theologies

    Grouped under their own detailed MoC (see: Nontrinitarian Christianity), including:

    Miscellaneous Christian Theology Topics

    🧠 Cognitive, Psychological, and Experiential

    🪞 Cultural and Contextual

    🏛️ Civic, Structural, Institutional

    ✍️ Literary and Artistic

    ⏳ Esoteric and Apocalyptic

    👻 Paranormal and Supernatural

    📚 Intertextual and Interreligious

    📖 Pedagogy and Memory

    📜 Niche Historical Movements

    🧬 Emerging and Interdisciplinary

    🗿 Pre-Christian or Proto-Christian

    Christian Liturgy

    Christian Monasticism

    Christian Education

    Christian Missions

    Global Christianity aka World Christianity

    Christianity and other Religions

    Canon Law

    Christian Culture

    Christian Philosophy

    Biblical Manuscripts

    Christian Terminology

    Christian Cosmology

    Christian Anthropology

    Christian Eschatology

    Christianity and Science

    Christian Civilization

    You might like the following

  • Refuting Atheism
  • Procatalepsis
  • Khwajagan
  • Herodotus
  • Akhtar Raza Khan
  • Shah Ismail Dehlvi
  • Novus Ordo Seclorum
    • Divine Reality
    Ecumenism
    Salvation in Islam