Christians

{{short description|People who adhere to Christianity}}
{{redirect|Christian}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{infobox religious group
| group         = Christians
| image         = [[File:Raphael - The Miraculous Draft of Fishes - Google Art Project.jpg|300px]]
| caption       = After the [[miraculous catch of fish]], Christ invokes his disciples to become "fishers of men" ({{bibleref|Matthew|4:19|KJV}}) by [[Raphael]]
| population    = {{circa}} '''2.4 billion''' <br /> (31.1% of the global population){{increase}}<br /> (Worldwide, 2020 est.)<ref name="globalreligiousfutures.org">{{Cite web |title=Religion Information Data Explorer {{!}} GRF |url=http://www.globalreligiousfutures.org/explorer#/?subtopic=15&chartType=bar&year=2020&data_type=number&religious_affiliation=all&destination=to&countries=Worldwide&age_group=all&gender=all&pdfMode=false |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=www.globalreligiousfutures.org}}</ref><ref name="All Religions global totals">{{Cite web|url=https://worldreligiondatabase.org/|title=All Religions (global totals)|date=2020|editor-last=Johnson|editor-first=Todd M.|editor2-last=Grim|editor2-first=Brian J.|website=World Religion Database|publisher=BRILL, Boston University|location=Leiden, Boston}}</ref><ref name="gordonconwell.edu">{{cite web |url=http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/documents/1IBMR2015.pdf |title=Christianity 2015: Religious Diversity and Personal Contact |publisher=gordonconwell.edu |date=January 2015 |access-date=29 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141543/http://www.gordonconwell.edu/resources/documents/1IBMR2015.pdf|archive-date=25 May 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Global Christianity">{{cite web |author=Analysis |url=https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2011/12/Christianity-fullreport-web.pdf|title=Global Christianity |publisher=Pewforum.org |date=19 December 2011 |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref>
| founder       = [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus Christ]], according to [[Sacred tradition#In the Catholic and Orthodox churches|sacred tradition]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Ehrman |first=Bart D. |title=How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee |publisher= HarperOne |isbn= 978-0-06-177818-6|year=2014}}</ref>
| scriptures    = [[Bible]] ([[Old Testament|Old]] and [[New Testament]])
<!--Do NOT add any more regions to the list; ten largest Christian nations is adequate! These are reported nominal figures.-->
| region1 = [[United States]]
| pop1 = [[Christianity in the United States|246,790,000]]
| ref1 = <ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region2 = [[Brazil]]
| pop2 = [[Christianity in Brazil|175,770,000]]
| ref2 =<ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region3 = [[Mexico]]
| pop3 = [[Christianity in Mexico|107,780,000]]
| ref3 =<ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region4 = [[Russia]]
| pop4 = [[Christianity in Russia|105,220,000]]
| ref4 = <ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region5 = [[Philippines]]
| pop5 = [[Christianity in the Philippines|86,790,000]]
| ref5 = <ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region6 = [[Nigeria]]
| pop6 = [[Christianity in Nigeria|80,510,000]]
| ref6 = <ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region7 = [[China]]
| pop7 = [[Christianity in China|67,070,000]]
| ref7 =<ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region8 = [[DR Congo]]
| pop8= [[Christianity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo|63,150,000]]
| ref8 = <ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region9 = [[India]]
| pop9 = [[Christianity in India|62,000,000]]
| ref9 = <ref name="Melton1">{{cite book |last1=Melton |first1=J. Gordon |title=Encyclopedia of Protestantism |date=2005 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-6983-5 |pages=284–285 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bW3sXBjnokkC&q=number+protestantism+in+india+million&pg=PA284 |language=en|quote=Today, the Christian community in India includes approximately 62 million people, about 6 percent of the population. Of these, 14 million are Roman Catholic and 3 million are Orthodox.}}</ref><ref name="Baumann1">{{cite book |last1=Melton |first1=J. Gordon |last2=Baumann |first2=Martin |title=Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition [6 volumes] |date=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-59884-204-3 |pages=1399, 1401–1403 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v2yiyLLOj88C&q=Encyclopedia+of+Protestantism+india&pg=PA1401 |language=en |quote=Protestants 21,100,000 Independents 18,200,000 Roman Catholics 21,700,000 (2010)}}</ref>
| region10 = [[Germany]]
| pop10 = [[Christianity in Germany|58,240,000]]
| ref10 = <ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region11 = [[Ethiopia]]
| pop11 = [[Christianity in Ethiopia|52,580,000]]
| ref11 = <ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region12 = [[Italy]]
| pop12 = [[Christianity in Italy|51,550,000]]
| ref12 = <ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| region13 = [[United Kingdom]]
| pop13 = [[Christianity in the United Kingdom|45,030,000]]
| ref13 = <ref name="Global Christianity"/>
| languages     = {{Plainlist|
* '''Predominant spoken languages:'''<ref name="Wiley-Blackwell1">{{cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=Todd M. |last2=Grim |first2=Brian J. |title=The World's Religions in Figures: An Introduction to International Religious Demography |url=http://media.johnwiley.com.au/product_data/excerpt/47/04706745/0470674547-196.pdf |access-date=24 November 2015 |year=2013 |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |location=Hoboken, NJ |pages=10|url-status = dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020100448/http://media.johnwiley.com.au/product_data/excerpt/47/04706745/0470674547-196.pdf |archive-date=20 October 2013}}</ref><br />{{Hlist|[[Spanish language|Spanish]]|[[English language|English]]|[[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]|[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]||[[Russian language|Russian]]|[[Mandarin Chinese]]|[[French language|French]]|[[German language|German]] |[[Igbo language|Igbo]]|[[Polish language|Polish]]|[[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]|[[Filipino language|Filipino]]|[[Italian language|Italian]]|[[Malayalam]]|[[Arabic]]|other [[vernacular]] languages}}}}
'''Sacred languages:'''<br />{{Hlist|[[Ecclesiastical Latin]]|[[Koine Greek]]<ref>A history of ancient Greek by Maria Chritē, Maria Arapopoulou, Centre for the Greek Language (Thessalonikē, Greece) pg 436 {{ISBN|0-521-83307-8}}</ref>|[[Syriac language|Syriac]]|[[Biblical Hebrew|Hebrew]]|[[Aramaic]]|[[Geʽez]]|[[Coptic language|Coptic]]|[[Old Church Slavonic]] and [[Church Slavonic language|Church Slavonic]]| [[Old Georgian]]|[[Classical Armenian]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Wilken |first=Robert Louis |title=The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity |date=27 November 2012 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven and London |isbn=978-0-300-11884-1 |page=26}}</ref>}}
|religions =[[Christianity]]{{unbulleted list
 |50% [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]] ([[Latin Church]], [[Eastern Catholic Churches]])<ref name="Global Christianity"/>
 |37% [[Protestantism]] ([[Adventism]], [[Anglicanism]], [[Baptists|Baptist churches]], [[Calvinism|Reformed churches]], [[Lutheranism]], [[Methodism]], [[Pentecostalism]] and other denominations)<ref name="Global Christianity"/>
 |10% [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]<ref name="Global Christianity"/>
 |2% [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodox]]<ref name="Global Christianity"/>
 |1% Other Christian traditions (incl. [[Assyrian Church of the East]], [[Latter Day Saint movement]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Unitarianism]] and [[Nondenominational Christianity|Nondenominational churches]])<ref name="Global Christianity"/>
 }}
|footnotes      =
}}
{{Christianity|expanded=hide}}
A '''Christian''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Christian.ogg|ˈ|k|ɹ|ɪ|s|tʃ|ən|,_|-|t|i|ə|n}}) is a person who follows or adheres to [[Christianity]], a [[Monotheism|monotheistic]] [[Abrahamic religion]] based on the life and teachings of [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus Christ]]. Christians form the largest religious community in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Center |first=Pew Research |date=2011-12-19 |title=Global Christianity - A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2011/12/19/global-christianity-exec/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project |language=en-US}}</ref> The words ''[[Christ (title)|Christ]]'' and ''Christian'' derive from the [[Koine Greek]] title ''Christós'' (Χριστός), a translation of the [[Biblical Hebrew]] term ''[[mashiach]]'' (מָשִׁיחַ) (usually rendered as ''messiah'' in English).<ref>[[#Bickerman-1949|Bickerman (1949)]] p. 145, "The Christians got their appellation from 'Christus,' that is, 'the Anointed,' the Messiah."</ref> While there are diverse interpretations of Christianity which sometimes conflict,<ref name="Woodhead 2004 n.p">{{cite book |title=Christianity: A Very Short Introduction |last=Woodhead |first=Linda |year=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |pages=n.p}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Religion in America: A Very Short Introduction |last=Beal |first=Timothy |year=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |pages=35, 39}} Beal states that, "Although all of them have their historical roots in Christian theology and tradition, and although most would identify themselves as Christian, many would not identify others within the larger category as Christian. Most Baptists and Fundamentalists, for example, would not acknowledge Mormonism or Christian Science as Christian. In fact, the nearly 77 percent of Americans who self-identify as Christian are a diverse ''pluribus'' of ''Christianities'' that are far from any collective unity."</ref> they are united in believing that Jesus has a unique significance.<ref name="Woodhead 2004 n.p"/> The term ''Christian'' used as an adjective is descriptive of anything associated with Christianity or [[Christian churches]], or in a proverbial sense "all that is noble, and good, and Christ-like."<ref name="CCEL">{{cite book |title=History of the Christian Church |last=Schaff |first=Philip |author-link=Philip Schaff |chapter=V. St. Paul and the Conversion of the Gentiles (Note 496) |url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc1.txt}}</ref> It does not have a meaning of 'of Christ' or 'related or pertaining to Christ'.

According to a 2011 [[Pew Research Center]] survey, there were 2.2 billion Christians around the world in 2010, up from about 600 million in 1910.<ref name="Global Christianity"/> Today, about 37% of all Christians live in the [[Americas]], about 26% live in [[Europe]], 24% live in [[sub-Saharan Africa]], about 13% live in [[Asia]] and the [[Pacific]], and 1% live in the [[Middle East]] and [[North Africa]].<ref name="Global Christianity"/> Christians make up the majority of the population in 158 countries and territories.<ref name="Global Christianity"/> 280 million Christians live as a [[Minority group|minority]]. About half of all Christians worldwide are [[Catholic]], while more than a third are [[Protestant]] (37%).<ref name="Global Christianity"/> [[Eastern Christianity|Orthodox]] communions comprise 12% of the world's Christians.<ref name="Global Christianity"/> Other Christian groups make up the remainder. By 2050, the Christian population is expected to exceed 3 billion.<ref name="Global Christianity"/> According to a 2012 Pew Research Center survey, Christianity will remain the [[Major religious groups#Largest religious groups|world's largest religion]] in 2050, if current trends continue. In recent history, Christians have [[persecution of Christians|experienced persecution]] of varying severity, especially in the [[Christianity in the Middle East|Middle-East]], North Africa, [[East Asia]], and [[South Asia]].<ref name="BBC genocide 2019 BBC">[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48146305 "Christian persecution 'at near genocide levels'".] ''[[BBC News]]''. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.</ref><!-- There is no specific author's name listed in the previous BBC article.--><ref name="Kay 2019 NP">[https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-our-politicians-may-not-care-but-christians-are-under-siege-across-the-world Kay, Barbara. "Our politicians may not care, but Christians are under siege across the world".] ''[[National Post]]''. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.</ref><ref name="Wintour 2019 Guardian">[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/02/persecution-driving-christians-out-of-middle-east-report Wintour, Patrick. "Persecution of Christians coming close to genocide' in Middle East – report".] ''[[The Guardian]]''. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.</ref>

==Etymology==
The Greek word {{lang|grc|Χριστιανός}} (''Christianos''), meaning "follower of Christ", comes from {{lang|grc|Χριστός}} (''Christos''), meaning "[[anointing|anointed one]]",<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Christ Christ] at Etymology Online</ref> with an adjectival ending borrowed from Latin to denote adhering to, or even belonging to, as in slave ownership.<ref>[[#Bickerman-1949|Bickerman, 1949]] p. 147, "All these Greek terms, formed with the Latin suffix ''-ianus'', exactly as the Latin words of the same derivation, express the idea that the men or things referred to, belong to the person to whose name the suffix is added."<br />p. 145, "In Latin this suffix produced proper names of the type ''Marcianus'' and, on the other hand, derivatives from the name of a person, which referred to his belongings, like ''fundus Narcissianus'', or, by extension, to his adherents, ''Ciceroniani''."</ref> In the [[Greek language|Greek]] [[Septuagint]], ''christos'' was used to translate the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] מָשִׁיחַ (''Mašíaḥ'', [[messiah]]), meaning "[one who is] anointed".<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=messiah Messiah] at Etymology Online</ref> In other European languages, equivalent words to Christian are likewise derived from the Greek, such as ''Chrétien'' in French and ''Cristiano'' in Spanish.

The abbreviations ''Xian'' and ''Xtian'' (and similarly formed other parts of speech) have been used since at least the 17th century: ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' shows a 1634 use of ''Xtianity'' and ''Xian'' is seen in a 1634–38 diary.<ref name="oed-x">{{Cite encyclopedia |chapter=X, n. 10 |date=March 2016 |title=OED Online |publisher=Oxford University Press |url=http://oed.com/view/Entry/230945 |access-date=8 January 2019 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fTvQBBb5-skC&q=xian%20christian&pg=PA4 |title=The Diary of Samuel Rogers, 1634–1638 |date=2004 |publisher=Boydell Press |isbn=9781843830436 |page=4 |last1=Rogers |first1=Samuel|editor1-last=Webster|editor1-first=Tom|editor2-last=Shipps|editor2-first=Kenneth W. |quote=Throughout his diary, Rogers abbreviates 'Christ' to 'X' and the same is true of 'Christian' ('Xian'), 'Antichrist' ('AntiX') and related words. |access-date=8 January 2019}}</ref> The word ''[[Xmas]]'' uses a similar contraction.

==Early usage==
[[File:Antioch Saint Pierre Church Front.JPG|thumb|upright=0.9|right|The [[Church of Saint Peter]] near [[Antioch]] (modern-day [[Antakya]]), the city where the [[Disciple (Christianity)|disciples]] were called "Christians"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/acts/11-26.htm|title=Acts 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So for a full year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.|website=biblehub.com}}</ref>]]
The first recorded use of the term (or its [[cognate]]s in other languages) is in the [[New Testament]], in [[Acts 11]] after Barnabas brought Saul (Paul) to [[Early centers of Christianity#Antioch|Antioch]] where they taught the [[Disciple (Christianity)|disciples]] for about a year, the text says that "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" ([[Acts 11:26]]). The second mention of the term follows in [[Acts 26]], where [[Herod Agrippa II]] replied to [[Paul the Apostle]], "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." ([[Acts 26:28]]). The third and final New Testament reference to the term is in [[1 Peter 4]], which exhorts believers: "Yet if ''[any man suffer]'' as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf." ([[1 Peter 4:16]]).

Kenneth Samuel Wuest holds that all three original New Testament verses' usages reflect a derisive element in the term ''Christian'' to refer to followers of Christ who did not acknowledge the emperor of Rome.<ref>[[#Wuest-1973]] p. 19. "The word is used three times in the New Testament, and each time as a term of reproach or derision. Here in Antioch, the name ''Christianos'' was coined to distinguish the worshippers of the Christ from the ''Kaisarianos'', the worshippers of Caesar."</ref> The city of Antioch, where someone gave them the name ''Christians'', had a reputation for coming up with such nicknames.<ref>[[#Wuest-1973]] p. 19. "The city of Antioch in Syria had a reputation for coining nicknames."</ref> However Peter's apparent endorsement of the term led to its being preferred over "Nazarenes" and the term ''Christianoi'' from [[1 Peter]] becomes the standard term in the [[Early Church Fathers]] from [[Ignatius of Antioch|Ignatius]] and [[Polycarp]] onwards.<ref>Christine Trevett '' Christian Women and the Time of the Apostolic Fathers'' 2006 {{"'}}Christians' (christianoi) was a term first coined in Syrian Antioch ([[Acts 11:26]]) and which appeared next in Christian sources in Ignatius, Eph 11.2; Rom 3.2; Pol 7.3. Cf. too Did 12.4; MPol 3.1; 10.1; 12.1–2; EpDiog 1.1; 4.6; 5.1;"</ref>

The earliest occurrences of the term in non-Christian literature include [[Josephus on Jesus|Josephus]], referring to "the tribe of Christians, so named from him;"<ref>{{cite web |author=Josephus |author-link=Josephus |url=http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-18.htm |title=Antiquities of the Jews&nbsp;— XVIII, 3:3 |translator= William Whiston |website=Christian Classics Ethereal Library |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404155532/https://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/ant-18.htm |archive-date= Apr 4, 2023 }}</ref> [[Pliny the Younger]] in [[Epistulae (Pliny)|correspondence with Trajan]]; and [[Tacitus on Christ|Tacitus]], writing near the end of the 1st century. In the ''[[Annals (Tacitus)|Annals]]'' he relates that "by vulgar appellation [they were] commonly called Christians"<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tacitus |first1=Cornelius |last2=Murphy |first2=Arthur |title=The works of Cornelius Tacitus: with an essay on his life and genius, notes, supplements, &c |page=287 |year=1836 |publisher=Thomas Wardle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E0vy1dAhgj0C}}</ref> and identifies Christians as [[Nero]]'s scapegoats for the [[Great Fire of Rome]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Book of the Acts |author=Bruce, Frederick Fyvie |author-link=F. F. Bruce |year=1988 |publisher=Eerdmans |page=228 |isbn=0-8028-2505-2}}</ref>

===Nazarenes===
Another [[List of Christian synonyms|term for Christians]] which appears in the New Testament is "[[Nazarene (title)|Nazarenes]]". [[Jesus]] is named as a Nazarene in [[Matthew 2:23]], while [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]] is said to be Nazarene in [[Acts 24:5]]. The latter verse makes it clear that Nazarene also referred to the name of a sect or heresy, as well as the town called Nazareth.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

The term Nazarene was also used by the Jewish lawyer [[Tertullus]] (''Against Marcion'' 4:8) which records that "the Jews call us Nazarenes." While around 331 AD [[Eusebius]] records that Christ was called a Nazoraean from the name [[Nazareth]], and that in earlier centuries "Christians" were once called "Nazarenes".<ref>''Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies'': Volume 65, Issue 1 University of London. School of Oriental and African Studies – 2002 "around 331, Eusebius says of the place name [[Nazareth]] that 'from this name the Christ was called a Nazoraean, and in ancient times we, who are now called Christians, were once called [[Nazarene (title)|Nazarenes]]';6 thus he attributes this designation"</ref> The Hebrew equivalent of "Nazarenes", ''Notzrim'', occurs in the [[Babylonian Talmud]], and is still the modern Israeli Hebrew term for Christian.

==Modern usage==
{{cleanup lang|section|date=November 2021}}
[[File:MII (cropped)-Tacitus-chrestianos.png|thumb|''chrestianos'', first mention of Christians in [[Annals (Tacitus)|Tacitus' Annals]]. 11th century copy.]][[File:ChristianityPUA.svg|left|thumb|The [[Christian cross|Latin cross]] and [[Ichthys]] symbols, two symbols often used by Christians to represent [[Christianity|their religion]]]]

===Definition===
A wide range of beliefs and practices are found across the world among those who call themselves Christian. [[Christian denomination|Denomination]]s and sects disagree on a common definition of "Christianity". For example, [[Timothy Beal]] notes the disparity of beliefs among those who identify as Christians in the United States as follows: <blockquote>Although all of them have their historical roots in Christian theology and tradition, and although most would identify themselves as Christian, many would not identify others within the larger category as Christian. Most Baptists and fundamentalists ([[Christian Fundamentalism]]), for example, would not acknowledge Mormonism or Christian Science as Christian. In fact, the nearly 77 percent of Americans who self-identify as Christian are a diverse pluribus of Christianities that are far from any collective unity.<ref>{{cite book |title=Religion in America: A Very Short Introduction |last=Beal |first=Timothy |year=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |page=35}}</ref></blockquote>

[[Linda Woodhead]] attempts to provide a common belief thread for Christians by noting that "Whatever else they might disagree about, Christians are at least united in believing that Jesus has a unique significance."<ref name="Woodhead 2004 n.p"/> [[Michael Martin (philosopher)|Michael Martin]] evaluated three historical Christian creeds (the [[Apostles' Creed]], the [[Nicene Creed]] and the [[Athanasian Creed]]) to establish a set of basic Christian assumptions which include belief in [[theism]], the [[historicity of Jesus]], the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|Incarnation]], [[Christian soteriology|salvation]] through faith in Jesus, and [[Christian views of Jesus|Jesus]] as an ethical role model.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Case Against Christianity |author=Martin, Michael |author-link=Michael Martin (philosopher) |year=1993 |publisher=Temple University Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/caseagainstchris00mich/page/12 12] |isbn=1-56639-081-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/caseagainstchris00mich/page/12}}</ref>

===Hebrew terms===
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 17818 Cities in Israel.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.9|[[Nazareth]] is described as the childhood home of [[Jesus]]. Many languages employ the word "Nazarene" as a general designation for those of Christian faith.<ref>Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies: Volume 65, Issue 1 University of London. School of Oriental and African Studies – 2002.</ref>]]
The identification of Jesus as the Messiah is not accepted by Judaism. The term for a Christian in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] is נוֹצְרִי (''Notzri''—"Nazarene"), a [[Talmud]]ic term originally derived from the fact that Jesus came from the [[Galilee|Galilean]] village of [[Nazareth]], today in northern Israel.<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=nazarene Nazarene] at Etymology Online</ref> Adherents of [[Messianic Judaism]] are referred to in modern Hebrew as יְהוּדִים מְשִׁיחִיִּים (''Yehudim Meshihi'im''—"Messianic Jews").

===Arabic terms===
<!-- [[Nasrani (disambiguation)]] links here -->
In [[Arab world|Arabic-speaking cultures]], two words are commonly used for Christians: ''Naṣrānī'' ({{lang|ar|نصراني}}), plural ''Naṣārā'' ({{lang|ar|نصارى}}) is generally understood to be derived from [[Nazarene (sect)|Nazarenes]], believers of [[Nazarene (title)|Jesus of Nazareth]] through [[Syriac language|Syriac]] (Aramaic); ''Masīḥī'' ({{lang|ar|مسيحي}}) means followers of the Messiah.<ref name="SOFIR">Society for Internet Research, [http://www.sofir.org/sarchives/005539.php The Hamas Charter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525050133/http://www.sofir.org/sarchives/005539.php |date=25 May 2013 }}, note 62 (erroneously, "salidi").</ref> Where there is a distinction, ''Nasrani'' refers to people from a Christian culture and ''Masihi'' is used by Christians themselves for those with a religious faith in Jesus.<ref name="Tayler">[[Jeffrey Tayler]], ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=98dQ39WOoUUC&dq=masihi+nasrani&pg=RA1-PA41 Trekking through the Moroccan Sahara]''.</ref> In some countries ''Nasrani'' tends to be used generically for non-Muslim Western foreigners.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nasara |url=http://www.mazyanbizaf.com/mbs002 |website=Mazyan Bizaf Show|access-date=18 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013151448/http://www.mazyanbizaf.com/mbs002/|archive-date=13 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Another Arabic word sometimes used for Christians, particularly in a political context, is ''Ṣalībī'' ({{lang|ar|صليبي}} "Crusader") from ''ṣalīb'' ({{lang|ar|صليب}} "cross"), which refers to [[Crusades|Crusaders]] and may have negative connotations.<ref name="SOFIR"/><ref>[[Akbar S. Ahmed]], ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=kXY9AAAAIAAJ&dq=salibi+crusader&pg=PA110 Islam, Globalization, and Postmodernity]'', p 110.</ref> However, ''Ṣalībī'' is a modern term; historically, Muslim writers described European Christian Crusaders as ''al-Faranj'' or ''Alfranj'' ({{lang|ar|الفرنج}}) and ''Firinjīyah'' ({{lang|ar|الفرنجيّة}}) in Arabic.<ref>Rashid al-din Fazl Allâh, quoted in Karl Jahn (ed.) Histoire Universelle de Rasid al-Din Fadl Allah Abul=Khair: I. Histoire des Francs (Texte Persan avec traduction et annotations), Leiden, E. J. Brill, 1951. (Source: M. Ashtiany)</ref> This word comes from the name of the [[Franks]] and can be seen in the Arab history text [[Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh]] by [[Ali ibn al-Athir]].<ref>{{lang|ar|سنة ٤٩١ – "ذكر ملك الفرنج مدينة أنطاكية" في الكامل في التاريخ}}</ref><ref>"Account of ''al-Faranj'' seizing Antioch" Year 491AH, [[The Complete History]]</ref>

===Asian terms===
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2021}}
The most common [[Persian language|Persian]] word is ''Masīhī'' ({{lang|fa|مسیحی}}), from [[Arabic language|Arabic]]. Other words are ''Nasrānī'' ({{lang|fa|نصرانی}}), from [[Classical Syriac|Syriac]] for "Nazarene", and ''Tarsā'' ({{lang|fa|ترسا}}), from [[Middle Persian]] word ''Tarsāg'', also meaning "Christian", derived from ''tars'', meaning "fear, respect".<ref>[[MacKenzie, D. N.]] (1986). ''A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary''. London: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-713559-5}}</ref>

An old Kurdish word for Christian frequently in usage was ''felle'' (فەڵە), coming from the root word meaning "to be saved" or "attain salvation".<ref>Hazhar Mukriyani, (1990) ''Hanbanaborina Kurdish-Persian Dictionary'' Tehran, Soroush press p.527.</ref>

The Syriac term ''Nasrani'' (Nazarene) has also been attached to the [[Saint Thomas Christians]] of [[Kerala]], India. In [[North India|northern India]] and [[Pakistan]], Christians are referred to ''ʿĪsāʾī'' ({{lang-hi|ईसाई}}, {{lang-ur|عیسائی}}).<ref name="John2020">{{cite book |last1=John |first1=Vinod |title=Believing Without Belonging?: Religious Beliefs and Social Belonging of Hindu Devotees of Christ |date=19 November 2020 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-5326-9722-7 |page=111 |language=en |quote=“Isai” is the most common form of address for Christians throughout northern India.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Catholic priest in saffron robe called 'Isai Baba' |url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Catholic-priest-in-saffron-robe-called---Isai-Baba--/402458/ |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=24 December 2008 | url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113175911/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Catholic-priest-in-saffron-robe-called---Isai-Baba--/402458/ |archive-date=13 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Philpott |first1=Daniel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uHRJDwAAQBAJ&dq=isaai+pakistan&pg=PA249 |title=Under Caesar's Sword: How Christians Respond to Persecution |last2=Shah |first2=Timothy Samuel |date=2018-03-15 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-42530-8 |language=en}}</ref> ''Masīhī'' ({{lang-hi|मसीही}}, {{lang-ur|مسیحی}}) is a term Christians use to refer to themselves as well.<ref name="Bharati2004">{{cite book |last1=Bharati |first1=Swami Dayanand |title=Living Water and Indian Bowl |date=1 June 2004 |publisher=William Carey Publishing |isbn=978-1-64508-562-1 |language=en}}</ref>

In the past, the [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malay]]s used to call Christians in [[Malay language]] by the Portuguese loanword ''{{lang|ms|Serani}}'' (from Arabic ''Nasrani''), but the term now refers to the modern [[Kristang people|Kristang]] creoles of [[Malaysia]]. In the [[Indonesian language]], the term ''{{lang|id|Nasrani}}''" is also used alongside ''{{lang|id|Kristen}}''.

The Chinese word is {{linktext|基督|徒}} ({{transliteration|zh|pinyin|jīdū tú}}), literally "Christ follower". The name "Christ" was originally phonetically written in Chinese as 基利斯督, which was later abbreviated as 基督.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%9F%BA%E7%9D%A3-480274|title = 基督とは}}</ref> ''Kî-tuk'' in the southern [[Hakka dialect]], the two characters are pronounced ''Jīdū'' in Mandarin Chinese. In Vietnam, the same two characters read ''[[:wikt:Cơ đốc|Cơ đốc]]'', and a "follower of Christianity" is a {{lang|vi|tín đồ Cơ đốc giáo}}.

[[File:JapaneseChristiansInPortugueseCostume16-17thCentury.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.9|Japanese Christians ("Kurisuchan") in Portuguese costume, 16–17th century]]

In Japan, the term ''[[kirishitan]]'' (written in Edo period documents {{lang|ja|吉利支丹}}, {{lang|ja|切支丹}}, and in modern Japanese histories as {{lang|ja|キリシタン}}), from Portuguese ''{{lang|pt|cristão}}'', referred to Roman Catholics in the 16th and 17th centuries before the religion was banned by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. Today, Christians are referred to in [[Standard Japanese]] as {{lang|ja|キリスト教徒}} ({{transliteration|ja|Kirisuto-kyōto}}) or the English-derived term {{lang|ja|クリスチャン}} ({{transliteration|ja|kurisuchan}}).

Korean still uses {{lang|ko|기독교도}} ([[Revised Romanization|RR]]: {{transliteration|ko|RR|Gidokkyodo}}) for "Christian", though the Portuguese loanword {{lang|ko|그리스도}} ([[Revised Romanization|RR]]: {{transliteration|ko|RR|Geuriseudo}}) now replaced the old [[Sino-Korean vocabulary|Sino-Korean]] {{lang|ko|기독}} ([[Revised Romanization|RR]]: {{transliteration|ko|RR|Gidok}}), which refers to Christ himself.

In Thailand, the most common terms are {{lang|th|คนคริสต์}} ([[Royal Thai General System of Transcription|RTGS]]: {{transliteration|th|khon khrit}}) or {{lang|th|ชาวคริสต์}} ([[Royal Thai General System of Transcription|RTGS]]: {{transliteration|th|chao khrit}}) which literally means "Christ person/people" or "Jesus person/people". The Thai word {{lang|th|คริสต์}} ([[Royal Thai General System of Transcription|RTGS]]: {{transliteration|th|khrit}}) is derived from "Christ".

In the [[Philippines]], the most common terms are ''{{lang|tl|Kristiyano}}'' (for "Christian") and ''Kristiyanismo'' (for "Christianity") in most [[Philippine languages]]; both derives from Spanish ''{{lang|es|cristiano}}'' and ''{{lang|es|cristianismo}}'' (also used in [[Chavacano]]) due to the country's rich history of early Christianity during the [[History of the Philippines (1565–1898)|Spanish colonial era]]. Some Protestants in the Philippines uses the term ''{{lang|tl|Kristiyano}}'' (before the term "[[born again]]" became popular) to differentiate themselves from [[Catholic Church in the Philippines|Catholics]] (''Katoliko'').

===Eastern European terms===
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2022}}
The region of modern Eastern Europe and Central Eurasia has a long history of Christianity and Christian communities on its lands. In ancient times, in the first centuries after the birth of Christ, when this region was called Scythia, the geographical area of [[Scythians]] – Christians already lived there.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Anton_Kartashev/vselenskie-sobory/|title=Вселенские Соборы - профессор Антон Владимирович Карташёв - читать, скачать|website=azbyka.ru}}</ref> Later the region saw the first states to adopt Christianity officially – initially [[Armenia]] (301 AD) and [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] (337 AD), later [[Christianization of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] ({{circa}} 864) and [[Kievan Rus'|Kyivan Rus]] ({{circa}} 988 AD).

In some areas, people came to denote themselves as Christians ({{lang-ru|христиане, крестьяне}}; {{Lang-uk|християни|translit=khrystyiany}}) and as Russians ({{lang-ru|русские}}), [[Ruthenians]] ({{Lang-orv|русини, руснаки|translit=rusyny, rusnaky}}), or Ukrainians ({{Lang-uk|українці|translit=ukraintsi}}).

In time the Russian term "крестьяне" ({{transliteration|ru|khrest'yane}}) acquired the meaning "peasants of Christian faith" and later "peasants" (the main part of the population of the region), while the term {{lang-ru|христиане}} ({{transliteration|ru|khristiane}}) retained its religious meaning and the term {{lang-ru|русские}} ({{transliteration|ru|russkie}}) began to mean representatives of the heterogeneous Russian nation formed on the basis of common Christian faith and language,{{citation needed|date=November 2015}} which strongly influenced the history and development of the region. In the region the term "Orthodox faith" ({{lang-ru|православная вера}}, {{transliteration|ru|ISO|pravoslavnaia vera}}) or "Russian faith" ({{lang-ru|русская вера}}, {{transliteration|ru|russkaia vera}}) from earliest times became almost as known as the original "Christian faith" ({{lang-ru|христианская, крестьянская вера}} {{transliteration|ru|khristianskaia, krestianskaia}}).{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}

Also in some contexts the term [[cossack]] ({{lang-orv|козак, казак|translit=kozak, kazak}}) was used to denote "free" Christians of steppe origin and East Slavic language.

=== Other non-religious usages ===
Nominally "Christian" societies made "Christian" a default label for citizenship or for "people like us".<ref>
Compare: {{cite book |year=1957 |chapter=Christian| editor1-last = Cross| editor1-first = Frank Leslie| editor1-link = Frank Leslie Cross| editor2-last = Livingstone| editor2-first = Elizabeth A. |title=The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fUqcAQAAQBAJ |edition=3 |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press| publication-date = 2005 |page=336 |isbn=9780192802903 |access-date=5 December 2016 |quote=In modern times the name Christian&nbsp;... has tended, in nominally Christian countries, to lose any credal significance and imply only that which is ethically praiseworthy (e.g. 'a Christian action') or socially customary ('Christian name').}}
</ref>
In this context, religious or ethnic minorities can use "Christians" or "you Christians" loosely as a shorthand term for mainstream members of society who do not belong to their group – even in a thoroughly secular (though formerly Christian) society.<ref>
Compare: {{cite book |last1=Sandmel |first1=Samuel |title=We Jews and You Christians: An Inquiry Into Attitudes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eq_qXK_ZlsMC |publisher=Lippincott| date = 1967 |access-date=6 December 2016}}
</ref>

==Demographics==
{{For|a detailed breakdown of Christian demographics|Christianity by country}}
As of 2020, [[Christianity]] has approximately 2.4 billion adherents.<ref name="globalreligiousfutures.org"/><ref name="All Religions global totals"/><ref name="World">33.39% of 7.174 billion world population (under "People and Society") {{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/world/ |title=World |date=25 February 2022 |publisher=CIA world facts}}</ref><ref name="ForeignPolicy">{{cite web |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3835 |title=The List: The World's Fastest-Growing Religions |publisher=foreignpolicy.com |date=March 2007 |access-date=4 January 2010 |archive-date=11 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711181533/http://www.bellbookandcandlepublications.com/greenwoodsvillage/gor/islam.php |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Major Religions Ranked by Size">{{cite web |url=http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html |title=Major Religions Ranked by Size |publisher=Adherents.com |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-date=29 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129202506/http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The faith represents about a third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world. Christians have composed about 33 percent of the world's population for around 100 years. The largest Christian denomination is the [[Roman Catholic Church]], with 1.3 billion adherents, representing half of all Christians.<ref>[http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/universal_church_sees_increase_in_seminarians_reports_pontifical_yearbook/ Pontifical Yearbook 2010], Catholic News Agency. Accessed 22 September 2011.</ref>

Christianity remains the dominant religion in the [[Western World]], where 70% are Christians.<ref name="Global Christianity"/> According to a 2012 [[Pew Research Center]] survey, if current trends continue, Christianity will remain the [[Major religious groups#Largest religious groups|world's largest religion]] by 2050. By 2050, the Christian population is expected to exceed 3 billion. While Muslims have an average of 3.1 children per woman—the highest rate of all religious groups—Christians are second, with 2.7 children per woman. High birth rates and conversion were cited as the reason for [[Christian population growth]]. A 2015 study found that approximately 10.2 million [[Muslim]]s [[converted to Christianity]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Johnstone |first1=Patrick |last2=Miller |first2=Duane Alexander |title=Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census |journal=Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion |date=2015 |volume=11 |page=8 |url=https://www.academia.edu/16338087 |access-date=30 October 2015}}</ref> Christianity is growing in [[Africa]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-12-20/christianity-growth-africa-europe/52125920/1 |title=Study: Christianity growth soars in Africa – |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=14 February 2015 |date=20 December 2011}}</ref> Asia,<ref name="Time 2001"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/china-protestantisms-simplicity-yields-more-converts-catholicism-213465 |title=In China, Protestantism's Simplicity Yields More Converts Than Catholicism |date=28 March 2012 |work=[[International Business Times]] |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/perspectives/2012/06/26/understanding-rapid-rise-charismatic-christianity-southeast-asia|title=Understanding the rapid rise of Charismatic Christianity in Southeast Asia|date=27 October 2017|publisher=Singapore Management University}}</ref><ref name="Lausanne">{{cite web |date=8 July 2011 |title=Number of Christians in China and India |url=https://www.lausanne.org/lgc-transfer/number-of-christians-in-china-and-india-2 |publisher=Lausanne |access-date=13 June 2020 |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613031349/https://www.lausanne.org/lgc-transfer/number-of-christians-in-china-and-india-2 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Eastern Europe]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe|url=https://www.pewforum.org/2017/05/10/religious-belief-and-national-belonging-in-central-and-eastern-europe/|website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project|date=10 May 2017}}</ref> [[Latin America]],<ref name="Time 2001">{{cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,156277,00.html |title=The Battle for Latin America's Soul |date=24 June 2001 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=14 February 2015 |first=Richard N. |last=Ostling}}</ref> the [[Muslim world]],<ref name="Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background">{{cite journal|last1=Johnstone|first1=Patrick|last2=Miller|first2=Duane Alexander|title=Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census|journal=IJRR|date=2015|volume=11|issue=10|pages=1–19|url=https://www.academia.edu/16338087|access-date=30 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A Short History of Christianity| first=Geoffrey  |last=Blainey|year= 2011| isbn= 978-1-74253-416-9|publisher=Penguin Random House Australia|quote=Since the 1960s, there has been a substantial increase in the number of Muslims who have converted to Christianity}}</ref> and [[Oceania]].<ref>The Next Christendom: The Rise of Global Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press. 2002. 270 pp.</ref>

[[File:Percent of Christians by Country–Pew Research 2011.svg|thumb|upright=1.8|center|Percentage of Christians worldwide, June 2014]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"
|+ '''Christians (self-described) by region'''
|+([[Pew Research Center]], 2011)<ref>{{cite web |author=Analysis |url=http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Global-Christianity-europe.aspx |title=Europe |publisher=Pewforum.org |date=19 December 2011 |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Analysis |url=http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Global-Christianity-americas.aspx |title=Americas |publisher=Pewforum.org |date=19 December 2011 |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Analysis |url=http://www.pewforum.org/global-religious-landscape-christians.aspx |title=Global religious landscape: Christians |publisher=Pewforum.org |date=19 December 2011 |access-date=17 August 2012}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=#CCCCFF
! Region
! Christians
! % Christian
|-
| [[Europe]]
|style="text-align:right;"| 558,260,000
|style="background:#5A4FCF; text-align:center;"| 75.2
|-
| [[Latin America]]–[[Caribbean]]
|style="text-align:right;"| 531,280,000
|style="background:#6F00FF; text-align:center;"| 90.0
|-
| [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]
|style="text-align:right;"| 517,340,000
|style="background:#0047AB; text-align:center;"| 62.9
|-
| [[Asia Pacific]]
|style="text-align:right;"| 286,950,000
|style="background:#ADD8E6; text-align:center;"| 7.1
|-
| [[North America]]
|style="text-align:right;"| 266,630,000
|style="background:#6F00FF; text-align:center;"| 77.4
|-
| [[Middle East]]–[[North Africa]]
|style="text-align:right;"| 12,710,000
|style="background:#ADD8E6; text-align:center;"| 3.7
|-
!World
!style="text-align:right;"| 2,173,180,000
!text-align:center;"| 31.5
|}

=== Socioeconomics ===
According to a study from 2015, Christians hold the largest amount of wealth (55% of the total world wealth), followed by [[Muslims]] (5.8%), [[Hindus]] (3.3%) and [[Jews]] (1.1%). According to the same study it was found that adherents under the classification [[Irreligion]] or other religions hold about 34.8% of the total global wealth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/453467/christians-hold-largest-percentage-global.html6 |title=Christians hold largest percentage of global wealth: Report |publisher=deccanherald.com |date=14 January 2015}}</ref> A study done by the nonpartisan wealth research firm New World Wealth found that 56.2% of the 13.1 million millionaires in the world were Christians.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/14/the-religion-of-millionaires-.html|title=The religion of millionaires|first=Robert|last=Frank|date=14 January 2015|website=CNBC}}</ref>

A [[Pew Center]] study about [[Religiosity and education|religion and education]] around the world in 2016, found that Christians ranked as the second most educated religious group around in the [[world]] after [[Jews]] with an average of 9.3 years of schooling,<ref name="Pew2016">{{cite web |date=19 December 2011 |title=Religion and Education Around the World |url=http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2016/12/21094148/Religion-Education-ONLINE-FINAL.pdf |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=13 December 2016}}</ref> and the highest numbers of years of schooling among Christians were found in [[Germany]] (13.6),<ref name="Pew2016"/> [[New Zealand]] (13.5)<ref name="Pew2016"/> and [[Estonia]] (13.1).<ref name="Pew2016"/> Christians were also found to have the second highest number of [[Academic degree|graduate]] and [[post-graduate]] degrees per capita while in absolute numbers ranked in the first place (220 million).<ref name="Pew2016"/> Between the various [[World Christianity|Christian communities]], [[Singapore]] outranks other nations in terms of Christians who obtain a university degree in institutions of [[higher education]] (67%),<ref name="Pew2016"/> followed by the [[Christianity in Israel|Christians of Israel]] (63%),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bokra.net/Article-1155836 |title=المسيحيون العرب يتفوقون على يهود إسرائيل في التعليم |website=Bokra |access-date=28 December 2011}}</ref> and the [[Christianity in Georgia (country)|Christians of Georgia]] (57%).<ref name="Pew2016"/>

According to the study, Christians in [[North America]], [[Europe]], [[Middle East]], [[North Africa]] and [[Asia Pacific]] regions are highly educated since many of the world's [[universities]] were built by the historic [[Christian denominations]],<ref name="Pew2016"/> in addition to the historical evidence that "Christian monks built libraries and, in the days before printing presses, preserved important earlier writings produced in Latin, Greek and Arabic".<ref name="Pew2016"/> According to the same study, Christians have a significant amount of [[gender equality]] in educational attainment,<ref name="Pew2016"/> and the study suggests that one of the reasons is the encouragement of the [[Protestant Reformers]] in promoting the [[education of women]], which led to the eradication of illiteracy among females in Protestant communities.<ref name="Pew2016"/>

== Culture ==
{{Main|Christian culture}}
[[File:Collage-Christian-culture.jpg|thumb|200px|Set of pictures showcasing [[Christian culture]] and famous Christian leaders]]
[[Christian culture]] describes the cultural practices common to Christian peoples. There are variations in the application of Christian beliefs in different cultures and traditions.<ref>{{cite book |last= E. McGrath|first= Alister |title=Christianity: An Introduction|year=2006 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=1405108991|page=336}}</ref> Christian culture has influenced and [[Cultural assimilation|assimilated]] much from the [[Greco-Roman world|Greco-Roman]], [[Byzantine Empire#Culture|Byzantine]], [[Western culture]],<ref name="Caltron J.H Hayas">Caltron J.H Hayas, ''Christianity and Western Civilization'' (1953), Stanford University Press, p.2: "That certain distinctive features of our Western civilization – the civilization of western Europe and of America— have been shaped chiefly by Judaeo – Graeco – Christianity, Catholic and Protestant."</ref> [[christianity in the Middle East|Middle Eastern]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KMfYAAAAMAAJ&q=Christian+Communities+in+the+Arab+Middle+East:+The+Challenge+of+the+Future|title=Christian Communities in the Arab Middle East|access-date=29 April 2016|isbn=9780198293880|last1=Pacini|first1=Andrea|year=1998|publisher=Clarendon Press }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Jews, Antisemitism, and the Middle East|first=Michael |last=Curtis|year= 2017| isbn=9781351510721| page =173|publisher=Routledge|quote=}}</ref> [[List of Slavic cultures|Slavic]],<ref name="Ware1993">{{cite book|last=Ware|first=Kallistos|title=The Orthodox Church|date=29 April 1993|publisher=Penguin Adult|isbn=978-0-14-014656-1|page=8}}</ref> [[Caucasus|Caucasian]],<ref name="Ware1993" /> and [[Culture of India|Indian culture]]s.

Since the spread of Christianity from the [[Levant]] to [[Europe]] and [[North Africa]] and [[Horn of Africa]] during the early [[Roman Empire]], Christendom has been divided in the pre-existing [[Greek East and Latin West]]. Consequently, different versions of the Christian cultures arose with their own [[rite (Christianity)|rites]] and practices, centered around the cities such as [[Rome]] ([[Western Christianity]]) and [[Archdiocese of Carthage|Carthage]], whose communities was called Western or Latin [[Christendom]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chazan |first=Robert |date=2006 |title=The Jews of Medieval Western Christendom: 1000–1500 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JxJQ_98I3R0C |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=xi |isbn=9780521616645 |access-date=26 January 2018}}</ref> and [[Constantinople]] ([[Eastern Christianity]]), [[Antioch]] ([[Syriac Christianity]]), [[Kerala]] ([[Christianity in India|Indian Christianity]]) and [[Alexandria]], among others, whose communities were called Eastern or Oriental Christendom.<ref>Encarta-encyclopedie Winkler Prins (1993–2002) s.v. "christendom. §1.3 Scheidingen". Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Meyendorff |first=John |title=The Byzantine Legacy in the Orthodox Church |publisher=St Vladimir's Seminary Press |date=1982 |isbn=978-0-913836-90-3 |location=Yonkers |author-link=John Meyendorff|page=19}}</ref><ref name="Cameron 2006 42–49">{{cite book|last=Cameron|first=Averil|author-link=Averil Cameron|title=The Byzantines|year=2006|location=Oxford|publisher=Blackwell|isbn=978-1-4051-9833-2|pages=42–49}}</ref> The [[Byzantine Empire]] was one of the peaks in [[Christian history]] and [[Christian civilization]].<ref name="Cameron 2006 42–49"/> From the 11th to 13th centuries, [[Latin Christendom]] rose to the central role of the [[Western world]] and [[Western culture]].<ref name="Crisis in Western Education">{{cite book|last1=Dawson|first1=Christopher|title=Crisis in Western Education|year=1961|isbn=978-0-8132-1683-6|edition=reprint|first2=Glenn|last2=Olsen|page=108|publisher=CUA Press }}</ref>

[[Western culture]], throughout most of its history, has been nearly equivalent to [[Christian culture]], and a large portion of the population of the Western Hemisphere can be described as practicing or nominal Christians. The notion of "Europe" and the "Western World" has been intimately connected with the concept of "Christianity and [[Christendom]]".<ref name="Crisis in Western Education"/> Outside the Western world, Christians has had an influence and contributed on various cultures, such as in Africa, the Near East, Middle East, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.<ref>{{cite book|title=Jews, Antisemitism, and the Middle East|first=Michael |last=Curtis|year= 2017| isbn=9781351510721| page =173|publisher=Routledge}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Cultural Politics and Asian Values|first=Michael
|last= D. Barr|year= 2012| isbn=9781136001666| page =81|publisher=Routledge}}</ref>

Christians have made noted contributions to a range of fields, including philosophy,<ref name="A. Spinello">{{cite book |last= A. Spinello|first= Richard |title=The Encyclicals of John Paul II: An Introduction and Commentary |year=2012 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|quote= ... The insights of Christian philosophy "would not have happened without the direct or indirect contribution of Christian faith" (FR 76). Typical Christian philosophers include St. Augustine, St. Bonaventure, and St. Thomas Aquinas. The benefits derived from Christian philosophy are twofold....|isbn=978-1-4422-1942-7|page=147}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Wilkens |first=Steve|title=Christianity and Western Thought: Journey to Postmodernity in the Twentieth Century |year=2010|publisher=InterVarsity Press|quote=|isbn=9780830868148|page=326}}</ref> [[List of Christians in science and technology|science and technology]],<ref name="Gilley">{{cite book |last1= Gilley |first1= Sheridan |last2=Stanley |first2=Brian |title=The Cambridge History of Christianity: Volume 8, World Christianities C.1815-c.1914 |year=2006 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|quote= ... Many of the scientists who contributed to these developments were Christians...|isbn=0-521-81456-1|page=164}}</ref><ref name="Steane">{{cite book |last=Steane |first=Andrew |title=Faithful to Science: The Role of Science in Religion|year=2014 |publisher=OUP Oxford|quote= ... the Christian contribution to science has been uniformly at the top level, but it has reached that level and it has been sufficiently strong overall ...|isbn=978-0-19-102513-6|page=179}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Graves|first=Daniel|url=https://www.rae.org/influsci.html|title=Christian Influences in the Sciences|website=rae.org|date=7 July 1998|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924084347/https://www.rae.org/influsci.html|archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adherents.com/people/100_Nobel.html|title=50 Nobel Laureates and Other Great Scientists Who Believe in God|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617072212/https://www.adherents.com/people/100_Nobel.html|archive-date=17 June 2019}} Many well-known historical figures who influenced Western science considered themselves Christian such as [[Nicolaus Copernicus]], [[Galileo Galilei]], [[Johannes Kepler]], [[Isaac Newton]], [[Robert Boyle]], [[Alessandro Volta]], [[Michael Faraday]], [[William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin]] and [[James Clerk Maxwell]].</ref> [[Catholic Church and health care|medicine]],<ref name="S. Kroger">{{cite book |last=S. Kroger|first= William|title=Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis in Medicine, Dentistry and Psychology|year=2016 |publisher=Pickle Partners Publishing|quote=Many prominent Catholic physicians and psychologists have made significant contributions to hypnosis in medicine, dentistry, and psychology.|isbn=978-1-78720-304-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Porterfield|first=Amanda |title=Healing in the History of Christianity|year=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press|quote=|isbn=9780195157185|page=145}}</ref> [[List of Catholic Church artists|fine arts and architecture]],<ref>{{cite book|title=How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization|first=Thomas|last= Woods Jr.|year= 2012| isbn= 9781596983281| page =2|publisher=Regnery Publishing}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=An Introduction to Christianity for a New Millennium
|first=Scott Gambrill  |last=Sinclair|year= 2008| isbn=  9781461632924| page =140|publisher=Lexington Books}}</ref> [[Christianity and politics|politics]], [[List of Catholic authors|literatures]],<ref>{{cite book|title=The Picaresque Novel in Western Literature|first=J. A. |last=G. Ardila|year= 2016| isbn=9781107031654| page =16|publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref> [[Christian Music|music]],<ref name="E. McGrath">{{cite book |last= E. McGrath|first= Alister |title=Christianity: An Introduction|year=2006 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons|quote= Virtually every major European composer contributed to the development of church music. Monteverdi, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Rossini, and Verdi are all examples of composers to have made significant contributions in this sphere. The Catholic church was without question one of the most important patrons of musical developments, and a crucial stimulus to the development of the western musical tradition. |isbn=1405108991|page=336}}</ref> and [[business]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Religion, Art, and Money: Episcopalians and American Culture from the Civil War to the Great Depression|first=Peter|last= W. Williams|year= 2016| isbn= 9781469626987| page =176|publisher=University of North Carolina Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Handbook to Life in Renaissance Europe|first=Sandra |last=Sider|year= 2007| isbn= 9781469626987| page =209|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> According to ''100 Years of Nobel Prizes'' a review of the Nobel Prizes award between 1901 and 2000 reveals that (65.4%) of [[Nobel Prizes]] Laureates, [[List of Christian Nobel laureates|have identified Christianity]] in its various forms as their religious preference.<ref name="Nobel Prize">Baruch A. Shalev, ''[https://www.google.com/books/edition/100_Years_of_Nobel_Prizes/PfRaPHr86XUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA57 100 Years of Nobel Prizes]'' (2003), Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, p. 57: "between 1901 and 2000 reveals that 654 Laureates belong to 28 different religions. Most (65.4%) have identified Christianity in its various forms as their religious preference."{{ISBN|978-0-935047-37-0}}.</ref>

==Persecution==
{{Main|Persecution of Christians}}
{{See also|Anti-Christian sentiment}}
In 2017, [[Open Doors]], a [[List of Christian human rights non-governmental organisations|human rights NGO]], estimated approximately 260 million Christians are subjected annually to "high, very high, or extreme persecution",<ref name="Weber 2017 CT">[https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/january/top-50-countries-christian-persecution-world-watch-list.html Weber, Jeremy. {{"'}}Worst year yet': the top 50 countries where it's hardest to be a Christian".] ''[[Christianity Today]]''. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2019.</ref> with North Korea considered the most hazardous nation for Christians.<ref name="Enos 2017 NK">[https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliviaenos/2017/01/25/north-korea-is-the-worlds-worst-persecutor-of-christians/#36250678318e Enos, Olivia. "North Korea is the world's worst persecutor of Christians".] ''[[Forbes]]''. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2019.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.opendoorsusa.org/ |title=Serving Persecuted Christians – Open Doors USA |last=Worldwatchlist2020 |first=Most dangerous countries for Christians |website=www.opendoorsusa.org |access-date=24 March 2020 |archive-date=2 March 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000302223728/https://www.opendoorsusa.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2019, a report<ref name="Mounstephen 2019 FCO interim rep">[https://christianpersecutionreview.org.uk/storage/2019/05/interim-report.pdf Mounstephen, Philip. "Interim report".] ''Bishop of Truro's Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians''. April 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.</ref><ref name="Mounstephen 2019 FCO final rep"/> commissioned by the United Kingdom's [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Secretary of State]] of the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]] (FCO) to investigate global persecution of Christians found [[religious persecution]] has increased, and is highest in the Middle East, North Africa, India, China, North Korea, and Latin America, among others,<ref name="Kay 2019 NP"/> and that it is global and not limited to Islamic states.<ref name="Mounstephen 2019 FCO final rep">[https://christianpersecutionreview.org.uk/storage/2019/07/final-report-and-recommendations.pdf Mounstephen, Philip. "Final Report and Recommendations".] ''[[Philip Mounstephen|Bishop of Truro's]] Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians''. July 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.</ref> This investigation found that approximately 80% of persecuted believers worldwide are Christians.<ref name="Wintour 2019 Guardian"/>

==See also==
{{portal|Christianity}}
{{Div col}}
* [[Christendom]]
* [[Conversion to Christianity]]
* [[Cultural Christian]]
* [[Early Christianity]]
* [[List of Christian denominations]]
* [[List of Christian denominations by number of members]]
* [[List of Christian synonyms]]
* [[List of religions and spiritual traditions]]
* [[List of religious organizations]]
* [[Lists of Christians]]
* [[Saint John Christians]]{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{commons category}}
'''Etymology'''
* {{cite journal |last=Bickerman |first=Elias J. |date=April 1949 |title=The Name of Christians |journal=The Harvard Theological Review |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=109–124 |jstor=1507955 |ref=Bickerman-1949 |doi=10.1017/s0017816000019635|s2cid=164195885 }} (from which page numbers are cited) also available in {{cite book |last=Bickerman |first=Elias J. |year=1986|volume=2|pages=794–808 |isbn=90-04-04395-0 |title=Studies in Jewish and Christian history |publisher=BRILL |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqQfAAAAIAAJ}} 
* {{cite book |author=Wuest, Kenneth Samuel |title=Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament |year=1973 |volume=1 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans |isbn=978-0-8028-2280-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZHhK3AKkc9EC |ref=Wuest-1973}}

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[[Category:Christians| ]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]
[[Category:New Testament Greek words and phrases]]
[[Category:Religious identity]]