Christianity

A monotheistic religion centred on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament.

Its followers, known as Christians, believe that Jesus is the son of God and is also the Messiah (Christ) who was prophesied in the Old Testament. Christians maintain that Jesus ascended into heaven, and most denominations teach that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead, granting everlasting life to his followers.

The earliest recorded use of the term "Christianity" was by Ignatius of Antioch, around 100 AD. By the 4th century, Christianity had become the dominant religion within the Roman Empire. During the Middle Ages, most of the remainder of Europe was Christianised, with Christians also being a (sometimes large) religious minority in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of India. Following the Age of Discovery, through missionary work and colonization, Christianity spread to the Americas and the rest of the world.

As of the early 21st century, Christianity has between 1.5-2.1 billion adherents, representing about a quarter to a third of the world's population.