Christianity begins with Jesus of Nazareth in the 1st century of our era. The Christian Canon is composed of twenty-seven writings known as the New Testament. Jesus Christ, also known as Jesus the Christ, was a Jewish prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. He was born at the beginning of the Christian era and, according to tradition, was crucified in the spring of the year 33. He holds a central position in the Christian religion, and his life and role as the Messiah are described in the Gospels.
In the Gospels, Jesus maintains the ultimate goal of bringing sinners back to God and announcing the coming of the kingdom of God. Jesus addressed God with the familiar term “Abba” (Father, dear Father). The Synoptic Gospels frequently refer to Jesus as the Son of Man. His disciples called him the Messiah (the Anointed One) or “Khristos” in Greek, meaning “consecrated.”
Jesus, an enigmatic figure, dies, and his disciples claim that he resurrected after three days and remained with them for forty more days. The apocryphal traditions of the Gnostics mention a much longer period of days. It was Paul of Tarsus who placed the resurrection at the center of the Christian message.
In the centuries following Jesus’ death, his followers, in their search for God, developed a rich mystical Christian tradition, which can be considered a form of contemplative asceticism enriched with devotional and sometimes liturgical activities. Contemplative asceticism (negative theology or mysticism of emptiness) seeks to empty the mind’s contents until achieving perfect mystical union, where the soul mysteriously unites with God through an experience of ecstatic contemplation. On the other hand, devotional activities (mysticism of love) function as a call for the fire of the Holy Spirit to purify the devotee’s soul and prepare it for divine union with God.
Source: Shiva Shambho
Books on Christianity
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Jesus of Nazareth / Christianity / Apostolic Fathers / Desert Fathers / Desert Mothers / Church Fathers / Doctors of the Church