When writing a research paper about the history and beliefs of Christianity, you must include certain topics. Otherwise, your paper would be considered incomplete. To do this, though, requires burying yourself in plenty of research.
For starters, it must adhere to the usual guidelines of research papers. That has to be the base and foundation. Citations, footnotes, and references are mandatory. Where are you getting your information? You must cite your sources. Do not forget the bibliography either.
Now that we’re done with the basics, how do you develop the research paper from scratch? What aspects of the history and beliefs of Christianity should find their way into this particular research paper? Should you include everything you come across rather than sifting and sieving?
The following are the topics that must appear in your research paper.
Early Christianity
Roman Judea is the birthplace of the Christian Church and Christianity in general. It came to existence in the 1st Century. The Church based its beliefs on the teachings of Jesus Christ. In the early days, it mostly comprised of the disciples who witnessed the ministry of Jesus Christ.
However, with time, the numbers grew to include those who were never part of the original group of men and women who walked with Jesus Christ on earth. Additionally, it’s worth stating that these disciples never gave themselves this name.
In the Bible, Acts 11:26 records the first use of the word “Christians.” The exact place where this happened was Antioch. Since then, the name grew and was widely accepted as a proper way of describing individuals who aligned or align themselves with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christianity during the Middle Ages
As shown above, Christianity grew out of Judaism. It is little wonder that the two religions share many similarities. In its infancy, the Roman Empire was the most dominant social, political, and economic power. Based on this, it’s not a surprise that aspects of Roman culture are evident here.
The Roman Empire issued an edict stating that the only officially recognized religion was Christianity. In fact, they went as far as laying special emphasis on Catholicism. For this reason, peasants and the noble alike had no problem living under Christian beliefs.
Nevertheless, it was during this time that a great schism occurred between the Eastern Church and the Western Church on opposite sides. The motivation for the schism was the stand the two sides took regarding the crusades Christians organized against Muslims.
Essentially, this was the period when Christianity started spreading its wings around the world.
Christianity during the 16th-17th Century
The 16th and 17th Centuries marked a major crisis in the Christian Church. Protestantism emerged to oppose some of the beliefs that the Catholic Church was preaching at the time. In fact, all that happened at the time is known as The Reformation.
What caused The Reformation? For starters, Protestants believed that the Catholic Church had departed from the simplicity, goodness, and humility that Jesus Christ preached during his time on earth.
Christianity during the 18th-19th Century
During the 18th-19th centuries, the hostility between Catholicism and Protestantism grew. Eventually, the Church of England broke away from the Catholic Church. People attending the Church of England were called “Anglicans,” which is derived from “Anglo.”
Christianity during the 20th-21st Century
The history and beliefs of Christianity would be incomplete without touching on its current state. For this reason, delve into what is happening in the church in the 21st Century. First, you would need to talk about everything that transpired in the 20th Century.
Here, the research should also look at the Four Marks of the Christian Church, which are:
- Church is One
- Church is Holy
- Church is Catholic/Universal
- Church is Apostolic
Conclusion
Writing a research paper on the history and beliefs of the Christian Church is not a walk in the park. Nevertheless, it is doable, but only as long as you have a strategy in place. Work with a plan and your research paper will come out well.