Christianity Brief History Christianity was founded in Palestine, homeland of Judaism, by a Jew named Jesus (who apparently looked a bit like Robert Powell). Born in Bethlehem, Jesus grew up in Nazareth and received a messianic calling to 'deliver God's people from the power of Satan'. He carved himself a career as an apprentice carpenter but by his early 30s had diversified into teaching, healing, exorcising and performing miracles: turning water into wine, feeding 5,000 people from a few loaves of bread, walking on water, making blind men see and raising people from the dead (notably Lazarus). He preached a new morality based on repentance, gratitude, love and freedom but was arrested by Jewish authorities, charged with being a false prophet and crucified at the age of 33. The Sunday after his execution, his grave was found empty and he resurrected himself from the dead. He commissioned 12 disciples to be his apostles and tell the world what he had taught them.
Members Two billion worldwide (including one billion Catholics); 285,000 in Hong Kong. Today, Christianity is the world's most widespread religion with 32.3 per cent of the world's religious adherents.
Highest concentration Greece 98 per cent, Greenland 98 per cent, Iceland 97 per cent, Spain 97 per cent.
Key beliefs God created everything that exists.
There is one God with three aspects: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit (the power of God working in the world).
Jesus was raised to life by God's power.
What to read The Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Catholics also have the weekly newspapers Kung Kao Po and The Sunday Examiner.
