A Christian is a person who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the savior of human kind. However, Christianity is a very general term and includes many different groups such as Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Quakers, Baptists, Christian Scientists, Anglicans, Lutherans, etc.

However, while these groups agree with the general belief of Jesus Christ, they differ on smaller issues. For example, Catholics and Baptists are both considered part of the Christian religion, yet they have different views on when a person should be baptized or become a recognized member of the church.

Below is a general look at the world of Christianity, followed by a breakdown of various Christian sects.

Beliefs:
Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who was both human and divine/supernatural. During his time on earth, Jesus preached that the Kingdom of God was near and could be reached by ethical people. He also preached love and focused his ministry on the lower classes, including the poor, women and lepers.

Jesus was seen as a radical and a threat to the Roman government of Jerusalem, so he was crucified. Christians believe that he rose from the dead three days later and this event is the cornerstone of Christianity, celebrated on Easter. Another central Christian ritual is the Eucharist, which celebrates the Last Supper Jesus had with his followers.

History:
The Christian church began with Jesus' followers, who traveled throughout the Roman Empire, preaching the Word of God. Christianity was established as the official religion of the Empire and developed into the Roman Catholic Church. For many years, The Catholic Church was the Christian Church, but, beginning in the 11th century, the Church began to split into different denominations.

The first spilt, the Great Schism, was the split between the Western and Eastern churches, which resulted in the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the 16th century, many more denominations were formed in the Protestant Reformation, when many groups split from the Church because they believed the Church needed to be reformed, or because they had differences in doctrine.

Today:
Christianity is the largest religion, with 33% of the world's population considered believers. That means approximately 2.1 billion people call themselves Christians.

Other Denominations: