Notes on Christianity

Edward Tsang 2024.12.08; updated 2025.07.17

I have always been confused by terms and denominations in Christianity, so I made the following notes. Precise these notes cannot be. Simplicity is my priority.

Short Summaries

Christianity People who believe in Jesus being the savior

12 disciples Jesus time Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot

Canonical Gospels around 66-110 4 Gospels, named after Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Nicene Creed 325 Defined mainstream Christianity (at Council of Nicaea, which was convened by Roman Emperor Constantine I)

The Vulgate from 382 A Latin translation of the Bible by Saint Jerome, who was originally commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Vetus Latina Gospels. Jerome extended this work to include most of the books of the Bible.

East-West Schism 1054 Break of communion between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church

Dictatus papae 1075 A compilation of 27 statements of authority claimed by the pope; it was initiated by Gregory VII before he became the pope.

Crusades 1095-1291 A series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Christian Latin Church

Black Death 1346-1353 The substantial reduction in population, heavy clergy motality and social disruption accelerated changes in religious expression and institutional power, which sowed the seeds to reform.

John Wycliffe 1328-1384 John Wycliffe advocated the translation of the The Vulgate Bible into Middle English, which, together with his challenges to the Catholic Church, had significant influence to Protestantism

Protestants 1500s Christians who reformed the church

New Testament of Erasmus 1516 An important edition of the Bible translated from Greek to Latin, with many revisions.

Luther's 95 Thesis 1517 Martin Luther published his thesis that challenged the Church's practices (suce as the sales of Indulgences) and questioned the Pope's authorithy over the Bible.

Luther Bible 1522-1534 Protestant reformer Martin Luther translated the Bible from Latin to German

Lutherans 1520s Protestants started in Germany

Anglicans 1534 Protestants started in England by Henry VIII

Baptists 1600s English Separatists who discounts infant baptism and focuses on individual conversion experience; Baptists churches have high degree of autonomy.

King James Bible 1611 Early modern English translation of the Bible for the Church of England.

Quakers 1700s Started by puritans, such as Oliver Cromwell, from England; no baptism or Lord's Supper; liberal, women equal to men in ministry

Reformed Church in America 1725 Protestants started in America

First Great Awakening 1730s-1740s (USA) focus on individual conversion experience

Methodists 1730s Ex-Anglicans who emphasized on conversion as a salvation experience; they promoted self-improvements towards perfection and holiness

Codex Sinaiticus 1761? 1844? An early version of Bible written in Greek believed to be seen in the Saint Catherine's Monastery at Sinai in Egypt. It was studied by German scholar Constantin von Tischendorf in 1844.

Second Great Awakening 1790s-1800s (USA) focus on "Restoration" and non-Christian conversions

Non-Nicene From 1800s Rejecting the traditional Christianity concepts, such as Trinity

Latter-day Saints (LDS), aka Mormons 1800s Non-Nicene Christians who found the Book of Mormon which recorded Jesus visiting the descendents of israelites who travelled to America 2000 years before Columbus

Salvation Army 1865 Branch out of Methodists whose mission was to convert others

Jehovah's Witnesses 1870 Non-Nicene Christians; only 144,000 will go to heaven; no blood transfusion, don't go to war, don't vote, don't celebrate Christmas Easter or birthdays

The Berlin Codex aka Akhmim Codex 1896 Manuscript written in Coptic, from the 5th century CE, unearthed in Akhmim [roughly 200 miles from El Minya up the River Nile], Egypt. It contains the Gospel of Mary, Apocryphon of John, the Sophia of Jesus Christ, and a summary of the Act of Peter.

Nag Hammadi Library 1945 Discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. It contained the Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip and the Apocryphon of John.

Dead Sea Scrolls 1946-1956 Manuscripts found at the Qumran Caves near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the northern shore of the Dead Sea; most writings in Hebrew.

Catholic met Orthodox 1964 Meeting between Ecumenical Patriach Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI, for the first time after the Schism.

Codex Tchacos 1970s Discovered near El Minya, Egypt, during the 1970s (possibly 1978). It contains early Christian gnostic texts: the Letter of Peter to Philip, the First Apocalypse of James, the Gospel of Judas, and a fragment of The Temptation of Allogenes

Biblical inerrancy The belief that the Bible is without error or fault in all its teaching

Evangelicalism Evangelicals believe in spreading their faith, (evangelism), the need to be converted, also called being born again, believing what is in the Bible and the need to live a moral life both personally and in society.

[End]

References:

Matt Baker, UsefulCharts: History of Christianity (Full Series)
BBC In Our Time: The Dead Sea Scrolls

Noncanonical Gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas, Mary, Judas, Philip, Q plus many other documents, full text in English

Bart Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus, ISBN-13: 978-0-06073817-4, 2007

Disclaimer

The author studies the above topic for personal education. The summary above is not religiously motivated. Neither is any value judgements intended. Omissions are inevitable, due to ignorance rather than choice by the author.

Christianity		People who believe in Jesus being the savior
12 disciples	Jesus time	Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot
Canonical Gospels	around 66-110	4 Gospels, named after Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Nicene Creed	325	Defined mainstream Christianity (at Council of Nicaea, which was convened by Roman Emperor Constantine I)
The Vulgate	from 382	A Latin translation of the Bible by Saint Jerome, who was originally commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Vetus Latina Gospels. Jerome extended this work to include most of the books of the Bible.
East-West Schism	1054	Break of communion between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church
Dictatus papae	1075	A compilation of 27 statements of authority claimed by the pope; it was initiated by Gregory VII before he became the pope.
Crusades	1095-1291	A series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Christian Latin Church
Black Death	1346-1353	The substantial reduction in population, heavy clergy motality and social disruption accelerated changes in religious expression and institutional power, which sowed the seeds to reform.
John Wycliffe	1328-1384	John Wycliffe advocated the translation of the The Vulgate Bible into Middle English, which, together with his challenges to the Catholic Church, had significant influence to Protestantism
Protestants	1500s	Christians who reformed the church
New Testament of Erasmus	1516	An important edition of the Bible translated from Greek to Latin, with many revisions.
Luther's 95 Thesis	1517	Martin Luther published his thesis that challenged the Church's practices (suce as the sales of Indulgences) and questioned the Pope's authorithy over the Bible.
Luther Bible	1522-1534	Protestant reformer Martin Luther translated the Bible from Latin to German
Lutherans	1520s	Protestants started in Germany
Anglicans	1534	Protestants started in England by Henry VIII
Baptists	1600s	English Separatists who discounts infant baptism and focuses on individual conversion experience; Baptists churches have high degree of autonomy.
King James Bible	1611	Early modern English translation of the Bible for the Church of England.
Quakers	1700s	Started by puritans, such as Oliver Cromwell, from England; no baptism or Lord's Supper; liberal, women equal to men in ministry
Reformed Church in America	1725	Protestants started in America
First Great Awakening	1730s-1740s	(USA) focus on individual conversion experience
Methodists	1730s	Ex-Anglicans who emphasized on conversion as a salvation experience; they promoted self-improvements towards perfection and holiness
Codex Sinaiticus	1761? 1844?	An early version of Bible written in Greek believed to be seen in the Saint Catherine's Monastery at Sinai in Egypt. It was studied by German scholar Constantin von Tischendorf in 1844.
Second Great Awakening	1790s-1800s	(USA) focus on "Restoration" and non-Christian conversions
Non-Nicene	From 1800s	Rejecting the traditional Christianity concepts, such as Trinity
Latter-day Saints (LDS), aka Mormons	1800s	Non-Nicene Christians who found the Book of Mormon which recorded Jesus visiting the descendents of israelites who travelled to America 2000 years before Columbus
Salvation Army	1865	Branch out of Methodists whose mission was to convert others
Jehovah's Witnesses	1870	Non-Nicene Christians; only 144,000 will go to heaven; no blood transfusion, don't go to war, don't vote, don't celebrate Christmas Easter or birthdays
The Berlin Codex aka Akhmim Codex	1896	Manuscript written in Coptic, from the 5th century CE, unearthed in Akhmim [roughly 200 miles from El Minya up the River Nile], Egypt. It contains the Gospel of Mary, Apocryphon of John, the Sophia of Jesus Christ, and a summary of the Act of Peter.
Nag Hammadi Library	1945	Discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. It contained the Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip and the Apocryphon of John.
Dead Sea Scrolls	1946-1956	Manuscripts found at the Qumran Caves near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the northern shore of the Dead Sea; most writings in Hebrew.
Catholic met Orthodox	1964	Meeting between Ecumenical Patriach Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI, for the first time after the Schism.
Codex Tchacos	1970s	Discovered near El Minya, Egypt, during the 1970s (possibly 1978). It contains early Christian gnostic texts: the Letter of Peter to Philip, the First Apocalypse of James, the Gospel of Judas, and a fragment of The Temptation of Allogenes
Biblical inerrancy		The belief that the Bible is without error or fault in all its teaching
Evangelicalism		Evangelicals believe in spreading their faith, (evangelism), the need to be converted, also called being born again, believing what is in the Bible and the need to live a moral life both personally and in society.