Christianity in View. A guide to Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy and more!

An Introduction:

G a warm welcome to this web site.

This site aims to give you an overview of Christian faith and practice. Included are sections on the three main Christian denominations (Orthodox , Protestant and Roman Catholic), together with a Comparison of the teaching of each denomination.

We also have an Q and A page, containing answers to some common questions about the Christian faith, and biographies of some of the most famous Christians in history.

Christ Crucified, by Diego Velazquez (1599-1660).

Statistics on the Christian faith:

There are about 2.1 billion Christians worldwide (about 33% of the total world population).
Of these, 1.05 billion are Roman Catholic, 240 million are Orthodox and 457 million are Protestant *.
Over 95% of the population of Poland consists of baptized Roman Catholics.
94% of the population of Iceland is Lutheran.
There are at least 90 million Orthodox Christians in Russia.
The largest Christian population in the world is found in the USA, where there are about 225 million (76% of the population).

* 'Protestant' in this context includes the Anglican churches, but excludes groups such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly called 'Mormons') and Jehovah's Witnesses. Some groups of churches are regarded as being 'non-denominational' and are also not included in the Protestant totals, but are counted as part of the overall total of Christians.

Statistics above are taken from the adherents.com web site.

World Religions Pie Chart

Enlarged version

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226):

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled
as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Please visit the Prayers page for more Christian prayers.

Poll:

Exploring Christianity:

Christianity is, first and foremost, about the person of Christ - his life, his work and his message. If you are just starting to investigate the Christian faith, please do have a look at the Father's love letter, a message from God to you and me.

Many churches around the world provide the Alpha course for those wanting to explore Christian belief. If you're based in the UK and Ireland, you can also write to the following address to make contact with a local Christian:

3 REASONS, FREEPOST WC2947, SOUTH CROYDON, CR2 8UZ

May God bless you as you read these pages.

Iain

The Nativity, by Gerard van Honthorst (1590-1656).