Two thousand years ago, Christianity was created. Twenty centuries later, Christianity is still practiced and observed around the world. The believers of this religion still hold and practice the fundamental Christian truths, and in this modern day and age Christian religion is predominant in society. Christianity has persisted as a religion over the course of thousands of years because of its people’s devotion to their beliefs, devotion to its teachings and principles, and their rituals.
In Robert Bellah’s Religious Evolution religious belief is defined as a set of symbolic forms and acts which relate man to the complex forms of his existence in his constantly evolving world. Religious belief serves the purpose of …show more content…
Tambiah “A Performative Approach to Ritual”, religious belief is reinforced, and practiced through ritual, and ritual is the key and the answer to a religion persisting. Christians have reinforced and practiced their rituals throughout the course of thousands of years which has allowed their religion to survive. And according to Tambiah, ritual is defined as actions which connect an individual to the divine or the sacred. In the practice of ritual, one is applying his or her belief to use it in the correct method of practice. Christian Ritual has caused Christianity to persist and thrive. In Christianity, Confirmation allows a child to make a conscious choice to live for Christ and carry out their responsibilities in demonstrating their knowledge of the faith and declaring a commitment to Christ. This ritual is essential for every Christian, and its approach to allowing a child enter to be confirmed in the faith is a reason Christianity has stayed for so long as a religion. The child is accepted into the community and takes on religious responsibilities as others leave the community, it is a life cycle, that is reinforced through ritual. Also, Christianity has annual rituals which mark important events from the religious stories which shape their identities. These rituals such as Christmas and Easter bring a union with the faithful and ties and binds members of the same faith together. Christian ritual and the importance it has in members of its communities …show more content…
For John, Jesus’s miracles are not simply wonders to astonish onlookers, but signs pointing to his glory that come from the presence of God within him. Throughout the Gospel, John describes Jesus as the son of God, and speaks of Jesus giving his followers power to become children of God-descent from God is an attitude of faith and a gift of grace. This idea, that followers can achieve greatness from their belief in Jesus, is what has caused Christianity to persist as a religion. Followers have stayed faithful to the teachings and lessons of the religion, because they believe and know that it will bring them greatness and allow them to achieve miracles, just as Jesus did. The Christian devotion to Jesus’s teachings is what has allowed them to continue and persist as a religion over the course of thousands of