Religion & Spirituality Christianity

Introduction to Christianity

A Clear Guide to Christian Belief, History, Scripture, Worship, and Practice

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Quick Course Facts
20
Self-paced, Online, Lessons
20
Videos and/or Narrated Presentations
6.9
Approximate Hours of Course Media
About the Introduction to Christianity Course

Introduction to Christianity is a clear, accessible course for anyone who wants to understand Christian belief, history, Scripture, worship, and practice. Designed within the broader field of Religion & Spirituality, this course helps students build a thoughtful foundation for studying Christianity with confidence and respect.

Explore Christian Belief, History, Scripture, Worship, And Practice

  • Gain a structured introduction to Christianity from its Jewish and Greco-Roman roots to its global presence today
  • Understand key Christian teachings about Jesus, the Trinity, salvation, grace, faith, and discipleship
  • Learn how the Bible, worship, prayer, baptism, communion, and the Christian calendar shape Christian life
  • Compare Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical, and Pentecostal traditions with historical context

A Clear Guide to Christian Belief, History, Scripture, Worship, and Practice for students beginning their study of Christianity.

This Introduction to Christianity course offers a practical path through the major ideas, people, texts, and traditions that have shaped the Christian faith. Students begin with the foundations of Christianity, including its origins in the world of ancient Judaism and the wider Greco-Roman setting, before turning to the life, ministry, teachings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

The course then guides students through Scripture, including the Old Testament, New Testament, the Gospels, Paul, and the early Christian community. Along the way, students examine central Christian beliefs such as the Trinity, sin, grace, salvation, faith, the mission of the Church, and the meaning of Christian hope.

Students also explore Christian practice through worship, prayer, the Christian calendar, baptism, and communion, while learning how these practices differ across major traditions. Lessons on Christian history trace the movement from persecution to Christendom, the formation of creeds and councils, the Reformation, revival movements, and the growth of Christianity in the modern and global world.

By the end of this Religion & Spirituality course, students will be able to describe Christianity with greater accuracy, recognize the diversity of Christian traditions, interpret core beliefs in historical context, and continue studying Christianity responsibly with a stronger foundation.

Course Lessons

Full lesson breakdown

Lessons are organized by topic area and each includes descriptive copy for search visibility and student clarity.

Foundations

2 lessons

Lesson 1: What Is Christianity?

18 min Preview
This opening lesson defines Christianity as a historic, global faith centered on Jesus Christ. It introduces the basic Christian claim that God has acted in history through Jesus’ life, death, and res…

Lesson 2: The Jewish and Greco-Roman World of Early Christianity

20 min
This lesson places the birth of Christianity within the Jewish and Greco-Roman world of the first century. It explains why early Christian faith cannot be understood apart from Israel’s Scriptures, Se…

Jesus and the Gospel

3 lessons

Lesson 3: The Life and Ministry of Jesus of Nazareth

22 min
This lesson introduces Jesus of Nazareth as the central figure of Christianity, focusing on what the Gospels present about his historical setting, public ministry, teaching, miracles, conflicts, death…

Lesson 4: The Teachings of Jesus: Kingdom, Parables, and Discipleship

21 min
This lesson introduces the central themes of Jesus’ teaching within the Gospels: the kingdom of God, the use of parables, and the call to discipleship. It explains how Jesus announced God’s reign as b…

Lesson 5: The Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Christian Hope

22 min
This lesson explains why the crucifixion and resurrection stand at the center of Christian faith. It presents Jesus’ death not merely as a tragic execution, but as the event Christians understand as G…

Scripture

2 lessons

Lesson 6: Understanding the Bible: Old Testament and New Testament

20 min
This lesson introduces the Bible as the central collection of Christian Scripture, explaining how Christians understand its two major parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. It shows how the B…

Lesson 7: The Gospels and the Portraits of Jesus

19 min
This lesson introduces the four canonical Gospels as the Church’s primary witnesses to the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rather than treating Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John a…

Scripture and Early Community

1 lesson

Lesson 8: Paul, the Early Church, and the Spread of the Gospel

21 min
This lesson explains how the Christian movement spread from its Jewish beginnings into the wider Greco-Roman world, with special attention to the apostle Paul and the earliest Christian communities. I…

Core Beliefs

2 lessons

Lesson 9: The Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

22 min
This lesson introduces the Christian doctrine of the Trinity: the belief that the one God eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Rather than treating the Trinity as a puzzle to solve, the l…

Lesson 10: Sin, Grace, Salvation, and Faith

21 min
This lesson introduces four closely related Christian ideas: sin , grace , salvation , and faith . It explains why Christianity sees the human problem as deeper than ignorance or poor behavior, and wh…

Christian Community

1 lesson

Lesson 11: The Church: Community, Authority, and Mission

20 min
This lesson introduces the church as the gathered community of Christians, not merely a building or institution. Students will learn how the New Testament describes the church as the people of God, th…

Christian Practice

2 lessons

Lesson 12: Worship, Prayer, and the Christian Calendar

18 min
This lesson introduces the ordinary practices by which Christians express faith together and individually: worship, prayer, and the yearly rhythm of the Christian calendar. Students will learn the bas…

Lesson 13: Baptism and Communion Across Christian Traditions

20 min
This lesson introduces the two central Christian practices most widely recognized across traditions: baptism and communion, also called the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist. It explains their biblical roots…

Christian History

2 lessons

Lesson 14: From Persecution to Christendom: The Early Centuries

22 min
This lesson traces Christianity’s movement from a vulnerable minority faith in the Roman Empire to a legally recognized and increasingly public religion. It explains why Christians were sometimes pers…

Lesson 15: Creeds, Councils, and the Formation of Orthodoxy

23 min
This lesson explains how early Christians used creeds and councils to clarify the boundaries of orthodox belief. It focuses on why brief statements of faith became necessary, how controversies over Je…

Branches of Christianity

2 lessons

Lesson 16: Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Traditions

24 min
This lesson introduces the three largest streams of historic Christianity: Catholic , Orthodox , and Protestant traditions. It explains how they share core Christian convictions while differing in aut…

Lesson 17: Reformation, Revival, Evangelical, and Pentecostal Movements

22 min
This lesson traces several major movements that reshaped Western and global Christianity: the Protestant Reformation, later revival movements, evangelical Christianity, and Pentecostalism. It explains…

Christian Life

1 lesson

Lesson 18: Christian Ethics: Love, Justice, Forgiveness, and Vocation

21 min
This lesson introduces Christian ethics as a way of life shaped by the character of God, the teaching of Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Rather than treating morality as a list of isolated rul…

Christianity Today

1 lesson

Lesson 19: Christianity in the Modern and Global World

20 min
This lesson examines Christianity as a modern, global faith rather than only a European or ancient tradition. It introduces major demographic shifts, the growth of churches in Africa, Asia, and Latin …

Next Steps

1 lesson

Lesson 20: How to Continue Studying Christianity Responsibly

17 min
This closing lesson gives students a practical framework for continuing the study of Christianity with care, humility, and intellectual honesty. It explains how to choose reliable sources, read Script…
About Your Instructor
Professor Michael Edwards

Professor Michael Edwards

Professor Michael Edwards guides this AI-built Virversity course with a clear, practical teaching style.