Module 1:
What Christianity Claims to Be

Module 1 introduces Christianity as a religion centered on Jesus Christ and the claim that God acts through Him to save humanity from sin, evil, death, and separation from God. It explains Christianity as gospel, revelation, and history: a faith rooted in real historical events, especially the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The module also shows how Christianity can be studied both theologically and academically, while avoiding common misconceptions such as reducing Christianity to Western culture, moral behavior, politics, or personal spirituality.

This module also places Christianity within the Abrahamic tradition and emphasizes its Jewish roots. Jesus, Mary, the apostles, and the earliest Christians are Jewish, and the New Testament presents Jesus in connection with the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Israel. At the same time, Christianity becomes a global church-forming religion, spreading across cultures and developing into many traditions, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, Evangelical, Pentecostal, and non-denominational forms. Overall, Module 1 gives the basic framework for the course: Christianity is rooted in Abraham and Israel, centered on Jesus Christ, shaped by Scripture, practiced in churches, spread across the world, and internally diverse.