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Christianity In Religion

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Christianity as a Religion of the Status Quo

Matthew Fields

REL 1300
Professor Andrew McKee
5 July 2015
1440 Word Count A religion of the status quo can be defined as a religion that “disseminates a characteristic ideology through all segments of society, propounding a set of fundamental values and principles that, while expressed in terms of lofty abstraction or eternal truth…serves to further the interests of those who hold power…” (Lincoln 79). In layman’s terms, a status quo religion is used by those in a seat of power within a society as a tool to maintain and propagate power. The best existing example of a religion of the status quo is Christianity. Christianity is the world’s primary religion, with the latest Pew …show more content…

With its fluidity and ever magnifying physical presence, Christianity has spread with the powers of the world. Speculation of Christian growth combined with historical evidence show how it has spread: “In 1900, 83 percent of the world’s Christians lived in Europe and North America. In 2050, 72 percent of Christians will live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America” (Jenkins xi).This demographic and geographic change can be traced back to the beginning of Christian Imperialism. The Roman Empire adopted religion in the Fourth Century and spread its word across the Empire. Christian writings originally written in Coptic and Greek began to be written in Latin (Jenkins 22). Although the Romans left Britain in the Fifth Century, the indigenous Celts and Anglo-Saxon peoples of the Isle had learned of Christianity though Roman conquest and adopted it as their official religion in the Seventh Century (Jenkins 23). Firmly rooted in Britain, Christianity was able to stowaway on the boats of missionaries and soldiers as the English Empire spread its wings. Following the Protestant Reformation and establishment of the Anglican Church, English settlers pushed West across the Atlantic seeking religious freedom and the ability to raise a new Church the way they saw fit (Merriman 407). These brave men and women were Pilgrims and Puritans and they carried the torch of Christianity to the New World. With the establishment of the British colonies in the New World came the eventual establishment of the United States, the world’s next great power in succession after Rome and Britain. Christianity is and always was the dominant religion of the United States, and as technology developed and sharing information became easier, global communication and travel increased. With the Christian faith firmly grounded on both sides of the Atlantic, these developments made it easier to spread its word and convert even more people to the cause of

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