The World of Christianity
Barely two millennia old, Christianity boasts over two billion adherents, almost a third of the world's population. With a 2,000-year history of evangelism, expansion, and renewal, the sheer number of sects, communities, and traditions it embraces can be hard to keep track of. Fortunately, Christianity has kept up with the times and found its way to the Web. You can learn about it, practice it, and keep up to date with the Christian faith daily online.
Expand All Guide SectionsThe Beliefs, Practices, and History of Christianity
Christianity comes in many forms, with such different sects as the politically minded Liberation Theologists, the evangelical southern Baptists, and the conservative Calvinists. Yet they all center on the immutable belief in Jesus Christ as the messiah; a belief based upon the Jewish Bible and conception of God. This section will explore Christian beliefs, practices and history.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Although Catholicism is part of the greater Christian faith, it has its own guide since the breadth of the institution is so comprehensive. See our findingDulcinea Catholicism Web Guide.
- There are some disinterested Web sites dealing with Christianity, but the overwhelming majority of the sites in this guide are Christian in origin and evangelical in intent. Keep this in mind as you read through these sites.
Dulcinea's Picks
To get an overview of Christianity ...
BBC hosts this religion page, which gives you a dispassionate perspective on Christianity. The site approaches explanations, news, and feature articles about many different aspects of the faith with scholarly precision and journalistic verve.
Soc.Religion.Christian is the homepage for a newsgroup of the same name. On it you'll find a straightforward and interesting overview of the faith written by an elder of the Presbyterian church. He endeavors to provide an unbiased, but also "convincing," explanation of the faith. Though that might not leave you with total confidence in the site, the author does a good job of remaining scholarly. Click on the "What is Christianity?" link on the left sidebar for this informative guide, or explore the other resources on the FAQ page and the newsgroup.
Creeds of Christendom is by no means consistent or clear-cut, but it is an excellent index of various creeds, or statements of faith, for almost all of the major Christian sects.
For indices and resources ...
The Virtual Religion Index is a manageable collection of sites on all major religions, with this specific section on the "Christian Tradition." If you can't find what you're looking for on a search engine, try its selective site list for such varied topics as Christian literature online and sites for Christian educators.
Theology from a Bunch of Dead Guys has a humorous map/timeline that allows you to navigate its useful collection of resources. You'll find a lot of good information on this site about theology through the ages of Christianity.
For help exploring Christianity ...
Church on the Net is tailored specifically to those new to Christianity. Straightforward explanations of the history, beliefs, and practices of Christianity are the base of this new site, which also features articles, community forums, blogs, and a "jargon-buster" to help you understand unfamiliar terms. All articles and explanations are followed by a number of "go deeper" links to multimedia or other sites that let you further explore the issues and topics raised.
For a focus on Jesus ...
rejesus is a funny but scholarly, open-minded, nonjudgmental, and incredibly rich look into the life of the historical and biblical Jesus of Nazareth. Run by a union of Anglican churches, this site is nondenominational and well written, though at times a number of its questions are answered with "it's up to you to decide," or "it depends on how you look at it." The number of resources here is staggering, with a great deal of solid information presented intelligently, such as the "Jesus Timeline," or the "Everyday Sayings" feature that explains many common sayings' Biblical origins. You can easily find these features by viewing the site map on the bottom of the homepage.
For Christian perspectives on specific issues ...
GotQuestions.org gives a Christian perspective on specific topics, often the controversial issues of our time. The perspective is a conservative fundamental one, based on a specific reading of the Bible. The site also allows you to submit your own questions and boasts that over 100,000 questions have been answered. These responses are provided by a number of scholars, clergy, and lay scholars.
apologia explores the main issues regarding the interaction of science, atheism, and religion-specifically Christianity.
For detailed timelines of Christianity ...
Church Timeline provides a simple and at times esoteric timeline of the Christian Church's history, from its inception to modern times.
Tredways.org hosts this Church timeline that lets you click to expand certain periods, and gives you details of the important events of the Christian church, though it does not provide a great deal of context for the layperson to interpret the information.
For Christian texts online ...
Bible Gateway is a powerful reference tool that gives you access to many versions of the holy text in several languages. You can use the quick-search tool to find a specific passage or to search for those on a certain theme. The advanced-search tool allows you more options, such as a quotation lookup, as well as a way to restrict your search to specific Bible versions or books. You can also add Bible Gateway's search tool to your own Web site.
Bible.org is an educational suite for Bible study. Browse and search an online version of the Bible, then explore the articles available on the site, covering all aspects of the text.
Who knew?
The Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center hosts this page on the Amish and Plain People. This is a fittingly straightforward and informative site about the unique Amish and Mennonite communities, their histories, and their special brands of Christianity.
Christianity News
Though 2,000 years old, Christianity is anything but moribund. With Christian churches and people in every corner of the globe, there is a wealth of publications dealing with Christianity in the world today. While Christian books abound, there is also a great deal of information to be found on the Internet. Here are some of the best places to look for Christianity news.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Some Christian news organizations focus on Christian issues while remaining objective; others try to view the news through a Christian perspective, injecting specific opinion into their reporting. Decide which type of news you're looking for so as not to be misled or disappointed.
- You can further explore current events and news in findingDulcinea Beyond the Headlines news section.
- Many news sites employ a technology called RSS that will automatically notify and display new stories and headlines as they're posted. Sign up for RSS feeds when you can-they collect the newest information so you can be constantly in the know. For more on how to use RSS and other news technologies, see the findingDulcinea Blogs Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For Christian news and features ...
The Christian Post is one of the more professional and objective Christian news publications online. With a clean and streamlined look, this site has international, domestic, and issues-focused news, and concentrates on stories of interest to the Christian community. The paper presents a Christian statement of faith, but is pan-denominational.
Christianity Today describes itself as "a magazine with evangelical conviction." The site includes features, news, editorials, reviews, and more, all of a professional quality. You can also subscribe to the print edition of the magazine by clicking on the ad on the right-hand side of the page.
Baptist Press delivers with news reporting and feature articles daily. This well-designed site is easy to navigate and includes a sports section, cartoons, and many other articles arranged by topic in different "digests."
For Christian entertainment news and reviews ...
Christian Spotlight on Entertainment reports on the latest in entertainment from a Christian perspective. Check out the movie reviews for insight into what Christian (or decidedly non-Christian) content you'll see in the films. For broader entertainment news, click over to the news section, which also includes an excellent listing of various Christian and Christian entertainment-related sites for the professional entertainer and consumer alike.
For Christian books ...
ChristianBook.com is the place to buy Christian-themed books online. You'll find fiction, inspirational writing, and children's books. You can also find Bibles, as well as many other products, like DVDs, music, and games.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library is an online archive of classic Christian books in the public domain. Designed as a credible, but accessible information resource, this site lets you read a surprising number of classic texts online (For many titles, you can download the book in a variety of formats.) The powerful search tool enables you to search within the texts, as well as through a number of Christian dictionaries and encyclopedias for definitions of terminology.
Connecting With the Christian Community
The Christian community encompasses more than a weekly church visit, and the ways to interact with that community are expanding rapidly, with Web sites for Christians of all ages. Whether you want to learn and discuss religion with other Christians; find music, videos, and Church sites; or even make a date for after Sunday services, the Web is ready to help you.
Dulcinea's Insight
- When using social networking sites and dating online, always use caution-even within what you think is a trusted Christian community. For more information on Internet safety, read the findingDulcinea Internet Security Guide.
- Dating online can be a tricky practice. For more information on how to find the right one online, click over to the findingDulcinea Dating Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For Christian portal sites ...
Crossmap is designed to help bring your entire online Christian life to one page. With a search engine, Web directory, news, devotionals, shopping, and many other online tools, this portal site is a timesaving tool for the Christian Web surfer.
Worthy Ministries is a one-stop portal site for Christian news, links, and discussion. Based in Israel, this evangelical group's site offers a Christian Web directory and search engine to help you track down what you need online. In addition, the site includes a news aggregator, forums, a chat feature, and free e-mail.
Christian Top 1000 is a simple listing of the top Christian sites, based on how many daily visitors each one receives. The sites run the gamut of content, but because the directory's database of sites is generated by user recommendations, not all Christian sites might appear.
Baptist Church Web Sites makes finding smaller Baptist church Web sites easy with its clickable map of the United States. Clicking on an area gives a long list of Baptist sites in the selected region, with polite warnings about annoyances such as embedded music and other bad netiquette.
To find other Christian singles ...
Christian Mingle is a free, fun, slick social networking site for Christian singles looking to connect with one another. After creating your profile and adding your preferences for matches, you can search and browse the member base and photo gallery. If you find someone you think you might like, you can make use of the novel "click" feature, and Christian Mingle will send them your profile along with profiles of two random members, allowing you to reach out in a semi-anonymous, non-threatening way.
eHarmony.com allows you to view potential dating matches for free. Although the site is to not designed exclusively for any religion, it is often reviewed by Christians looking for like-minded partners (the founder is an evangelical Christian). Because members fill out an in-depth personality profile, matches are made between people who share values.
Christiansingles.com is a Web site designated only for "marriage-minded" Christian singles. If you are a serious Christian looking to settle down, this is the place for you. You can subscribe for different types of membership, which have varied costs, although promotional rates are available to beginning users.
For tools to teach about Christianity ...
Bluefish TV offers videos of professional quality and aim to educate both youth and adults about Christianity and the Christian way of life. It costs $1.99 to download high-resolution copies of some videos, but you can preview them online in full for free. Other videos and educational kits on DVD can cost more.
Finding a Church
The Web offers some truly amazing resources to explore and take part in the Christian faith online, but nothing can replace a brick-and-mortar church full of fellow worshipers. But finding one can be difficult, especially if you have recently relocated or are traveling. Luckily there are Web sites ready to point you in the direction of the closest church of whatever denomination to which you belong.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The content of search engines like these are often member-generated, meaning a church has to enter itself into the database, leading to incomplete and differing results for different sites. Because of this, it's a good idea to try multiple engines if you can't find the church you're looking for.
- Different engines deal with range differently. If you can't find a church, try searching neighboring zip codes.
- If it's not listed here, try entering your specific denomination in your favorite search engine. Often the denomination's national conference or organization will have listings of member churches or other places of worship and congregation.
Dulcinea's Picks
USAChurch is easy to use. Enter your zip code or city and state, and the site takes you to a page for your local area. From there you can search for churches and ministries, browse schools and events, and connect to the local Christian community in additional ways.
WorshipQuest.org is a simple church locator for all major Christian denominations and Judaism. Results are simple-the church name and address appear when you do a search.
UMC.org has a simple and attractive tool to find the closest Methodist churches to you. Click on any of the results and you'll get further contact information for the church, as well as a map to show you its exact location. Use the links on the left to locate churches outside the United States, to find other ministries, or to help update the database with new church information for your area.
Christian Blogs
With such diversity of beliefs, practice, and culture in the Christian faith, it's no surprise that Christians have a lot to communicate and share with one another. As a result, Christian blogs have become an increasingly popular form of discussion. Browse these Christian blogs to learn about the lesser-known traditions of Quakers, for example, or to discuss and discover other varied Christian perspectives on culture, politics, art, and more.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The blogosphere can be a rude place, even in the religious community; people communicate things they would never say face-to-face. Be prepared to encounter this kind of behavior when surfing, and be especially mindful of the blogs your children might be reading.
- To find more Christian blogs, explore the blogrolls (lists of the author's favorite blogs) on the Christian blogs you already enjoy.
- For more information on blogs and blogging, visit the findingDulcinea Blogs Guide. For Catholic blogs, visit the findingDulcinea Catholicism Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For a directory of Christian blogs ...
The Church Directory is just that; a free-for-all directory of Christian blogs, sponsored by The Evangelical Outpost blog, listed below. Look on the right tab for the Christian blogs that suit your particular interests.
For some interesting Christian blogs ...
Christdot.org is an apolitical blog that reports exclusively "Jesus-related" news. Daily posts alert readers to anything that is happening in the world of Christianity. The site also has links to book recommendations, news, and user polls.
The Evangelical Outpost is a blog that reflects on culture, politics, and religion from an Evangelical Christian worldview. Author Joe Carter may criticize Al Gore, give advice on how to find a preacher, or wax romantic with guidance for a great Valentine's Day. He has a knack for weaving a humorous tone into an unwavering commitment to the Evangelical perspective.
The Lamb's War is the blog of a young Quaker man living in Indiana. His writing is honest, clear, and emotive as he reflects on the struggles and joys of his relationship with the Church and provides wisdom valuable to people of all ages.
Quakerquaker.org provides a guide to the best Quaker blogs. There is a "blogroll" on the left of the screen where you can select blogs by topic such as "Simplicity" or "Sexuality" or "Activism." The site does not reference every Quaker blog, but it lists more than a few.
Mere Comments is a group blog written by the editors of Touchstone magazine, who together include members of all three major divisions of Christianity (Catholicism, Orthodox, and Protestant). The blog, soberly and intelligently written, focuses primarily on matters of the Church and on secular affairs when relevant to Christianity.
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