Two types of Christianity are practiced in Britain. One is ancient, having been established in the first century A.D. by Joseph of Arimathea. It is called British Christianity. The second is derived from distant Rome, and is called Roman Christianity. Both types of Christianity share the most important beliefs and have more in common with each other than do the many forms of Paganism practiced in the lands outside of Logres.
Christianity believes in a single God who created the world and everything in it. The first people were called Adam and Eve. Because humans were made with free will, many descendants of Adam and Eve fell away from the worship of God and the world was corrupted.
God then manifested Himself (it is common to capitalize personal pronouns referring to God) as the Son of the Father to offer salvation to the world. During the reign of Emperor Augustus was born this Son of God, named, in the
kingdom of Judea. Barely escaping death as an infant, Jesus was raised in obscurity as the son of a carpenter and his wife, the Virgin Mary, in a small town in Judea. Christ spent a short time as a wandering teacher, attended by his selected followers called the apostles. He allowed Himself to be tortured and nailed to a cross, dying for the sake of all humankind. The day he died is called Good Friday.
He was buried in the tomb of his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, but after three days He rose miraculously from the dead. He visited his closest disciples and instructed them in his new religion. Fifty days after the first Easter, the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles and gave them the gift of tongues, after which time they went around the world teaching about the miracle of Christ’s death and resurrection. The converted people formed the start of the Christian religion.
This sacrifice by God allowed humans to obtain eternal salvation and, after death, to join God in Heaven. Worshipers can find personal salvation through imitating the life of Jesus Christ and following His teachings.
Regular worship takes place every Sunday within buildings called churches. The holiest day of the liturgical year is Easter, the day that He rose from the dead and proved he was the Son of God. Another important day is Pentecost, commemorating the time fifty days after Easter when the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles. Christmas is another holy time, marking the birth of Christ in the town of Bethlehem. Many other holy days exist as well, but those listed above are the most important.
Although most people are illiterate, literacy (in Latin) is common among the clergy and Christian writings are available, painstakingly copied by the hands of countless monks. Records of the religion are collected in a book called the Bible.
Saints are important in Christianity. These are exceptionally holy persons who are rewarded after death for a lifetime of dedication to God. They have the power to intercede between God and his worshipers. Many saints are important in Britain, including the apostles, but one of the foremost is Saint Mary, the Mother of God.
Mass is the name of the formal worship service, celebrated every Sunday by Christians everywhere, and even more often by exceptionally pious people. The holy rituals are called sacraments, including the following: Baptism, which is given upon entering the religion; Penance, which forgives the penitent’s sins; Communion, the basic act of interaction with God, and around which the Mass is centered; Confirmation, which initiates members of the church as Soldiers of Christ; Matrimony, which blesses marriage; Holy Orders, by which a man is made a priest; and Extreme Unction, given at death to ease a person’s journey to Heaven.