Where it all begins
Christianity did not start as a philosophy or a moral code. It began with a person. Jesus was a Jewish teacher and healer in first-century Palestine who announced that God's kingdom had arrived. He was executed by the Roman authorities, and within weeks his followers were publicly insisting that God had raised him from the dead. That claim, the resurrection, is the hinge on which the whole faith turns. If it happened, Christians argue, then everything Jesus said about God, forgiveness and eternal life deserves our full attention.
What Christians believe
- One God in three Persons. Father, Son and Holy Spirit: one God, eternally existing in loving relationship. Christians call this the Trinity.
- Jesus is fully God and fully human. Born of Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, bodily raised on the third day, and now alive.
- The Bible is God's written word. Old and New Testaments together tell one story and carry real authority for belief and life.
- People need rescuing. Every human being falls short of what we were made for. The Bible calls this sin, and its remedy is not self-improvement but grace.
- Salvation is a gift. Forgiveness and new life are received by trusting Christ, not earned by good behaviour.
- The church is Christ's people. Not a building but a community, gathered locally in parishes, chapels and congregations across the world.
- History has a destination. Christ will return, the dead will be raised, and God will renew creation.
One story from Genesis to Revelation
Christians read the Bible as a single sweeping narrative. God makes a good world. Humanity turns away, and things fracture. God calls Abraham and the people of Israel to carry his promise. In Jesus, the promise is kept: he lives the life we could not, dies in our place, and defeats death itself. The Holy Spirit then forms a worldwide family of believers, and the story ends not with escape from the world but with heaven and earth made new.
How the faith is practised
Belief takes shape in habits. Christians gather weekly, usually on a Sunday, to sing, pray, hear the Bible taught and share communion. New believers (or, in many traditions, infants) are welcomed through baptism. Daily life is shaped by prayer, Scripture reading, generosity and practical care for neighbours. Across the UK this looks wonderfully varied: choral evensong in a mediaeval parish church, a lively Pentecostal service in a converted warehouse, or a quiet Quaker meeting.
The Christian family tree
The faith flows in three broad streams: Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. In Britain the picture includes the Church of England and the Church in Wales (Anglican), the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), plus Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, United Reformed and many independent churches. They differ on real questions, yet all confess the historic creeds: the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed summarise the common ground.
Christianity in the UK today
Britain's landscape is dotted with tens of thousands of church buildings, from cathedral cities to village greens. The Church of England alone cares for some 16,000 of them. Attendance patterns have shifted over the decades, but millions still worship weekly, and many congregations, especially in larger cities, are growing and remarkably international.
If you are exploring
- Read Mark or John. Either Gospel gives you Jesus first-hand in about two hours of reading.
- Turn up on a Sunday. Visitors are welcome everywhere; nobody expects you to know the words. Our first visit guide tells you what to expect.
- Ask questions. Many churches run informal courses for enquirers, such as Alpha or Christianity Explored, often with a meal thrown in.
- Try praying. An honest sentence is enough. “God, if you are there, show me” is a prayer many Christians began with.