Introduction
Christianity is one of the three world religions that have many adherents around the world. A feature of Christianity that distinguishes it from other monotheistic religions is faith in Jesus Christ as the incarnation and manifestation of God for the salvation of all humanity and human society and guidance in the truth (Jacobsen, 2015). Meanwhile, people transform Christian traditions on different continents depending on their cultural and historical heritage. Therefore, I should mention four Christian features on various continents that surprised me.
Four Special Characteristics
It is important to note that in the Christian tradition that exists in Africa, I was surprised by the notion of ubuntu. Christianity in Africa is based on the understanding that God created people to live together and share common values and that individualism arose due to people’s indecision. Accordingly, according to African beliefs, the success of the group is higher than the success of an individual (Jacobsen, 2015). Consequently, I was surprised that the notion of ubuntu is widely used as a religious tradition because, unlike churches in European countries, it declares the connection of people to each other, which will lead to a connection with God.
In addition, I did not expect that the practice of ubuntu would create an impetus for evangelization and care for the poor. However, it is the connection of humans with each other that reveals the importance of helping each other (Jacobsen, 2015). Thus, I was surprised that Africans who are adherents of Christianity believe in God but struggle to discover individualism in favor of collectivism in order to achieve community success.
On the other hand, the Christian religion in Asia is being significantly challenged by other religions practiced by Asians. I was surprised that in Christianity, for example, the principle of harmony, which is borrowed from Buddhism, is widespread. Therefore, they, first of all, try to find harmony and endure any events without unnecessary emotions, and only with this ability can people find a connection with God. Consequently, I am surprised that Christian culture is interpreted as establishing respectful relations in society and the search for literacy in Asia (Jacobsen, 2015). It is because they do not understand the point of searching for God’s favor if people cannot exist morally. Accordingly, the general culture inherent in the Asian region has significantly influenced the understanding of Christianity on the continent.
In contrast, from the Latin American perspective, Christianity is understood as influenced by socioeconomic and racial issues. The inhabitants of its continent adapt Christian teachings to describe spiritual liberation as freedom. Therefore, unlike African Christians, they developed individualism in Christianity and tried to connect religious motives with the injustices of the western world that have affected their history (Jacobsen, 2015). I was also surprised that Latin Americans are now using religion as one of the ways to defend their freedoms and rights. However, this perception of Christianity is fully explained by the history of the people and the problems that are relevant to them.
Moreover, when I learned about the perception of Christianity by different peoples, I was surprised at how important the search for truth is among Europeans. They do not emphasize harmony and respectfulness as Asians do, nor use Christianity to defend their interests as Latin Americans tend to focus on it. Instead, in Europe, the priority for any Christian is to study the traditions and establish the truths of Christianity (Jacobsen, 2015). In this way, they will try to find an explanation for this religion and establish the truth or falsity of certain traditions and postulates.
Conclusion
Hence, Christianity on different continents developed in close connection with their traditions and history. Accordingly, in Africa, the Christian tradition has tribal features, while in Latin America, it explains and protects human freedom and rights. Furthermore, because the main religion in Asia is Buddhism, Asians have adapted Christianity’s fundamental beliefs and traditions to their common culture. In contrast, on the European continent, unlike other continents, the focus is on the reliability of knowledge about God and Christianity in general. Thus, each nation has its own traditions and understanding of one religion.
Reference
Jacobsen, D. (2015). Global Gospel: An introduction to Christianity on five continents. Baker Academic.