Christianity: The Journey from Past to Present

Christianity is one of the most widespread and well-practiced religions in the world. It has its roots imbedded deep in the soil of a multitude of nations, scattering its influence and dominance across the globe. Christianity permeates thousands of ears and lives daily, making it one of the most influential voices in today's world. Since the days of the first Christians, there has been differences and turmoil between groups of Christians, which has lead to varying beliefs and ideals. This variance in belief has led to an overwhelming variety in Christian denominations, starting with the Lutheran reform led by Martin Luther in the early 1500s. As a result of this, an array of religions has spread to nations from Germany to South Africa, making Christianity one of the most covering and varying religions on Earth. It seems that in some instances, different denominations of Christianity are actually more different than alike. This is extremely evident when comparing denominations that contrast on issues of views on morality, audience appeal, and an array of other issues. Two denominations of Christianity that vary exponentially on such issues, so much so that one may consider the other unholy, are non-denominational Christians, such as those at Mars Hill, and Catholics, such as the members of the Saint Adalbert Basilica. Christianity has become one of the most varying religions in the world, and it was my aim in this research project to examine the unique distinctions that characterize both non-denominational Christians and Catholic Christians.

Going into my fieldwork project, I sought to understand more deeply the great diversity among the various denominations of Christianity. I further aspired to investigate some of the major differences between two very different denominations, one traditional and conservative, the other new age and liberal. In my research, I hoped to gain a better understanding of different religious views and additionally explore how differences in religious views have almost divided the more extreme sects of Christianity into completely different religions.

The Catholic Church was the original church of Christ and refers to the earliest Christians. Catholicism is often associated with more traditional views of the church, because of its ancient heritage, and its deep roots in the origins of Christianity. Catholicism has evolved and changed throughout the ages, from the Roman Empire, to the Middle Ages, through the Renaissance and into the present day. Its founding morals and beliefs have remained largely intact since the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church. Catholicism experienced a boom in the late Roman Empire when the Romans declared a neutral view on religion and ended religious persecution. Catholicism remained the dominating denomination of Christianity well into the 16th century when Martin Luther started the protestant reformation that led to the creation of all of the protestant denominations. The Saint Adalbert Basilica was founded in the 1880s and is one of only two minor basilicas in Michigan. It is located in Grand Rapids and has a large base congregation. The church boasts stunning gothic architecture, which adds to the breathtaking heir of the site. Catholic churches tend to be associated with a more conservative, traditional belief system that goes along with a more conventional set of beliefs.

The history of the non-denominational church is brief. Although non-denominational have existed since the protestant reformation, the existence of these churches has increased substantially since the 1950s. A non-denominational church refers to a church that does not affiliate itself with a particular denomination and considers itself independent of binding viewpoints that may classify the church. Most non-denominational churches refuse to recognize a power higher than the local congregation. This boom may be associated with the baby boomer population and the American divergence from authority, which is represented by the more strict denominations of Christianity. The history of Mars Hill Bible Church is too brief like its non-denominational sect. The church was started in 1999 by Robert Bell and has since grown to a congregation of thousands. Non-denominational churches are often associated with more liberal and new age ideas. These churches often reflect the values of a younger generation with a less traditional set of values.

My attendance at the Saint Adalbert Basilica was quite what I expected. Being born and raised Lutheran, I expected the service to go similarly to those I had experienced growing up. The breathtaking architecture at the Basilica added to the experience there. The high two-story organ's notes and elderly choir's voices resounded off of the high ceilings and the marble floors. The service commenced with hymnals and a procession of the priest. Following opening hymns there were announcements, prayers, and lessons. During the holy gospel the entire congregation stood and sang both before and after it was read. Following the reading of the gospel for the day, the congregation sat while the priest gave his sermon. The sermon was retaining faith in toady's "declining moral environment." The priest preached about mainstream music and its harsh lyrics and derogatory themes, he discussed the superfluous divorce rates in the United States, and he had open discourse about the overt sexual tendencies of our media. After the sermon there was communion, in which I did not participate, which was followed by some closing prayers, hymns, and the procession of the priest out of the hall. The congregation seemed very dignified, but maybe somewhat somber after the service. The congregation seemed to be made up of mostly older, retired aged adults who slowly left the church, taking time to talk to what seemed like everyone else in the building. After the sanctuary slowly emptied out, people hung around the back of the church and exchanging pleasantries. Throughout the entire service and after, no one spoke to me or asked who I was but I appreciated the serious tone of the church and left.

My experience at Mars Hill was very different than at the Basilica. The congregation is much larger, and meets in an old mall. Instead of sitting in pews, there are plastic chairs set up circular around a stage, which is set in the center of the room. The service opened, like the catholic service, with songs, however instead of an organ there was a pop-like band and interesting instrumentals including drums, congas, and guitars. After this, the rest of the service seemed to be one long sermon, only instead of "preaching" it seemed that the pastor was engaging the congregation in a dialogue, and he delivered a message that was very applicable to daily life. Rob Bell preached about sin in daily lives of Christians and how they can over come sin. After this, announcements were made about meetings and groups throughout the week, several o which caught my eye. Catching my attention first and foremost was the group for homosexuals, which was simply a group to support gay Christians. Another group that caught my attention was a support group for adulterers. I couldn't help but wonder if such groups would exist at the Basilica. After some closing songs from the band the congregation was dismissed, but people stayed around and talked and laughed. The mood was much different than the one at the Basilica.

One of the most interesting topics of interest to me in regards to the differences between these religions is their varying belief on what is morally acceptable. This was demonstrated by both the actual preaching during the services and the available support groups for different types of people. At the catholic service a stricter stance on moral issues was very obviously demonstrated. In his sermon, the priest discussed the devil's presence in many aspects of daily life. He concluded that mainstream music was largely "satanic" and that it was a part of the moral decay of society. It was suggested that the themes and lyrics in "modern" music are largely negative and sexual and that mainstream music has begun a seizure of American youth. This Catholic Church also has a clear stance on homosexuality. One of the priest's main points to the downfall of our community structure is the gradual acceptance of groups that bring sin into them. He included in this grouping homosexuals, those guilty of adultery, prostitutes, and abortionists. He concluded that anyone in these groups should seek redemption of "suffer the ultimate consequence." As explained by Ted Jelen, "The Roman Catholic Church has traditionally sought to censor..." (Jelens, 70). The stance of this church seems to be that these practices are regarded as evil and should not be tolerated or accepted. This Catholic Church family has a strong and literal interpretation of biblical passages referring to such behaviors. Catholics have a more conservative settings, as religion has a significant impact of individual values (Montoro, 403).

On the contrary, though my experience was brief, at Mars Hill, it seemed not only accepted, but in some instances embraced. Surely Mars Hill would not promote adultery, however they accepted the mistakes of their congregation and seeks to support their reform. In turn, however, the church seems to accept open homosexual practice among its members and even hold a weekly group for Christian homosexuals to promote dialogue and to allow for a forum for them to meet other Christian homosexuals. This opinion strongly contradicts the views of the Catholic Church I attended. It seems the Mars Hill church family must have a looser translation of The Bible, interpreting certain passages much differently than their Catholic counterparts. Additionally, Mars Hill promotes a more mainstream musical taste in its young audience and has even taken group outings to concerts of non-Christian bands. The Church promotes the inclusion of all types of people.

Another topic of interest that I observed much more directly during my research was the difference in audience appeal between the two services. It appeared to me, during my brief stay at the Saint Adalbert Basilica that the average age of those in attendance was mid fifties to mid sixties. This may be attributed to several factors regarding the worship, and may be speculated with several factors regarding the denomination. First and most apparent, is the environment created by the service. Old, tradition hymnals, accompanied by a choir, marked the music at the mass at Saint Adalbert. The congregations stood and sang along, but other than that remained stationary. The only instrument used in the mass was an organ, underscoring the traditional feel to the music. In addition, the pastor was of a similar age of the audience he preached to. In addition, the services at Saint Adalbert are held earlier in the morning and groups outside of church service, such as a the quilters club at Saint Adalberts, tend to cater to the an older age group. In regards to the denomination, the Catholic ideals may appeal more to an older, more conservative group of people because of its deep roots in more traditional values.

The audience appeal at Mars Hill is quite different. Though there are a hundreds of people of many different ages at the Mars Hill service, there seemed to be many more young students and families in attendance. This may be due to several things. First of all, the service is held later in the morning. In addition the music of the service is a rock-like band that plays more contemporary music that may appeal to a younger audience. The songs sung are very modern and can be heard on TV and even on radio stations all over the country. The church promotes its congregation to stand, dance, clap, and do hand motions which is also an act that may appeal to this younger, more energetic audience. In addition, the new Non-denominational movement and its incorporation of doctrine and a more modern political standpoint on social issues (Hart, 312). The current generation of parents in America is more liberal and open-minded than many before it, and the spirit of the non-denominational church caters to these, and like-minded individuals.

This fieldwork project has certainly uncovered, displayed, and concluded many things about the vast differences among different denominations of Christianity. Christianity has long been and will long remain one of the widest spread and most practiced religions in the world. Because of its expansive practice, Christianity has also grown to be one of the most diverse religions in the world. There are very different and very distinct means by which Christianity is practiced throughout the world. There are thousands of sects of Christianity and each has its one specific beliefs and practices. Some denominations do not even consider others Christian, because their beliefs have grown so different. In my project, I sought to learn more about the differences between a tradition, old Catholic Church, and a new-age non-denominational church. I found many differences between the two, and found the most interesting differences to be beliefs on acceptance of moral behaviors and on audience appeal. It was clear that the Catholic Church had a strict ethical code by which its members were to follow. The church persuaded its members to recognize the devil in certain behaviors and aspects of American culture, while Mars Hill was largely open to these ideas. In addition, Saint Adalbert had a very different audience. The early services, tradition hymns and older preacher attracted an older audience while upbeat music, dancing, and an open forum based preaching style at Mars Hill attracted a much younger audience. Both Catholic and non-denominational Christians, as I experienced, are very devoted and passionate peoples. Each however, has its own set of beliefs. This exemplifies the growing differences between different sects of Christianity and demonstrates a clear boundary between traditional and new-age Christian practices.

Hart, James. "Platitudes of Peity." American Quarterly 311-322.

Jelen, Ted. "Denominational Preferance and the Dimensions of Political
Tolerance." Sociological Analysis 51(1990): 69-81.

Montoro, Julian. "Social Values, Religiosity, and Marital Context." Sociology of
Religion 54(1993): 403-412.