ABriefAnalysisofChrisianReligiousBeliefsinheAmericanFilmBruceAlmighy_开题报告

文献综述

Definition of Christianity. 

Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus of Nazareth, known by Christians as the Christ, or "Messiah", who is the focal point of the Christian faiths. It is the world's largest religion, with over 2.4 billion followers, or 33% of the global population, known as Christians. Christians make up a majority of the population in about two-thirds of the countries and territoriesin the world. They believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the savior of humanity whose coming as the Messiah (the Christ) was prophesied in the Old Testament. Christianity has played a prominent role in the shaping of Western civilization. 

Christianity grew out of Judaism and began as a Second Temple Judaic sect in the mid-1st century. Originating in the Roman province of Judea, it quickly spread to Europe, Syria, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Transcaucasia,Egypt, Ethiopia and the Indian subcontinent, and by the end of the 4th century had become the official state church of the Roman Empire. Following the Age of Discovery, Christianity spread to the Americas, Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world through missionary work and colonization. 

Christian theology is summarized in creeds such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. These professions of faith state that Jesus suffered, died, was buried, descended into hell, and rose from the dead, in order to grant eternal lifeto those who believe in him and trust in him for the remission of their sins. The creeds further maintain that Jesus physically ascended into heaven, where he reigns with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, and that he will return to judge the living and the dead and grant eternal life to his followers. His incarnation, earthly ministry, crucifixion and resurrection are often referred to as "the gospel", meaning "good news". The term gospel also refers to written accounts of Jesus' life and teaching, four of which—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are considered canonical and included in the Christian Bible, as established by the 5th century for the ancient undivided Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions before the East–West Schism.

Throughout its history, Christianity has weathered schisms and theological disputes that have resulted in many distinct churches and denominations. Worldwide, the three largest branches of Christianity are the Catholic Church,Protestantism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches broke communion with each other in the East–West Schism of 1054. Protestantism came into existence in the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, splitting from the Catholic Church. 

The central tenet of Christianity is the belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah (Christ). Christians believe that Jesus, as the Messiah, was anointed by God as savior of humanity and hold that Jesus' coming was the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from the contemporary Jewish concept. The core Christian belief is that through belief in and acceptance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life. 

While there have been many theological disputes over the nature of Jesus over the earliest centuries of Christian history, generally Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate and "true God and true man" (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus, having become fully human, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, but did not sin. As fully God, he rose to life again. According to the New Testament, he rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father and will ultimately return to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy, including the resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and final establishment of the Kingdom of God.

二、Status of Christianity in American.

Christianity is the most adhered to religion in the United States, with 75% of polled American adults identifying themselves as Christian in 2015. This is down from 85% in 1990, lower than 81.6% in 2001, and slightly lower than 78% in 2012. About   62%  of  those polled claim to be members of a church congregation. The United States has the largest Christian population in the world, with nearly 280 million Christians, although other countries have higher percentages of Christians among their populations. The modern official motto of the United States of America, as established in a 1956 law signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is "In God We Trust". The phrase first appeared on U.S. coins in 1864. 

All Protestant denominations accounted for 51.3%, while the Catholic Church by itself, at 23.9%, was the largest individual denomination. A 2008 Pew study categorizes white evangelical Protestants, 26.3% of the population, as the country's largest religious cohort; another study in 2004 estimates evangelical Protestants of all races at 30–35%.The United Methodist Church is the third largest church in the United States, and is the largest mainline denomination. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) is the fourth largest church in the United States, and the largest church originating in the U.S. Among Eastern Christian denominations, there are several Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, with just below 1 million adherents in the US, or 0.4% of the total population. 

Christianity was introduced to the Americas as it was first colonized by Europeans beginning in the 16th and 17th centuries. Going forward from its foundation, the United States has been called a Protestant nation by a variety of sources. Immigration further increased Christian numbers. Today most Christian churches in the United States are Mainline Protestant, Evangelical Protestant, or Catholic. 

三、Overview of Bruce almighty and aims of this paper. [11]

Bruce Almighty stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a discontented man who accuses God of doing a bad job running the universe. When God gives Bruce his powers to see if he can do a better job, Bruce eventually realizes that love and humility are more important than getting your way.

This paper guide looks at the movie's themes of injustice in this world, our response to God, and the goodness of God's authority over our lives.

二、^范文提纲

1. Introduction

1.1. A brief introduction of Bruce almighty.

2. Christian Culture.

2.1. The Idea of God.

2.2. Freedom.

2.3. Equality.

2.4. Individualism.

3. Education Idea

3.1. Optimism and Self-helping

3.2. Love 

4. Conclusion

三、Reference

[1] s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity  

[2] s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_United_States 

[3]刘春晓.基督教精神与西方文化传统[J].宗教研究（2008年06期）

[4] s://wenku.baidu.com/view/68bf3640e45c3b3567ec8bde.html 

[5] ://.doc88.com/p-993978776768.html

[6] s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Almighty

[7]王万尧.香港电影中的基督教文化考察[J]. 《基督教与当代香港电影》（（2013年071期）

[8] ://.xuexila.com/lunwen/culture/western/19774.html 

[9]戴继诚.宗教与政治的关系刍议[J].宝鸡文理学院学报.2009.9（2）

[10]论基督教对西方文化的影响[J].《社科纵横》 2014年06期

[11] ://.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/b/bruce-almighty.html