I was just pondering that, in English anyway, the major religions of the world are "isms": Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Taoism even Islamism. Why no Christism? Instead we have Christianity. I guess Christism, if there were such a word, might lean toward a faith based on the teaching of Jesus, rather than a religion all about Jesus' story. According to Merriam Webster dictionary, the term Christianity appeared in (Middle) English the 14th Century. I wonder what it was called before that? Thanks for the array of isms.
Hmmm... that does make me think of interesting alternates. Of course, there are already Nazarenes. Some just don't slip off the tongue as well, like Jesusites. Jesusism isn't much better. Another interesting tangent: Jesus' followers were called people of The Way. Seems like the fact that a way of life became a form of the word "Christ" follows the gradual deification of Jesus, rather than a concentration on teachings, which is harder, after all, eh? Thanks for the comment!
I was just pondering that, in English anyway, the major religions of the world are "isms": Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Taoism even Islamism. Why no Christism? Instead we have Christianity. I guess Christism, if there were such a word, might lean toward a faith based on the teaching of Jesus, rather than a religion all about Jesus' story. According to Merriam Webster dictionary, the term Christianity appeared in (Middle) English the 14th Century. I wonder what it was called before that? Thanks for the array of isms.
Hmmm... that does make me think of interesting alternates. Of course, there are already Nazarenes. Some just don't slip off the tongue as well, like Jesusites. Jesusism isn't much better. Another interesting tangent: Jesus' followers were called people of The Way. Seems like the fact that a way of life became a form of the word "Christ" follows the gradual deification of Jesus, rather than a concentration on teachings, which is harder, after all, eh? Thanks for the comment!