Core Christian Beliefs: Trinity, Incarnation and Salvation

Most Christians share a set of core beliefs, though they express and interpret them in different ways. Christianity is monotheistic, but most churches teach that the one God exists as a Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The incarnation is the belief that God became human in Jesus, who was fully divine and fully human.

Christians believe Jesus's death and resurrection reconcile humanity with God, offering forgiveness of sin and eternal life, though churches have long debated how salvation is received: through faith, sacraments, good works, or a combination. Grace, God's freely given love, is central. Ethics flow from Jesus's command to love God and neighbor, including enemies.

These doctrines were defined over centuries in creeds, especially the Nicene Creed, through debates that also divided churches. A small number of groups, such as Unitarians and Jehovah's Witnesses, reject the Trinity, showing that belief has never been entirely uniform.