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Definition:
For Christians, Holy Week is the final week of Lent. It begins with Palm Sunday, also
known as Passion Sunday, and ends with Easter Sunday. During this week Christians are
expected to devote time to the study of the passion of Jesus Christ - his suffering, his
death, and his eventual resurrection which is commemorated on Easter.
The earliest use of the term "Holy Week" can be found in the 4th century writings of Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria. At this time only Friday and Saturday were widely celebrated as holy days and early Christians apparently made no particular effort to imitate the elaborate passion chronologies found in the gospels. Instead, they celebrated Jesus' death and crucifixion all on one day, Easter (known as the time as Pascha, a word derived from the Hebrew term for Passover).
Over time, however, more days were added to the week's celebrations. Today, Passion Sunday commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, Maundy Thursday commemorates Judas' betray and the beginning of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, Good Friday commemorates his passion and death, Saturday his burial, and Easter Sunday his resurrection.
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Related Resources:
What is Christianity?
What are the various Christian groups, denominations, sects and heresies? What are some key concepts in Christian theology? What are some of the most important events in Christian history? All of this and more are covered in the Christianity FAQ.What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.What is Theism?
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A system of human beliefs, ideals and practices which is harder to define than it may at first appear. Read more about how dictionaries, scholars and others have tried to define and explain religion.
