Christian Imperialism
| Christian Imperialism | |
|---|---|
| Imperialismo Cristiano | |
| Classification | Religious Syncretist |
| Orientation | Western Christianity |
| Scripture | Articles of Balconi |
| Polity | Congregationalist |
| Governance | Congregationalist |
| Associations | Faramount Association of Christian Imperialists |
| Region | Faramount |
| Language | Limonaian |
| Liturgy | Roman Rite |
| Headquarters | None |
| Founder | Adrian Balconi |
| Origin | 1871 Umbertoa |
| Separated from | Limonaian Catholicism Imperial Truth |
| Merger of | Limonaian Catholicism Imperial Truth |
| Congregations | 25,000+ |
| Members | ~14 million |
| Priest | 35,000+ |
| Church buildings | 25,000+ |
| Other name(s) | Cult of Christ (Culto di Cristo) |
Christian Imperialism, or the Cult of Christ, is a syncretist religion merging elements of Limonaian Catholicism and the Imperial Truth. The Imperial Truther priest Adrian Balconi developed the religion in the mid-1800s in a response to rising tensions in Faramount between recently converted Limonaian Catholics and previously converted Imperial Truthers. The Limonaian ban on non-Christian faiths in the 1880s prompted a massive conversion to Christian Imperialism, as it did not technically qualify as a non-Limonaian faith. The Limonaian Catholic Church excommunicated all Christian Imperialists in 1894, declaring the faith to be heresy. Colonial authorities banned the religion again in 1896, but that ban was not enforced following the 1902 Faramontese Revolution. The Emperor of Derthalen by contrast has consistently tolerated the Cult of Christ, despite some opposition within the Ecclessiarchy. The Christian Imperialist church is congregationalist in nature with no clear organizational structure or leadership. Most Christian Imperials view both the Limonaian Pope and the Derthalen Emperor as their spiritual leaders.
The religion is principally based on the life and teachings of two men: Derthalen Emperor Otto and Jesus of Nazareth. Like all Christians, adherents are Abrahamic monotheists who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and savior of all people, whose coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament. But like Imperial Truthers, adherents believe in anthropocentrism, veneration of the dead, and the holy nature of Derthalen's first emperor, Otto. Christian Imperialists specifically believe that Otto was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, who came to Eurth and promulgated the Cornerstones of Imperial Truth in a bid to put humanity on the right path without the sacrifice of Jesus. Adherents do believe in the supremacy of God over man, and believe that Otto's declaration that men are greater than Gods was a metaphorical statement of the wide moral and technological capabilities of mankind.