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400 I Christchurch ► Christian Social Union
music in worship. After their separation from the Disciples, the Churches of Christ continued to grow. Worship services consist of prayer, preach¬ ing, unaccompanied singing, and the Lord’s Supper.
Christchurch City (pop., 1999 est.: 324,200), South Island, New Zealand. Founded in 1850 as a model Church of England settlement, it was the last and most successful colonizing project inspired by Edward Gibbon Wakefield and his New Zealand Co. It is the country’s second larg¬ est city and an important industrial centre; its port is Lyttelton. Called the “Garden City of the Plains” for its numerous parks and gardens, it is home to the University of Canterbury, Christ’s College, and Lincoln University.
Christian II (b. July 1, 1481, Nyborg, Den.—d. Jan. 25, 1559, Kalund- borg) King of Denmark and Norway (1513-23) and of Sweden (1520- 23). He succeeded his father, John, as king of Denmark and Norway. In 1517 he invaded Sweden, defeating the forces of the Swedish regent, and was crowned Sweden’s king in 1520. However, he ordered a massacre of Swedish nobles (the Stockholm Bloodbath) that helped incite a success¬ ful Swedish war for independence, marking the end of the Kalmar Union in 1523. That year a revolt in Denmark forced Christian to flee to the Netherlands. After attempting to regain his kingdom, he was arrested by Danish forces in 1532 and spent the rest of his life imprisoned in Danish castles.
Christian III (b. Aug. 12, 1503, Gottorp, Schleswig—d. Jan. 1, 1559, Kolding, Den.) King of Denmark and Norway (1534-59). Son of King Frederick I, he assumed control of the kingdom after winning a civil war known as the Count’s War. He arrested the Catholic bishops who had opposed him and organized the Diet of Copenhagen (1536), which con¬ fiscated episcopal property and established the state Lutheran church. By forming close ties between the church and the crown, he laid the foun¬ dation for the absolutist Danish monarchy of the 17th century.
Christian IV (b. April 12, 1577, Frederiksborg Castle, Hillerpd, Den.—d. Feb. 28, 1648, Copen¬ hagen) King of Denmark and Nor¬ way (1588-1648). He succeeded to the throne on the death of his father,
Frederick II, but a regency ruled until 1596. After his coronation he succeeded in limiting the powers of the Rigsrad (state council). He led two unsuccessful wars against Swe¬ den and brought disaster to his coun¬ try by leading it into the Thirty Years'
War. He was eventually forced to accept the increased power of the nobility, which had long opposed his warlike policies. However, he ener¬ getically promoted trade and ship¬ ping, was a great builder and founder of cities, left a national heritage of fine buildings, and was considered one of the most popular of Danish kings.
Christian IX (b. April 8, 1818,
Gottorp, Schleswig—d. Jan. 29,
1906, Copenhagen, Den.) King of Denmark (1863-1906). He suc¬ ceeded the childless Frederick VII, whose cousin he had married. When he became king, he was forced by popular feeling to sign the November Constitution, which incorporated Schleswig into the state (see Schleswig- Holstein Question). This led to the disastrous war of 1864 against Prussia and Austria. After the war, he unsuccessfully resisted the advance of full parliamentary government in Denmark.
Christian X (b. Sept. 26, 1870, Charlottenlund, Den.—d. April 20, 1947, Copenhagen) King of Denmark (1912—47) who symbolized his nation’s resistance to the German occupation in World War II. He assumed the throne on the death of his father, Frederick VIII (1843-1912). In 1915 Christian signed a constitution granting equal suffrage to men and women. After the German occupation began in 1940, he rode frequently on horse¬ back through the streets of Copenhagen, showing that he had not aban¬ doned his claim to national sovereignty, and he opposed Nazi demands for anti-Jewish legislation. His speech against the occupation forces in 1943 led to his imprisonment until the end of the war.
Christian, Charlie orig. Charles Christian (b. July 29, 1916, Bon¬ ham, Texas, U.S.—d. March 2, 1942, New York, N.Y.) U.S. guitarist. Christian grew up in Oklahoma City, Okla., and joined Benny Goodman to perform in both big-band and small-group settings in 1939. He created a sensation through his technically adept and innovative use of amplifi¬ cation, thus changing the guitar’s primary role from accompanist to solo¬ ist. He was the first great electric guitarist in jazz. As one of the most advanced and influential soloists of the swing era, Christian participated in the jam sessions at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem with Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie that pioneered the harmonic advances of bebop.
Christian caste In India, social stratification among Christians based on caste membership at the time of an individual’s or an ancestor’s conver¬ sion. Indian Christians are grouped by denomination, geography, and caste. The Syrian Christians along the Malabar coast, descended from lst-century converts of high birth, retain mid-rank status in Hindu society. Portuguese missionaries of the 16th century converted lower-caste fisherfolk. Mission¬ aries in the 19th century insisted on social reform and tended to draw from the lowest classes. Caste distinctions are breaking down at about the same rate among contemporary Indian Christians and other Indians.
Christian Democracy Political movement that has a close associa¬ tion with Roman Catholicism and its philosophy of social and economic justice. It incorporates both traditional church and family values and pro¬ gressive values such as social welfare. After World War II, a number of Christian Democrat parties appeared in Europe, including the Italian Christian Democratic Party, the French Popular Republican Movement, and the most successful, the German Christian Democratic Union. The same period also saw the appearance of Christian Democrat parties in Latin America. Though most were small splinter groups, Christian Democrats eventually achieved power in Venezuela, El Salvador, and Chile.
Christian Democratic Party (Italy) See Italian Popular Party
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) German political party advo¬ cating a free-market economy, limited social-welfare programs, and close relations with the United States. The CDU was founded in 1945 by a diverse group of former Weimar Republic (1919-33) politicians, includ¬ ing activists in the old Roman Catholic Centre Party, liberal and conser¬ vative Protestants, workers, intellectuals, and segments of the middle class. It held power from the establishment of the West German republic in 1949 until 1969. It regained power in 1982 under Helmut Kohl, who remained chancellor until 1998. In 1990 Kohl oversaw the reunification of Germany. The party is a strong supporter of European integration. See also Konrad Adenauer; Christian Democracy.
Christian Science officially Church of Christ, Scientist Religious denomination founded in the U.S. in 1879 by Mary Baker Eddy. Like other Christian churches, Christian Science subscribes to an omnipotent God and the authority (but not inerrancy) of the Bible and takes the Crucifix¬ ion and Resurrection of Jesus as essential to human redemption. It departs from traditional Christianity in considering Jesus divine but not a deity and in regarding creation as wholly spiritual. Sin denies God’s sovereignty by claiming that life derives from matter. Spiritual cure of disease is a necessary element of redemption from the flesh and one of the church’s most controversial practices. Most members refuse medical help for dis¬ ease, and members engaged in the full-time healing ministry are called Christian Science practitioners. Elected readers lead Sunday services based on readings from the Bible and Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. At the end of the 20th century, the church had about 2,500 congregations in 70 countries; its headquarters is at the Mother Church in Boston. See also New Thought.