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Christians believe the founder of Christianity was Jesus Christ. To Christians, He is the Messiah and one of the central figures in their faith. Catholics believe Jesus ordained Peter as the first head (Pope) of the church; thus, the founder is still recognized as Jesus.

More Information: Founder of Christianity as it is known today:

Some believe Jesus was not the founder of Christianity as we know it today. They believe the main influence of the New Testament is the Apostle Paul and through the church he founded at Ephesus a Greek convert named John. Paul never met Jesus in the flesh, he only claimed some spiritual visions and proceeded to Hellenize the teachings of Jesus, until he created Pauline Christianity. Because there are no known writings from Jesus or His actual Apostles, most of what He really taught is remains controversial. Also see the disputed Gnostic Gospels.

While Jesus is regarded by Christians as the founder of the faith, Paul's role in defining Christianity can't be ignored. "Paul is regarded as the great interpreter of Jesus' mission, who explained, in a way that Jesus himself never did, how Jesus' life and death fitted into a cosmic scheme of salvation, stretching from the creation of Adam to the end of time." The doctrines of Christianity come mostly from the teaching or influence of Paul, a Pharisee(?) who rejected his Pharisaic Judaism.
jesus

edit: Who ever answered this is wrong.

Jesus was not the founder of Christianity as we know it today. Most of the New Testament doesn't even concern the historical Jesus while the main influence is the Apostle Paul and through the church he founded at Ephesus a Greek convert named John. Paul never met Jesus in the flesh, he only claimed some spiritual visions and proceeded to Hellenize the teachings of Jesus (who preached a generic form of Judaism), until he created Pauline Christianity. Because there are no known writings from Jesus or His actual Apostles, most of what He really taught is remains controversial. Also see the disputed Gnostic Gospels.

But according to Paul, Jesus' teachings are not relevant to salvation. While Jesus is regarded by Christians as the founder of the faith, Paul's role in defining Christianity can't be ignored and trumps Jesus on theology. "Paul is regarded as the great interpreter of Jesus' mission, who explained, in a way that Jesus himself never did, how Jesus' life and death fitted into a cosmic scheme of salvation, stretching from the creation of Adam to the end of time." The doctrines of Christianity come mostly from the teaching or influence of Paul, a Pharisee(?) who rejected his Pharisaic Judaism.

His worship was that of a "Christ" totally unrelated to the Jewish Messiah, a nationalist (and human) figure that was supposed to free the nation from foreign (Roman) rule. Paul would later be placed over his Jewish-Christian rivals by a Gnostic heretic named Marcion. See Marcion. The Church in its struggles with both Marcion and the Gnostics was forced to define itself and launch an internal war to silence opponents.

Aspects of Christianity that caused it to spread quickly are:

• It supported the idea of an afterlife.

• It gave the hope to the poor

• It favored earthly riches because in the past religions you were not allowed to have riches you were to sacrifice them to your god but Jesus said you can have them because God will make you prosperous

• The love, selflessness, and compassion that Christians showed to everyone around them even when they were being persecuted.

• The belief of the truth and the spiritual hunger.