Wikipedia

Christian denomination

(Redirected fromBranches of Christianity)
"Branches of Christianity" redirects here. For the view that the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church includes different Christian denominations, seeBranch theory.

AChristian denominationis a distinctreligiousbody withinChristianitythat comprises allchurch congregationsof the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadership,theological doctrine,worship style and, sometimes, a founder. It is a secular and neutral term, generally used to denote any established Christian church. Unlike acultor sect, a denomination is usually seen as part of the Christian religious mainstream. Most Christian denominations refer to themselves aschurches,whereas some newer ones tend to interchangeably use the termschurches,assemblies,fellowships,etc. Divisions between one group and another are defined by authority and doctrine; issues such as thenature of Jesus,the authority ofapostolic succession,biblical hermeneutics,theology,ecclesiology,eschatology,andpapal primacymay separate one denomination from another. Groups of denominations—often sharing broadly similar beliefs, practices, and historical ties—are sometimes known as "branches of Christianity". These branches differ in many ways, especially through differences in practices and belief.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Individualdenominationsvary widely in the degree to which they recognize one another. Several groups say they are the direct andsole authentic successorof the church founded byJesus Christin the1st century AD.Others, however, believe in denominationalism, where some or all Christian groups are legitimate churches of the same religion regardless of their distinguishing labels, beliefs, and practices. Because of this concept, some Christian bodies reject the term "denomination" to describe themselves, to avoid implying equivalence with other churches or denominations.

TheCatholic Church,which has over 1.3 billion members or 50.1% of all Christians worldwide,[8][9]does not view itself as a denomination, but as the original pre-denominational Church.[10]The totalProtestantpopulation has reached around 1.047 billion in 2024, accounting for about 39.8% of all Christians.[11][8][12]Sixteenth-century Protestants separated from the Catholic Church as a result of theReformation,a movement against doctrines and practices which theReformersperceived to be in violation of the Bible.[13][14][15]Together, Catholicism and Protestantism (with major traditions includingAdventism,Anabaptism,Anglicanism,Baptists,Lutheranism,Methodism,Moravianism,Pentecostalism,Plymouth Brethren,Quakerism,Reformed,andWaldensianism) composeWestern Christianity.[16][17]Western Christian denominations prevail inSub-Saharan Africa,Europe(excluding Eastern Europe),North America,OceaniaandSouth America.[18]

TheEastern Orthodox Church,with an estimated 230 million adherents,[19][12][20]is the second-largest Christian body in the world and also considers itself the original pre-denominational Church. Orthodox Christians, 80% of whom are Eastern Orthodox and 20% Oriental Orthodox, make up about 11.9% of the global Christian population.[19]The Eastern Orthodox Church is itself acommunionof fully independentautocephalouschurches (or "jurisdictions" ) that recognize each other, for the most part. Similarly, the Catholic Church is a communion ofsui iurischurches, including 23 Eastern ones. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the 23Eastern Catholic Churches,theOriental Orthodox communion,theAssyrian Church of the East,theAncient Church of the East,and theEastern Lutheran ChurchesconstituteEastern Christianity.There are certainEastern Protestant Christiansthat have adopted Protestant theology but have cultural and historical ties with other Eastern Christians. Eastern Christian denominations are represented mostly inEastern Europe,North Asia,theMiddle East,Northeast Africa,andIndia.

Christians have various doctrines about the Church (the body of the faithful that they believe Jesus Christ established) and about how the divine church corresponds to Christian denominations. The Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East and Lutheran denominations, each hold that only their own specific organization faithfully represents theone holy catholic and apostolic Church,to theexclusionof all others. Certain denominational traditions teach that they were divinely instituted to propagate a certain doctrine or spiritual experience, for example the raising up ofMethodismby God to propagateentire sanctification(the "second blessing" ),[21]or the launch ofPentecostalismto bestow a supernaturalempowermentevidenced byspeaking in tongueson humanity.[22]

Restorationismemerged after theSecond Great Awakeningand collectively affirms belief in aGreat Apostasy,thus promoting a belief in restoring what they see as primitive Christianity.[23]It includesMormons,Irvingians,Christadelphians,Swedenborgians,Jehovah's Witnesses,among others, although beliefs between these religions differ greatly.[24][25][26]

Generally, members of the various denominations acknowledge each other as Christians, at least to the extent that they have mutually recognizedbaptismsand acknowledge historicallyorthodoxviews including thedivinity of Jesusand doctrines ofsinandsalvation,even though doctrinal andecclesiologicalobstacles hinderfull communion between churches.Since the reforms surrounding theSecond Vatican Councilof 1962–1965, the Catholic Church has referred to Protestant churches asecclesial communities,while reserving the term "church" forapostolic churches,including the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches, as well as theAncientandAssyrian Churches of the East(seesubsistit inandbranch theory).But somenon-denominational Christiansdo not follow any particular branch,[27]though they sometimes are regarded as Protestants.[28][29][30][31]

Terminology

edit
See also:Christian Church § Related concepts

Each group uses different terminology to discuss their beliefs. This section will discuss the definitions of several terms used throughout the article, before discussing the beliefs themselves in detail in following sections.

A denomination within Christianity can be defined as a "recognized autonomous branch of the Christian Church"; major synonyms include "religious group, sect, Church," etc.[Note 1][32]"Church" as a synonym, refers to a "particular Christian organization with its own clergy, buildings, and distinctive doctrines";[33]"church" can also more broadly be defined as the entire body of Christians, the "Christian Church".

Some traditional and evangelicalProtestantsdraw a distinction between membership in the universal church and fellowship within the local church. Becoming a believer in Christ makes one a member of the universal church; one then may join a fellowship of other local believers.[34]Someevangelicalgroups describe themselves as interdenominational fellowships, partnering with local churches to strengthen evangelical efforts, usually targeting a particular group with specialized needs, such as students or ethnic groups.[35]A related concept isdenominationalism,the belief that some or all Christian groups are legitimate churches of the same religion regardless of their distinguishing labels, beliefs, and practices.[36](Conversely, "denominationalism" can also refer to "emphasizing of denominational differences to the point of being narrowly exclusive", similar tosectarianism.)[37]

The views of Protestant leaders differ greatly from those of the leaders of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, the two largest Christian denominations. Each church makes mutually exclusive statements for itself to be the direct continuation of the church founded by Jesus Christ, from whom other denominations later broke away.[10]These churches, and a few others, reject denominationalism. For the purpose of academic study of religion, the main families of Christianity are categorized as a denomination, that is, "an organized body of Christians."[38]

Historically, Catholics wouldlabelmembers of certain Christian churches (also certain non-Christian religions) by the names of their founders, either actual or purported. Such supposed founders were referred to asheresiarchs.This was done even when the party thus labeled viewed itself as belonging to the one true church. This allowed the Catholic party to say that the other church was founded by the founder, while the Catholic church was founded by Christ. This was done intentionally in order to "produce the appearance of the fragmentation within Christianity"[39]– a problem which the Catholic side would then attempt to remedy on its own terms.

Although Catholics rejectbranch theory,Pope Benedict XVIandPope John Paul IIused the "two lungs" concept to relate Catholicism with Eastern Orthodoxy.[40]

Major branches

edit

World Christianity by tradition in 2024 as per World Christian Database[11]

Catholic(48.6%)
Protestant(39.8%)
Orthodox, includingEasternandOrientalcommunions (11.1%)
Other (0.5%)

Worldwide Christians by denomination as of 2011[41]

Catholic(50.1%)
Protestant(36.7%)
Orthodox, includingEasternandOrientalcommunions (11.9%)
Other (1.3%)

Christianity can betaxonomicallydivided into six main groups: theChurch of the East,Oriental Orthodoxy,Eastern Orthodoxy,Catholicism,Protestantism,andRestorationism.[23][42]Protestantism includes many groups which do not share any ecclesiastical governance and have widely diverging beliefs and practices.[16]Major Protestant branches includeAdventism,Anabaptism,Anglicanism,Baptists,Lutheranism,Methodism,Moravianism,Quakerism,Pentecostalism,Plymouth Brethren,Reformed Christianity,andWaldensianism.[16][17]Reformed Christianity itself includes theContinental Reformed,Presbyterian,Evangelical Anglican,Congregationalist,andReformed Baptisttraditions.[43]Anabaptist Christianity itself includes theAmish,Apostolic,Bruderhof,Hutterite,Mennonite,River Brethren,andSchwarzenau Brethrentraditions.[44]

Within theRestorationistbranch of Christianity, denominations include theIrvingians,Swedenborgians,Christadelphians,Latter Day Saints,Jehovah's Witnesses,La Luz del Mundo,andIglesia ni Cristo.[45][25][26][46]

Christianity has denominational families (or movements) and also has individual denominations (or communions). The difference between a denomination and a denominational family is sometimes unclear to outsiders. Some denominational families can be considered major branches. Groups that are members of a branch, while sharing historical ties and similar doctrines, are not necessarily incommunionwith one another.

There were some movements considered heresies by theearly Churchwhich do not exist today and are not generally referred to as denominations: examples include theGnostics(who had believed in anesotericdualismcalledgnosis), theEbionites(who denied the divinity of Jesus), and theArians(who subordinated theSonto theFatherby denying thepre-existence of Christ,thus placingJesusas a created being),Bogumilismand theBosnian Church.The greatest divisions in Christianity today, however, are between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Catholics, and the various denominations formed during and after theProtestant Reformation.[47][48][49]There also exists a number ofnon-Trinitariangroups.

Denominationalism

edit

Denominationalism is the belief that some or all Christian groups are legitimate churches of the same religion regardless of their distinguishing labels, beliefs, and practices.[36]The idea was first articulated byIndependentswithin thePuritanmovement. They argued that differences among Christians were inevitable, but that separation based on these differences was not necessarilyschism.Christians are obligated to practice their beliefs rather than remain within a church with which they disagree, but they must also recognize their imperfect knowledge and not condemn other Christians asapostateover unimportant matters.[50]

Some Christians view denominationalism as a regrettable fact. As of 2011, divisions are becoming less sharp, and there is increasing cooperation between denominations, which is known asecumenism.Many denominations participate in theWorld Council of Churches.[51]

Taxonomy

edit
Majordenominational familiesin Christianity:
This box:
Schism(1552)
(16th century)
(11th century)
(Not shown areante-Nicene,nontrinitarian,andrestorationistdenominations.)

Historical schisms and divisions

edit

Christianity has not been a monolithic faith since thefirst centuryorApostolic Age,though Christians were largely in communion with each other. Today there exist a large variety of groups that share a common history and tradition within and without mainstream Christianity. Christianity is the largest religion in the world (making up approximately one-third of the population) and the various divisions have commonalities and differences in tradition,theology,church government,doctrine, and language.

The largestschismor division in many classification schemes is between the families ofEasternandWestern Christianity.After these two larger families come distinct branches of Christianity. Most classification schemes list Roman Catholicism,Protestantism,andOrthodox Christianity,with Orthodox Christianity being divided intoEastern Orthodoxy,Oriental Orthodoxyand theChurch of the East.However Roman Catholicism is to be seen as a distinct denomination within Western Christianity.[52][53]Protestantism includes diverse groups such asAdventists,Anabaptists,Anglicans,Baptists,Congregationalists,Methodists(inclusive of theHoliness movement),Moravians,Pentecostals,Presbyterians,Reformed,[52][16][17]andUnitarians(depending on one's classification scheme) are all a part of the same family but have distinct doctrinal variations within each group—Lutheranssee themselves not to be a part of the rest of what they call "Reformed Protestantism" due to radical differences in sacramental theology and historical approach to the Reformation itself (both Reformed and Lutherans see their reformation in the sixteenth century to be a 'reforming' of the Catholic Church, not a rejection of it entirely). From these come denominations, which in the West, have independence from the others in their doctrine.

TheCatholic Church,due to itshierarchicalstructures, is not said to be made up of denominations, rather, it is a single denomination that include kinds of regional councils and individual congregations and church bodies, which do not officially differ from one another in doctrine.

Antiquity

edit
See also:Proto-orthodox Christianity

The initial differences between the East and West traditions stem from socio-cultural and ethno-linguistic divisions in and between theWestern RomanandByzantine empires.Since the West (that is, Western Europe) spokeLatinas itslingua francaand the East (Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and northern Africa) largely usedAramaicandKoine Greekto transmit writings, theological developments were difficult to translate from one branch to the other. In the course ofecumenical councils(large gatherings of Christian leaders), some church bodies split from the larger family of Christianity. Many earlierhereticalgroups either died off for lack of followers or suppression by the earlyproto-orthodoxChurch at large (such asApollinarians,Montanists,andEbionites).

Following theCouncil of Chalcedonin 451, the next large split came with theSyriacandCopticchurches dividing themselves, with some churches becoming today'sOriental Orthodox.TheArmenian Apostolic Church,whose representatives were not able to attend the council did not accept new dogmas and now is also seen as an Oriental Orthodox church. In modern times, there have also been moves towards healing this split, with common Christological statements being made betweenPope John Paul IIand Syriac PatriarchIgnatius Zakka I Iwas,as well as between representatives of both Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy.

There has been a statement that theChalcedonian Creedrestored Nestorianism, however this is refuted by maintaining the following distinctions associated with thepersonof Christ: two hypostases, two natures (Nestorian); one hypostasis, one nature (Monophysite); one hypostasis, two natures (Eastern Orthodox/Roman Catholic).[54]

Middle Ages

edit
Main article:East-West Schism
The front door ofAll Saints' ChurchinWittenberg,Germany, whereMartin Luthernailed hisNinety-five Theseson 31st October 1517, sparking theReformation

In Western Christianity, a handful of geographically isolated movements preceded the spirit of theProtestant Reformation.TheCatharswere a very strong movement in medieval southwestern France, but did not survive into modern times. In northernItalyand southeasternFrance,Peter Waldofounded theWaldensiansin the 12th century. This movement has largely been absorbed by modern-day Protestant groups. InBohemia,a movement in the early 15th century byJan Huscalled theHussitesdefied Catholicdogma,creating the still-extantMoravian Church,a major Protestant denomination.

Although the church as a whole did not experience any major divisions for centuries afterward, the Eastern and Western groups drifted until the point where patriarchs from both familiesexcommunicatedone another in about 1054 in what is known as theGreat Schism.The political and theological reasons for the schism are complex, but one major controversy was the inclusion and acceptance in the West of thefilioque clauseinto theNicene Creed,which the East viewed as erroneous. Another was the definition ofpapal primacy.

Both West and East agreed that the Patriarch of Rome was owed a "primacy of honour"by the other patriarchs (those ofAlexandria,Antioch,ConstantinopleandJerusalem), but the West also contended that this primacy extended to jurisdiction, a position rejected by the Eastern patriarchs. Various attempts at dialogue between the two groups would occur, but it was only in the 1960s, under PopePaul VIandPatriarch Athenagoras,that significant steps began to be made to mend the relationship between the two.

Protestant Reformation (16th century)

edit
Main article:Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation began with the posting ofMartin Luther'sNinety-Five ThesesinSaxonyon October 31, 1517, written as a set of grievances to reform the pre-Reformation Western Church.Luther's writings,combined with the work ofSwisstheologianHuldrych Zwingliand French theologian and politicianJohn Calvinsought to reform existing problems in doctrine and practice. Due to the reactions of ecclesiastical office holders at the time of the reformers, these reformers separated from the Catholic Church, instigating a rift inWestern Christianity.

InEngland,Henry VIII of Englanddeclared himself to be supreme head of theChurch of Englandwith theAct of Supremacyin 1534, founding the Church of England, repressing both Lutheran reformers and those loyal to the pope.Thomas CranmerasArchbishop of Canterburyintroduced the Reformation, in a form compromising between the Calvinists and Lutherans.

Old and Liberal Catholic Churches (19th–20th centuries)

edit

TheOld Catholic Churchsplit from theCatholic Churchin the 1870s because of the promulgation of thedogmaofpapal infallibilityas promoted by theFirst Vatican Councilof 1869–1870. The term 'Old Catholic' was first used in 1853 to describe the members of the See of Utrecht that were not under Papal authority. The Old Catholic movement grew in America but has not maintained ties with Utrecht, although talks are under way between independent Old Catholic bishops and Utrecht.

TheLiberal Catholic Churchstarted in 1916 via an Old Catholic bishop in London, bishop Matthew, who consecrated bishop James Wedgwood to the Episcopacy. This stream has in its relatively short existence known many splits, which operate worldwide under several names.

Eastern Christianity

edit

In the Eastern world, the largest body of believers in modern times is theEastern Orthodox Church,sometimes imprecisely called "Greek Orthodox" because from the time of Christ through the Byzantine empire, Greek was its common language. However, the term "Greek Orthodox"actually refers to only one portion of the entire Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church believes itself to be the continuation of the original Christian Church established byJesus Christ,and theApostles.The Orthodox and Catholics have been separated since the 11th century, following theEast–West Schism,with each of them saying they represent the original pre-schism Church.

The Eastern Orthodox consider themselves to be spiritually one body, which is administratively grouped into severalautocephalousjurisdictions (also commonly referred to as "churches", despite being parts of one Church). They do not recognize any single bishop as universal church leader, but rather each bishop governs only his owndiocese.ThePatriarch of Constantinopleis known as the Ecumenical Patriarch, and holds the title "first among equals",meaning only that if a great council is called, the patriarch sits as president of the council. He has no more power than any other bishop. Currently, the largestsynodwith the most members is theRussian Orthodox Church.Others include the ancient Patriarchates ofConstantinople,Alexandria,AntiochandJerusalem,theGeorgian,Romanian,SerbianandBulgarianOrthodox churches, and several smaller ones.

A 6th-century Nestorian church, St. John the Arab, in theAssyrianvillage ofGeramon

The second largest Eastern Christian communion isOriental Orthodoxy,which is organized in a similar manner, with six national autocephalous groups and two autonomous bodies, although there are greater internal differences than among the Eastern Orthodox (especially in the diversity ofritesbeing used). The six autocephalous Oriental Orthodox churches are theCoptic(Egyptian),Syriac,Armenian,Malankara(Indian),EthiopianandEritreanOrthodox churches. In the Aramaic-speaking areas of theMiddle East,the Syriac Orthodox Church has long been dominant. Although the region of modern-dayEthiopiaandEritreahas had a strong body of believers since the infancy of Christianity, these regions only gained autocephaly in 1963 and 1994 respectively. The Oriental Orthodox are distinguished from the Eastern Orthodox by doctrinal differences concerning the union of human and divine natures in the person of Jesus Christ, and the two communions separated as a consequence of theCouncil of Chalcedonin the year 451, although there have been recent moves towards reconciliation. Since these groups are relatively obscure in the West, literature on them has sometimes included theChurch of the East,which, like the Oriental Orthodox, originated in the 1st century A.D., but has not been in communion with them since before theCouncil of Ephesusof 431.

Largelyaniconic,the Church of the East represents a third Eastern Christian tradition in its own right. In recent centuries, it has split into three Churches. The largest (since the early 20th century) is theBaghdad-basedChaldean Catholic Churchformed from groups that entered communion with Rome at different times, beginning in 1552. The second-largest is what since 1976[55]is officially called theAssyrian Church of the Eastand which from 1933 to 2015 was headquartered first inCyprusand then in theUnited States,but whose present Catholicos-Patriarch,Gewargis III,elected in 2015, lives inErbil,Iraq.The third is theAncient Church of the East,distinct since 1964 and headed byAddai II Giwargis,resident in Baghdad.

There are also theEastern Catholic Churches,most of which are counterparts of those listed above, sharing with them the same theological and liturgical traditions, but differing from them in that they recognize theBishop of Romeas theuniversal head of the Church.They are fully part of theCatholic communion,on the same level juridically as theLatin Church.Most of their members do not describe themselves as "RomanCatholics",a term they associate with membership of the Latin Church, and speak of themselves in relation to whichever Church they belong to:Maronites,Melkites,Ukrainian Catholics,Coptic Catholics,Chaldean Catholics,etc.[56]

And finally the smallest Eastern Christian group founded in early 20th century isByzantine Rite Lutheranismwhere accept Byzantine Rite as Church's liturgy while retaining their Lutheran traditions likeUkrainian Lutheran Church.It is considered part ofEastern Protestantdenominational movement.

Western Christianity

edit

TheLatin portionof theCatholic Church,along withProtestantism,comprise the three major divisions ofChristianityin the Western world. Catholics do not describe themselves as a denomination but rather as the original Church, from which all other branches broke off inschism.TheBaptist,Methodist,andLutheranchurches are generally considered to be Protestant denominations, although strictly speaking, of these three, only the Lutherans took part in the officialProtestation at Speyerafter the decree of theSecond Diet of Speyermandated the burning of Luther's works and the end of theProtestant Reformation.Anglicanism is generally classified as Protestant,[16][17][57]being originally seen as avia media,or middle way between Lutheranism and Reformed Christianity, and since theOxford Movementof the 19th century, some Anglican writers of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship emphasize a morecatholicunderstanding of the church and characterize it as beingbothProtestant and Catholic.[58]A case is sometimes also made to regard Lutheranism in a similar way, considering the catholic character of its foundational documents (theAugsburg Confessionand other documents contained in theBook of Concord) and its existence prior to the Anglican, Anabaptist, andReformedchurches, from which nearly all other Protestant denominations derive.[59]

One central tenet of Catholicism (which is a common point between Catholic, Scandinavian Lutheran, Anglican, Moravian, Orthodox, and some other Churches), is its practice ofapostolic succession."Apostle"means" one who is sent out ". Jesus commissioned the firsttwelve apostles,and they, in turn laid hands on subsequent church leaders to ordain (commission) them for ministry. In this manner, Catholics and Anglicans trace their ordained ministers all the way back to the original Twelve.

Catholics believe that thePopehas authority which can be traced directly to the apostlePeterwhom they hold to be the original head of and first Pope of theChurch.There are smaller churches, such as theOld Catholic Churchwhich rejected the definition ofPapal Infallibilityat theFirst Vatican Council,as well asEvangelical CatholicsandAnglo-Catholics,who are Lutherans and Anglicans that believe that Lutheranism and Anglicanism, respectively, are a continuation of historicalCatholicismand who incorporate many Catholic beliefs and practices.[59]The Catholic Church refers to itself simply by the termsCatholicandCatholicism(which mean universal).

Some Catholics, based on a strict interpretation ofextra ecclesiam nulla salus( "Outside the Church, there is no salvation" ), reject any notion those outside its communion could be regarded as part of any true Catholic Christian faith. This is calledFeeneyism,which is considered a heresy by the Catholic Church, and was rejected by theSecond Vatican Council(1962–1965).[60]Catholicism has a hierarchical structure in which supreme authority for matters of faith and practice are the exclusive domain of the Pope, who sits on the Throne of Peter, and the bishops when acting in union with him.

Each Protestant movement has developed freely, and many have split over theological issues. For instance, a number of movements grew out of spiritualrevivals,such asPentecostalism.Doctrinal issues and matters ofconsciencehave also divided Protestants. Still others formed out of administrative issues;Methodismbranched off as its own group of denominations when theAmerican Revolutionary Warcomplicated the movement's ability to ordain ministers (it had begun as a movement within the Church of England). In Methodism's case, it has undergone a number of administrative schisms and mergers with other denominations (especially those associated with theholiness movementin the 20th century).

TheAnabaptisttradition, made up of theAmish,Hutterites,andMennonites,rejected the Roman Catholic and Lutheran doctrines ofinfant baptism;this tradition is also noted for its belief inpacifism.Many Anabaptists do not see themselves as Protestant, but a separate tradition altogether.[61][62]

Some denominations which arose alongside the Western Christian tradition consider themselves Christian, but neither Catholic nor wholly Protestant, such as theReligious Society of Friends(Quakers). Quakerism began as an evangelical Christian movement in 17th centuryEngland,eschewing priests and all formal Anglican orCatholic sacramentsin their worship, including many of those practices that remained among the stridently ProtestantPuritanssuch as baptism with water. They were known in America for helping with the Underground Railroad, and like the Mennonites, Quakers traditionally refrain from participation in war.

Many churches with roots inRestorationismreject being identified as Protestant or even as a denomination at all, as they use only the Bible and not creeds, and model the church after what they feel is the first-century church found in scripture; theChurches of Christare one example;African Initiated Churches,likeKimbanguism,mostly fall within Protestantism, with varying degrees of syncretism. The measure of mutual acceptance between the denominations and movements varies, but is growing largely due to theecumenical movementin the 20th century and overarching Christian bodies such as theWorld Council of Churches.

Christians with Jewish roots

edit
Main articles:Jewish Christian,Messianic Judaism,andHebrew Christian movement

Messianic Jewsmaintain a Jewish identity while accepting Jesus as theMessiahand theNew Testamentas authoritative. After the founding of the church, thedisciples of Jesusgenerally retained their ethnic origins while accepting theGospelmessage. Thefirst church council was called in Jerusalemto address just this issue, and the deciding opinion was written byJames the Just,the first bishop of Jerusalem and a pivotal figure in the Christian movement. The history of Messianic Judaism includes many movements and groups and defies any simple classification scheme.

The 19th century saw at least 250,000 Jews convert to Christianity according to existing records of various societies.[63]Data from thePew Research Centerhas it that, as of 2013, about 1.6 million adultAmerican Jewsidentify themselves asChristians,most asProtestants.[64][65][66]According to the same data, most of the Jews who identify themselves as some sort of Christian (1.6 million) were raised as Jews or are Jews by ancestry.[65]

Modern history

edit

Unitarianism

edit
Further information:Biblical Unitarianism

Within Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Transylvania, Hungary and RomaniaUnitarian Churchesemerged from theReformed traditionin the 16th century.[67][68]They adopted theAnabaptistdoctrine ofcredobaptism.[69]TheUnitarian Church of Transylvaniais an example of such a denomination that arose in this era and is represented in theProtestant Theological Institute of Cluj.Due to their rejection of theAthanasian Creedwhich contains the doctrine of theTrinity,manymainstream Christian Churchesdo not recognize Unitarians as Christians.[70]

Restorationism

edit

Second Great Awakening

edit
Main articles:Second Great Awakening,Restorationism,andRestoration Movement

The Stone–CampbellRestoration Movementbegan on the American frontier during theSecond Great Awakening(1790–1870) of the early 19th century. The movement sought to restore the church and "the unification of all Christians in a single body patterned after the church of the New Testament."[71]: 54 Members do not identify asProtestantbut simply as Christian.[72][73][74]: 213 

The Restoration Movement developed from several independent efforts to return toapostolic Christianity,but two groups, which independently developed similar approaches to the Christian faith, were particularly important.[75]: 27–32 The first, led byBarton W. Stone,began atCane Ridge,Kentucky and called themselves simply as "Christians".The second began in western Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia) and was led byThomas Campbelland his son,Alexander Campbell;they used the name "Disciples of Christ".Both groups sought to restore the whole Christian church on the pattern set forth in theNew Testament,and both believed thatcreedskept Christianity divided. In 1832 they joined in fellowship with a handshake.

Among other things, they were united in the belief thatJesusis the Christ, theSon of God;that Christians should celebrate theLord's Supperon thefirst day of each week;and thatbaptism of adult believersbyimmersion in wateris a necessary condition forsalvation.Because the founders wanted to abandon all denominational labels, they used the biblical names for the followers of Jesus.[76]: 27 Both groups promoted a return to the purposes of the1st-century churchesas described in the New Testament. One historian of the movement has argued that it was primarily a unity movement, with the restoration motif playing a subordinate role.[77]: 8 

The Restoration Movement has since divided into multiple separate groups. There are three main branches in the US: theChurches of Christ,theChristian churches and churches of Christ,and theChristian Church (Disciples of Christ).Other U.S.-based groups affiliated with the movement are theInternational Churches of Christand theInternational Christian Churches.Non-U.S. groups include theChurches of Christ in Australia,theEvangelical Christian Church in Canada,theChurches of Christ in Europe.ThePlymouth Brethrenare a similar though historically unrelated group which originated in the United Kingdom. Some churches, such asChurches of Christor thePlymouth Brethrenreject formal ties with other churches within the movement.

Other Christian groups originating during the Second Great Awakening including theAdventist movement,[78]theJehovah's Witnesses,[79]andChristian Science,[80]founded within fifty years of one another, all consider themselves to be restorative of primitive Christianity and the early church. Some Baptist churches withLandmarkistviews have similar beliefs concerning their connection with primitive Christianity.[81]

Latter Day Saint movement

edit
Main articles:Latter Day Saint movementandMormonism
See also:List of denominations in the Latter Day Saint movementandMormonism and Christianity

Most Latter Day Saint denominations are derived from theChurch of Christ (Latter Day Saints)established byJoseph Smithin 1830, which is categorized as aRestorationistdenomination.[24]The largest worldwide denomination isthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,colloquially referred to asMormonism.Various considerably smaller sects broke from this movement after its relocation to the Rocky Mountains in the mid-1800s. Several of these broke away over the abandonment of practicingplural marriageafter the1890 Manifesto.Most of the "Prairie Saint" denominations (see below) were established afterSmith's deathby the remnants of the Latter Day Saints who did not go west withBrigham Young.Many of these opposed some of the 1840s theological developments in favor of 1830s theological understandings and practices. Other denominations are defined by either a belief in Joseph Smith as aprophetor acceptance of theBook of Mormonasscripture.Mormonsgenerally consider themselves to berestorationist,believing that Smith, asprophet, seer, and revelator,restored the original and true Church of Christ to the earth. Some Latter Day Saint denominations are regarded by other Christians as beingnontrinitarianor even non-Christian, but the Latter Day Saints are predominantly in disagreement with these statements. Latter Day Saints see themselves as believing in aGodheadcomprising the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as separate personages united in purpose. Latter Day Saints regard traditional definitions of theTrinityas aberrations of true doctrine and emblematic of theGreat Apostasy[82]but they do not accept certain trinitarian definitions in thepost-apostolic creeds,such as theAthanasian Creed.

Spiritual Christianity

edit

Spiritual Christianity,inclusive of theMolokansandDoukhoborsemerged in Russia, each containing a unique tradition.[83]The Doukhobor have maintained close association withMennonite Anabaptist ChristiansandQuaker Christiansdue to analogous religious practices; all of these groups are furthermore collectively considered to bepeace churchesdue to their belief inpacifism.[84][85][86]

Other movements

edit

Protestant denominations have shown a strong tendency towards diversification and fragmentation, giving rise to numerous churches and movements, especially in Anglo-American religious history, where the process is cast in terms of a series of "Great Awakenings".

The most recent wave of diversification, known as theFourth Great Awakeningtook place during the 1960s to 1980s and resulted in phenomena such as theCharismatic Movement,theJesus movement,and a number ofparachurch organizationsbased inEvangelicalism.

Many independent churches and movements consider themselves to benon-denominational,but may vary greatly in doctrine. Many of these, like thelocal churchesmovement, reflect the core teachings of traditional Christianity. Others however, such asThe Way International,have been denounced as cults by theChristian anti-cult movement.Further, others may have similar doctrine to mainline churches but incorporate a multi-faith and ecumenical model such as the Interfaith-Ecumenical Church (IEC) that is based entirely in a virtual and international model.

Two movements, which are entirely unrelated in their founding, but share a common element of an additional Messiah (or incarnation of Christ) are theUnification Churchand theRastafari movement.These movements fall outside of traditionaltaxonomiesof Christian groups, though both cite the Christian Bible as a basis for their beliefs.

Syncretismof Christian beliefs with local and tribal religions is a phenomenon that occurs throughout the world. An example of this is theNative American Church.The ceremonies of this group are strongly tied to the use ofpeyote.(Parallels may be drawn here with the Rastafarispiritual useofcannabis.) While traditions vary from tribe to tribe, they often include a belief in Jesus as a Native American cultural hero, an intercessor for man, or a spiritual guardian; belief in the Bible; and an association of Jesus with peyote.

There are also some Christians that reject organized religion altogether. SomeChristian anarchists—often those of a Protestant background—believe that theoriginal teachings of Jesuswere corrupted by Roman statism (compareEarly ChristianityandState church of the Roman Empire), and that earthly authority such as government, or indeed the established Church, do not and should not have power over them. Following "The Golden Rule",many oppose the use of physical force in any circumstance, and advocatenonviolence.The Russian novelistLeo TolstoywroteThe Kingdom of God Is Within You,[87]and was a Christian anarchist.

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^The Oxford Dictionary's full list of synonyms for "denomination" includes: "religious group, sect, Church, cult, movement, faith community, body, persuasion, religious persuasion, communion, order, fraternity, brotherhood, sisterhood, school; faith, creed, belief, religious belief, religion. rare: sodality."

References

edit
  1. ^Ellwood, Robert S. (2008).The Encyclopedia of World Religions.Infobase Publishing.p. 115.ISBN978-1-4381-1038-7.
  2. ^Press, Altamira; Swatos, William H. (1998).Encyclopedia of Religion and Society.Rowman Altamira. pp. 134–136.ISBN978-0-7619-8956-1.
  3. ^Becchio, Bruno; Schadé, Johannes P. (2006).Encyclopedia of World Religions.Foreign Media Group. p. 32.ISBN978-1-60136-000-7.
  4. ^Richey, Russell E. (2013).Denominationalism Illustrated and Explained.Wipf and Stock Publishers.pp. 1–9.ISBN978-1-61097-297-0.
  5. ^Publishing, Rose (2013).Denominations Comparison.Rose Publishing Inc.ISBN978-1-59636-539-1.
  6. ^Rhodes, Ron (2015).The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations: Understanding the History, Beliefs, and Differences.Harvest House Publishers. pp. 13–22.ISBN978-0-7369-5292-7.
  7. ^Wootten, Pat (2002)."Divisions and denominations".Christianity.Heinemann.ISBN978-0-435-33634-9.
  8. ^ab"Pewforum: Christianity (2010)"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 5 August 2013.Retrieved14 May2014.
  9. ^"Pubblicazione dell'Annuario Pontificio e dell'Annuario Statistico della Chiesa, 25.03.2020"[Publication of the Pontifical Yearbook and the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, 25.03.2020] (in Italian).Holy See Press Office.25 March 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 12 May 2020.Retrieved12 May2020.
  10. ^abOlson, Roger E. (1999).The story of Christian theology: twenty centuries of tradition & reform.Internet Archive. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. p. 278.ISBN978-0-8308-1505-0.
  11. ^ab"Status of Global Christianity, 2024, in the Context of 1900–2050"(PDF).Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.Retrieved23 May2024.
  12. ^ab"Status of Global Christianity, 2019, in the Context of 1900–2050"(PDF).Center for Study of Global Christianity.Archived(PDF)from the original on 28 July 2020.Retrieved14 May2020.
  13. ^Harvard Divinity School, The Religious Literacy Project."The Protestant Movement".rlp.hds.harvard.edu.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-07-28.Retrieved2020-05-31.
  14. ^"What Is Protestantism & Why Is it Important?".Christianity.com.Archivedfrom the original on 14 June 2020.Retrieved31 May2020.
  15. ^"The Reformation".HISTORY.11 April 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 9 June 2020.Retrieved31 May2020.
  16. ^abcdeEncyclopedia of World Religions.Encyclopædia Britannica.2008.ISBN978-1-59339-491-2.Amid all this diversity, however, it is possible to define Protestantism formally as non-Roman Western Christianity and to divide most of Protestantism into four major confessions or confessional families – Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed, and Free Church.
  17. ^abcdMelton, J. Gordon (2005).Encyclopedia of Protestantism.Infobase Publishing.ISBN978-0-8160-6983-5.Most narrowly, it denotes a movement that began within the Roman Catholic Church in Europe in the 16th century and the churches that come directly out of it. In this narrow sense, Protestantism would include the Lutheran, Reformed or Presbyterian, and Anglican (Church of England) churches, and by extension the churches of the British Puritan movement, which sought to bring the Church of England into the Reformed/Presbyterian camp. Most recently, scholars have argued quite effectively that the churches of the radical phase of the 16th-century Reformation, the Anabaptist and Mennonite groups, also belong within this more narrow usage.
  18. ^"Western Christianity".www.philtar.ac.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 28 April 2017.Retrieved23 May2020.
  19. ^ab"Orthodox Christianity in the 21st Century".Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project.8 November 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 25 January 2021.Retrieved14 May2020.
  20. ^Fairchild, Mary."Christianity:Basics:Eastern Orthodox Church Denomination".about.com. Archived fromthe originalon 5 June 2016.Retrieved23 June2014.
  21. ^Davies, Rupert E.; George, A. Raymond; Rupp, Gordon (2017).A History of the Methodist Church in Great Britain, Volume Three.Wipf & Stock Publishers. p. 225.ISBN978-1532630507.
  22. ^Yongnan, Jeon Ahn (21 May 2019).Interpretation of Tongues and Prophecy in 1 Corinthians 12-14, with a Pentecostal Hermeneutics.Brill Academic Publishers. p. 9-10.ISBN978-90-04-39717-0.
  23. ^abRiswold, Caryn D. (1 October 2009).Feminism and Christianity: Questions and Answers in the Third Wave.Wipf and Stock Publishers.ISBN978-1-62189-053-9.
  24. ^ab"The Restorationist denominations in Christianity".Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.2012. Archived fromthe originalon 11 May 2008.Retrieved23 January2021.
  25. ^abBloesch, Donald G. (2 December 2005).The Holy Spirit: Works Gifts.InterVarsity Press. p. 158.ISBN978-0-8308-2755-8.
  26. ^abSpinks, Bryan D. (2 March 2017).Reformation and Modern Rituals and Theologies of Baptism: From Luther to Contemporary Practices.Routledge.ISBN978-1-351-90583-1.However, Swedenborg claimed to receive visions and revelations of heavenly things and a 'New Church', and the new church which was founded upon his writings was a Restorationist Church. The three nineteenth-century churches are all examples of Restorationist Churches, which believed they were refounding the Apostolic Church, and preparing for the Second Coming of Christ.
  27. ^"Nondenominational & Independent Congregations".Hartford Institute for Religion Research.Hartford Seminary, Hartford Institute for Religion Research. 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-04-23.Retrieved2016-05-09.
  28. ^Shellnutt, Kate (20 July 2017)."The Rise of the Nons: Protestants Keep Ditching Denominations".News & Reporting.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-05-20.Retrieved2020-05-23.
  29. ^"What Are Non-Denominational Churches? Meaning & Examples".Christianity.com.Archivedfrom the original on 28 July 2020.Retrieved23 May2020.
  30. ^says, An Ethnographical Study of Saint Francis United Methodist Church-NCSU Studies in Religion (8 August 2017)."What Does the Growth of Nondenominationalism Mean?".Facts & Trends.Archivedfrom the original on 24 July 2020.Retrieved23 May2020.
  31. ^"Gallup: Non-denominational Protestants on the rise".Baptist Press.21 July 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 28 July 2020.Retrieved23 May2020.
  32. ^"Denomination".Oxford Dictionaries: English. Archived fromthe originalon 23 February 2013.Retrieved6 June2015.
  33. ^"Church".Oxford Dictionaries: English. Archived fromthe originalon 17 November 2013.Retrieved6 June2015.
  34. ^Gilbert, T. B."Church Membership and Church Fellowship. Is there a difference?".Archived fromthe originalon 20 April 2015.Retrieved6 June2015.
  35. ^Hill, Alec (1 July 2003)."Church".Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Archived fromthe originalon 1 June 2015.Retrieved6 June2015.
  36. ^abJackson, Wayne."Denominationalism – Permissible or Reprehensible?".Christian Courier.Archivedfrom the original on 6 June 2015.Retrieved2 June2015.
  37. ^"Denominationalism".Merriam Webster Dictionary.Archivedfrom the original on 18 September 2015.Retrieved6 June2015.
  38. ^Ballantine, Jeanne H.; Roberts, Keith A. (17 November 2008).Our Social World: Introduction to Sociology.Pine Forge Press. p. 400.ISBN978-1-4129-6818-8.
  39. ^Buell, Denise Kimber (1999-04-04).Making Christians: Clement of Alexandria and the Rhetoric of Legitimacy.Princeton University Press.ISBN978-0-691-05980-8.
  40. ^Modern culture runs risk of amnesiaArchived2019-04-11 at theWayback Machine,from a speech given May 20th, 2010
  41. ^Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project (December 2011).Global Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population(PDF)(Report). Pew Research Center. p. 10.Archived(PDF)from the original on February 1, 2021.RetrievedMay 28,2021.
  42. ^Gao, Ronnie Chuang-Rang; Sawatsky, Kevin (7 February 2023)."Motivations in Faith-Based Organizations".Houston Christian University.Retrieved22 November2023.For example, Christianity comprises six major groups: Church of the East, Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Restorationism.Gao and Sawatsky refer toEllwood, Robert S.,The Encyclopedia of World Religions,New York: Infobase Publishing (2008) as their source for this taxonomy.
  43. ^The New Encyclopaedia Britannica.Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1987. p.244.ISBN978-0-85229-443-7.
  44. ^Brewer, Brian C. (30 December 2021).T&T Clark Handbook of Anabaptism.Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 564.ISBN978-0-567-68950-4.
  45. ^Lewis, Paul W.; Mittelstadt, Martin William (27 April 2016).What's So Liberal about the Liberal Arts?: Integrated Approaches to Christian Formation.Wipf and Stock Publishers.ISBN978-1-4982-3145-9.The Second Great Awakening (1790-1840) spurred a renewed interest in primitive Christianity. What is known as the Restoration Movement of the nineteenth century gave birth to an array of groups: Mormons (The Latter Day Saint Movement), the Churches of Christ, Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Though these groups demonstrate a breathtaking diversity on the continuum of Christianity they share an intense restorationist impulse. Picasso and Stravinsky reflect a primitivism that came to the fore around the turn of the twentieth century that more broadly has been characterized as a "retreat from the industrialized world."
  46. ^Lewis, Paul W.; Mittelstadt, Martin William (27 April 2016).What's So Liberal about the Liberal Arts?: Integrated Approaches to Christian Formation.Wipf and Stock Publishers.ISBN978-1-4982-3145-9.The Second Great Awakening (1790-1840) spurred a renewed interest in primitive Christianity. What is known as the Restoration Movement of the nineteenth century gave birth to an array of groups: Mormons (The Latter Day Saint Movement), the Churches of Christ, Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Though these groups demonstrate a breathtaking diversity on the continuum of Christianity they share an intense restorationist impulse. Picasso and Stravinsky reflect a primitivism that came to the fore around the turn of the twentieth century that more broadly has been characterized as a "retreat from the industrialized world."
  47. ^Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche."The main differences between Catholics and Protestants | DW | 21.04.2019".DW.COM.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-05-23.Retrieved2020-05-23.
  48. ^Bunderson, Carl (30 June 2016)."What Are the Differences Between Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Anyway?".National Catholic Register.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-07-28.Retrieved2020-05-23.
  49. ^"Beyond Dialogue: The Quest for Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Unity Today | St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary".www.svots.edu.Archived fromthe originalon 2018-11-14.Retrieved2020-05-23.
  50. ^Guenther, Bruce."Life in a Muddy World: Reflections on Denominationalism".Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary; first published in Fall/Winter 2008 edition of In Touch Magazine. For reprint permission contact the Director of Public Relations at 1-800-251-6227. Archived fromthe originalon 10 March 2015.
  51. ^"What is the World Council of Churches? – World Council of Churches".www.oikoumene.org.Archived fromthe originalon 31 March 2019.Retrieved23 May2020.
  52. ^abMcAuliffe, Garrett (2008).Culturally Alert Counseling: A Comprehensive Introduction.SAGE Publishing.p. 532.ISBN978-1-4129-1006-4.About one-third of the world's population is considered Christian and can be divided into three main branches: (1) Catholicism (the largest coherent group, representing over one billion baptized members); (2) Orthodox Christianity (including Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy); and (3) Protestantism (comprising many denominations and schools of thought, including Anglicanism, Reformed, Presbyterianism, Lutheranism, Methodism, Evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism).
  53. ^Mirola, William; Monahan, Susanne C. (2016).Religion Matters: What Sociology Teaches Us About Religion In Our World.Routledge.ISBN978-1-317-34451-3.Orthodox Churches represent one of te three major branches of Christianity, along with Catholicism and Protestantism.
  54. ^"CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Monophysites and Monophysitism".New Advent.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-05-19.Retrieved2023-05-10.
  55. ^Baum, Wilhelm; Winkler, Dietmar W. (8 December 2003).Wilhelm Baum, Dietmar W. Winkler (editors),The Church of the East: A Concise History(Routledge 2003), p. 4.Routledge.ISBN9781134430192.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-12-20.Retrieved2018-10-19.
  56. ^"Robert Spencer," We are Non-Roman Catholics "inCrisis Magazine,22 November 2011 ".22 November 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 20 July 2016.Retrieved25 October2016.
  57. ^Hanciles, Jehu J. (2019).The Oxford History of Protestant Dissenting Traditions, Volume IV: The Twentieth Century: Traditions in a Global Context.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-251821-7.The designation Protestant includes Lutherans and Anglicans, although some Anglicans do not like the word. Methodism arrived in Asia both from Britain and via America, but with distinct traditions. Both owed a debt to Moravian Lutheranism, as did the Protestant missionary movement generally. Evangelicals have long included many Anglicans, and by 1967 Anglican evangelicalism was defining the movement in Britain.
  58. ^Anglican and Episcopal History.Historical Society of the Episcopal Church. 2003. p. 15.Others had made similar observations, Patrick McGrath commenting that the Church of England was not a middle way between Roman Catholic and Protestant, but "between different forms of Protestantism," and William Monter describing the Church of England as "a unique style of Protestantism, a via media between the Reformed and Lutheran traditions." MacCulloch has described Cranmer as seeking a middle way between Zurich and Wittenberg but elsewhere remarks that the Church of England was "nearer Zurich and Geneva than Wittenberg.
  59. ^abLudwig, Alan (12 September 2016).Luther's Catholic Reformation.The Lutheran Witness.When the Lutherans presented the Augsburg Confession before Emperor Charles V in 1530, they carefully showed that each article of faith and practice was true first of all to Holy Scripture, and then also to the teaching of the church fathers and the councils and even the canon law of the Church of Rome. They boldly claim, "This is about the Sum of our Doctrine, in which, as can be seen, there is nothing that varies from the Scriptures, or from the Church Catholic, or from the Church of Rome as known from its writers" (AC XXI Conclusion 1). The underlying thesis of the Augsburg Confession is that the faith as confessed by Luther and his followers is nothing new, but the true catholic faith, and that their churches represent the true catholic or universal church. In fact, it is actually the Church of Rome that has departed from the ancient faith and practice of the catholic church (see AC XXIII 13, XXVIII 72 and other places).
  60. ^"Unitatis redintegratio".www.vatican.va.Archivedfrom the original on 6 March 2013.Retrieved10 May2023.It remains true that all who have been justified by faith in Baptism are members of Christ's body, and have a right to be called Christian, and so are correctly accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.
  61. ^Klaasen, Walter (2004)."Anabaptism: Neither Catholic Nor Protestant".Archivedfrom the original on 28 July 2020.Retrieved15 May2020.
  62. ^McGrath, William,The Anabaptists: Neither Catholic nor Protestant(PDF),Hartville, Ohio, United States: The Fellowship Messenger, archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 December 2016
  63. ^Gundry, Stanley N; Goldberg, Louis (2003).How Jewish is Christianity?: 2 views on the Messianic movement.Zondervan. p. 24.ISBN9780310244905.
  64. ^Lipka, Michael (2013-10-02)."How many Jews are there in the United States?".Pew Research Center.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-05-29.Retrieved2019-03-18.
  65. ^ab"A PORTRAIT OF JEWISH AMERICANS: Chapter 1: Population Estimates".Pew Research Center.October 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-05-05.Retrieved2019-03-18.
  66. ^Maltz, Judy (2013-09-30)."American-Jewish Population Rises to 6.8 Million".Haaretz.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-11-29.Retrieved2019-03-18.
  67. ^Fahlbusch, Erwin; Bromiley, Geoffrey William; Lochman, Jan Milic; Mbiti, John; Pelikan, Jaroslav (14 February 2008).The Encyclodedia of Christianity, Vol. 5.Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 603.ISBN978-0-8028-2417-2.
  68. ^J. Gordon Melton,Encyclopedia of Protestantism,2005, p. 543: "Unitarianism – The wordunitarian[italics] means one who believes in the oneness of God; historically it refers to those in the Christian community who rejected the doctrine of the Trinity (one God expressed in three persons). Non-Trinitarian Protestant churches emerged in the 16th century in ITALY, POLAND, and TRANSYLVANIA. "
  69. ^Bochenski, Michael I. (14 March 2013).Transforming Faith Communities: A Comparative Study of Radical Christianity in Sixteenth-Century Anabaptism and Late Twentieth-Century Latin America.Wipf and Stock Publishers.ISBN978-1-62189-597-8.
  70. ^Cameron, Archibald Alexander (1872).Protestantism and Its Relation to the Moral, Intellectual and Spiritual Developments of Modern Times: A Lecture Delivered in the Baptist Chapel, Ottawa, on Sunday Evening, Jan. 21st, 1872.Joseph Loveday. p. 12.
  71. ^Rubel Shelly,I Just Want to Be a Christian,20th Century Christian, Nashville, Tennessee 1984,ISBN0-89098-021-7
  72. ^"The church of Jesus Christ is non-denominational. It is neither Catholic, Jewish nor Protestant. It was not founded in 'protest' of any institution, and it is not the product of the 'Restoration' or 'Reformation.' It is the product of the seed of the kingdom (Luke 8:11ff) grown in the hearts of men." V. E. Howard,What Is the Church of Christ?4th Edition (Revised), 1971, page 29
  73. ^Batsell Barrett Baxter and Carroll Ellis,Neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jew,tract, Church of Christ (1960) ASIN: B00073CQPM. According to Richard Thomas Hughes inReviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Churches of Christ in America,Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996 (ISBN0-8028-4086-8,ISBN978-0-8028-4086-8), this is "arguably the most widely distributed tract ever published by the Churches of Christ or anyone associated with that tradition."
  74. ^Samuel S. Hill, Charles H. Lippy, Charles Reagan Wilson,Encyclopedia of Religion in the South,Mercer University Press,2005, (ISBN0-86554-758-0,ISBN978-0-86554-758-2) 854 pages
  75. ^Monroe E. Hawley,Redigging the Wells: Seeking Undenominational Christianity,Quality Publications, Abilene, Texas, 1976,ISBN0-89137-512-0(paper),ISBN0-89137-513-9(cloth)
  76. ^McAlister, Lester G. and Tucker, William E. (1975),Journey in Faith: A History of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press,ISBN978-0-8272-1703-4
  77. ^Leroy Garrett,The Stone–Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration Movement,College Press, 2002,ISBN0-89900-909-3,ISBN978-0-89900-909-4,573 pages
  78. ^Albin, Barry.A Spiritual History of the Western Tradition.p. 124.
  79. ^Van Voorst, Robert E. (2012).RELG: World (with Religion CourseMate with eBook Printed Access Card).Cengage Learning. p. 288.ISBN978-1-1117-2620-1.
  80. ^Eddy, Mary Baker.Manual of the Mother Church.CSPS. p. 17.Archivedfrom the original on 28 July 2020.Retrieved18 February2020.
  81. ^Albanese, Catherine.America: Religions and Religion.Cengage Learning.p. 122.
  82. ^"Articles of Faith, no. 1".Archived fromthe originalon 31 May 2013.Retrieved3 January2014.
  83. ^Campbell, Ted A. (20 March 2000).The Religion of the Heart.Wipf and Stock Publishers.p. 138.ISBN978-1-57910-433-7.
  84. ^Fleming, John A.; Rowan, Michael J.; Chambers, James Albert (2004).Folk Furniture of Canada's Doukhobors, Hutterites, Mennonites and Ukrainians.University of Alberta.p.4.ISBN9780888644183.The English Quakers, who had made contact with the Doukhobors earlier, as well as the Philadelphia Society of Friends, also determined to help with their emigration from Russia to some other country—the only action which seemed possible.
  85. ^Dyck, Cornelius J.; Martin, Dennis D.The Mennonite Encyclopedia.Mennonite Brethren Publishing House. p. 107.
  86. ^Fahlbusch, Erwin (14 February 2008).The Encyclodedia of Christianity.Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 208.ISBN9780802824172.The only contact with Mennonites was the period 1802–1841 when they lived in the Molotschna, where Johann Cornies (q.v.) rendered them considerable assistance.
  87. ^Leo Tolstoy – The Kingdom of God is Within YouArchived2012-02-05 at theWayback Machine.Kingdomnow.org. Retrieved on 2010-11-03.

Further reading

edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christian_denomination&oldid=1260480025"