Denominación cristiana

Identifiable Christian body with common name, structure, and doctrine

Este artículo trata sobre la organización y las relaciones entre denominaciones individuales. Para el colectivo de todos los creyentes cristianos en general, vea Iglesia cristiana . Para otros, vea Christian Church (desambiguación) .

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Una denominación cristiana es un cuerpo religioso distinto dentro del cristianismo que comprende todas las congregaciones de iglesias del mismo tipo, identificables por rasgos como un nombre, historia peculiar, organización, liderazgo, doctrina teológica , estilo de adoración y, a veces, un fundador. Es un término secular y neutral, generalmente usado para denotar cualquier iglesia cristiana establecida. A diferencia de un culto o secta, una denominación generalmente se considera parte de la corriente religiosa cristiana . La mayoría de las denominaciones cristianas se describen a sí mismas como iglesias , mientras que algunas más nuevas tienden a usar los términos iglesias, asambleas, confraternidades., etc., indistintamente. Las divisiones entre un grupo y otro se definen por la autoridad y la doctrina; cuestiones como la naturaleza de Jesús , la autoridad de la sucesión apostólica , la hermenéutica bíblica , la teología , la eclesiología , la escatología y la primacía papal pueden separar una denominación de otra. Los grupos de denominaciones, que a menudo comparten creencias, prácticas y vínculos históricos muy similares, a veces se conocen como " ramas del cristianismo ". Estas ramas difieren de muchas maneras, especialmente a través de las diferencias en las prácticas y creencias. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6][7]}

Las denominaciones individuales varían ampliamente en el grado en que se reconocen entre sí. Varios grupos dicen que son la directa y sucesor auténtica única de la iglesia fundada por Jesucristo en el siglo 1 DC . Otros, sin embargo, creen en el denominacionalismo, donde algunos o todos los grupos cristianos son iglesias legítimas de la misma religión independientemente de sus etiquetas, creencias y prácticas distintivas. Debido a este concepto, algunos organismos cristianos rechazan el término "denominación" para describirse a sí mismos, para evitar implicar equivalencia con otras iglesias o denominaciones.

La Iglesia Católica, que tiene más de 1.300 millones de miembros o el 50,1% de todos los cristianos en todo el mundo, ^{[8] [9]} no se ve a sí misma como una denominación, sino como la Iglesia pre-denominacional original, ^[10] un punto de vista rechazado por otros cristianos. . Las denominaciones protestantes en total tienen un estimado de 800 millones a mil millones de adherentes, que representan aproximadamente del 37 al 40 por ciento de todos los cristianos en todo el mundo. ^{[8] [11]} Juntos, el catolicismo romano y el protestantismo (con tradiciones importantes que incluyen el adventismo , el anabautismo , el anglicanismo , los bautistas , el calvinismo , el luteranismo ,Metodismo , Moravianismo y Pentecostalismo ) componen el cristianismo occidental . ^{[12] [13]} Las denominaciones cristianas occidentales prevalecen en Europa occidental , septentrional , central y meridional , África subsahariana , América y Oceanía . ^[14]

La Iglesia Ortodoxa Oriental , con un estimado de 230 millones de adherentes, ^{[15] [11] [16]} es el segundo cuerpo cristiano más grande del mundo y también se considera a sí misma la Iglesia pre-denominacional original. Los cristianos ortodoxos, el 80% de los cuales son ortodoxos orientales y el 20% ortodoxos orientales, constituyen aproximadamente el 11,9% de la población cristiana mundial; . ^[15] La Iglesia Ortodoxa Oriental es en sí misma una comunión de iglesias autocéfalas (o "jurisdicciones") totalmente independientes que se reconocen entre sí, en su mayor parte. Del mismo modo, la Iglesia católica es una comunión de iglesias sui iuris , incluidas 23 orientales. La Iglesia Ortodoxa Oriental, junto con la 23Las iglesias católicas orientales , la comunión ortodoxa oriental , la iglesia asiria de oriente y la antigua iglesia de oriente constituyen el cristianismo oriental . Hay cristianos orientales protestantes que han adoptado la teología protestante pero tienen vínculos culturales e históricos con otros cristianos orientales. Las denominaciones cristianas del Este están representadas principalmente en Europa del Este , Norte de Asia , Medio Oriente , Noreste de África e India (especialmente el Sur de la India ).

Los cristianos tienen varias doctrinas sobre la Iglesia (el cuerpo de fieles que creen que Jesucristo estableció) y sobre cómo la iglesia divina corresponde a las denominaciones cristianas. Las denominaciones Católica Romana, Ortodoxa Oriental, Ortodoxa Oriental y de la Iglesia del Este, cada una sostiene que solo su propia organización específica representa fielmente la única santa Iglesia católica y apostólica , con exclusión de todas las demás. Los protestantes del siglo XVI se separaron de la Iglesia católica como resultado de la Reforma ; un movimiento contra las doctrinas y prácticas católicas romanas que los reformadores percibieron como una violación de la Biblia. ^{[17] [18] [19]}En general, los miembros de las diversas denominaciones se reconocen entre sí como cristianos, al menos en la medida en que han reconocido bautismos mutuamente y reconocen puntos de vista históricamente ortodoxos que incluyen la divinidad de Jesús y las doctrinas del pecado y la salvación , aunque los obstáculos doctrinales y eclesiológicos impiden la plena comunión. entre iglesias .

El restauracionismo surgió después del Segundo Gran Despertar y afirma colectivamente la creencia en una Gran Apostasía , promoviendo así la creencia en la restauración de lo que ellos ven como cristianismo primitivo. ^[20] Incluye el mormonismo , los cristadelfianos , los testigos de Jehová , entre otros. ^[21]

Desde las reformas que rodearon al Concilio Vaticano II de 1962-1965, la Iglesia Católica Romana se ha referido a las iglesias protestantes como comunidades eclesiales , mientras que reserva el término "iglesia" para las iglesias apostólicas , incluidas las iglesias ortodoxas orientales y ortodoxas orientales (ver subsistit in y teoría de la rama ) . Pero algunos cristianos no confesionales no siguen ninguna rama en particular, ^[22] aunque a veces se los considera protestantes. ^{[23] [24] [25] [26]}

Terminología

Ver también: Iglesia cristiana § Conceptos relacionados

Cada grupo usa una terminología diferente para discutir sus creencias. Esta sección discutirá las definiciones de varios términos usados ​​a lo largo del artículo, antes de discutir las creencias en sí mismas en detalle en las siguientes secciones.

Una denominación dentro del cristianismo puede definirse como una "rama autónoma reconocida de la Iglesia cristiana"; los sinónimos principales incluyen "grupo religioso, secta, Iglesia," etc. ^{[Nota 1] [27]} "Iglesia" como sinónimo, se refiere a una "organización cristiana particular con su propio clero, edificios y doctrinas distintivas"; ^[28] "Iglesia" también puede definirse más ampliamente como el cuerpo entero de cristianos, la " Iglesia cristiana ".

Algunos protestantes tradicionales y evangélicos hacen una distinción entre la membresía en la iglesia universal y el compañerismo dentro de la iglesia local. Convertirse en un creyente en Cristo lo convierte a uno en miembro de la iglesia universal; entonces uno puede unirse a una confraternidad de otros creyentes locales. ^[29] Algunos grupos evangélicos se describen a sí mismos como compañerismos interdenominacionales, asociándose con iglesias locales para fortalecer los esfuerzos evangélicos, generalmente dirigidos a un grupo en particular con necesidades especializadas, como estudiantes o grupos étnicos. ^[30] Un concepto relacionado es el denominacionalismo , la creencia de que algunos o todos los grupos cristianos son iglesias legítimas de la misma religión independientemente de sus etiquetas, creencias y prácticas distintivas.^[31] (A la inversa, "denominacionalismo" también puede referirse a "enfatizar las diferencias denominacionales hasta el punto de ser estrictamente excluyentes", similar al sectarismo ). ^[32]

Las opiniones de los líderes protestantes difieren mucho de las de los líderes de la Iglesia Católica Romana y la Iglesia Ortodoxa Oriental, las dos denominaciones cristianas más grandes. Cada iglesia hace declaraciones mutuamente excluyentes para sí misma como la continuación directa de la iglesia fundada por Jesucristo, de quien más tarde se separaron otras denominaciones. ^[10] Estas iglesias, y algunas otras, rechazan el denominacionalismo.

Históricamente, los católicos etiquetaban a los miembros de ciertas iglesias cristianas (también ciertas religiones no cristianas) por los nombres de sus fundadores, ya sean reales o supuestos. A esos supuestos fundadores se les llamaba herejías . Esto se hizo incluso cuando el partido así etiquetado se veía a sí mismo como perteneciente a la única iglesia verdadera. Esto permitió al partido católico decir que la otra iglesia fue fundada por el fundador, mientras que la iglesia católica fue fundada por Cristo. Esto se hizo intencionalmente con el fin de "producir la apariencia de la fragmentación dentro del cristianismo" ^[33], un problema que la parte católica intentaría entonces remediar en sus propios términos.

Aunque los católicos rechazan la teoría de las ramas , el Papa Benedicto XVI y el Papa Juan Pablo II utilizaron el concepto de "dos pulmones" para relacionar el catolicismo con la ortodoxia oriental. ^[34]

Ramas principales

El cristianismo se puede dividir taxonómicamente en seis grupos principales: la Iglesia de Oriente , la ortodoxia oriental , la ortodoxia oriental , el catolicismo romano , el protestantismo y el restauracionismo . ^{[20] [35] El} protestantismo incluye muchos grupos que no comparten ningún gobierno eclesiástico y tienen creencias y prácticas muy divergentes. ^{[12] Las} principales denominaciones protestantes incluyen adventismo , anabautismo , anglicanismo , bautistas , luteranismo , metodismo ,Moravianismo , pentecostalismo y cristianismo reformado . ^{[12] [13] El} cristianismo reformado en sí mismo incluye las tradiciones Continental Reformada , Presbiteriana , Evangélica Anglicana , Congregacionalista y Bautista Reformada . ^[36]

El cristianismo tiene familias (o movimientos) denominacionales y también denominaciones individuales (o comuniones). La diferencia entre una denominación y una familia denominacional a veces no es clara para los forasteros. Algunas familias denominacionales pueden considerarse ramas principales. Los grupos que son miembros de una rama, aunque comparten lazos históricos y doctrinas similares, no están necesariamente en comunión entre sí.

Hubo algunos movimientos considerados herejías por la Iglesia primitiva que no existen hoy y generalmente no se conocen como denominaciones. Los ejemplos incluyen a los gnósticos (que habían creído en un dualismo esotérico llamado gnosis ), los ebionitas (que negaban la divinidad de Jesús) y los arrianos (que subordinaban al Hijo al Padre al negar la preexistencia de Cristo , colocando así a Jesús como ser creado), el bogumilismo y la Iglesia bosnia. Las mayores divisiones en el cristianismo de hoy, sin embargo, se dan entre los ortodoxos orientales y orientales, los católicos romanos y las diversas denominaciones formadas durante y después de la Reforma protestante . ^{[37] [38] [39]} También existe una serie de grupos no trinitarios . También existen algunos grupos no tradicionales que la mayoría de otros cristianos ven como apóstatas o heréticos , y no como versiones legítimas del cristianismo.

Las comparaciones entre iglesias denominacionales deben abordarse con cautela. Por ejemplo, en algunas iglesias, las congregaciones son parte de una organización de iglesia más grande, mientras que en otros grupos, cada congregación es una organización autónoma e independiente . Este problema se complica aún más por la existencia de grupos de congregaciones con una herencia común que son oficialmente no denominacionales y no tienen autoridad o registros centralizados, pero que son identificados como denominaciones por los no adherentes. El estudio de tales iglesias en términos denominacionales es, por lo tanto, una propuesta más compleja.

Algunos grupos cuentan la membresía según los creyentes adultos y los hijos bautizados de los creyentes, mientras que otros solo cuentan los creyentes adultos bautizados. Otros pueden contar la membresía basándose en los creyentes adultos que se han afiliado formalmente a la congregación. Además, puede haber motivos políticos de defensores u oponentes de un grupo en particular para inflar o desinflar el número de miembros a través de la propaganda o el engaño absoluto.

Denominacionalismo

El denominacionalismo es la creencia de que algunos o todos los grupos cristianos son iglesias legítimas de la misma religión independientemente de sus etiquetas, creencias y prácticas distintivas. ^[31] La idea fue articulada por primera vez por independientes dentro del movimiento puritano . Argumentaron que las diferencias entre los cristianos eran inevitables, pero que la separación basada en estas diferencias no era necesariamente un cisma . Los cristianos están obligados a practicar sus creencias en lugar de permanecer dentro de una iglesia con la que no están de acuerdo, pero también deben reconocer su conocimiento imperfecto y no condenar a otros cristianos como apóstatas por asuntos sin importancia. ^[40]

Algunos cristianos ven el denominacionalismo como un hecho lamentable. A partir de 2011, las divisiones se están volviendo menos pronunciadas y existe una cooperación cada vez mayor entre las denominaciones , lo que se conoce como ecumenismo. Muchas denominaciones participan en el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias . ^[41] El denominacionalismo teológico finalmente niega la realidad a cualquier aparente diferencia doctrinal entre las "denominaciones", reduciendo todas las diferencias a meras materias de nomina ("de nombres"). ^{[ cita requerida ]}

Una denominación en este sentido se crea cuando parte de una iglesia ya no siente que puede aceptar el liderazgo de esa iglesia como un liderazgo espiritual debido a una visión diferente de la doctrina o lo que ven como un comportamiento inmoral, pero el cisma no lo hace de ninguna manera. Reflejar a cualquier grupo dejando la Iglesia como un todo teórico. ^{[ cita requerida ]}

Esta doctrina en particular es rechazada por el catolicismo romano , la ortodoxia oriental y la ortodoxia oriental . En estas iglesias, no es posible tener una separación sobre cuestiones doctrinales o de liderazgo, y cualquier intento de este tipo automáticamente es un tipo de cisma . Algunos grupos protestantes también rechazan el denominacionalismo. ^{[ cita requerida ]}

Taxonomy

Major denominational families in Christianity:

This box:

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Western Christianity

Eastern Christianity

Protestantism

Evangelicalism

Anabaptism

Anglicanism

Calvinism

Lutheranism

(Latin Church)

Catholic Church

(Eastern Catholic Churches)

Eastern Orthodox Church

Oriental Orthodox Churches

Church of the East

Nestorianism

Schism (1552)

Assyrian Church of the East

Ancient Church of the East

Protestant Reformation

(16th century)

Great Schism

(11th century)

Council of Ephesus (431)

Council of Chalcedon (451)

Early Christianity

State church of theRoman Empire

"Great Church"

(Full communion)

(Not shown are non-Nicene, nontrinitarian, and some restorationist denominations.)

Historical schisms and divisions

Christianity has not been a monolithic faith since the first century or Apostolic Age, if ever, and 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 largest schism or division in many classification schemes is between the families of Eastern and Western Christianity. After these two larger families come distinct branches of Christianity. Most classification schemes list three (in order of size: Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodox Christianity), with Orthodox Christianity being divided into Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and the Church of the East, which was originally referred to as Nestorianism but in modern times is embodied by the Assyrian and Ancient Churches of the East.^[42][43] Protestantism includes diverse groups such as Adventists, Anabaptists, Anglicans, Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists (inclusive of the Holiness movement), Moravians, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, Reformed,^[42][12][13] and Unitarians (depending on one's classification scheme) are all a part of the same family but have distinct doctrinal variations within each group—Lutherans see 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.

The Catholic Church, due to their hierarchical structures, are not said to be made up of denominations, rather, they include kinds of regional councils and individual congregations and church bodies, which do not officially differ from one another in doctrine.

Antiquity

See also: History_of_Oriental_Orthodoxy § Chalcedonian_Schism

The initial differences between the East and West traditions stem from socio-cultural and ethno-linguistic divisions in and between the Western Roman and Byzantine empires. Since the West (that is, Western Europe) spoke Latin as its lingua franca and the East (Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and northern Africa) largely used Aramaic and Koine Greek to transmit writings, theological developments were difficult to translate from one branch to the other. In the course of ecumenical councils (large gatherings of Christian leaders), some church bodies split from the larger family of Christianity. Many earlier heretical groups either died off for lack of followers or suppression by the early proto-orthodox Church at large (such as Apollinarians, Montanists, and Ebionites).

The first significant, lasting split in historic Christianity came from the Church of the East, who left following the Christological controversy over Nestorianism in 431 (the Assyrians in 1994 released a common Christological statement with the Catholic Church). Today, the Assyrian and Catholic Church view this schism as largely linguistic, due to problems of translating very delicate and precise terminology from Latin to Aramaic and vice versa (see Council of Ephesus).

Following the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the next large split came with the Syriac and Coptic churches dividing themselves, with the dissenting churches becoming today's Oriental Orthodox. The Armenian 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 between Pope John Paul II and Syriac Patriarch Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, as well as between representatives of both Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy.

There has been a statement that the Chalcedonian Creed restored Nestorianism, however this is refuted by maintaining the following distinctions associated with the person of Christ: two hypostases, two natures (Nestorian); one hypostasis, one nature (Monophysite); one hypostasis, two natures (Orthodox/Catholic).^[44]

Middle Ages

Main article: East-West Schism

In Western Christianity, there were a handful of geographically isolated movements that preceded the spirit of the Protestant Reformation. The Cathars were a very strong movement in medieval southwestern France, but did not survive into modern times. In northern Italy and southeastern France, Peter Waldo founded the Waldensians in the 12th century. This movement has largely been absorbed by modern-day Protestant groups. In Bohemia, a movement in the early 15th century by Jan Hus called the Hussites defied Catholic dogma and still exists to this day (alternately known as the Moravian Church).

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 families excommunicated one another in about 1054 in what is known as the Great Schism. The political and theological reasons for the schism are complex, but one major controversy was the inclusion and acceptance in the West of the filioque clause into the Nicene Creed, which the East viewed as erroneous. Another was the definition of papal primacy.

Both West and East agreed that the Patriarch of Rome was owed a "primacy of honour" by the other patriarchs (those of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople and Jerusalem), 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 Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras, that significant steps began to be made to mend the relationship between the two.

Door of the Schlosskirche (castle church) in Wittenberg to which Luther is said to have nailed his 95 Theses on 31st October 1517, sparking the Reformation

Protestant Reformation (16th century)

Main article: Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation began with the posting of Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in Saxony on October 31, 1517, written as a set of grievances to reform the pre-Reformation Western Church. Luther's writings, combined with the work of Swiss theologian Huldrych Zwingli and French theologian and politician John Calvin sought 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 in Western Christianity.

In England, Henry VIII of England declared himself to be supreme head of the Church of England with the Act of Supremacy in 1531, founding the Church of England, repressing both Lutheran reformers and those loyal to the pope. Thomas Cranmer as Archbishop of Canterbury introduced the Reformation, in a form compromising between the Calvinists and Lutherans.

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

The Old Catholic Church split from the Catholic Church in the 1870s because of the promulgation of the dogma of papal infallibility as promoted by the First Vatican Council of 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.

The Liberal Catholic Church started 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

In the Eastern world, the largest body of believers in modern times is the Eastern 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 by Jesus Christ, and the Apostles. The Orthodox and Catholics have been separated since the 11th century, following the East–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 several autocephalous jurisdictions (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 own diocese. The Patriarch of Constantinople is 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 largest synod with the most members is the Russian Orthodox Church. Others include the ancient Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, the Georgian, Romanian, Serbian and Bulgarian Orthodox churches, and several smaller ones.

A 6th-century Nestorian church, St. John the Arab, in the Assyrian village of Geramon

The second largest Eastern Christian communion is Oriental 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 of rites being used). The six autocephalous Oriental Orthodox churches are the Coptic (Egyptian), Syriac, Armenian, Malankara (Indian), Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox churches. In the Aramaic-speaking areas of the Middle East, the Syriac Orthodox Church has long been dominant. Although the region of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea has 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 the Council of Chalcedon in 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 the Church 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 the Council of Ephesus of 431.

Largely aniconic, 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 the Baghdad-based Chaldean Catholic Church formed from groups that entered communion with Rome at different times, beginning in 1552. The second-largest is what since 1976^[45] is officially called the Assyrian Church of the East and which from 1933 to 2015 was headquartered first in Cyprus and then in the United States, but whose present Catholicos-Patriarch, Gewargis III, elected in 2015, lives in Erbil, Iraq. The third is the Ancient Church of the East, distinct since 1964 and headed by Addai II Giwargis, resident in Baghdad.

There are also the Eastern 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 the Bishop of Rome as the universal head of the Church. They are fully part of the Catholic communion, on the same level juridically as the Latin Church. Most of their members do not describe themselves as "Roman Catholics", 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.^[46]

And finally the smallest Eastern Christian group founded in early 20th century is Byzantine Rite Lutheranism where accept Byzantine Rite as Church's liturgy while retaining their Lutheran traditions like Ukrainian Lutheran Church. It is considered part of Eastern Protestant denominational movement.

Western Christianity

Christian denominations in the English-speaking world
International associations Interdenominational associations World Council of Churches World Evangelical Alliance Denominational associations Friends World Committee for Consultation Mennonite World Conference Anglican Communion Baptist World Alliance World Convention of Churches of Christ Eastern Orthodox Church Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference International Lutheran Council Lutheran World Federation World Methodist Council Pentecostal World Conference International Conference of Reformed Churches Reformed Ecumenical Council World Communion of Reformed Churches World Reformed Fellowship Regional associations Africa All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) Association of Evangelicals of Africa (AEA) All Africa Baptist Fellowship Africa Lutheran Communion Asia Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) Evangelical Fellowship of Asia Asia Pacific Baptist Federation Asia Lutheran Communion Caribbean Caribbean Conference of Churches (CCC) Evangelical Association of the Caribbean Caribbean Baptist Fellowship Europe Conference of European Churches (CEC) European Evangelical Alliance European Baptist Federation Pentecostal European Fellowship Middle East Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Latin America Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) Latin American Evangelical Fellowship (FIDE) Union of Baptists in Latin America North America North American Baptist Fellowship Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council Pacific Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) Evangelical Fellowship of the South Pacific (EFSP) Asia Pacific Baptist Federation
Australia Christian denominations in Australia Australian interchurch Australian Evangelical Alliance  • website National Council of Churches Catholic Catholic Church in Australia Anglican Anglican Church of Australia Holiness and Pietist Christian and Missionary Alliance Christian Outreach Centre Church of the Nazarene Salvation Army Seventh-day Adventist Church Historical Protestantism Australian Friends Australian Baptist Ministries Open Brethren Christian Reformed Churches of Australia Churches of Christ Fellowship of Congregational Churches Lutheran Church of Australia Presbyterian Church of Australia Uniting Church in Australia Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia Eastern Christian Antiochian Orthodox of Australia and New Z. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia Serbian Orthodox of Australia and New Z. Non-Chalcedonic Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia Pentecostal and related Australian Christian Churches (AOG) Christian City Church Intl. CRC Churches International Revival Centres International Vineyard Churches Australia Worldwide Church of God Other LDS Church v t e
Canada Christian denominations in Canada Canadian interchurch Canadian Council of Churches Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America North Am. Presbyterian and Reformed Council Anabaptist & Friends Canadian Mennonite Brethren Churches Canadian Yearly Meeting (Quakers) Mennonite Church Canada Baptist & Stone-Campbell Association of Regular Baptist Churches Baptist General Conference of Canada Canadian Baptist Ministries Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists Fellowship of Evgcl. Baptist Churches, Canada North American Baptist Conference Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Evangelical Christian Church in Canada Anglican & Catholic Anglican Church of Canada Anglican Church in North America Old Roman Catholic Church Polish National Catholic Church Catholic Church in Canada Ukrainian Catholic, Winnipeg Holiness & Pietist Christian and Missionary Alliance, Canada Church of the Nazarene Evangelical Free Church of Canada The Salvation Army Wesleyan Church Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada Lutheran Church–Canada Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Methodist British Methodist Episcopal Church Free Methodist Church in Canada United Church of Canada Eastern & Oriental Orthodox Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, N.Am. Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Canada Orthodox Church in America American-Canadian Macedonian Orthodox Diocese Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Am. Coptic Orthodox Church in Canada Pentecostal Apostolic Church of Pentecost Canadian Assemblies of God Church of God of Prophecy Intl. Foursquare Gospel, Canada Intl. Pentecostal Holiness Church Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada Pentecostal Church of God United Pentecostal Church Intl. Presbyterian & Reformed Canadian and American Reformed Churches Christian Reformed Church in North America L'Église réformée du Québec Presbyterian Church in Canada Presbyterian Church in America Reformed Church in America United Church of Canada Other Evangelical Orthodox Church Messianic Jewish Alliance of America Plymouth Brethren Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada LDS Church Vineyard Canada Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada v t e
Ireland Christian denominations in Ireland Church of Ireland (Anglican) Association of Baptist Churches Catholic Church in Ireland Assemblies of God Elim Pentecostal Church Presbyterian Church in Ireland Irish interchurch Irish Council of Churches Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Evangelical Alliance, UK v t e
New Zealand Christian denominations in New Zealand New Zealand interchurch National Council of Churches Māori Council of Churches Catholic Catholic Church in New Zealand Anglican Anglican Church of New Zealand Holiness and Pietist Christian and Missionary Alliance Church of the Nazarene Salvation Army Seventh-day Adventist Church Historical Protestantism Baptist Union of New Zealand Open Brethren Fellowship of Congregational Churches Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand Methodist Church of New Zealand New Zealand Friends Presbyterian Church of New Zealand Wesleyan Methodist Church in New Zealand Eastern Christian Antiochian Orthodox of Australia and New Zealand Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of New Zealand Macedonian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand Serbian Orthodox of Australia and New Zealand Non-Chalcedonic Coptic Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand Pentecostal and related Assemblies of God CRC Churches International Harbourside Church Revival Centres International Vineyard Churches New Zealand Worldwide Church of God Other LDS Church v t e
Nigeria Christian denominations in Nigeria Nigerian interchurch Christian Association of Nigeria Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria African initiated Cherubim and Seraphim Society Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim Church of God Mission International Church of the Lord (Aladura) Anglican The African Church Church of Nigeria Baptist, Anabaptist, DC Church of the Brethren in Nigeria Churches of Christ in Nigeria Mambila Baptist Convention of Nigeria Nigerian Baptist Convention Catholic Catholic Church in Nigeria Holiness and Methodist African Methodist Episcopal Church in Nigeria Deeper Christian Life Ministry Redeemed Christian Church of God United Methodist Church of Nigeria Lutheran Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria Lutheran Church of Nigeria Pentecostal The Apostolic Church Nigeria Christ Apostolic Church General Council of the Assemblies of God Nigeria Gospel Faith Mission International Church of the Foursquare Gospel The Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement New Apostolic Church in Nigeria Winners' Chapel Presbyterian and Reformed Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria Church of Christ in Nigeria Church of Christ in the Sudan Among the Tiv Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ N.K.S.T Presbyterian Church of Nigeria Reformed Church of Christ in Nigeria Other Protestant Evangelical Church of West Africa QIC-United Evangelical Church Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria Word of Faith Ministries v t e
Papua New Guinea Christian denominations in Papua New Guinea v t e Papua New Guinean interchurch Papua New Guinea Council of Churches Anglican Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea Catholic Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG Gutnius Lutheran Church Methodist and Presbyterian United Church Others Baptists Evangelical Alliance Iglesia ni Cristo Jehovah's Witnesses Members Church of God International Pentecostalism Salvation Army Seventh-day Adventist Church Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship v t e
South Africa Christian denominations in South Africa South African interchurch South African Council of Churches Catholic Catholic Church in South Africa Anglican Anglican Church Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church Holiness and AIC Die Heilsleër Zion Christian Church Pentecostal Apostolic Faith Mission [Assemblies of God] Protestantism, Other Baptist Union Evangelical Lutheran Church LDS Church Methodist Church Reformed Dutch Reformed: NGK Dutch Reformed: NHK Evangelical Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church of Africa Reformed Church in Africa Reformed Churches: GKSA United Congregational Church Uniting Presbyterian Church Uniting Reformed Church v t e
United Kingdom Christian denominations in the United Kingdom v t e British interchurch Affinity (formerly British Evangelical Council) Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Evangelical Alliance, UK Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches Churches Together in England Action of Churches Together, Scotland (ACTS) Churches Together in Wales Evangelical Movement of Wales Anglican Church of England Church of Ireland Scottish Episcopal Church Church in Wales Baptist Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland Baptist Union of Great Britain Baptist Union of Scotland Baptist Union of Wales Catholic Catholic Church in the United Kingdom Catholic Church in England and Wales Catholic Church in Ireland Catholic Church in Scotland Lutheran Lutheran Church in Great Britain Methodist and Holiness Methodist Church of Great Britain Methodist Church in Ireland Free Methodist Church Wesleyan Holiness Church Church of the Nazarene Salvation Army New Church Movement Newfrontiers Pioneer Church Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Greek Orthodox of G.B. Georgian Orthodox Romanian Orthodox Bulgarian Orthodox Oriental Orthodox Armenian Apostolic British Orthodox Coptic Orthodox Eritrean Orthodox Ethiopian Orthodox Syriac Orthodox Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church of God in Christ Elim Pentecostal Church Presbyterian and Reformed Asso. Presbyterian Churches, Scotland Church of Scotland Congregational Federation Evangelical Presbyterian Church Newfrontiers Presbyterian Church in Ireland Presbyterian Church of Wales United Free Church of Scotland United Reformed Church Other General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches LDS Church in England Quakers Seventh-day Adventist Church v t e
United States Christian denominations in the United States American interchurch National Association of Evangelicals National Council of Churches Churches Uniting in Christ Anabaptist Church of the Brethren Mennonite Church USA Amish Anglican Anglican Church in North America Episcopal Church Baptist Alliance of Baptists American Baptist Association American Baptist Churches Baptist Bible Fellowship International Baptist Missionary Association of America Conservative Baptist Association of America Converge General Association of Regular Baptist Churches National Association of Free Will Baptists National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A. North American Baptist Conference Southern Baptist Convention Independent Baptist Churches African-American Baptist National Baptist Convention of America National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America Progressive National Baptist Convention Catholic Catholic Church in the United States Eastern Christian Eastern Orthodox Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Orthodox Church in America Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia Serbian Orthodox Church in USA Oriental Orthodox Armenian Apostolic Church in USA Coptic Orthodox Church in USA Syriac Orthodox Church Orthodox Tewahedo Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church Eastern Protestant P'ent'ay (Ethiopian-Eritrean Evangelicalism) Evangelical Orthodox Church Assyrian Evangelical Church Assyrian Pentecostal Church Mar Thoma Syrian Church Armenian Evangelical Church Holiness and Pietist Christian and Missionary Alliance Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) Evangelical Covenant Church Evangelical Free Church of America Church of the Nazarene The Salvation Army Seventh-day Adventist Church Wesleyan Church Holiness Baptists Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod North American Lutheran Church Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Methodist African Methodist Episcopal Church African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Free Methodist Church United Methodist Church Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) Church of God in Christ Church of God of Prophecy Church on the Rock International Full Gospel Fellowship International Church of the Foursquare Gospel International Pentecostal Holiness Church Pentecostal Church of God Oneness Pentecostal Pentecostal Assemblies of the World United Pentecostal Church Intl. Presbyterian and Reformed Christian Reformed Church in North America Conservative Congregational Christian Conference Cumberland Presbyterian Church Evangelical Presbyterian Church Korean Presbyterian Church in America International Council of Community Churches National Association of Congregational Christian Churches Presbyterian Church (USA) Presbyterian Church in America Reformed Church in America United Church of Christ Stone-Campbell Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Christian churches and churches of Christ Churches of Christ International Churches of Christ Other LDS Church The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Community of Christ Grace Gospel Fellowship IFCA International Jehovah's Witnesses Messianic Jewish Alliance of America Plymouth Brethren Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship Vineyard USA v t e
v t e

The Latin portion of the Catholic Church, along with Protestantism, comprise the three major divisions of Christianity in the Western world. Catholics do not describe themselves as a denomination but rather as the original Church; which all other branches broke off from in schism. The Baptist, Methodist, and Lutheran churches are generally considered to be Protestant denominations, although strictly speaking, of these three, only the Lutherans took part in the official Protestation at Speyer after the decree of the Second Diet of Speyer mandated the burning of Luther's works and the end of the Protestant Reformation. Anglicanism is generally classified as Protestant,^[12][13][47] being originally seen as a via media, or middle way between Lutheranism and Reformed Christianity, and since the Oxford Movement of the 19th century, some Anglican writers of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship emphasize a more catholic understanding of the church and characterize it as being both Protestant and Catholic.^[48] A case is sometimes also made to regard Lutheranism in a similar way, considering the catholic character of its foundational documents (the Augsburg Confession and other documents contained in the Book of Concord) and its existence prior to the Anglican, Anabaptist, and Reformed churches, from which nearly all other Protestant denominations derive.^[49]

One central tenet of Catholicism (which is a common point between Catholic, Scandinavian Lutheran, Anglican, Moravian, Orthodox, and some other Churches), is its practice of apostolic succession. "Apostle" means "one who is sent out". Jesus commissioned the first twelve apostles (see Biblical Figures for the list of the Twelve), 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 the Pope has authority which can be traced directly to the apostle Peter whom they hold to be the original head of and first Pope of the Church. There are smaller churches, such as the Old Catholic Church which rejected the definition of Papal Infallibility at the First Vatican Council, as well as Evangelical Catholics and Anglo-Catholics, who are Lutherans and Anglicans that believe that Lutheranism and Anglicanism, respectively, are a continuation of historical Catholicism and who incorporate many Catholic beliefs and practices.^[49] The Catholic Church refers to itself simply by the terms Catholic and Catholicism (which mean universal).

Sometimes, Catholics, based on a strict interpretation of extra ecclesiam nulla salus ("Outside the Church, there is no salvation"), rejected any notion those outside its communion could be regarded as part of any true Catholic Christian faith, an attitude rejected by the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).^[50] 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 spiritual revivals, such as Pentecostalism. Doctrinal issues and matters of conscience have also divided Protestants. Still others formed out of administrative issues; Methodism branched off as its own group of denominations when the American Revolutionary War complicated 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 the holiness movement in the 20th century).

The Anabaptist tradition, made up of the Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites, rejected the Roman Catholic and Lutheran doctrines of infant baptism; this tradition is also noted for its belief in pacifism. Many Anabaptists do not see themselves as Protestant, but a separate tradition altogether.^[51][52]

Some denominations which arose alongside the Western Christian tradition consider themselves Christian, but neither Catholic nor wholly Protestant, such as the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Quakerism began as an evangelical Christian movement in 17th century England, eschewing priests and all formal Anglican or Catholic sacraments in their worship, including many of those practices that remained among the stridently Protestant Puritans such 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 in Restorationism reject 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; the Churches of Christ are one example; African Initiated Churches, like Kimbanguism, 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 the ecumenical movement in the 20th century and overarching Christian bodies such as the World Council of Churches.

Christians with Jewish roots

Main articles: Jewish Christian, Messianic Judaism, and Hebrew Christian movement

Messianic Jews maintain a Jewish identity while accepting Jesus as the Messiah and the New Testament as authoritative. After the founding of the church, the disciples of Jesus generally retained their ethnic origins while accepting the Gospel message. The first church council was called in Jerusalem to address just this issue, and the deciding opinion was written by James 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.^[53] Data from the Pew Research Center has it that, as of 2013, about 1.6 million adult American Jews identify themselves as Christians, most as Protestants.^[54][55][56] 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.^[55]

Modern history

Unitarianism

Further information: Biblical Unitarianism

Within Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Transylvania, Hungary and Romania Unitarian Churches emerged out of the Reformed tradition in the 16th century.^[57][58] They adopted the Anabaptist doctrine of credobaptism.^[59] The Unitarian Church of Transylvania is an example such a denomination that arose in this era and is represented in the Protestant Theological Institute of Cluj. Due to their rejection of the Athanasian Creed which contains the doctrine of the Trinity, many mainstream Christian Churches do not recognize Unitarians as Christians.^[60]

Restorationism

Second Great Awakening

Main articles: Second Great Awakening, Restorationism, and Restoration Movement

The Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement began on the American frontier during the Second 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."^[61]:54 Members do not identify as Protestant but simply as Christian.^{[62][63][64]:213}

The Restoration Movement developed from several independent efforts to return to apostolic Christianity, but two groups, which independently developed similar approaches to the Christian faith, were particularly important.^[65]:27–32 The first, led by Barton W. Stone, began at Cane Ridge, Kentucky and called themselves simply as "Christians". The second began in western Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia) and was led by Thomas Campbell and 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 the New Testament, and both believed that creeds kept Christianity divided. In 1832 they joined in fellowship with a handshake.

Among other things, they were united in the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; that Christians should celebrate the Lord's Supper on the first day of each week; and that baptism of adult believers by immersion in water is a necessary condition for salvation. Because the founders wanted to abandon all denominational labels, they used the biblical names for the followers of Jesus.^[66]:27 Both groups promoted a return to the purposes of the 1st-century churches as 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.^[67]:8

The Restoration Movement has since divided into multiple separate groups. There are three main branches in the US: the Churches of Christ, the Christian churches and churches of Christ, and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Other U.S.-based groups affiliated with the movement are the International Churches of Christ and the International Christian Churches. Non-U.S. groups include the Churches of Christ in Australia, the Evangelical Christian Church in Canada, the Churches of Christ in Europe. The Plymouth Brethren are a similar though historically unrelated group which originated in the United Kingdom. Some churches, such as Churches of Christ or the Plymouth Brethren reject formal ties with other churches within the movement.

Other Christian groups originating during the Second Great Awakening including the Adventist movement,^[68] the Jehovah's Witnesses,^[69] and Christian Science,^[70] founded within fifty years of one another, all consider themselves to be restorative of primitive Christianity and the early church. Some Baptist churches with Landmarkist views have similar beliefs concerning their connection with primitive Christianity.^[71]

Latter Day Saint movement

Main articles: Latter Day Saint movement and Mormonism

See also: List of sects in the Latter Day Saint movement and Mormonism and Christianity

Most Latter Day Saint denominations are derived from the Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) established by Joseph Smith in 1830, which is categorized as a Restorationist denomination.^[21] The largest worldwide denomination is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as Mormonism. 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 practicing plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto. Most of the "Prairie Saint" denominations (see below) were established after Smith's death by the remnants of the Latter Day Saints who did not go west with Brigham 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 a prophet or acceptance of the Book of Mormon as scripture. Mormons generally consider themselves to be restorationist, believing that Smith, as prophet, 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 being nontrinitarian or even non-Christian, but the Latter Day Saints are predominantly in disagreement with these statements. Mormons see themselves as believing in a Godhead comprising the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as separate personages united in purpose. Mormons regard traditional definitions of the Trinity as aberrations of true doctrine and emblematic of the Great Apostasy^[72] but they do not accept certain trinitarian definitions in the post-apostolic creeds, such as the Athanasian Creed.

Spiritual Christianity

Spiritual Christianity, inclusive of the Molokans and Doukhobors emerged in Russia, each containing a unique tradition.^[73] The Doukhobor have maintained close association with Mennonite Anabaptist Christians and Quaker Christians due to analogous religious practices; all of these groups are furthermore collectively considered to be peace churches due to their belief in pacifism.^[74][75][76]

Other movements

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 the Fourth Great Awakening took place during the 1960s to 1980s and resulted in phenomena such as the Charismatic Movement, the Jesus movement, and a great number of parachurch organizations based in Evangelicalism.

Many independent churches and movements consider themselves to be non-denominational, but may vary greatly in doctrine. Many of these, like the local churches movement, reflect the core teachings of traditional Christianity. Others however, such as The Way International, have been denounced as cults by the Christian 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 the Unification Church and the Rastafari movement. These movements fall outside of traditional taxonomies of Christian groups, though both cite the Christian Bible as a basis for their beliefs.

Syncretism of Christian beliefs with local and tribal religions is a phenomenon that occurs throughout the world. An example of this is the Native American Church. The ceremonies of this group are strongly tied to the use of peyote. (Parallels may be drawn here with the Rastafari spiritual use of cannabis.) 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. Some Christian anarchists - often those of a Protestant background - believe that the original teachings of Jesus were corrupted by Roman statism (compare Early Christianity and State 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 advocate nonviolence. The Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy wrote The Kingdom of God Is Within You,^[77] and was a Christian anarchist.

See also

• Christian tradition
• Great Church
• List of Christian denominations
• List of Christian denominations by number of members

Notes

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."

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46. Robert Spencer, "We are Non-Roman Catholics" in Crisis Magazine, 22 November 2011
47. Hanciles, Jehu J. (2019). The Oxford History of Protestant Dissenting Traditions, Volume IV: The Twentieth Century: Traditions in a Global Context. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-251821-7. 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.
48. 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.
49. Ludwig, 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).
50. «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.» Second Vatican Council, Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio, n.3 Archived March 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
51. Klaasen, Walter (2004). "Anabaptism: Neither Catholic Nor Protestant". Retrieved 15 May 2020.
52. McGrath, William, The Anabaptists: Neither Catholic nor Protestant (PDF), Hartville, OH: The Fellowship Messenger, archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2016
53. Gundry, Stanley N; Goldberg, Louis (2003), How Jewish is Christianity?: 2 views on the Messianic movement (Books), p. 24, ISBN 9780310244905.
54. "How many Jews are there in the United States?". Pew Research Center.
55. "A PORTRAIT OF JEWISH AMERICANS: Chapter 1: Population Estimates". Pew Research Center.
56. "American-Jewish Population Rises to 6.8 Million". haaretz.
57. 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. ISBN 978-0-8028-2417-2.
58. J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedia of Protestantism, 2005, p. 543: "Unitarianism – The word unitarian [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."
59. 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. ISBN 978-1-62189-597-8.
60. 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.
61. Rubel Shelly, I Just Want to Be a Christian, 20th Century Christian, Nashville, Tennessee 1984, ISBN 0-89098-021-7
62. "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
63. Batsell Barrett Baxter and Carroll Ellis, Neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jew, tract, Church of Christ (1960) ASIN: B00073CQPM. According to Richard Thomas Hughes in Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Churches of Christ in America, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996 (ISBN 0-8028-4086-8, ISBN 978-0-8028-4086-8), this is "arguably the most widely distributed tract ever published by the Churches of Christ or anyone associated with that tradition."
64. Samuel S. Hill, Charles H. Lippy, Charles Reagan Wilson, Encyclopedia of Religion in the South, Mercer University Press, 2005, (ISBN 0-86554-758-0, ISBN 978-0-86554-758-2) 854 pages
65. Monroe E. Hawley, Redigging the Wells: Seeking Undenominational Christianity, Quality Publications, Abilene, Texas, 1976, ISBN 0-89137-512-0 (paper), ISBN 0-89137-513-9 (cloth)
66. 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, ISBN 978-0-8272-1703-4
67. Leroy Garrett, The Stone-Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration Movement, College Press, 2002, ISBN 0-89900-909-3, ISBN 978-0-89900-909-4, 573 pages
68. Albin, Barry. A Spiritual History of the Western Tradition. p. 124.
69. Van Voorst, Robert E. (2012). RELG: World (with Religion CourseMate with eBook Printed Access Card). Cengage Learning. p. 288. ISBN 978-1-1117-2620-1.
70. Eddy, Mary Baker. Manual of the Mother Church. CSPS. p. 17.
71. Albanese, Catherine. America: Religions and Religion. Cengage Learning. p. 122.
72. "Articles of Faith, no. 1". Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
73. Campbell, Ted A. (20 March 2000). The Religion of the Heart. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-57910-433-7.
74. 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. ISBN 9780888644183. 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.
75. Dyck, Cornelius J.; Martin, Dennis D. The Mennonite Encyclopedia. Mennonite Brethren Publishing House. p. 107.
76. Fahlbusch, Erwin (14 February 2008). The Encyclodedia of Christianity. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 208. ISBN 9780802824172. The only contact with Mennonites was the period 1802–41 when they lived in the Molotschna, where Johann Cornies (q.v.) rendered them considerable assistance.
77. Leo Tolstoy - The Kingdom of God is Within You Archived 2012-02-05 at the Wayback Machine. Kingdomnow.org. Retrieved on 2010-11-03.

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