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Christian Denominations, Sects & Churches

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LDS (Mormon)

Catholicism. Protestantism. In the 16th century, the followers of Martin Luther established the Lutheran churches of Germany and Scandinavia.

Protestantism

Reformed churches in Hungary, Scotland, Switzerland and France were established by other reformers such as John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Knox. The Church of England declared independence from papal authority in 1534, and was influenced by some Reformation principles, notably during the reign of Edward VI. There were also reformation movements throughout continental Europe known as the Radical Reformation which gave rise to the Anabaptist, Moravian, and other pietistic movements.

Protestants generally may be divided among four basic groups: The "mainline" churches with direct roots in the Protestant reformers; the Radical Reform movement emphasizing adult baptism; nontrinitarian churches; and the Restorationist movements of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There are over 33,000 Protestant denominations, and not every one fits neatly into these categories.

Oneness Pentecostalism. Oneness Pentecostalism (also known as Apostolic or Jesus' Name Pentecostalism) refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the nontrinitarian theological doctrine of Oneness.

Oneness Pentecostalism

This movement first emerged around 1914 as the result of doctrinal disputes within the nascent Pentecostal movement and claims an estimated 24 million adherents today.[1] For a list of denominations in this movement, see List of Christian denominations. Besides their beliefs about the Godhead, Oneness Pentecostals differ significantly from most other Pentecostal and evangelical Christians in matters of soteriology.

The Oneness doctrine of God[edit] Oneness Pentecostals claim to hold to strict Biblical Monotheism, the belief that God is uni-personal, one single divine eternal person, although manifesting Himself in various modes or faces, in given contexts, for various reasons, on different occasions, and in various times in history. Scripture[edit] List of Christian denominations. A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity.[1] Some groups included do not consider themselves a denomination (e.g., the Catholic Church considers itself the one true church and the Apostolic See, and as pre-denominational).[2] Some groups viewed by non-adherents as denominational actively resist being called a denomination and do not have any formal denominational structure, authority, or record-keeping beyond the local congregation; several groups within Restoration Movement fall into this category.

List of Christian denominations

Some groups are large (e.g. Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Anglicans or Baptists), while others are just a few small churches, and in most cases the relative size is not evident in this list. Note: This is not a complete list, but aims to provide a comprehensible overview of the diversity among denominations of Christianity. Main branches of early Christianity[edit] Catholicism[edit] Catholic Church[edit] Methodism. The Methodist movement is a group of historically-related denominations of Protestant Christianity which derive their inspiration from the life and teachings of John Wesley.

Methodism

George Whitefield and John's brother Charles Wesley were also significant leaders in the movement. It originated as a revival within the 18th-century Church of England and became a separate Church following Wesley's death. Because of vigorous missionary activity, the movement spread throughout the British Empire, the United States, and beyond, today claiming approximately 80 million adherents worldwide.[1] Early Methodists were drawn from all levels of society, including the aristocracy,[a] but the Methodist preachers took the message to labourers and criminals who tended to be left outside organized religion at that time.

Presbyterianism. Presbyterianism is a branch of Reformed Protestantism which traces its origins to the British Isles.

Presbyterianism

Presbyterian churches derive their name from the presbyterian form of church government, which is government by representative assemblies of elders. Many Reformed churches are organized this way, but the word "Presbyterian," when capitalized, is often applied uniquely to the churches which trace their roots to the Scottish and English churches that bore that name and English political groups that formed during the Civil War.[1] Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures, and the necessity of grace through faith in Christ.

Presbyterian church government was ensured in Scotland by the Acts of Union in 1707[2] which created the kingdom of Great Britain. Lutheranism. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian.

Lutheranism

Christian denomination. A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity.

Christian denomination

In the Orthodox tradition, churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and another are defined by doctrine and church authority. Gnosticism.