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Christianity

Four main Protestant groups, originating in 16th century Europe: 

• Three "mainline" denominational "families": Lutheran, Church of England (Anglican), Reformed churches

• The more extreme "separatist" sectarian groups are smaller in membership, self governed and tend to be reactionary against the larger society. Thus they have been persecuted or rejected by the mainline in the same way that the mainline Protestants were rejected by the Roman Catholic Church they broke away from.

• Lutheran and Anglican reform primarily the theology, not the worship nor hierarchy of Church organization (beyond rejecting the Pope)

• Reformed churches reform the style of worship, hierarchical organization as well as theology

• Sectarian or Separatist churches start from scratch with a radical reform, changing much in worship and theology

Lutheran: began in Germany (1517), Martin Luther protesting certain immoral and self-serving practices of the Church (e.g., indulgences). Paved the way for other reform movements throughout Europe

• Salvation by faith, not good works

• Rejects clerical authority over lay people, maintains organizational leadership under Bishops

• Accepts only Baptism and the Communion meal as Biblically mandated sacraments, setting the precedent for other Protestant groups

• Proclaims Christ’s spiritual, but not physical, presence in the Eucharist

• Maintains greatest unity under various "synods"

Church of England: "Anglican" ("Episcopal" in America); began in England by Henry the VIII in defiance of the Pope’s ruling regarding his divorce. Methodist, Baptists and other churches have since broken away from their English roots.

• Like Lutheran, maintains leadership under Bishops ("episcopal") who assigns clergy

• Breakaway groups include:

• Methodist (John Wesley) (maintains episcopal leadership) and subgroup: Wesleyan

• Baptists (several regional sub-denominations)

• Quaker (Society of Friends)

• Pentecostal and Holiness (Nazarene) (American groups)

Reformed: began in Switzerland by John Calvin, includes Presbyterian and other denominations

• Influenced by Lutherans and others

• Believes God’s will presides over all, including human destiny with regard to salvation ("Double Predestination" of both saved and damned)

• Holds Communion meal as symbolic only

• Reorganized leadership under church elders (Presbyters) rather than Bishops

• Includes such groups as:

• Presbyterian (Scottish)

• Reformed Church (Dutch and German)

• American subdivisions (originating in England) include:

• Evangelical and Reformed Church

• Christian Church: Disciples of Christ, Church of Christ

• Congregationalists (Puritans) (breakaway group: Unitarians)

• Those groups have since rejoined into the United Church of Christ

Sectarian or Separatist groups: Independently founded churches, many preaching for adult rather than infant Baptism thus called Anabaptist ("second" Baptism)

• Maintain separation of church and state (do not follow state religion). Many of these church groups separated themselves from the larger society which they saw as antithetical to Christian faith and life

• Tend to be non-creedal and anti-militarian (pacifist)

• They were persecuted by the more mainline Protestant groups, as were the secondary divisions that broke away from those "parent" churches.

• Includes:

• Evangelicals

• Quakers, Mennonites and their even more separatist subgroups:

• Amish, Hutterite (communal living)

• Church of the Brethren

• Moravian

• Seventh Day Adventist (American)

Protestantism in America:

• Many persecuted sects took refuge in America in 17th and 18th century. These included the Congregationalists (Puritans), Baptists, Methodists, Quakers (under William Penn in Pennsylvania), Mennonites and related Church of the Brethren and Amish, Shakers (now defunct because they did not procreate).

• 19th century America also saw the makings of home grown churches such as Unitarian (1819 - merged with Universalist in 1961), Mormons (1830), Seventh Day Adventists (1863), Jehovah’s Witness (1879 Pennsylvania by Charles Taze Russell: "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society"), Christian Science (1879), Pentecostals (late 19th century American Revival movement), "Holiness" churches (Nazarenes), Disciples of Christ, Church of Christ...

• Many trace their ancestral roots back to earlier European denominations or sects.

• Some are liberal, preaching a "social gospel" addressing the worldly needs of people; others are fundamentalist and evangelical stressing Christ as redeemer and seeking converts to the faith.

• Missionary activity of these churches may be directed either to social needs or to seeking converts or to both activities combined

• Evangelism vs. Proselytism: Evangelism is simply a sharing of the Gospel with others. Proselytism has the intention of making converts to the faith. Proselytism is more explicit and forceful than evangelism.

Additional Resources:

• Essay on Christian denominationalism

• Visit the "ReligiousTolerance" website for details about these, and other Christian denominations as well as for a discussion on the distinctions between "sects," "cults," and "denominations"

• More on denominations from ReligionFacts.com

Questions to consider:

• What makes all these denominations "Christian"?

• At what point does a church go so far outside the "norm" as to no longer be legitimately considered "Christian"? (and who is to judge what is "legitimate"?)