A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. Divisions between one group and another are defined by doctrine and church authority. Issues such as the nature of Jesus, the authority of apostolic succession, eschatology, and papal primacy often separate one denomination from another.
Some groups included on this list do not consider themselves a denomination. For example, the Catholic Church considers itself the one true church and the Apostolic See, and as pre-denominational. The Orthodox Church also considers itself the original Church, and pre-denominational.
Other groups that are viewed by non-adherents as denominational are highly decentralized 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.
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. Modern movements such as Fundamentalist Christianity, Pietism, Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism and the Holiness movement sometimes cross denominational lines, or in some cases create new denominations out of two or more continuing groups (as is the case for many United and uniting churches, for example). Such subtleties and complexities are not clearly depicted here.
Between denominations, theologians, and comparative religionists there are considerable disagreements about which groups can be properly called Christian, disagreements arising primarily from doctrinal differences between groups. For the purpose of simplicity, this list is intended to reflect the self-understanding of each denomination. Explanations of different opinions concerning their status as Christian denominations can be found at their respective articles.
There is no official recognition in most parts of the world for religious bodies, and there is no official clearinghouse which could determine the status or respectability of religious bodies. Often there is considerable disagreement between various churches about whether other churches should be labeled with pejorative terms such as "cult", or about whether this or that group enjoys some measure of respectability. Such considerations often vary from place to place, where one religious group may enjoy majority status in one region, but be widely regarded as a "dangerous cult" in another part of the world. Inclusion on this list does not indicate any judgment about the size, importance, or character of a group or its members.
Note: This is not a complete list, but aims to provide a comprehensible overview of the diversity among denominations of Christianity. As there are reported to be approximately 41,000 Christian denominations (figure includes overlap between countries), many of which cannot be verified to be significant, only those denominations with Wikipedia articles will be listed in order to ensure that all entries on this list are notable and verifiable.
Branches of first-century Christianity
Early Christianity is often divided into three different branches that differ in theology and traditions, which all appeared in the 1st century AD. They include Jewish Christianity, Pauline Christianity and Gnostic Christianity. All modern Christian denominations are said to have descended from these three branches. There are also other theories on the origin of Christianity.
Catholicism
Catholicism consists of the Catholic Church itself, as well as a number of independent churches and movements that self-identify as Catholic. They all claim continuity (based upon apostolic succession) with the early Church.
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church is composed of 23 Churches: the Western or Latin Church and the 22 Eastern Catholic Churches.
The Latin Church
The Latin Church (not to be confused with the Roman Rite, which is one of the Latin liturgical rites, not a particular Church) is the largest and most widely known of the 23 sui iuris Churches that together make up the Catholic Church.
Eastern Catholic Churches
All of the following are Particular Churches of the Catholic Church. They are all in communion with the Bishop of Rome and acknowledge his claim of universal jurisdiction and authority. They have some minor distinct theological emphases and expressions (for instance, in the case of those that are of Greek/Byzantine tradition, concerning some non-doctrinal aspects of the Latin view of Purgatory). The Eastern Catholic churches and the Latin church (which together compose the worldwide Catholic Church) share the same doctrine and sacraments, and thus the same faith.
The Catholic Church considers itself the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded. As such, the Catholic Church does not consider itself a denomination, but rather considers itself pre-denominational, the original Church of Christ.
Other churches and movements
Independent (self-identified as Catholic)
Eastern Orthodoxy
The Eastern Orthodox Church is organized as a communion of autocephalous (self-headed) jurisdictions, some of which also contain within them several autonomous (self-ruling) units. They are in full communion with each other and claim continuity (based upon apostolic succession) with the early Church.
In addition, there exist a number of churches or jurisdictions which consider themselves Eastern Orthodox but are not in communion with the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Eastern Orthodox Church
This is the main body of Eastern Orthodoxy, consisting of jurisdictions in communion with each other. Some of them have a disputed administrative status (i.e. their autonomy or autocephaly is only partially recognized), and are marked as such, but all remain in communion with each other as one Church. This list is provided in the official order of precedence. Indentation indicates autonomy rather than autocephaly.
The Eastern Orthodox Church considers itself to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded. As such, the Eastern Orthodox Church does not consider itself a denomination, but rather considers itself pre-denominational, the original Church of Christ.
Other churches
These are churches that consider themselves Eastern Orthodox but are not in communion with the main body of Eastern Orthodoxy.
Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy comprises those Christians who did not accept the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451). Other denominations often erroneously label these Churches "Monophysite"; however, as the Oriental Orthodox do not adhere to the teachings of Eutyches, they themselves reject this label, preferring the term Miaphysite.
Historically, many of the Oriental Orthodox Churches consider themselves collectively to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded. Some have considered the Oriental Orthodox communion to be a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, a view which is gaining increasing acceptance in the wake of the ecumenical dialogues.
Other Churches
The following Churches affirm a Miaphysite christological position but are not in communion with any of the ancient Oriental Orthodox Churches for various reasons:
- Antiochian Catholic Church in America
- Celtic Orthodox Church
Church of the East
The Church of the East is said to have been formed by St Thomas. It has also been known as the Persian or Sassanid Church. The Church did not attend the Council of Ephesus (AD 431). Historically, it has often been incorrectly referred to as the Nestorian Church. Although at some points throughout their history, Assyrian Christians have been willing to accept the label of Nestorians, they now consider this term pejorative. Recent Christological agreements with the Roman Catholic Church and some of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches have substantially resolved this semantic debate permanently, clearing the way for ecumenical relations.
In the twentieth century, it was divided into two groups which have recently been working towards reunification:
- Assyrian Church of the East (recognises Mar Dinkha IV as Patriarch)
- Ancient Church of the East (recognises Mar Addai II as Patriarch)
The Church of the East considers itself to be a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded.
Other early Christians
Christian groups appearing between the beginning of the Christian religion to the First Council of Nicaea in 325.
- Adamites
- Agonoclita
- Christian Gnosticism
- Bardaisanites
- Basilideans
- Carpocratianism
- Nicolaitans
- Sethianism
- Simonians (Sometimes considered proto-Gnostic)
- Valentinianism
- Ebionites
- Elcesaites
- Marcionism
- Nazarenes
Medieval sects
Groups of Christians appearing between the First Council of Nicaea and the Protestant Reformation which are generally considered extinct as modern and distinct groups.
- Catharism
- Donatism
- Dulcinian
- Patarines
- Brethren of the Free Spirit
- Beguines and Beghards
- Friends of God
- Bogomilism
- Bosnian Church
Protestantism
These are the churches "which repudiated the papal authority, and separated or were severed from the Roman communion in the Reformation of the 16th century and of any of the bodies of Christians descended from them."
Proto-Protestant Groups
- Waldensians
- Waldensian Evangelical Church
- Lollards
- Hussites
- Czechoslovak Hussite Church
- Moravian Church
- Unity of the Brethren
- Utraquists
- Taborites
Lutheranism
Anglicanism
Anglican Communion
Anglicanism has referred to itself as the via media between Catholicism and Protestantism. It considers itself to be both Catholic and Reformed. Although the use of the term "Protestant" to refer to Anglicans was once common, it is controversial today, with some rejecting the label and others accepting it.
The Anglican Communion also includes the following united churches:
- Church of Bangladesh
- Church of North India
- Church of South India
- Church of Pakistan
- Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church
Other Anglican Churches
As secessionist churches, these churches are not in full communion with the Anglican Communion. A select few of these churches are, however, recognized by certain individual provinces of the Anglican Communion.
Calvinism
Continental Reformed churches
Presbyterianism
Congregationalist Churches
Anabaptists and Schwarzenau Brethren
Plymouth Brethren and Free Evangelical Churches
Methodists
Pietists and Holiness Churches
Baptists
Note: All Baptist associations are congregationalist affiliations for the purpose of cooperation, in which each local church is governmentally independent. The most prominent Baptist organizations in the United States are the American Baptist Churches USA, tending to be more liberal, the National Baptist Convention, tending to be more moderate and the Southern Baptist Convention, tending to be more conservative.
Spiritual Baptists
Note: The Spiritual Baptist Archdiocese of New York, Inc has congregationalist affiliations for the purpose of cooperation, in which each local church is governmentally independent.
- Spiritual Baptist
Apostolic Churches â€" Irvingites
- Catholic Apostolic Church
- New Apostolic Church
- United Apostolic Church
- Old Apostolic Church
- Restored Apostolic Mission Church
- New Apostolic Church
Pentecostalism
Charismatics
Neo-Charismatic Churches
African Initiated Churches
Messianic Judaism / Jewish Christians
United and uniting churches
Churches which are the result of a merger between distinct denominational churches. Churches are listed here when their disparate heritage marks them as inappropriately listed in the particular categories above.
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), is considered historically to be a Protestant Christian denomination. It has gone through a small number of doctrinal schisms in its history as a Christian church. Today, the Society exists as several distinct and separate Quaker branches, and it also has an emphasis on Christian belief which ranges from evangelical to liberal.
Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement
- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Churches of Christ
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- Churches of Christ (non-institutional)
- Churches of Christ in Australia
- Evangelical Christian Church in Canada (Christian Disciples)
- Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ
- International Christian Church
- International Churches of Christ
Southcottites
- Christian Israelite Church
- House of David (commune)
- Panacea Society
Millerites and comparable groups
Adventist (Sunday observing)
Adventist (Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday observing)
Church of God movements (Sunday observing)
Church of God movements (Seventh Day Sabbath/Saturday observing)
- Church of God (Seventh-Day) (or Church of God 7th day)
- Church of God International (USA)
- Church of God, a Worldwide Association
- The Intercontinental Church of God
- Seventh Day Christians - Norway (Syvende dags Kristne)
- Living Church of God
- Philadelphia Church of God
- United Church of God
- United Seventh-Day Brethren
- World Mission Society Church of God
Sabbath-Keeping Movements, Separated from Adventists
Sacred Name groups
Sabbath-Keeping movements, predating the Millerites
Other
Nontrinitarian groups
Christians who do not believe in the traditional doctrine of the Trinity ("one God in three co-equal Persons")
Latter Day Saints
Most Latter Day Saint denominations are derived from the Church of Christ established by Joseph Smith in 1830. The largest worldwide denomination, and the one publicly recognized as Mormonism, is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some sects, known as the "Prairie Saints", broke away because they did not recognize Brigham Young as the head of the church, and did not follow him West in the mid-1800s. Other sects broke away over the abandonment of practicing plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto. Other denominations are defined by either a belief in Joseph Smith as a prophet or acceptance of the Book of Mormon as scripture.
- Original denomination
- Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints) - name changed in 1838 by Joseph Smith to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
- "Prairie Saint" denominations
- "Rocky Mountain" denominations
- Other denominations
- Restoration Church of Jesus Christ
Oneness Pentecostalism
Unitarianism and Universalism
Bible Student groups
Swedenborgianism
- General Church of the New Jerusalem
- Lord's New Church Which Is Nova Hierosolyma
- Swedenborgian Church of North America
Christian Science
- Church of Christ, Scientist
Other non-Trinitarians
New Thought
The relation of New Thought to Christianity is not defined as exclusive; some of its adherents see themselves as solely practising Christianity, while adherents of Religious Science says "yes and no" to the question of whether they consider themselves to be Christian in belief and practice, leaving it up to the individual to define oneself spiritually.
Esoteric Christianity
Racialist groups
- British-Israelism
- Armstrongism
- British-Israel-World Federation
- Revival Centres International
- The Revival Fellowship
- Christian Identity
- Church of Jesus Christ-Christian (Aryan Nations)
- Kingdom Identity Ministries
- LaPorte Church of Christ
- The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord
- Black Hebrew Israelites
- Church of God and Saints of Christ
- Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ
Syncretistic religions incorporating elements of Christianity
The relation of these movements to other Christian ideas can be remote. They are listed here because they include some elements of Christian practice or beliefs, within religious contexts which may be only loosely characterized as Christian.
Other
Christian Movements
Internet Churches
- LifeChurch.tv
LGBT-affirming Christian denominations
- Affirming Pentecostal Church International
- Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
- Church of Denmark
- Church of Iceland
- Church of Norway
- Church of Sweden
- Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic Pentecostals
- Metropolitan Community Church
- Protestant Church in the Netherlands
- United Church of Christ
- United Protestant Church in Belgium
Interdenominational (ecumenical) churches and organizations
Misc.
- Evangelical Missionary Church
- The Process Church of The Final Judgment (The Process)
- United House of Prayer for All People
See also
- Denominationalism
- List of Christian denominations by number of members
- List of the largest Protestant churches of the world
- List of religions and spiritual traditions
- List of religious organizations
- Parachurch organization
- Timeline of Christianity
Further reading
- Crossan, John Dominic and Borg, Marcus J. The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church's Conservative Icon (2009)
References
Websites
- Early Christian History