Some groups included do not consider themselves a denomination (e.g., the Catholic Church considers itself the one true Church, and as pre-denominational). Regarding the use of the word "church," the Catholic Church does not consider any groups or denominations to be true "churches" unless they have maintained apostolic succession and observe the seven sacraments (by this definition, the Eastern Orthodox churches are, for the most part, the only other Christian groupings considered by the Catholic Church to be true "churches").[1]
Some groups are large (e.g. Catholics, 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. Also, 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. Additionally, 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.
These are the churches which claim continuity (based upon Apostolic Succession) with the early Church.
Catholic Church is composed of two rites; one is the western or latin rite, another is the eastern rite (i.e., Eastern Catholic Churches).
The Latin Rite or Church[3] is the largest and most widely known of the 22 Rites that together make up the Catholic Church.
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).[4] 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.
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The Catholic Church considers itself the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded.[5] As such, the Catholic Church does not consider itself a denomination, but as pre-denominational, the original Church of Christ.
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List provided in order of precedence. Indentation indicates autonomy rather than autocephaly.
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The Eastern Orthodox Church considers itself to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded.
Some Orthodox Churches with not universally recognized autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople:
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.
The Oriental Orthodox Church considers itself to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded.
The Church of the East is said to have been formed by St Thomas. The Church did not attend the Council of Ephesus (AD 431). It is incorrectly referred to as the Nestorian Church; Assyrian Christians do not consider themselves Nestorians, and recent Christological agreements with the Catholic and some of the Orthodox churches have resolved this debate permanently, clearing the way for ecumenical relations.
The Church of the East considers itself to be the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded.
These are the churches "which repudiated the papal authority, and separated or were severed from the Roman communion in the Reformation of the 16th cent., and of any of the bodies of Christians descended from them."[6]
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Anglicanism has referred to itself as the via media between Roman 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.
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The Anglican Communion also includes the following united churches:
The Anglican Communion considers itself to be part of the One Holy catholic and Apostolic Church that Christ founded, without the implication that various other churches are not also branches of it.
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BaptistsMain article: Baptists
See also: Baptist beliefs and List of Baptist Confessions
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 Association, tending to be more liberal, the National Baptist Convention, tending to be more moderate and the Southern Baptist Convention, tending to be more conservative. Further information: List of Baptist sub-denominations
Spiritual BaptistsNote: The Spiritual Baptist Archdiocese of New York, Inc has congregationalist affiliations for the purpose of cooperation, in which each local church is governmentally independent. Apostolic Churches – IrvingitesPentecostalismMain article: Pentecostalism
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Most Latter Day Saint denominations are derived from the Church of Christ, established by Joseph Smith in 1830. The majority of "Prairie Saint" denominations were established after the death of Smith by the remnants of the Saints who did not go west with Brigham Young. Many of which rejected some or most of the 1840s theological developments in favor of 1830s theological understandings and practices. The Rocky Mountain denominations are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and various sects who broke from it after its settlement in the Rocky Mountains, many breaking after its abandonment of practicing polygamy in 1890. Other denominations are defined by either a belief in Joseph Smith as a prophet, or acceptance of the Book of Mormon as scripture. Mormonism is generally considered restorationist, believing that Smith, by inspiration and revelation, restored the original Church of Christ to the earth. Some Latter Day Saint denominations are regarded by other Christians as being nontrinitarian, but generally do not accept that label themselves, in contrast to the groups labeled "nontrinitarian" below.
The churches within the Latter Day Saint movement are not recognized as an orthodox Christian denomination, and with the exception of Community of Christ, which is a member communion of the National Council of Churches, are usually rejected as Christian by many Protestants. Mormons, however, strongly oppose this rejection.
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Various denominations whose self-understanding denies trinitarian theology held by other Christians.
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The relation of New Thought to Christianity is sometimes murky; some of its adherents see themselves as practicing a true or correct form of Christianity, or as doing what Jesus did, while others, in particular, Religious Science says "yes and no" to the question of whether it considers itself Christian leaving it to the individual to define themselves.[8]
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.
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