List of Christian denominations
In the course of the development of Christianity , various Christian faith traditions have developed. The resulting different denominations are assigned to the following great traditions:
Eastern Churches
These churches are presented in more detail and more fully in the respective linked article.
Orthodox churches
The Orthodox Churches are also known as the Church of the Seven Councils . It is legally independent, but in full communion standing churches with a common, at the seven ecumenical councils between the first and the second Council of Nicaea defined theology and liturgy is essentially common but differentiated languages:
- Church of Constantinople (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople)
- Autocephalous Orthodox Church of All Albania (Archdiocese of Albania)
- Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Alexandria and All Africa (Patriarchate of Alexandria)
- Church of America (Archdiocese of America)
- Church of Bulgaria (Patriarchate of Bulgaria; Bulgarian Orthodox Church)
- Autocephalous Orthodox Church of All Georgia (Patriarchate of Georgia; Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church)
- Autocephalous Orthodox Church of All Greece (Archdiocese of Greece; Greek Orthodox Church)
- Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and All Palestine (Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
- Autocephalous Orthodox Church of All Poland (Archdiocese of Poland; Polish Orthodox Church)
- Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Antioch and the whole East (Patriarchate of Antioch; Rum Orthodox Church)
- Church of Romania (Patriarchate of Romania; Romanian Orthodox Church)
- Church of Moscow and All Russia (Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia; Russian Orthodox Church)
- Church of Serbia (Patriarchate of Serbia; Serbian Orthodox Church)
- Autocephalous Orthodox Church of the whole of the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Archdiocese of the Czech Republic and Slovakia; Czech-Slovak Orthodox Church)
- Church of Cyprus (Archdiocese of Cyprus; Cypriot Orthodox Church)
As a result of splits in the 20th century, other Orthodox churches have formed, but their independence and canonicality have not yet been recognized by the other Eastern Orthodox churches. These churches include:
- Macedonian Orthodox Church
- Orthodox Church of Bessarabia
- Montenegrin Orthodox Church
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (1919–1937)
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (1942–1944)
- Ukrainian Autonomous Orthodox Church
- Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (1990-2018)
- Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate
- French Orthodox Church
- Abkhaz Orthodox Church
- Croatian Orthodox Church
- Moldovan Orthodox Church
- Belarusian Orthodox Church
From a split in the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17th century, numerous Old Orthodox churches and communities emerged in a centuries-long process . These include:
- Old Orthodox Pomoran Church
- Orthodox old ritualistic church
- Russian Orthodox Old Ritualist Church
- Russian Old Orthodox Church
Oriental Orthodox
The Monophysites are also referred to as the churches of the three councils or as pre- or non-Chalcedonian churches (since they recognize the council of Ephesus as the last council, but no longer the council of Chalcedon ). They all recognize each other and allow members of the sister churches to concelebrate and communion . They include them
- Coptic Orthodox Church (Egypt) ,
- Ethiopian Orthodox Church ,
- Eritrean Orthodox Church ,
- Syrian Orthodox Church , with Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church ,
- Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church ( aka : Indian Orthodox Church), with the Syrian Orthodox Church of Europe .
- Armenian Orthodox Church (Holy Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church),
Assyrian
The Assyrian Church of the East only recognizes the first two councils of Christianity, namely the First Council of Nicaea and the First Council of Constantinople , and is therefore also called the Church of the Two Councils . It is also often referred to as the Nestorian Church , but today rejects this name as a self-designation.
Catholic churches
Roman Catholic Church (also just called "Catholic Church")
The Roman Catholic Church consists of 24 ritual churches , each with its own traditions in liturgy, church order, theology and piety. The common feature is the primacy of jurisdiction , the recognition of the Bishop of Rome as a vicarius of Christ with special priority .
The largest and most important particular church is the Latin Church , i.e. the Roman Catholic Church in the narrower sense, which the Pope as Bishop of Rome also directly presides over. The Roman rite , which determines the liturgical performance, is formative for this particular Church . There are also other liturgical rites regionally or in individual orders .
The 23 Eastern Churches recognize the Pope's primacy of jurisdiction as Bishop of Rome and are in a community of faith, prayer and sacrament with one another and with the Latin Church. Because of their Eastern rites, they are close to the Orthodox and ancient Eastern churches in terms of their tradition and hierarchical constitution . In almost all Eastern Church traditions there are Catholic ritual churches, which, however, usually only form a minority compared to the Orthodox and ancient Oriental churches.
Old Catholic churches
Old Catholic churches of the Union of Utrecht
- Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands
- Catholic diocese of the old Catholics in Germany
- Christian Catholic Church in Switzerland
- Old Catholic Church of Austria
- Old Catholic Church in the Czech Republic
- Old Catholic Church Croatia
- Polish Catholic Church in Poland
- Old Catholic Mission in France
- Old Catholic Church in Italy
- Old Catholic Church in Sweden and Denmark
Independent Old Catholic Churches
Former members of the Union of Utrecht
- Old Catholic Church of the Mariavites (part of the Union of Utrecht until 1924)
- Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) in the United States and Canada (part of the Union of Utrecht until 2003)
- Old Catholic Church of Slovakia (belonged to the Union of Utrecht until 2004)
Other independent Old Catholic Churches
- Independent Philippine Church ( Philippine Independent Church or "Aglipay Church" after its founder Gregorio Aglipay ), independent of the Roman Catholic Church since 1902, in full church fellowship with the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht and with the Anglican Church Fellowship
Free Old Catholic Churches
- Old Catholic Church in Poland
- Old Catholic Church of America
- Old Catholic Church of British Columbia : This church aspired to join the Utrecht Union of Old Catholic Churches at the beginning of the 21st century , but this failed in February 2007.
- The member churches (dioceses) of The Old Catholic Church, Province of the United States (TOCCUSA), which emerged on September 24, 2010 from the Conference of North American Old Catholic Bishops (CNOB):
- Holy Cross Old Catholic Diocese of Minnesota (Bishop James Judd)
- Old Catholic Diocese of Napa, until 2010 Old Catholic Church in California (Bishop Robert Fuentes)
- Old Catholic Diocese of New England (Bishop Rosemary Ananis)
- Old Catholic Diocese of Washington, DC (Bishop Robert Fuentes)
- Churches that belonged to the CNOB before 2010 and see themselves predominantly in the succession of the American Catholic Church founded by Joseph René Vilatte :
- American Apostolic Catholic Church in Michigan (Bishop Vince Lavieri), the continued existence of this church after Lavieri's conversion to the United Church of Christ is unclear
- American Old Catholic Church in Colorado (Bishop Dan Gincig)
- Apostolic Catholic Church in Florida (Bishop Chuck Leigh)
- Ecumenical Catholic Communion in California (Bishop Peter Hickman)
- Ecumenical Catholic Church in New York (Bishop Peter Brennan)
- Old Catholic Church in Louisiana (Bishop Allen Jimenez)
Other free Old Catholic Churches that belong to the World Council of Churches through the International Council of Community Churches (ICCC) are:
- American Catholic Church in California (Bishop Lou Bordisso)
- Apostolic Catholic Church in Washington (Bishop David Strong)
- Ecumenical Catholic Church in Connecticut (Bishop Lorraine Bouffard)
- Emergent Catholic Church in Arizona (Bishop Ken Young)
- Orthodox Catholic Church in California (Bishop Donald Jolly-Gabriel)
- Orthodox Catholic Church in Massachusetts (Bishop Timothy Baymon)
- Christ Catholic Church in Quebec, Canada (Bishop Serge Theriault)
- Eglise Catholique Gallicane in France (Bishop Dominique Philippe)
- Église Sainte Marie in France (Bishop Maurice Cantor )
- Old Catholic Church in Great Britain (Bishop Robert McBride)
- Open Episcopal Church in Great Britain (Bishop Jonathan Blake)
- Biserica Catolica Independenta in Romania (Pastor Don Demidoff)
There is also the Old Catholic Church Fellowship of the Netherlands under the leadership of Bishop Carolus van Osch as well as the Orthodox Catholic community in Lauterbach / Germany and Bregana / Croatia, which is subordinate to him .
Other Catholic Churches and Communities
Independent Catholic churches that are neither in communion with the Roman Catholic Church nor with the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht:
- Catholic Apostolic Church of Brazil , founded in Brazil in 1945. The Free Catholic Church in Germany is derived from it, and the Old Catholic Church of the United States in the United States ;
- Catholic Reformed Church , 1999 resp. Community established in Austria in 2001, now also represented in Germany (Hesse).
- Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association dissolved by government pressure from Rome.
- diverse, mostly smaller communities with often dubious legal status, especially in the United States, e.g. E.g .: American Old Catholic Church , Old Catholic Church of North America , Old Catholic Orthodox Church and many more.
- Autocephalous small churches in the Catholic tradition (club churches ) : Celtic Church in Germany , Old-Holy-Catholic Church , New Christians , and many more.
Anglican churches
The Anglican churches occupy a middle position between the Catholic and Protestant churches. In a separate tradition they combine Catholic and Protestant elements of faith. The members of the Anglican Church Fellowship include:
- Church of England , which is the only state church in the England part of the United Kingdom
- Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
- Anglican Church of Australia
- Anglican Church of Canada
- Church in Wales
- Church of Ireland
- Church of Nigeria
- Episcopal Church of the United States of America
- Scottish Episcopal Church
The churches that separated from the Anglican churches include:
- Anglican Church in America
- Charismatic Episcopal Church
- Orthodox Anglican Communion
- Reformed Episcopal Church
- Traditional Anglican Communion
In addition, there are other churches of Anglican origin that are not in church fellowship with Canterbury, such as B. the Anglican Church in America , the Reformed Episcopal Church in Germany , the Reformed Episcopal Church etc. Unlike Methodists, who no longer call themselves Anglicans, the members of these churches continue to see themselves as Anglicans.
Protestant churches
Waldenses
- The oldest Protestant church, founded in 1176 by Petrus Valdes as a Catholic lay community. The Waldensian were 1,184 on the Council of Verona from the Catholic Church ruled .
Hussites
- Czechoslovak Hussite Church : locating itself in the tradition of the Utraquists , founded in 1920, emerged from a reform movement of liberal Roman Catholic clergy and lay people
Lutheran
A large number of Lutheran churches or churches of the Augsburg Confession (AB) are organized in the Lutheran World Federation , the International Lutheran Council or the Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference . Some examples are:
- Denmark:
- Germany:
- Finland:
- France:
- Iceland:
- Israel:
- Canada:
- Namibia:
- Norway:
- Austria:
- Poland:
- Romania:
- Russia:
- Sweden:
- South Africa:
- Tanzania:
- UNITED STATES:
Reformed
- Australia:
- Germany:
- France:
- Great Britain:
- Netherlands:
- North America:
- Austria:
- Switzerland:
- Hungary:
- UNITED STATES:
Presbyterian
- Egypt:
- Ghana:
- Iraq / Iran:
- Ireland:
- Cameroon:
- Canada:
- New Zealand:
- Nigeria:
- Scotland:
- South Korea:
- UNITED STATES:
- Cumberland Presbyterian Church
- Presbyterian Church in America (second largest Presbyterian Church in the United States)
- Presbyterian Church (USA) (largest Presbyterian church in the United States)
baptist
The Mennonite World Conference is the international Mennonite association .
- Germany:
- Working group of Mennonite Brethren
- Working group of Mennonite congregations
- Association of baptismal congregations
- Independent Russian Mennonite communities
- Austria:
- Switzerland:
- American double continent
- Worldwide
Baptists
Worldwide national and regional unions of Baptists are united in the Baptist World Federation (BWA) .
- Germany:
- Austria:
- Switzerland:
- UNITED STATES:
- American Baptist Churches USA
- Southern Baptist Convention (left the Baptist World Federation in 2004)
In addition to the examples given here, see the list of Baptist churches .
Pietists
Pietism is not a denomination in the narrower sense, but a supra-denominational reform movement, which, for example, came to fruition in both Lutheran and Reformed churches, but was also partly church-building itself.
- Federation of Evangelical Congregations in Austria
- Federation of Free Protestant Congregations in Germany
- Chrischona International
- Church for Christ
- Free Evangelical Congregations in Switzerland
- Moravian Brethren
- Inspired
- Regional church community
- Schwarzenau Brethren
- Association of Free Missionary Churches
Methodist and Wesleyan Churches
- African Methodist Episcopal Church
- African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
- Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
- United Methodist Church
- Salvation Army
- Church of the Nazarene
- Methodist Church of Great Britain
Evangelical Uniate
As a result of the amalgamation of mainly Lutheran and Reformed churches, the United Protestant churches have emerged since the beginning of the 19th century :
- Australia:
- Germany:
- France:
- Canada:
- Netherlands:
- South America:
- Czech Republic:
- UNITED STATES:
Restoration Movement
Evangelicals
Adventists
- Seventh-day Adventist Free Church
- Community of the Seventh Day Adventist Reformation Movement
- International Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society, Reformation Movement
Brethren Movement
- Germany:
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Brüdergemeinden (AGB): The AGB as such belongs to the Federation of Evangelical Free Churches (BEFG), but individual AGB communities do not belong to the BEFG.
- Non-Aligned Meetings
- Free Brotherhood
- Closed meetings of the Brethren Movement
Pentecostal Movement
- Assemblies of God
- Federation of Free Church Pentecostal Congregations
- Congregação Cristã no Brasil
- Elim communities
- Church of God
- Church of the Christians Ecclesia
- Mülheim Association of Free Church Protestant Congregations (oldest German Pentecostal Association)
- Word of Faith Movement
- Switzerland:
Other evangelical denominations
- Anskar Church
- Armenian Evangelical Church (Germany)
- Calvary Chapel
- Free church covenant of God's church
- Church of God (restoration)
- Community of Evangelical-Episcopal Church Congregations (convergence church that tries to combine Catholic, Evangelical-Evangelical and Pentecostal-Charismatic elements)
- International Christian Fellowship
- Jesus freaks
- Schwenkfelder (six parishes in Pennsylvania)
- Shaker (Considered the smallest existing Christian denomination. There is currently one church in Sabbathday Lake, Maine, with three members)
- Universalists , parts of the universalists, have united with the Unitarians and partly broken away from Christianity
- Vineyard
- Worldwide Church of God
- Zion Christian Church (in Africa and UK)
Apostolic Churches and Religious Communities
New Apostolic Church
Association of Apostolic Congregations
- Apostolic Church of Queensland
- Apostolic Church of South-Africa - Apostle Unity
-
Apostolic Community
- Reformed Apostolic Congregation Association joined forces with the Apostolic Community in 1994.
- Gemeente van Apostolic Christians
- Association of Apostolic Christians
Catholic Apostolic Congregations
Old Apostolic Church
Hersteld Apostolic Zendingkerk
- Hersteld Apostolic Zendingkerk
- Hersteld Apostolic Zendingkerk II
- Hersteld Apostolic Zendingkerk - Stam Juda
Other Apostolic Communities
- Apostle ministry of Jesus Christ
- Apostle ministry of Judah
- Apostolic Congregation Wiesbaden
- Apostolic Congregation of the Saarland
- Association of Apostolic Congregations
- Het Apostolisch Genootschap
Groups split off from the Russian Orthodox Church ( Old Believers )
Non-Trinitarians or Anti-Trinitarians
- Christadelphian
- Christian Science
- Church of God on the seventh day
- Church of Almighty God
- Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland , historically it was about English, Scottish and Irish Presbyterians, who in the 18th century rejected the "subscription" (signature) to the Westminster Confession
- Temple society
- Unitarians , in addition to Christian-oriented Unitarians, there are humanistically oriented Unitarians
- Unification Church
Bible Students Movement
Liberal Protestants
The liberal Protestant churches are united in the "International Federation for Free Christianity", which today belongs to the International Federation for Religious Freedom (IARF) .
Mormonism
- Apostolic United Brethren
- Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS)
- Community of Christ (CofChrist)
- Church of Christ with the Elijah message
- Church of Christ (Temple Lot)
- Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonites)
- Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerites)
- Church of Christ (Fettingiten)
- Restored Church of Christ
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)
Dissenter
- Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
-
Quaker
- Friends General Conference (liberal-theological branch)
- Friends United Meeting (pastoral, more conservative branch)
- Evangelical Friends International (strongly biblical-evangelical 'christocentric' branch)
Historical groups
- Adamites
- Arians
- Barrowists
- Behmenists
- Bogomils
- Brownists
- German Catholics
- Donatists
- Enthusiasts
- Familists
- Fifth Monarchy Men
- Gallicans
- Grindletonians
- according to Jan Hus :
- Huguenots (see also Reformed Church of France )
- Independents
- Cathars
- Congregationalists or congregationalists
- Levellers
- Lollards
- Monothelets
- Montanists
- Muggletonians
- mystic
- Patarenes
- Paulician
- Philadelphians
- Puritans
- Sabbatarians
- Seekers
- Semi-Pelagians
- Socinians
- True Levellers or Diggers
- Zionites
See also
- Jesus Christ
- Church (organization)
- World Council of Churches
- List of Roman Catholic Dioceses
- List of religions and worldviews
- Membership development in the religious communities
literature
- Kurt Hutten : seers, brooders, enthusiasts . Quell, Stuttgart 1950; 12 A. 1982, ISBN 3-7918-2130-X
- Karl-Wolfgang Tröger , Sigrid Tröger: Church Lexicon. Christian churches, free churches and communities at a glance . Union, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-372-00302-0 ; Beck, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-406-34230-2
- Reinhard Hempelmann : Handbook of the evangelistic-missionary works, institutions and communities. Germany - Austria - Switzerland . Christian publishing house, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-7675-7763-1
- Michael Klöckner, Udo Tworuschka : Handbook of Religions. Churches, religious communities and others in Germany . Loose-leaf edition. Olzog, Landsberg / Lech 1997ff, ISBN 3-7892-9900-6
- Georg Schmid , Georg Otto Schmid: Churches, sects, religions . TVZ, Zurich 7. A. 2003, ISBN 3-290-17215-5
- Reinhard Hempelmann: Panorama of the new religiosity. Search for meaning and promise of salvation at the beginning of the 21st century . Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh 2nd supplement A. 2005, ISBN 3-579-02320-9
- Handbook of Religious Communities. Published on behalf of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (VELKD) by Hans Krech and Matthias Kleiminger. 6., rework. and exp. Edition Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh 2006, ISBN 3-579-03585-1 .
- Jürgen Tibusek: One belief, many churches. The Christian Religious Communities - Who They Are and What They Believe. Brunnen, Gießen, 2nd edition 1995, ISBN 3-7655-1008-4 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The British Orthodox Church , founded by Raymond Ferrete in 1866 , refers to the tradition of the Celtic Church , a Western Church , and was subordinate to the Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church from 1994 to 2015, but differs from this in terms of worship.
- ↑ Note: founded by a Methodist pastor, but otherwise no longer affiliated with Methodism; Protestant-free church character and theology, sees itself as cross-denominational
- ↑ Website of the Community of Evangelical-Episcopal Churches