Origin of Christian Denominations

May 17, 2024

Origin of Christian Denominations

Early Church

  • Foundation: Founded by Jesus and the apostles.
  • Illegal Status: Originally illegal in the Roman Empire but continued to spread.
  • Roman Empire: Eventually became the state religion.

Catholicism

  • Heritage: Preserves the heritage of the old Christian Roman Empire.
  • Power Center: Located in Rome.

Eastern Orthodoxy

  • Byzantine Empire: Survived as the state religion after the Roman Empire split into East and West.
  • Ecumenical Councils: Called by Byzantine emperors, leading to disagreements with Rome.
  • Great Schism: Led to separation from the Roman church.

Protestant Reformation

  • Lutheranism: Started with Martin Luther's 95 Theses criticizing Catholic practices.
  • Reformed Christianity: Union of different reformers like Zwingli and Vermigli, standardized by John Calvin.
  • Calvinism: Influential through ideas like predestination and spiritual presence in the Lord's Supper.

Anglicanism

  • King Henry VII: Initially split from Rome over political reasons rather than theological.
  • Thomas Cranmer: Theological head aiming to adopt reformed ideas.
  • Episcopal Structure: Established a hierarchical church government.

Presbyterianism

  • Scottish Reformed: Opposed the Episcopal structure of the Church of England.
  • Church Government: Run like a republic rather than a monarchy.
  • Influence: Inspired American Revolution.

Anabaptists

  • Radical Reformation: Rejected Catholic church entirely.
  • Practices: Refused baptism of infants and separated from secular institutions.

Baptists

  • Church of England: Derived from those who wanted independent churches.
  • Practices: Similar to Anabaptists, skeptical of institutions and traditions.

Congregationalists

  • Independent Churches: Wanted independent churches but retained infant baptism.
  • Pilgrims: Fled to America due to pressure in England, leading to Thanksgiving tradition.

Methodism

  • John Wesley: Sought revival in the Church of England.
  • Practices: Focused on religious revival and active faith.

Holiness Churches

  • Second Great Awakening: Methodists emphasizing spiritual growth and sin avoidance.
  • Denominations: Includes Church of the Nazarene and Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Pentecostalism

  • Early 20th Century: Started with Azusa Street Revival focusing on spiritual gifts like healings and speaking in tongues.

Coptic Church

  • Oriental Orthodox: Split early from Imperial Christianity over theological disagreements about Jesus' nature.
  • Supporters: Includes Ethiopian, Armenian, and Syriac churches.

Moravians

  • Early Protestants: Started by Jan Hus, a precursor to Martin Luther.

Assyrian Church of the East

  • Early Split: Disagreed with theological decisions made by the early church regarding Jesus' nature.

Restorationists

  • Recent Movement: Includes Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ, aiming to rebuild Christianity from scratch, avoiding early Creeds and confessions.

Common Roots

  • Despite many branches, all denominations share the same foundational message about Jesus.