Category: Denominations

The number of members of different Christian denominations is somewhat elusive, but general approximations can be made. I have assembled some rough estimates based on the websites listed at the bottom of this post. In terms of major divisions, the breakdown is as follows: Denomination Members % Roman Catholic 1,285,000,000 47.6% Protestant 920,000,000 34.1% Eastern… Read more

The term evangelicalism derives from the Greek word euangélion (εὐαγγέλιον), literally means good news. In Old English Bible translations, euangélion was translated as gōdspel (gōd = good + spel = news). Middle English Bible translations modified this to gospel, which is still used in modern translations. In terms of etymology, evangelicalism and gospel are synonymous… Read more

The term fundamentalism can apply in a general religious sense and also in a specific Christian sense. In a general sense, Rik Peels characterizes fundamentalist movements as exemplifying the following: (1) a rejection of liberal ethics; (2) a literal and infallible view of authoritative texts; and (3) an interpretation of events in a grand narrative of… Read more

Pentecostalism had its humble beginning in Topeka Kansas. In 1900, Charles Fox Parham started Bethel Bible School, of which he was the only teacher. A few years earlier, both Parham and his son had fallen ill. He refused all medical treatment and placed his faith in the Holy Spirit’s power of divine healing. At Bethel, he… Read more

There are an estimated 170 million people in the world who identify as Baptist. The defining belief of Baptists is that infants should not be baptized. Baptism requires the full immersion of a confessed believer. This is referred to as a believer’s baptism. Although the Anabaptist movement also rejected infant baptism, its influence on the… Read more

The Anglican denomination derives from the Church of England. Churches that began as part of the Church of England tend to be called Anglican and those that formed outside of the Church of England but held to the same doctrine and liturgy tend to be called Episcopal. Care must be taken to distinguish between a… Read more

Eastern Orthodoxy begins with the understanding that the people and practices closest in time to Christ and early Christianity are the most reliable sources of correct theology and correct church practices. Eastern Orthodoxy therefore seeks to preserve these traditions and to not let them be corrupted by modern inventions. The importance of staying true to… Read more