Christian communities can be organized in several overlapping ways: by denomination, historical branch, religious family, theological outlook and patterns of worship or governance.
Religious Tolerance treats individuals and communities as Christian when they sincerely identify as followers of Jesus and understand themselves to be engaging with his teachings.
This inclusive editorial definition helps the collection describe groups on their own terms. It does not settle theological disagreements about who should be considered Christian. See the fuller definition of Christian.
Distinct interpretations and communities appeared early in Christian history. Accounts of the first centuries commonly discuss Jewish Christian, Pauline and Gnostic movements, although historians differ in how they define those categories. Read the overview of early Christian movements.
Later separations, reforms, migrations and revival movements produced many churches and networks. Exact totals depend heavily on whether researchers count denominations, independent congregations, regional bodies or administrative jurisdictions separately. For that reason, this page does not present an asserted current total.
No single system answers every question. Each approach emphasizes a different aspect of identity, history or belief.
A denomination is a named and organized religious body. Its identity may involve shared doctrine, governance, worship and institutional history.
Large historical traditions are often described as Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Assyrian, Anglican, Protestant, Restorationist or Pentecostal.
Terms such as conservative, mainline, moderate, evangelical, fundamentalist, liberal and progressive describe tendencies rather than fixed denominations.
Families connect churches through shared origins and traditions. Examples include Adventist, Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal and Presbyterian or Reformed families.
Belief systems such as Arminianism, Calvinism and Universalism can cross denominational lines. Congregants in one church may interpret doctrine differently.
Ecumenical organizations sometimes gather churches into practical families such as Evangelical, Pentecostal, Historic Protestant, historically Black or other racial and ethnic traditions, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic.
Use these topic pages to move from broad classifications to specific histories, organizations and areas of disagreement.
Not always. “Church” may mean a local congregation, a denomination, an institution or the worldwide Christian community. A denomination is usually a formally organized body containing multiple congregations.
Researchers use different units of measurement. One source may count worldwide traditions, another national organizations, and another independent congregations or administrative jurisdictions.
Classification systems disagree. Some include these traditions under a broad Protestant heading, while others treat them as distinct historical or ecclesial families.
Yes. Official teaching, clergy perspectives and individual belief do not always coincide. Differences can also occur among regions and congregations.
No. They are broad relational labels. A person or church may take traditional positions on some questions and progressive positions on others.
Start with the main Christianity guide, then read about shared beliefs, beliefs and creeds, or biblical interpretation.