Christian denomination

== Terminology ==
{{See also|Christian Church#Related concepts}}

Each group uses different terminology to discuss their beliefs. This section will discuss the definitions of several terms used throughout the article, before discussing the beliefs themselves in detail in following sections.

A denomination within Christianity can be defined as a "recognized autonomous branch of the Christian Church"; major synonyms include "religious group, sect, Church," etc.<ref group="Note">The Oxford Dictionary's full list of synonyms for "denomination" includes: "religious group, sect, Church, cult, movement, faith community, body, persuasion, religious persuasion, communion, order, fraternity, brotherhood, sisterhood, school; faith, creed, belief, religious belief, religion. rare: sodality."</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Denomination |publisher=Oxford Dictionaries: English |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/denomination |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130223052049/http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/denomination |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 February 2013 |access-date=6 June 2015}}</ref> "Church" as a synonym, refers to a "particular Christian organization with its own clergy, buildings, and distinctive doctrines";<ref>{{cite web |title=Church |publisher=Oxford Dictionaries: English |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/church |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117211108/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/church |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 November 2013 |access-date=6 June 2015}}</ref> "church" can also more broadly be defined as the entire body of Christians, the "[[Christian Church]]".

Some traditional and evangelical [[Protestants]] draw a distinction between membership in the universal church and fellowship within the local church. Becoming a believer in Christ makes one a member of the universal church; one then may join a fellowship of other local believers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Church Membership and Church Fellowship. Is there a difference?|url=http://lifehouse.org/tracts/tbgchurchmembership.htm |first=T. B. |last=Gilbert |access-date=6 June 2015 |archive-date=20 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420002521/http://www.lifehouse.org/tracts/tbgchurchmembership.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> Some [[evangelical]] groups describe themselves as interdenominational fellowships, partnering with local churches to strengthen evangelical efforts, usually targeting a particular group with specialized needs, such as students or ethnic groups.<ref>{{cite web |title=Church |first=Alec |last=Hill |date=1 July 2003 |access-date=6 June 2015 |publisher=Intervarsity Christian Fellowship |url=http://www.intervarsity.org/news/church |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601094723/http://www.intervarsity.org/news/church |archive-date=1 June 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> A related concept is [[denominationalism]], the belief that some or all Christian groups are legitimate churches of the same religion regardless of their distinguishing labels, beliefs, and practices.<ref name="Jackson">{{cite web |url=https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/798-denominationalism-permissible-or-reprehensible |title=Denominationalism – Permissible or Reprehensible? |publisher=Christian Courier |first=Wayne |last=Jackson |access-date=2 June 2015 |archive-date=6 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150606230952/https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/798-denominationalism-permissible-or-reprehensible |url-status=live}}</ref> (Conversely, "denominationalism" can also refer to "emphasizing of denominational differences to the point of being narrowly exclusive", similar to [[sectarianism]].)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denominationalism|title=Denominationalism |publisher=Merriam Webster Dictionary |access-date=6 June 2015 |archive-date=18 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918185409/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denominationalism |url-status=live}}</ref>

The views of Protestant leaders differ greatly from those of the leaders of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, the two largest Christian denominations. Each church makes mutually exclusive statements for itself to be the direct continuation of the church founded by Jesus Christ, from whom other denominations later broke away.<ref name=olsen1999 /> These churches, and a few others, reject denominationalism.

Historically, Catholics would [[Labelling#Labelling in argumentation|label]] members of certain Christian churches (also certain non-Christian religions) by the names of their founders, either actual or purported. Such supposed founders were referred to as [[heresiarch]]s. This was done even when the party thus labeled viewed itself as belonging to the one true church. This allowed the Catholic party to say that the other church was founded by the founder, while the Catholic church was founded by Christ. This was done intentionally in order to "produce the appearance of the fragmentation within Christianity"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Buell |first=Denise Kimber |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=juQ9DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22framed+to+produce+the+appearance+of+fragmentation+within+Christianity%22&pg=PA89 |title=Making Christians: Clement of Alexandria and the Rhetoric of Legitimacy |date=1999-04-04 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-05980-8 |language=en}}</ref> – a problem which the Catholic side would then attempt to remedy on its own terms.

Although Catholics reject [[branch theory]], [[Pope Benedict XVI]] and [[Pope John Paul II]] used the "two lungs" concept to relate Catholicism with Eastern Orthodoxy.<ref>[http://www.osservatoreromano.va/en/news/europe-breathes-with-both-lungs Modern culture runs risk of amnesia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411035700/http://www.osservatoreromano.va/en/news/europe-breathes-with-both-lungs |date=2019-04-11 }}, from a speech given May 20th, 2010</ref>