Protestantism

==Denominations==
{{See also|List of Christian denominations#Protestant|List of the largest Protestant churches}}

Protestants refer to specific groupings of congregations or churches that share in common foundational doctrines and the name of their groups as [[List of Christian Denominations#Protestant|denominations]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QkhVtAEwZckC&pg=PA135|title=Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1996–1997|date=1996|publisher=Diane Publishing|via=Google Books|isbn=978-0788129056|access-date=27 June 2015|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523002953/https://books.google.com/books?id=QkhVtAEwZckC&pg=PA135|url-status=live}}</ref> The term denomination (national body) is to be distinguished from branch (denominational family; tradition), communion (international body) and congregation (church). An example (this is no universal way to classify Protestant churches, as these may sometimes vary broadly in their structures) to show the difference:

:Branch/denominational family/tradition: [[Methodism]]
::Communion/international body: [[World Methodist Council]]
:::Denomination/national body: [[United Methodist Church]]
::::Congregation/church: [[First United Methodist Church (Paintsville, Kentucky)]]

Protestants reject the [[Catholic Church]]'s doctrine that it is the [[one true church]], with some teaching belief in the ''invisible church'', which consists of all who profess faith in Jesus Christ.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antiochian.org/node/17076|title=An Orthodox Response to the Recent Roman Catholic Declaration on the Nature of the Church|publisher=Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese|website=www.antiochian.org|access-date=28 July 2014|archive-date=2 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802015235/http://antiochian.org/node/17076|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Church]] traditionally sees itself as the "main trunk of the historical Christian Tree" founded by Christ and the Apostles, holding that during the Reformation, the [[Holy See|Church of Rome]] fell away.<ref name="Remensnyder1893">{{cite book |author1=Junius Benjamin Remensnyder |title=The Lutheran Manual |date=1893 |publisher=Boschen & Wefer Company |page=12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rWA3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA12 |language=English |access-date=27 April 2021 |archive-date=27 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427020003/https://books.google.com/books?id=rWA3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA12 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Frey1918">{{cite book |last=Frey |first=H. |title=Is One Church as Good as Another? |publisher=[[The Lutheran Witness]] |year=1918 |volume=37 |pages=82–83 |language=English |quote=There can only be one ''true'' visible Church. ...Only that one is the true visible Church which teaches and confesses the entire doctrine of the Word of God in all its purity, and in whose midst the Sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's institution. Of all Churches, this can only be said of our Lutheran Church.}}</ref> Individual denominations also have formed over very subtle theological differences. Other denominations are simply regional or ethnic expressions of the same beliefs. Because the five solas are the main tenets of the Protestant faith, [[non-denominational]] groups and organizations are also considered Protestant.

Various [[Christian ecumenism|ecumenical movements]] have attempted cooperation or reorganization of the various divided Protestant denominations, according to various models of union, but divisions continue to outpace unions, as there is no overarching authority to which any of the churches owe allegiance, which can authoritatively define the faith. Most denominations share common beliefs in the major aspects of the Christian faith while differing in many secondary doctrines, although what is major and what is secondary is a matter of idiosyncratic belief.

Several countries have [[state religion|established]] their [[national church]]es, linking the ecclesiastical structure with the state. Jurisdictions where a Protestant denomination has been established as a state religion include several [[Nordic countries]]; Denmark (including Greenland),<ref name=DenmarkConstitution>{{cite web|url=http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/da00000_.html|title=ICL > Denmark > Constitution|website=www.servat.unibe.ch|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-date=10 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710092702/http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/da00000_.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[the Faroe Islands]] ([[Church of the Faroe Islands|its church]] being independent since 2007),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.folkakirkjan.fo/default.aspx?pageid=6235&sectionid=207|title=Føroyska kirkjan|website=Fólkakirkjan|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308090058/http://www.folkakirkjan.fo/default.aspx?pageid=6235&sectionid=207|archive-date=8 March 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Iceland<ref name=IcelandConstitution>[http://www.government.is/constitution/ Constitution of the Republic of Iceland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040211190819/http://www.government.is/constitution/ |date=11 February 2004 }}: Article 62, [http://www.government.is/ Government of Iceland] .</ref> and Norway<ref name="abcnyheter">[http://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/080410/losere-band-men-fortsatt-statskirke Løsere bånd, men fortsatt statskirke] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108043939/http://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/080410/losere-band-men-fortsatt-statskirke|date=8 January 2014}}, ABC Nyheter<!-- https://www.webcitation.org/6DEb3MkkC?url=http://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/080410/losere-band-men-fortsatt-statskirke --></ref><ref>[http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/norge/1.8076910 Staten skal ikke lenger ansette biskoper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418121937/http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/norge/1.8076910 |date=18 April 2012 }}, NRK</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://fritanke.no/index.php?page=vis_nyhet&NyhetID=8840|title=Ingen avskaffelse: Slik blir den nye statskirkeordningen|first=Human-Etisk|last=Forbund|date=15 May 2012|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-date=20 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120093721/https://fritanke.no/index.php?page=vis_nyhet&NyhetID=8840|url-status=live}}</ref> have established [[Lutheranism|Evangelical Lutheran]] churches. [[Tuvalu]] has [[Church of Tuvalu|the only established church in Reformed tradition]] in the world, while [[Tonga]]—[[Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga|in the Methodist tradition]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?id=13338&lg=eng|title=Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions|first=Christoph|last=Fasse|website=www.reformiert-online.net|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-date=8 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708165003/http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?id=13338&lg=eng|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Church of England]] is the officially established religious institution in England,<ref name=Eberle>{{cite book|title=Church and State in Western Society|first=Edward J.|last=Eberle|publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.]]|year=2011|isbn=978-1-4094-0792-8|page=2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oYkzkVc_sG0C&pg=PA2|quote=The Church of England later became the official state church, with the monarch supervising church functions.|access-date=30 December 2019|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523002945/https://books.google.com/books?id=oYkzkVc_sG0C&pg=PA2|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Fox>{{cite book|title=A World Survey of Religion and the State|first=Jonathan|last=Fox|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-521-88131-9|page=120|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rE0NcgxNaKEC&pg=PA120|quote=The Church of England (Anglican) and the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) are the official religions of the UK.|access-date=30 December 2019|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523002951/https://books.google.com/books?id=rE0NcgxNaKEC&pg=PA120|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Ferrante>{{cite book|title=Sociology: A Global Perspective|first=Joan|last=Ferrante|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|year=2010|isbn=978-0-8400-3204-1|page=408|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AwnIIXI6y38C&pg=PA408|quote=the Church of England [Anglican], which remains the official state church|access-date=30 December 2019|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523002953/https://books.google.com/books?id=AwnIIXI6y38C&pg=PA408|url-status=live}}</ref> and also the [[Mother Church]] of the worldwide [[Anglican Communion]].

In 1869, Finland was the first Nordic country to [[disestablishment|disestablish]] [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland|its Evangelical Lutheran church]] by introducing the Church Act.{{efn|Finland's State Church was the [[Church of Sweden]] until 1809. As an autonomous Grand Duchy under Russia 1809–1917, Finland retained the Lutheran State Church system, and a state church separate from Sweden, later named the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland]], was established. It was detached from the state as a separate judicial entity when the new church law came to force in 1869. After Finland had gained independence in 1917, religious freedom was declared in the constitution of 1919 and a separate law on religious freedom in 1922. Through this arrangement, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland lost its position as a state church but gained a constitutional status as a national church alongside the [[Finnish Orthodox Church]], whose position, however, is not codified in the constitution.}} Although the church still maintains a special relationship with the state, it is not described as a [[state religion]] in the [[Constitution of Finland|Finnish Constitution]] or other laws passed by the [[Finnish Parliament]].<ref name=FinlandConstitution>{{cite web|url=http://servat.unibe.ch/icl/fi00000_.html|title=ICL > Finland > Constitution|website=servat.unibe.ch|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-date=23 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123122238/http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/fi00000_.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2000, Sweden was the second Nordic country to do so.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iclrs.org/content/blurb/files/Sweden.1.pdf|title=Maarit Jänterä-Jareborg: Religion and the Secular State in Sweden|access-date=23 July 2014|archive-date=10 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110072754/http://www.iclrs.org/content/blurb/files/Sweden.1.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===United and uniting churches===
{{Main|United and uniting churches}}
{{See also|Continuing churches}}
[[File:Union luthercalvin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Glass window in the town church of [[Wiesloch]] featuring [[Martin Luther]] and [[John Calvin]] commemorating the 1821 union of [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] and [[Calvinism|Reformed]] churches in the [[Grand Duchy of Baden]]]]
United and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.

Historically, unions of Protestant churches were enforced by the state, usually in order to have a stricter control over the religious sphere of its people, but also for other organizational reasons. As modern [[Christian ecumenism]] progresses, unions between various Protestant traditions are becoming more and more common, resulting in a growing number of united and uniting churches. Some of the recent major examples are the [[Church of North India]] (1970), [[United Protestant Church of France]] (2013), and the [[Protestant Church in the Netherlands]] (2004). As mainline Protestantism shrinks in [[Europe]] and [[North America]] due to the rise of [[secularism]] or in areas where Christianity is a minority religion as with the [[Indian subcontinent]], [[Reformed church|Reformed]], [[Anglican]], and [[Lutheran]] denominations merge, often creating large nationwide denominations. The phenomenon is much less common among [[evangelical]], [[Nondenominational Christianity|nondenominational]] and [[charismatic]] churches as new ones arise and plenty of them remain independent of each other.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

What is perhaps the oldest official united church is found in [[Germany]], where the [[Protestant Church in Germany]] is a federation of [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]], United ([[Prussian Union of churches|Prussian Union]]), and [[Reformed churches]], a union dating back to 1817. The first of the series of unions was at a synod in [[Idstein]] to form the [[Protestant Church in Hesse and Nassau]] in August 1817, commemorated in naming the church of Idstein [[Unionskirche, Idstein|Unionskirche]] one hundred years later.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nassau-info.de/geschichte-jb-kirche.htm |title=Staatlicher Dirigismus und neue Gläubigkeit (Die Kirche im Herzogtum Nassau) |publisher=Nassau-info.de |language=de |access-date=27 May 2016 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303234050/http://www.nassau-info.de/geschichte-jb-kirche.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Around the world, each united or uniting church comprises a different mix of predecessor Protestant denominations. Trends are visible, however, as most united and uniting churches have one or more predecessors with heritage in the [[Calvinism|Reformed tradition]] and many are members of the [[World Alliance of Reformed Churches]].