Protestantism

==Major branches==
Protestants can be differentiated according to how they have been influenced by important movements since the Reformation, today regarded as branches. Some of these movements have a common lineage, sometimes directly spawning individual denominations. Due to the earlier stated multitude of [[List of Christian denominations|denominations]], this section discusses only the largest denominational families, or branches, widely considered to be a part of Protestantism. These are, in alphabetical order: [[Adventism|Adventist]], [[Anglican]], [[Baptist]], [[Calvinism|Calvinist (Reformed)]], [[Hussite]], [[Lutheran]], [[Methodist]], [[Pentecostal]], [[Plymouth Brethren]] and [[Quaker]]. A small but historically significant [[Anabaptist]] branch is also discussed.

The chart below shows the mutual relations and historical origins of the main Protestant denominational families, or their parts. Due to factors such as [[Counter-Reformation#Politics|Counterreformation ("Catholic Reformation")]] and the legal principle of ''[[Cuius regio, eius religio]]'', many people lived as [[Nicodemite]]s, where their professed religious affiliations were more or less at odds with the movement they sympathized with. As a result, the boundaries between the denominations do not separate as cleanly as this chart indicates. When a population was suppressed or persecuted into feigning an adherence to the dominant faith, over the generations they continued to influence the church they outwardly adhered to.

Because Calvinism was not specifically recognized in the Holy Roman Empire until the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, many Calvinists lived as [[Crypto-Calvinists]]. Due to Counterreformation ("Catholic Reformation") related suppressions in Catholic lands during the 16th through 19th centuries, many Protestants lived as [[crypto-protestantism|Crypto-Protestants]]. Meanwhile, in Protestant areas, Catholics sometimes lived as [[crypto-papist]]s, although in continental Europe emigration was more feasible so this was less common.
[[File:Protestant branches.svg|thumb|upright=2.95|center|Historical chart of the main branches of Protestantism]]

===Adventism===
{{Main|Adventism}}
Adventism began in the 19th century in the context of the [[Second Great Awakening]] revival in the [[United States]]. The name refers to belief in the imminent [[Second Coming of Christ|Second Coming (or "Second Advent") of Jesus Christ]]. [[William Miller (preacher)|William Miller]] started the Adventist movement in the 1830s. His followers became known as [[Millerism|Millerites]].<ref name="Bergman">{{cite book |surname=Bergman |given=Jerry |year=1995 |chapter=The Adventist and Jehovah's Witness Branch of Protestantism |editor-surname=Miller |editor-given=Timothy |editor-link=Timothy Miller |title=America's Alternative Religions |publisher=SUNY Press |place=Albany, NY |pages=33–46 |isbn=978-0-7914-2397-4 |chapter-url={{Google books|id=og_u0Re1uwUC|plainurl=y|page=33|keywords=|text=}} |url={{Google books|id=og_u0Re1uwUC|plainurl=y}} |url-status=live |archive-date=2020-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724210513/https://books.google.com/books?id=og_u0Re1uwUC}}</ref>

Although the Adventist churches hold much in common, their [[Christian theology|theologies]] differ on whether the [[Intermediate state (Christianity)|intermediate state]] is [[Soul sleep|unconscious sleep]] or consciousness, whether the ultimate punishment of the wicked is [[annihilationism|annihilation]] or eternal torment, the nature of immortality, whether or not the wicked are resurrected after the millennium, and whether the sanctuary of Daniel 8<ref>{{bibleverse ||Daniel|8|NKJV}}</ref> refers to the one in [[heavenly sanctuary|heaven]] or one on earth.<ref name="Handbook">{{Citation | section = Adventist and Sabbatarian (Hebraic) Churches | pages = 256–276 | first1 = Frank S | last1 = Mead | first2 = Samuel S | last2 = Hill | first3 = Craig D | last3 = Atwood | title = Handbook of Denominations in the United States | edition = 12th | place = Nashville | publisher = Abingdon Press}}</ref> The movement has encouraged the examination of the whole [[Bible]], leading Seventh-day Adventists and some smaller Adventist groups to observe the [[Sabbath in Seventh-day Adventism|Sabbath]]. The [[General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists]] has compiled that church's core beliefs in [[the 28 Fundamental Beliefs]] (1980 and 2005), which use Biblical references as justification.

In 2010, Adventism claimed some 22&nbsp;million believers scattered in various independent churches.<ref name="Christianity report">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/files/2011/12/Christianity-fullreport-web.pdf|title=Christianity report|access-date=2 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101114257/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2011/12/Christianity-fullreport-web.pdf|archive-date=1 November 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The largest church within the movement—the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]]—has more than 18&nbsp;million members.
<gallery>
File:James and Ellen White.jpg|[[James Springer White]] and his wife, [[Ellen G. White]] founded the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church]].
File:Mozambique baptism1.JPG|An [[Adventism|Adventist]] pastor baptizes a young man in [[Mozambique]]
File:Loma Linda University Church 01.jpg|[[Loma Linda University]], a Seventh-day Adventist Church in [[Loma Linda, California|Loma Linda, California, United States]]
</gallery>

===Anabaptism===
{{Main|Anabaptism}}
Anabaptism traces its origins to the [[Radical Reformation]]. Anabaptists believe in delaying [[baptism]] until the candidate confesses his or her faith. Although some consider this movement to be an offshoot of Protestantism, others see it as a distinct one.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.cbc4me.org/articles/Baptist/04-McGrath.pdf | title = CBC 4 me | contribution = Neither Catholic nor Protestant | first = William | last = McGrath | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161227060547/http://www.cbc4me.org/articles/Baptist/04-McGrath.pdf | archive-date = 27 December 2016 | df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | chapter-url = http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/gilbert/15.html | title = The Anabaptists and the Reformation | chapter = 15 The Radicals of the Reformation | first = William | last = Gilbert | access-date = 4 June 2015 | archive-date = 6 January 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190106004243/http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/gilbert/15.html | url-status = live }}</ref> The [[Amish]], [[Hutterites]], and [[Mennonites]] are direct descendants of the movement. [[Schwarzenau Brethren]], [[Bruderhof]], and the [[Apostolic Christian Church]] are considered later developments among the Anabaptists.

The name ''Anabaptist'', meaning "one who baptizes again", was given to them by their persecutors in reference to the practice of re-baptizing converts who already had been baptized as infants.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Anabaptist | title = Online Etymological Dictionary | orig-year = 2001 | year = 2010 | first = Douglas | last = Harper | contribution = Anabaptist | access-date = 25 April 2011 | archive-date = 6 August 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110806065325/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Anabaptist | url-status = live }}</ref> Anabaptists required that baptismal candidates be able to make their own confessions of faith and so rejected [[infant baptism|baptism of infants]]. The early members of this movement did not accept the name ''Anabaptist'', claiming that since infant baptism was unscriptural and null and void, the baptizing of believers was not a re-baptism but in fact their first real baptism. As a result of their views on the nature of baptism and other issues, Anabaptists were heavily persecuted during the 16th century and into the 17th by both [[Magisterial Reformation|Magisterial Protestants]] and Catholics. While most Anabaptists adhered to a [[Sermon on the Mount#Analysis and interpretation|literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount]], which precluded taking oaths, participating in military actions, and participating in civil government, some who practiced re-baptism felt otherwise.<ref group = "lower-alpha">For example, the [[Münster Rebellion|followers of Thomas Müntzer]] and [[Balthasar Hubmaier]].</ref> They were thus technically Anabaptists, even though conservative [[Amish]], [[Mennonites]], and [[Hutterites]] and some historians tend to consider them as outside of true Anabaptism. Anabaptist reformers of the Radical Reformation are divided into Radical and the so-called Second Front. Some important Radical Reformation theologians were [[John of Leiden]], [[Thomas Müntzer]], [[Kaspar Schwenkfeld von Ossig|Kaspar Schwenkfeld]], [[Sebastian Franck]], [[Menno Simons]]. Second Front Reformers included [[Hans Denck]], [[Conrad Grebel]], [[Balthasar Hubmaier]] and [[Felix Manz]]. Many Anabaptists today still use the ''[[Ausbund]]'', which is the oldest hymnal still in continuous use.
<gallery>
File:Dirk.willems.rescue.ncs.jpg|[[Dirk Willems]] saves his pursuer. This act of mercy led to his recapture, after which he was burned at the stake.
File:Lancaster County Amish 03.jpg|An [[Amish]] family in a horse-drawn square buggy in [[Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States]]
File:Alexanderwohl-church.jpg|[[Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church]] in rural [[Goessel, Kansas|Goessel, Kansas, United States]].
</gallery>

===Anglicanism===
{{Main|Anglicanism}}
[[Anglicanism]] consists of the [[Church of England]] and churches which are historically tied to it or hold similar beliefs, worship practices and church structures.<ref name="cofe">{{cite web|url=http://www.cofe.anglican.org/faith/anglican/|title=What it means to be an Anglican|publisher=Church of England|access-date=16 March 2009|archive-date=30 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830191043/http://www.churchofengland.org/our-faith/being-an-anglican.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> The word ''Anglican'' originates in ''{{lang|la|ecclesia anglicana}}'', a [[medieval Latin]] phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the ''English Church''. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority, since each national or regional church has full [[autonomy]]. As the name suggests, the communion is an association of churches in [[full communion]] with the [[archbishop of Canterbury]]. The great majority of Anglicans are members of churches which are part of the international [[Anglican Communion]],<ref name="acomm">{{cite web| url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ | title=The Anglican Communion official website – homepage | access-date=16 March 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090319004737/http://www.anglicancommunion.org/| archive-date= 19 March 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref> which has 85&nbsp;million adherents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/index.cfm|title=Member Churches|first=Anglican Communion|last=Office|website=www.anglicancommunion.org|access-date=4 June 2015|archive-date=7 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307165129/http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/index.cfm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Church of England]] declared its independence from the Catholic Church at the time of the [[Elizabethan Religious Settlement]].<ref name="CTS">{{Cite book|last=Green |first=Jonathon |author-link=Jonathon Green |title=Chasing the Sun: Dictionary Makers and the Dictionaries They Made|year=1996 |edition=1st US |publisher=[[Henry Holt (publisher)|Henry Holt]] |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8050-3466-0 |pages=58–59 |chapter=Chapter 2: The Middle Ages}}</ref> Many of the new Anglican formularies of the mid-16th century corresponded closely to those of contemporary Reformed tradition. These reforms were understood by one of those most responsible for them, the then archbishop of Canterbury, [[Thomas Cranmer]], as navigating a middle way between two of the emerging Protestant traditions, namely Lutheranism and Calvinism.<ref>[[Diarmaid MacCulloch]], ''Thomas Cranmer: A Life'', Yale University Press, p. 617 (1996).</ref> By the end of the century, the retention in Anglicanism of many traditional liturgical forms and of the episcopate was already seen as unacceptable by those promoting the most developed Protestant principles.

Unique to Anglicanism is the ''[[Book of Common Prayer]]'', the collection of services that worshippers in most Anglican churches used for centuries. While it has since undergone many revisions and Anglican churches in different countries have developed other service books, the Book of Common Prayer is still acknowledged as one of the ties that bind the Anglican Communion together.
<gallery>
File:Thomas Cranmer by Gerlach Flicke.jpg|[[Thomas Cranmer]], one of the most influential figures in shaping Anglican theology and self-identity.
File:Book of Common Prayer 1760.jpg|The various editions of the ''[[Book of Common Prayer]]'' contain the words of structured services of worship in the Anglican Church.
File:Westminster abbey west.jpg|[[Coronation of the British monarch|British coronations]] are held in [[Westminster Abbey]], a [[royal peculiar]] under the direct jurisdiction of the [[Monarch of the United Kingdom|monarch]].
</gallery>

===Baptists===
{{Main|Baptists}}
[[Baptists]] subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers ([[believer's baptism]], as opposed to [[infant baptism]]), and that it must be done by complete [[Immersion baptism|immersion]] (as opposed to [[affusion]] or [[Aspersion|sprinkling]]). Other [[Dogma|tenets]] of Baptist churches include [[soul competency]] (liberty), [[salvation]] through [[Sola fide|faith alone]], [[Sola scriptura|Scripture alone]] as the rule of faith and practice, and the autonomy of the local [[Congregationalist polity|congregation]]. Baptists recognize two ministerial offices, [[pastor]]s and [[deacon]]s. Baptist churches are widely considered to be Protestant churches, though some Baptists disavow this identity.<ref name="Baptist Origins">Buescher, John. "[http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/22329 Baptist Origins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920071007/http://www.teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/22329 |date=20 September 2015 }}." [http://www.teachinghistory.org/ Teaching History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926205612/https://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/24484 |date=26 September 2018 }}. Retrieved 23 September 2011.</ref>

Diverse from their beginning, those identifying as Baptists today differ widely from one another in what they believe, how they worship, their attitudes toward other Christians, and their understanding of what is important in Christian discipleship.<ref name="Shurden turning">{{cite web |last=Shurden |first=Walter |title=Turning Points in Baptist History |publisher=The Center for Baptist Studies, Mercer University |location=Macon, GA |year=2001 |access-date=16 January 2010 |url=http://www.centerforbaptiststudies.org/pamphlets/style/turningpoints.htm |archive-date=10 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710040901/http://www.centerforbaptiststudies.org/pamphlets/style/turningpoints.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Historians trace the earliest church labeled ''Baptist'' back to 1609 in [[Amsterdam]], with [[English Dissenters|English Separatist]] [[John Smyth (Baptist minister)|John Smyth]] as its pastor.<ref name="Gourley">Gourley, Bruce. "A Very Brief Introduction to Baptist History, Then and Now." ''The Baptist Observer.''</ref> In accordance with his reading of the [[New Testament]], he rejected baptism of infants and instituted baptism only of believing adults.<ref name="ODCC self" /> Baptist practice spread to England, where the General Baptists considered Christ's atonement to extend to all people, while the Particular Baptists believed that it extended only to [[Election (Christianity)|the elect]]. In 1638, [[Roger Williams (theologian)|Roger Williams]] established the [[first Baptist church in America|first Baptist congregation in the North American colonies]]. In the mid-18th century, the [[First Great Awakening]] increased Baptist growth in both New England and the South.<ref name="EBOself">{{cite web |url-status=live |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/52364/Baptist |title=Baptist |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426193803/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/52364/Baptist |archive-date=26 April 2015 |website=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |first=Winthrop S. |last=Hudson}}</ref> The [[Second Great Awakening]] in the South in the early 19th century increased church membership, as did the preachers' lessening of support for [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolition]] and [[manumission]] of [[slavery]], which had been part of the 18th-century teachings. Baptist missionaries have spread their church to every continent.<ref name="ODCC self" />

The [[Baptist World Alliance]] reports more than 41&nbsp;million members in more than 150,000 congregations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bwanet.org/bwa.php?site=Resources&id=19 |title=Member Body Statistics |date=30 May 2008|publisher=Baptist World Alliance |access-date= 6 May 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100401120508/http://www.bwanet.org/bwa.php?site=Resources&id=19| archive-date= 1 April 2010 | url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2002, there were over 100&nbsp;million Baptists and Baptistic group members worldwide and over 33&nbsp;million in North America.<ref name="ODCC self">{{citation|contribution=Baptists|editor-last=Cross|editor-first=FL|title=The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church|place=New York|publisher= Oxford University Press|year=2005}}</ref> The largest Baptist association is the [[Southern Baptist Convention]], with the membership of associated churches totaling more than 14&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bpnews.net/52962/acp--giving-increases-baptisms-attendance-continue-decline|title=SBC: Giving increases while baptisms continue decline|date=23 May 2019 |publisher=Baptist Press|access-date=24 September 2019|archive-date=25 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525014132/http://www.bpnews.net/52962/acp--giving-increases-baptisms-attendance-continue-decline|url-status=live |first=Carol |last=Pipes}}</ref>
<gallery>
File:Roger Williams statue by Franklin Simmons.jpg|[[Roger Williams]] was an early proponent of [[religious freedom]] and the [[separation of church and state]].
File:Baptism by immersion.jpg|Baptists subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed [[believer's baptism|only for professing believers]].
File:First Baptist Church in America from Angell St 2.jpg|The [[First Baptist Church in America]]. Baptists are roughly one-third of [[Protestantism in the United States|U.S. Protestants]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/appendix-b-classification-of-protestant-denominations/|title=Appendix B: Classification of Protestant Denominations|date=12 May 2015 |website=Pew Research Center |access-date=28 December 2015|archive-date=5 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205153232/https://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/appendix-b-classification-of-protestant-denominations/|url-status=live}}</ref> 
</gallery>

===Calvinism===
{{Main|Reformed Christianity}}
[[Calvinism]], also called the Reformed tradition, was advanced by several theologians such as [[Martin Bucer]], [[Heinrich Bullinger]], [[Peter Martyr Vermigli]], and Huldrych Zwingli, but this branch of Christianity bears the name of the French reformer John Calvin because of his prominent influence on it and because of his role in the confessional and ecclesiastical debates throughout the 16th century.

This term also currently refers to the doctrines and practices of the [[Reformed churches]] of which Calvin was an early leader. Less commonly, it can refer to the individual teaching of Calvin himself. The particulars of Calvinist theology may be stated in a number of ways. Perhaps the best known summary is contained in the [[five points of Calvinism]], though these points identify the Calvinist view on [[Christian soteriology|soteriology]] rather than summarizing the system as a whole. Broadly speaking, Calvinism stresses the sovereignty or rule of God in all things—in salvation but also in all of life. This concept is seen clearly in the doctrines of [[predestination (Calvinism)|predestination]] and [[total depravity]].

The biggest Reformed association is the [[World Communion of Reformed Churches]] with more than 80&nbsp;million members in 211 member denominations around the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wcrc.ch/theology/ |title=Theology and Communion |website=World Communion of Reformed Churches |access-date=5 December 2013 |archive-date=20 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220021929/http://wcrc.ch/theology/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://wcrc.ch/wcrc-member-churches/ |title=Member Churches |website=World Communion of Reformed Churches |access-date=5 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412134752/http://wcrc.ch/wcrc-member-churches/ |archive-date=12 April 2014}}</ref> There are more conservative Reformed federations like the [[World Reformed Fellowship]] and the [[International Conference of Reformed Churches]], as well as [[List of Reformed denominations|independent churches]].

<gallery>
File:John Calvin - Young.jpg|[[John Calvin]]'s theological thought influenced a variety of [[Congregational church|Congregational]], [[Continental Reformed church|Continental Reformed]], [[United and uniting churches|United]], [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]], and other Reformed churches.
File:Lorimer, Ordination.jpg|''The Ordination of Elders in a Scottish Kirk'' by [[John Henry Lorimer]], 1891.
File:First_Congregational_Church,_Cheshire_CT.jpg|A Congregational church in [[Cheshire, Connecticut|Cheshire, Connecticut, United States]]
</gallery>

===Hussites===
[[Hussitism]] follows the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus, who became the best-known representative of the [[Bohemian Reformation]] and one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation. An early hymnal was the hand-written ''[[Jistebnice hymn book]]''. This predominantly religious movement was propelled by social issues and strengthened [[Czech people|Czech]] national awareness. Among present-day Christians, Hussite traditions are represented in the [[Moravian Church]], [[Unity of the Brethren (Texas)|Unity of the Brethren]] and the [[Czechoslovak Hussite Church]].<ref name="Nĕmec">Nĕmec, Ludvík "The Czechoslovak heresy and schism: the emergence of a national Czechoslovak church", American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, 1975, {{ISBN|0-87169-651-7}}</ref>
<gallery>
File:Friedensthal Moravian.jpg|Friedensthal Moravian Church [[Christiansted, United States Virgin Islands|Christiansted, St Croix, USVI]] founded in 1755.
File:Lovefeast at Bethania Moravian Church.jpg|A Moravian diener serves bread to fellow members of her congregation during the celebration of a [[lovefest]] (2015).
</gallery>

===Lutheranism===
{{Main|Lutheranism}}
[[Lutheranism]] identifies with the [[theology of Martin Luther]], a [[Germans|German]] monk and priest, [[Ecclesiology|ecclesiastical]] reformer, and theologian.

Lutheranism advocates a doctrine of justification "by [[Sola gratia|grace alone]] through [[Sola fide|faith alone]] on the basis of [[Sola scriptura|Scripture alone]]", the doctrine that scripture is the final authority on all matters of faith, rejecting the assertion made by Catholic leaders at the [[Council of Trent]] that authority comes from both Scriptures and [[Sacred tradition|Tradition]].<ref>''Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent'', Fourth Session, Decree on Sacred Scripture (Denzinger 783 [1501]; Schaff 2:79–81). For a history of the discussion of various interpretations of the Tridentine decree, see Selby, Matthew L., ''The Relationship Between Scripture and Tradition according to the Council of Trent'', unpublished Master's thesis, University of St Thomas, July 2013.</ref> In addition, Lutherans accept the teachings of the first four [[ecumenical councils]] of the undivided Christian Church.<ref name="Olson1999">{{cite book|last=Olson|first=Roger E.|title=The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform|date=1999|publisher=InterVarsity Press|isbn=978-0830815050|page=[https://archive.org/details/storyofchristian00olso/page/158 158]|quote=The magisterial Protestant denominations such as major Lutheran, Reformed and Anglican (Church of England, Episcopalian) denominations recognize only the first four as having any special authority, and even they are considered subordinate to Scripture.|url=https://archive.org/details/storyofchristian00olso/page/158}}</ref><ref name="Kelly2009">{{cite book|last=Kelly|first=Joseph Francis|title=The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church: A History|year=2009|publisher=Liturgical Press|isbn=978-0814653760|page=64|quote=The Church of England and most Lutheran churches accept the first four councils as ecumenical; Orthodox churches accept the first seven.}}</ref>

Unlike the Reformed tradition, Lutherans retain many of the [[Christian liturgy|liturgical]] practices and [[Sacraments#Lutheran teaching|sacramental]] teachings of the pre-Reformation Church with an emphasis on the [[Sacramental union|Eucharist]], or Lord's Supper. Lutheran theology differs from Reformed theology in [[Scholastic Lutheran Christology|Christology]], the purpose of [[Law and Gospel#Lutheran and Reformed differences|God's Law]], divine [[Irresistible grace#Lutheran|grace]], the concept of [[Perseverance of the saints#Lutheran view|perseverance of the saints]], and [[Predestination#Lutheranism|predestination]].

Today, Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism. With approximately 80&nbsp;million adherents,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lutheran.org.nz/about-us/|title=About Us|website=Lutheran Church of New Zealand|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-date=1 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401192904/http://www.lutheran.org.nz/about-us/|url-status=live}}</ref> it constitutes the third most common Protestant confession after historically [[Pentecostal|Pentecostal denominations]] and [[Anglicanism]].<ref name="pewforum1"/> The [[Lutheran World Federation]], the largest global communion of Lutheran churches represents over 72&nbsp;million people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lutheranworld.org/content/member-churches|title=Member Churches – The Lutheran World Federation|date=19 May 2013|access-date=5 March 2015|archive-date=29 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129164641/http://www.lutheranworld.org/content/member-churches|url-status=live}}</ref> Both of these figures miscount Lutherans worldwide as many members of more generically Protestant LWF member church bodies do not self-identify as Lutheran or attend congregations that self-identify as Lutheran.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/member-statistics-2011.html |access-date=22 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715071837/http://www.lutheranworld.org/lwf/index.php/member-statistics-2011.html |archive-date=15 July 2012 |title=Survey Shows 70.5 Million Members in LWF-Affiliated Churches |website=The Lutheran World Federation}}</ref> Additionally, there are other international organizations such as the [[Global Confessional and Missional Lutheran Forum]], [[International Lutheran Council]] and the [[Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference]], as well as [[List of Lutheran denominations|Lutheran denominations]] that are not necessarily a member of an international organization.
<gallery>
File:LutherRose.jpg|[[Luther rose|Luther's rose seal]], a symbol of [[Lutheranism]]
File:EinFesteBurg.jpg|Luther composed hymns still used today, including "[[A Mighty Fortress Is Our God]]"
File:Lucas Cranach (I) - The Law and the Gospel.jpg|[[Moses]] and [[Elijah]] direct the sinner looking for salvation to the [[Christian Cross|Cross]] in this painting illustrating Luther's [[Theology of the Cross]], as opposed to a Theology of Glory.
File:Revelation Turku Finland Travel Photography (257758059).jpeg|Altar of the [[Turku Cathedral]], the [[Mother church|matrice]] of the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland]]
</gallery>

===Methodism===
{{Main|Methodism}}
[[Methodism]] identifies principally with the [[Wesleyanism|theology]] of [[John Wesley]]—an [[Anglican]] priest and evangelist. This evangelical movement originated as a [[Christian revival|revival]] within the 18th-century [[Church of England]] and became a separate Church following Wesley's death. Because of vigorous missionary activity, the movement spread throughout the [[British Empire]], the United States, and beyond, today claiming approximately 80&nbsp;million adherents worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Member Churches|url=http://worldmethodistcouncil.org/about/member-churches/|publisher=World Methodist Council|access-date=17 June 2013|archive-date=3 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303123750/http://worldmethodistcouncil.org/about/member-churches/|url-status=live}}</ref> Originally it appealed especially to laborers and slaves.

[[Soteriology|Soteriologically]], most Methodists are [[Arminian]], emphasizing that Christ accomplished salvation for every human being, and that humans must exercise an act of the will to receive it (as opposed to the traditional Calvinist doctrine of [[monergism]]). Methodism is traditionally [[low church]] in liturgy, although this varies greatly between individual congregations; the Wesleys themselves greatly valued the Anglican liturgy and tradition. Methodism is known for its rich musical tradition; John Wesley's brother, [[Charles Wesley|Charles]], was instrumental in writing much of the [[hymnody]] of the Methodist Church,<ref name="Methodist Hymnbody">{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=qScPAAAAIAAJ|title = A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the people called Methodists|publisher = T. Blanshard|year = 1820|access-date = 27 June 2015|archive-date = 23 May 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200523003032/https://books.google.com/books?id=qScPAAAAIAAJ|url-status = live}}</ref> and many other eminent hymn writers come from the Methodist tradition.
<gallery>
File:John Wesley by George Romney crop.jpg|[[John Wesley]], the primary founder of [[Methodism]]
File:Methodistcommunion3.jpg|A [[United Methodist Church|United Methodist]] elder celebrating the [[Eucharist]]
File:Methodist Central Hall.JPG|[[Methodist Central Hall, Westminster|Methodist Central Hall]] in [[Westminster]], London
File:Free Methodist Hymnal, ca 1908.jpg|A [[hymnal]] of the [[Free Methodist Church]], a Methodist denomination aligned with the [[holiness movement]]
File:Armee-du-salut.jpg|A night shelter of [[The Salvation Army]] in [[Geneva]], Switzerland
</gallery>
The Holiness movement refers to a set of practices surrounding the doctrine of Christian perfection that emerged within 19th-century Methodism, along with a number of evangelical denominations and [[parachurch organization]]s (such as [[camp meeting]]s).<ref name="Winn"/> There are an estimated 12&nbsp;million adherents in denominations aligned with the Wesleyan-holiness movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/church-families/holiness-churches|title=Holiness churches|website=oikoumene.org|access-date=31 May 2015|archive-date=25 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225232719/https://www.oikoumene.org/en/church-families/holiness-churches/|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Free Methodist Church]], the [[Salvation Army]] and the [[Wesleyan Church|Wesleyan Methodist Church]] are notable examples, while other adherents of the Holiness Movement remained within mainline Methodism, e.g. the [[United Methodist Church]].<ref name="Winn">{{cite book |last1=Winn |first1=Christian T. Collins |title=From the Margins: A Celebration of the Theological Work of Donald W. Dayton |date=2007 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1630878320 |page=115 |language=en|quote=In addition to these separate denominational groupings, one needs to give attention to the large pockets of the Holiness movement that have remained within the United Methodist Church. The most influential of these would be the circles dominated by Asbury College and Asbury Theological Seminary (both in Wilmore, KY), but one could speak of other colleges, innumerable local campmeetings, the vestiges of various local Holiness associations, independent Holiness oriented missionary societies and the like that have had great impact within United Methodism. A similar pattern would exist in England with the role of Cliff College within Methodism in that context.}}</ref>

===Pentecostalism===
{{Main|Pentecostalism}}
[[Pentecostalism]] is a movement that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of [[God in Christianity|God]] through the [[baptism with the Holy Spirit]]. The term ''Pentecostal'' is derived from [[Pentecost]], the [[Greek language|Greek]] name for the Jewish [[Feast of Weeks]]. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the [[Holy Spirit (Christianity)|Holy Spirit]] upon the followers of [[Jesus Christ]], as described in the [[Second Chapter of Acts|second chapter]] of the [[Book of Acts]].

This branch of Protestantism is distinguished by belief in the baptism with the Holy Spirit as an experience separate from [[Conversion to Christianity|conversion]] that enables a Christian to live a life empowered by and filled with the Holy Spirit. This empowerment includes the use of [[spiritual gift]]s such as [[speaking in tongues]] and [[divine healing]]—two other defining characteristics of Pentecostalism. Because of their commitment to biblical authority, spiritual gifts, and the miraculous, Pentecostals tend to see their movement as reflecting the same kind of spiritual power and teachings that were found in the [[Apostolic Age]] of the [[early church]]. For this reason, some Pentecostals also use the term ''Apostolic'' or ''[[Full Gospel]]'' to describe their movement.

Pentecostalism eventually spawned hundreds of new denominations, including large groups such as the Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ, both in the United States and elsewhere. There are over 279&nbsp;million Pentecostals worldwide, and the movement is growing in many parts of the world, especially the [[global South]]. Since the 1960s, Pentecostalism has increasingly gained acceptance from other Christian traditions, and Pentecostal beliefs concerning Spirit baptism and spiritual gifts have been embraced by non-Pentecostal Christians in Protestant and [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] churches through the [[Charismatic Movement]]. Together, [[Charismatic Christianity|Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity]] numbers over 500&nbsp;million adherents.<ref name=PewGlobalChristianity67>{{Citation | publisher=[[Pew Forum]] on Religion and Public Life | date=19 December 2011 | url=http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/Christian/Christianity-fullreport-web.pdf | title=Global Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population | page=67 | access-date=25 June 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723134849/http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/Christian/Christianity-fullreport-web.pdf | archive-date=23 July 2013 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
<gallery>
File:Charlesparham.png|[[Charles Fox Parham]], who associated [[Speaking in tongues|glossolalia]] with the baptism in the [[Holy Spirit]]
File:RH Worship Team.jpg|A contemporary Christian worship at Rock Harbor Church in [[Costa Mesa, California|Costa Mesa, California, United States]]
File:Ravensburg Freie Christengemeinde Saal.jpg|A [[Pentacostalism|Pentecostal]] church in [[Ravensburg]], Germany
</gallery>

===Plymouth Brethren===
The [[Plymouth Brethren]] are a [[conservative]], low church, evangelical denomination, whose history can be traced to [[Dublin]], Ireland, in the late 1820s, originating from [[Anglicanism]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Shawn |last=Abigail |date=June 2006 |title=What is the history of the 'Brethren'? |url=http://brethrenonline.org/faqs/Brethren.htm#3 |website="Plymouth Brethren" FAQ |access-date=12 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160518150855/http://brethrenonline.org/faqs/Brethren.htm#3 |archive-date=18 May 2016}}</ref><ref name=mackay1981>{{Cite book |first=Harold |last=Mackay |title=Assembly Distinctives |publisher=Everyday Publications |location=Scarborough, Toronto |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-88873-049-7 |oclc=15948378 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/assemblydistinct0000mack}}{{Page needed|date=September 2010}}</ref> Among other beliefs, the group emphasizes ''{{lang|la|sola scriptura}}''. Brethren generally see themselves not as a denomination, but as a network, or even as a collection of overlapping networks, of like-minded independent churches. Although the group refused for many years to take any denominational name to itself—a stance that some of them still maintain—the title ''The Brethren'', is one that many of their number are comfortable with in that the Bible designates all believers as ''brethren''.

===Quakerism===
[[Quakers]], or Friends, are members of a family of religious movements collectively known as the Religious Society of Friends. The central unifying doctrine of these movements is the [[priesthood of all believers]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Quaker Faith & Practice|url=http://qfp.quakerweb.org.uk/qfp11-01.html|publisher=Britain Yearly Meeting|access-date=5 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719234710/http://qfp.quakerweb.org.uk/qfp11-01.html|archive-date=19 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Baltimore Yearly Meeting Faith & Practice 2011 draft|url=http://www.bym-rsf.org/publications/fandp/11worship.html#vocal|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413213340/http://www.bym-rsf.org/publications/fandp/11worship.html#vocal|archive-date=13 April 2012}}</ref> Many Friends view themselves as members of a Christian denomination. They include those with [[evangelicalism|evangelical]], [[Holiness movement|holiness]], [[Mainline Protestant|liberal]], and traditional [[Conservative Friends|conservative Quaker]] understandings of [[Christianity]]. Unlike many other groups that emerged within Christianity, the Religious Society of Friends has actively tried to avoid [[creed]]s and hierarchical structures.<ref>[http://www.quaker.org/quest/ministers-1.htm The Trouble With "Ministers"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019042905/http://www.quaker.org/quest/ministers-1.htm |date=19 October 2013}} by Chuck Fager gives an overview of the hierarchy Friends had until it began to be abolished in the mid-eighteenth century. Retrieved 25 April 2014.</ref>
<gallery>
File:Fox by Lely 2.jpg|[[George Fox]] was an [[English dissenter]] and a founder of the [[Religious Society of Friends]], commonly known as the Quakers or Friends.
</gallery>

===Other Protestants===
{{Main|List of Christian denominations#Protestant}}
There are many other Protestant denominations that do not fit neatly into the mentioned branches, and are far smaller in membership. Some groups of individuals who hold basic Protestant tenets identify themselves simply as "Christians" or "[[born-again]] Christians". They typically distance themselves from the [[confessionalism (religion)|confessionalism]] or creedalism of other Christian communities<ref>Confessionalism is a term employed by historians to refer to "the creation of fixed identities and systems of beliefs for separate churches which had previously been more fluid in their self-understanding, and which had not begun by seeking separate identities for themselves—they had wanted to be truly Catholic and reformed." (MacCulloch, ''The Reformation: A History'', p. xxiv.)</ref> by calling themselves "[[Non-denominational Christianity|non-denominational]]" or "[[evangelical]]". Often founded by individual pastors, they have little affiliation with historic denominations.<ref name="Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / U.S. Religious Landscape Survey">{{cite web|url = http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report2religious-landscape-study-appendix3.pdf|title = Classification of Protestant Denominations|publisher = Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / U.S. Religious Landscape Survey|access-date = 27 September 2009|archive-date = 26 February 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150226092522/http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report2religious-landscape-study-appendix3.pdf|url-status = live}}</ref>

Although [[Unitarianism]] developed from the Protestant Reformation,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/unitarianism/ataglance/glance.shtml|publisher=BBC – Religions|title=Unitarianism: Unitarianism at a glance|access-date=1 August 2017|archive-date=9 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809050504/http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/unitarianism/ataglance/glance.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> it is excluded from Protestantism due to its [[Nontrinitarian]] theological nature.<ref name="willsky" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanunitarian.org/AUCChristian.htm|title=Unitarian Christianity|website=www.americanunitarian.org|access-date=1 August 2017|archive-date=5 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805035309/http://americanunitarian.org/AUCChristian.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Unitarianism has been popular in the [[Transylvania|region of Transylvania]] within today's [[Romania]], England, and the United States.<ref name="willsky" /> It originated almost simultaneously in Transylvania and the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]].

[[Spiritual Christianity]] is the group of Russian movements ([[Doukhobors]] and others), so-called folk Protestants. Their origins are varied: some were influenced by western Protestants, others from disgust of the behavior of official [[Russian Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] priests.<ref>{{cite journal |given=Nikolai |surname=Berdyaev |authorlink=Nikolai Berdyaev |translator=S. Janos |title=Spiritual Christianity and Sectarianism in Russia |journal=Russkaya Mysl ("Russian Thought") |date=1999 |orig-year=1916 |url=http://www.berdyaev.com/berdiaev/berd_lib/1916_252a.html |via=Berdyaev.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |year=2006 |given=Koozma J. |surname=Tarasoff |title=Spirit Wrestlers: Doukhobor Pioneers' Strategies for Living |chapter-url=http://www.spirit-wrestlers.com/excerpts/2006_Doukhobors_Overview.html |chapter=Overview |place=Ottawa |publisher=Legas |isbn=1-896031-12-9}}</ref>

[[Messianic Judaism]] is a movement of the Jews and non-Jews, which arose in the 1960s within Evangelical Protestantism and absorbed elements of the [[Jewish Christian|messianic]] traditions in Judaism.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-surname=Melton |editor-given=J. Gordon |editor-link=J. Gordon Melton |year=2005 |entry=Messianic Judaism |title=Encyclopedia of Protestantism |place=New York |publisher=Facts On File |series=Encyclopedia of World Religions |page=373 |entry-url={{Google books|id=bW3sXBjnokkC|plainurl=y|page=373|keywords=|text=}} |url={{Google books|id=bW3sXBjnokkC|plainurl=y}} |isbn=0-8160-5456-8 |quote="Messianic Judaism is a Protestant movement that emerged in the last half of the 20th century among believers who were ethnically Jewish but had adopted an Evangelical Christian faith.…By the 1960s, a new effort to create a culturally Jewish Protestant Christianity emerged among individuals who began to call themselves Messianic Jews."}}</ref>