Christian denomination Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! == Historical schisms and divisions == Christianity has not been a monolithic faith since the [[Christianity in the 1st century|first century]] or [[Apostolic Age]], though Christians were largely in communion with each other. Today there exist a large variety of groups that share a common history and tradition within and without mainstream Christianity. Christianity is the largest religion in the world (making up approximately one-third of the population) and the various divisions have commonalities and differences in tradition, [[theology]], [[ecclesiology|church government]], doctrine, and language. The largest [[schism]] or division in many classification schemes is between the families of [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern]] and [[Western Christianity]]. After these two larger families come distinct branches of Christianity. Most classification schemes list Roman Catholicism, [[Protestantism]], and [[Orthodoxy#Christianity|Orthodox Christianity]]), with Orthodox Christianity being divided into [[Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Oriental Orthodoxy]] and the [[Church of the East]]. However Roman Catholicism is to be seen as a distinct denomination within Western Christianity.<ref name="McAuliffe2008">{{cite book |last1=McAuliffe |first1=Garrett |title=Culturally Alert Counseling: A Comprehensive Introduction |date=2008 |publisher=[[SAGE Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-4129-1006-4 |page=532 |language=en |quote=About one-third of the world's population is considered Christian and can be divided into three main branches: (1) Catholicism (the largest coherent group, representing over one billion baptized members); (2) Orthodox Christianity (including Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy); and (3) Protestantism (comprising many denominations and schools of thought, including Anglicanism, Reformed, Presbyterianism, Lutheranism, Methodism, Evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism).}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Mirola |first1=William |last2=Monahan |first2=Susanne C. |title=Religion Matters: What Sociology Teaches Us About Religion In Our World |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-34451-3 |language=en |quote=Orthodox Churches represent one of te three major branches of Christianity, along with Catholicism and Protestantism.}}</ref> Protestantism includes diverse groups such as [[Adventism|Adventists]], [[Anabaptists]], [[Anglicanism|Anglicans]], [[Baptists]], [[Congregational church|Congregationalists]], [[Methodism|Methodists]] (inclusive of the [[Holiness movement]]), [[Moravian Church|Moravians]], [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]], [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterians]], [[Reformed churches|Reformed]],<ref name="McAuliffe2008"/><ref name="EB2008"/><ref name="Melton2005"/> and [[Unitarianism|Unitarians]] (depending on one's classification scheme) are all a part of the same family but have distinct doctrinal variations within each group—[[Lutherans]] see themselves not to be a part of the rest of what they call "Reformed Protestantism" due to radical differences in sacramental theology and historical approach to the Reformation itself (both Reformed and Lutherans see their reformation in the sixteenth century to be a 'reforming' of the Catholic Church, not a rejection of it entirely). From these come denominations, which in the West, have independence from the others in their doctrine. The [[Catholic Church]], due to its [[hierarchy|hierarchical]] structures, is not said to be made up of denominations, rather, it is a single denomination that include kinds of regional councils and individual congregations and church bodies, which do not officially differ from one another in doctrine. ===Antiquity=== {{See also|Proto-orthodox Christianity}} The initial differences between the East and West traditions stem from socio-cultural and ethno-linguistic divisions in and between the [[Western Roman Empire|Western Roman]] and [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine empire]]s. Since the West (that is, Western Europe) spoke [[Latin]] as its ''[[lingua franca]]'' and the East (Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and northern Africa) largely used [[Aramaic]] and [[Koine Greek]] to transmit writings, theological developments were difficult to translate from one branch to the other. In the course of [[ecumenical council]]s (large gatherings of Christian leaders), some church bodies split from the larger family of Christianity. Many earlier [[heresy|heretical]] groups either died off for lack of followers or suppression by the early [[Proto-orthodox Christianity|proto-orthodox]] Church at large (such as [[Apollinarianism|Apollinarians]], [[Montanism|Montanists]], and [[Ebionites]]). Following the [[Council of Chalcedon]] in 451, the next large split came with the [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Syriac]] and [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic]] churches dividing themselves, with some churches becoming today's [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodox]]. The [[Armenian Apostolic Church]], whose representatives were not able to attend the council did not accept new dogmas and now is also seen as an Oriental Orthodox church. In modern times, there have also been moves towards healing this split, with common Christological statements being made between [[Pope John Paul II]] and Syriac Patriarch [[Ignatius Zakka I Iwas]], as well as between representatives of both Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy. There has been a statement that the [[Chalcedonian Definition|Chalcedonian Creed]] restored Nestorianism, however this is refuted by maintaining the following distinctions associated with the ''person'' of Christ: two hypostases, two natures ([[Nestorian]]); one hypostasis, one nature ([[Monophysite]]); one hypostasis, two natures (Eastern Orthodox/Roman Catholic).<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Monophysites and Monophysitism |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10489b.htm |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=New Advent |archive-date=2023-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519043505/https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10489b.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Middle Ages=== {{Unreferenced section|date=March 2024}} {{main|East-West Schism}} [[File:Lutherstadt Wittenberg 09-2016 photo06.jpg|thumb|The front door of [[All Saints' Church, Wittenberg|All Saints' Church]] in [[Wittenberg]], Germany, where [[Martin Luther]] nailed his ''[[Ninety-five Theses]]'' on 31st October 1517, sparking the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]]]] In Western Christianity, a handful of geographically isolated movements preceded the spirit of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. The [[Cathars]] were a very strong movement in medieval southwestern France, but did not survive into modern times. In northern [[Italy]] and southeastern [[France]], [[Peter Waldo]] founded the [[Waldensians]] in the 12th century. This movement has largely been absorbed by modern-day Protestant groups. In [[Bohemia]], a movement in the early 15th century by [[Jan Hus]] called the [[Hussite]]s defied Catholic [[dogma]], creating the still-extant [[Moravian Church]], a major Protestant denomination. Although the church as a whole did not experience any major divisions for centuries afterward, the Eastern and Western groups drifted until the point where patriarchs from both families [[excommunication|excommunicated]] one another in about 1054 in what is known as the [[East-West Schism|Great Schism]]. The political and theological reasons for the schism are complex, but one major controversy was the inclusion and acceptance in the West of the [[filioque clause]] into the [[Nicene Creed]], which the East viewed as erroneous. Another was the definition of [[Primacy of the Roman Pontiff|papal primacy]]. Both West and East agreed that the Patriarch of Rome was owed a "[[Primus inter pares|primacy of honour]]" by the other patriarchs (those of [[Alexandria]], [[Antioch]], [[Constantinople]] and [[Jerusalem in Christianity|Jerusalem]]), but the West also contended that this primacy extended to jurisdiction, a position rejected by the Eastern patriarchs. Various attempts at dialogue between the two groups would occur, but it was only in the 1960s, under Pope [[Paul VI]] and [[Patriarch Athenagoras]], that significant steps began to be made to mend the relationship between the two. ===Protestant Reformation (16th century)=== {{main|Protestant Reformation}} The Protestant Reformation began with the posting of [[Martin Luther]]'s ''[[The Ninety-Five Theses|Ninety-Five Theses]]'' in [[Saxony]] on October 31, 1517, written as a set of grievances to reform the pre-Reformation Western Church. [[Martin Luther (resources)|Luther's writings]], combined with the work of [[Switzerland|Swiss]] theologian [[Huldrych Zwingli]] and French theologian and politician [[John Calvin]] sought to reform existing problems in doctrine and practice. Due to the reactions of ecclesiastical office holders at the time of the reformers, these reformers separated from the Catholic Church, instigating a rift in [[Western Christianity]]. In [[England]], [[Henry VIII of England]] declared himself to be supreme head of the [[Church of England]] with the [[Act of Supremacy]] in 1534, founding the Church of England, repressing both Lutheran reformers and those loyal to the pope. [[Thomas Cranmer]] as [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] introduced the Reformation, in a form compromising between the Calvinists and Lutherans. ===Old and Liberal Catholic Churches (19th–20th centuries)=== The [[Old Catholic Church]] split from the [[Catholic Church]] in the 1870s because of the promulgation of the [[dogma]] of [[papal infallibility]] as promoted by the [[First Vatican Council]] of 1869–1870. The term 'Old Catholic' was first used in 1853 to describe the members of the See of Utrecht that were not under Papal authority. The Old Catholic movement grew in America but has not maintained ties with Utrecht, although talks are under way between independent Old Catholic bishops and Utrecht. The [[Liberal Catholic Church]] started in 1916 via an Old Catholic bishop in London, bishop Matthew, who consecrated bishop James Wedgwood to the Episcopacy. This stream has in its relatively short existence known many splits, which operate worldwide under several names. ===Eastern Christianity=== In the Eastern world, the largest body of believers in modern times is the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], sometimes imprecisely called "Greek Orthodox" because from the time of Christ through the Byzantine empire, Greek was its common language. However, the term "[[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]]" actually refers to only one portion of the entire Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church believes itself to be the continuation of the original Christian Church established by [[Jesus Christ]], and the [[Twelve Apostles|Apostles]]. The Orthodox and Catholics have been separated since the 11th century, following the [[East–West Schism]], with each of them saying they represent the original pre-schism Church. The Eastern Orthodox consider themselves to be spiritually one body, which is administratively grouped into several [[autocephaly|autocephalous]] jurisdictions (also commonly referred to as "churches", despite being parts of one Church). They do not recognize any single bishop as universal church leader, but rather each bishop governs only his own [[diocese]]. The [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]] is known as the Ecumenical Patriarch, and holds the title "[[primus inter pares|first among equals]]", meaning only that if a great council is called, the patriarch sits as president of the council. He has no more power than any other bishop. Currently, the largest [[synod]] with the most members is the [[Russian Orthodox Church]]. Others include the ancient Patriarchates of [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople|Constantinople]], [[Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Alexandria]], [[Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch|Antioch]] and [[Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]], the [[Georgian Orthodox Church|Georgian]], [[Romanian Orthodox Church|Romanian]], [[Serbian Orthodox Church|Serbian]] and [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church|Bulgarian]] Orthodox churches, and several smaller ones. [[File:Church of Saint John the Arab.jpg|thumb|225px|A 6th-century Nestorian church, St. John the Arab, in the [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] village of [[Andac|Geramon]]]] The second largest Eastern Christian communion is [[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodoxy]], which is organized in a similar manner, with six national autocephalous groups and two autonomous bodies, although there are greater internal differences than among the Eastern Orthodox (especially in the diversity of [[Christian liturgy|rite]]s being used). The six autocephalous Oriental Orthodox churches are the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic]] (Egyptian), [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Syriac]], [[Armenian Orthodox Church|Armenian]], [[Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church|Malankara]] (Indian), [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian]] and [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Eritrean]] Orthodox churches. In the Aramaic-speaking areas of the [[Middle East]], the Syriac Orthodox Church has long been dominant. Although the region of modern-day [[Ethiopia]] and [[Eritrea]] has had a strong body of believers since the infancy of Christianity, these regions only gained autocephaly in 1963 and 1994 respectively. The Oriental Orthodox are distinguished from the Eastern Orthodox by doctrinal differences concerning the union of human and divine natures in the person of Jesus Christ, and the two communions separated as a consequence of the [[Council of Chalcedon]] in the year 451, although there have been recent moves towards reconciliation. Since these groups are relatively obscure in the West, literature on them has sometimes included the [[Church of the East]], which, like the Oriental Orthodox, originated in the 1st century A.D., but has not been in communion with them since before the [[Council of Ephesus]] of 431. Largely [[aniconic]], the Church of the East represents a third Eastern Christian tradition in its own right. In recent centuries, it has split into three Churches. The largest (since the early 20th century) is the [[Baghdad]]-based [[Chaldean Catholic Church]] formed from groups that entered communion with Rome at different times, beginning in 1552. The second-largest is what since 1976<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CnSCAgAAQBAJ&dq=Assyrian+officially+1976&pg=PA4 |title=Wilhelm Baum, Dietmar W. Winkler (editors), ''The Church of the East: A Concise History'' (Routledge 2003), p. 4 |isbn=9781134430192 |access-date=2018-10-19 |archive-date=2022-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220110734/https://books.google.com/books?id=CnSCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA4&dq=Assyrian+officially+1976&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOqPzw45LeAhWoDcAKHSd0BrMQ6AEIVTAJ#v=onepage&q=Assyrian%20officially%201976&f=false |url-status=live |last1=Baum |first1=Wilhelm |last2=Winkler |first2=Dietmar W. |date=8 December 2003 |publisher=Routledge }}</ref> is officially called the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] and which from 1933 to 2015 was headquartered first in [[Cyprus]] and then in the [[United States]], but whose present Catholicos-Patriarch, [[Gewargis III]], elected in 2015, lives in [[Erbil]], [[Iraq]]. The third is the [[Ancient Church of the East]], distinct since 1964 and headed by [[Addai II Giwargis]], resident in Baghdad. There are also the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]], most of which are counterparts of those listed above, sharing with them the same theological and liturgical traditions, but differing from them in that they recognize the [[Pope|Bishop of Rome]] as the [[Primacy of the Roman Pontiff|universal head of the Church]]. They are fully part of the [[Catholic Church|Catholic communion]], on the same level juridically as the [[Latin Church]]. Most of their members do not describe themselves as "[[Roman Catholic (term)|''Roman'' Catholics]]", a term they associate with membership of the Latin Church, and speak of themselves in relation to whichever Church they belong to: [[Maronite Church|Maronites]], [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church|Melkites]], [[Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|Ukrainian Catholics]], [[Coptic Catholic Church|Coptic Catholics]], [[Chaldean Catholic Church|Chaldean Catholics]], etc.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.crisismagazine.com/2011/we-are-non-roman-catholics |title=Robert Spencer, "We are Non-Roman Catholics" in ''Crisis Magazine'', 22 November 2011 |date=22 November 2011 |access-date=25 October 2016 |archive-date=20 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720144229/http://www.crisismagazine.com/2011/we-are-non-roman-catholics |url-status=live}}</ref> And finally the smallest Eastern Christian group founded in early 20th century is [[Byzantine Rite Lutheranism]] where accept Byzantine Rite as Church's liturgy while retaining their Lutheran traditions like [[Ukrainian Lutheran Church]]. It is considered part of [[Eastern Protestant Christianity|Eastern Protestant]] denominational movement. ===Western Christianity=== {{Christian denominations in the English-speaking world}} The [[Latin Church|Latin portion]] of the [[Catholic Church]], along with [[Protestantism]], comprise the three major divisions of [[Christianity]] in the Western world. Catholics do not describe themselves as a denomination but rather as the original Church, from which all other branches broke off in [[schism (religious)|schism]]. The [[Baptist]], [[Methodism|Methodist]], and [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] churches are generally considered to be Protestant denominations, although strictly speaking, of these three, only the Lutherans took part in the official [[Protestation at Speyer]] after the decree of the [[Second Diet of Speyer]] mandated the burning of Luther's works and the end of the [[Protestant Reformation]]. Anglicanism is generally classified as Protestant,<ref name="EB2008">{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of World Religions |date=2008 |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |isbn=978-1-59339-491-2 |language=en |quote=Amid all this diversity, however, it is possible to define Protestantism formally as non-Roman Western Christianity and to divide most of Protestantism into four major confessions or confessional families – Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed, and Free Church.}}</ref><ref name="Melton2005">{{cite book |last1=Melton |first1=J. Gordon |title=Encyclopedia of Protestantism |date=2005 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-6983-5 |language=en |quote=Most narrowly, it denotes a movement that began within the Roman Catholic Church in Europe in the 16th century and the churches that come directly out of it. In this narrow sense, Protestantism would include the Lutheran, Reformed or Presbyterian, and Anglican (Church of England) churches, and by extension the churches of the British Puritan movement, which sought to bring the Church of England into the Reformed/Presbyterian camp. Most recently, scholars have argued quite effectively that the churches of the radical phase of the 16th-century Reformation, the Anabaptist and Mennonite groups, also belong within this more narrow usage.}}</ref><ref name="Hanciles2019">{{cite book |last1=Hanciles |first1=Jehu J. |title=The Oxford History of Protestant Dissenting Traditions, Volume IV: The Twentieth Century: Traditions in a Global Context |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-251821-7 |language=en |quote=The designation Protestant includes Lutherans and Anglicans, although some Anglicans do not like the word. Methodism arrived in Asia both from Britain and via America, but with distinct traditions. Both owed a debt to Moravian Lutheranism, as did the Protestant missionary movement generally. Evangelicals have long included many Anglicans, and by 1967 Anglican evangelicalism was defining the movement in Britain.}}</ref> being originally seen as a ''via media'', or middle way between Lutheranism and Reformed Christianity, and since the [[Oxford Movement]] of the 19th century, some Anglican writers of Anglo-Catholic churchmanship emphasize a more [[Catholic (term)|catholic]] understanding of the church and characterize it as being ''both'' Protestant and Catholic.<ref name="AEH2003">{{cite book|title=Anglican and Episcopal History|year=2003|publisher=Historical Society of the Episcopal Church|language=en|page=15|quote=Others had made similar observations, Patrick McGrath commenting that the Church of England was not a middle way between Roman Catholic and Protestant, but "between different forms of Protestantism," and William Monter describing the Church of England as "a unique style of Protestantism, a via media between the Reformed and Lutheran traditions." MacCulloch has described Cranmer as seeking a middle way between Zurich and Wittenberg but elsewhere remarks that the Church of England was "nearer Zurich and Geneva than Wittenberg.}}</ref> A case is sometimes also made to regard Lutheranism in a similar way, considering the catholic character of its foundational documents (the [[Augsburg Confession]] and other documents contained in the [[Book of Concord]]) and its existence prior to the Anglican, Anabaptist, and [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] churches, from which nearly all other Protestant denominations derive.<ref name="Ludwig2016"/> One central tenet of Catholicism (which is a common point between Catholic, Scandinavian Lutheran, Anglican, Moravian, Orthodox, and some other Churches), is its practice of [[apostolic succession]]. "[[Apostle]]" means "one who is sent out". Jesus commissioned the first [[twelve apostles]], and they, in turn laid hands on subsequent church leaders to ordain (commission) them for ministry. In this manner, Catholics and Anglicans trace their ordained ministers all the way back to the original Twelve. Catholics believe that the [[Pope]] has authority which can be traced directly to the apostle [[Saint Peter|Peter]] whom they hold to be the original head of and first Pope of the [[Christian Church|Church]]. There are smaller churches, such as the [[Old Catholic Church]] which rejected the definition of [[Papal Infallibility]] at the [[First Vatican Council]], as well as [[Evangelical Catholic]]s and [[Anglo-Catholicism|Anglo-Catholics]], who are Lutherans and Anglicans that believe that Lutheranism and Anglicanism, respectively, are a continuation of historical [[Catholicism]] and who incorporate many Catholic beliefs and practices.<ref name="Ludwig2016">{{cite book|title=Luther's Catholic Reformation|last=Ludwig|first=Alan|date=12 September 2016|publisher=[[The Lutheran Witness]]|language=en|quote= When the Lutherans presented the Augsburg Confession before Emperor Charles V in 1530, they carefully showed that each article of faith and practice was true first of all to Holy Scripture, and then also to the teaching of the church fathers and the councils and even the canon law of the Church of Rome. They boldly claim, “This is about the Sum of our Doctrine, in which, as can be seen, there is nothing that varies from the Scriptures, or from the Church Catholic, or from the Church of Rome as known from its writers” (AC XXI Conclusion 1). The underlying thesis of the Augsburg Confession is that the faith as confessed by Luther and his followers is nothing new, but the true catholic faith, and that their churches represent the true catholic or universal church. In fact, it is actually the Church of Rome that has departed from the ancient faith and practice of the catholic church (see AC XXIII 13, XXVIII 72 and other places).}}</ref> The Catholic Church refers to itself simply by the terms ''Catholic'' and ''Catholicism'' (which mean universal). Sometimes, Catholics, based on a strict interpretation of ''[[extra ecclesiam nulla salus]]'' ("Outside the Church, there is no salvation"), rejected any notion those outside its communion could be regarded as part of any true Catholic Christian faith, an attitude rejected by the [[Second Vatican Council]] (1962{{ndash}}1965).<ref name="UnitatisRed">{{Cite web |title=Unitatis redintegratio |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html |access-date=10 May 2023 |website=www.vatican.va |quote=It remains true that all who have been justified by faith in Baptism are members of Christ's body, and have a right to be called Christian, and so are correctly accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church. |archive-date=6 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306113628/https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Catholicism has a hierarchical structure in which supreme authority for matters of faith and practice are the exclusive domain of the Pope, who sits on the Throne of Peter, and the bishops when acting in union with him. Each Protestant movement has developed freely, and many have split over theological issues. For instance, a number of movements grew out of spiritual [[Christian revival|revivals]], such as [[Pentecostalism]]. Doctrinal issues and matters of [[conscience]] have also divided Protestants. Still others formed out of administrative issues; [[Methodism]] branched off as its own group of denominations when the [[American Revolutionary War]] complicated the movement's ability to ordain ministers (it had begun as a movement within the Church of England). In Methodism's case, it has undergone a number of administrative schisms and mergers with other denominations (especially those associated with the [[holiness movement]] in the 20th century). The [[Anabaptist]] tradition, made up of the [[Amish]], [[Hutterites]], and [[Mennonites]], rejected the Roman Catholic and Lutheran doctrines of [[pedobaptism|infant baptism]]; this tradition is also noted for its belief in [[pacifism]]. Many Anabaptists do not see themselves as Protestant, but a separate tradition altogether.<ref name="Klaasen2004">{{cite web |last1=Klaasen |first1=Walter |title=Anabaptism: Neither Catholic Nor Protestant |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-5/anabaptism-neither-catholic-nor-protestant.html |access-date=15 May 2020 |language=en |date=2004 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728155956/https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-5/anabaptism-neither-catholic-nor-protestant.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=McGrath |first=William |title=The Anabaptists: Neither Catholic nor Protestant |url=http://www.cbc4me.org/articles/Baptist/04-McGrath.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227060547/http://www.cbc4me.org/articles/Baptist/04-McGrath.pdf |url-status=dead |location=Hartville, Ohio, United States |publisher=The Fellowship Messenger |archive-date=27 December 2016}}</ref> Some denominations which arose alongside the Western Christian tradition consider themselves Christian, but neither Catholic nor wholly Protestant, such as the [[Religious Society of Friends]] (Quakers). Quakerism began as an evangelical Christian movement in 17th century [[England]], eschewing priests and all formal Anglican or [[Catholic sacraments]] in their worship, including many of those practices that remained among the stridently Protestant [[Puritan]]s such as baptism with water. They were known in America for helping with the Underground Railroad, and like the Mennonites, Quakers traditionally refrain from participation in war. Many churches with roots in [[Restorationism]] reject being identified as Protestant or even as a denomination at all, as they use only the Bible and not creeds, and model the church after what they feel is the first-century church found in scripture; the [[Churches of Christ]] are one example; [[African Initiated Church]]es, like [[Kimbanguism]], mostly fall within Protestantism, with varying degrees of syncretism. The measure of mutual acceptance between the denominations and movements varies, but is growing largely due to the [[ecumenism|ecumenical movement]] in the 20th century and overarching Christian bodies such as the [[World Council of Churches]]. === Christians with Jewish roots === {{Main|Jewish Christian|Messianic Judaism|Hebrew Christian movement}} [[Messianic Jews]] maintain a Jewish identity while accepting Jesus as the [[Messiah]] and the [[New Testament]] as authoritative. After the founding of the church, the [[Jewish Christian|disciples of Jesus]] generally retained their ethnic origins while accepting the [[Gospel]] message. The [[Council of Jerusalem|first church council was called in Jerusalem]] to address just this issue, and the deciding opinion was written by [[James, brother of Jesus|James the Just]], the first bishop of Jerusalem and a pivotal figure in the Christian movement. The history of Messianic Judaism includes many movements and groups and defies any simple classification scheme. The 19th century saw at least 250,000 Jews convert to Christianity according to existing records of various societies.<ref>{{Citation |first1=Stanley N |last1=Gundry | first2=Louis |last2=Goldberg |title=How Jewish is Christianity?: 2 views on the Messianic movement |year=2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sYfcuBdLqyEC&pg=PA24 |format=Books |page=24 |publisher=Zondervan |isbn=9780310244905}}</ref> Data from the [[Pew Research Center]] has it that, as of 2013, about 1.6 million adult [[American Jews]] identify themselves as [[Christians]], most as [[Protestant]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/10/02/how-many-jews-are-there-in-the-united-states/ |title=How many Jews are there in the United States? |work=[[Pew Research Center]] |access-date=2019-03-18 |archive-date=2021-05-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529104046/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/10/02/how-many-jews-are-there-in-the-united-states/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="pew: portrait">{{cite web |url=http://www.pewforum.org/2013/10/01/chapter-1-population-estimates/ |title=A PORTRAIT OF JEWISH AMERICANS: Chapter 1: Population Estimates |work=[[Pew Research Center]] |date=October 2013 |access-date=2019-03-18 |archive-date=2019-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505093610/https://www.pewforum.org/2013/10/01/chapter-1-population-estimates/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/.premium-1.549713|title=American-Jewish Population Rises to 6.8 Million |work=[[Haaretz]] |access-date=2019-03-18 |archive-date=2017-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129115904/https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/.premium-1.549713 |url-status=live}}</ref> According to the same data, most of the Jews who identify themselves as some sort of Christian (1.6 million) were raised as Jews or are Jews by ancestry.<ref name="pew: portrait" /> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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