Christianity has existed for 2,000 years and centers on the belief that Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God and offers salvation. The Catholic Church dominated politics until Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation in 1517. Major denominations differ in theology and practice, but all confess Jesus Christ as Lord.
Christianity as a world religion has been around for about 2,000 years. It has grown and changed over the centuries, but Christian churches with any kind of Orthodox belief all affirm that Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God. They believe that he came to die and to grant salvation to all who believe in him. This is the basis of all Christian theology.
In the following centuries, however, Christian beliefs and churches grew and changed. In the early days of the church, people mostly met in each other’s homes. In fact, coexistence was encouraged. With the further codification of beliefs and the finalization of the New Testament books, the Catholic Church began to take shape. By AD 1100, Christianity was a major political and social force in the entire known world. The popes of the Church exercised great influence over the rulers of the world, as they had the ability to interdict entire nations, i.e. no one could receive the holy sacraments, which amounted to excommunication. It was the threat of interdict and excommunication that forced the King of England Henry II to make a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Thomas A’Becket after ordering his murder.
Reform was to take place in an organization as large as the Catholic Church, and it began in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German priest, composed and published his “95 Theses.” It was an indictment of the sale of indulgences. People paid money to touch or otherwise venerate objects in hopes of buying their salvation. Luther abhorred this practice and preached against it. When he was excommunicated in 1521, those who followed his teachings were known as Lutherans and, later, as Protestants. In 1547, King Edward VI of England was the first Protestant ruler in Europe.
There are a significant number of differences between the major Christian denominations, but they break down roughly along the lines of some religious scholars. One of the first great Protestant scholars after Luther was John Calvin. He believed in the doctrine of predestination, that humans were born to accept Christ, or born to be damned, and nothing they could do to change that. While this particular belief has lost popularity over the years, the Presbyterian and Baptist churches are the major Calvinist denominations.
When John Wesley began preaching in 1725, he was an ordained member of the Anglican Church and remained so until the end of his life. His belief in salvation by faith alone, his repudiation of predestination, and his belief in whole sanctification began the Methodist denomination and his offshoots.
The Anglican and Episcopal churches themselves are the closest Protestant equivalents to the Catholic Church, although the Methodists also share some similarities. They differ from Catholics mainly in that they do not recognize the authority of the incumbent Pope as anything other than a priest, neither holier nor better than the others. There are other theological differences as well, such as the ability of priests to marry and a lesser emphasis on the veneration of saints.
California’s Azusa Street Revival of 1906-1909 ushered in the charismatic movement. These churches, like the Assemblies of God, place great emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Ghost, especially speaking in tongues. They also focus on divine healing, prophecy, and other outward signs of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In basic theology, they are more Wesleyan, as they believe in salvation by faith alone.
Queen Elizabeth I of England faced major religious conflicts during her reign. Her interpretation of her situation was that “There is only one Jesus Christ. The rest is a dispute over trifles.’ You were correct that some of the major differences between major Christian denominations are about practice rather than theology. Is baptism completely immersed or is it enough to be “sprinkled”? Discussions arose on this question.
Individual church traditions also dictate different styles of worship. Indeed, anyone who wishes to join a Christian congregation can likely find one with a style of worship that suits him exactly. The message is often the same, but the way of conducting the service is different.
This, then, is at the heart of all the differences between denominations: All Christians, regardless of denomination, confess Jesus Christ as Lord and worship Him. Regardless of how styles of worship and other theological beliefs may differ, this is what all members confess and believe.
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