Who Is My Neighbor?

A Glossary of Selected Christian Groups

Adventists: Adventism originated as a movement in the 1830s, centered on the preaching of Baptist preacher William Miller, who predicted that Christ would return in 1843. The movement continued after the failure of that prediction and led to the development of various groups, including the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Anglicans: The Anglican Church separated from the Roman Catholic Church administratively during the reign of British King Henry VIII and subsequently adopted Protestant ideas. It acquired its unique character, a synthesis of Protestantism and Catholicism, during the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It spread worldwide during the nineteenth century as England developed a global empire.

Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church: Armenia, a land beyond the reach of the Roman Empire, was the first country to establish Christianity as the state religion (301 CE). The Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church participated in the first three Ecumenical Councils of the Christian movement, but was not represented at the fourth council (Chalcedon, 431) and later refused to ratify its pronouncements. It formally split with the Eastern Orthodox churches in 554, and later replaced Greek with Armenian as its official language.

Assyrian Church of the East: In the fifth century, the church in Mesopotamia sided with Nestorius, the archbishop of Constantinople, whose views were condemned at the Council of Chalcedon (451), and as a result (like the Syriac Orthodox Church) it separated from the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and ceased relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Church. The Mesopotamian church became known as the Church of the East. A schism in the sixteenth century over the issue of succession of the Patriarch led to the formation of both the independent Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church (one of the Eastern Catholic churches that remains in communion with Rome).

Baptists: The Baptist movement emerged as the radical wing of the Puritan movement in England in the seventeenth century, with an emphasis on the autonomy of the local church and the rejection of church-state ties. It took its name from its belief that baptism, the rite of admission to church membership, should be reserved for people old enough to decide to accept Christianity and chose to be baptized by total immersion.

Catholic Church: The Catholic Church is centered in the Vatican and is headed by the Pope, also known as the Bishop of Rome. Rome is one of the original five Sees of the Christian Church. It became an important center of Christendom after Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity. It separated from the Sees of Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria in 1054. The Catholic Church is the largest Christian communion in the world. Catholicism was first introduced into what was to become the United States in 1565. Through processes of immigration and evangelism, it became the largest denomination in America in the late nineteenth century and remains so to this day.

Church of the East: In the fifth century, the church in Mesopotamia sided with Nestorius, the archbishop of Constantinople, whose views were condemned at the Council of Chalcedon (451) and, as a result (like the Syriac Orthodox Church) separated from the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and thus broke relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Roman Catholic Church. The Mesopotamian church became known as the Church of the East. A schism in the sixteenth century over the issue of Patriarchal succession led to the formation of both the independent Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church (one of the Eastern Catholic churches that remains in communion with Rome).

Congregational: The Congregationalist church emerged in England among Reformed Puritans (a group attempting to purify the Church of England) who rejected the rule of presbyters in favor of basing the authority of the church in local congregations. The movement found its greatest success in New England, from whence it spread throughout the world through missionary activity in the nineteenth century. It continues today, primarily in the American-based United Church of Christ.

Coptic Orthodox Church: The Church in Egypt was split when many rejected the pronouncements of the fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon, 451). The Coptic Orthodox Church represents those who continue the pre-council practices and maintain the heritage of the Egyptian church. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church emerged as part of the Coptic Church and was eventually recognized as an independent entity. In 1962, the Coptic Orthodox Church was organized in the United States as the Coptic Association of America.

Eastern Catholic Church: The Eastern Catholic churches are autonomous bodies formed at various times since 1054 CE that follow the rites of the various Eastern Orthodox churches but are in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The leaders of several of these churches (including the Coptic Catholic Church, Syriac Catholic Church, and the Maronite Catholic Church) have been recognized as a patriarch. The existence of these churches remains as an additional item dividing the Roman Catholic Church from the Eastern Orthodox churches.

Ecumenical Patriarchate: The archbishop of Constantinople emerges as the center of the church in the eastern Mediterranean due to its proximity to the political leadership of the Roman Empire. As the territory under its jurisdiction expanded, additional bodies of believers were distinguished from the Greek-speaking Ecumenical Patriarchate by the language spoken and the alphabet (especially Slavic) used for its liturgy. Constantinople was recognized as a Patriarchate in 371 and later regarded as second only to Rome (Chalcedon, 451).

Friends: The Friends (or Quakers) was a revival movement in England founded in the seventeenth century by George Fox. He invited people to find Christ in the quiet movement of the Holy Spirit. The movement became known for its emphasis on quietly sitting, awaiting the movement of the spirit, and a bodily reaction to the Spirit (quaking). Pacifism is a hallmark of Quakerism.

Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem: With a jurisdiction primarily in Palestine and Jordan, the Greek Orthodox church of Jerusalem is considered the mother church of Christianity. The founding events of Christianity occurred in the city of Jerusalem.

Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa: The most important city in North Africa in the fourth century, the See of Alexandria commemorates that the family of Jesus fled to Egypt shortly after his birth. The emergent church eventually had jurisdiction over the entire African continent.

Holiness: The Holiness movement coalesced within American Methodism in the nineteenth century around church leaders who emphasized a modified version of John Wesley's understanding of sanctification and the idea that one could become holy (sanctified) in this life. Independent Holiness denominations began to emerge in the 1880s.

Lutherans: The Evangelical Lutheran Church grew from the reforming activity of Martin Luther. Lutheranism became most firmly established in Germany and the Scandinavian lands. From this base, it spread globally in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through missionary activity and German colonialism.

Mennonites: The Mennonites trace their history to the most radical wing of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation, whose adherents wanted a complete separation from the state. Church membership was limited to dedicated, believing Christians. Persecuted for decades, they eventually found leadership in the person of former Catholic priest Menno Simons. Assorted havens from the suppressive powers of the state have enabled the Mennonites to survive to the present day.

Methodists: Methodism was founded by John and Charles Wesley in the eighteenth century as a revitalization movement within the Church of England. As the movement spread through the British colonies, the need for an independent church became obvious shortly after the American Revolution.

Moscow Patriarchate (Russian Orthodox Church): The church in Russia dates from the eleventh century. It gained status after the fall of Constantinople to Islamic forces in 1453 and the archbishop was named Patriarch in 1589. The Moscow Patriarchate was subsequently recognized as being equal to the ancient Patriarchates of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria. It is currently the second-largest church in Christendom.

Old Catholics: The Old Catholic movement emerged in the 1870s as church leaders, primarily in Europe, rejected the pronouncements of the First Vatican Council (1869-1870), especially the doctrine of papal infallibility. Old Catholic churches were later set up in Holland, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, and several additional smaller churches were established across Europe and North America.

Pentecostals: The Pentecostal movement emerged at the beginning of the twentieth century as a revitalization movement within the Holiness movement as people began to search for the experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals regard the phenomenon of speaking in tongues as indicative of the reception of the Holy Spirit. The movement spread globally, produced hundreds of new denominations, and has became a prominent element of both the Protestant and Catholic churches.

Presbyterians: The Presbyterian Church emerged in Scotland as the theologically reformed church emphasized the leadership of the church as having been handed over from bishops to the church elders (or presbyters). From Scotland, the movement spread to England and North America, and in the nineteenth century by missionaries around the world.

Protestants: The Protestant movement emerged in the second decade of the sixteenth century when leaders across Europe began to call for a reform of the Roman Catholic Church and a discarding of various beliefs and practices which they saw as unbiblical innovations in church belief and practices. The movement began in Germany, quickly spread to Switzerland, Holland, and England, and, eventually, to Scotland and Scandinavia. It became firmly established in North America.

Reformed: The Reformed Church dates to the reforming activity of Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland but was most firmly established in the French-speaking Canton of Geneva under the leadership of John Calvin. From there it spread through southern France to the Holland, several German states, and then to Scotland where it became known as the Presbyterian Church.

Restorationists: The Restorationist movement developed among former Baptists and Presbyterians on the American frontier in the early nineteenth century. With a strong emphasis on the autonomy of the local church, it would eventually split into three major movements: the Churches of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and the independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.

Syriac Orthodox Church: In the fifth century, many in the church in Syria rejected the pronouncements of the fourth Ecumenical Council (Chalcedon, 451) and the patriarchate split into two factions, each claiming the heritage of Antioch. The Syrian Orthodox Church continues the beliefs and practices of those who rejected the council's statements. It uses Aramaic (the language spoken by Jesus and the Apostles) as its liturgical language. The ancient St. Thomas Church, based in Malankara, India, is an integral part of the Syriac Orthodox Church.

Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch: Members of the new movement emphasized that Christ followers were first called Christians in the city of Antioch, the second city to feature a local Christian church. The Antiochian church would emerge with jurisdiction throughout Syria, eastward to the edge of the Roman Empire, and beyond to Mesopotamia and even India.

The Apostolic Church: The primitive Christian movement largely existed as a persecuted, clandestine movement throughout the Roman Empire until the beginning of the fourth century CE, when the new emperor Constantine (who reigned 306-337) decriminalized, legalized, and then promoted Christianity as the new religion of the Roman Empire. These changes culminated in the gathering of the church's leaders at the Council of Nicaea (324-325) and the promulgation of the unique orthodox Christian perspective in a series of statements, most notably the Nicene Creed, which is now part of the liturgy of most Christian churches. The movement was organized in three ancient metropolitan centers in the East (Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria), a new center at the Roman Empire's capital (Constantinople), and in the empire’s major Western center (Rome). The churches at Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome were deemed patriarchates at Nicaea in 325, and Constantinople was recognized as a patriarchate in 381.