Why are there so many Christian denominations?
Splintering
within the faith community goes back to ancient times. Some of the
divisions are based on fundamental differences, like the rural shrines
that Israelites established after the wilderness wandering vs. the
urban temple they built in Jerusalem, or temple cult vs. synagogue.
These came about because people had different historical experiences,
different views of the world from present reality (e.g. countryside
vs. city), as well as the usual differences among people's perceptions
and desires.
The
Christian community splintered from the very start,
with some following James and the Jerusalem church, some following
Paul and his mission to the Gentiles, and some following other local
leaders. Each of the four gospels was written for a different church,
which explains why they are so different.
The
Bishop of Rome tried to impose global order on Christianity, but
that never happened. East and West divided early, outlying bishops
vied with Rome for power, and eventually nationalistic movements
began in England (Church of England), Germanic States (Lutheranism),
Scotland (Presbyterianism), Switzerland (Calvinism), and elsewhere.
Those
national churches eventually became separate denominations.
When the American continent was colonized, those divisions came
along and had a large influence on early colonial life. Even Roman
Catholicism, supposedly monolithic, had different ethnic expressions
in the US.
In
the 19th century, American Protestantism divided further with the
advent of revivals, Great Awakenings, evangelicalism, fundamentalism,
Northern and Southern branches after the Civil War, black denominations
like AME Zion, and, late in the 20th Century, the vast expansion
of non-denominational congregations like Willow Creek and Saddleback.
To
see what each stands for, I suggest you start with Wikipedia,
an on-line encyclopedia. Eventually, you will need to experience
them for yourself. Each denomination has some uniqueness, and within
each denominations are further differences (like High Church and
Low Church within Anglicanism).
In
the end, as Rep. Tip O'Neill said about politics, all religion is
“local.” You make your home in a specific faith community,
join its mission work, love its people, learn from its pastor, and
find God through its community life.
—Tom
Ehrich
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