The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Christianity:
Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament (see Jesus in Christianity). The Christian faith is essentially faith in Jesus as the Christ (or Messiah), the Son of God, the Savior, and, according to Trinitarianism, God the Son, part of the Trinity with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Main article Christianity
Branches of Christianity
Denominational families
Catholic denominational families Catholicism – broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole. Catholic Church – also known as the Roman Catholic Church; the world's largest Christian church, with more than 1.3 billion members. Eastern Catholic Churches – autonomous, self-governing (in Latin, sui iuris) particular churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Latin Church – Western and largest autonomous Catholic Church Independent Catholic Churches – Catholic congregations that are not in communion with Rome or any other churches whose sacraments are recognized by the Roman Catholic Church (such as the Eastern Orthodox and some Oriental Orthodox churches). Old Catholic Church – number of Ultrajectine Christian churches that originated with groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines, most importantly that of papal infallibility.
Eastern denominational families Eastern Christianity – Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Horn of Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. Eastern Orthodox Church – officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest Christian church in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine, all of which are majority Eastern Orthodox. Eastern Catholic Churches – see section above on "Catholic denominational families". Oriental Orthodoxy – faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils—the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. Syriac Christianity – Syriac-speaking Christians of Mesopotamia, comprises multiple Christian traditions of Eastern Christianity.
Protestant denominational families Protestantism – one of the major groupings within Christianity, and has been defined as "any Western Christian who is not an adherent of a Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Church," though many consider Anglicanism to be Protestant as well.
Anglicanism – the largest Protestant grouping with 85 million adherents in 165 countries. This tradition within Christianity comprises churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. Most Anglicans today are part of the Anglican Communion. Anglicanism defies itself as 'both catholic and reformed'.
Continuing Anglican movement – number of Christian churches in various countries that profess Anglicanism while remaining outside the Anglican Communion.
Adventism – Christian movement which began in the 19th century, in the context of the Second Great Awakening revival in the United States.
Seventh-day Adventists – largest Adventist movement with Millerite roots. Devoted to propagating the Second Coming (Advent) of Jesus Christ. Established in the 1840s after the Great Disappointment. The church views the Bible as its source of inspiration, mediated by the writings of cofounder Ellen G. White.
Anabaptist – Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, although some consider Anabaptism to be a distinct movement from Protestantism. Anabaptists practice adult baptism as well as a belief in pacifism.
Mennonites – an ethno-religious group based around the church communities of the Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons (1496–1561), who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders.
Amish – Amish, sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches.
Hutterite – communal branch of Anabaptists who, like the Amish and Mennonites, trace their roots to the Radical Reformation of the 16th century.
Schwarzenau Brethren – originating in Germany, the outcome of the Radical Pietist ferment of the late 17th and early 18th century.
Baptist – Christians who comprise a group of churches that 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 immersion (as opposed to affusion or sprinkling).
Calvinism – Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life, named for the 16th-century reformer John Calvin. See the list of Reformed churches.
Presbyterianism – branch of Protestant Christianity that adheres to the Calvinist theological tradition and whose congregations are organized according to a Presbyterian polity. See the list of Presbyterian denominations in Australia
Evangelicalism – interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that began in the 17th century and became organized with the emergence around 1730 of the Methodists in England and the Pietists among Lutherans in Germany and Scandinavia. See the National Association of Evangelicals.
Lutheranism – major branch of Protestant Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. See the list of Lutheran denominations.
Methodism – movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelical revival movement.
Wesleyanism – movement of Protestant Christians who emphasize holiness and seek to follow the methods of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley.
Holiness movement – set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. See the Christian Holiness Partnership
Pentecostalism – renewal movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit. See the Pentecostal World Conference.
Restoration Movement – Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century.
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) – mainline Protestant Christian denomination in North America.
Churches of Christ – autonomous Christian congregations associated with one another, seeking to base doctrine and practice on the Bible alone, and seeking to be New Testament congregations as originally established by the authority of Christ.
Christian churches and churches of Christ – part of the Restoration Movement and share historical roots with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the a cappella Churches of Christ.
Nontrinitarian denominational families Note that these grouping may not subscribe to the ancient creeds by which Christianity is defined, so might be considered heterodox or non-Christian groups by mainstream Christianity. Nontrinitarian – Nontrinitarianism (or antitrinitarianism) refers to monotheistic belief systems, primarily within Christianity, which reject the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, namely, the teaching that God is three distinct hypostases or persons and yet co-eternal, co-equal, and indivisibly united in one essence or ousia. Latter Day Saint movement – Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. Most members of the movement today are part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but a fraction of Latter Day Saint sects, most notably the Community of Christ, the second largest Latter Day Saint denomination, and those sects that split from the Community of Christ, follow a traditional Protestant trinitarian theology. Oneness Pentecostalism – Oneness Pentecostalism (also known as Apostolic Pentecostalism or One God Pentecostalism) refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the nontrinitarian theological doctrine of Oneness. Bible Student movement – Bible Student movement is the name adopted by a Restorationist Christian movement that emerged from the teachings and ministry of Charles Taze Russell, also known as Pastor Russell.
Lists of individuals by denominational groups
Catholics Lists of Roman Catholics
Eastern Christians List of Eastern Orthodox Christians List of members of the Assyrian Church of the East
Nontrinitarians List of Latter Day Saints
Protestants List of Protestant Reformers List of Anglicans List of Assemblies of God people List of Baptists List of evangelical Christians List of Lutheran clergy List of Mennonites List of Methodists List of Australian Presbyterians List of Irish Presbyterians List of Puritans List of Seventh-day Adventists
Christianity by location
Catholic Church by country Eastern Orthodoxy by country Oriental Orthodoxy by country Protestantism by country
History of Christianity
Overview topics in the History of Christianity History of Christian theology – an overview of various ideas in the development of Christian theology. History of late ancient Christianity – traces Christianity during the Christian Roman Empire – the period from the rise of Christianity under Emperor Constantine (c. 313), until the fall of the Roman Empire in the West (c. 476). Timeline of Christian missions – chronicles the global expansion of Christianity through a listing of the most important missionary outreach events. List of Christian martyrs – Since its earliest days, hundreds of thousands of Christians have been killed for their faith. As such, this list can never be fully complete, and includes only the most notable martyrs. Outline of the Catholic ecumenical councils – When problems or issues arise for the Catholic Church, she gathers her bishops to an ecumenical council and together they choose the best course of action. Not all Christian sects agree with all the decisions of all the ecumenical councils. Role of the Christian Church in civilization – Christianity has played a prominent role in the shaping of Western civilization. Crusading movement – the ideology and institutions that supported Christian warfare
History of Christianity by century Christianity in the 1st century – Jesus, Acts of the Apostles, development of Scripture and liturgy, split with Judaism, Apostolic Fathers, persecution Christianity in the 2nd century – Apostolic fathers, early Christian fathers, development of worship, various heresies, spread of Christianity, persecution Christianity in the 3rd century – defining Scripture, development of monasticism, ante-Nicene fathers, various heresies, spread of Christianity, persecution Christianity in the 4th century – Constantine, council of Nicaea, Nicene and post-Nicene fathers, Scripture, Bishops, controversies, heresies, spread of Christianity, persecutions begin to end Christianity in the 5th century – Ecumenical councils, schisms, post-Nicene fathers, pentarchy, Papacy, monasticism, spread of Christianity