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Christian Divisions Within Christianity are three separate primary divisions. The sources for the information within this table are as follows.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> Catholicism; http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761573737 Orthodox; http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761572657 Protestant; http://encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761555703<o:p></o:p> Catholicism<o:p></o:p> | Orthodox Church<o:p></o:p> | Protestantism<o:p></o:p> | | the largest single Christian body, composed of those Christians who acknowledge the supreme authority of the bishop of Rome, the pope, in matters of faith.<o:p></o:p> | stands in historical continuity with the communities created by the apostles of Jesus in the region of the eastern Mediterranean, and which spread by missionary activity throughout Eastern Europe<o:p></o:p> | Protestantism began as a movement to reform the Western Christian church in the 16th century, The declared aim of the original reformers was to restore the Christian faith as it had been at its beginning, while keeping what they thought valuable from the Roman Catholic tradition that had developed during the intervening centuries.<o:p></o:p> | | The word catholic (Greek katholikos) means “universal�?and has been used to designate the church since its earliest period, when it was the only Christian church.<o:p></o:p> | . The word orthodox (from Greek “right-believing�? implies the claim of doctrinal consistency with apostolic truth.<o:p></o:p> | The term Protestantism was given to the A protest was signed by six Lutheran princes and the leaders of 14 free cities of Germany, and Lutherans in general became known as Protestants<o:p></o:p> | | The Roman Catholic Church regards itself as the only legitimate inheritor, by an unbroken episcopal succession descending from Saint Peter to the present time, of the commission and powers conferred by Jesus Christ on the 12 apostles<o:p></o:p> | The Orthodox church is a fellowship of independent churches each is autocephalous, that is, governed by its own head bishop. These autocephalous churches share a common faith, common principles of church policy and organization, and a common liturgical tradition.<o:p></o:p> | The four main Protestant traditions that emerged from the Reformation were the Lutheran (known in continental Europe as Evangelical), the Calvinist (Reformed), the Anabaptist, and the Anglican. Despite the considerable differences among them in doctrine and practice, they agreed in rejecting the authority of the pope and in emphasizing instead the authority of the Bible and the importance of individual faith.<o:p></o:p> | | Believes in <o:p></o:p> the seven Catholic Sacraments are Eucharist (transubstantiation style eucharist where the bread is believed to actually become the body of christ and the wine to actually become the blood of christ), baptism, confirmation, penance, holy orders, matrimony, and anointing of the sick.<o:p></o:p> | The doctrine of seven sacraments is generally accepted in the Orthodox Church, although no ultimate authority has ever limited the sacraments to that number<o:p></o:p> | Most Protestant churches retained the central doctrines of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, such as the Trinity, the atonement and resurrection of Christ, the authority of the Bible, and the sacramental character of baptism and the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper.<o:p></o:p> | | Catholic theology teaches that these signs, instituted by Christ, effect their spiritual benefit on the recipient independent of the faith or virtue of the minister (ex opere operato).<o:p></o:p> | recognizes the authority of the ecumenical councils at which East and West were represented together. These were the councils of Nicaea I (325), Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), Constantinople II (553), Constantinople III (680), and Nicaea II (787)<o:p></o:p> | Luther believed that salvation depends not on human effort or merit but only on the freely given grace of God, which is accepted in faith. Good works are not disdained but are regarded as the result of God's grace working in the life of the believer. This doctrine of justification by grace through faith became a fundamental tenet of Protestant churches.<o:p></o:p> | | <o:p></o:p> | <o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> | <o:p></o:p> | | In 1854 Pope Pius IX proclaimed the doctrine of the immaculate conception of Mary, and in 1950 Pope Pius XII proclaimed her assumption (see Assumption of the Virgin). Often criticized for letting veneration of the saints obscure the worship due God, the church has tried to limit it, for instance by reducing the number of saints whose feasts are observed in the liturgy.<o:p></o:p> | Also, in light of this traditional doctrine on the Person of Christ, the Virgin Mary is venerated as Mother of God Mary. Further Mariological developments, however, such as the more recent Western doctrine of the immaculate conception of Mary, are foreign to Orthodoxy. Mary's intercession is invoked because she was closer to the Savior than anyone else and is, therefore, the representative of fallen humanity and the most prominent and holiest member of the church.<o:p></o:p> | <o:p></o:p> |
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