What is the difference between protestant, lutheran, episcopal, and so forth?

Question

I never had a clear understanding to all the denominations. I, myself am non-denominational. Are the divisions due more to nationality or to the saints? Are the divisions of catholicism or christianity? I'm sure I can research and resolve this question myself, but I just wanted a more direct answer. Thanks

Answer 1

To Fr Joseph,

While it is true that God created one church, the catholic church - it is not YOUR catholic church, it is the UNIVERSAL church, of which we are all a part of. Roman Catholocism, as well as other forms of Catholocism and all the protestant churches are part of this universal (catholic) church. Roman Catholics use this little bit of scripture to proclaim that their church is the only church. How dare you claim it for yourselves. Isn't it better to welcome people from all walks of life and all religions - isn't it better that people are believers at all, then to nitpick about which church is the ONLY church. Didn't Jesus say that his Fathers house has many rooms, to me, that speaks that there is room for all of us.

Answer 2

Catholics had a hierarchy of priests, bishops, cardinals, and Popes. Episcopalians basically have the same thing except loyal to the British crown (well these are more like Anglicans.... Episcopalians are the American version). Episcopal is basically a national hierarchy of priests, but the Catholic is a continental hierarchy of priests. Protestants vary, some churches have a pastor and elders, others just have pastors and a congregation.

The most visible difference between these churches is the "chain of command". In America it is most common for there to be only a minister and a congregation and each one sets their own doctrine. In more European tradition, there is a greater chain of command. But this is not that visible anymore because the power of the Catholic and Anglican church has diminished over the years as secularism has grown.

Answer 3

it is a little like that . heres a short then a long answer you should know that christianty is a re interpretation of judaism and Islam Is a reinterpretation of Christianity. and they all have spawned many of their own interpretations like a huge Boulder broken in to smaller stones and each of the smaller boulders and then broken down into more pieces etc.... you get the picture long answer this happens over a few hundred years between 850 and 1400 ad but I dont know the dates It was the greek orthodox church of constantinople which began to regulate religious teachings The Bishops in rome felt that the orthodox church of greece was a political arm of the Emperor so began to proclaim their own religious authority. They had another agenda. Lombards in the east had taken Ravenna, an important roman centre but the emperor of constantinople didnt have the resources to send the army. Frankish (french and german) kings north of italy were considered barbarans. but given that the biships had so much power over the minds of men. The Franks saw that the church would give legitimacy as protectors of the holy roman empire to their conquests and agreed to re conquer parts of Italy. the is the first major schism or split Protestantism began with a (i think Dutch) man called Martin Luther (hence lutherian). He didnt agree with the way christianty was taught by the Catholic Church, selling forgiveness for money,celibacy of priests and other things. Niether did lots of Northern Europeans. In a nutshell Other protestant groups sprung up over Northern Europe but they had the protection of their Kings and populations from prosecution by the catholics. Eventually these groups gain enough support that the are able to bless public ceremonies. Churches Historically are prone spliting partly due to real religios convictions but also because they speak for a nation and it gives a king the opportunity to gain the title "defender of the Faith"The danes did not want their public life dictated to by the Pope in Italy and Niether did the English hence the church of England. I dont know about the countless other protestant groups but you are right it that it is about wether they allow women to preach wether or not they believe in hell literally or their views on Homosexuality. My aunt has her own church in the caribbean. She was ordained as some kind of pentecostal but didn't agree with one of the finer points so she went... off road but there's no gays there I can tell you

Answer 4

Can people really agree about anything important such as the best way to worship God? People are naturally prone to finding ways to complicate anything. If we had a universal Christian church where we just sang, prayed and heard an uplifting message, someone would complain about the type of music, someone would want communion once a month instead of every Sunday, someone else would want the preacher to wear a robe over his suit. People just plain find ways to disagree.

Answer 5

I'm sorry, I would be pleased to answer your question but I am not sure of what is your question. Could you restate it so that I may understand.

Let me state this: Jesus created only one Church which is the Catholic Church. All others are the creation of men.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph



Mark,

Perhaps you could expand on your commentary about my answer but in the meantime I thought I would correct some of your errors in your answer.

First you said that Christianity can be broken down into five groups but actually there are only two groups: those created by Christ and the disciples and those created by men and women such as Zwingli, Calvin, Luther, Knox, Smith, Russell, White and etc. The first groups are those maintaining apostolic succession descended from Christ and the original structure of the Church and those protesting what Christ established called appropriately Protestants.

The Catholic Church bases none of its doctrines on the traditions of men but on Sacred tradition instead, of which the holy scriptures are a part. None of the Catholic doctrines or practices are in conflict with Holy Scriptures in any way but are supported by them. BTW, for your information the teaching of the Church fathers and doctors is part of Sacred Tradition and conforms to St. Paul’s teaching that we are to heed both the oral and written Sacred Traditions. When Christ condemned the traditions of men he was speaking of the traditions of the Pharisees and NOT His Church.

The Moravian Church, of which I was a minister for 25 years, was not part of the Reformation but predated the Reformation by 100 years as followers of Jan Huss. The Moravians were almost completely annihilated in the “30 Years War” And only a small remnant (two dozen) of what once numbered in the millions remained. John Wesley attributed his salvation to the teaching and example of the Moravians but separated from them over his doctrine of perfectionism.

Answer 6

Lutheran, Episcopalian etc. are all Protestant churches. They were established after the reformation to 'Protest' against the apostate Catholic church. Martin Luther and the other reformers realised that Christ's church had ceased to exist and tried to reform the church. They read the Bible and tried to establish churches according to their interpretation. Baptists baptise by immersion. Episcopalians have Bishops. Presbyterians have Elders etc. Roger Williams the founder of the Baptist church in America, said there could be no true church until Christ sent Apostles with authority to organise the true church again. Christ did send Apostles and His church is again upon the earth. You'll know it because it has 12 Apostles, Prophets, baptism by immersion, Gift of the Holy Ghost, Priesthood Authority etc.

Answer 7

Christoiglesia's (Fr. Joseph's) answer is a perpetuation of why the reformation happened in the first place. Enough said.

Back to your question....

Certainly many of the different denominations originated in different country's. Luther was German; the Lutheran Church began in a German speaking state of the Holy Roman Empire called Saxony. It then spread to what is today parts of Poland, the Chech Republic, Ingria (now part of Russia) Latvia, Estonia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

Presbyterian Church began in Scotland, but Presbyterians are Calvinists, and can also be found in Holland, Germany, Switzerland, and elsewhere with their own Ethnic peculiarities.

Anabaptist's, Amish, Mennonite, originated in Holland and Germany.

Moravian in the Check Republic.

Anglicans (Episcopalians) in England.

We could keep going, there are thousands of denominations and sects.

At the risk of over simplifying, our religion, Christianity can be broken down into five basic groups: Roman Catholic; Eastern Orthodox; Lutheran; Calvinist; Armenian.

The Roman Catholic Church bases it's doctrine on the Bible first and foremost, but also on the traditions of men. Such doctrines, dogmas, and teachings have little or no bases in Scripture. Some examples would be: The assumption of Mary, and the intersession of the Saints and the Infallibility of the Pope.

The Eastern Orthodox, Like the RCC, also base their doctrine on Scripture (probable more so than the RCC). They do however base some of their teaching on the Early Doctors of the Church, and the Earl Church Fathers.

The Calvinists (Christian Reformed, Presbyterian, Evangelical Brethren etc) also have a high regard for Scripture, however they base much of their Doctrinal interpretation on human reason. For example they argue that Christ's body and blood can not be present in the Sacrament because Christ is in Heaven, and can't be in two places at once (even though God is Omnipotent). If it comes
down to Scripture vs. Reason, Reason will win out every time.

Armenians comprise the most diverse group of Christians. They consist of Methodists, Baptists, Salvation Army, Pentecostals, Amish, Mennonite, and Just about all of the Community, Mission, and Non-denominational Churches.

Their Doctrine is Based on the Bible also, but they stress personal experience and interpretation, therefor there is little commonality within each Church, let alone the different denominations.

Confessional Lutheran Churches base their Doctrine on Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura), Which tells us that we are saved by faith alone (Sola Fide), through the grace of God alone (Sola Gracia).

Non Confessional Lutheran Churches such as the ELCA are more Armenian in doctrine in that they stress personal interpretation and secular humanism.

The one exception is the Anglican (Episcopal) Church. This Church was not a product of reformation as such; it was created by the British Monarchy, King Henry VIII, because the RCC would not grant him a divorce. He made himself head of the Church. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Church of England to this day. High Church Anglicans either lean towards Roman Catholic Doctrine, or Lutheran Doctrine, Middle Church tend to be Lutheran, and some middle and low Church Anglicans are more Methodist.

Most Churches including the Roman Catholic Church agree on the doctrine of two Churches. One visible, one invisible.

The visible Church consists of the Denominations, buildings, congregations, missions etc. It is made up of both believers and non believers.

The invisible Church consists of all believers, and only believers, living, dead, and will be added to by all who come to Christ now living, and yet to be born (the Saints). Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, and Calvinist Churches confess this doctrine in the Creeds as "the Holy Catholic (universal Christian) Church" and "the Communion of Saints". This Church is ruled by Christ.

Sorry for the long answer, but I hope this helps.

Mark
____________________________________

Fr. Joseph,

I don't want to start a pissing match.

The way I see it is that men have had too much of a hand in the Church, that is why there is so much division within the Church.

Your own Pope, John Paul II, participated in a Lutheran service in Germany where he stated that we have more in common than we have seperating us. Even today, if one looks closley they will see that Confessional Lutherans have more in common with the Latin rite, than the Latin rite has with some of the rest of the Roman communion.

St. Francis of Assissi was in many ways more of a radical than Luther, yet his Pope heard him out, and accepted St. Francis. There is also much man made divission, and dis-unity within the Roman Church. Just look at the different rites, usages, and religous orders. The only thing they have in common is basic Catholic Doctrine, and acceptance of the Pope. Some allow marrage of the Clergy, some use the Nicean Creed after the fasion of the Orthodox Church.

Interesting to note; Luther tried to open dialogue with the Easten Orthodox. They ignored him because the was just another Roman Catholic Heritic like the Pope.

Jan Huss was probibly the first reformer, if you don't count Constantine, Athanatious, Pius x, etc. Huss profisied that his goose was cooked (Huss was the victim of good old Catholic Justice and was burnt at the stake. Huss means Goose) but a swan would follow who would not burn. Luther's family emblem was a swan.

Moravians are alive and well in Canada particularly among the Inuit. The Church in Hebron has recently become indipendent, and self governing. I also understand that the Moravian Church has adopted the Augsburg Confession as a confessional document, but have not adopted the rest of the Book of Concord.


Luther wanted a hearing. He was promised a general council, and died waiting for one. The only hearing he got was from Cardinal Cajetan, who was "confounded and embarrassed by Luther's superior knowledge of Scripture, Cajetan began to study the Bible himself. His comentaries grew more critical of Roman doctrine."(index of persons and groups, Concordia, Concordia publishing house, St. Louis.)

Fr. Joseph, for the time being we must unfortunatly agree to disagree on some things.

Spell check won't work this morning, so please excuse the errors in the last part.

Mark

Answer 8

Disagreements!

Answer 9

not a whole lot
Episcopal is close to catholic
Baptists dont wear robes
Methodists are more openminded than presbys or luterans...we do only a small amount of reading aloud