Christian denomination
Let an agent explain Christian denominations and their families, identify specific denominations and their features with attribution, relay membership figures and structures from sources, and distinguish denominations from traditions, movements and congregations.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain Christian denominations and their families, identify specific denominations and their features with attribution, relay membership figures and structures from sources, and distinguish denominations from traditions, movements and congregations.
A distinct religious body within Christianity with its own name, organisation, doctrine and worship, such as the Catholic Church with its particular churches sui iuris, the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches, Oriental Orthodox churches, and Protestant and other bodies from Lutherans and Anglicans to Baptists, Pentecostals, Swedenborgians and newer movements; denominations number in the thousands, are grouped into families and traditions, and vary in size from global communions to small churches.
What it is for: Not applicable; a category of religious organisation.
It can be explain the concept and families; identify denominations with attribution; relay membership and structures; distinguish from related concepts.
Distinguishing features
Distinct organisation and doctrine
Families and traditions
Wide range of sizes
Ecumenical relations
What it looks like
Not a visible object; churches, organisations and communions.
Physical character
estimated denominations: tens of thousands count - by broad counts, disputed by definition
How it is recognised
Organised Christian body with its own identity
Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and other families
A tradition is broader; a congregation is local; a movement may cross denominations
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms
is a kind of - in registry terms
belongs to - a family
is related to - relations between denominations
In practice
Families and kinds
the Catholic Church and its particular churches sui iuris
autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches
Oriental Orthodox churches
Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed and other historic Protestant denominations
Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal and evangelical denominations
Restorationist and newer bodies such as the Swedenborgian churches and the World Mission Society Church of God
high church and low church as tendencies within denominations
Standards and regulation
Freedom of religion protections
Registration and charity law for religious bodies
Internal canon law and constitutions
Failure modes and hazards
Non-neutral description of doctrines
Unsourced membership figures
Confusing denominations with traditions or movements
Treating contested classifications as settled
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Concept What a denomination is.
Definition.
Definition
Definition and distinctions.
Definition
Definition.
- What is a Christian denomination, and how does it differ from a tradition, a movement and a congregation? definition
- Is the body a denomination, a tradition, a movement or a local church? boundary
Families
Families.
Families
Families.
- What are the major denominational families, and how are they classified? definition
- Which entry fits the specific denomination? action
Describe Describing denominations.
Attribution.
Doctrine
Doctrine and worship.
Doctrine
Doctrine.
- How do denominations differ in doctrine, worship and governance, in their own terms and with attribution? provenance
- Is the presentation neutral and attributed? boundary
Structure
Structure.
Structure
Structure.
- How are denominations organised, from episcopal to congregational polity? provenance
- Which entry fits ecclesiastical polity? action
Data Membership and distribution.
Sources.
Membership
Membership.
Membership
Membership.
- How many members do denominations have, and how are figures counted, with sources? measurement
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Distribution
Geography.
Distribution
Distribution.
- How are denominations distributed globally and regionally? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Context History and relations.
Context.
History
History.
History
History.
- How did denominations arise through schisms, reformations and revivals, as historians describe? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of Christianity? action
Ecumenism
Ecumenical relations.
Ecumenism
Ecumenism.
- How do denominations relate through ecumenical bodies and dialogues? provenance
- Which entry fits ecumenism? action
What the second pass must settle
- Should each family be a separate primary entry?
- How should membership sources be linked?
- The registry entry has merged aliases naming specific bodies and tendencies; should they be split off?