By Teri O.
Have you ever wondered how Orthodox and Catholic beliefs differ? What’s the difference between Anabaptists and Baptists? Who are some famous Pentecostals and Charismatics? When was the Nazarene Church founded? Where do Lutheran and Methodist churches fit into the scheme of things? Which denominations are evangelical (conservative) and which are more liberal (progressive)? And why did so many denominations come about, anyway?
Christian Denominations Made Easy is a handy guide from Rose Publishing. I love their Bible reference charts and timelines, and this book is a great addition to their resources. It provides an overview of each of the major Christian denominations’ key biblical teachings, a glossary of helpful words to know, and a list of books and websites for further study. It even includes fun facts like famous people from each denomination. All in a pocket-sized book that’s only 6.5” x 4.5” inches in size and 96 pages!
The book starts with two-page spread showing “The Family Tree of Denominations” with a timeline of dates, followed by an introduction that explains what makes a church denomination Christian. Generally speaking, they accept the Bible as the full collection of Scripture, God as the Creator of all things out of nothing, and the Trinity. As such, this book does not include the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church of Jesus Christ of Letter-Day Saints (Mormons), or Unitarianism under the umbrella of Christian denominations.
This book has chapters on: Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anabaptist (Mennonite, Brethren), Anglican and Episcopal, Reformed and Presbyterian, Congregational, Baptist, Methodist, Churches of Christ, and Pentecostal churches. It tells how these groups were founded, church leadership, number of members, what they believe about the Bible, God, Jesus Christ, salvation, the afterlife, Baptism, Communion, and more.
Of course, there are also a wide range of variations, especially among Pentecostal churches, many of which operate independently outside of major denominations such as the Assemblies of God. So there’s no way one little book could cover them all.
The political alignment of clergy within these denominations can also reflect nuanced ideological differences, with some clergy identifying with liberal perspectives on social issues and others with conservative values, even within the same denomination. This book addresses that in a section on “Current Divisions and Trends.”
Christian Denominations Made Easy is an interesting book that’s informative and enjoyable to read. It can’t be easy summarizing all the different practices and nuances of every denomination, but I’d say the authors of this book did an excellent job. Once you have a basic knowledge of the different beliefs of all the various denominations, you can delve further into finding a local church within a particular denomination that fits your needs.
