The three major branches of the Christian church and the distinctives of some of the subbranches.
Our oldest son recently asked us some good questions about different kinds of churches. What’s the difference between the Methodists and Presbyterians? What about Lutherans and Catholics and Anglicans? Baptists are Protestants, right? Are Episcopalians the same as Anglicans? In our conversation, I fielded a number of questions like this and helped him distinguish the three major branches of the Christian church and the distinctives of some of the subbranches. In case it’s helpful to you as well, here’s a quick guide to Christian groups that differ by name, polity, and doctrines. I plan to update this guide in the weeks to come, so feel free to let me know what changes or improvements you’d suggest. THE THREE BIG BRANCHES EASTERN ORTHODOX Name: The Eastern Orthodox churches are often just called “orthodox” or described by nationality or geography, such as the Greek Orthodox or Russian Orthodox, or Antiochian Orthodox. History: In 1054, the Eastern and Western churches divided over