Someone standing outside Christianity sees a confusing number of churches with different names. Someone standing inside knows that most of them belong to one of three great branches, separated by two historic splits.

The two splits

In 1054 the churches of the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West divided, over authority and over a clause added to the creed. That gave the Orthodox and the Catholic churches.

In the sixteenth century a movement within the Western church argued that certain practices had drifted from Scripture and that certain doctrines needed restating. That gave the Protestant churches, which is why they are many rather than one.

What actually divides them

Authority is the deepest issue. Catholics hold that Scripture and church tradition together, interpreted by the bishops in communion with Rome, carry authority. Orthodox hold Scripture within the tradition of the undivided early church, governed by councils rather than by one bishop. Protestants hold that Scripture stands over tradition and is the final court.

From that one difference most others follow: how many sacraments are counted, whether the pope has universal jurisdiction, the place of Mary and the saints, and how church leaders are chosen.

What they hold in common

More than the arguments suggest. All three confess the Trinity, the incarnation, the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus, the same Old and New Testaments as Scripture, the Nicene Creed, and the expectation of judgement and resurrection. Every branch would say salvation is the work of God in Christ and not a human achievement, though they describe how it is received differently.

How to tell which a church is

The name usually says it. Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal and most congregations calling themselves simply Christian or evangelical are Protestant. Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic churches name themselves so. Greek, Russian, Serbian, Coptic and Ethiopian churches are Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox.

Our church directory lets you filter by denomination, which is the quickest way to see what exists near you within a tradition you recognise.

Which should you attend

If you have no history with any of them, the practical answer is to visit congregations that teach the Bible, are near enough to attend weekly, and where you can become known. Branch matters, but a healthy congregation in one tradition will serve you far better than an unhealthy one in the tradition you theoretically prefer.