A List of Christian Denominations and Sects

https://www.humanreligions.info/christianity_denominations.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2025

1. Founding

'Christianity' is not a single religion dating from 2,000 years ago. A long series of varied different religions, flowing on from one another, have all called themselves "Christian". Rightly so. The beliefs and form have changed so much from time to time that it is best to consider the word "Christianity" an umbrella term for multiple faiths all of which have the same name but different beliefs. Some historical forms of Christianity have made more sense, and some have made less sense, than the Christian mythology that is common today. Modern archaeology has uncovered many of these early forms of Christianity, and no longer can we say that modern-day Christianity in its various forms represents early Christianity. It hardly does. Christianity now is quite varied, but in history the varieties were much more exotic.

For more, see:

"Types of Christianity in History: Who Were the First Christians?" by Vexen Crabtree (2003).

1.1. Gnosticism (prehistoric (1st century?))

#christianity #gnosis #gnostic #gnosticism #gnostics #greece #religion

Founded in Greece in the prehistoric (1st century?). The belief that we must escape from this world, which was created and is ruled by an inferior and unworthy god, and reunite with the true god. Gnosticism is an ancient religion stemming from the first century (approximately), and is an alternative messiah-religion that shares many features with Christianity. There were a huge number of Gnostic groups₁_,₂, sharing a common set of core beliefs. An inferior angelic being created the Earth, and this being is a hindrance to spiritual development. Many Gnostic schools taught that the Hebrew Scriptures were the religious creation of this inferior god₂. To trick this god out of power, a saviour was sent by the true god, and the sacrifice of this innocent man undermined the power of the old god, allowing the possibility for people to become saved and align themselves with the true god. Gnosticism was heavily attacked by the first Christian anti-heresy writers. Some authors such as Freke & Gandy (1999)₃ argue that Christianity as we know it is a shallow version of Gnosticism which has mistaken symbolic stories for real ones₃, whereas many academics find that the historical and archaeological evidence is unclear: Christianity and Gnosticism are related, but, and although we don't yet know which one came first, it seems that early Christianity was much more Gnostic than it is now, and perhaps the Gnostic/literalist divide simply didn't exist for the first two centuries of Christian history. By the 7th century, literalist Christians had overwhelmed Gnosticism and related forms of Christianity, leaving us with modern Trinitarian Christianity.

1.2. Mithraism (-50 BCE to 50 CE)

#christianity #greece #judaism #mithraism #roman_empire

Founded in Greece in -50 BCE to 50 CE. Roman mystery religion that believed that the Son of the Sun was a saviour who was sacrificed for the good of all. Mithraism is an ancient roman religion from the 1st century BCE₄_,₅. It flourished in the first few centuries CE by which time it had many features in common with Christianity₆ (as did multiple religions and cults of the era₆_,₇_,₈) including the motif of a crucified-and-resurrected god-man who comes to bring salvation from sin, and the primacy of 12 followers₉. Mithraism and Judaism merged and became the Christianity that we know today. Jesus, son of the Hebrew sky God, and Mithras, son of Ormuzd are both retellings of the same myth. The rituals of Christianity coincide with the earlier rituals of Mithraism, including the Eucharist and the Communion in great detail. The religious language used by Mithraism became the language used by Christians. The idea of a sacrificed saviour is Mithraist, so is the symbolism of bulls, rams, sheep, the blood of a transformed saviour washing away sins and granting eternal life, the 7 sacraments, the banishing of an evil host from heaven, apocalyptic end of time when God/Ormuzd sends the wicked to hell and establishes peace.₁₀_,₁₁. The archaeological picture is clear that Mithraism and Christianity developed out of the same religious culture but each going in (slightly) different directions. Neither religion had a "starting point" defined by a single individual or founder in the first century, but they are continuums of developing belief from the 1st and 2nd century BCE.

St Paul is often called the first Christian and 13 books of the New Testament bear his name: he was born as Saul of Tarsus in Tarsus, a major centre of Mithraism and he bears much of the responsibility for moulding Mithraism into Christianity₁₂. Later Roman Emperors, Mithraist then Christian, mixed the rituals and laws of both religions into one. Emperor Constantine established 25th of Dec, the birthdate of Mithras, to be the birthdate of Jesus too. The principal day of worship of the Jews, The Sabbath, was replaced by the Mithraistic Sun Day as the Christian holy day. The Catholic Church, based in Rome and founded on top of the most venerated Mithraist temple, wiped out all competing son-of-god religions within the Roman Empire, giving us modern literalist Christianity.

1.3. Nasorean Mandaeans (Sabians) (1st century BCE/very early CE)

#australia #christianity #christianity_historical #islam #nasorean_mandaeans #nasorean_mandaeans_(sabians) #palestine #sweden

Founded in Judea (Palestine) in the 1st century BCE/very early CE by John the Baptist. Pacifists who hold that baptism is the most meaningful ritual, and that Jesus wasn't the one foretold by John the Baptist. The Nasoreans were founded in the 1st century BCE as followers of John the Baptist, speaking Aramaic. They are often called Mandaeans by scholars (which in Aramaic means 'Gnostics')₁₃. In Muslim countries, they are called Sabians, where they have been heavily and violently persecuted₁₄. The largest communities are 10,000 - 20,000 in Sweden and about half that in Australia. They are pacifists₁₄, emphasize baptism as the most meaningful ritual, hold that John the Baptist remains the last true prophet and that their religion stems directly from that of Adam and Noah. They were never convinced in the 1st century by early Christians that Jesus was a replacement for John the Baptist. The earliest Gospel texts support the Nasorean view.₁₅

1.4. Ebionites (1st century)

#christianity #ebionites #history #israel

Founded in Judea (now Israel) in the 1st century. Possibly the earliest form of Christianity to exist. The Ebionites were some of the original Christians: Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. They populated the legendary Jerusalem Church. The term 'Ebionite' was sometimes used to describe all Christians₁₆. Ebionite Christians believed that all the Jewish Laws had to be obeyed; including the Sabbath and circumcision for all males. They considered St Paul to be the archenemy of Christianity as he taught that people did not have to obey the Law in order to be saved. They believed Jesus was Human, and was adopted by God as a perfect sacrifice.

The rise of Pauline Christianity led to the persecution of the Ebionites. Authors such as Tertullian, Origen of Alexandria, and many other intolerant "heresy-hunters" wrote at great length against the Ebionites, making untrue and exaggerated claims. Pauline and Trinitarian Christians burned Ebionite books - none survived - and they were harassed and arrested until none were left. They edited Luke 2:33 and Luke 2:48 where Joseph was twice called the 'father' of Jesus so that it did not say so, and they also edited Luke 3:22 where it plainly stated, in accordance with Ebionite beliefs, that God adopted Jesus. Pauline Christians, as non-Jewish Romans, handily came across a mistranslated prophecy that said Jesus would be born of a virgin (like other Roman sons-of-gods), adding a whole two chapters to the beginning of Matthew to prove their point. These edits, when they were uncovered, have shown that the Ebionites were treated very cruelly and unfairly, and that the original readings of Matthew and Luke both support Ebionite Christianity, rather than the Pauline Christianity that the West has inherited.

It is a sad fact of history that it is more likely that the Ebionites were the more correct form of Christianity than the Pauline Christians who slaughtered, slandered and oppressed them. Unfortunately the victors get to write history, and it is Pauline Christianity that became the legacy of the Roman Empire. After the fourth century, the Ebionites were vanquished.

1.5. Docetism

#christianity #christianity_historical #docetism

In the history of Christianity there have been many ways to resolve the contradictions between Jesus being God, and Jesus being divine. In the centuries before the concept of the Trinity was invented, docetism was one belief professed by the very first Christians. It is the idea that Jesus was divine, but that to interact with the corrupt world was given the appearance of Humanity₁₇_,₁₈. A lot of scripture supports this view. St Paul wrote that the Son came "in the likeness of flesh" (Romans 8:3). Joseph didn't impregnate Mary because Jesus didn't come from any physical seed. The reason Jesus didn't write anything himself or baptise anyone (John 4:1-2) is because he was a phantasm and could not. The evidence is that docetist Gospel of Peter was more widely read by the first Christians than Mark's₁₉. Despite their early popularity, after the rise of Cappadocian and Pauline Christianity the docetists were forcibly silenced and mostly eradicated₂₀.

1.6. Therapeutae (before 10 CE)

#christianity_historical #therapeutae

Founded before10 CE. Early Christians were criticized for copying Pagan ideas and stories and simply re-telling them. By the 4th century, the founders of the Christian Church sought evidence and historical proof to back up their mistaken opinion that Christianity was a new religion, derived from the new revelations of Jesus. Eusebius failed to find much evidence at all, except in the book of the first century author, Philo, who described a group of people who were clearly practicing Christian rituals:

“Eusebius, the fourth-century Church propagandist, could find little evidence from which to construct a history of Christianity, so he eagerly seized upon a description in one of Philo's books, of a group of Jews called the Therapeutae. Philo's description of their spring festival is reminiscent of the Christian celebration of Easter and Eusebius, therefore, claimed that he had discovered the earliest Christians in Alexandria. [... but] the spring, of course, was also the time when Pagans celebrated their festival of the dying and resurrecting godman, so Eusebius is unjustified in his assumption. Philo wrote about the Therapeutae in 10 CE, which would be 20 years before the supposed date of the crucifixion [...]. The Therapeutae are a group of Jews clearly practising a Jewish version of the Pagan Mysteries. [...] We can tell that the Therapeutae were Jews because they celebrated the Jewish festival of the Pentecost and kept sacred the Sabbath.”
"The Jesus Mysteries" by Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy (1999) [Book Review]₂₁

Eusebius didn't know that Philo was writing 20 years too early, and he had therefore uncovered additional evidence that turn-of-the-millennium Jewish Paganism was almost identical to Christianity in terms of rituals and beliefs - if Jesus arrived and preached a New Testament, it seems he really didn't have anything new to say that wasn't already being practiced in a Christian way by pagans. The fact that "Philo can, in one sentence, compare the Therapeutae to both initiates of the Mysteries of Dionysis and the followers of Moses on the banks of the Red Sea shows just how integrated Pagan and Jewish traditions had become". They lived "near that great melting-pot of Pagan and Jewish cultures, Alexandria". "The Encyclopedia of Religion" by Eliade Mircea (1987)₂₂ notes that their center was a hill above Lake Mareotis near Alexandria, and that they were similar to the Essenes₂₃.

Today when we trace the source of modern Christianity, we find that Christianity was codified in the 4th century. But in the fourth century, they didn't know what the source of Christianity was although critics said it was re-hashed paganism. In the fourth century, they too searched in history to find the source of Christianity, because of that criticism. They found the history of their religion to pre-date the actual founding of their own religion. The ancient history of Christianity is merged with the history of Paganism and the Church Fathers in the 4th century, so much closer to original Christianity than us, even mistook a group of pagans for early Christians. It wasn't the only time that they done this either, for when Bishop Melito in 160CE when in search of the ancient center of Christianity, he discovered only a group called the Ebionites, another ancient group that 4th century Christianity rejected as heretical.

1.7. Marcionites (144CE)

#christianity #historical_christianity #history #marcionites

Founded in Rome in 144CE by Marcion. The Old Testament God is evil, but the NT god is good. Marcionite Christians believed that the God of the Old Testament (wrathful and angry) was a different God to the New Testament's mystical and forgiving one. Their reasoning was sensible and their knowledge of Christian texts of the time was the most involved. Marcionism was successful, for hundreds of years some places knew only of Marcionite Christianity. Their collection of Christian texts into a codified canon was the first of its kind, and formed the template for what was to become the Bible. Pauline-Cappadocian Christians were more aggressive, and became overwhelmingly powerful when they gained Roman support, eradicating the Marcionites.₂₄

1.8. Arianism (3rd century)

#christianity

Founded in the 3rd century. 0In 3rd century as Jesus became considered more than a man, the concept of the Trinity hadn't been created: Jesus was a special human, but not actually divine (otherwise, he couldn't have suffered).

What Was Christian Adoptionism?

Arianism describes the pre-trinitarian doctrine of a holy, but not a godly, Jesus. It is not always adoptionism and not always monotheistic, either. It was defined by a negative principal (that logically Jesus can't be God and still suffer on the cross). If Jesus was God (i.e., perfect), Arians realized, what chance would any Human have of imitating him? Although Arian-sounding theologies existed from the second century onwards, it only became a wide point of contention after the third century. In the third century Origen of Alexandria, the greatest theologian of his time, had declared that the Father was Greater than the Son₂₅. This principal was later named after its principal proponent and most articulate defender, Arius (256-336CE). It was opposed by Athanasius, who became a Nicene Christian from 325CE. Because of its popularity and its clear non-trinitarian view of Jesus, trinitarian Christians such as the Nicenes/Cappadocians have considered Arianism to be highly dangerous₂₆. In the Roman Empire, Arian Christianity was supplanted by intolerant Nicene Christianity by the 5th century, but remained the most popular form of Christianity amongst the tribes surrounding the empire, until the 8th century.

1.9. Catholicism (4th century)

#catholicism #christianity

Founded in Roman Empire in the 4th century. The form of Christianity backed by Roman power from the 4th century, it violently displaced the original forms of Christianity.

2. Medieval Era

“In the twelfth century the orthodox Church had become weak and open to serious criticism among an illiterate and largely impoverished population. They attended services that were conducted in Latin and were therefore incomprehensible to many. They saw the clergy living in luxurious surroundings and supporting concubines and generally began to regard the Church establishment as corrupt. As a result of this, Christian cults built from among their own began to prove more attractive. The Church viewed this with considerable alarm [...] and it responded with the enormous muscle that it had at its disposal.”
"Cults: Secret Sects and Radical Religions" by Robert Schroëder (2007)₂₇

2.1. Cathars / Albigenses (12th century)

#albigenses #belgium #bulgaria #cathars #christianity #christianity_history #christianity_types #france #germany #italy #marcionites #the_albigenses #the_cathars #vegetarian

Founded in Germany and France in the 12th century. The world is ruled by evil Satan, Christians must escape. The Cathars (12th-15th century Christians) were noted first in Germany₂₈, becoming popular in northern Italy and Belgium. In southern France they were called Albigenses and made up the vast majority of the population.₂₈_,₂₉_,₃₀. They were remnants of the oppressed Bogomils of Bulgaria, who had represented a fusion of the Paulicians and the 2nd-century Manicheans, some of the earliest Christians, who were otherwise wiped out.

They considered earthly life to be the domain of satan, with the wicked being resurrected as animals and the virtuous being saved₂₈_,₂₉. They were vegetarian, and abstained from all sex₂₉. They opposed wickedness and power, and were particularly outspoken against the shocking abuses of power of the Catholic Church of the time₂₉_,₃₁; so much so that 'moral disgust at the wealth and wickedness of the clergy' became the biggest cause of the success of the Cathars.₂₉

The Catholic Church responded by persecuting and harassing the Cathars "on a horrific scale"₃₀. In 1209 the Pope Innocent III pronounced a Crusade against them which saw 200,000 Catholics over 20 years lay waste to some large parts of France, slaughtering some entire towns₃₀. This was followed by the intense interest of The Inquisition, who spent another 200 years crushing them.₂₈_,₃₀_,₃₁

2.2. Waldenses (1170CE)

#christianity #christianity_history #crusades #france #germany #italy #waldenses

Founded in Lyon, France in 1170CE by Peter Waldo. Devoted to giving wealth to the poor and following Christ's lived examples. Peter Waldo was a rich merchant who lived Lyons, France. In 1170CE he declared a movement for the return to the observance of the law of Christ. He gave everything he had to the poor and founded the 'Poor men of Lyons', encouraging others to do the same₃₂. In an era where the corruption and power of the Church affected everyone, this ascetic, humble and powerless Bible-based movement adhered strictly to virtuous and moral codes of conduct. Their message was sorely needed, and they rapidly grew through the south of France, Lombardy, but extended communities to Germany and Italy in the decades after the death of Waldo₃₃. Pope Alexander III had given them papal approval to preach "but they inveighed somewhat too forcibly against the immorality of the clergy, and were condemned by the Council of Verona in 1184"₃₄ and were excommunicated₃₃. They did not falter. In 1209, the Pope instigated a Crusade against heresy, which wiped out large numbers of Albigenses and Waldenses in a series of massacres. They continued to face persecution by the Catholic Church until the 19th century₃₂. Waldensians still exist in the Piedmont region of Italy₃₃.

2.3. Moravians (Unitas Fratrum) (1457CE)

#christianity #czechia #moravians_(unitas_fratrum)

Founded in Bohemia (now Czech Republic) in 1457CE by Jan (John) Hus. Founded as they rejected the authority of the Pope in Rome, so, later became known as a Protestant denomination.

3. Modern Era

3.1. Unitarianism (16th century)

#christianity #hungary #lithuania #poland #unitarianism

Founded in Poland, Lithuania, Hungary in the 16th century. A liberal and non-Trinitarian Christian church.

3.2. Protestantism (1517CE)

#christianity #protestantism

Founded in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517CE by Martin Luther. In the sixteenth century, widespread rejection of the Roman Catholic Church's power-mongering and its horrendous social abuses led to the departure of a large portion of Christianity from it, in a protest movement simply called Protestantism. The Roman Catholic Church reacted violently, triggering a long series of religious wars₃₂.

3.3. Calvinism (1519CE)

#calvinism #christianity #switzerland

Founded in Switzerland in 1519CE by Huldrych Zwingli. A collection of early Protestant movements with more defined answers to several theological problems.

3.4. Lutheranism (1521CE)

#christianity #germany #lutheranism

Founded in Germany in 1521CE by Martin Luther. Formed in order to make Christianity more Biblically-based.

3.5. Baptist (1525 or 17th century)

#baptist #christianity #UK

Founded in UK or Europe in the 1525 or 17th century anabaptists or 17th Century English separatists. Baptism is only for consenting adults who have chosen it, and not to be forced on children.

3.6. Anglicanism (1534CE)

#anglicanism #christianity #UK

Founded in UK in 1534CE by King Henry VIII. Created to reduce the amount of tax being sent to Rome and so that King Henry VIII could remarry.

3.7. Mennonite (1632CE)

#christianity #mennonite #netherlands

Founded in Netherlands in 1632CE by Menno Simons. A Protestant Christian denomination.

3.8. Amish (1693CE)

#amish #christianity #switzerland

Founded in Switzerland in 1693CE by Jakob Ammann and his followers split from the Anabaptists. Peaceful Christian fundamentalist group famous for its rejection of technology and strict adherence to OT and NT laws. The VCCM_Tag="Amish"--> are a peaceful Christian fundamentalist group famous for its rejection of technology and strict adherence to OT and NT laws. They are named after a 17th century Mennonite bishop, and "remain a very insular and conservative community of people who shun modern living styles"₃₂.

3.9. Methodism (18th century)

#christianity #methodism #UK

Founded in UK in the 18th century by John Wesley, George Whitefield and Charles Wesley. Split due to a rejection of predeterminism in favour of a free-will and faith-based theory of salvation.

3.10. Swenborgian / New Church (1770CE)

#christianity #new_church #sweden #swenborgian

Founded in Sweden in 1770CE by Emanuel Swedenborg. Scripture must be interpreted spiritually, not literally, and Baptism and the Last Supper are the two sacraments.

3.11. Mormonism (1830)

#christianity #jospeh_smith #judaism #mormonism #USA

Founded in USA in 1830₃₅ by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith (1805-44) created Mormonism by phrasing the symbols, magical ideas and other elements from the occult scene of his own upbringing in terms of Christian history. In his Book of Mormon, he claims that tribes of Israelites migrated to the USA in the 6th century BCE and founded a successful civilisation, which lasted one thousand years and was visited by Jesus during his life.₃₆_,₃₇. This historical myth-making is widely ridiculed on account of the genetic, archaeological and historical evidence against it₃₆.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are the largest Mormon denomination.

3.12. Plymouth Brethren (1831CE)

#christianity #plymouth_brethren #UK

Founded in UK in 1831CE. A fundamentalist sola-scripture (Bible alone) movement.

3.13. Christadelphians (1840s)

#christadelphians #christianity #USA

Founded in USA in the 1840s by Dr John Thomas. Bible-based Christianity.

3.14. Salvation Army (1865CE)

#christianity #salvation_army #UK

Founded in UK in 1865CE by Methodist minister William Booth. Christian organisation of evangelists organised along military lines, famous for charity work.

3.15. Jehovah's Witnesses (1870s)

#christianity #jehovah's_witnesses #USA

Founded in USA in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell. A 140-year-old Christian fundamentalist/literalist organisation famous for preaching that the world is about to end (nowadays - because of the existence of the United Nations). The Jehovah's Witnesses are a growing Christian Church with some interesting beliefs, who retain the ability to change their beliefs (as they have done on their opposition to vaccinations). They are distinctive for their energetic, persistent yet friendly door-to-door evangelism. They are Biblical fundamentalists with strong anti-science views, world-rejecting ideas, and a long-lasting belief in the imminent end of the world as we know it. Their Church is highly centralized. They attract criticism on grounds of their totalitarianism, cultish behaviour, heavy indoctrination of their members by their internal society, their extremist sectarianism and intolerance of views they deem incorrect, and of their history of doctrine reversals. But their ability to change is a positive thing: an inability to change is widely held to be the greatest weakness of religion overall. They commendably proclaim some now-unfashionable Christian beliefs which have been forgotten or amended by nearly all modern Christian churches, such as a unitarian rather than a trinitarian god, and that the saved are carnally reincarnated as there is no eternal soul.

3.16. Christian Scientists (1879CE)

#christian_scientists #christianity #USA

Founded in USA in 1879CE by Mary Baker Eddy. Jesus didn't die, and, all illness is an illusion if only you believe it enough.

3.17. Christian Apostolic Church in Zion (1895CE)

#anthrocentrism #astronomy #christian_apostolic_church_in_zion #christianity #copernicus #earth #galileo #gravity #greece #kepler #laplace #newton #physics #ptolemy #religion #science #USA

Founded in USA in 1895CE by John Alexander Dowie. Fundamentalist Anti-science flat-earth Christian cult, who also predicted the End of the World would occur 4 different times. Copernicus (1473-1543)₃₈_,₃₉, Kepler (1571-1630), Galileo (1564-1642)₄₀_,₄₁_,₄₂, Newton (1643-1727)₄₃ and Laplace (1749-1827)₄₄ all fought battles against the Church when they published scientific papers that enraged the Church by writing that the Earth might orbit the sun, rather than the idea that it sat at a central position in the Universe. These and other scientists suffered torture, imprisonment, forced recantations and death at the hands of Christians₄₂_,₄₅. The source of the Church's confidence was the Bible. Joshua 10:12-13, 2 Kings 20:11, Psalms 93:1, 104:5, Ecclesiastes 1:5, Isaiah 30:26, Isaiah 38:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and Habakkuk 3:10-11 all contradicted the astronomers. It was not until 1979 that the Vatican "officially concede[d] that the Earth revolved around the Sun, and not vica-versa"₄₁.

Without interference from theists, science would have been a thousand years more advanced than it is now. Aristarchus of Samos taught that the earth moves, in the 3rd century BCE₃₈. But Greek astronomical knowledge was condemned and hidden by Christians (Ptolemy et al) in the second century. The Ionians discovered the truth about the Sun, the Earth and the stars₄₆, but their era ended when their last great scientist, Hypatia, was attacked by a mob of Christians and burnt in 415CE. The center of science, the Alexandrian Library, was also burnt and destroyed. Although the Church did eventually lose the battle against astronomy, it still went on to violently impose dogmatic errors in other arenas of knowledge, such as biology. Thankfully, today, most mainstream Christians accept scientific facts in many matters and Christian organisations have much reduced power to hinder research.

3.18. Pentecostalism (20th century)

#christianity #pentecostalism #USA

Founded in USA in the 20th century by Charles Fox Parham. A fundamentalist Protestant 'Charismatic' movement with an emphasis on baptism and direct experiences of God, evidenced by 'talking in tongues'. Pentecostal Christianity is a division of Protestant Christianity stemming from the 20th century, influenced by Evangelical Christianity₄₇. There are 300-500 million Pentecostals worldwide, mostly in Latin America, Africa, East Asia, and the Pacific Oceania₄₈ (i.e, the "global South")₄₉. It is less focused on the Bible and more on personal zeal and emotion, and is popularist rather than doctrinal - i.e., it follows what its mass of believers want, rather than obsessing over minute biblical details - the spirit of the law, rather than the letter. The movement has self-help potential, and prohibits gambling, drugs and alcohol (but also prohibits dancing)₄₇ and emphasizes individual responsibilities in life₅₀. There is an emphasis on tithing, which suits its community leaders very well. Most new Pentecostal churches are popular amongst the poor and the displaced₄₇, and its messages are sometimes heavy on anti-intellectualism and anti-science. But with popularity comes greater influence, and over time these facets tend to soften as the churches become more "upwardly mobile". At that point, many poor members tend to become disillusionsed and move on to other churches; perhaps back to their original ones.₄₇. Pentecostalism has a problem with gender equality: although in Latin American 2/3rds of its congregation is female, "formal leadership positions are monopolized by men"₅₁. Pentecostalism is home of the infamous "Prosperity Theology" movement, which has embraced the amassing of wealth as evidence of being in God's favour₅₂ and Hefner (2011) reports in an understated manner that "the expensive cars and clothing flaunted by some prosperity pastors disturb Catholics"₅₃. The church has developed problems and a long series of scandals has seen prominent Pentecostals mired in corruption, sexual intrigues, paedophilia, tax evasion and fraud.

3.19. Rastafarian (1930s)

#christianity #jamaica #rastafarian

Founded in Jamaica in the 1930s. God (called Jah) fathered a black Jesus; marijuana use in rituals.

3.20. Branch Davidians (1930CE)

#branch_davidians #christianity #USA

Founded in USA in 1930CE by Benjamin Roden. Apocalyptic suicide cult famed for its dramatic armed fight against authorities in the town of Waco, USA, in 1993.

3.21. Unification Church (1954CE)

#christianity #south_korea #unification_church

Founded in South Korea in 1954CE by Sun Myung Moon. Sun Myung Moon embodied the Second Coming of Christ, and his commercialist church runs a media empire. "Founded in 1954 by the Korean businessman Sun Myung Moon, known as the Reverend Moon to his followers, this church claims that God has constantly sought to create the perfect family but has been thwarted by Satan. The core book is Moon's The Divine Principle"₅₄.

3.22. People's Temple (1960s)

#christianity #people's_temple #USA

Founded in USA in the 1960s by Rev. James (Jim) Warren Jones. Apocalyptic suicide cult that imploded, resulting in the deaths of over 600 adults and 276 children.

3.23. Hookers for Jesus / The Family of God (1968CE)

#christianity #hookers_for_jesus #the_family_of_god #USA

Founded in USA in 1968CE by David Berg. Sexually promiscuous group who fell foul of police suspicion. As is often the case, increasing pressure from outside resulted in the group retreating even further into insanity, and they became The Family, predicting the end of the world.

3.24. Dami Xuanjiao (1980s)

#christianity #dami_xuanjiao #south_korea

Founded in South Korea in the 1980s. A millenarian cult based on the belief that Jesus would return to judge survivors in 1999. Suspected of being on the verge of mass suicide after predictions of the end of the world failed in year 2000.

3.25. Concerned Christians (1980s)

#christianity #concerned_christians #greece #israel #USA

Founded in USA in the 1980s by Monte Kim Miller. Fundamentalist Christians active in the USA, Israel and Greece, who expected the end of the world in year 2000, starting with a nuclear attack on the USA, which they appeared to be trying to instigate themselves.

3.26. Order of the Solar Temple (1984CE)

#christianity #france #order_of_the_solar_temple

Founded in France in 1984CE by Joseph Di Mambro & Luc Jouret. Apocalyptic suicide cult, with mass suicides in Switzerland, France and Quebec, in preparation for Jesus' second coming.

In the sixteenth century, widespread rejection of the Roman Catholic Church's power-mongering and its horrendous social abuses led to the departure of a large portion of Christianity from it, in a protest movement simply called Protestantism. The Roman Catholic Church reacted violently, triggering a long series of religious wars₃₂.