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The ARDA's Religious Classification Guide ARDA LEARNING RESOURCES Religious Classification Guide The ARDA’s Religious Classification Guide Learn how the ARDA categorizes religious groups into traditions and families COPYRIGHT ASSOCIATION OF RELIGION DATA ARCHIVES | 1 of 39 ARDA LEARNING RESOURCES Religious Classification Guide T ABLE OF CONTENTS Part 1: Religion by Tradition Introduction…………..……............................................................ 4 Evangelical Protestant……………................................................. 5 Mainline Protestant……………..................................................... 5 Black Protestant …...……….......................................................... 6 Roman Catholic ……...………........................................................ 6 Orthodox ……...………................................................................... 6 Other ……...………......................................................................... 7 Part 2: Religion by Family Introduction………………………..................................................... 9 Adventist Family…………….......................................................... 9 Anglicanism Family …………….................................................... 10 Baptist Family...…...………........................................................... 10 Christian Science Family ……...………......................................... 11 Communal Family.……............................................................... 11 Congregationalist Family (UCC)................................................ 11 Eastern Liturgical Family (Orthodox)....................................... 12 European Free-Church Family.................................................. 12 Holiness Family.......................................................................... 13 Independent Fundamentalist Family........................................ 14 Judaism Family.......................................................................... 14 Latter-day Saints Family............................................................ 14 Liberal Family............................................................................. 15 Lutheran Family......................................................................... 15 Methodist/Pietist Family........................................................... 15 Other Groups.............................................................................. 16 Pentecostal Family..................................................................... 17 Presbyterian-Reformed Family.................................................. 17 Restorationist Family................................................................. 18 COPYRIGHT ASSOCIATION OF RELIGION DATA ARCHIVES | 2 of 39 ARDA LEARNING RESOURCES Religious Classification Guide Spiritualist Family...................................................................... 18 Western Liturgical Family (Catholicism)................................... 18 Appendices Appendix A. Listed Religious Groups by Tradition................... 20 Appendix B. Listed Religious Groups by Family....................... 27 COPYRIGHT ASSOCIATION OF RELIGION DATA ARCHIVES | 3 of 39 ARDA LEARNING RESOURCES Religious Classification Guide Part 1: Religion by Tradition Introduction Christian groups in America are often placed into five main traditions: Evangelical Protestant, Mainline Protestant, Black Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic. There is wide variation within each of these five traditions. The most difficult to classify are the Evangelical and Mainline Protestant, with the evangelical groups being more theologically and socially conservative than the mainline groups. Several sources were used for categorizing the many Christian groups into religious traditions, beginning with an article by Brian Steensland and colleagues entitled "The Measure of American Religion: Toward Improving the State of the Art" published in Social Forces. This article places many of the denomination into one of those traditions. For Christian denominations not included in Steensland and colleagues' scheme, two additional sources were consulted: J. Gordon Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions (8th edition) and Frank S. Mead and Samuel S. Hill's Handbook of Denominations in the United States (12th edition). In addition to those in Steensland and colleagues' classification scheme, the “Other” category was created for Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah's Witnesses and other religious groups that fall outside of the five main Christian traditions. On the U.S. Congregational Membership Reports, the ARDA also shows a number for the “unclaimed” population, those that are not adherents of any of the religious groups included in the Religious Congregations & Membership Study, 2010.1 Using these sources the staff at the Association of Religion Data Archives (theARDA.com) placed each group into a Religious Tradition. 1 NOTE: This number should not be used as an indicator of irreligion or atheism, as it also includes adherents of groups not included in these data. COPYRIGHT ASSOCIATION OF RELIGION DATA ARCHIVES | 4 of 39 ARDA LEARNING RESOURCES Religious Classification Guide Evangelical Protestant Evangelical Protestant denominations and churches emphasize conversion and evangelism, hold biblical authority in high regard and tend to seek more separation from the broader culture. Evangelical Protestantism is usually seen as more theologically and socially conservative than mainline Protestantism, although there is obviously variation among evangelical denominations, congregations and individuals. Evangelical Protestant denominations include the Southern Baptist Convention, Assemblies of God and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Here are some other examples of Evangelical Protestant groups: • American Baptist Association • Apostolic Christian Church of America, Inc • Churches of Christ • Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) • Church of Nazarene • Evangelical Lutheran Synod • Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran • Evangelical Free Church of America • Presbyterian Church in America • Amish (Mennonite) Mainline Protestant Mainline Protestant denominations typically emphasize a proactive view on issues of social and economic justice and a tolerance of varied individual beliefs. While mainline Protestantism is usually seen as more theologically and socially liberal than evangelical Protestantism, there obviously is variation among mainline denominations, congregations and individuals. Examples of Mainline Protestant denominations include the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Methodist Church the Reformed Church in America, the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Here are some other examples of Mainline Protestant groups: • Reformed Church in America • United Church of Christ • Episcopal Church • Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) • Friends (Quakers) • Metropolitan Community Churches • Moravian Church in America COPYRIGHT ASSOCIATION OF RELIGION DATA ARCHIVES | 5 of 39 ARDA LEARNING RESOURCES Religious Classification Guide Black Protestant Historically Black Protestant churches are those that minister to predominantly African American congregations in the United States. The first black churches were founded by free blacks in the 18th century. Historically black churches have long been the centers of communities, serving numerous important functions. While the religious-meaning system and social organization of these denominations are similar to those found in white evangelical denominations, African American Protestants emphasize different aspects of Christian doctrine, especially the importance of freedom and the quest for justice. Black Protestants tend to be liberal on economic attitudes and conservative on social issues. The seven major Black Protestant denominations are: the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the Church of God in Christ, the National Baptist Convention of America, the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. Here are some other examples of Black Protestant groups: • African Union Methodist Protestant • Reformed Zion Union Apostolic • Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America • Church of God By Faith • Church of the Living God • Church of the Lord Jesus Christ • Seventh Day Pentecostal • First Church of Jesus Christ • Pentecostal Assemblies of the World • United House of Prayer Roman Catholic Roman Catholicism is an ancient, liturgical, sacramental and western form of Christianity. Roman Catholic doctrine emphasizes the Trinity and Jesus Christ’s incarnation. The Roman Catholic organizational structure is hierarchical with the pope presiding over all Roman Catholics. The Roman Catholic Church is currently the largest religious body in the United States. This family also includes the Polish National Catholic Church and the United Catholic Church. Orthodox Orthodox Christianity represents one of the three great divisions of Christianity; the others are the Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic and Orthodox churches originally were united, but they parted in the 11th century, when they differed over several points of doctrine, including the supreme authority of the COPYRIGHT ASSOCIATION OF RELIGION DATA ARCHIVES | 6 of 39 ARDA LEARNING RESOURCES Religious Classification Guide pope, which Orthodox Christians reject. Since the 20th century, the Catholic
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