Religious denomination

The term Confession (Latin confessio, Confession ',' commitment ') referred to in today's parlance, a subgroup within a religion (originally only the Christian ), which differs in doctrine, organization, or practices of other subgroups.

The term originated in Christianity and referred to in Christian theology originally a summary of beliefs. Therefore, the term is also used as a term for a Christian direction, which differs by a shared commitment of other Christian directions and in a wider sense also commonly used for Christian directions, so called today the various Christian churches and groups.

In the population statistics is under denomination usually understood belonging to a religious community. See also: Religions in Germany.

Conceptual history

The term confession (from the Latin confiteri, confess ', ' confess '; PPP confessus, noun confessio ) originally referred to a confession in the religious or criminal sense.

During the Reformation, the confession was the confession of faith of a Protestant party. (for example, the Augsburg Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism ). This was to speak to the identity- founding charter of the respective religious party.

Due to the intrinsic connection between religious orientation and political sovereignty Church ( cuius regio, eius religio ) is changed the meaning of the term as a formulated special confession commitment to each respective Christian Church. In addition to Protestant churches with Lutheran and Reformed confession booth formed - partly to overcome the theological differences, partly by economic or political constraints due - after the Enlightenment Uniate churches, which are based either on both the Lutheran and the Reformed confessional texts or overcome these differences wanted. In practice, the differences are now playing within the Protestant denominations do not matter anymore. Go to Germany members of a Protestant church denomination has their own by moving into the area of ​​a country church other denomination.

The Orthodox and the Catholic Church understand itself not in this sense as a confession because they have not constituted by the agreement of a common confession formulation. However, they are usually included since the Council of Trent, the term with.

The concept underwent a meaning extension, as in the 19th century invaded numerous groups in the German-speaking world, which the Anglo-Saxon language not by their specific service, but by their specific name (English denomination ) distinguished. However, the English word denomination hardly found the entrance in the German language, instead they called once all the established different denominations Christian movements, unless they have been marginalized as a sect.

Christian denominations

A denomination in Christianity is a self- defined entity (church, association of churches or communities ) that distinguishes it in their teachings and priorities of other denominations. The three main denominations are Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches. The latter was divided already in the Reformation period in a Lutheran, a Calvinist and an Anabaptist denomination. The Baptist, Methodist, the Anglican Church and Others are called Protestant denomination.

Yet, this is a movement, such as Pietism, Evangelicalism or Charismatic Renewal, which is across denominational and without defined borders.

The denomination normally exerts a major influence on theology and practice of their communities, although the term is also used for the description of congregational groups in which the individual communities define the actual confession instead parent churches, such as the Mennonites, Baptists or Pentecostals.

The application of the concept of confession is not a necessary precondition for the recognition of equality of all denominations. Certain religious communities, for example the Roman Catholic Church or the Orthodox Church, the concept of confession does not apply to itself.

Denominational education

The formation of denominations may gradually develop over extended periods of time and from the interaction of various theological, cultural and political factors, such as the Oriental schism.

Furthermore, a denomination within a much shorter time resulting from a spiritual or theological renewal or through a revival in an existing church and then unfold to its own group, such as the Lutherans from the Roman Catholic Church or Methodism from the Church of England.

Also, a new confession by elimination of an existing group arise, often due to the introduction of new features that are not supported by a minority of the existing group, what makes this minority self-employed, for example, the Old Catholics.

In some cases, new denominations have formed by the union of existing denominations, such as the United Church of Canada from the Lutheran, Presbyterian and Methodist Church.

A few denominations appointed with regard to their emergence on specific new revelations, such as Mormonism.

About denominational

According to the dictionary means non-denominational "is not limited to a religious denomination, but also to other cross, involving them with, or belonging to all ". A About Denominational is by its self a Christian, and sees itself as part of the community of Christians, without being tied to a denomination. There are also non-denominational religious communities and associations, which are independent also of a denomination and almost exclusively the Bible as teaching take ( however, these communities almost always to settle in other Protestant areas and less in the Catholic or Orthodox, as they are mostly the Reformation principle of sola scriptura represented ). Especially in the English-speaking world play the "Non - Denominational Churches" (English non- denominational, non-denominational ' not to be confused with English un - denominational, un - denominational. ', Ie non-denominational ) since the mid-20th century an increasing role. About Denominational is therefore to be confused denominational or ecumenical in no case with the two similar terms. However Ecumenical plants can function -denominational in various fields.

Well-known examples -denominational communities and works in Germany include the Moravian Church, the Gideons, the Salvation Army, the Jesus freaks and the Calvary Chapels.

From the time of National Socialism, the term comes believer in God. As a believer in God was one who had turned away from the recognized religious communities, however, was not without faith.

Non-Christian religions

Today is sometimes used as part of a less Christian theological as more sociological and statistical approach continuous approach, the term confession to other religions than Christianity. However, many authors argue that the concept of confession properly can not be applied to religious groups within non-Christian religions. These are referred to as, for example, directions, schools, currents or traditions, often the term cult is used, which, however, has pejorative meaning. In English, the neutral denomination is usually used, which is also used in German using rudimentary.