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Christianity



Main article: Ecumenism
Christianity percentage by country
Christianity percentage by country

Most churches have long expressed ideals of being reconciled with each other, and in the 20th century Christian ecumenism advanced in two ways.[156] One way was greater cooperation between groups, such as the Edinburgh Missionary Conference of Protestants in 1910, the Justice, Peace and Creation Commission of the World Council of Churches founded in 1948 by Protestant and Orthodox churches, and similar national councils like the National Council of Churches in Australia which includes Roman Catholics.[157]

The other way was institutional union with new United and uniting churches. Congregationalist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches united in 1925 to form the United Church of Canada,[158] and in 1977 to form the Uniting Church in Australia. The Church of South India was formed in 1947 by the union of Anglican, Methodist, Congregationalist, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches.[159]

Steps towards reconciliation on a global level were taken in 1965 by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches mutually revoking the excommunications that marked their Great Schism in 1054;[160] the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) working towards full communion between those churches since 1970;[161] and the Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches signing The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in 1999 to address conflicts at the root of the Protestant Reformation. In 2006 the Methodist church adopted the declaration.[162]

[

Figures

With an estimated number of adherents that ranges between 1.5 billion[163] and 2.1 billion,[163] split into around 34,000 separate denominations, Christianity is the world's largest religion.[164] The Christian share of the world's population has stood at around 33 per cent for the last hundred years. This masks a major shift in the demographics of Christianity; large increases in the developing world have been accompanied by substantial declines in the developed world, mainly in Europe and North America.[165] On current projections, by 2050 only about one-fifth of the world's Christians will be non-Hispanic whites.[166] It is still the predominant religion in Europe, the Americas, the Philippines, and Southern Africa.[167] However it is declining in some areas including Oceania (Australia and New Zealand), Northern Europe (including Great Britain,[168] Scandinavia and other places), France, Germany, the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, the Western and Northern portions of the United States, and parts of Asia (especially the Middle East[169][170][171], South Korea[172], Taiwan[173] and Macau[174]).

In most countries in the developed world, church attendance among people who continue to identify themselves as Christians has been falling over the last few decades.[175] Some sources view this simply as part of a drift away from traditional membership institutions,[176] while others link it to signs of a decline in belief in the importance of religion in general.[177]

Christianity, in one form or another, is the sole state religion of the following nations: Argentina (Roman Catholic),[178] Bolivia (Roman Catholic),[179] Costa Rica (Roman Catholic),[180] Cyprus (Orthodox),[181] Denmark (Evangelical Lutheran),[182] El Salvador (Roman Catholic),[183] England (Anglican),[184] Finland (Evangelical Lutheran & Orthodox),[185][186] Greece (Greek Orthodox),[183] Iceland (Evangelical Lutheran),[187] Liechtenstein (Roman Catholic),[188] Malta (Roman Catholic),[189] Monaco (Roman Catholic),[190] Norway (Evangelical Lutheran),[191] Scotland (Presbyterian),[192] Switzerland (Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, or Protestant - denomination varies per canton)[193] and Vatican City (Roman Catholic).[194]

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See also

[

Notes

  1. ^ The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IX, Monotheism; William F. Albright, From the Stone Age to Christianity; H. Richard Niebuhr; About.com, Monotheistic Religion resources; Jonathan Kirsch, God Against the Gods; Linda Woodhead, An Introduction to Christianity; The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Monotheism; The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, monotheism; New Dictionary of Theology, Paul, p. 496-99; David Vincent Meconi, "Pagan Monotheism in Late Antiquity" in Journal of Early Christian Studies, p. 111–12
  2. ^ BBC, BBC - Religion & Ethics - Christianity
  3. ^ "between 1,250 and 1,750 million adherents, depending on the criteria employed": McGrath, Alister E. Christianity: An Introduction. 2006, page xv1.
  4. ^ "1.5 thousand million Christians": Hinnells, John R. The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion. 2005, page 441.
  5. ^ Major Religions Ranked by Size
  6. ^ Hinnells, John R. The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion. 2005, page 441.
  7. ^ see Christianity#Figures for information and references
  8. ^ Christians believe that Jesus is still alive in heaven, and that, as God, he exists in eternity, hence the use of "is".
  9. ^ Mortimer Chambers, The Western Experience Volume II chapter 5; The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion, p. 158.
  10. ^ McGrath, Alister E. Christianity:An Introduction, Blackwell Publishing (2006), p. 4-6. ISBN 1405108991.
  11. ^ Fowler, Jeaneane D. World Religions:An Introduction for Students. p. 58. Sussex Academic Press (1997). ISBN 1898723486.
  12. ^ Acts 11:26
  13. ^ Elwell, Walter A. & Comfort, Philip Wesley. Tyndale Bible Dictionary, p. 266, 828. Tyndale House Publishers (2001). ISBN 0842370897.
  14. ^ J.Z.Smith 98, p. 276.
  15. ^ Anidjar 2001, p. 3
  16. ^ Fowler, Jeaneane D. World Religions:An Introduction for Students. Sussex Academic Press (1997), p. 131. ISBN 1898723486.
  17. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Oxford University Press (1990), p. 301–303.
  18. ^ Olson, Roger E. The Mosaic of Christian Belief. InterVarsity Press (2002). ISBN 9780830826957.
  19. ^ McGrath, Alister E. Christianity:An Introduction. Pp 4-6. Blackwell Publishing (2006). ISBN 1405108991.
  20. ^ Metzger, Bruce M. and Michael Coogan, editors. Oxford Companion to the Bible. Pp 513, 649. Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0195046455.
  21. ^ Acts 2:24, Romans 10:9, 1 Cor 15:15, Acts 2:31-32, 3:15, 3:26, 4:10, 5:30, 10:40-41, 13:30, 13:34, 13:37, 17:30-31, 1 Cor 6:14, 2 Cor 4:14, Gal 1:1, Eph 1:20, Col 2:12, 1 Thess 1:10, Heb 13:20, 1 Pet 1:3, 1:21
  22. ^ http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed
  23. ^ Acts 1:9-11
  24. ^ Hanegraaff, Hank. Resurrection: The Capstone in the Arch of Christianity. Thomas Nelson (2000) IBSN 0849916437 .
  25. ^ The Significance of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus for the Christian. Australian Catholic University National. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
  26. ^ Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important?. Got Questions Ministries. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
  27. ^ John 19:30–31, Mark 16:1, Mark 16:6
  28. ^ 1 Cor. 15:6
  29. ^ Lorenzen, Thorwald. Resurrection, Discipleship, Justice: Affirming the Resurrection Jesus Christ Today. Smyth & Helwys (2003), p. 13. ISBN 1573123994 .
  30. ^ 1 Cor. 15:14)
  31. ^ Ball, Bryan and William Johnsson, editors. The Essential Jesus. Pacific Press (2002). ISBN 0816319294.
  32. ^ John 3:16, 5:24, 6:39–40, 6:47, 10:10, 11:25–26, and 17:3.
  33. ^ This is drawn from a number of sources, especially the early Creeds, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, certain theological works, and various Confessions drafted during the Reformation including the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England, works contained in the Book of Concord, and others.[citation needed][clarify]
  34. ^ Two denominations in which a resurrection of Jesus is not a doctrine are the Quakers and the Unitarians.[citation needed]
  35. ^ Fuller, Reginald H. The Foundations of New Testament Christology. Pg 11. Scribners (1965). ISBN 068415532X .
  36. ^ A Jesus Seminar conclusion: "in the view of the Seminar, he did not rise bodily from the dead; the resurrection is based instead on visionary experiences of Peter, Paul, and Mary."
  37. ^ Funk, Robert. The Acts of Jesus: What Did Jesus Really Do?. Polebridge Press (1998). ISBN 0060629789.
  38. ^ title url Soteriology. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company (2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  39. ^ Metzger, Bruce M. and Michael Coogan, editors. Oxford Companion to the Bible. p. 405 Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0-19-504645-5.
  40. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, Grace and Justification
  41. ^ Westminster Confession, Chapter X; Charles Spurgeon, A Defense of Calvinism.
  42. ^ Richard D. Balge Martin Luther, Augustinian
  43. ^ J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, p. 87-90.
  44. ^ T. Desmond Alexander, New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, p. 514-515
  45. ^ Alister E. McGrath, Historical Theology p. 61.
  46. ^ Metzger, Bruce M. and Michael Coogan, editors. Oxford Companion to the Bible. Pg. 782 Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0-19-504645-5.
  47. ^ J.N.D. Kelly, The Athanasian Creed, NY: Harper and Row, 1964.
  48. ^ Vladimir Lossky; Loraine Boettner
  49. ^ Theophilus of Antioch Apologia ad Autolycum II 15
  50. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 50. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
  51. ^ Tertullian De Pudicitia chapter 21
  52. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 53. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
  53. ^ von Harnack, Adolf (1894-03-01). History of Dogma. Retrieved on 2007-06-15. “[In the 2nd century,] Jesus was either regarded as the man whom God hath chosen, in whom the Deity or the Spirit of God dwelt, and who, after being tested, was adopted by God and invested with dominion, (Adoptian Christology); or Jesus was regarded as a heavenly spiritual being (the highest after God) who took flesh, and again returned to heaven after the completion of his work on earth (pneumatic Christology)”
  54. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 35. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
  55. ^ MacCulloch, Diarmaid. The Reformation: A History. Viking Adult (2004), p. 185-187.
  56. ^ R. Emmet McLaughlin Caspar Schwenckfeld, reluctant radical: his life to 1540, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986 ISBN 0-300-03367-2
  57. ^ Deppermann, Klaus. Melchior Hoffman: Social Unrest & Apocalyptic Vision in the Age of Reformation. ISBN 0-567-08654-2
  58. ^ Servetus, Michael. Restoration of Christianity. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 2007.
  59. ^ William Arnold, Is Jesus God the Father?
  60. ^ J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, p. 119-123
  61. ^ Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship, p. 97-98.
  62. ^ Doctrine and Covenants 130:22
  63. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture (§105-108)
  64. ^ Second Helvetic Confession, Of the Holy Scripture Being the True Word of God
  65. ^ Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, online text
  66. ^ PC(USA) - Presbyterian 101 - What is The Bible?
  67. ^ F.F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture; Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Canon of Scripture § 120
  68. ^ Metzger, Bruce M. and Michael Coogan, editors. Oxford Companion to the Bible. Pg. 39 Oxford University Press (1993). ISBN 0-19-504645-5.
  69. ^ J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, p. 69-78.
  70. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture § 115-118
  71. ^ 1 Corinthians 10:2
  72. ^ Thomas Aquinas"Whether in Holy Scripture a word may have several senses"; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, §116
  73. ^ Second Vatican Council Dei Verbum (V.19)
  74. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture" § 113
  75. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith" § 85
  76. ^ Keith Mathison The Shape of Sola Scriptura (2001)
  77. ^ R.C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, p. 45-61; Greg Bahnsen, A Reformed Confession Regarding Hermeneutics (art. 6)
  78. ^ E.g., in his commentary on Matthew 1 (§III.3) Matthew Henry interprets the twin-sons of Judah, Phares and Zara, as an allegory of the Gentile and Jewish Christians. For a contemporary treatment, see W. Edward Glenny, Typology: A Summary Of The Present Evangelical Discussion
  79. ^ a b Scott Foutz, Martin Luther and Scripture
  80. ^ John Calvin, Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles 2 Peter 3:14-18
  81. ^ http://mb-soft.com/believe/txh/helvconf.htm Article about Helvetic confessions
  82. ^ Second Helvetic Confession, Of Interpreting the Holy Scriptures; and of Fathers, Councils, and Traditions
  83. ^ Jaroslav Pelikan and Valerie Hotchkiss, editors. Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition]. Yale University Press 2003 ISBN 0300093896.
  84. ^ Catholics United for the Faith, "We Believe in One God"; Encyclopedia of Religion, "Arianism"
  85. ^ Catholic Encyclopedia, "Council of Ephesus" (1913).
  86. ^ Matt Slick, Chalcedonian Creed; Christian History Institute, First Meeting of the Council of Chalcedon
  87. ^ British Orthodox Church, The Oriental Orthodox Rejection of Chalcedon
  88. ^ Pope Leo I, Letter to Flavian
  89. ^ Catholic Encyclopedia, "Athanasian Creed" (1913).
  90. ^ a b Our Common Heritage as Christians. The United Methodist Church. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  91. ^ "The History of the Church", Howard A. White
  92. ^ Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologicum, Supplementum Tertiae Partis questions 69 through 99
  93. ^ Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book Three, Ch. 25. www.reformed.org. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  94. ^ Spitz, Lewis, The Protestant Reformation. Concordia Publishing House (2003) ISBN 0570033209.
  95. ^ Canon F.W. Farrar “Mercy and Judgment” 1904 pages 378-382 http://www.tentmaker.org/books/mercyandjudgment/mercy_and_judgment_ch1.html
  96. ^ Thomas Talbott "Three Pictures of God in Western Theology" 1995pages 13-15 http://www.willamette.edu/~ttalbott/PICTURES.pdf
  97. ^ http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/chr-univ.html, retrieved April 11, 2009
  98. ^ a b Justin Martyr, First Apology §LXVII
  99. ^ a b c d (13 March 1997) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd edition. USA: Oxford University Press, 1435-6. ISBN 0–19–211655–X. 
  100. ^ Hickman, Hoyt L., et al. Handbook of the Christian Year. Abingdon Press (1986). ISBN 0-687-16575-X
  101. ^ ANF04. Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Part Fourth; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen, Parts First and Second | Christian Classics Ethereal Library
  102. ^ Minucius Felix speaks of the cross of Jesus in its familiar form, likening it to objects with a crossbeam or to a man with arms outstretched in prayer (Octavius of Minucius Felix, chapter XXIX).
  103. ^ "At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on seat, in all the ordinary actions of daily life, we trace upon the forehead the sign" (De Corona, chapter 3)
  104. ^ a b Dilasser, Maurice. The Symbols of the Church (1999). Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, hardcover: ISBN 0-8146-2538-x
  105. ^ a b Hassett, Maurice (1912). Symbolism of the Fish. Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
  106. ^ Fortescue, Adrian (1912). Veneration of Images. Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
  107. ^ Robinson, George. Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs and Rituals. New York: Pocket Books, 2000, p. 229.
  108. ^ Esler, Phillip F. The Early Christian World. Routledge (2004), p. 157-158.
  109. ^ Acts 7:59
  110. ^ 12:2
  111. ^ "It is our desire that all the various nations which are subject to our clemency and moderation should continue to the profession of that religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter, as it has been preserved by faithful tradition and which is now professed by the Pontiff Damasus and by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness. ... We authorize the followers of this law to assume the title Catholic Christians; but as for the others, since in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of heretics, and shall not presume to give their conventicles the name of churches." Halsall, Paul (June 1997). Theodosian Code XVI.i.2. Medieval Sourcebook: Banning of Other Religions. Fordham University. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
  112. ^ a b Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, p 243.
  113. ^ a b Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, p 238.
  114. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 248-250.
  115. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 238-242.
  116. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, p 244-247
  117. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, p 260.
  118. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 278-281.
  119. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 305, 312, 314-15.
  120. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 303-307, 310-11, 384-386.
  121. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 305, 310-11, 316-317.
  122. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 321-323, 365-66.
  123. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 292-300.
  124. ^ Riley-Smith, Jonathan. The Oxford History of the Crusades New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
  125. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 300, 304-305.
  126. ^ Gonzalez, Justo L. 'The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation'(c) 1984 HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY, pp 310, 383, 385, 391.
  127. ^ The Great Schism: The Estrangement of Eastern and Western Christendom. Orthodox Information Centre. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  128. ^ Simon, Edith (1966). Great Ages of Man: The Reformation. Time-Life Books, p. 7. ISBN 0662278208. 
  129. ^ Simon, Edith (1966). Great Ages of Man: The Reformation. Time-Life Books, p. 39, 55-61.. ISBN 0662278208. 
  130. ^ Schama states that Henry's reforms were "a reformation but not the Protestant Reformation."
  131. ^ Simon Schama, A History of Britain. Hyperion (2000), p. 306-10. ISBN 0-7868-6675-6.
  132. ^ Simon, Edith (1966). Great Ages of Man: The Reformation. Time-Life Books, p. 109-120. ISBN 0662278208. 
  133. ^ A general overview about the English discussion is given in John Coffey (2000), Persecution and Toleration in Protestant England 1558-1689, Studies in Modern History, Pearson Education.
  134. ^ S. E. Ahlstrom characterized denominationalism in America as "a virtual ecclesiology" that "first of all repudiates the insistences of the Roman Catholic church, the churches of the 'magisterial' Reformation, and of most sects that they alone are the true Church." Ahlstrom p. 381. For specific citations, on the Roman Catholic Church see the Catechism of the Catholic Church §816; other examples: Donald Nash, Why the Churches of Christ are not a Denomination; Wendell Winkler, Christ's Church is not a Denomination; and David E. Pratt, What does God think about many Christian denominations?
  135. ^ Divisions of Christianity. North Virginia College. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  136. ^ [http://www.religioustolerance.org/ldswho.htm The LDS Restorationist movement, including Mormon denominations]. Religious Tolerance. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  137. ^ a b c Adherents.com, Religions by Adherents
  138. ^ (13 March 1997) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd edition. USA: Oxford University Press, 1199. ISBN 0–19–211655–X. 
  139. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pp 251-59. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
  140. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 251. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
  141. ^ About The Methodist Church. Methodist Central Hall Westminster. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  142. ^ a b American Holiness Movement. Finding Your Way, Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  143. ^ Christianity: Pentecostal Churches. Finding Your Way, Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  144. ^ Statement of Belief. Cambridge Christ United Methodist Church. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  145. ^ The New Birth by John Wesley (Sermon 45). The United Methodist Church GBGM. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  146. ^ God's Preparing, Accepting, and Sustaining Grace. The United Methodist Church GBGM. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  147. ^ Total Experience of the Spirtit. Warren Wilson College. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  148. ^ Sykes, Stephen, John Booty, and Jonathan Knight. The Study of Anglicanism. p 219. Augsburg Fortress Publishers (1998). ISBN 080063151X.
  149. ^ Confessionalism is a term employed by historians to describe "the creation of fixed identities and systems of beliefs for separate churches which had previously been more fluid in their self-understanding, and which had not begun by seeking separate identities for themselves — they had wanted to be truly Catholic and reformed." MacCulloch, Reformation p. xxiv
  150. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pp 391-92. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
  151. ^ The Restorationist Movements. Religious Tolerance. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  152. ^ What is Restorationism?. Got Questions Ministries. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  153. ^ JW-Media.org Membership 2005
  154. ^ Statistical Report: Annual Council of the General Conference Committee Silver Spring, Marlyand, October 6—11, 2006
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  157. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 584. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
  158. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pp 413-14. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
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  160. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 373. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
  161. ^ McManners, John. Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Pg 583. Oxford University Press (1990) IBSN 0198229283.
  162. ^ Methodist Statement
  163. ^ a b Adherents.com – Number of Christians in the world
  164. ^ Major Religions Ranked by Size. Adherents. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
  165. ^ Werner Ustorf, "A missiological postscript", in Hugh McLeod, Werner Ustorf (editors), The Decline of Christendom in Western Europe, 1750-2000, Cambridge University Press (2003), 219-220.
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  168. ^ New UK opinion poll shows continuing collapse of 'Christendom'
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  170. ^ BBC NEWS - Guide: Christians in the Middle East
  171. ^ Is Christianity dying in the birthplace of Jesus?
  172. ^ Number of Christians among young Koreans decreases by 5% per year
  173. ^ Christianity fading in Taiwan | American Buddhist Net
  174. ^ A Gambling-Fueled Boom Adds to a Church’s Bane
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[

Further reading

Chronological order of publication (oldest first)

  • Gunton, Colin E. (1997). The Cambridge companion to Christian doctrine. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-47695-X. 
  • Price, Matthew Arlen; Collins, Michael (1999). The story of Christianity. New York: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0-7513-0467-0. 
  • Gill, Robin (2001). The Cambridge companion to Christian ethics. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521779189. 
  • McManners, John (2002). The Oxford history of Christianity. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192803360. 
  • Padgett, Alan G.; Sally Bruyneel (2003). Introducing Christianity. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books. ISBN 1570753954. 
  • Price, Matthew Arlen; Michael, Father Collins (2003). The Story of Christianity. New York: DK Publishing Inc. ISBN 0789496100. 
  • Miller, Michael Vincent; Ratzinger, Joseph; Pope Benedict XVI (2004). Introduction To Christianity (Communio Books). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. ISBN 1586170295. 
  • Wagner, Richard (2004). Christianity for Dummies. For Dummies. ISBN 0764544829. 
  • Webb, Jeffrey B. (2004). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Christianity. Indianapolis, Ind: Alpha Books. ISBN 159257176X. 
  • Woodhead, Linda (2004). Christianity: a very short introduction. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192803220. 
  • MacMullen, Ramsay (2006). Voting About God in Early Church Councils. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300115962. 
  • Tucker, Karen; Wainwright, Geoffrey (2006). The Oxford history of Christian worship. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-513886-4. 

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