How much christians are there in the world

Approximately 2. Christianity has several denominations, but the largest is the Catholic Church. There are about 1. Other large denominations include Protestantism and the Eastern Orthodox Church. However, Christianity is also practiced on a smaller scale in regions, including the Middle East and Indonesia.

In 15 nations, Christianity has been deemed the state religion. Estimations show there are more than Christian denominations in the U. So why does Christianity have so many branches? A cursory look shows that differences in belief, power grabs and corruption all had a part to play.

But on some level, differentiation and variety have been markers of Christianity since the very beginning, according to Diarmaid MacCulloch, professor emeritus of church history at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Related: Was Jesus a magician? The early church, which spans from the start of Jesus' ministry, in A. Worship styles and interpretations of Jesus' teachings varied based on regional cultures and customs, according to Bruce Gordon, a professor of ecclesiastical history at Yale Divinity School.

But there were also major breaks, or schisms, over Christian theology during this time. One of the most notable early schisms, the Arian controversy in the early fourth century, divided the church on Jesus' relationship with God. Arius, a priest from Alexandria, Egypt, claimed that because Jesus was "begotten," or brought about by God, he was a lesser divinity than God. But Athanasius, an Alexandrian theologian, claimed that Jesus was God incarnate. But despite the church's official view, Christians continued to be divided on the subject for more than a century.

Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Mary Fairchild. Christianity Expert. Mary Fairchild is a full-time Christian minister, writer, and editor of two Christian anthologies, including "Stories of Cavalry.

Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated April 16, View Article Sources. World Christian Database , www. World Religion Database , www. Cite this Article Format. Fairchild, Mary. Biography of John F. Spain Religion: History and Statistics. History of the Church of the Nazarene.