Читать книгу The Atlas of Religion - Joanne O'Brien - Страница 22

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A third of all people belong to one of six major Christian traditions. Within these traditions there is wide variation, creating a vast array of interpretation and practice. There are over 33,800 Christian denominations in 238 countries, comprising 3.4 million worship centres, churches or congregations. Christianity is growing across the world, especially in South Korea, Russia and Sub-Saharan Africa. While the percentage of the populations of India and China that are Christian is small, there are sizeable Christian groups in these countries, some of whom may be hidden. One of the emerging trends in Christianity has been the growth of independent movements. There has always been an historical tradition of church members leaving a parent body because of differences regarding authority, structure or lifestyle, and forming their own Christian groups. In time, many of these have become mainstream denominations, as has happened with Lutheranism or Methodism. Today’s ‘Independents’ follow that tradition in their search for a church lifestyle and authority appropriate to their beliefs, and often to their cultural and ethnic identity. Some denominations on the fringe of organized, mainstream Christianity are termed ‘marginal Christians’.

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