Looking for a summary of the various Christian demoninations

June 14, 2004 7:14 AM

Is there a resource out there that handicaps the various Christian demoninations, or provides a matrix summary of the various tenets of each?

I have found some interesting anecdotal, user-posted info on Beliefnet, but all that is done on a 1-on-1 comparative basis, and nothing really that compares the practices and beliefs of Roman Catholics vs. Anglicans/Episcopalians vs. Methodists vs. Presbyterians vs. Baptists, etc. Thanks much for the help, just doing a little research.

posted by psmealey to Religion & Philosophy (19 answers total)

Way, way, back in the day....there used to be a wonderful "cheat sheet" in either the World Almanac or Information Please Almanac. Denominations were in rows, tenets were in columns.
posted by gimonca at 7:54 AM on June 14, 2004

s there a resource out there that handicaps the various Christian demoninations

Not for free, but for $2.49/minute, I'll make your man pay out BIG! Here's my "Lock of the Week," and remember that the results are GUARANTEED:

Anglicans (6-3-1) at Methodists (5-5):

After two losses in a row, the Anglicans are desperate for a win and the Archbishop of Canterbury will be pulling everything out of his bag of tricks for this game. However, they'll need more than the lance of St. George to stop John Wesley's Practical Piety defense. Wesley certainly doesn't believe that the outcome of the match is predestined, but he must feel pretty comfortable with his chances. Methodists by 3. It will be a squeaker, and the Methodists aren't chilling any champagne for their victory party.
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:00 AM on June 14, 2004 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Right... well, many dispute the claim that John Calvin's Presbos are predestined to go all the way this year, they certainly should easily defeat the Baptists, who come to the game much later in life than their temperate opponents. Prediction: Presbyterians 3 - 0 Baptists. Ok, next?
posted by psmealey at 8:12 AM on June 14, 2004

Response by poster: btw, not trying to sabotage my own question, just thought the hizzoner the Mayor jumped on a pretty funny idea.
posted by psmealey at 8:35 AM on June 14, 2004

A Comparative Chart of Christian Beliefs. [from a Catholic point of view.]
posted by monju_bosatsu at 8:40 AM on June 14, 2004

Mayor : > and don't count out us Hammering Hebes

thanks, monju--Belief in the ability of the individual Christian to lose salvation -- reminds me of the conversation in the son of sam thread.
posted by amberglow at 9:19 AM on June 14, 2004

Got questions about Episcopalians? E-mail me.
posted by Vidiot at 9:26 AM on June 14, 2004

That is the worst come-on ever.
posted by yerfatma at 9:32 AM on June 14, 2004

Best answer: Handbook of Denominations in the United States

posted by internal at 9:34 AM on June 14, 2004

Mayor : > and don't count out us Hammering Hebes

How could I? You guys own the league!
posted by Mayor Curley at 9:55 AM on June 14, 2004

How could I? You guys own the league!
we may own the league, but the real money's in the concessions. ; >
posted by amberglow at 10:41 AM on June 14, 2004

but the real money's in the concessions

like the "it's okay to put a creche in the courthouse" concession?
posted by jessamyn at 10:44 AM on June 14, 2004

Best answer: Heh. I figured we'd be the Yankees: despite the fact that we have a great history and helped make the game what it is today, and despite the fact that we've been doing well lately (some say because we work hard, some say because we have way too much money to throw around proportional to the other teams, some say because we're just plain evil and sold our souls to Steinbrenner/Satan), lots of people hate our guts. :-)

And in case anyone needs to use it as a reference, here's a really good chart comparing the tenets of the four main branches of Judaism, matrix-style.
posted by Asparagirl at 10:52 AM on June 14, 2004

Best answer: There's a book called "How to be a perfect stranger" that focuses much more on practice and worship (and how not to embarrass yourself at weddings and funerals) than on belief, but it's very much worth checking out if you come across it.
posted by Jeanne at 1:21 PM on June 14, 2004

Way, way, back in the day....there used to be a wonderful "cheat sheet" in either the World Almanac or Information Please Almanac.

It's still in The World Almanac 2004, page 618-619. It covers the Baptists, Church of Christ, Episcopalians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Lutherans, Methodists, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, and the United Church of Christ.
posted by ALongDecember at 1:38 PM on June 14, 2004

Not the cheat sheet version, but the book "Always Reforming" is a good treatment of the relevant history.
posted by milovoo at 2:31 PM on June 14, 2004

Everything You Need to Know About Religion has lots of handy charts of this sort of information, including a genealogy of Christian denominations, plus all sorts of other information like the five pillars of Islam, a list of animals and the religions that revere them, and "a consumer's guide to heavens and hells." I like it a lot.
posted by Acetylene at 5:06 PM on June 14, 2004

I've always been a fan of religious tolerance, myself. It's not really what you were looking for, but they have some nice essays on different religions and their beliefs. They also go into different "hot" issues and give the religious POV on them.

Looking over the site now, it seems that they've added a crapload of ads to it. See, if you don't visit a site for three or four years, it just goes to hell.
posted by Jart at 6:05 PM on June 14, 2004

Response by poster: Btw, I did pick up both "How to Be a Perfect Stranger" and the "Handbook of Denominations", they are both excellent in serving two entirely different purposes. Thanks jeanne and internal!
posted by psmealey at 7:59 AM on July 13, 2004