Why is Christianity so divided?

[bbbbbbb]

I could be wrong, but I suspect that in time there will be fewer and fewer denominations. I doubt that we will ever all merge into one visible Church, but anything is possible.

I am not so sure about that. When I was young there were two major Presbyterian denominations in the U.S., three minor ones, and about two micro ones. Today there is one rapidly-shrinking major Presbyterian denomination, at least six minor ones, and at least three micro ones. The trend seems to be more and more denominations and not less.

 

[Albion]

I had the same feeling. Every time there is some big merger, regardless of denomination, there's a lot of adulation because a large number of people have been united. There has been such a trend since WW2. But in almost every instance, opponents of the merger formed two or more new church bodies in response to the newer, bigger church. And this is to be expected if the churches entering into the merger had to made some compromises in order to patch over the differences that had kept those church bodies separate from each other in the first place.

 

[bbbbbbb]

I had the same feeling. Every time there is some big merger, regardless of denomination, there's a lot of adulation because a large number of people have been united. There has been such a trend since WW2. But in almost every instance, opponents of the merger formed two or more new church bodies in response to the newer, bigger church. And this is to be expected if the churches entering into the merger had to made some compromises in order to patch over the differences that had kept those church bodies separate from each other in the first place.

When I was young there was great optimism that all of the denominations in the United States would merge together and become a United Church, much on the order of the United Church of Canada. That optimism has entirely evaporated and the World Council of Churches has steadily lost its credibility.

 

[Albion]

When I was young there was great optimism that all of the denominations in the United States would merge together and become a United Church, much on the order of the United Church of Canada. That optimism has entirely evaporated and the World Council of Churches has steadily lost its credibility.

Yes. I remember that speculation and I never hear anyone talk about such a superchurch anymore. Probably, it'll be revived at some time in the future.

 

[Basil the Great]

Yes, I also recall the same thing. It seems to me that in the early 1970's, the hope was expressed that most of the Mainline Churches might merge within a decade or so. Now, while this never happened, we have seen agreements regarding the ability to take Holy Communion between the Episcopal, United Methodist, ELCA Lutherans, Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Church of Christ. Perhaps this is a step on the road to eventual reunion between some of the Mainline "sister churches", as they were once called.