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Denominations - Protestant

Short profiles of selected Christian denominations in the U.S.

Restorationist Churches

Restorationist churches broke away from established American denominations during the 19th century to restore what they understood as true New Testament Christianity, stressing strict adherence to the Bible rather than to creeds. Restorationist churches include the Churches of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

These churches arose from the Stone-Campbell Restoration movement in the late 18th century. The movement hoped to restore the church to practices based on the description of church and worship in the New Testament. Only the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a true denomination with a central administrative structure. The others are churches that have the same fundamental beliefs and cooperate on some extra-church areas. The Christian Church/Churches of Christ believe that any worship/church practice not forbidden in the New Testament is open for discussion and adoption. The Churches of Christ believe that only practices specifically mentioned or described in the New Testament are appropriate for worship or church organization.

Photo: Douglass Blvd. Christian Church, Louisville, KY. Photo courtesy of church website.

Featured book:

The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement by Douglas A. Foster (Editor); Paul M. Blowers (Editor); Anthony L. Dunnavant (Editor); D. Newell Williams (Editor) Much more than simply a historical dictionary, this volume also constitutes an interpretive work reflecting historical consensus among Stone-Campbell scholars, even as it attempts to present a fair, representative picture of the rich heritage that is the Stone-Campbell Movement. Scores of photographs and illustrations (many quite rare) enrich and enliven the text, and an extensive, carefully prepared index facilitates ready access to important information throughout the volume.
Call Number: Ref. BX 7321.3 .E53 2004
ISBN: 9780802838988
Publication Date: 2005-02-01

Last Updated: Jul 1, 2024 11:38 AM
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Tags: churches, congregations, demographics, denominations, protestant