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There seem to be a confusingly large number of Christian churches (Catholic, Lutheran, baptists, evangelicals, Presbyterians). Could someone point me to a good overview that lists the mainstream ones, shows the main doctrinal differences, and also how they map between different countries. For example the German "Evangelische Kirche" seems quite different from the what in the US is called "evangelical".

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I think this question is too broad for this site. You're asking for a overview that would essentially give you the entire history of the church. I'm not sure that there's any volume that can give you a thorough understanding of the differences between all the denominations out there, save for a multi-volume set like this: christianbook.com/history-of-the-christian-church-volumes/… – David Morton Feb 26 at 13:36
Sorry, I wasn't expecting a complete answer here, just a few pointers like the one below. – Hilmar Feb 26 at 17:05

closed as not a real question by David Morton, Narnian, Andrew, David Stratton, Pavel Feb 27 at 12:46

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

1 Answer

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You can find a fairly comprehensive history of Christian Denominations\origins on Wikipedia - Christian Denomination

This chart maps out some of the key denominational differences. (Click to open images)

If don't mind excessive advertising, a more comprehensive chart can be found here: Denominations Beliefs

As far as maps go, here's a fairly current source (2010) that maps distinct denominations within the US and broader categories of Christianity throughout the world based on internet presence.

From Britanica (1995)

Find out more here:

Mapping Religious Cyberscapes

New Technologies and Interdisciplinary Research on Religion

Mapping Christianity

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Welcome to the site. Very interesting maps. – Narnian Feb 26 at 14:42
Some of these maps indicate Pentecostal and Protestant. What is the difference between these according to the map makers? – fredsbend Feb 27 at 2:49
@fredsbend - From the comments on the Map source (unofficial): "Pentecostal and Anglican are part of the Protestant tradition, in terms of theology and history. In terms of theology though, I can appreciate distinguishing them from the Protestant mainstream. The Anglican church has historically had a significant Anglo-Catholic demographic and many Pentecostal churches with their emphasis on emotion and experience, seem to be moving away from the Bible-centered foundation laid by the Protestant Reformation." – Brandon Boone Feb 27 at 3:10

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