Catholics, Protestants, Orthodoxy (Christianity)

1. The three largest Christian Denominations:
   1. Catholics
   2. Protestants
   3. Orthodox
2. Distribution of the World's Christian Population

The Subject “Christianity: Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox” belongs to the following Programs taught by EENI Global Business School:

Doctorate: Ethics, Religion & Business, African Business.

Course: Christianity & Business.

Masters: Religions & Business, International Business.

Languages: or Cristianismo Christianisme.

Why study “Christianity and Business”?.

Like almost all the religions, Christianity is not a homogeneous block.

Throughout its 2,000 years of history has experienced three major schisms, forming the three major Christian Denominations: Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox.

Catholics.

The Roman Catholicism, based in Rome, represents 50% of all Christendom. It is the majority in Central and Southern Europe, Ireland, and South America.

The Catholic Church has 1,100 million adherents worldwide, representing half of the World's Christian Population. Brazil has the largest number of Catholics in the World (134 million). There are more Catholics in Brazil than in Italy, France, and Spain together.

The ten countries with the largest number of Catholics (Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States, Italy, Colombia, France, Poland, Spain, and Congo DR) contain more than half (56%, 607 million) of the World's Catholics.

There are sixty-seven countries where Catholics are the majority of the population. Over 70% of Catholics live in the Americas (48%) and Europe (24%). Almost 40% live in Hispanic America and the Caribbean. More than a quarter of Catholics lives in the Asia-Pacific region (12%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (16%).

Protestants

The 801 million Protestants in the World constitute 37% of the World's Christian Population. The Protestant Reformation, which divided the Western-Christianity and gave birth to Protestantism, took place in Europe in the sixteenth century. Today, however, only two of the ten countries with the largest Protestant populations are European: The United States, Nigeria, China, Brazil, South Africa, the UK, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, Kenya, and India.

Orthodox

There are 260 million Orthodox Christians, who make up 12% of the World's Christian Population. Almost 40% of Orthodox Christians around the world (39%) reside in Russia, the country with the largest number of Orthodox. Ethiopia has the second-largest number of Orthodox.

All the other Christian traditions (Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses) represent 1% of all Christendom.

Number of Christians in the World by continent (Data in a million):

1. America: 804
2. Europe: 565
3. Africa: 516
4. Asia-Pacific: 285
5. MENA (Middle East and North Africa): 13

Tradition Catholics Protestants Orthodox Others Total

Christian estimated population (thousands of people) 1,094,610 800,640 260,380 28,430 2,184,060

% world's population 15.9 11.6 3.8 0.4 31.7

% of Christian Population 50.1 36.7 11.9 1.3 100

Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380. Until 1054, Christianity formed a monolithic block (except small movements as Nestorians). That is, about half of its history, 1,000 years, Christianity has been unitary.

As we will see in the units on Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism, in the 11th century occurs the division between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. In the 16th century occurs Luther's reform, which will lead to Protestantism.

Religions and Business.

Gita Institute.