Christian church
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The term Christian Church, or Catholic Church, as it was known by Christians beginning in the second century, expresses the idea that organised Christianity (the Christian religion) is seen as an institution. The phrase "The Church" in its widest sense (as "the Body of Christ") has a similar breadth. In traditional Christianity, the term translates ecclesia (in Greek, εκκλησια).
In historical context, the term may refer to the Catholic Church as the oldest and most established institution of Christianity —claiming apostolic succession from Saints Peter and Paul. The Catholic Church remained dominant in the West after the Great Schism of 1054, and it was not until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century (~1517) that the current divisions between Protestantism and Catholicism existed, although there were earlier movements considered heretical by the Catholic Church. The Orthodox Church claims the same origins as the Catholic Church, and this term is often applied to it as well.
The term Christian Church may also refer to particular denominations within Christianity, such as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ or the Christian Church of North America.
See also
- Christendom
- One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
- Church militant and church triumphant
- Christian anarchism
- Christian ecumenism
- List of Christian denominations
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