Christian Family Tree

Christianity today has many branches — Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions (including Anglican), and more.

But the family tree has a clear shape.
This page explains it simply and respectfully.

1. One Beginning — The Early Church

All Christians trace their roots to:

  • Jesus
  • his first followers (the apostles)
  • the communities formed in the first decades after his resurrection

These early Christians:

  • gathered for worship
  • shared meals and prayer
  • cared for the poor
  • read Scripture
  • passed on Jesus’ teaching
  • baptised new believers

There were cultural differences (Jewish, Greek, Roman, African),
but one church, one faith, one story.

For the first millennium, Christianity was institutionally united, but not quietly so. Disagreements were intense, public, and sometimes brutal — and they shaped the church that followed.
The same church that preserved the core creeds also fought bitterly over how to express them.

This is the “trunk” of the tree.

2. The First Major Branch — East and West (1054 AD)

Over centuries, cultural, linguistic, and political differences grew between:

  • Christians in the East (Greek-speaking, centred in Constantinople)
  • Christians in the West (Latin-speaking, centred in Rome)

These differences became formal in 1054, in what is usually called the “Great Schism.”

The two branches were:

  • Eastern Orthodox
  • Roman Catholic

What divided them was complex:

  • leadership authority (papacy)
  • some theological vocabulary
  • political pressures
  • liturgical differences
  • misunderstandings amplified by distance

What they still share:

  • the same early creeds
  • the same Scriptures
  • a shared sacramental understanding of Christian life
  • the same core belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection

Despite their separation, the Catholic and Orthodox churches share more in common with each other than either does with later Protestant movements.

3. The Second Major Branch — The Protestant Reformation (1500s)

In the 1500s, a movement began within Western (Roman Catholic) Christianity, aimed at reforming abuses and renewing the church.

Key figures:

  • Martin Luther
  • John Calvin
  • Huldrych Zwingli
  • many others

Their concerns included:

  • church corruption
  • the sale of indulgences
  • authority of Scripture
  • clarity of doctrine
  • access to worship and Scripture in everyday languages

The result was a new branch of Christianity:

Protestants

This was not one group but a cluster of movements.

Examples:

  • Lutheran
  • Reformed (including Presbyterian)
  • Baptist
  • Methodist
  • Pentecostal
  • and many more

What all Protestants share:

  • emphasis on Scripture
  • salvation by grace through faith
  • a simpler church structure
  • less formal sacramental theology (varies by tradition)

What differs across Protestantism:

  • baptism practices
  • worship style
  • governance
  • views on communion
  • role of tradition

Protestants are diverse, but united by a common reforming impulse.

4. The Anglican Tradition — A Middle Way (1500s onward)

The Church of England took its distinct form during the Reformation in England.

This tradition was carried by colonists to Australia, and for a long time, remained known as The Church of England.

Today, outside England, churches from this same tradition are now known by different names — including “Anglican” worldwide and “Episcopal” in the United States — reflecting local governance, not a different faith.

Anglicanism sits between Catholic and Protestant traditions — not as a compromise, but as a genuinely mixed inheritance.

Anglicans share:

With Catholics:

  • liturgical worship
  • sacramental practice, especially Baptism and the Eucharist
  • continuity with the historic churches
  • deep use of early tradition and creeds

With Protestants:

  • Scripture as primary authority
  • emphasis on preaching
  • commitment to reform where needed
  • room for diversity of thought

This is why Anglicanism is called the via media — “the middle way.”

Inside Anglicanism you’ll find a spectrum:

  • Anglo-Catholic (looks Catholic in worship style)
  • Evangelical Anglican (closer to Protestant emphases)
  • Broad Church (centrists, moderate, open)

Australian Anglicanism reflects this diversity strongly.

All Anglicans share the same core Christian story, but differ on secondary practice and interpretation.

5. Minor Branches and Independent Movements

Across history, new movements have formed in response to:

  • cultural change
  • missionary expansion
  • theological disagreement
  • revival movements
  • social pressures

Examples include:

  • Seventh-day Adventists
  • Salvation Army
  • Quakers
  • independent Bible churches
  • some Pentecostal groups
  • house churches
  • “non-denominational” churches

Some remain closely connected to mainstream Christianity.
Some are more distinct.
Some hold unique doctrines.

The family tree continues to grow.

6. What All Christians Still Share

Despite differences, virtually all Christian traditions agree on:

  • the identity of Jesus
  • his death and resurrection
  • the Trinity
  • the authority of Scripture
  • baptism (even if practised differently)
  • prayer
  • worship
  • the call to love God and neighbour

This shared foundation is bigger than all the differences.

7. How to Navigate the Branches (Without Anxiety)

If you’re new or uncertain, the diversity can feel overwhelming.

Here’s the simplest way to approach it:

  • The trunk is the core Christian claim.
  • The branches are interpretations, cultures, and emphases.
  • The fruit is the lived Christian life — love, justice, humility, mercy.

You don’t need to choose a branch immediately.
You don’t need to sign up to a full system.
You can explore slowly.

And one practical reality matters:

For most people, faith is lived locally.
You don’t experience a denomination in the abstract —
you experience a parish.

The same tradition can feel very different from one church to another,
depending on its leadership, culture, and emphasis.

For someone beginning or returning,
finding a healthy local community often matters more at first
than settling every denominational question.

Those questions can come later.

And remember: every church tradition is filled with people on a spectrum of understanding and maturity.

Nobody has perfect knowledge.
That’s normal.

Where to Go Next

If you want to understand the differences inside the family tree:

If you want to see the shared core:

If you want to move toward practice:

  • Next Steps — how to explore a parish or speak with clergy without pressure.