Parchment and Pen » Christianity and World Religions by the Numbers

Christianity and World Religions by the Numbers

~ C Michael Patton ~

I had a chance to today to research and update my chartes. Enjoy… (Click on charts to enlarge).

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30 Responses to “Christianity and World Religions by the Numbers”

Jeff on 05 Nov 2009 at 7:57 pm #

Can you clarify what distinguishes Reformed and Presby/Reformed traditions?

Where do the Reformed Baptists fit?
C Michael Patton on 05 Nov 2009 at 8:12 pm #

Sorry about that. I was actually changing it when I got your comment. There is no difference. The charts are up-to-date.
Dozie on 05 Nov 2009 at 9:19 pm #

This is nothing but pure distortion or a struggle against Truth. There is no religious body known as “Roman Catholicism” with adherents numbering 1.2billion. You either have the name wrong or you have the numbers badly calculated. Could you provide us with your source for the data? I am sure the source will show you misrepresented the information (the name or the figure). If it is the case that you can’t be honest with your source(s), you show yourself a man without integrity.
C Michael Patton on 05 Nov 2009 at 9:26 pm #

Dozie, not sure if this is a joke or not, but there are multiple sources. The one I got this from was from looking a CIA, Religious Tolerance.com, patheos.com, and others. You can check it out for yourself. I think you will find that these numbers are solid and you will find that the world is also really round
Rey Reynoso on 05 Nov 2009 at 9:50 pm #

Dude, when you do stuff like this it TOTALLY shows why you’re still a Dispensationalist.

Charts rock, brotha!
tamara on 05 Nov 2009 at 11:08 pm #

Anabaptists, only 1%?? No wonder I always feel so alone.
Paul on 06 Nov 2009 at 12:06 am #

Michael:
What’s your source(s) for these numbers?
Thanks!
Josh M on 06 Nov 2009 at 3:03 am #

FYI: In your Christian Denominations chart by numbers (5th chart), the Presby/Reformed is listed as a percentage instead. And while editing that one, there is a stray comma leading the Anglican/Episcopals.
rick on 06 Nov 2009 at 8:19 am #

Paul #7-

See Michael’s answer in #4.

Michael-

What is your thinking in including heretics/cults in the Christianity charts? Should they be included? Another way to ask this is, is Christianity “Christianity” if it is not “orthodox” Christianity?
Leslie on 06 Nov 2009 at 8:58 am #

Michael, Historic Evangelical is not in the Poll!?
ScottL on 06 Nov 2009 at 8:59 am #

For those interested, I posted these charts over on Theologica. There is a discussion forum up and running to get involved if you would like. Here is the link – Theologica discussion thread.
Charts on World Religions & Denominations « The Prodigal Thought on 06 Nov 2009 at 9:11 am #

[...] 6, 2009 by ScottL Over at a blog I visit quite often – Parchment & Pen – the author, Michael Patton, posted some interesting charts as food for thought. The charts [...]
tamara on 06 Nov 2009 at 9:40 am #

Is it just me, or is there something within us that simply resists being placed into a pie chart? As a Mennonite, I’m not entirely sure where I’m supposed to fit into this chart. Maybe it’s the thing about being descended from martyrs that makes you think it’s very important to not generalize, and to be CLEAR, SPECIFIC and CORRECT about how you are defined. If you are maybe someday going to be killed for it by your brothers and sisters in Christ, you really want to be sure about what thing it is you’re dying over. =)

Really, I usually think of Baptists and Anabaptists as basically the same, aside from the issue of pacifism… This is essentially the issue that would distinguish us as churches where I live. There are dozens of Mennonite churches where I am and I don’t live on a commune, and neither does anyone I know. (I am, of course, happy to share with anyone who asks). We are university educated and we span the entire economic strata. We certainly have a bent towards giving/sharing, social justice, pacifism, being good stewards of our resources and, most importantly, NOT airing our dirty laundry in public. So, when I google ‘anabapist’, and find lots of stuff about Hutterites, I don’t see myself or my church reflected in that.

The term non-denominational gives me pause because I do think it is important to have accountability from a larger church and to strive for clear, correct and defined theology, and at times to be able to simply say, ‘Here we stand. We can do no other’.

SO… perhaps you could do me a favour and just cut another slice? You could of course label it Mennonites, or maybe something very very bland, like ‘Evangelical Christians who are bananas for Jesus, who may or may not subscribe to a particular denomination, but who are fully open to worshipping God and following the leading of the Holy Spirit across party lines’. I don’t know if that really does it either.
Ryan H on 06 Nov 2009 at 10:01 am #

Quick question: on the chart labeled “Christian Denominations Chart” you don’t have a number for Presby/Reformed (i.e. it says 11%) but the rest of that chart shows actual size of other denominations, not a percentage. Also there’s a comma before 70,000,000 on the Anglican/Episcopal slice on the same chart. Sorry for being picky—I just like graphical consistency (part of my OCD behavior!)

Ryan
WLS on 06 Nov 2009 at 10:03 am #

How about Nazarene? Is that part of the slice you are calling non-denominational? or is it just not included at all?
#John1453 on 06 Nov 2009 at 10:29 am #

hey, tamara sista! I can relate, though I’m more culturally Mennonite than religious. My Menno mother married a nonChristian city slicker, and there were only Baptist churches nearby (she wouldn’t call herself a Menno now). I did pick up a fair bit of Menno theology when spending summers at my grandmothers (including the dual German then English sermons). Anyway, Mennos rock! And Greg Boyd also thinks they rock.

warmest regards,
#John
ScottL on 06 Nov 2009 at 10:35 am #

Hey Michael, there is a number missing under the 5th chart. The Presby/Reformed only has 11% (like the 6th chart) instead of an actual number. Is 11% about 60+ million?
C Michael Patton on 06 Nov 2009 at 10:48 am #

I fixed it.
tamara on 06 Nov 2009 at 10:50 am #

Hello John..! now we need to try to figure out how we are related, lol. If you’re ever in Manitoba, and need a place to stay… =)
#John1453 on 06 Nov 2009 at 11:13 am #

re 19 – Tamara

LOL, I’m originally from Manitoba! My grandfather (a Peters) emmigrated from the Ukraine in the 20s and arrived in Gnadenthal, whence he moved to Winnipegosis (another Menno cultural hotbed). Aren’t all Mennos within 6 degrees of separation (or 3!)? And its a cultural thing among Mennos after the greeting to figure out how they are related (other cultures ask what each other does for work, etc.), a cultural feature that I heartily approve of. Another good feature is large families (I have 36+ first cousins, and three kids of my own). If you’re ever in the “Centre of the Universe” and need a place to stay . . . =)
#John1453 on 06 Nov 2009 at 11:22 am #

I look at all such charts and counts with a jaundiced eye. And I question both their worth and their usefulness.

National Geographic writer Shelley Sperry makes the following points in her on-line article, “The Problem of Numbers”:

“. . . But precise information about religious adherence is among the hardest sociological data to pin down accurately, because there are so many variables. Religions and denominations within religions count their members in a variety of ways, making comparisons difficult. Some include regular attendees at services; others tally all known members of a community, whether they attend services or not. Some religious institutions count children from birth; others require potential members to undergo a particular rite of passage before including them in the total.

“Scientific polls, such as those collected by the Association of Religious Data Archives or conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, are frequently used to count believers and understand patterns of belief, but results can vary widely, depending upon how questions are asked and respondents’ willingness to identify themselves according to the researchers’ categories. For example, the 2000 Religious Congregations and Membership Study (RCMS) was considered the most thorough count of U.S. religious congregations and members when it came out, but immediately underwent revision when researchers realized that it dramatically undercounted traditionally African American churches and their members as well as a few other groups that had refused to respond to the survey. . . .”

CMP’s charts do look pretty, though, so perhaps they could be printed and used as abstract wall art.

regards,
#John
Michael L on 06 Nov 2009 at 1:26 pm #

Ehhh..

From an Irenic perspective, please do me a favor.

Can we rename the Christian Denominations Chart something like Major Protestant Denominations Chart

Or of course include RC’s and Orthodox in it, which would make it the Christian traditions chart

Besides that, pretty good stuff. I’m a little surprised that the “non-Trinitarian” number isn’t any higher, assuming LDS and JW is in here. From some of the latest numbers out there, LDS is about 15 million, JW about 7. That’s already 22. I would have thought there’d be more than 5 million “other non-Trinitarians” out there, but I’ll accept this number.

In Him
Mick
Charting the Numbers: Religions and Christian Sects Worldwide « Theosophical Ruminations on 06 Nov 2009 at 1:31 pm #

[...] under Religions Leave a Comment Michael Patton at Reclaiming the Mind has some nice charts showing the breakdown of the world’s religions (numbers and percentages), as well as the [...]
#John1453 on 06 Nov 2009 at 2:33 pm #

Re my post 21

I was serious in questioning the numbers, because it is well known that churches report inflated numbers, and that different churches and religions report adherents differently.

Beyond that, I’m never quite sure what should be done with the information. It’s interesting but . . . . but “what” I’m not sure. Does the information change anything Jesus wants us to do? Should it change the public policy of America?

I’m not trying to just be a wet blanket. Maybe the answer is simple and I just don’t know where to look.

regards,
#John
Michael L on 06 Nov 2009 at 2:44 pm #

John,

Beyond that, I’m never quite sure what should be done with the information. It’s interesting but …

CMP’s charts do look pretty, though, so perhaps they could be printed and used as abstract wall art

Didn’t you just answer your own question ?

Besides being informative, interesting and (perhaps another useless tidbit of) knowledge, I don’t think there’s more to it. I personally won’t do more with it.

Numbers may be inflated, but since all denominations are known to do that, it pretty much cancels each other out.

In Him
Mick
C Michael Patton on 06 Nov 2009 at 2:57 pm #

I agree, these type of stats are bound to have many inaccuracies, but I do think that they are helpful in providing a generally accurate overview.
Jason Dulle on 06 Nov 2009 at 4:10 pm #

Michael,

Where are Oneness Pentecostals in the chart? Are they included in the number of Pentcostals in charts 5-6, or are they excluded from those charts because they are considered to be part of the “Non-Trinitarian/cult” category in charts 3-4?
Dallas on 06 Nov 2009 at 5:20 pm #

The first two charts documenting the major religions are useful for charting major trends. However, the other charts that break down denominational affiliations are of very limited use because denominational labels do not tells us as much about a person’s beliefs as they once did. In this age there are Calvinists who attend Arminian churches, Pentecostals who attend Baptist churches, Roman Catholics who hold to Evangelical theology, and members of Evangelical denominations who are truth rejecting postmodernists.

This same difficulty also plagues the discussion of whether America is becoming more secular nation. Recent data from Pew Research which shows that fewer people are affiliated is used to argue to America is becomng more secular. However, a growing number of people who remain very devout in their beliefs are quitting church and are then counted among the secularists.

I’m not sure if it is possible to do an accurate survey based on beliefs rather than denominational affiliation, but a chart that charted commitments to various types of beliefs would be more useful.
ScottL on 07 Nov 2009 at 5:45 am #

Actually Michael, I was just thinking about the numbers for Pentecostal/charismatics. Now, you just put the words Pentecostals, and then put 105 million. So that might be true of just Pentecostal groups. But noting the explosion in the wider grouping of Pentecostal/charismatic groups, I think that number reaches about 500 million. I believe it is Vinson Synan who records this in his large volume Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal, 1901-2001.

This is all probably due to the exponential growth in places like India, Africa, China, and South & Central America, which are connected to Pentecostal and charismatic churches. Actually, a few years back, I found these figures on John Piper’s site:

Here are some interesting figures that I found on John Piper’s website a few years back:

China: estimates are some 22,000 to 28,000 are born again each day (that is approx. 8-10 million born again each year!!)

Africa: 4% professing Christians in 1900; 40% professing Christians in 1990; some 16,000 to 20,000 people born again each day.

India: approx. 15,000 people born again each day

I believe similar numbers are true of South America, and possibly Central America.

I think this is quite astounding growth. Almost like the book of Acts all over again in places like China.
Charts of Adherents for Religions and Denominations « Jeff’s Thoughts on 10 Nov 2009 at 11:40 am #

[...] of Adherents for Religions and Denominations By Jeff I came across a post with pie charts of the relative size the major world religions and Christian denominations the other day. The post is at the Parchment and Pen blog which is connected with Reclaiming the [...]