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.

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.

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?

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

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

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

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