Abstract
This paper describes how the author was raised as a proud Episcopalian, due to its perceived superiority over the other denominations of Christianity. The author later learns that the different denominations were really a product of political motivation rather than fervent religious integrity. The paper describes how this knowledge disenchanted the author from the Episcopalian sect of Christianity.

From the Paper
"I grew up an Episcopalian. As I grew up, I was proud to bear that distinction among the Catholic faith. I felt that I had a higher level of integrity among the sects of Christianity, due to the theological distinctions of the Episcopalian faith, such as the Luther's Thirty-Nine Articles which I learned in Sunday school were recommendations of groups of Christians to return to a more pure scriptural interpretation of Christian faith, that had been compromised by the Catholic hierarchical bureaucracy of the Middle Ages when religion was overly powerful and dominant in people's lives."

Tags:christianity catholicism episcopalian anglicanism, non denominational

Abstract
This paper examines the difficulties in creating a multi-denominational and multicultural congregation. The author lists the major factors for creating such a congregation and provides an historical overview of Pentecostal, Christian, Caucasian and African-American, Roman Catholic, and Messianic congregation to support his opinion.

From the Paper
"Creating a truly multi-denominational, multicultural, congregation from the ground up is a difficult challenge. Part of this has to do with the fact that historically, a cultures identity gets lost in the loss of ritual and community. A charismatic congregation seems to have the most open forum for spiritual expression it allows for a good foundation for which to build a healthy non-restrictive congregation due to the fact that its doctrines and practices allow for the individual take part in an individual's own representation of worship. Thirdly, some of its philosophies are very widely excepted, and easily translatable between denominations, religions, and cultures. However, charismatic congregations alone do not foster multicultural fortitude.

Along with the good foundation of charismatic ideals, there needs to be an active and dynamic set of standards to foster and nurture this sense of multicultural congruency within the congregation. In defining some of these ideas, as well as exploring the history of effective multicultural denominations and observing some the culture in these congregations, in particular Roman Catholicism, Pentecostal, in particular congregations with primarily Baltic Russian and African-American background, and Messianic Judaism, correlations can be made as to effective ideals, practices and doctrines for a charismatic multicultural congregation."

Tags:Pentecostal, Christian, Caucasian, African, American, Roman, Catholic, Messianic, Judaism, worship, church, Jesus, Buddhism, Islam, Eastern, God, miracles, cultural

Abstract
A discussion of the differences and similarities between the three largest Lutheran denominations: the AELC, the LCMS, and the WELS. There is also a discussion of the formation of the AELC.

From the Paper
"Any group of Christocentric churches that does not accept the teachings of the Catholic Church must at some point decide what teachings bind them together in faith. Probably no group in America has worked harder or longer to unify themselves than Lutheran Evangelical churches. Unlike most protestant churches, Lutherans can and do trace their teachings back to the declarations in the Book of Concord. The divisions among the Lutheran denominations are not so much based on the teachings themselves but their implementation. The three..."

Tags:lutheran denominations, similarities, dfferences, martin luther, AELC, LCMS, WELS

Abstract
This paper offers an historic background of African-American church denominations. This paper examines specific denominations that have had a great impact on the African-American community. Specifically, the paper explores the use of music, known as Gosepl music, in Church ceremonies and prayer.

From the Paper
"The African American church is centered on a wealth of tradition. The founder of the church was Richard Allen. Allen was in the forefront of the Abolitionist Movement; the church was an important station on the "Underground Railroad" as well as a recruiting station during the Civil War. The establishment of a unified denomination during the Abolitionist Movement was advantageous to African American people. After the founding of African Methodist Episcopal, several African Americans gradually left because of opposing views. The African American Church is no longer one, but instead many."

Tags:gospel, prayer, christianity, south, baptist, episcopal, catholic

From the Paper
"Faith healing is the peculiarly Christian, particularly American, form of transcendentalism that remains as one of the few traditional entities of our culture surviving the transition from the 19th to 20th centuries. As the hallmark year of 2000 approaches, and with it the 21st C., faith healing promises to be with us still, surviving once again the slings of an empirical science that can create super-colliders that will find God (Begley, 1993, p. 57), ducking as always the arrows of the mainstream religious organizations with their claim to philosophical superiority. Identified as a phenomenon based generally in the right-wing sphere of the political spectrum, faith healing draws condescending scorn from the liberal end of the community. Science, the American religious establishment, and the liberal community do not have the right to do so."

Abstract
The paper studies the 1000 year old battle for cultural, religious and political supremacy between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon. It shows the demographic make-up of present day Lebanon and investigates the possibility of dividing the country according to the dominant religious group in the area. It brings examples of other countries in the world where this method of partition was implemented.

From the Paper
"In this framework, it was inevitable that the creation of Israel would be seen not as returning residents to their old land, but of Europe using the Middle East for expansion of power, influence and control. Israel was viewed as the puppet of European interests, and they saw themselves as pawns being played by outside forces in the Cold War between the U.S.S.R. and Western interests, and Israel as an example of Western colonialism in the middle of the Arab world. (Esposito, 1997) This view would be strengthened when the U.S.S.R. attempted to defeat the Moslem country of Afghanistan, followed after a relatively brief period by United States military action there."

Tags:Crusades, Middle, East, Judaism, Maronites, Ottoman, Empire, Druze, Shiite, PLO, Sunni, Sa'iqa

From the Paper
"To scrutinize the history of religion in America is to observe a complex interplay of sociological factors inclusive of status, value, belief, and power. Since religious practice is often perceived against a grid of subjective interest or biased condemnation, it is difficult to formulate a balanced appraisal of its variant expressions. The goal of rendering a fair appraisal of diverse religious practice is furthered complicated when the aim is to analyze why individuals switch from one distinctive faith to another. For the purposes of this study, the social phenomenon of switching one's denominational loyalty will be analyzed against a backdrop of cycles of religious fervor observable in American history (Finke 87). Studies which have analyzed the formation, evolution and disintegration of religious..."

Abstract
This paper provides a thorough background of how Methodism started, including a short history of the Christian denomination. The paper includes an interview from a small town pastor of a Methodist church. It looks at how Methodism fits into Christianity as a whole.

From the Paper
"Methodism, also known as Wesleyans, started from one man's vision to revise the Catholic Church and his name John Wesley (1703-1771). "In 1713 John was admitted to the Charterhouse School, London, where he lived the studious, methodical, and (for a while) religious life in which he had been trained at home." (New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, N.A) John Wesley became an Ordained deacon in 1725 and elected fellow of Lincoln College in the following year. He was then considered a priest 3 years later. (Outler, 1964)"

Tags:christianity, john, methodism, religion, wesley

Abstract
A discussion of the reasons for the decline of the mainline denominations from the 1960s to the 1980s in Australia. The paper explores how the churches have responded to this phenomenon. The major religions discussed include Chrisianity's streams of Anglican and Catholic, as well as Methodist and Protestant.

From the Paper
"After experiencing a period of steady growth and an ongoing important place in the Australian community during the 1950s and the 'remembered 60s' the mainline denominations found themselves losing numbers and influence from this point on, beginning a decline that would last throughout the eighties. According to Hilliard The 'remembered sixties' are from1964 or 1965 to 1972 in Australia (p.210). In 1961 Protestants including Anglicans accounted for 65 per cent of the population, by 1986 this was 40 per cent (Breward p.226) and by 1996 had dropped a further 2%. In the state of Victoria from 1961 to 1986 the percentage of Anglicans in the total population fell from 6.11 per cent to 4.40. Likewise Methodists and Presbyterians combined dropped from 5.28 per cent to 3.70 in the same period. (Australians: Historical Statistics, Wray Vamplew (ed.), Sydney 1987, cited in Hilliard, 1997). As for the Roman Catholic Church, Australian Sunday Mass attendance figures fell from 55 per cent to 37 per cent in the period 1966 to 1981. (Campion p.248)."

Tags:church, deline, denominations, growth, mainline

Abstract
This paper provides a discussion of the Islamic population. Worldwide numbers of Muslims, global concentration of Muslims, different denominations of Islam, and the reason for the division between Sunni and Shi'a denominations are addressed.

From the Paper
"The term Muslim world or Islamic world refers to the worldwide community of Muslims adherents of the Islam religion. With estimates of ... billion to ... billion Muslims worldwide, Islam is the world's second-largest religion after Christianity. There are three primary denominations within Islam; Sunni, Shi'a and Sufi, but the majority of Muslims adhere to either Sunni or Shi'a denominations. Islam is the dominant religion in the Middle East, Africa and significant portions of Asia. Large communities of Muslims also live in China, the Balkan Peninsula and..."

Tags:religion, Five Pillars, Muhammad, Ali, caliphs, Middle East