The following updated (December 2014) chart is given as an image and, below it, an older version as pure text. There is a special emphasis on movements to the non-orthodox and this complements articles on this website about Unitarianism and Free and Liberal Catholicism. |
The Arianism of the early centuries is about Jesus Christ the firstborn of creation, whereas the Arian position in the Reformation is a humanity of Jesus that subordinates his divinity. The first Unitarian position is that of Francis David in Transylvania and the Socinian position is that of Faustus Socinus into Poland (and later the Netherlands). The latter is a little more biblically committed and retains a subordinate divinity of Jesus. Later Unitarianism is an evolutionary movement out of Presbyterianism in England (and Congregationalism in the United States). Note that the Arian position was closer to the Anglican than the Presbyterian line. Liberal Catholicism is derived both from Old Catholicism and Arnold Harris Mathew and also the Free Catholics and ex-Unitarians including Ulric Vernon Herford directly and Joseph Morgan Lloyd Thomas indirectly. In my view Free Catholicism has Unitarian origins and is non-credal and Liberal Catholicism is theosophical or otherwise in origin and tends to reduce the impact of the inheritance of creeds and add simpler more liberal versions. The distinction though is a fine one and more theoretical than real. |
NAZARENE TEACHING PAULINE TEACHING | | | | Ante-Nicene confessions | _________| | | | Jewish Christian GNOSTIC | sects (Ebionites TEACHINGS | ARIANISM etc.) | | Various groups | NICENE ORTHODOXY (325) | Post-Nicene confessions | ARIANISM | _________________________|_________________ | | | NESTORIAN CHALCEDONIAN MONOPHYSITE DOCTRINE DOCTRINE (451) DOCTRINE | | | | | Coptic, Jacobite and The Nestorian | Armenian Churches Church | _____________________| | | MONOTHELITE | DOCTRINE | (Condemned 680) | Schism of 1054 | _|____________ | | | | ROMAN CATHOLICISM ORTHODOXY Roman Catholic Byzantine and and Uniate Churches Melchite Churches ________________________| | | OLD CATHOLICISM | | Utrecht etc. | | ______________| | | | | | |____________ | PROTESTANTISM | | | | | | Protestant | ANGLICANISM | Churches Unitarian | | | | | | | Church of England Utrecht etc.| | | | Socinian | | | | | | Anglican Communion | | | Presbyterian | | | | | | Old Catholic Church | | Arian | Utrecht Union UNITARIANISM | | |____________ | | | | | ________| | | | | | | | | | LIBERAL CATHOLICISM | | | |_____ | | | | | | | | | | | Various Various | | | | Churches Churches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Adrian Worsfold
Pluralist - Liberal and Thoughtful