Waldensian Evangelical Church
Encyclopedia
The Waldensian Evangelical Church is an Italian
historical Protestant
denomination.
After Protestant Reformation
, the small church absorbed Calvinist
theology and became the Italian branch of Reformed churches
.
In 1975 the Waldensian Church (35,000 members circa, plus some 15,000 affiliates in Argentina
and Uruguay
) joined forces with the Italian Methodist Church
(5,000) to form the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches
. It is member both of the World Communion of Reformed Churches
and of the World Methodist Council
, due to its nature of united church
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
historical Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
denomination.
After Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, the small church absorbed Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
theology and became the Italian branch of Reformed churches
Reformed churches
The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...
.
In 1975 the Waldensian Church (35,000 members circa, plus some 15,000 affiliates in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
) joined forces with the Italian Methodist Church
Italian Methodist Church
The Italian Methodist Church was a non-episcopal Methodist church which was integrated in 1975 into the Waldensian Evangelical Church, in order to form the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches.-See also:*Waldensians*Christianity in Italy...
(5,000) to form the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches
Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches
The Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches is an Italian united church.It was founded in 1975 with the union of the Waldensian Evangelical Church and the Italian Methodist Church....
. It is member both of the World Communion of Reformed Churches
World Communion of Reformed Churches
The World Communion of Reformed Churches is an ecumenical Christian body formed in June 2010 by the union of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council...
and of the World Methodist Council
World Methodist Council
The World Methodist Council, founded in 1881, is an association of churches in the Methodist tradition which comprises most of the world's Wesleyan denominations.- Extension and organization:...
, due to its nature of united church
United and uniting churches
United and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations.Perhaps the oldest example of a united church is found in Germany, where the Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed...
.
See also
- WaldensiansWaldensiansWaldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are names for a Christian movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions, primarily in North-Western Italy. There is considerable uncertainty about the earlier history of the Waldenses because of a lack of extant source...
- Christianity in ItalyChristianity in ItalyRoman Catholicism is the largest Christian Denomination in Italy. According to a 2005 survey by Eurispes, 87.8% of the population identified themselves as Catholic; of those, 36.8% considered themselves practicing Catholics and 30.8% said they attended church every Sunday.-Catholicism:Nested in...
- Religion in ItalyReligion in ItalyCatholicism is by far the largest religious group in Italy. However, there are also some important religious minorities....
- List of Italian religious minority politicians