Compare
Eastern Catholic ChurchesandAnabaptism
At a glance
- Common groundIn full: Common ground
- Common inheritanceThe Western (Latin) church: Protestant churches grew, directly or through later movements, from the 16th-century Reformation of the Western church, so until then their history and that of the Catholic Church is one history.
2 sources
- Christianity: The First Three Thousand YearsIdentified, not independently read
- Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of JustificationSource verified
Provisional: broadly supported, but awaiting fuller checking.
- GodOne God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Common inheritanceThe Western (Latin) church: Protestant churches grew, directly or through later movements, from the 16th-century Reformation of the Western church, so until then their history and that of the Catholic Church is one history.
- Key differencesIn full: Key differences
- Scripture and authorityEastern Catholic ChurchesScripture and Tradition, interpreted by the bishops in communion with the popeAnabaptismScripture as the supreme authority for faith and life; Scripture interpreted together by the community of believers
- Sacraments and ordinancesEastern Catholic ChurchesInfants are baptisedAnabaptismBaptism follows a personal confession of faith
Below: 2 topics where teaching varies.
- How their histories connectIn full: How their histories connect
- Lines parted · Various, 16th–20th centuries · A gradual processUnions with Rome (ecclesial union)Read the account in Eastern Catholic Churches
- Line of descentAnabaptism began among radical followers of Zwingli's reform in Zurich (1525), which took shape in the Reformation of the Western church under Rome (1519–1560).
- Connected today?In full: their relationship today
Not yet researched
The Atlas has not yet researched their present relationship. This is a gap, not evidence either way.
Composed from each tradition’s sourced records. Where a topic is not yet recorded for one side, the Atlas says so rather than guess.
Structured comparison. Composed from each tradition’s sourced position records. No research has yet been written for this particular pair, so the Atlas shows only what those records establish.
Where they differ
Scripture and authority
Sources of authority
- Eastern Catholic Churches
- Scripture and Tradition, interpreted by the bishops in communion with the pope
- Anabaptism
- Scripture as the supreme authority for faith and life; Scripture interpreted together by the community of believers
Sacraments and ordinances
Who is baptised
- Eastern Catholic Churches
- Infants are baptised
- Anabaptism
- Baptism follows a personal confession of faith
Where teaching varies within a tradition (2)
Sacraments and ordinances
Christ's presence in the Eucharist or Lord's Supper
- Eastern Catholic Churches
- Christ's body and blood are truly present
- Anabaptism
- Anabaptist understandings of the Lord's Supper are not uniform and are not recorded here.
Church and ministry
Church government
- Eastern Catholic Churches
- Bishops in communion with the pope, who holds universal jurisdiction
- Anabaptism
- Government differs between Mennonite, Amish, Hutterite and Brethren churches.
Not yet comparable (10)
No sourced position is recorded for one side, so the Atlas does not say whether they agree:
- Christ (christ's divinity): not recorded for Anabaptism
- Christ (how christ's divinity and humanity are expressed): not recorded for Anabaptism
- Creeds and councils (the nicene creed): not recorded for Anabaptism
- Creeds and councils (councils received): not recorded for Anabaptism
- Salvation and grace (characteristic emphasis): not recorded for Eastern Catholic Churches
- Sacraments and ordinances (how the rites are understood and counted): not recorded for Anabaptism
- Church and ministry (ministry): not recorded for Anabaptism
- Mary and the saints (asking the saints to pray): not recorded for Anabaptism
- Mary and the saints (how mary is named): not recorded for Anabaptism
- Day of worship (weekly day of worship): not recorded for Anabaptism
How their histories relate
The Atlas has no researched record of a direct historical relationship between these two. Not every pair of traditions experienced a schism or union with each other. Each took shape in its own way:
Their relationship today
Not yet researched
The Atlas has no researched record of the present relationship between these two. That is a gap in the research, not evidence of any particular relationship.
Developments towards reconciliation
No documented agreement or formal dialogue between these traditions is recorded in the Atlas.
Explore further
Eastern Catholic Churches
All citations link to the Atlas’s single source register.