How do you know about other Christians' beliefs

[Richard King]

This is no deep question. I am just wondering if anyone knows of a website that tells you the basic beliefs (or differences in beliefs) of various denominations.

For instance, if a person says 'I go to the Nazarene church, or Primitive Baptist, or AME church " how do you know what their core beliefs are?

is there a place with a quick synopsis?

 

[LadyFlynt]

I guess most of what I know is from experience...if I need more then I do web searches.

 

[Saiph]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0687069831/104-6331912-3858366?v=glance

 

[BlackCalvinist]

Google is helpful.

As with ANY church, get to know the folks and their individual beliefs.

My pastor tells me of a guy who attends Covenant Life (Reformed, Charismatic) and he holds GEISLER's viewpoint on election and salvation.

Matter of fact, with CovLife, you've got three groups (as a former member told me). New charismatic folks who come from denoms like the Assemblies of God, old school members who've been around for decades when the place used to look more 'pentecostalish' and reformed folks who come in looking for a more 'alive' church than the dead orthodoxy and regimented worship that some of your churches promote via the RPW and EP. So you could run into any of these three groups when talking with folks at CovLife.

Let's not talk about my denomination You could end up with virtually ANYTHING as long as they hold to the 11 point doctrinal statment. Our church is reformed, covenantal infant baptism, liturgical and we take communion weekly. One of our neighboring denom churches is seeker-sensitive. One of our other churches in upper VA is reformed baptist. Most of the ones in Baltimore are dispensational.


[Edited on 10-20-2005 by OS_X]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by Saiph
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0687069831/104-6331912-3858366?v=glance

I have found this to be a very helpful book. It covers the basics pretty accurately. So I think it is a good tool. But it doesn't make reference to my own denomination and it glosses over other distinctives associated with particular Reformed and Presbyterian churches, and I would not trust it as completely authoritative or comprehensive. So, it is a good tool to use in conjunction with the earlier suggestion to visit the websites of other churches and see what they say about themselves as well as other google-type searches. Wikipedia is also helpful but, again, not authoritative, comprehensive or always accurate.

 

[Richard King]

Thanks guys. That is amazing. I guess there truly is a book on everything.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Originally posted by Saiph
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0687069831/104-6331912-3858366?v=glance

This is a very good resource for showing the particulars of denominations.