Christianity in the United States

Christianity in the United States
source
Name	Christianity in the United States
Scripture	Bible
Theology	Theology
Leader	Various
Founded	Colonial America; organized developments through First Great Awakening
Area	United States

Contents

Christianity in the United States is the largest religious tradition in the United States, shaping public life, institutions, and culture from the colonial era to the present. Its presence spans denominations such as Roman Catholic Church, Southern Baptist Convention, United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and movements including Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, and Mainline Protestantism. National developments intersect with events like the First Great Awakening, Second Great Awakening, American Civil War, and legislation such as the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution.

History

Christianity arrived with Spanish colonization of the Americas, French colonization of the Americas, and English colonization of the Americas bringing Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Presbyterianism to regions including New Spain, New France, and the Thirteen Colonies. The First Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening fostered revivalism associated with figures like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Charles Finney, while denominational institutions such as the Methodist Episcopal Church and Baptist churches expanded. Nineteenth-century movements produced Mormonism under Joseph Smith, Adventism under William Miller, and Holiness movement strands tied to leaders like Phoebe Palmer. Immigration waves brought Italian Americans affiliated with Roman Catholicism, Irish Americans, and Polish Americans shaping diocesan structures such as the Archdiocese of New York. Debates over slavery and abolition linked clergy like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass to church politics, influencing the split of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention. Twentieth-century dynamics included the rise of Ecumenism with bodies like the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, the influence of public intellectuals like Reinhold Niebuhr, and the growth of televangelism tied to figures including Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell Sr..

Surveying populations, sources show shifts among White Americans, African Americans, Hispanic and Latino Americans, and Asian Americans with varying adherence to Roman Catholic Church, Baptist churches, and Protestantism. Regions such as the Bible Belt concentrate Southern Baptist Convention and Pentecostalism, while the Northeast United States and Upper Midwest feature strong Roman Catholic Church presence among Irish Americans and Polish Americans. Urban centers like New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago host diverse congregations including Greek Orthodox Church and Syrian Christians, whereas rural areas in Appalachia and the Ozarks tend toward evangelical and Holiness movement traditions. Institutions such as the Pew Research Center and the United States Census Bureau track trends in religious affiliation, noting growth of the nones alongside increasing numbers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in states like Utah.

Major bodies include the Roman Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the African Methodist Episcopal Church, alongside Orthodox Church in America and ethnic jurisdictions like the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. Movements such as Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, Charismatic movement, Mainline Protestantism, and Progressive Christianity represent theological and liturgical diversity. Newer networks like the Emerging Church movement and megachurch organizations exemplified by Saddleback Church and Willow Creek Community Church contrast with historic bodies such as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Episcopal Church (United States). The National Baptist Convention, USA and the Progressive National Baptist Convention reflect African American denominational history tied to leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph David Abernathy.

Churches and faith leaders have engaged political debates from abolitionism and temperance movement to civil rights movement and contemporary policy issues like abortion and LGBT rights in the United States. Organizations such as the Moral Majority, founded by Jerry Falwell Sr., and the Christian Coalition of America mobilized evangelical voters, while Catholic social teaching informed advocacy by figures like Dorothy Day and groups such as the Catholic Worker Movement. Courts including the Supreme Court of the United States adjudicate disputes invoking the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Intersections with partisan actors—Democratic Party (United States), Republican Party (United States)—and civil institutions like Americans United for Separation of Church and State illustrate contestation over public policy and pluralism.

Worship ranges from liturgical rites in Roman Catholic Church cathedrals and Eastern Orthodox parishes to charismatic services in Assemblies of God and contemporary worship in non-denominational churches. Institutions include seminaries such as Princeton Theological Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Notre Dame University, missions like American Bible Society, and relief organizations including Catholic Charities USA and World Vision USA. Religious education appears in parish schools, catechesis programs, and campus ministries such as Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) and the Catholic Campus Ministry. Ritual calendars incorporate Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and denominational observances like Lent, while sacramental practices vary among baptism and Eucharist traditions tied to churches such as Baptist churches and the Anglican Communion.

Christian themes permeate American literature, music, and media through authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Flannery O'Connor, and T. S. Eliot; musicians such as Kirk Franklin, Amy Grant, and Johnny Cash; and filmmakers associated with Faith-based film distribution and studios. Broadcast mediums include historic programs by Billy Graham and networks like Trinity Broadcasting Network and EWTN. Debates over censorship and representation engaged institutions such as the Motion Picture Association of America and festivals like the Sundance Film Festival. Christian charities and hospitals—St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Providence Health & Services—and educational institutions—Notre Dame (University of Notre Dame) and Harvard University—reflect denominational founding influences on civic life.