It is very difficult to say how many denominations exist in Christianity. Among those who claim to be the followers of Jesus, there are thousands of groups without any relationship among them. Different websites give different numbers regarding the groups within the umbrella of Christianity. According to the Centre for Study of Global Christianity, globally there are 45,000 denominations within the more than two billion Christians. In the US alone, there are more than 200 Christian denominations. Naturally the question arises why Christianity has so many divisions.

If one goes through the history of the divisions in the Church, it can be seen that the major causes are disputes over worship patterns, interpretation of the teachings of Jesus, formulation of beliefs in the form of dogmas and power struggle. The first major rift in the Church took place in 1054 which is known as the Great Schism. The resulting split divided the European Christian Church into two major branches: the Western Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

According to Church historians, the first major schism took place due to a complex mix of religious disagreements and political conflicts. One of the contentious issues was whether or not to use unleavened bread for the sacrament of communion. The West supported the practice, while the East did not. The other issues of dispute included the exact wording of the Nicene Creed and the Western belief that clerics should remain celibate. 

The major political conflict was whether the Pope should have authority over the patriarch-the religious authority of the Eastern Church. Eventually the Western Church excommunicated Michael Cerularius and the entire Eastern Church. The Eastern Church retaliated by excommunicating the Roman Pope Leo III and the Roman Church with him. Thus the first major division took place in the Church on issues which are insignificant from the perspective of Jesus’ teachings. 

The second major division in the Church happened when Martin Luther revolted against the Church on various issues, including the sale of indulgences. After the Protestant revolution the number of Christian denominations multiplied. Within the Catholic Church, which is the largest with 1.3 billion members, there are six liturgical rites and 24 particular churches. When Christianity spread to different countries and different cultures, different patterns of worship and organizing the Christian communities evolved. That could be the basis of six liturgical traditions and existence of 24 particular Churches within the Catholic Church. This evolution indicates that as and when the Church spreads to new areas and cultures, new forms of worship and church organization can emerge.

Forms of worship in the various denominations are very much related to the culture of the people, besides their beliefs. As no culture is static, no worship form can be static. According to the changes taking place in the society the patterns of worship also may undergo changes. Refusal to accept changes makes an organization or institution irrelevant. Such an institution will not be able to face new challenges creatively. Forms of worship or rituals have been a bone of contention among the followers of Jesus and they were responsible for divisions in the Churches. 

In every religion there could be some essentials and some non-essentials. The essentials do not change, but non-essentials have to undergo changes according to time and situation. The essentials in the case of the followers of Jesus are his core teachings, especially the teachings summarized in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus through his life and teachings introduced a new way of life based on a new set of values, the most important of which is Love. That is why he gave a new commandment as the sign of his disciples. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34). Only by sticking on to the essentials and being flexible to the non-essentials the followers of Jesus will be able to prevent divisions among them, and rituals are among the non-essentials, according to the life and teachings of Jesus. But LOVE is the topmost among the essentials.  

A non-negotiable aspect of love is forgiveness. According to Jesus, without forgiveness and reconciliation, worship is not acceptable to God.  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift (Mathew 5:23-24). How many followers of Jesus who participate regularly in worshipping Jesus are aware of this non-negotiable condition of Jesus?

The second most important aspect of love is sensitivity and compassion. Jesus said unambiguously that his followers would be saved depending on how they are able to see Jesus in the suffering and the needy and serve them.  “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). The same message is conveyed through the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37) and the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). 

By presenting the insensitivity of the priest and the Levite against the sensitivity of a Samaritan, whom the Jews considered as their enemy, Jesus told his disciples that true worship is helping a person who is in need. For Jesus the essence of spirituality is practicing the values he has taught his disciples. 

Jesus called his disciples to follow him or to continue his mission by following his teachings. The Gospels mention several times that Jesus went to pray alone in lonely places and in the mountains. He preferred contemplation and silent prayer to noisy prayers. “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Mathew 6:6). It is nothing but ridiculous that his modern day followers fight among themselves on the issue of how to pray, when to pray and what to pray.

Jesus was a prophet. As a prophet he criticized and condemned anything that was unjust, oppressive and exploitative.  He drew out the traders and money changers from the Jerusalem temple because he found that the temple, which was expected to be a house of prayer, was being transformed into “a den of robbers” through commercialization of religion. God and religion were being used by the priestly class in collusion with the traders to exploit the faithful. As a prophet, Jesus could not be indifferent to the rampant exploitation, and he swung into action.

Unfortunately, the later followers of Jesus, instead of following Jesus, built gigantic churches for him. The meal during which he gave his new commandment of love was the symbol of unity, fellowship, service and sharing. The great symbol of unity has become today a source of conflict and division among the followers of Jesus..

Anyone one who goes through the history of the Church objectively will understand that the root cause of the divisions in the Church has been drifting away from the teachings of Jesus. One example for this deviation is the crusades. Jesus taught his disciples to forgive their enemies and he prayed for his tormentors while hanging on the cross. During the crusades the followers of Jesus carried cross in one hand and sword in other hand while fighting to recover the Holy Land, Jerusalem and its surrounding areas, from Islamic rule.

Historians give the number of deaths from one million to 9 million during a span of 196 years of crusades.   

Today also many churches face the challenge of conflicts and divisions. It is quite natural to have conflict of ideas and views in any organization. But the conflicts can be resolved by referring to the original vision, goals and core values of the organization concerned.

The conflicts in various churches can be resolved amicably by going back to the vision and the core teachings of Jesus. Imposition of uniformity was never the way of Jesus. Jesus always respected diversity. Unity in the Churches can be achieved only by respecting diversity and returning to the core teachings of Jesus, especially love and forgiveness.

In order to achieve genuine unity, the followers of Jesus have to give up the Jewish legacy of legalism and ritualism which Jesus had condemned and rejected.  The way of Jesus is the way of forgiveness, love, dialogue and participation. If the followers of Jesus, especially the leaders, contemplate on the way of Jesus, they will not revert to what Jesus had rejected, and they will be able to experience unity and harmony.