Non-Trinitarian churches

The phrase non-Trinitarian churches is sometimes used to refer to a number of New religious movements (NRMs) grounded in Christianity, which parallel each other in non-belief in the Trinity and also a certain aloofness from other Christian denominations, due to a degree of mutual distrust. One notable user of this umbrella term is "Whitaker’s Almanac".

Many of these churches started in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The term non-Trinitarian is considered less offensive than various other groupings, but it should be pointed out however, that non-Trinitarian churches themselves rarely engage with one another. However, they do share some interesting parallels. Their biggest memberships tend to be in the Americas, Europe and Australasia (including Polynesia), in already Christian areas.

Some Unitarians, liberal mainstream Christians etc are also “non-Trinitarian”, strictly speaking, but are not usually included in this grouping.

Historic non-Trinitarianism

Many ancient churches were not Trinitarian, such as Arianism and Gnostic Christians, and indeed some of these modern movements bear theological resemblances to these ancient so-called “heresies”. There is a slight, but notable non-Trinitarian tendency throughout Christian history. However, the modern non-Trinitarians do not derive from these ancient groups, but display affinities with/influences from Protestant Christianity. Modern non-Trinitarians tend to accept the standard Bible canon (as well as their own scriptures) rather than rejecting it, but also due to Protestant influence rarely pay much attention to the Apocrypha itself. In this they diverge from historic non-Trinitarians, in that those groups tended to have a canon entirely independent of today’s and sacred texts produced closer in time to the Bible.

Common characteristics

* Theology
** Non-belief in the Trinity. This is the most fundamental link, but the churches are divided on whether God is a triple, dual, or single entity. Henotheistic tendencies are also detectable in some non-Trinitarian churches.
** A strong belief in healing powers of confirmed members, and restoration of priesthood.
** Eschatology and a belief that the Apocalypse is near.
** Full immersion adult baptism.
* Unique revelation:
** Modern day prophets, sometimes as founders, but also frequently a continuing dynasty of these.Fact|date=September 2007 More recent pronouncements may be considered more significant than older ones. The founders are usually dead, and extremely highly venerated.
** Sacred texts additional to the Bible unique to that group, or “retranslations” of the Bible.Fact|date=September 2007 Usually these are held to be equal, or superior to the mainstream Bible.
* Missionary work
** A very strong newspaper or magazine, which is read avidly, and often used for missionary work.Fact|date=September 2007disputable|date=August 2007
** An exceptionally strong missionary bent, and fairly high pressures on members. Missionaries usually travel in pairs.Fact|date=September 2007
* Public attitudes
** Considered non-mainstream by most other churches, and themselves displaying a strong exclusivity towards other churches, which makes inter-communication difficult.
** Despite continuing controversies and accusations of cultishness, they also have a degree of societal acceptance that certain other large NRMs do not, such as Scientologists and Eastern-derived religions. The LDS are an integral part of mainstream life in several US states for example, and “The Christian Science Monitor” is a well-respected newspaper.
* Lifestyle
** Bigger, older non-Trinitarian groups tend to have strict attitudes towards sex, and frown upon promiscuity and sex before marriage. They also dress “modestly.”Fact|date=September 2007
** Bigger groups do not live in communes, although their splinters may.
** Many non-Trinitarian churches are claimed to be too male dominated, but this is certainly not the case with Christian Science which was founded by a woman.

These are all general characteristics however, and some of the big groups have smaller splinters, which tend to be more controversial. The groups share several or more characteristics.

List of major non-Trinitarian churches

* Christadelphians
* Christian Science
* Jehovah’s Witnesses
* Mormonism/Restorationism - there are over thirty Mormon sects, the majority of which adhere to a non-Trinitarian theology (The Community of Christ does not)
** The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (biggest, best known Mormon group)
* Arian Catholicism
* Unitarianism
* Nontrinitarianism
* Oneness Pentecostals
* United Church of God