# Will there ever again be a new variant of Christianity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 29, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848 "2014-03-29T18:03:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/21 "2014-03-30T06:36:58Z")
Here’s a significant post-19th century new variant of Christianity: Rastafarianism, which started in the 1930’s. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/22 "2014-03-30T06:47:38Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > There are new branches of Christianity forming right now, at this very instant. Few will go beyond their founder but sometimes when circumstances are just right, we get, I dunno… Westboro Baptist, I guess. Well, I wouldn’t count WBC as a new variant of Christianity; they derive from the Baptists and have made no fundamental doctrinal innovations, only changes in emphasis. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/23 "2014-03-30T06:48:57Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > That’s the reason you don’t see many followers of the faith around today. No, you don’t see many followers of the faith around today not because the war was so bloody, but because they lost it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/24 "2014-03-30T06:50:27Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Not really. Christianity is increasing in Korea and Africa (and China, actually) but it’s mostly holding steady in Latin America. Those countries were almost entirely Christianized when the Spanish & Portuguese took over. Some of them are now undergoing a lot of conversions from Catholicism to Protestantism . . . Hmm. I wonder why. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/25 "2014-03-30T06:51:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Here’s a significant post-19th century new variant of Christianity: Rastafarianism, which started in the 1930’s. **Is** that a variant of Christianity? I thought their Messiah was Emperor Haile Selassie. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/26 "2014-03-30T06:57:08Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > **Is** that a variant of Christianity? I thought their Messiah was Emperor Haile Selassie. Yes, but they believe he was/is the returning Jesus Christ. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/27 "2014-03-30T12:54:18Z")
> [@svd678](#): > > It may be that some form of Progressive Christianity, such as taught by Bishop Spong may thrive. You mean Unitarianism? To the OP: There is also Messianic Judaism or you could rename it Judaic Christianity, which is basically an attempt to construct a version of the early Christian faith if it retained its Jewish heritage with adjustments over time. Evangelical Universalism also seems to be gaining ground. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/28 "2014-03-30T14:13:59Z")
I’ve heard of certain Jesuit sects attempting to reconcile Christianity with historical realism. Something along the lines that Jesus may not have been a “Godly” human, but just a wise dude from whom much can be learned. As the 21st century continues to unravel, I suspect much of Christianity will follow suit. We are too grounded in modern science to believe such things, though many do see the value in Jesus’s moral teachings. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/29 "2014-03-30T14:25:40Z")
Got any links for that, Stringbean? I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some offshoots from Catholicsm, but something like that would be real news. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/30 "2014-03-30T15:57:43Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Hmm. I wonder why. In some cases, Catholicism was discredited by being associated with reactionary regimes, the ruling classes, etc… In regard to the OP, I suspect that the next century might see the revival of some form of gnostic, semi-gnostic, or dualistic Christianity- something along the lines of the Marcionites or the Albigensians. That vague nexus of ideas has been a very fertile source for Christian heresies- they keep popping up every few centuries- and there are a few reasons why I think they might have a lot of appeal to a modern age. The theory of evolution, for example, is a lot easier to square with a semi-gnostic creation myth than with the orthodox Christian account. The strength of all those heresies was that they claimed to solve the problem of evil in a more satisfactory way than orthodox Christianity did, so if we ever get to a stage when war, famine, pestilence, and other calamities are pressing on people’s minds, they might seem more appealing again. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/31 "2014-03-30T16:03:56Z")
You could also argue for Wicca. The absence of Jesus is a problem for seeing it as Christian, but it has a lot more in common with Christianity in theology and how its followers understand their goddess(es) than it does with the religions of the ancient world. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/32 "2014-03-30T17:14:55Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > You could also argue for Wicca. The absence of Jesus is a problem for seeing it as Christian, but it has a lot more in common with Christianity in theology and how its followers understand their goddess(es) than it does with the religions of the ancient world. Oh, I can definitely some form of Christo-Wicca developing both within liberal Christian denominations and as their own organizations. ---
**Author:** ![nani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/33 "2014-03-31T01:08:47Z")
China is [very fertile ground](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Lightning)for these kinds of movements. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/34 "2014-03-31T13:09:46Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > If you think of your five solas… Nitpick: if you’re using the Latin word, maybe the Latin plural should be required? _Solae_. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/35 "2014-03-31T13:16:29Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Nitpick: if you’re using the Latin word, maybe the Latin plural should be required? _Solae_. It’s a perfectly correct accusative plural. Maybe he was mentally translating _si recorderis quinque solas illas_ and forgot to change case for the English. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/36 "2014-03-31T15:21:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Here’s a significant post-19th century new variant of Christianity: Rastafarianism, which started in the 1930’s. Just FYI (because I learned this recently), I believe calling it “Rastafarianism” is offensive to Rastafarians. Because according to them “ism is schism” and any kind of “ism” is meant to segregate and divide people. They prefer to call it the Rastafarian Movement or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/37 "2014-03-31T20:38:41Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Not really. Christianity is increasing in Korea and Africa (and China, actually) but it’s mostly holding steady in Latin America. Those countries were almost entirely Christianized when the Spanish & Portuguese took over. Some of them are now undergoing a lot of conversions from Catholicism to Protestantism, but they aren’t becoming more or less Christian. While this is true, it leaves out an important trend. For centuries, almost all of Latin America has been officially Catholic, but in many countries the percentage of serious, practicing Catholics was fairly low. There’s an old joke told about the typical resident of almost every Latin American country: that he goes to church three times in his life–for his baptism, wedding, and funeral. The last thirty-odd years have seen explosive growth in other churches including evangelical, adventist, Pentecostal, and even Latter Day Saints all across Latin America. The overall level of religious fervor is certainly much higher now than in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/38 "2014-03-31T22:00:52Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Just FYI (because I learned this recently), I believe calling it “Rastafarianism” is offensive to Rastafarians. Because according to them “ism is schism” and any kind of “ism” is meant to segregate and divide people. They prefer to call it the Rastafarian Movement or something like that. I’ve seen Rastafari used but I wasn’t sure what the usage was - if Rastafari referred to the faith in general or to the members of the faith. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/39 "2014-04-01T07:13:05Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > You could also argue for Wicca. The absence of Jesus is a problem for seeing it as Christian, but **it has a lot more in common with Christianity in theology and how its followers understand their goddess(es) than it does with the religions of the ancient world.** Care on expand on this? Specially the bolded part. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848/40 "2014-04-01T08:32:21Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve seen Rastafari used but I wasn’t sure what the usage was - if Rastafari referred to the faith in general or to the members of the faith. Ras Tafari means something like Duke Tafari or Prince Tafari (“Tafari” being a personal name). It was how Haile Selassie was known early in his political career - Tafari was his given name, and he was called Ras as a honorific. He only later became primarily known as Haile Selassie. The Rastafari Movement is the religious movement which acknowledges him as an incarnation of the deity. “Rastafari” is also used as a collective for the followers of that movement (“Rastafari are monotheists”) and it’s also the adjective (“Rastafari beliefs”). An individual follower is a Rasta or a Rastafarian. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-ever-again-be-a-new-variant-of-christianity/684848.md?page=3)