Data source: Gina A. Zurlo and Todd M. Johnson, eds., World Christian Database (Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2024).
| Glossary item | Definition |
|---|---|
| church of silence | See crypto-Christians. |
| church sendee | A missionary (term coined in 1977 by Indonesian churches). |
| Church Slavonic | (Old Slavic). The liturgical language of the Russian Orthodox and other churches for centuries up to the present. For global statistics of membership, see under Slavonic. |
| church triumphant | Members of the Church who have died and are regarded as enjoying eternal happiness through union with Christ. |
| church union negotiations | An attempt by 2 or more churches or denominations, through their officially-appointed representatives, to draw up a plan for organic union. |
| church visible | The whole body of professing or affiliated Christians on earth. |
| church year | See Christian year. |
| Churches of Christ | (Restoration Movement). Disciples (qv). |
| churches’ statistics of membership | Statistics collected and published by the churches of their own membership are defined and termed here as affiliated Christians (qv). |
| churchgoer | One who habitually attends church. |
| churchmanship | The attitude, belief or practice of a churchman. |
| church-planting agencies | Missionary societies and other organizations existing specifically for the planting of new churches and worship centers. |
| church-state relations | Nations can be categorized into a 3- fold typology, in AD 2000 as follows: (a) 113 countries can be termed religious countries or states, this being how they define themselves in their constitutions or other official statements, (b) 102 are secular countries or states, defining themselves as completely separate from religion, and (c) 23 states or their regimes are atheistic or anti-religious (Communist or Marxist) officially hostile to all religion. |
| Cilicia, also known as Sis | See of 2 rival patriarchates and patriarchs: Armenian Apostolic (catholicate). Armenian Catholic. |
| cinema, religious | See religious drama. |
| circle | In Swedenborgian and other traditions, a local church congregation. |
| circuit | In Methodist and other traditions, a group of church congregations ministered to or under the supervision of one pastor. In Jehovah’s Witnesses’ usage, about 20 congregations; with several circuits making up a district, and several districts a country. |
| circulation, scripture | See scripture distribution. |
| circumscription | An ecclesiastical jurisdiction. |
| citadel | In Salvationist usage, a hall used for worship and as a base for corps operations. cities. |
| citizen | A member of a state or nation; subject, national. |
| civic attenders | Persons who attend church services only on civic occasions or state festivals. |
| civil servant | An employee of a country’s central government. |
| civilian | A resident of a country who is not on active duty in the armed services. |
| clandestine Christians | See crypto-Christians. |
Data on 18 categories of religion, including non-religious, by country, province, and people.
Data on all religions, Christian activities, and trends.
Membership data, year begun, and rates of change.
Population and religion data on all major cities & provinces.
Detailed information covering religion, culture, and geography.
A repository of historical data, including a chronology of Christianity from the 1st to 21st centuries.