Church of the Nazarene

Overview: The Church of the Nazarene is a Christian denomination of Wesleyan-Holiness tradition that arose at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century from the convergence of Methodist and holiness movements. In comparative analysis, its identity is organized around personal conversion, ongoing sanctification, entire sanctification as a work of grace, biblical authority, holy living, evangelizing mission, and strong pastoral and educational attention. The tradition broadly shares the Wesleyan theological world, but defines itself more explicitly as a holiness church organized to spread Christian holiness.

Origin and development: Its origins are tied to the nineteenth-century North American holiness movement, especially in Methodist environments that emphasized the doctrine of full sanctification or entire sanctification. The denomination was formally organized in 1908 through the union of bodies and leaders connected to this religious field. Since then, it has expanded across North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, developing a strong missionary, educational, and ecclesial vocation.

Beliefs and identity: Among its most characteristic features are prevenient grace, repentance, justification by faith, new birth, sanctification, entire sanctification, transformed life, Christian discipline, mission, and eschatological hope. The tradition affirms two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper, in typically Protestant-Wesleyan language, and values community life, small groups, preaching, worship, education, and service.

Texts and authority: The Bible occupies the central normative place, read through Wesleyan heritage and the denomination's own confessional language. The Church of the Nazarene's Articles of Faith, its Manual, educational documents, and works by Wesleyan and holiness authors help express its institutional identity without replacing the authority of Scripture.

Denominational life and practice: The tradition has developed global mission networks, universities, seminaries, schools, and social ministries. Historically, it has also valued personal discipline, abstinence from practices seen as harmful, evangelization, pastoral visitation, biblical teaching, and missionary cooperation. In many places, the experience of holiness is linked with urban ministries, church planting, and theological formation.

Debates and internal diversity: There are internal differences regarding the language of entire sanctification, worship styles, the relationship with Pentecostalism, contemporary ethics, women's ordination, politics, and culture. Even so, Nazarene identity remains deeply associated with the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition and with the ideal of spreading scriptural holiness throughout the world.