denomination
Loading your saved state.
denomination
A specific faith community within a larger religion, especially in Christianity (e.g., Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox).
Die Frage nach der Konfession spielt in vielen Ländern heute eine geringere Rolle als früher.
The question of denomination plays a smaller role in many countries today than it used to.
To ask about someone's denomination or state it, the verb 'angehören' (to belong to) is often used with the dative. The formal question is: 'Welcher Konfession gehören Sie an?' (Which denomination do you belong to?). The answer would then be, for example, 'Ich gehöre der katholischen Konfession an.' (I belong to the Catholic denomination.)
Er gehört keiner Konfession an.
He does not belong to any denomination.
Important related words are the adjective 'konfessionell' (denominational, e.g., a denominational school) and the word 'konfessionslos' (non-denominational / without a religious affiliation), which describes that someone does not belong to any denomination.
Immer mehr Menschen in Deutschland sind konfessionslos.
More and more people in Germany have no religious affiliation.
Common verbs used in connection with 'Konfession' (denomination) are 'haben' (to have) or 'wechseln' (to change). In forms or official contexts, you often find the wording 'Frage nach der Konfession' (question about denomination).
Auf dem Formular müssen Sie Ihre Konfession angeben.
On the form, you must state your denomination.
church
'die Kirche' and 'die Konfession' both belong to the topic of religion, but they do not mean the same thing. 'Kirche' can mean a Christian institution or community, for example the Protestant Church. 'Konfession' means the specific denomination within a religion, for example Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox. Learners may confuse the words because people often talk about both in the same context. On forms, 'Konfession' asks about religious affiliation, not about a building.
Auf dem Formular muss Paul seine Konfession angeben.
Paul has to state his denomination on the form.
Lena arbeitet ehrenamtlich für die evangelische Kirche.
Lena does volunteer work for the Protestant Church.