Ethnic religion, alongside indigenous religion, is a term used within religious studies to describe various expressions of religion which are associated with a particular ethnic group. Ethnic religions are often distinguished from religions which claim to not be limited in ethnic or national scope, such as Christianity or Islam. Ethnic religions do not have to be excluded to independent religions. Some localized denominations of global religions are practiced solely by certain ethnic groups, with ethnic groups like the Assyrians following a unique denominational structure of Christianity known as the Assyrian Church of the East.