Christian
A Christian (/ˈkrɪstʃən, -tiən/ (ⓘ)) is a person who believes in Christianity, an Abrahamic monotheistic religion.[1] Christianity is mostly about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, in the Bible's New Testament[2] and interpreted or prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.[3] Christianity is the world's largest religion, with 2.1 billion followers around the world.[2]
Views of the Bible
[change | change source]Christians consider the Holy Bible to be a sacred book, inspired by God. The Holy Bible is a combination of the Hebrew Bible, or Torah, and a collection of writings called the New Testament. Views on the importance of these writings vary. Some Christian groups prefer to favor the New Testament. Others believe the entire Bible is equally important. Also, while many Christians prefer to consider the Bible as fully true, not all Christian groups believe that it is completely accurate.
Christian faith
[change | change source]In Christian teaching, faith is not only belief in ideas. It is a way a person understands and relates to God. Christian faith is described as the willingness to remain loyal to God while bearing exposure to both interpersonal and existential harm and loss. This means that a Christian remains loyal to God even when this brings pain, danger, or loss in relationships, safety, comfort, or meaning in life. This idea appears in the Bible when Jesus speaks about following him even when it leads to suffering (Luke 9:23–24, John 15:18–20).
Types of Christians
[change | change source]In this context, religious or ethnic minorities may use “Christians” or “you Christians” to describe the majority group, even in a very secular society.[4]
Other Christians use the word in a narrower way and apply it only to people who actively follow the teachings of Jesus and shape their life by Christian faith. In some Christian movements, especially Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism, a person is called a born-again Christian when they believe the Bible’s message about Jesus and commit themselves to that belief, and are willing to live in ways most people find strange or unacceptable.
There are also differences between major Christian traditions. Many Protestants believe that all Christians are part of the spiritual church of Christ, whether or not they regularly attend a local church. In contrast, Catholic teaching in the past emphasized that the Roman Catholic Church was the one true church. These views continue to shape how different groups understand what it means to be a Christian.
Who is a Christian?
[change | change source]The question of "Who is a Christian?" can be very difficult. Christians often disagree over this due to their differences in opinion on spiritual matters. In countries where most persons were baptized in the state church or the majority Christian church, the term "Christian" is a default label for citizenship or for "people like us".[5] In this context, religious or ethnic minorities can use "Christians" or "you Christians" as a term for majority members of society who do not belong to their group - even in a very secular (though formally Christian) society.[6]
Persons who are more devoted to their Christian faith prefer not to use the word so broadly. They only use it to refer to those who are active in their Christian religion and really believe the teachings of Jesus and their church. In some Christian movements (especially Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism), to be a born-again Christian is to undergo a "spiritual rebirth" by believing in the Bible's teachings about Jesus and choosing to follow him.
Church life
[change | change source]Many Christians choose to go to church. Most Christians believe this to be a sign of their religious devotion to God and an act of worship. However, some Christian groups think that one can be a Christian without ever going to a church. Though there are many different viewpoints on the issue, most Protestants believe all Christians are part of the spiritual church of Christ, whether or not those Christians go to an actual church each week. On the other hand, Catholics in the past have believed that their Roman Catholic Church is the only true church.
Related pages
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ Cross, Frank Leslie; Livingstone, Elizabeth A., eds. (1957). "Christian". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press (published 2005). p. 336. ISBN 9780192802903. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
In modern times the name Christian [...] has tended, in nominally Christian countries, to not refer to personal faith and imply only that the person is a good moral person (e.g. 'a Christian action') or socially customary ('Christian name').
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - 1 2 "BBC - Religion & Ethics - Christianity". BBC. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- ↑ "Book of Isaiah, Chapter 53". Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- ↑ Compare: Sandmel, Samuel (1967). We Jews and You Christians: An Inquiry Into Attitudes. Lippincott. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
- ↑
Compare: Cross, Frank Leslie; Livingstone, Elizabeth A., eds. (1957). "Christian". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press (published 2005). p. 336. ISBN 9780192802903. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
In modern times the name Christian [...] has tended, in nominally Christian countries, to not refer to personal faith and imply only that the person is a good moral person (e.g. 'a Christian action') or socially customary ('Christian name').
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ↑ Compare: Sandmel, Samuel (1967). We Jews and You Christians: An Inquiry Into Attitudes. Lippincott. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
