I was asked on Facebook to say how I define a 'Christian', and this was my response.
For me, that is not a straightforward question, but I'll try to summarize my answer in three parts.
- It's unclear. I do not define 'Christian'. There is no single agreed definition, and I am not in a position to create or enforce one. Pretending that there is only one correct use of the word seems to me, almost always, to be unhelpful.
- It's personal. I accept the self-definition of the person I am speaking with. If they identify themselves as a Christian, I accept that; if they identify themselves as not a Christian, I accept that, too. I believe that much of what has been done (and some of what continues to be done) by people who call themselves Christians is not consistent with the teaching and example of Jesus, but I also recognize that it is not my job to judge them.
- It's unhelpful. I believe that most of the ways people use the word 'Christian' is unhelpful because it is disconnected from the original meaning and use. For this reason, I generally don't describe myself as a Christian: I describe myself as a follower of Jesus. The way I read the Gospels, Jesus was a man on a mission, and He called people to join Him on that mission. The original Christians were people who had decided to join that mission.
But I am happy to use the term 'Christian' to refer to the Christian religion, and the beliefs and practices associated with it. After all, what are the alternatives? Calling it the 'so-called Christian faith' sounds just a little judgemental.
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