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Christian () is a person who adheres to
Christianity, an
Abrahamic,
monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of
Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe is the
Messiah (the
Christ in
Greek-derived terminology) prophesied in the
Old Testament/
Hebrew Bible, and the
Son of God.
[, BBC]The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to describe anything associated with Christianity, or in a proverbial sense "all that is noble, and good, and Christ-like,"
as in the
Christian thing to do.
Etymology
The word comes from Greek (
christianos) which being translated means "follower of Christ." It comes from (
christos) meaning "the
anointed one", with an adjectival ending borrowed from Latin to denote adhering to, or even belonging to, as in slave ownership. In the (
Greek)
Septuagint version of the
Hebrew Bible,
christos was used to translate the
Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (
, messiah), meaning "
[one who is] anointed."
Hebrew terms
As the identification of the Messiah with Jesus is not accepted within Judaism, the
Talmudic term for Christians in
Hebrew is
Notzrim ("
Nazarenes"), originally derived from the fact that Jesus came from the city of
Nazareth in
Israel. However,
Messianic Jews are referred to in modern Hebrew as יהודים משיחיים (
Yehudim Meshihi'im).
Arabic terms
Among
Arabs (whether Christians, Muslims or belonging to other faiths), as well as in other languages influenced by the
Arabic language (mainly in
Muslim cultures influenced by Arabic as the
liturgical language of Islam), two words are commonly used for Christians:
Nasrani (نصراني) is generally understood to be derived from
Nazareth through the
Syriac (Aramaic);
Masihi (مسيحي) means followers of the Messiah.
[Khaled Ahmed, .][Society for Internet Research, , note 62 (erroneously, "salidi").]Where there is a distinction,
Nasrani refers to people from a Christian culture and
Masihi means those with a religious faith in Jesus.
[Jeffrey Tayler, .] In some countries
Nasrani tends to be used generically for non-Muslim white people.
[Jeffrey Tayler, .] Another Arabic word sometimes used for Christians, particularly in a political context, is
Salibi; this refers to
Crusaders and has negative connotations.
[Society for Internet Research, , note 62 (erroneously, "salidi").]Nasrani or
Nasranee may also refer to the
Syrian Malabar Nasrani people, a Christian ethno-religious group from
Kerala, India, possibly
Jewish in ethnic origin.
Other languages
In other European languages the words for Christian are likewise derived from Greek, such as ‘’Chrétien’’ in French and ‘’Cristiano’’ in Spanish. The Chinese word is (
pinyin: jīdū tú), literally "Christ follower."
Early usage
The first recorded use of the term "Christian" is found in the
New Testament, in , which states "...in
Antioch the disciples were first called Christians." The second mention of the term follows in , where
Herod Agrippa II replies to
Paul the Apostle, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" The third and final New Testament reference to the term is in , which exhorts believers, "...if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name". Mattison suggests that "[t]he New Testament's use of this term indicates that it was a term of derision, a term placed upon Christ's followers by their critics."
The earliest occurrences of the term in non-Christian literature include
Josephus, referring to "the tribe of Christians, so named from him;"
Pliny the Younger in
correspondence with Trajan; and
Tacitus in the
Annals, which identifies Christians as Nero's scapegoats for the
Great Fire of Rome.
Modern usage
A wide range of beliefs and practices is found across the world among those who call themselves Christian. Philosopher
Michael Martin, in his book
The Case Against Christianity, evaluated three historical Christian creeds to establish a set of basic assumptions which include belief in
theism, the
historicity of Jesus, the
Incarnation,
salvation through faith in Jesus, and
Jesus as an ethical role model. Included in his analysis were the
Apostles' Creed, the
Nicene Creed, and the
Athanasian Creed.
The
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance say that “Who is a Christian?” is “a simple question with many answers and no consensus." They found a near consensus within individual faith groups.
[ Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Oct. 9, 2009 ]Religious Tolerance claims that:
- Most liberal Christian denominations, secularists, and public opinion pollsters define "Christian" very broadly as any person or group who sincerely believes themselves to be Christian. Using this definition, Christians total about 75% of the North American adult population.
- Many Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Protestants define "Christian" more narrowly to include only those persons who have been "born again" or have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus irrespective of their denomination. About 35% of the North American adult population identify themselves in this way.
- Some Protestant Christian denominations, para-church groups, and individuals have assembled their own lists of cardinal Christian doctrines. Many would regard anyone who denies even one of their cardinal doctrines to be a non-Christian. Unfortunately, there is a wide diversity of opinion as to which historical Christian beliefs are cardinal doctrines.
- Other denominations and sects regard their own members to be the only true Christians in the world. Some are quite small, numbering only a few thousand followers.
"Christian" in the United States and Canada
Anderson Cooper has reported that in the United States, "more than 85 percent is Christian and two-thirds of [Americans], a number that's climbing, consider America a Christian nation. But from there, the lines start to blur." Two recent empirical studies reveal differences in beliefs and religious practices among Christians in the U.S.
Baylor University study
The
Baylor University Institute for Studies of Religion conducted a survey covering various aspects of American religious life. Analysis of the data is ongoing, but some preliminary results show that Americans may be expressing their faith somewhat differently according to their particular beliefs.
- A third of Americans (33.6 percent), roughly 100 million people, are Evangelical Protestants by affiliation.
- The majority (62.9 percent) of Americans not affiliated with a religious tradition believe in God or some higher power.
Baylor researchers found that the type of god people believe in can predict their political and moral attitudes more so than just looking at their religious tradition. They identified four major concepts of God among Christians, though none of the four dominated belief:
- 31 percent believe in an Authoritarian God who is very judgmental and engaged.
- 25 percent believe in a Benevolent God who is not judgmental but is engaged.
- 23 percent believe in a Distant God who is completely removed.
- 16 percent believe in a Critical God who is judgmental but not engaged.
Christianity Today study
Another study, conducted by
Christianity Today with
Leadership magazine, attempted to understand the range and differences among American Christians. A national attitudinal and behavioral survey found that their beliefs and practices clustered into five distinct segments. Spiritual growth for two large segments of Christians may be occurring in non-traditional ways. Instead of attending church on Sunday mornings, many opt for personal, individual ways to stretch themselves spiritual.
[ Leadership Journal, Fall 2007.]- 19 percent of American Christians are described by the researchers as Active Christians. They believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ, attend church regularly, are Bible readers, invest in personal faith development through their church, believe they are obligated to share their faith with others, and accept leadership positions in their church.
- 20 percent are referred to as Professing Christians. They also are committed to "accepting Christ as Savior and Lord" as the key to being a Christian, but focus more on personal relationships with God and Jesus than on church, Bible reading or evangelizing.
- 16 percent fall into a category named Liturgical Christians. They are predominantly Lutheran or Catholic. They are regular church goers, have a high level of spiritual activity and recognize the authority of the church.
- 24 percent are considered Private Christians. They own a Bible but don't tend to read it. Only about one-third attend church at all. They believe in God and in doing good things, but not necessarily within a church context. This was the largest and youngest segment. Almost none are church leaders.
- 21 percent in the research are called Cultural Christians. These do not view Jesus as essential to salvation. They exhibit little outward religious behavior or attitudes. They favor a universality theology that sees many ways to God. Yet, they clearly consider themselves to be Christians.
The researchers say that Christians in other countries may not show the same variety, particularly where there is active
persecution of Christians.
See also
- Rice Christian, referring to people who profess Christianity for material benefits
