Christianity is understood to be many different things, depending on who you ask.[1] For example, atheist Sam Harris writes that Christians are those who believe that the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami were God’s wrath for abortion and homosexuality.[2] Christopher Hitchens argued that religion, especially Christianity, has many problems: it misrepresents the origins of humankind and the cosmos; demands unreasonable suppression of human nature; inclines people to violence and blind submission to authority; and is hostile to free inquiry.[3] While Christian history is not perfect,[4] and no one is free from bias, to describe Christianity like this is purposely provocative.
The term “Christian” was first used of followers of Jesus Christ in Acts 11:26 (cf. Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Before this, the followers of Jesus were primarily Jewish and were viewed as a sect within Judaism. They were referred to as either “the Way” (cf. Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22) [as in the true way of life for God] or the “Nazarenes” (cf. Acts 24:5) [as Jesus was from Nazareth]. However, in the gentile city of Antioch (in Syria), they came to be seen as a distinct group and were called Christians (cf. Acts 11:26). A reading of Paul’s letters from the first century and a survey of the different denominations today[5] indicates that there were and still are several differences amongst Christians, and hence, what Christianity is understood to involve.[6]
Hence, our question, “What is Christianity?” C. S. Lewis, in his 1940s radio broadcast that was later published as the book Mere Christianity, answered this question by pointing to the beliefs that are “common to nearly all Christians at all times.”[7] Lewis likened Christianity to entering a hall; this common area is like the common beliefs. Subsequently, there are particular rooms to move into; these are like the specific traditions within Christianity.[8]
So, what are those core beliefs? Consider the Corinthian church, which was divided and had several issues.[9] So, Paul reminds them that the gospel is of first importance (cf. 1 Cor 15:3). The gospel is the good news about Jesus.[10] That Jesus died for our sins and rose again, conquering death (cf. 1 Cor 15:3–4, 26, 54–57). This gospel proclaims how Jesus has overcome the human predicament of sin and death and offers life as God intended.
Another way of looking at the key shared Christian beliefs, which provides insight into what Christianity is mainly about, is to consider some of the ecumenical creeds, that is, a statement that the whole church agrees on, including the Apostles’ Creed[11] and the Nicene Creed.[12] The fundamental parts are the belief in God, the Father as the creator; Jesus, God’s Son, who died and rose again; he reigns and will return in judgment; the Holy Spirit; and the Church.
More things could be added to Christian belief, such as Jesus’ saying that the greatest commandment is to love God and to love our neighbour (cf. Mark 12:30–32; Matt 22:37–40). These are the things that should define a Christian. Sadly, Christians, myself included, fail to live up to God’s standard. But Christians aim to be followers of Christ, to bring the hope of forgiveness and healing to a hurting world, to be his hands and feet to serve one another.
Conclusion
So that is what Christianity is all about, or at least what it should be about and tries to be. I pray that by the grace of God, this is what Christians will be known for—the good news about Jesus, his death for our sins, and his resurrection power that transforms us to live a new life of love.
[1] A good but generic definition can be found in most dictionaries, such as the Cambridge dictionary, which states that Christianity is “a religion based on belief in God and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and on the Bible” (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/christianity). One drawback of this definition is that the term religion is very broad, and in many Western countries, religion is understood by the general population to be a negative institution; as a result, many Christians prefer to describe Christianity as a relationship with Jesus.
[2] Cf. Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation, 47. For a response, see Wilson, Letter from a Christian Citizen.
[3] Cf. Hitchens, God Is Not Great, 5–6.
[4] See Moore, Dickson, Smart, and Toh, For the Love of God; Dickson, Bullies and Saints.
[5] See Rhodes, The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations.
[6] Regarding such differences, the Church of the Latter-Day Saints (also known as Mormons) and Jehovah’s Witnesses are usually classified by encyclopedias and censuses as Christians. However, generally, these groups themselves and other Christians do not consider each other to be holding to the same belief. Cf. Gurley and Dean, Is Mormonism Christian?; Chryssides, Jehovah’s Witnesses.
[7] Lewis, Mere Christianity, 6.
[8] Lewis, Mere Christianity, xiii.
[9] For instance, the Christians in Corinth were dividing over which leader to follow, whether Paul, Apollos, or Cephas [Peter], and Paul had to remind them that only Christ was crucified for them (cf. 1 Cor 1:12–13). The Corinthians also evidenced different sexual practices (cf. 1 Cor 5–7), prohibitions on food (cf. 1 Cor 8–10), views of gender roles (cf. 1 Cor 11:2–16; 14:34–35), and the use of spiritual gifts in gatherings (1 Cor 12–14).
[10] 1 Corinthians 15:3–7 contains a succinct summary of the gospel. A fuller description is as follows: “The gospel is that Jesus the king 1. preexisted as God the Son, 2. was sent by the Father, 3. took on human flesh in fulfillment of God’s promises to David, 4. died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 5. was buried, 6. was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 7. appeared to many witnesses, 8. is enthroned at the right hand of God as the ruling Christ, 9. has sent the Holy Spirit to his people to effect his rule, and 10. will come again as final judge to rule” (Bates, Gospel Allegiance, 227).
[11] “I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and buried. He descended to hell, on the third day rose again from the dead, ascended to heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty, thence He will come to judge the living and the dead; I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body [carnis], and the life everlasting. Amen” (Leith, Creeds of the Churches, 24–5, insertion original). Note Leith states that this version dates to c. 700 but probably goes back to the end of the second century (Creeds of the Churches, 22–6).
[12] The Nicaea creed of 325AD is as follows: “We believe in one God, the Father All Governing [pantokratora], creator [poieten] of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father as only begotten, that is, from the essence [reality] of the Father, [ek tes ousias tou patros], God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not created [poiethenta], of the same essence [reality] as the Father [homoousion to patri], through whom all things came into being, both in heaven and in earth; Who for us men and for our salvation came down and was incarnate, becoming human [enanthropesanta]. He suffered, and the third day he rose, and ascended into the heavens. And he will come to judge both the living and the dead. And [we believe] in the Holy Spirit. But, those who say, Once he was not, or he was not before his generation, or he came to be out of nothing, or who assert that he, the Son of God, is of a different hypostasis or ousia, or that he is a creature, or changeable, or mutable, the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes them” (Leith, Creeds of the Churches, 30–1, insertions original).
Bibliography
Bates, Matthew W. Gospel Allegiance: What Faith in Jesus Misses for Salvation in Christ. Baker, 2019.
Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary. Cambridge University Press, 2009. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/christianity
Chryssides, George D. Jehovah’s Witnesses: A New Introduction. Bloomsbury, 2022.
Dickson, John. Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History. Zondervan, 2021.
Harris, Sam. Letter to a Christian Nation. Vintage, 2006.
Hitchens, Christopher. God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Twelve, 2007.
Gurley, Jacob O. III, and Ernest E. Dean. Is Mormonism Christian?: A Comparison Between Christian and Mormon Doctrines. WestBow Press, 2013.
Leith, John Haddon. Creeds of the Churches: A Reader in Christian Doctrine from the Bible to the Present. 3rd ed. John Knox Press, 1982.
Lewis, Clive Staples. Mere Christianity. Touchstone, 1996. [Originally 1952].
Moore, Natasha, John Dickson, Simon Smart, and Justine Toh. For the Love of God: How the Church is Better and Worse Than You Ever Imagined. Centre for Public Christianity, 2019.
Rhodes, Ron. The Complete Guide to Christian Denominations: Understanding the History, Beliefs, and Differences. 2nd ed. Harvest House Publishers, 2015.
Wilson, Douglas. Letter from a Christian Citizen: A Response to Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris. 2nd ed. American Vision, 2007.
Further Reading
Woodhead, Linda. Christianity: A Very Short Introduction. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Wright, N.T. Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. HarperSanFrancisco, 2006.