Why Christianity is a Religion
“Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” How often have you heard someone say this? I hear it just about every day, and I have to admit that it bugs me. The reason why is that I realize Christians mean well when they say this, but they don’t know what they are really saying when they do.
Now, I know what they are intending when they use this expression. I understand that they mean Christianity is different from other religions because it is not about keeping legalistic rules and performing empty rituals. It’s about trusting in Christ and not about trying to earn God’s approval.
And, I also understand that we may dislike the word “religion” because it has negative associations for people. For some, it has come to be associated with something boring or oppressive, but that is largely defined by one’s own personal experience so it shouldn’t be used to indict religion as a whole.
Just because religion has negative associations for some, does that mean we should all abandon the concept? Do we simply give up on the idea because some people had a bad experience or should we instead reclaim and redeem it? I am of the persuasion that thinks we ought to do the latter.
So, in the sense that religion is not about legalistic duty and that it has some real world negative associations, Christians who use the phrase are right. But, in the sense that they want to reject the word and ditch the concept of religion, they are wrong. When they say that Christianity is not a religion, they are simply mistaken because it is.
The dictionary defines religion as “A set of beliefs concerning cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.”
So, according to that definition, Christianity is clearly a religion. The textbook definition is right, which means that we don’t need to get rid of the idea of religion. We simply have to define it or, in many cases, redefine it.
Christianity is a religion because it needs to be. If Christianity is not a religion, then it is in a category all to itself, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing. The reason why is because defining Christianity as something else altogether does set us apart, but it also isolates us.
If Christianity is not a religion, then there are two significant issues that arise. First, if Christianity is not considered a religion, then it means that we do not have a place in the religious marketplace of ideas. We only have our own circle in which to talk about “relationship”.
In other words, if Christianity is not also a religion, just as Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam are, then how can we expect to be taken seriously in the debate? After all, how can we enter into the forum of world religions if we don’t belong there?
If we want to enter into the religious studies debate, then we need to have a seat at the table of world religion. If we secure a seat, then we can get the opportunity to exhibit the Christian worldview and negotiate its relevance to the religious discussion.
To be taken seriously in the religious milieu today, we shouldn’t be trying to exclude ourselves from the dialogue. We ought not to retreat to our own domain, but we inadvertently end up doing this very thing when we don’t call ourselves a religion.
If we say we’re not about religion but relationship, then we make it sound like Christianity is thin and hollow, not thick and substantial. The Christian faith is something to take seriously, and it belongs in the discussion of religion.
And, second, if Christianity is not a religion, then it also means we are not recognized by the State and are therefore not protected by First Amendment rights. If you recall from your American History class in high school, the First Amendment is what guarantees freedom to practice “religion”.
The First Amendment says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Notice that it doesn’t say that Congress shall not respect or prohibit the exercise of “relationship”.
I think people just repeat an expression like “Christianity is a relationship and not a religion” because it sounds nice and people use it a lot. It’s a cliché, and we are notorious for repeating Christian platitudes and clichés. But, platitudes and clichés make us look bad. They make us sound shallow like we’re an inch deep and a mile wide.
Sometimes I fear that we keep coming up with clever ways to say things in order to either side step honest debate with others or to preclude ourselves from any serious scrutiny. In other words, not calling ourselves a religion can be a sort of trump card that we play in order to evade criticism or avoid intelligent interaction.
The truth is that religion does require us to do certain things and do them “religiously”. There is value in “doing” religion and not just in “being” in a relationship. The truth is that the Scriptures talk just as much about doing the right things as they talk about being good people.
In fact, James tells us explicitly in his book that there is such a thing as doing religion, and doing it righteously. James 1:27 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
James’ command shows that he is not down on religion at all. Rather, he is quite up on it as long as it’s the right kind. He writes that real religion is about doing something (caring for the most vulnerable) and about not doing something (avoiding the temptations of this world). So, religion is about doing and not just about being.
As Christians we need to be thoughtful in the way that we talk about our faith. Though we do want to distinguish our religion from all the others and to make the case that the Christian worldview is the best one, we must first get the opportunity to do so.
When we use Christian clichés like “Christianity is a relationship and not a religion”, we often end up shutting down our chances to gain a hearing with others. The reason why is that it often comes across as dogmatic and even triumphalistic.
The message that this sends is that we are not interested in debate and that we are somehow superior to others. The fact is that people are turned off by those who appear to be closed off or puffed up, so we clearly don’t want to project that kind of image to the world.
Instead of promulgating a message like that, it seems to me that it would be better to try to open the doors of communication with the world rather than close them. And, one of the ways that we can do this is by choosing commonalities and building bridges with others.
We can prop one of those doors open by dropping our resistance to using the term religion and embrace what it provides us in the marketplace of spiritual ideas as well as what it protects us from in a country that guarantees religious freedoms.
So, the bottom line is that Christianity is a relationship, but it is also a religion. It is a religion by definition and by practice, which means that religion is not a bad thing. It is not a word to be avoided or a concept to be ignored.
The Christian religion is unique and offers the best and most holistic view of the world, and we want to get the opportunity to share that with others. But, in order to have that chance to voice our faith, we need to take our seat at the table of religion.
“The Case for (Real) Religion”…I like it! I think we hipster superior age of gracer type believers need to hear this message and think about how we communicate Christ to so many around us who might greatly benefit from a context like James’s and Webster’s and all of history’s definition of religion. I agree the word could use some reclamation and redefining. Not for the spiritually lazy! Thank you and keep writing!
Thanks, Celeste! I really appreciate the kind words, and I got a good laugh at your “hipster superior age of gracer” description. That made me smile.
“Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” This is something I have used in conversation with several people. People who, to me at least, seemed jaded from religion in general. Kent, I appreciate and can see your reasoning about the aspect of the definition, legality (1st Amendment), and qualification for debating among other religions; yet, as you contended, Christianity or pursuing Christ-likeness is beyond church attendance. You only scratched the surface. For devotions today, I read 1 Peter 1:15-16 and Hebrews 2:1. Those 2 were my focus, but I ended up reading all of 1 Peter 1 and all of Hebrews 1 and 2. Both passages presented aspects of Christ’s ministry and the pursuit of Christians. We are called brothers and sons; Christ offers restoration to the son-ship God intended for us from the beginning – a deep relationship. This is totally unique by comparison to other world religions. Sure, Christianity has its disciplines for the pursuit of to “be holy for I am holy” (part of 1 Peter 1:15-16). The thing that spurs me on for that calling is not Webster’s definition of religion but what my relationship to my God and Savior means to me. I guess I can conclude that for the world’s sake, Christianity is a religion; for each person’s sake, it is a relationship.
Thanks, Ian. I appreciate the comment. You are right. I barely scratched the surface as I want my posts to stimulate further discussion and get others to think more deeply about issues like these rather than doing it for them.
When talking about my faith, I have noticed that I do tend to try and put the emphasis more on the relationship part of Christianity and try to avoid the word religion! I think it is because the word religion in today’s society implies negative preconceived ideas in some Americans. For example, someone who would be considered “very religious,” because of the rules that are FORCED upon him or her by his or her RELIGION, does not have any fun and is then deemed “very uncool.”
In the same way, I have heard friends of mine use the excuse that they are not “religious” to justify deragatory actions or poor life choices and to infer that I am an “uptight, have it all together, goody two shoes” type of person. Just as you said, I would much rather be set apart from all other “religions” because I don’t want to be classified as one who just follows a bunch of rules because my RELIGION tells me too.
This post was very insightful though. I have never thought about this phrase before and what it truly implies. I agree… the word “religion” should be reclaimed. The only question I have, is how to redeem the word without people misunderstanding what Christianity is truly about. I suppose it could be explained during intelligent discussion if the person was really interested… and I should stop being offended when people describe me as “very religious” when they mean it in a negative way, and take it as a compliment instead.
Thanks, Brianne! Good thoughts. My main concern in posting this is that I think it is unnecessary and perhaps even detrimental to try to distinguish ourselves as something other than religion. Our faith is definitely unique, but it is for other more persuasive reasons.
Agreed! I appreciate this and will be more mindful of how I use the word “religion” in the future!
I have noticed an abundance in pith proclamations of Christian clichés that have permeated the social network of modern Christian groups. I suppose I am guilty of saying a few of these abundant clichés thus have been enlightened by your blog. You mentioned, “As Christians we need to be thoughtful in the way that we talk about our faith.” This is a wonderful point that parallels what Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15. Being cognizant of how we frame our Christian worldview is essential to our effectiveness and fruitfulness as Christians.
This was a stimulating blog.
Thanks, Steven! It’s always great to see your comments. I know we feel the same way about these things.