February 1, 2008 by

Christian: Noun or Adjective?

2 comments

Categories: changing mindsets, food for thought, Meanderings (look it up), Rantings


Hmmm…something going through my head lately. Something I read in Velvet Elvis (which I finished by the way–no further heresies to report). But in the book, Rob Bell remarked on something that I found interesting, and am still chewing on and grappling with….

The word “Christian” was not intended to be used as an adjective.

In Scripture, it is always a noun, referring to a person who follows Christ.

Now, forgive me if this offends your religious sensibilities–just being honest here–I have grown less and less comfortable using the word “Christian” to describe myself, although by Biblical standards I certainly am one. I love Jesus and attempt to follow Him with my life, and I’m not ashamed of Him. But the word “Christian” in our culture has become so loaded that people attach to it any of a number of stereotypes and misconceptions every time it is used. It isn’t that I am trying to avoid hostility by non-Christians; it’s just that I want them to be hostile toward me for the right reasons. (?) So when possible, I try to gravitate toward terms like “Christ-follower” or “disciple of Jesus”.

Anyhow…I think that this idea of using the word “Christian” as an adjective rather than a noun has served to complicate things even more. We use “Christian” to describe a type of music, or a type of book, or (forgive me again) even a type of nation. But in the Jewish mindset (out of which most of the Scriptures were written), there is no differentiation between sacred and secular (or in our vernacular, Christian or non-Christian) when referring to these things. In the Jewish mindset, everything is sacred if God is in the center of your life. As such, everything is redeemable under Him. But we so categorize things using “Christian” as an adjective that we Christians start getting paranoid about what’s okay for us, and what’s not okay.

Here’s an example: someone says, “I only listen to Christian music.” I get that we aren’t to just fill our minds with garbage, but show me chapter and verse to show where we are supposed to use the Christian tag to identify something like music. What makes it Christian? Is it that a Christian is singing it? Or that the message has to be specifically talking about Christ? Does that mean typical romantic love songs are not Christian? What if a Christian wrote the love song? Are Christians not allowed to be romantic?

Can you see how this way of thinking imprisons us–let alone alienates us from unbelievers? Do you see how we’ve made “non-Christian” a code for “unclean?”

I have no problem with a Biblical worldview flavoring and influencing books, music, movies etc., and I’m thankful for the influence it’s had on our nation. I believe it–and we–should influence our culture for good. But maybe we need to get back to what “Christian” really means. “Christian” is a noun; a Christian is a person who follows Christ. That’s it. Maybe if we’d get over using the word Christian to label everything we think is okay to touch, we’d be able to start clarifying again to the rest of the world who we really are, and Whom we are following after. And in the process…by taking the “Christian” label off our stuff and just being Christians, perhaps we’ll let God into a few places in our lives where we’ve been keeping Him out.

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Musician. Composer. Recovering perfectionist. Minister-in-transition. Lover of puns. Hijacker of rock song references. Questioner of the status quo. I'm not really a rebel. Just a sincere Christ-follower with a thirst for significance that gets me into trouble. My quest has taken me over the fence of institutional Christianity. Here are some of my random thoughts along the way. Read along, join in the conversation. Just be nice.

2 Responses to Christian: Noun or Adjective?

  1. ded

    My wife worked in a “Christian” for several years. There was quite a parade of “Christian” stuff across the counter in exchange for dollars. Sometimes hefty amounts of dollars if the item in particular was a piece of “Christian” art in a beautiful gilded frame, properly matted and complete with descriptive scripture across the bottom.

    Often such items were intended to provide a “Christian” alternative to something young people in the world had. Ostensibly, these items fulfilled a “need” to own stuff without offending God.

    I fully relate to your post here. Reducing the material world to a good/bad dichotomy by the use of the word “Christian” as an adjective, is meaningless endeavor. It may feel like a function of our love for God but may in fact hide the reality that we are spiritually blind.

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