5 Kinds of Christians - Understanding the disparity of those who call themselves Christian

Christianity Today ^ | Helen Lee

[Between the Lines]

Jennifer Hua identifies herself as a Christian. A 35-year-old former attorney studying Christian counseling at the Wheaton College Graduate School (Illinois), she has gone to church all her life and is a lay leader in her suburban Chicago congregation. She furthers her spiritual development by daily Bible reading, prayer, listening to and singing worship songs, and interacting with other Christians. And every few months, she carves out time for a silent retreat. "I do all of these things because I know from past experience I need to recalibrate my mind and my heart to be in tune with God," she says.

James Smith also identifies himself as a Christian. He attended church as a child, but his attendance was minimal as a young adult. He believes in God, occasionally attends Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan when his time-consuming job in the finance district allows, but he does not often participate in other activities to further his spiritual life. He has a Bible but rarely opens it; what leisure time he has he spends with friends, most of whom are of different faiths, and he does not necessarily believe that his God is any different from the one his Muslim friend worships.

"I don't think that God would be a God who would shut others out of heaven because they don't use the word 'Christian' to describe themselves," he says.

The United States is described in mainstream media as largely Christian (between 70 and 80 percent, depending on the study, identify themselves as "Christian"), and compared to the rest of the world, this is certainly the case. However, not all within this vast group of Christians are alike.

[Between the Lines]

The Five Types of Christians in America

Active Christians 19%

*Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
*Committed churchgoers
*Bible readers
*Accept leadership positions
*Invest in personal faith development through the church
*Feel obligated to share faith; 79% do so.

Professing Christians 20%

*Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
*Focus on personal relationship with God and Jesus
*Similar beliefs to Active Christians, different actions
*Less involved in church, both attending and serving
*Less commitment to Bible reading or sharing faith

Liturgical Christians 16%

*Predominantly Catholic and Lutheran
*Regular churchgoers
*High level of spiritual activity, mostly expressed by serving in church and/or community
*Recognize authority of the church

Private Christians 24%

*Largest and youngest segment
*Believe in God and doing good things
*Own a Bible, but don't read it
*Spiritual interest, but not within church context
*Only about a third attend church at all
*Almost none are church leaders

Cultural Christians 21%

*Little outward religious behavior or attitudes
*God aware, but little personal involvement with God
*Do not view Jesus as essential to salvation
*Affirm many ways to God
*Favor universality theology

[Alex Murphy]

Excellent thread!

[wardaddy]

Professing Christian here.

Christians who do not first and foremost believe in salvation through the acceptance of Christ as the Son of God who lived and died here to save us are simply wrong and conveniently so.

Good works only is like a mold ...destroying the true fabric.

[VOA]

“5 Kinds of Christians - Understanding the disparity of those who
call themselves Christian”

There are LOTS of “flavors” of Christian practice/observance.

C.S. Lewis described this situation with the “Great Hall” imagery...
the Great Hall to represent the fundamentals that all Christians
agree upon, then the doors of the great hall to represent the huge
constellation of variations in traditions and varying beliefs/concepts.
(I think that was in “Mere Christianity”.)

[jan in Colorado]

ping to read later.

[SolidWood]

Professing here.

[Gamecock]

Nice thread, hope it has a long life.

James...attends Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan < cut>

he does not necessarily believe that his God is any different from the one his Muslim friend worships.

I know he didn't pick up that teaching at Redeemer.

[Joann37]

How could the three groups for which “Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ” is not listed even be considered Christian?

[GiovannaNicoletta]

"I don't think that God would be a God who would shut others out of heaven because they don't use the word 'Christian' to describe themselves," he says.

I know that God will not force those who want nothing to do with Him to spend eternity with Him.

People "shut themselves" out of Heaven, not God. God has provided man a way into Heaven but will not force Himself on man nor will He force man to spend all eternity with Him if man doesn't want that.

[TruthSetsUFree]

How could the three groups for which “Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ” is not listed even be considered Christian?

Because they say they are Christians and no one wants to offend them.

However, offending them into realizing they have a false security regarding their eternal destiny may be the most loving thing to do.

[Between the Lines]

I know he didn't pick up that teaching at Redeemer.

Looking through the list of the types of Christians, I can easily see that there are four types that attend our church, yet possibly all five types do.

It is our job to make sure that they receive clear and correct teachings.

[kittymyrib]

Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord,Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drove out demons and performed many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7: 21-23)

[jwalsh07]

How could the three groups for which “Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ” is not listed even be considered Christian?

Because the author is a putz engaged in nonsense. Catholic belief is that salvation is through God's grace period, no if's and's or but's about it. Moreover the author knows this.

[jwalsh07]

To expand let me say that Catholics also beive that grace ca not be had without faith in Jesus Christ and that God commands us to do good works though doing good works is not in and of itself sufficient for salvation.

[joebuck]

"I don't think that God would be a God who would shut others out of heaven because they don't use the word 'Christian' to describe themselves," he says."

Any statement that starts with the four words this one did should be disregarded immediately. What I or anyone else THINKS God should be is completely irrelevant. He wouldn't be much of a God if I could figure him out.

[armydoc]

To expand let me say that Catholics also beive that grace ca not be had without faith in Jesus Christ and that God commands us to do good works though doing good works is not in and of itself sufficient for salvation.

Incorrect. Lumen Gentium states that those without faith in Jesus Christ can be saved.

[Secret Agent Man]

“Incorrect. Lumen Gentium states that those without faith in Jesus Christ can be saved.”

Incorrect. Christ states in the Bible: “I am the way, the truth and the life. NO MAN comes to the Father but by me.”

A second reason why this is incorrect: If it were true, God would not have needed to command us Christians to spread the Gospel, the Good News (ie God has provided your salvation in Jesus Christ) to the rest of the world. There would be no need to if what you say is true.

The Gentiles are saved because the Word of God was taken to them and many accept it and receive Christ as Savior and Lord. They understand they can’t earn salvation any other way than Christ.

Third, Lumen Gentium is not on the same par as The Bible, which is God’s infallible Word. It is a human document and is in clear diagreement with God’s Word, therefore it is clearly wrong on the point you bring up.

[jwalsh07]

See rule one, that being that salvation is through God's grace period.

Rule two is "that Catholics believe that grace can not be had without faith in Jesus Christ...", ackonowledging that Catholics already know Christ and to know Christ and not have faith in Him is something different from not knowing of Christ at all.

Think of it as a nested hierarchy. :-}

[newberger]

This list of types is wrong.

Being written by Evangelicals, it exhibits the typical blindness of Evangelicals (I’m a former Evangelical) that makes either/or distinctions without substance when both/and categories are more accurate.

I am a “Liturgical Christian” (Orthodox) who is fully described by their “Active Christian” list.

These folks have made a FALSE distinction which amounts to unintentional bigotry.

[jwalsh07]

BTW Doc, add pro gun to the list on your home page and you have perfectly engraved my future tombstone. Have a good Veterans Day.

Go Army!