Christianity; Beyond the Nicene Creed:

¶ … Christianity;

Beyond the Nicene Creed: How to define Christianity

For some individuals, Christianity merely entails a belief in Christ: the Unitarian Universalist Church, for example, rejects the doctrine of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus. Instead, members of this Christian, Protestant denomination try to live as Jesus lived, rather than focus on doctrine and dogma. For Unitarians, living in the footsteps of Christ means dedicating their lives to social justice and promoting tolerance of all peoples, including those individuals from different religious traditions -- even and perhaps especially Judaism, a religion often persecuted by Christians in the past. In contrast, for other Christians, such as Catholics, being a Christian means holding fast to a tradition founded long ago by Jesus and his disciples, specifically St. Peter who was given the 'keys' to heaven and upon whose rock the Roman Catholic Church was said to be founded. Through the current hierarchy of priests, bishops, and cardinals, up to the Pope, Catholics trace an unbroken and continuous tradition of the history of their faith, back to the disciples of Jesus. For Protestants, holding true to the words of Jesus as expressed in the 'Good Book' is often more important than church institutions or leaders, one reason that Protestantism is called a 'portable religion,' or a religion less dependant upon formal, institutional structures, personnel and rites.

But even for Protestants, interpreting the Bible is hardly a noncontroversial task. The Gospels, or stories of the life of Jesus, themselves offer the potential for diverse and divisive interpretations. The Gospel of Matthew is often called the most 'Jewish' or the gospel most concerned with tracing Jesus' heritage back to the line of King David. The Gospel of Mark is the shortest, probably the earliest, and the harshest, in terms of the attitudes expressed by Jesus and his followers towards the world, no doubt reflecting the age when it was written. The Gospel of Luke is more elaborate and conciliatory towards authority, while the non-synoptic Gospel of John contains the most innovative theological insights regarding the division between the world and the divine. In all of these Gospels, from the earliest to the oldest, one can see a slow evolution of Christianity from an offshoot of Judaism to its own unique religion, an idea solidified in the Epistles of St. Paul, which were written by a converted Sadducee who preached that gentiles did not need to follow Mosaic Law and convert to Judaism to follow Jesus. Although all of these gospels, epistles, and works such as the Book of Revelation were canonized because of their perceived accuracy and continuity, their different authors, historical contexts, and influences also have conspired to create a Christian Bible that is open to many alternative interpretations, and has spawned many different sects that define Christianity differently.

Defining Christianity remains difficult -- does it mean following Jesus, following the teachings of a particular book, or a particular church? Is following Jesus enough, or must a Christian believe Jesus died for the sins of all of humanity? Must a Christian believe that Jesus is the Son of God the Father, and is the holy, anointed one, the Messiah prophesized about in the Old Testament, or can a Christian simply respect Jesus as a good man? Most Christian sects are inclined to view Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection as cornerstones of their belief systems, although this is not universally true. Furthermore, every sect places a different emphasis on doctrine, belief, behavior, and worship practices. Certain rites and rituals, like transubstantiation (the manifestation of God's physical presence in the Host), baptism of infants vs. adults, and when or which holidays to observe remain topics of debate. The value of including other works as apocrypha into the Christian canon, likewise has divided many believers.