Gary Dorrien, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Religion at Columbia University, recently shared why he is still a Christian on Ecclesio.com:
On the lecture circuit I meet people every week for whom Christianity is a ruined word. They ask me nicely, or with puzzlement, or with hostility, why I am still a Christian. I try to explain that I was drawn long ago into the spirit and way of Jesus, which draws me like a magnet into its gravitational force. I am held by the gospel picture of the divine Word entering the world, and by the experience of the subversive peace and grace of Christ, the meaning of suffering, the challenge to oppose every form of exploitation and violence in the world, the willingness to give my life to others and the promise of new life that it brings. These experiences shape my understanding of how I should live.
So What?
In recent years, I have encountered increasing numbers of followers of Jesus who are not comfortable using the term Christian to describe their faith. While I personally do not like the limits labels tend to create, I stopped using the term myself rather recently (for example, my Twitter profile reads “progressive postmodern postdenominational follower of Jesus”). My personal hesitation with the term is cultural; I realize that many who hear the term think not of a specific type of Christianity rather than the rich and diverse expressions that comprise the “Christian family.”
Despite the term’s current limitations, I do and will continue to answer affirmatively if asked if I am a Christian. When possible, however, my answer will go well beyond a simple “yes.”
- How has your understanding of the word “Christian” changed over the last few decades? If you follow the way of Jesus, is this a term you use when speaking of your own faith? Why or why not?
- Why are you still a Christian? (whether or not you prefer the term)