Follower of Christ
I recently read an article about how young people are switching from calling themselves “Christians” to instead calling themselves “followers of Christ.”
I’ve seen this going on for awhile. I’d say a good amount of my friends on Facebok put something other than Christian in the religion part of their profile. Many say “follower of Christ.” It isn’t a rare thing, so the article is definitely based on real changes, not just a few people.
A couple observations about the change in semantics:
- It isn’t just a change of semantics, it is a change in mindset. The word “Christian” invites the feeling of being a part of a group. “Follower of Christ” is more personal. I think people want a personal relationship of Christ and the ability to not feel responsible for the sins of Christianity. It says ‘yes Christians are hypocrites, but I’m just doing my best to follow Jesus.’
- The word “Christian” makes people think of the institutional church, which is what young people are running from.
Here are some points the article makes:
“Follower of Jesus” has at least two advantages over “Christian” or “evangelical,” its boosters say. First, it doesn’t carry baggage. You can wear it abroad, in Islamic countries, or at home with your Jewish or Buddhist friends, without causing offense. Second, it distances the bearer from the culture wars that have made American politics so divisive. David Durenberger, the former Republican senator from Minnesota, puts it this way. “As my party in particular has begun to characterize its base as ‘Christian’ and to express its values as ‘Christian’ values … it has been really important to identify myself as a follower of Jesus.”
So my questions are:
said: 
said: 
said: 
said: 
said: 
said: 
Tyler Braun.
No it isn’t boring semantics. I think it is needed. It changes the way you think about it as well. Following reveals action, movement. Christian says static and defend.
God’s people have always been on a journey. When they stop and defend bad things happen, ask Moses and Aaron. When they refuse to move forward bad things happen, ask Joshua and Caleb.
When you stop to defend you no longer make progress and that is what the numbers say don’t they?
No, I think it is very important. It is also important to defend it becasue it can easily become just the next big thing. Man will try to rip the teeth out of it, to tame it. It is what we do.
There is definitely a shift in this direction, and my wife and I have found ourselves unable to fight the compulsion to jettison the label of “Christian”, as today for many people it is more a word that carries political connotations, and has no connection with what it measn to truly be a disciple of Christ…
This doesn’t mean that we make the term “Christian” some kind of taboo word, it is understood that when used in the right sense, by the right people, it can still be perfectly fine. But we recognize that using it as the default way to describe ourselves is usually more problematic than helpful…
The scriptures tell us that the first “Christians” were dubbed as such by outsiders, it was not a term they came up with themselves. For a time, Jesus-followers were also known as “Followers of the Way”, which is a pretty cool way of describing ourselves if you ask me! Jesus is the Way, and He is who we follow…
I remember being a Freshman in High School, and many of us took to calling ourselves “Ninth Graders,” believing that we weren’t the stupid, clueless “Freshman” that the other folks (Sophmores, mostly) looked down upon (all while getting lost in the new, bigger school and going into the wrong restroom).
I think this is similar. However, I don’t have any particular problem with it. But it might amount to basically personal affirmation. “I’m not one of *those*…”
Semantics? Yes/No. Just like in the old days, some people say be a Christian, don’t be a church goer.
I’m sure there will be another new term sometime in the future..’follower of Christ’ VS *insert new term here*
you’re probably right on that yonas…
of course, i’m a writer and journalist, so to me, semantics ARE important and i think the change of words…and therefore mindset could be a great thing our generation in not only our lifestyle but reaching the lost.
I still use Christian to describe myself for a couple of reasons. First, as is pointed out, there is a lot of baggage associated with the term; the baggage–the history, the culture, the good and the bad–need to be addressed, not dismissed. I am just one in a long line of Christians who were real people, doing things in their own culture that were, at times, entirely antichristian and, I might add, completely Christ-like. For me, using something other than “Christian” is the same as saying, “I’m not Tomás de Torquemada”, which, for me, is a little hypocritical. There’s a little Inquisitor in all of us; I’d rather admit it and do what I can to correct it while embracing what is good and noble in our past.
Secondly, it is just semantics. Christian means “little Christ”. I personally like that. It really does have the same meaning as “Follower of Christ” for me. Therefore, I don’t see the need to replace one handy and useful title for a less meaningful (in my estimation) one.
Perhaps it matters what we call ourselves, but I suspect it really tells more of a story about ourselves than it does about reality. It’s more about the story we tell ourselves than what the world actually sees. So, it has always struck me as sort of odd that such this is even an “issue”.
I notice the change as well.
Some of the comments brought up have made me think, especially saying that “follower of Christ” describes an action, rather than static. While I agree and understand that point, of the people that I know that use the term “follower of Christ” rather than “Christian”, almost all of them are simply trying to separate themselves from other “Christians”.
Too be honest, it bothers me a lot.
I went to a Church last week, their motto is “Want God, not religion?”. Fine, bashing religion is about as cool as it gets (never mind that the word ‘religion’ simply means ‘reverence of God’). There is weight in saying that, they want to separate themselves from works based religion, whatever.
On this churches particular website, all over the place they talk about how they are “not like other churches”.
I really do find this irritating.
I feel like so much time is spent separating ourselves from a different Christian group, rather than affirming our very Christianity.
You aren’t like THOSE Christians?
How so? You would probably agree with the Apostles or Nicene Creeds, 100%. You both worship the same God, namely Jesus.
You voted differently and dress differently (but not even that different. Is a 20 something hipster dressing in his coolest looking clothes and making his hair look perfect, that different than a 65 year old woman putting on her Sundays finest down south?) and of course have other differences, but you probably would agree on many things.
It means there is so much uptight, judgemental, self consious, self centered …people at church and it is very hard to participate in such a culture
In Acts 11:26 the disciples were called Christians. I think it is noteworthy that it doesnt’ say that the disciples started calling themselves Christians. Others called them Christians, and it must have been because they saw something different about them. Our problem today is that the world isn’t recognizing Christ in us. If the world sees Christ in our lives and wants to call us Christians or Christ follower that would be awesome.
If we are just us trying to define ourselves with a name, so we can tell the world who we are, any label we come up with will fail.
The world will know we are His by our love – not by a name we call ourselves.
Good post Michael W.
Ash- as usual, thanks for the acknowledgment.
Ditto what Michael W. wrote.