Lisa Miller reports on the newest label some nondenominational Christians are beginning to favor:
“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.” The syndicated columnist Cal Thomas adds that “follower of Jesus” has the virtue of reflecting biblical truth: the earliest Christians called themselves “followers of the Way.”
While many Christians applaud this effort to transcend labels and history, some also worry that “follower of Jesus” diverts people from the fundamentals. “Two questions constantly come up,” says Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary. “The first is Christology. What about the full divinity of Christ? How much can you keep that in the background? Second, what’s the role of the church in all this?”
Read the entire piece here.