The Revd Marcus Small: Is Christianity a religion?

Mr Payne, our R.E. teacher used to say that Christianity is not a religion; Christianity is a way of life. I have to say at the time I did not understand what he meant. For me it seemed obvious that a religion was an organised set of beliefs one held. Christianity is an organised set of beliefs, therefore Christianity is a religion. Religion is also a set of organised people, a community of belief to which one belonged, Christianity is an organised a set of people, a community of belief to which one belongs, therefore Christianity is a religion. Religion is also an organised set of practices, prayer, worship, good works etc.

So Christianity is a religion isn’t it?

The problem with all that is that Christianity can so easily be put into that compartment of our lives we call ‘Religion’, it’s what we do on Sundays. And that means it can be put into that compartment of life we call ‘past time’ or even a hobby. And that just will not do.

I suppose it is all in the name, ‘Christianity’, to be a Christian is to live in way that is oriented towards Jesus Christ, and not just on Sundays , and just in that compartment of our lives we call religious. An example of this can be found in a Benedictine Monastery. Monks talk about doing the work of God. To outsiders the work of God might be seen as is the prayer and worship offered in the chapel. But that is rather limited view. In Chapter 31 of the Rule Benedict wrote, ‘Let [them] regard all the chattels of the monastery as if they were consecrated vessels of the altar; they should neglect nothing’.

Pots, pans and plates are seen as important, the Chalice and Patten used for the Communion.

Everything, be it, washing up, cleaning the toilet or offering prayer, these are all the work of God. At theological college the grace before meals began with the words, ‘Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him’. That’s why Christianity is not something we should put into an easy compartment we call religion, it is whole life lived in the name of him who has called us to follow him.