What’s in a name?
My point of view regarding religion, spirituality, the universe, and personal meaning can be described in various ways: religious naturalist, contemplative atheist, spiritual secularist, etc. But I sometimes describe myself as a secular Christian when discussing my change of mind toward my former faith with those who remain committed to it. This is admittedly a bit of a mind frak, as it joins two words that are generally understood to represent opposite points of view (as with the other descriptions I mentioned above). So since my meaning is not immediately clear, I’ll try to explain it.
I take the description to be analogous to “secular Jew”, insofar as the influence of Christendom has given Christianity a range of sociological senses to which personal assent is unnecessary (as personal faith isn’t necessary to an ethnic and sociological identity as a Jew). While I’m no longer a Christian in the primary sense of someone who professes a Christian faith or who belongs to a Christian religious community, I am still formed by my background in a Western society and a Christian family. For better and worse, I am (along with all of my cognitive structures) a product of this culture and its history.
Additionally, I use “Christian” to describe the field of my ongoing academic interest and frame of reference. Despite my turn from faith I am still interested in religion as a phenomenon, and in developing my own spiritual practice, or “graceful life philosophy” (per Jennifer Michael Hecht). And as I continue to pursue this course it will primarily be Christian myth and theology that I reappropriate and reinterpret for myself (particularly the teachings of Jesus on justice and compassion). This is due largely to my theological seminary education, and it’s likely that my primary reference to Christianity will soften as I uncover other sources of existential and spiritual inspiration.
I take these two to be secular senses of the term “Christian”. I think it’s a fair use of the term because I’m not interested in any spiritualities that involve religious identity or membership in religious institutions.
So my intention is not to be deceptive; I don’t ask practicing Christians to accept me as a “Christian” in their likely predominant sense of the term, as a member of their community. My intent is merely to identify my sociological background and academic/existential frame of reference in descriptive terms. I’m not particularly attached to the term, and won’t use it if it ceases to be meaningful/descriptive. Perhaps “formerly Christian religious naturalist” would be a good translation for those who don’t appreciate “secular Christian”.
