Christianity is a religion, not a philosophy. Our view of the universe is that of dramatic picture-thinking rather than abstract metaphysics: God is a personal Creator and King; the world is the scene of creation and redemption; and Christ is the Chief Person of that drama, the Messiah who reconciles the world to God.
It makes sense, then, to start with four images. As Christians, we are:
- The People of God: We are called to be God’s earthly people who are grounded in the life, resurrection, and hope of Christ.
- The New Creation: Christ has made us new as individuals and in community.
- The Fellowship in Faith: Faith binds Christians into one heart and one soul, breaking through the façade of individualism and overcoming racial, economic and sexual differences.
- The Body of Christ: We are a physical body of people who are the continuation of the presence of Christ in the world.
Jesus called us, and we accepted. He is the Lord and Saviour of our lives. We have repented, accepted forgiveness, and devoted ourselves to a life based on the principle of righteous love. We are, first and foremost, disciples of Jesus Christ.
Our beliefs are based on classical Christian doctrine: We are “rooted in orthodoxy, confessing the historic Christian faith recorded in Holy Scripture, handed down in the Tradition of the Apostles, defended by the Church Fathers and the ecumenical creeds1 2.” The Nicene Creed provides a concise statement of these beliefs.
What about Scripture? Christian Scripture consists of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the New Testament. The books regarded as authoritative by the church and in the Old and New Testament have been consistent since the 2nd century when they were recorded in the Muratorian Canon and were affirmed in the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century. We believe what the Bible says about itself, that it was written by authors whom the Holy Spirit directed and, therefore, is infallible and God-breathed. Not every interpretation of Scripture is equal, and its interpretation should be informed by the church’s historical roots and the ever-present witness of the Holy Spirit.
We consider these to be the essentials of the Christian faith, affirmed by Christians everywhere throughout history. Beyond this, we are irenic, aiming at peace. We are mindful of St. Augustine’s call, “In essentials, unity; In non-essentials, liberty; and In all things, charity.” Most importantly, we strive for right belief (orthodoxy) and right practice (orthopraxy) to love Jesus Christ and others for his sake.
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