Cultural Christianity

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"Cultural Christian" (also "Secular Christian") is a self-identifying term used by some non-Christians (usually atheists and agnostics), usually to mean that they see Christianity as fundamental to "Western" culture, whatever that means, and thus associate with it.

Application[edit]

The term is variously used by:

Richard Dawkins is an odd example in that, despite his frequent lambasting of religion, he uses the terms "cultural Christian"[1] and "secular Christian" to just mean that he was brought up in a Christian culture and occasionally participates in events at his local Church of England[2] — though it also fits Dawkins' less than fond attitude towards Islam (which also means that he thinks that only the Protestant/Catholic conflict should figure as a sort of historical civic culture class).[3]

Since Anders Breivik used it in his manifesto,[4] the usage has shifted more towards the Islamophobic and (somewhat secular) conservative meanings.

See also[edit]

References[edit]