Origin of "Relationship, not religion"

PloverWing

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(I'm posting here because I think it's the most likely forum in which to find people well-versed in church history.)

I was reflecting this morning on the oft-expressed idea that Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Does anyone here know when this idea first started showing up in Christian discourse?

Having a loving relationship with Jesus is an ancient idea, of course. The church has had mystics since very early days, and the Bible contains metaphors of intimacy with God -- father, husband, and so on. But the language of "not a religion" is an interesting redefinition of "religion", and is (I think) not nearly so ancient.

I can imagine many possible origins for the "not a religion" language -- the 19th/20th-century revivals, Wesley's movement, one of the Great Awakenings, etc. -- but I don't actually know. Does anyone else here know?

Interestingly, the book Christianity is not a Religion, by James A. Fowler (http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF Books/Christiantynotrel.pdf), begins by quoting snippets of Barth and some of his contemporaries. Is this Barth's fault?
 

anna ~ grace

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I would have assumed Wesleyanism, too.

It was, I believe, Wesley and Whitefield who gave new meaning to the term “born again”; whereas Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran and Anglican theologians all understood this to be the sacrament of water baptism, Wesley took it to mean an emotional, life-changing spiritual conversion.
 
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com7fy8

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I have started hearing "relationship" only in the past few years of sharing with "born-again" people. It might have come with the more recent "evangelical" ministries.

the language of "not a religion"
When ones say Christianity is not a religion, I am curious if they know James 1:27. But I think I know what they mean, even so.
 
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seeking.IAM

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I can't say as I know, but Wesley does seem a worthy suspect. As a former Methodist, I will have to say I think the view of Christianity as relationship is quite pervasive there.

It's probably an oversimplification, but I've always thought you can boil Christians down to two types. I theorize that one type is the "Jesus-is-my-friend" type, as may be exemplified in the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Lyrics by Joseph Scriven). I think this typifies the "relationship" view of Christianity. Jesus is my good buddy.

I theorize the other type as the "King of kings, Lord of lords" type, as may be expmplified by some of the cornation hymns such as All Hail the Power of Jesus Name (Lyrics by Edward Perronet). This seems like a much different view than relationship. Kings and their subjects are at very differnet stations in life. You may spread your garments before the King, on the road, shout Hosanna in awe, or bow down in respect and tribute to them, but you're not going to go hang out.

Scriven was Plymouth Brethren pastor who penned What a Friend We Have in Jesus in 1885. One hundred years earlier, Perronet wrote All Hail the Power of Jesus Name in 1770. Perronet was an ordained Anglican turned evangelical follower of Wesley. I'm not sure what that does to the theorey of blaming Wesley.
 
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disciple Clint

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(I'm posting here because I think it's the most likely forum in which to find people well-versed in church history.)

I was reflecting this morning on the oft-expressed idea that Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Does anyone here know when this idea first started showing up in Christian discourse?

Having a loving relationship with Jesus is an ancient idea, of course. The church has had mystics since very early days, and the Bible contains metaphors of intimacy with God -- father, husband, and so on. But the language of "not a religion" is an interesting redefinition of "religion", and is (I think) not nearly so ancient.

I can imagine many possible origins for the "not a religion" language -- the 19th/20th-century revivals, Wesley's movement, one of the Great Awakenings, etc. -- but I don't actually know. Does anyone else here know?

Interestingly, the book Christianity is not a Religion, by James A. Fowler (http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF Books/Christiantynotrel.pdf), begins by quoting snippets of Barth and some of his contemporaries. Is this Barth's fault?
I do not know about using the term "fault" associated with this saying but it sounds very much like Barth
 
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The Liturgist

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I do not know about using the term "fault" associated with this saying but it sounds very much like Barth

At times I feel like Barth’s writings are like the infinite library of Luis Borges, and consequently one can get away with blaming any arbitrary vexation on the man with little fear of being called out, since the study of Barth is almost a discipline in its own right and as long as one blamed on the great Reformed theologian those things that annoyed him only in the company of those one is confident are not Barth scholars, one could get away with it. The same holds true in other disciplines, for example the writings of Don Knuth in computer science, or of Thomas Aquinas in Scholastic theology.
 
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The Liturgist

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At times I feel like Barth’s writings are like the infinite library of Luis Borges, and consequently one can get away with blaming any arbitrary vexation on the man with little fear of being called out, since the study of Barth is almost a discipline in its own right and as long as one blamed on the great Reformed theologian those things that annoyed him only in the company of those one is confident are not Barth scholars, one could get away with it. The same holds true in other disciplines, for example the writings of Don Knuth in computer science, or of Thomas Aquinas in Scholastic theology.

Or I should add, before anyone else does, Richard Feynman in the realm of Quantum Mechanics.
 
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PloverWing

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Thanks to everyone who replied. I agree that the intent of the "relationship, not religion" phrase is that Christianity should be "an emotional, life-changing spiritual conversion", "not boring", and "not just something you're a part of on Sundays".

I'm still puzzled by the redefinition of "religion". The great religions of the world (and the lesser-known religions too, for that matter) concern themselves with the great questions of life: What is the nature of the Divine, and what is the relationship of humankind to the Divine? Is there some larger purpose or Divine Goodness that I should be a part of? What things in life are good to do, and what things are evil? Christianity certainly addresses these questions. It's a religion, the way I use the word "religion".

Mostly, I'm interested in the historical question. We all seem to be agreeing that Barth and the Wesleys are good guesses. I might try to track it down this summer, after the school year is over.
 
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seeking.IAM

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My friend, James, tells me that when he gets to Heaven he's going to having a talk with Jesus over a beer. There's the "relationship" view for ya'. James is a Methodist, for what it's worth.

I tried to tell him Jesus drinks wine. Silly Methodists. :wineglass:
 
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The Liturgist

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My friend, James, tells me that when he gets to Heaven he's going to having a talk with Jesus over a beer. There's the "relationship" view for ya'. James is a Methodist, for what it's worth.

I tried to tell him Jesus drinks wine. Silly Methodists. :wineglass:

“How dare you! Everyone knows He drinks Welch’s Grape Juice!” ;)

With profuse apologies to my Methodist friends. By the way, while I am not a Methodist, I really love Methodism and John Wesley and consider myself to be theologically, in most respects, more Wesleyan than Calvinist.
 
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