Christianity 101: Part I, Is defining Christianity possible?

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How does one define Christianity or being a Christian?

Someone might self-describe themselves as a Christian. And for some people, self-attribution is enough to substantiate the claim.

But does that make sense?

For example, if I claim to be a Dodger fan but never go to see them play, don't listen to them on the radio, can't name any of the players on the team and fail to check their scores in the sports page, is it a reasonable claim for me to say I'm a Dodger fan?

Thus, is it possible to define Christianity and who is a Christian?

Jesus will certainly know and won't be fooled!

However, for the sake of discussion, I think for anyone to claim a certain designation, in particular, a religious one, there are some things that should be in place in order for that claim to be a reasonable one.

Religions have some body of beliefs, a code of ethics, common practices and a community of the like-minded.

Thus, what are they for Christians?

I realize there isn't going to be 100% agreement on each element. However, in order for this enterprise to be meaningful, I would suggest a starting point would be to identify where there is substantial agreement with those practicing the faith today and consistency with prior generations of believers.

What I hope to do with this series of posts is to explore the Christian faith. I admit it is from my perspective with the limitations that imposes. Thus, other voices are welcomed to chime in to express their thoughts. We may have disagreements but at least we could aim for clarity and civility!