Definition of Christianity in Jehovah's Witnesses Theology
Christianity, in a broad sense, can be understood as a religion centered on the worship of God and the recognition of humanity's relationship to Him [7]. More specifically, it is often described as a life, the very life of Christ, rather than merely a system of doctrine or a form of knowledge [2, 8]. This perspective emphasizes the incarnation of God and the deification of humanity as the core of Christianity [2].
From a theological standpoint, Christianity is a system of truth revealed in the Bible, which is the ultimate source of facts for theological study [11]. It is founded on the belief in God and, crucially, in Jesus Christ as equal with God [4]. This belief is not irrational; God does not demand faith without evidence or knowledge [3]. Instead, Christian faith is analogous to the human recognition of the moral law, which is perceived as both true and possessing divine authority [1]. The renewed individual, through the Holy Spirit, perceives "the things of the Spirit" in the same way [1].
The essence of living Christianity is characterized by "righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" [5]. Righteousness pertains to one's relationship with God, peace to one's relationship with neighbors, and joy is experienced through the Holy Spirit [5]. To be a Christian involves a spiritual union with Christ, both in life and death [10]. This union means believers' bodies become "parts of Christ" [10].
Justification, a key concept in Christian theology, is achieved not through a general state of mind or good works, but solely through faith as an act of trust in Christ for salvation [6]. This implies that Christ himself, not the act of faith, is the ground of justification [6]. The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in this process, bearing witness with believers' spirits that they are children of God [9].
Theology, as a science, has distinct departments, similar to other fields of study [11]. "Theology Proper" within Christian theology encompasses what the Bible teaches about God's being, attributes, and the triune nature of the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are distinct persons, yet "the same in substance and equal in power and glory" [11]. This also includes God's relationship to the world [11].
Sources
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 11: of research or argument, but of inward experience. The change may, and often does, take place in a moment. The faith of a Christian in the Bible is, as before remarked, analogous to that which all men have in the moral law, which they recognize not only as truth, but as having the authority of God. What the natural man perceives with regard to the moral law the renewed man is enabled to perceive in regard to “the things of the Spirit,” by the testimony of that Spirit with and by the truth to his heart. Proof from Express Declarations of S”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 42: them, too, the ground and central point of Christianity is the oneness of Deity and humanity effected through the incarnation of God, and deification of man.” 114 114 Studien und Kritiken, 1845, p. 59. Christianity, therefore, is not a system of doctrine; it is not, subjectively considered, a form of knowledge. It is a life. It is the life of Christ. Ullmann again says explicitly: “The life of Christ is Christianity.” 115 115 Studien und Kritiken, January 1845; translated in The Mystical Presence, by Dr. J.W. Nevin. God in becoming man di”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 20: for their decision. 55 Christians, therefore, concede to reason all the prerogatives it can rightfully claim. God requires nothing irrational of his rational creatures. He does not require faith without knowledge, or faith in the impossible, or faith without evidence. Christianity is equally opposed to superstition and Rationalism. The one is faith without appropriate evidence, the other refuses to believe what it does not understand, in despite of evidence which should command belief. The Christian, conscious of his imbecility as a creat”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 14 (introduction): DISCOURSE AT THE TABLE, AFTER SUPPER. (John 14:1-31) Let not your heart be troubled, &c.--What myriads of souls have not these opening words cheered, in deepest gloom, since first they were uttered! ye believe in God--absolutely. believe also in me--that is, Have the same trust in Me. What less, and what else, can these words mean? And if so, what a demand to make by one sitting familiarly with them at the supper table! Compare the saying in Joh 5:17, for which the Jews took up stones to stone Him, as "making himself equal with God" (Jo”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 14:17: For the kingdom of God--or, as we should say, Religion; that is, the proper business and blessedness for which Christians are formed into a community of renewed men in thorough subjection to God (compare Co1 4:20). is not meat and drink--"eating and drinking" but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost--a beautiful and comprehensive division of living Christianity. The first--"righteousness"--has respect to God, denoting here "rectitude," in its widest sense (as in Mat 6:33); the second--"peace"--has respect to our neighbors, denoting ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 25: nor in the Scriptures; and not by faith in a specific divine promise such as that made to Abraham of a numerous posterity, or of the possession of the land of Canaan; but only by faith in one particular promise, namely, that of salvation through Christ. It is, therefore, not on account of the state of mind, of which faith is the evidence, nor of the good works which are its fruits, but only by faith as an act of trust in Christ, that we are justified. This of necessity supposes that He, and not our faith, is the ground of our justificatio”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 11: to God. Subjectively, it is the inward necessity of union with God. Commonly the word religion, in its objective sense, means “ Modus Deum colendi ,” as when we speak of the Pagan, the Mohammedan, or the Christian religion. Subjectively, it expresses a state of mind. What that state characteristically is, is very variously stated. Most simply it is said to be the state of mind induced by faith in God, and a due sense of our relation to him. Or as Wegscheider expresses it, “ Æqualis et constans 21 animi affectio, qua homo, necessitudinem s”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 28: original idea of humanity as God made flesh. The watchword of this whole system is, in the language of Dr. Ullmann, “The life of Christ is Christianity;” i.e ., the one indivisible life of Christ; the life of God in the form of humanity. And that life as communicated to men brings them to this real, substantial life union with God. “What,” asks Dr. Ullmann, “is that in the personality of Christ by which He is constituted a perfect Saviour in the way of atonement and redemption? We reply generally, his own substantial nature, at once human”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 10: When Elijah declared that Jehovah was God, and Baal a lie, he said, “The God that answereth by fire, let him be God.” The descent of the fire was the testimony of God to the truth of the prophet’s declaration. So in the New Testament God is said to have borne witness to the truth of the Gospel by signs, and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost ( Heb. ii. 4 ); and the Spirit of God is said to witness with our spirits that we are the children of God ( Rom. viii. 16 ). The word in these cases is marture, w, to testify. T”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 6:15: 6:15-17 To be a Christian is to be spiritually joined to Christ in both life and death (cp. Rom 6:3-11). As a result, believers’ bodies have become parts of Christ (cp. 1 Cor 12:12-28; Rom 12:4-5). This spiritual union (cp. John 14:20; 17:21-23) means that they are not free to violate their bodies by physical union with a prostitute.”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 14: § 4. Christian Theology . As science, concerned with the facts of nature, has its several departments, as Mathematics, Chemistry, Astronomy, etc., so Theology 32 having the facts of Scripture for its subject, has its distinct and natural departments. First — Theology Proper, Which includes all the Bible teaches of the being and attributes of God; of the threefold personality of the Godhead, or, that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons, the same in substance and equal in power and glory; the relation of God to the world, or, h”