Does Religious Programming Count As Church Attendance
Whether religious programming counts as "church attendance" depends heavily on the theological understanding of what constitutes the Church and its public worship. Historically, Christian traditions have emphasized the visible gathering of believers for specific acts of worship and the administration of sacraments.
The visible church is generally understood as a congregation of faithful individuals where the Word of God is preached and the sacraments are administered according to Christ's ordinance [9]. The Westminster Confession of Faith defines the visible church as "all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children" [8]. Charles Hodge further elaborates that the visible church consists of those who profess the true religion, or any number of such professors united for public worship and mutual care [6]. This union implies a physical gathering for shared acts of worship, including prayer, singing, reading of Scripture, and preaching [2].
Sacraments, such as the Lord's Supper, are instituted "to be observed in his church, unto the end of the world" [5]. Participation in these sacraments is a key aspect of church membership and attendance in many traditions [3, 7]. John Calvin, for instance, emphasizes that the true Church is "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15), where the ministry of the word is upheld, not suppressed by falsehood [4]. He also highlights the importance of "one God, one faith, one baptism" (Eph. 4:5), linking unity to the presence of the Lord's word [10].
Religious programming, such as broadcasts or online services, can offer instruction and spiritual encouragement. However, it typically lacks the communal, physical presence required for the full experience of corporate worship and the administration of sacraments. Aquinas, in a different context, compares the religious state to the episcopal state, viewing the former as a "school" and the latter as a "professorial chair," implying a structured, communal environment for spiritual growth and instruction [1]. While programming can provide instruction, it generally does not facilitate the direct participation in sacraments or the mutual watch and care that characterize a gathered congregation [6]. Therefore, while beneficial, religious programming is generally not considered a substitute for physical church attendance in most traditional theological frameworks.
Sources
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Things Pertaining to the Episcopal State, Art. 8: Article: Whether religious who are raised to the episcopate are bound to religious observances? I answer that, As stated above (Article [1], ad 2) the religious state pertains to perfection, as a way of tending to perfection, while the episcopal state pertains to perfection, as a professorship of perfection. Hence the religious state is compared to the episcopal state, as the school to the professorial chair, and as disposition to perfection. Now the disposition is”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 73: a custom when the grounds on which it was introduced no longer exist; or to make a church ordinance the substitute for a divine institution. 707 Public Prayer. The public services of the sanctuary are designed for worship and instruction. The former includes prayer and singing; the latter, the reading the word of God and preaching. These elements should be preserved in due proportion. In some churches instruction is made entirely subordinate to worship; twice the time being devoted to the latter that is allotted to the former. This seems ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 64: visible Church has always consisted of those who professed the true religion, together with their children. 2. That the terms of church-membership under all dispensations have been the same, namely, profession of faith and promise of obedience. 3. The requirements for participation in the sacraments were the same. That is, any one entitled to the rite of circumcision, was entitled to partake of the passover; those, under the Christian dispensation, entitled to baptism, are entitled to the Lord’s Supper. Those who, unbaptized, would be ent”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 84: given way. Again, if the true Church is “the pillar and ground of the truth” ( 1 Tim. 3:15 ), it is certain that there is no Church where lying and falsehood have usurped the ascendancy. 2. Since this is the state of matters under the Papacy, we can understand how much of the Church there survives. 536 536 See chap. 1 sec. 10; 2 sec. 10; 8 sec. 12. There, instead of the ministry of the word, prevails a perverted government, compounded of lies, a government which partly extinguishes, partly suppresses, the pure light. In place of th”
- Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), CHAPTER 29 (part 1): CHAPTER 29 Of the Lord’s Supper 1. Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein he was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in his church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of himself in his death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him; and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and wit”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 63: meaning attached to the word. In the present discussion, by the Church is meant what is called the visible Church; that is, the whole body of those who profess the true religion, or, any number of such professors united for the purpose of the public worship of Christ, and for the exercise of mutual watch and care. With regard to infant baptism the following propositions may be maintained. First Proposition. The Visible Church is a Divine Institution. Concerning the Church in this sense, it is clearly taught in Scripture, that it is the wi”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 62: of worship and contributed to the support of the minister and to other congregational expenses. “To join the Church,” thus came to mean joining the number of those who were admitted to the Lord’s Supper. This of course implies, that communicants only are in the Church. This view has gained ascendancy in this country even, to a great extent, among Presbyterians. The Common Protestant Theory. According to our standards the visible Church consists of all those who profess the true religion together with their children. The common Protestant ”
- Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), CHAPTER 25: CHAPTER 25 Of the Church 1. The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. 2. The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the L”
- Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), Section 247: The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 84: “one God, one faith, one baptism” ( Eph. 4:5 ). Nay, when he tells us to be “of one accord, of one mind,” he immediately adds, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” ( Phil. 2:2 , 5 ); intimating, that where the word of the Lord is not, it is not a union of believers, but a faction of the ungodly. 6. Cyprian, also, following Paul, derives the fountain of ecclesiastical concord from the one bishopric of Christ, and afterwards adds, “There is one Church, which by increase from fecundity is more widely extended to a ”