Cultural Christian

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Cultural Christian is a broad term describing individuals who identify themselves as Christian, but who generally would not be described by other, more religious Christians, as active in their faith. These so-called cultural Christians put more emphasis on tradition and pragmatic matters than do their more religious brethren, whom they accuse of propagating a superficial type of Christianity based on outward signs of religious belief or fervor (such those of dancing, singing catchy tunes, healing, and others). The term "cultural Christian" usually is used pejoratively by more religious, usually fundamentalist, Christians, or those belonging to charismatic movements, to describe these individuals, whose spiritual understanding or practice they see as underdeveloped, superficial, or lacking obvious fervor.

In Chinese context, "Cultural Christian" is related with the movement of "Sino-Christian Theology", which, however, happens to render the term "Cultural Christian" problematic, ambiguous, vague, mislocated and out-fashioned.

The recently formed England Society was setup to promote Cultural Christianity from a civic viewpoint rather than a religious one.

Evolutionary biologist and renowned atheist Richard Dawkins has described himself as a cultural Christian.^[1]