"Relationship Not Religion" - A Critical Examination of a Modern Evangelical Slogan

"Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship." This phrase has become ubiquitous in evangelical circles, appearing in sermons, worship songs, and evangelistic materials. While it sounds spiritually profound, this slogan deserves careful theological scrutiny.

Historical Origins

This phrase has no precedent in the writings of the apostles, Church Fathers, medieval theologians, or even the original Protestant reformers. Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin never made this distinction. The slogan appears to have emerged during the mid-20th century, gaining particular traction during the 1960s-70s Jesus Movement and charismatic revivals.

The Church Fathers consistently emphasized both personal devotion and institutional participation. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 AD) wrote: "Let no one deceive himself: if anyone is not within the sanctuary, he lacks the bread of God." Cyprian of Carthage (3rd century) famously declared: "He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the Church for his mother." These early Christians saw no contradiction between relationship with God and participation in the institutional Church.

The slogan's popularity coincided with broader cultural shifts toward individualism and suspicion of institutional authority. While effective as a marketing tool for reaching a countercultural generation, its theological foundations warrant examination.

The Implied Dichotomy

When evangelicals use this phrase, they typically contrast:

"Religion" (portrayed negatively):

"Relationship" (portrayed positively):

This framework bears striking similarities to the radical Protestantism of Andreas Karlstadt in the 16th century, which emphasized inner spiritual experience over institutional and sacramental life—positions that even Luther found excessive.

A False Choice

The fundamental problem is that this represents a false dichotomy. Christianity encompasses both relational and institutional dimensions—they are not mutually exclusive.

Biblical Evidence:

James 1:27 uses the term "religion" positively: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

Scripture presents Christianity as including:

Christ didn't establish only a personal spirituality—He founded a Church with structure, sacraments, and teaching authority.

Unintended Consequences

This slogan has contributed to several problematic trends:

1. Sacramental Minimalism If Christianity is merely personal relationship, baptism and communion become optional symbolic acts rather than commanded means of grace.

The early Church understood sacraments as essential, not optional. Ignatius of Antioch warned against those who "abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ." Augustine taught that sacraments are visible signs of invisible grace, writing: "The word is added to the element, and there results the Sacrament, as if itself also a kind of visible word." This stands in sharp contrast to the "relationship only" approach that treats sacraments as expendable.

2. Erosion of Authority When individual experience becomes primary, church authority becomes suspect. This contributes to Protestant fragmentation—over 45,000 denominations often holding contradictory positions, each claiming Biblical support.

3. Subjectivism "In my relationship with Jesus, I feel..." becomes the standard for doctrine rather than apostolic teaching and tradition. Personal experience displaces objective truth.

4. Ecclesiological Confusion The institutional Church shifts from necessary to optional, or even obstructive. This undermines the very institution Christ established.

The early Christians would have found this incomprehensible. Cyprian wrote: "You cannot have God for your Father unless you have the Church for your mother." Irenaeus of Lyons declared: "Where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and every kind of grace." The Fathers saw the Church not as an obstacle to Christ, but as the very means through which He distributes His grace to believers.

The Historic Christian Position

Traditional Christianity, across Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant traditions, maintains that both dimensions are essential:

Personal faith, prayer, and devotion to Christ are necessary. Participation in the Church, receiving the sacraments, and respecting apostolic authority are equally necessary.

These aren't competing categories. The sacraments are means of grace, not obstacles. The Church is Christ's Body, not a barrier. Liturgy connects earthly worship to heavenly worship. Church authority preserves apostolic teaching across generations.

Augustine captured this unity beautifully: "No one can have God for his Father who does not have the Church for his mother." John Chrysostom emphasized the corporate nature of faith: "He who severs himself from the Church must of necessity be joined to an adulteress. He has cut himself off from the promises of the Church." These Fathers understood that personal relationship with God flourishes within, not apart from, the institutional life of the Church.

The Desert Fathers, often romanticized as examples of individualistic spirituality, actually maintained strong connections to the institutional Church. Even in their solitude, they received the sacraments and submitted to ecclesiastical authority, understanding that personal devotion and church participation were inseparable.

Observable Results

The "relationship not religion" framework has correlated with:

The Jesus of Scripture

The actual Jesus of the Gospels:

This differs significantly from a Jesus who simply wants individual friendships independent of institutional forms.

A Challenge to Examine Sources

Those who accept this slogan should consider:

The absence of historical precedent suggests this is modern innovation rather than ancient doctrine.

Conclusion

Christianity is indeed a religion—the true religion established by Christ. It also involves personal relationship with God, but this relationship exists within and through the institutional forms He established.

Setting "relationship" against "religion" doesn't represent deeper spirituality. It represents a rejection of the means of grace Christ provided. It suggests wanting Christ without His Church, salvation without His sacraments, and truth without His apostolic authority.

The slogan "It's a relationship, not a religion" may resonate emotionally, but it lacks biblical, historical, and theological support. Rather than representing authentic Christian teaching, it reflects modern individualism overlaid onto ancient faith.

A more historically grounded approach recognizes that Christianity necessarily includes both personal devotion to Christ and participation in the institutional life of the Church He founded.