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Born again Christianity |
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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Regeneration (theology). (Discuss) |
In Christianity, the terms born again, regenerated or transformed are synonymous with spiritual rebirth — i.e., salvation. It means having a "personal" faith in Jesus Christ.1 The term is most frequently used by Evangelical, Fundamentalist, Pentecostal and some Mainline branches of Protestant Christianity. It is sometimes associated with non-denominational individuals, groups and churches.
Outside of Christianity, the term "born again" is occasionally used to describe beliefs characterised by renewal, resurgence or return.
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The Christian use of the term is derived from Jesus’ words to Jewish leader Nicodemus as recorded in the third chapter of the Gospel of John:
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'2 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
– John 3:1-8, NKJV
Some Christian denominations hold that a person must be born again in some sense to be a Christian and are explicit about this with their use of the words. The term is most popular in the USA, and is making inroads into other parts of the world. The meaning of born again varies among Christian traditions as how literally or symbolically they take the term and how central it is within their belief system:
For believers in the third group above being 'Born Again' does not require being baptized in water submersion nor being filled with the holy spirit, for them these are extra events that are only for those who are already 'saved' and hence would be going to heaven when they die. "According to your confession of faith, I now baptize you in the name of the father the son and the holy spirit" - Baptist pastor prior to water immersion. "... Forgive me for I am a sinner...I accept you [Jesus] as my lord and savior..." excerpt from a prayer of repentance used by mainstream and pentecostal churches to receive salvation. 7
In theology, the study of salvation is called soteriology. The idea of being "born again" carries with it the soteriological idea that a Christian is a "new creation," given a fresh start by the action of God, freed from a sinful past life and able to begin a "new life" in relationship with Christ via the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul described it as such:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
– 2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV
John Wesley and Christians associated with early Methodism referred to the "born again" experience as "the New Birth." They based this on the previously cited biblical passages and including the following:
But as many as received Him (that is Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
– John 1:12-13, NKJV
According to the Gospel of John, chapter 3, Jesus originated the term "born again" while teaching Nicodemus, a rabbi of the Jewish sect known as the Pharisees. The traditional Jewish understanding of the promise of salvation was that being rooted in "the seed of Abraham" referred to physical (genetic) lineage from Abraham. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that this doctrine was in error—that one must be born a second time through spiritual rebirth. Jesus' discourse with Nicodemus established the Christian belief that all human beings—whether Jew or Gentile—must be "born again" of the spiritual seed of Christ.
The Apostle Paul further reinforced this understanding in his epistle to the Galatians, chapter 3, and in Romans 9:7-8.
In recent history, born again is a term that has been associated with evangelical renewal since the late 1960s, first in the United States and then later around the world. Associated perhaps initially with Jesus People and the Christian counterculture, born again came to refer to an intense conversion experience, and was increasingly used as a term to identify devout believers. By the mid 1970s, born again Christians were increasingly referred to in the mainstream media as part of the Born Again Movement. Based on most exit polls of the 2004 US presidential election, born again Christians were a major factor in the re-election of George W. Bush.8
In 1976 a book titled Born Again was published by Watergate conspirator, convicted felon and Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson. It describes his path to faith in conjunction with his criminal imprisonment and played a significant role in solidifying "Born Again" identity as a cultural construct in the U.S. The term was sufficiently prevalent that during the year's Presidential campaign Jimmy Carter described himself as born again, notably in the first Playboy magazine interview of a U.S. Presidential candidate. Modern musicians Rev. Little Richard Penniman, Mark Farner, Dan Peek, Donna Summer, Bob Dylan,9 Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope, Dave Mustaine, Nicko McBrain, Roger McGuinn, Johnny Cash, Brian Welch, Keith Farley, and Alice Cooper were artists whose born again conversions had an impact on modern culture. Others such as James Cash Penney, C. S. Lewis, WWE superstar Shawn Michaels, Charlie Daniels, and Mr. T are also mentioned as being born again. Former Alabama governor and U.S. presidential candidate George Wallace became born again in the late 70s, which led him to apologize for his earlier segregationist views.
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