Recognisably Christian???

[Eddi]

A thought experiment:

So, there is an isolated civilisation who has never had any contact with any other humans

They therefore have zero knowledge of Christianity or any other religion, and they lack a God concept similar to that which features in the "Abrahamic" faiths. The concept of "God" is alien to them. Perhaps they worship woodland spirits......?

But they can read

One day, God descends from the heavens and hands them a Christian bible written in their language, that they can read, and tells them that he wants them to follow whatever the bible says and to believe in him as their one true God

And they decide to read it, and do exactly as it says and to also to believe in God

A few hundred years later and having still being isolated and having had plenty of time to study and implement the bible, and to live accordingly and to organise their society accordingly - would the isolated civilisation be recognisably Christian???

 

[Viker]

In this context, Christian would be a broad term. They may would refer to themselves as something altogether different.

 

[ChristineM]

I would hope not but i think they would be if they chose to follow what was written, i would think fundimental literalism.

Why didn't the god hand them the Tanakh or Qur'an l?

 

[Eddi]

I would hope not but i think they would be if they chose to follow what was written, i would think fundimental literalism.

Why didn't the god hand them the Tanakh or Qur'an l?

Because the thought experiment needed to feature a specific religion, so I chose my own

 

[amorphous_constellation]

I think you might be describing roughly what happened to the Irish. After Rome abandoned the British Isles, wasn't there a gap of a few hundred years before they reconnected to the Roman church?

 

[RestlessSoul]

I think you might be describing roughly what happened to the Irish. After Rome abandoned the British Isles, wasn't there a gap of a few hundred years before they reconnected to the Roman church?

There were Christian monasteries in Ireland throughout the dark ages. And there wasn't really a Roman Church to connect to until around the 11th Century.

 

[PureX]

They would be recognizably confused, and divided, I think, because the book they were given presents a plethora of contradicting information and behavioral recommendations. And it relies on personal interpretation.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

There were Christian monasteries in Ireland throughout the dark ages. And there wasn't really a Roman Church to connect to until around the 11th Century.

Who sent a mission to the english then? Once they came to the isles

 

[RestlessSoul]

Who sent a mission to the english then? Once they came to the isles

St Augustine arrived in Kent with the blessing of Gregory, Bishop of Rome, so the story goes. Most events in this period of history are disputed, however.

 

[dybmh]

They would be recognized as Christians by the Lords prayer?

 

[LuisDantas]

A few hundred years later and having still being isolated and having had plenty of time to study and implement the bible, and to live accordingly and to organise their society accordingly - would the isolated civilisation be recognisably Christian???

I have a hard time deciding what characterizes Christianity these days beyond at least nominal belief in some version of Abraham's god and willingness to be called Christians.

If we are willing to call Westboro, UCKG and the Assemblies of God all Christian groups - and also ICAR, Episcopalians, the Church of Norway and the Russian Orthodox Church on the side - there is simply no reason to refuse any other group that is aware of the Bible and wants to be considered Christian that treatment.

Of course, that does not say much.

 

[sun rise]

A thought experiment:

So, there is an isolated civilisation who has never had any contact with any other humans

They therefore have zero knowledge of Christianity or any other religion, and they lack a God concept similar to that which features in the "Abrahamic" faiths. The concept of "God" is alien to them. Perhaps they worship woodland spirits......?

But they can read

One day, God descends from the heavens and hands them a Christian bible written in their language, that they can read, and tells them that he wants them to follow whatever the bible says and to believe in him as their one true God

And they decide to read it, and do exactly as it says and to also to believe in God

A few hundred years later and having still being isolated and having had plenty of time to study and implement the bible, and to live accordingly and to organise their society accordingly - would the isolated civilisation be recognisably Christian???

That is exactly the case with African Jews (Lemba).

 

[Windwalker]

A thought experiment:

So, there is an isolated civilisation who has never had any contact with any other humans

They therefore have zero knowledge of Christianity or any other religion, and they lack a God concept similar to that which features in the "Abrahamic" faiths. The concept of "God" is alien to them. Perhaps they worship woodland spirits......?

But they can read

One day, God descends from the heavens and hands them a Christian bible written in their language, that they can read, and tells them that he wants them to follow whatever the bible says and to believe in him as their one true God

And they decide to read it, and do exactly as it says and to also to believe in God

A few hundred years later and having still being isolated and having had plenty of time to study and implement the bible, and to live accordingly and to organise their society accordingly - would the isolated civilisation be recognisably Christian???

That entirely depends upon whether they were a tribal society with kinship systems, or a more advanced pluralistic society. If they were more triablisitic, then chances are they would be stoning sinners to death, and look a lot like funamentalists, were you to remove higher forms of government keeping them in check.

If they were more socially advanced, say pluralistic in nature, then they might adhere more the the NT Jesus. In other words, their interpretation of the religion would look more peaceful and inclusive, rather than warrior and tribalistic seeking to either convert or annihilate the enemies of their god.

And so forth. Bur it would definitely reflect their cultures values and worldviews. That's how religions work. They reflect the people who are believing in it.

 

[RestlessSoul]

That entirely depends upon whether they were a tribal society with kinship systems, or a more advanced pluralistic society. If they were more triablisitic, then chances are they would be stoning sinners to death, and look a lot like funamentalists, were you to remove higher forms of government keeping them in check.

If they were more socially advanced, say pluralistic in nature, then they might adhere more the the NT Jesus. In other words, their interpretation of the religion would look more peaceful and inclusive, rather than warrior and tribalistic seeking to either convert or annihilate the enemies of their god.

And so forth. Bur it would definitely reflect their cultures values and worldviews. That's how religions work. They reflect the people who are believing in it.

I’ve just recently read Tom Holland’s Millennium, about early medieval Europe; the Christianity taken up by Frankish, Saxon, and Burgundian warlords, adopted Yahweh almost as a God of war, but there was an obvious tension there. Putting God’s enemies to the sword didn’t really sit well with Christ’s message of love and forgiveness. The knights of Christ were required to do penance for their sins of violence, even when the violence was supposedly carried out in the service of their divine - as opposed to temporal - Lord.

I also find it interesting that many early adopters of Buddhism in Japan were of the Samurai class. Hence there seems to have been a particular emphasis in Japanese Buddhism on the transience and fragility of life, and the illusory nature of the world of the senses. And perhaps less emphasis on the moral teachings of the Buddha.

 

[syo]

would the isolated civilisation be recognisably Christian???

This?

One day, God descends from the heavens and hands them a Christian bible written in their language, that they can read, and tells them that he wants them to follow whatever the bible says and to believe in him as their one true God

Only the christian god is this stupid. So, yes.

 

[paarsurrey]

A thought experiment:

So, there is an isolated civilisation who has never had any contact with any other humans

They therefore have zero knowledge of Christianity or any other religion, and they lack a God concept similar to that which features in the "Abrahamic" faiths. The concept of "God" is alien to them. Perhaps they worship woodland spirits......?

But they can read

One day, God descends from the heavens and hands them a Christian bible written in their language, that they can read, and tells them that he wants them to follow whatever the bible says and to believe in him as their one true God

And they decide to read it, and do exactly as it says and to also to believe in God

A few hundred years later and having still being isolated and having had plenty of time to study and implement the bible, and to live accordingly and to organise their society accordingly - would the isolated civilisation be recognisably Christian???

" God descends from the heavens and hands them a Christian bible written in their language "

What does one mean from " God", does one mean " Jesus", please?
Kindly elaborate, please? Right?

Regards