Isians Unite

So, talking with some good friends of mine the other night, I found out that in Islam scriptures, Jesus is known as Isa.[ee-suh] I guess when talking to many Muslims, they have some associations with the word "Christian" that are totally tied in to American culture, rather than the ideals that many of us think are more representative of the term. This "Jesus" we carry on about bears little resemblance to the prophet in their scripture. Using a common term brings a lot of meaning to an otherwise alien concept.

It's no surprise really, because although we arguably export more of our culture than any other nation, the vast majority of that is MTV and Britney-Spearsified. If all you knew about America came from our media, it would seem like a pretty crazy place. Just like the media tells us Africa is inhabited mainly by starving children and lions, America is a land overrun by witty metrosexuals and half-naked wrestling stars beating on each other with folding chairs. Land of the free and home of the brave, indeed.

I wonder though - even our own culture has such strong associations with Christians, that it seems like it could be helpful to refer to ourselves differently. What if we called ourselves Isians? Now, "Christian", by Webster's definition, means "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ", and most individuals associating themselves thus wouldn't take issue with that broad definition. However, in the eye of the general public, and I'm guessing a lot of the world, Christian means something else entirely - hypocrite, or greasy televangelist, or combative conservative, or clueless zealot.

We have made up all sorts of new words to define old things - blog, podcast, sneakernet - all of which could be described as well, and in some cases more easily, by old terminology. But, they make conversation more specific in a way, and lend a hand to distinguishing between the old and the new. Maybe the distinction is actually in perspective - the terminology communicates the view from which the speaker is approaching the world. Hell, Christians are known by their detractors as bible-thumpers, and by themselves as believers, so why can't we make up our own damn terminology when we don't want to fit in either camp.

Of course, the readiness with which our culture puts a new name on an old product is criticized by many, and rightly so, but there is sometimes value in finding a way to more quickly and accurately describe otherwise confusing topics. What name would be best to describe one of those folks who reject the conventions of mainstream Christianity, yet follows the teachings of Jesus?

Update - In one book I'm reading, the author uses the term post-denominational. That's right, post-denominational. This isn't your dad's anti-denominational denomination. This is hip, this is trendy, this is cutting-effing-edge, b!%@#*$. Ok, I like it. I'm a sucker for buzzwords.