Notional Christians…
Notional Christians… I’ve never seen or heard this phrase before until now. I don’t know why I’ve missed it. I was talking to Bill last week who was a perfect example of Barna’s definition of a Notional Christian (below). I learned one thing about Bill. He is completely happy being notional. How would one reach a “notional” Christian with the gospel message?
Definition
- We categorize Notional Christian as those who describe themselves as Christians, but do not believe that they will have eternal life because of their reliance upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the grace extended to people through a relationship with Christ. (A large majority of these individuals believe they will have eternal life, but not because of a grace-based relationship with Jesus Christ.)
Voting Trends
- They have a below-average likelihood of being registered to vote (77%) when compared with evangelicals (84%) and born agains (86%) (2004)
- 42% are aligned with the Democratic party and 27% with the Republican party. (2004)
- Only one out of every five describes themselves as “mostly conservative.” (2004)
How Many?
Notional Christians represent 39% of the population. (2005)