2. One born in a Christian country or of Christian parents, and who has not definitely becomes an adherent
of an opposing system.
3. (Eccl.) (a) One of a Christian denomination which rejects human creeds as bases of fellowship,
and sectarian names. They are congregational in church government, and baptize by immersion. They
are also called Disciples of Christ, and Campbellites. (b) One of a sect (called Christian Connection)
of open-communion immersionists. The Bible is their only authoritative rule of faith and practice.
In this sense, often pronounced, but not by the members of the sects, kris"chan.
Christian
(Chris"tian) a.
1. Pertaining to Christ or his religion; as, Christian people.
3. Pertaining to the church; ecclesiastical; as, a Christian court. Blackstone.
4. Characteristic of Christian people; civilized; kind; kindly; gentle; beneficent.
The graceful tact; the Christian art.
Tennyson.
Christian Commission. See under Commission. — Christian court. Same as Ecclesiastical court.
— Christian era, the present era, commencing with the birth of Christ. It is supposed that owing to an
error of a monk (Dionysius Exiguus, d. about 556) employed to calculate the era, its commencement
was fixed three or four years too late, so that 1890 should be 1893 or 1894. — Christian name, the
name given in baptism, as distinct from the family name, or surname.
Christianism
(Chris`tian*ism) n. [L. christianismus, Gr. : cf. F. christianisme.]
1. The Christian religion. [Obs.] Milton.
2. The Christian world; Christendom. [Obs.] Johnson
Christianite
(Chris"tian*ite) n. [In sense (a) named after Christian Frederic, of Denmark; in sense (b)
after Christian VII., of Denmark.] (Min.) (a) Same as Anorthite. [R.] (b) See Phillipsite.
Christianity
(Chris*tian"i*ty) n. [OE. cristiente, OF. cristienté, F. chrétienté, fr. L. christianitas. ]
1. The religion of Christians; the system of doctrines and precepts taught by Christ.
2. Practical conformity of one's inward and outward life to the spirit of the Christian religion
3. The body of Christian believers. [Obs.]
To Walys fled the christianitee
Of olde Britons.
Chaucer.
Christianization
(Chris`tian*i*za"tion) n. The act or process of converting or being converted to a true
Christianity.
Christianize
(Chris"tian*ize) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Christianized ; p. pr. vb. n. Christianizing.] [Cf. F.
christianiser, L. christianizare, fr. Gr. .]
1. To make Christian; to convert to Christianity; as, to Christianize pagans.
2. To imbue with or adapt to Christian principles.
Christianized philosophers.
I. Taylor.
