What do you call yourself?

[CatechumenPatrick]

I read an article by Sam Storms today on what he calls himself: a "Calvinistic, charismatic, complementarian, Christian hedonist." One of the main problems in Western, contemporary Christianity (I think) is that it often goes no deeper than a set of (cliché) labels. Of course I am not referring to Sam Storms, but it made me think about the labels I use. I try to stick with confessional and reformed --any other common labels seem too misleading, vague, and misrepresented. What do you call yourself? Do you ever say you're a "Calvinist"? I do only around a certain few people whom I am sure understand what I mean. I prefer confessional and reformed because they refer to an entire worldview, a worldview attempting to be thoroughly biblical, and not to some particular beliefs requiring a dozen other labels to explain the rest of my worldview as well. What about you?

 

[Romans922]

I'm a Christian.

 

[VictorBravo]

When I'm ornery, I call myself a Puritan. It usually elicits some sort of conversation and lets me explain a bit more about who they were.

 

[Barnpreacher]

I read an article by Sam Storms today on what he calls himself: a "Calvinistic, charismatic, complementarian, Christian hedonist." One of the main problems in Western, contemporary Christianity (I think) is that it often goes no deeper than a set of (cliché) labels. Of course I am not referring to Sam Storms, but it made me think about the labels I use. I try to stick with confessional and reformed --any other common labels seem too misleading, vague, and misrepresented. What do you call yourself? Do you ever say you're a "Calvinist"? I do only around a certain few people whom I am sure understand what I mean. I prefer confessional and reformed because they refer to an entire worldview, a worldview attempting to be thoroughly biblical, and not to some particular beliefs requiring a dozen other labels to explain the rest of my worldview as well. What about you?

That's pretty funny because I just got through reading what Wikipedia had to say about Tim Keller (I'm stuck on Keller right now) and it touched on this very question.

Indeed, he shuns the label "evangelical" because of its political and fundamentalist connotation, preferring to call himself simply orthodox because "he believes in the importance of personal conversion or being 'born again,' and the full authority of the Bible."

Tim Keller - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

I am a Christian Reconstructionist, pope-bashing Protestant.

 

[SRoper]

Presbyterian.

 

[Davidius]

I'm a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant).

Actually, I usually just say Christian, Presbyterian, Protestant, or Reformed Christian, depending on whom I am talking to.

 

[SEAGOON]

Andy

 

[A5pointer]

prelactarian.............with my coffee

 

[Answerman]

I'm a Presuppositional, Partial-Preterist, Postmillenial, Predestinarian, Presbyterian, Patriotic, Peasant.

 

[Simply_Nikki]

I call myself a reformed christian =) But on my facebook profile, i've labeled myself as a 5 pt calvinistic, baptistic, supralapsarianistic, monergistic, covenantal, reformed christian. LOL now of course some of these labels overlap, but i'm just a silly goose like that, and i get people laughing at my specificities (whoa did i just make that word up?) LOL

 

[Josiah]

I usually stick with "confessionally Reformed, Presbyterian". It cuts down on confusion with..sometimes.

 

[DMcFadden]

I call myself a 6 point Calvinst (I believe in burning heretics).

Actually, if I'm in a good mood - "conservative evangelical" with a Calvinist soteriology.
If I'm in a ornery mood - TULIP Calvinist, Puritan, Fundamentalist. (The "fundamentalist" moniker isn't strickly true but it ticks people off so much that it has utility)

I am thinking about using the term "confessional Bapitst" but don't know if many will understand it.

 

[Blueridge Believer]

confessional baptist.

 

[Puritan Sailor]

It depends on who I'm talking too. Here in the South, I usually say conservative Presbyterian. If I say Christian, they then ask, "what kind?" If I'm talking to unbelievers, then I will say a traditional or conservative Protestant.

 

[Richard King]

Patrick is right. Down south it is best to always say CONSERVATIVE Presbyterian because there is a world of difference. Most people have a wrong perception.

I find I usually tell people I am a Christian who was raised a Southern Baptist, went to a Methodist College, then went to Charismatic mega churches, and spent some years in the "home church movement" and ended up in a PCA church when I started reading the Bible more.
I stop there and explain that PCA churches are NOT the liberal Presbyterians. And then I say..."now lets see you pigeonhole me."

As you may have guessed, I am a bit of long winded rambler.
Don't even dare ask me to describe my politics!
You haven't got the time.

 

[Blueridge Believer]

I should have said 'confessional baptist' who hangs out with a bunch of presbyterians.

 

[SouthernHero]

Independant Protestant Calvinist Presbyterian.

Saying only "Presbyterian" here in the South comes across as liberal, "Reformed" makes some think that I'm in a recovery group, and "Christian" sadly means nothing anymore.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

I call myself a 6 point Calvinst (I believe in burning heretics).

 

[MW]

I'm a Christian, Catholic, Protestant, Reformed, Presbyterian, Conservative.

 

[Calvibaptist]

Andy

REALLY??!!! Weird. I call myself Andy too (Not to be confused with Andy two).

As opposed to Number Johnny 5.

 

[RamistThomist]

backwoods Fundamentalist

 

[ANT]

I've tried calling myself before .... I just get a busy signal ...

 

[markkoller]

Westminsterian

 

[etexas]

I usually just say I am a Christian, if someone wants me to amplify I just say Reformed.

 

[brymaes]

High Church Calvinist (like Schaff and Nevin).

 

[JM]

I like the way Gill put it, "I am a Baptist, and he may call me, if he pleases, a new one, or an old Calvinistic one, or an Antinomian one; it is a very trifle to me."

 

[Augusta]

Orthodox Presbyterian is what I say. It helps differentiate between the liberal Presbyterian's and the non-libs, and is actually true because I am a member of the OPC.

 

[KMK]

I call myself a 6 point Calvinst (I believe in burning heretics).

Actually, if I'm in a good mood - "conservative evangelical" with a Calvinist soteriology.
If I'm in a ornery mood - TULIP Calvinist, Puritan, Fundamentalist. (The "fundamentalist" moniker isn't strickly true but it ticks people off so much that it has utility)

How do those guys down at ABC/PSW...errr...Transformation Ministries deal with you? They must shake their heads and say, "There goes McFadden again."

 

[Ivan]

I should have said 'confessional baptist' who hangs out with a bunch of presbyterians.

Me too!

Sometimes I say Southern Baptist, but not often. Sometimes I say a Baptist sympathetic to the Founders movement.