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Christianity Q&A: Guidelines and Scope

Welcome to the Codidact site for Christianity! We're delighted to have you join our Q&A community. This site is designed for committed Christians, experts in Christian theology and its authoritative texts, and those genuinely seeking to learn more. While your personal beliefs are welcome, all questions and answers should directly relate to Christianity and be presented respectfully.

What questions belong here?

This site thrives on questions that seek factual, objective answers grounded in established Christian traditions, denominations, and movements, as well as in Christian scholarship. We encourage questions that explore:

• Church History:

  • Evolution of specific Christian doctrines, practices, and liturgies.
  • History of church governance, saints, and significant Christian figures.
  • Historical context of church buildings, religious art, and church architecture.

• Tradition, Denomination, and Movement Studies:

  • Specific beliefs and practices of Christian churches, denominations, and movements.
  • Comparisons between two specific Christian traditions on a defined topic (e.g., "How do Catholics and Lutherans differ on justification?").

• Biblical Interpretation:

  • Scholarly analysis of biblical texts, including linguistic, historical, and literary approaches using established hermeneutical methodologies, including historical criticism and historical-grammatical approaches.
  • Questions about the historical and cultural context of the Bible as revealed by archaeological and historical evidence.
  • Questions related to biblical textual criticism, including variations in manuscripts and their impact on interpretation.
  • Questions about how specific biblical passages can be interpreted within the English language, considering nuances of translation and original language.
  • Interpretation of scripture from a specific Christian hermeneutical perspective.

• Christian Practices:

  • Clear descriptions of the beliefs and practices of a particular Christian tradition.
  • Explanation of the reasoning behind specific Christian rituals.

• Interfaith Comparison: (Limited)

  • Comparisons of Christian beliefs to those of another specific religion, focusing on understanding the Christian perspective. (Must be respectful and avoid proselytizing).

Good questions:

• Are Specific: Formulate your question as specifically as possible to avoid broad, unanswerable inquiries.
• Seek Objectivity: Ask questions that invite answers grounded in evidence, tradition, or scholarly sources, rather than (only) personal opinions.
• Maintain Respect: Frame your question in a respectful manner, focusing on understanding different perspectives.

What questions don't fit?

To maintain a focused and productive Q&A environment, certain questions are not well-suited for this site. These include:

• Personal Opinions & Polls:

  • Questions seeking purely subjective opinions without grounding in a specific Christian tradition.
  • Opinion polls.

• Unspecified Biblical Interpretation:

  • Asking "what the Bible says" (or the "biblical basis" for [topic]) without referencing a specific Christian perspective.
  • Seeking validation for a novel or idiosyncratic interpretation without engaging with specific existing Christian traditions.
  • Asking for "prooftexts" to support a position or solve a theological question without specifying a Christian tradition or perspective.

• Personal Guidance & Counseling:

  • Questions seeking individual pastoral advice, spiritual direction, or counseling.
  • Requests for prayer or spiritual intervention for personal situations (these are generally not questions).
  • Asking for advice on personal moral dilemmas.
  • Asking for help with personal doubts or struggles of faith.

• General Philosophical/Ethical Questions (Without Christian Context):

  • Questions about morality, truth, or ethics that are not tied to a specific Christian tradition.
  • General questions about if an action is a sin, without a denomination context.
  • Questions about philosophical concepts (e.g., free will, the nature of reality) without relating them to specific Christian doctrines.
  • Questions about secular ethical dilemmas (e.g., business ethics, political philosophy) without a clear connection to specific Christian teachings.

• Salvation Judgments (Beyond Doctrine):

  • Questions about who is "in" or "out" (or "saved" or "unsaved"), unless tied to a specific Christian tradition's doctrine.
    • In general, questions about specific individuals' salvation are not good fits (with the potential exception where an official pronouncement has been made by a Christian tradition about the individual and is cited as support).

• Overly Broad Inquiries:

  • General questions about "Christianity" or the "biblical basis" for something without a focus on a specific Christian perspective.
  • Requests for a survey of all Christian perspectives.
  • Questions that ask for a general overview of the entire Bible, or entire biblical books.

Click for some examples of questions that are generally considered off topic.

Who is considered a Christian here?

For the purposes of this site, any group or individual that identifies as Christian is considered within our scope. Answers will be evaluated based on how accurately they represent the specific view or tradition they claim to represent, regardless of personal agreement. Effective answers thoroughly support a specific viewpoint or accurately describe a range of views. Ineffective answers misrepresent a viewpoint, are disrespectful toward other views, or fail to address the question directly.

However, to maintain a focus on established Christian thought and discussion, we do not encourage perspectives that are purely subjective or confined to extremely narrow groups. If your theological perspective is unique to yourself, a small cluster of parishes, or a single household, it may not be a good fit for this site. We aim to foster dialogue between established Christian traditions and viewpoints that have a broader presence and recognition within the Christian community.

Authority within Christian traditions

It is important to remember that various Christian traditions handle authority in different ways. Some rely heavily on scripture alone, while others use creeds, confessions, or hierarchical structures. When asking or answering questions, be mindful of the perspective being discussed and its specific approach to authority.

Click here to read more about authority within Christian traditions.