September 15, 2026

What Does It Mean to Be Christian

If we ask how many Christians there are in Italy, the answer depends on what we mean by “Christian.” If we mean those who fully follow Christian principles, there are very few: even saints declare themselves sinners. But if we mean those who share the principles of Christianity, then we are all Christians: as the atheist Croce used to say, “we cannot but call ourselves Christians.” Therefore, in the first case, almost no one; in the second, almost everyone.

There are then infinitely many criteria that give infinitely many answers