What is Christianity.SE?

Question

This is an attempt to clarify what Christianity.SE is, as if it were to be a potential rewrite to the FAQ. It is NOT an approved FAQ. In fact, I may be [probably am?] wrong. I'm just trying to throw something out there to get some consensus about who and what we are, and what it is we might be.

Answer 1

Christianity.SE is an academic forum for the dissemination of scholarly knowledge about the tradition, doctrine, and practice of mainstream Christianity* as it has been practiced over the last two milennia and is practiced today.

It is a place

• to ask and answer questions about how recognized Christian groups have understood Christianity throughout the millenia
• to understand how Christians interpret and apply scripture, tradition, and reason to their daily experience
• to understand theological development and social implications of current and ancient practice
• to use scholarly analysis to identify how Christians "do" Christianity
• to improve your own understanding of Christianity by asking good questions and writing well-sourced, dispassionate, academic answers

It is not

• a ministry or even religious in nature
• a place to proseltyze or otherwise "convert" others to "your" point of view
• a place to work out or explain "your" theology, spirituality, or personal philosophy
• a place to get personal pastoral advice. If "you" are an integral part of the question or the answer, please seek a pastor or priest. We might be a spiritual Web.Md, but we definately aren't your local physician.
• a place to argue for the sake of argument

Like a good seminary, Christianity.SE is a place for unbiased, dispassionate, scholarly reflection, analysis, and understanding of what all kinds of Christians do.

*Note: Mainstream here is probably wider than you think.