Who are "Born again" Christians? "Born again" is a term most often attributed to Christians. Yet what exactly does it mean, and what does the the use of the term encompass?


What is a "born again" Christian?
Are they of a specific denomination?
Where does the term "born again" come from?
The term &quot;born again&quot; comes from a passage in John 3:

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

(Some translations render &quot;born again&quot; as &quot;born from above&quot;)
The concept is picked up in other places in the Bible where Christians are referred to as &quot;new creations&quot;. (2 Corinthians 5, Galatians 6). The sense is clear that to be a part of the Kingdom of God, you must undergo a radical transformation, akin to being created anew: &quot;starting over again&quot;. Like birth, this is something that happens to you, not something you do.
Using this basis, the doctrinal position of almost all Christian denominations is that all Christians are by definition &quot;born again&quot;. For many the sacrament of baptism makes you &quot;born again&quot;. For others, whatever makes you a Christian also makes you &quot;born again&quot;.
The use of the term &quot;born again Christian&quot; really dates from the 1960s, where it originated with the Jesus People and Christian counterculture. Since then it is generally associated with the Evangelical movement, and is often used by them to distinguish themselves from those they see as 'nominal' Christians. It isn't applied to any specific denomination.