christliche

Christliche is the lowercase German adjective meaning “Christian” or “related to Christianity.” It describes things connected with Christ or with Christian faith, culture, institutions, or values. It appears in expressions such as christliche Religion, christliche Kunst, christliche Tradition, and in compounds like christliche Feiertage or christliche Werte.

Etymology and grammar: The base form is christlich. It derives from Christ, via Latin Christianus, with the usual German adjective endings. When used before feminine singular or neuter singular nouns with a definite article, the form christliche appears (die christliche Kirche; die christliche Lehre). In other contexts the endings vary, as in die christlichen Lehren. When nominalized, das Christliche can refer to the Christian faith as a concept.

Usage and nuance: In modern German, christliche is common in religious discourse, scholarship, journalism, and everyday speech. It denotes alignment with Christian beliefs or traditions but does not itself denote a specific denomination. The term can carry cultural associations with traditional values in some contexts, and its connotations may vary by speaker and region.

Capitalization and names: In ordinary text, christliche remains lowercase. In proper names and formal titles such as Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands, it is capitalized as part of the official name. Related terms include Christentum (Christianity), Christen (Christians), and Christologie (the study of Christ).