Basic Trope: A character performs customs associated with Christianity, but the religion they practice is never explicitly mentioned.
- Straight: Bob celebrates Christmas and Easter, and makes reference to the "big man in the sky" but never mentions religious figures or other details that would clarify his religion.
- Exaggerated: Bob goes to the Church of Saint Genericus, constantly quotes The Bible without mentioning where the quotes are from, and celebrates every single popular Christian holiday in a secular manner without ever mentioning Jesus Christ, or any other religious figures or making any reference to any religion.
- Downplayed: Other explicitly Christian and non-Christian characters exist in the work, but Bob's religion is never addressed.
- Justified:
- Bob was raised in a Christian church but is now non-religious/atheist. He still celebrates Christian holidays because it is how he grew up.
- The setting the work is set in has a Christian cultural majority.
- Most of Bob's friends are Christian, and he celebrates holidays with them so he won't be left out.
- Bob likes the secular aspects of any given Christian holiday: dinner with family, presents, a day off from work, etc.
- Inverted:
- Bob mentions that he's a Lutheran (or a member of another Christian sect) but is never seen celebrating any Christian holidays or participating in any customs that would show this.
- Real Men Love Jesus
- Subverted:
- Bob's religious views are intentionally kept vague for a while, until he reveals that he is actually Hindu.
- Alternatively, Bob is revealed to be a Christian.
- Bob does celebrate Christmas, but only the secular aspects.
- Double Subverted:
- Bob was actually lying about being Hindu. His actual religious beliefs are not revealed.
- He does set up a little Nativity scene set in his living room and has a few angels and crosses on the tree.
- Parodied: Bob's friend discusses whether he is a Christian with him celebrating Christmas and Easter as proof, but he celebrates them in a rather adult manner.
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted:
- Bob is explicitly shown to be Christian (practicing or otherwise)
- All of the characters in the work are non-Christian.
- Only secular holidays and customs (4th of July, Winter Solstice, Mother's Day, etc.) are celebrated in the work.
- Enforced:
- Small Reference Pools, Write What You Know
- "We don't want to make this character too religious; we don't want to alienate non-Christian viewers."
- The author is non-Christian, but the main character is from a majority-Christian country, such as Italy; while the work doesn't really address religious themes, the author still wants to acknowledge the protagonist's cultural background; preferably without having to sacrifice too much time studying something that will rarely, if ever, come up in the work.
- Lampshaded: "What religion are you anyway?"
- Invoked: Bob isn't Christian, but participates in Christmas/Easter/etc. celebrations because he doesn't want to be discriminated against, or because he's married into a Christian family and wants to respect and honor their traditions, if only to make his wife happy.
- Exploited: Despite not being very religious, Bob plays the "Against My Religion" card when asked to do something (or allow something) he doesn't want to.
- Defied: "I'm celebrating Christmas with you and all, just remember I'm actually Jewish, okay?"
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
Back to Ambiguously Christian
