In Christianity, born again refers to a spiritual and metaphorical birth into the family of God with Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. This is contrasted with the first birth everyone experiences in the flesh (physical world). In the Bible, Jesus stated that only those who are born-again shall see Heaven: "Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again" (John 3:3).
The term is frequently used by Evangelical, Fundamentalist, Pentecostal, and some Mainline branches of Protestant Christianity. It is sometimes associated with non-denominational individuals, groups and churches.
Outside of Christianity, the term "born again" is occasionally used to describe beliefs characterized by renewal, retardation, resurgence or return.
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According to the Gospel of John, chapter 3, Jesus originated the term "born again" while teaching Nicodemus, a rabbi of the Jewish sect known as the Pharisees. The traditional Jewish understanding of the promise of salvation was that being rooted in "the seed of Abraham" referred to physical (genetic) lineage from Abraham. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that this doctrine was in error—that one must be born a second time through spiritual rebirth. Jesus' discourse with Nicodemus established the Christian belief that all human beings—whether Jew or Gentile—must be "born again" of the spiritual seed of Christ.
The Apostle Peter further reinforced this understanding in 1 Peter 1:23.
In recent history, born again is a term that has been associated with evangelical renewal since the late 1960s, first in the United States and then later around the world. Associated perhaps initially with Jesus People and the Christian counterculture, born again came to refer to an intense conversion experience, and was increasingly used as a term to identify devout believers. By the mid 1970s, born again Christians were increasingly referred to in the mainstream media as part of the Born Again Movement.
In 1976 a book titled Born Again was published by Watergate conspirator, convicted felon and Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson. It describes his path to faith in conjunction with his criminal imprisonment and played a significant role in solidifying "Born Again" identity as a cultural construct in the U.S. The term was sufficiently prevalent that during the year's Presidential campaign Jimmy Carter described himself as born again, notably in the first Playboy magazine interview of a U.S. Presidential candidate. Modern musicians Rev. Little Richard Penniman, Mark Farner, Dan Peek, Donna Summer, Bob Dylan,[1] Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope, Dave Mustaine, Nicko McBrain, Roger McGuinn, Johnny Cash, Brian Welch, Keith Farley, Randy Travis and Alice Cooper were artists whose born again conversions had an impact on modern culture. Others such as James Cash Penney, founder of Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy, C. S. Lewis, WWE superstar Shawn Michaels, Jesse McCartney, Charlie Daniels, and Mr. T are also mentioned as being born again. Former Alabama governor and U.S. presidential candidate George Wallace became born again in the late 70s, which led him to apologize for his earlier segregationist views.
The idea of being "born again in Christ" inspired some common European forenames: French René/Renée, Italian Renato, Latin Renatus/Renata, which all mean "reborn", "born again".
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