Theological Glossary
Six Christian traditions define Relic below — each in its own words, paraphrased from its official documents. These are attributed positions, not assertions of fact.
The Catholic Church teaches that the relics of saints — their bodies or objects associated with them — are to be venerated, since the saints' bodies were temples of the Holy Spirit. It holds that God works blessings through relics, while condemning all superstition and commerce in sacred things.
The Orthodox Church venerates the relics of saints as tangible witnesses to holiness and channels of God's grace. It holds that honoring relics honors the saint and, through the saint, Christ himself — while insisting that such reverence is relative honor (proskynesis), never the worship (latreia) due to God alone.
Lutherans give no religious veneration to relics, teaching that no spiritual benefit is to be sought from the remains or possessions of saints. They hold that the Reformers condemned the traffic in relics and the superstition surrounding them as obscuring trust in Christ alone.
Source: Smalcald Articles, II.2 ↗
The Reformed tradition rejects the veneration of relics as without scriptural warrant, teaching that God's blessings come through Word, sacrament, and prayer. The Reformers condemned relic-veneration as superstition and idolatry, holding that it distracts from Christ and historically led to fraud.
Baptists give no religious veneration to relics, teaching that faith rests on Christ and the Scriptures, not on sacred objects. They hold that the remains of the faithful are to be treated with dignity but carry no spiritual power.
Methodists give no religious veneration to relics, directing devotion to God alone. They hold that while the memory of holy men and women is precious, no spiritual benefit is attached to their physical remains.
Source: Articles of Religion, Art. XIV ↗
See how the traditions compare on related topics: