Nominal Christian

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The term nominal Christian is used to describe someone who is a Christian in name only. It usually refers to those who indicate on census forms that their religion is Christianity but do not actively practise their religion. The phrase is also used in a pejorative sense by evangelical Christians of those who attend church but have not had a born again experience.
The phenomenon is known as nominal Christianity, nominality or nominalism,
The concept of nominal Christianity was important in the thought of John Wesley, who contrasted it with "Real Christianity". Douglas Strong writes that Wesley often talked about "real Christianity" as a way of designating "vital regenerative faith in contrast to nominal or formalistic religion." Strong goes on to argue that Wesley taught that real Christians "had a conscious assurance of divine acceptance." Randy Maddox argues, however, that in the 1740s, Wesley dropped the motif of real Christianity and the distinction between a real and a nominal Christian.
Some theologians disagree with the category of "nominal Christian". Douglas Wilson argues that all who are baptized enter into a covenant with God, and are obliged to serve him. There is, therefore, "no such thing as a merely nominal Christian any more than we can find a man who is a nominal husband." There are, however, "wicked and faithless Christians."
Formalism
A related concept is formalism, which refers to people going through the motions of religion. Charles Spurgeon, for example, uses the word in this sense:

If I come and tell you, that all your going to the house of God is good for nothing; if I tell you that all those many times you have been singing and praying, all pass for nothing in the sight of God, because you are a hypocrite and a formalist. If I tell you that your heart is not right with God, and that unless it is so, all the external is good for nothing, I know what you will say,—"I shan't hear that young man again."

J. C. Ryle derives the concept of formalism from 2 Timothy 3:5 ("Having a form of godliness," KJV) and says that "formal religion is not true religion, and a formal Christian is not a true Christian in God's sight." Ryles cites Thomas Hall: "Formalism, formalism, formalism is the great sin of this day, under which the whole country groans."

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