"Bottom of the ninth, full count, runners at the corners."
"On the button, Texas Dolly flops the nut flush draw."
"Lowers was nice and hollow during the evening glass-off."
Not many people would be able to decipher even two of these phrases, let alone all three. Sure, we understand the words contained in them, but what their meaning is remains somewhat opaque. This is because the cultures represented by these sentences employ their own particular brand of slang which, to outsiders, sounds utterly foreign.
Moreover, when a channel-surfer comes across a TV program displaying one of the cultures represented by these sentences, he doesn't get angry with the commentator for using such obscure language. And conversely, if a long-time baseball fan were to turn on the game and hear the announcer say, "Runners at the corners, for all you first time viewers, means a runner on first base and another on third," he would probably be annoyed, and rightly so.
You see, every culture has its own unique way of speaking (which, if you think about it, is part of what makes a particular culture "particular" in the first place). But for some reason, Christians are warned to avoid "Christianese," especially in church services. After all, what if a nonbeliever is there? What will she think if she hears the word propitiation?
Is it me, or is asking Christians to jettison Christianese about as silly as asking someone from Tokyo to quit speaking Japanese?
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Jason,
ReplyDeleteI know the first two "slang," but I did not know the third. Could you fill me in?
"Lowers" refers to Lower Trestles, a surf spot in San Clemente where I'm from. In the evenings, theoretically, the ocean surface becomes calmer (glasses off). And hollow refers to the waves barreling rather than just crumbling.
ReplyDeleteI miss Calfifornia (sigh).
There are two kinds of Christianese, good and bad. There's the churchly kind which carries the freight and communicates what is necessary. Then there's the made up, yakety-yak of religiosity.
ReplyDelete"Propitiation" is good and necessary Christianese and is the sort of which we ought not be ashamed; "God hates the sin but loves the sinner, he walks with me and talks with me, let's pray for traveling mercies" is yakety-yak.
The good kind is of the cult, the bad kind is of the culture.
Christianity isn't a culture. Isn't that, like, a standing rule at DRC?
Yeah, that's true.
ReplyDeleteWhen I took Reformed Spirituality with DG Hart at Westminster there was this woman in the class (I think she was auditing or something), and she radically objected to the insistence of Reformed people upon speaking our language.
My response to her in class was that for every distinctly Reformed term there's some evangelical phrase that is just as weird, but often way less biblical.
I remember the first time someone said they had been "walking with the Lord" ever since they started "getting in the Word" on a regular basis. I thought they were nuts.
Jason,
ReplyDeleteSo I take it you are a surfer who plays poker and likes to watch baseball. Am I right?
Josh,
ReplyDeleteYes to the first, kinda to the third, and no comment to the second.
JJS,
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Darryl, we threw back a couple last week (he was in town for his annual Mecosta conference). I found myself wishing you'd've passed along that "funny story" you mentioned a bit back. I need it before next year, please...
Steve,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure he would remember it because he was so worked up at the time (he hates it when our liberty in Christ is threatened).
But the difference is, there's nothing morally wrong with designing slang to exclude non-baseball players, and non texas-hold'em players from understanding statements made at a baseball game... AND the slang used in the baseball and hold'em examples is intended to streamline language... make it shorter, faster, give it more utility for those participating in a shorter amount of time. Plus if you have any question about what it means, you can ask and get the answer pretty quick, without much judgment.
ReplyDeleteThe opposite is the case for Christianity. There IS something morally wrong with designing Christian jargon to intentionally confuse and exclude non-Christians, and in addition Christian jargon does not bring more utility to Christian language. Instead it lengthens statements. It clogs up the true meaning of statements with a bunch of confusing fluff that often serves no other purpose than to stroke egos, it draws everything else out to no end, and puts people on the verge of a comma because it's so boring. How is that in any way analogous to baseball or poker? Poker announcers don't give a 30 minute sermon instead of saying "nut flush draw." But Christians will give a 30 minute prayer just to thank God for some food and make sure it's not going to give them food poisening! Plus try asking someone in church sometime what halleluia means. Christians don't even understand their own jargon. The pastor might not even be able to give you the answer to a question like that.
Some Christianese is ok, as long as its the kind that makes things clearer. But certain Christianese is designed to exlude non-Christians, to show off a persons holiness to other Christians, and hide the fact that a person has nothing of any value or substance to say, so watch me fill the time with random superfluous jargons. THAT kind of Christianese ought to be avoided.
Heretic,
ReplyDeleteWow, you sound like you've had some pretty bad experiences with churches in your day.
For my own part, I have never once been exposed to Christians who deliberately make up difficult words in order to confuse outsiders and keep them in the dark. What churches are you talking about, anyway?
There are a couple kinds of Christianese: there's the kind that derives straight from Scripture ("propitiation" or "sanctification"), and then there's the kind that stems from theological discourse ("ordo salutis" or "concurrence"). Both are necessary, but the former MUST be used in the context of a sermon, while the latter should be used with more caution.
"For my own part, I have never once been exposed to Christians who deliberately make up difficult words in order to confuse outsiders and keep them in the dark. What churches are you talking about, anyway?
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple kinds of Christianese: there's the kind that derives straight from Scripture ("propitiation" or "sanctification"), and then there's the kind that stems from theological discourse ("ordo salutis" or "concurrence"). Both are necessary, but the former MUST be used in the context of a sermon, while the latter should be used with more caution."
I'm speaking more to cultural jargon. Jargon that serves no purpose... obviously both the kinds of jargon that you've mention are kinds that I would say serve a purpose and streamline discourse (to an extent, and could easily be explained if they are not understood... just as with "nut flush draw" and "runners on the corner") but there is also jargon that Christians use that is cultural. This jargon is not just confusing statements, but the use and overuse of the statements, and the general attitude that Christians have toward others who fail to fall in line with silly traditions.
Examples could range from laughing at a person in church who prays outloud like this "Hey God. Thanks that I'm alive. I love you so much. You're the coolest. By the way, forgive me for... and help me out with this..." (Not exactly the "Oh heavenly father, thou art worthy... forgive my transgressions father, and ...blah..blah..." - not that there's anything wrong with that if that's really how you talk... but try praying in the first manner around some people and gauge their reaction somtime... I've literally gotten laughed at outloud because I didn't says God's name enough times or finish with an amen), to chanting in service with everyone else in a more traditional church as the newcomers stare in shocked leftout embarassment, to using so many meaningless Christian sounding exclamations around your secular friends that the words lose all their meaning and make you look shallow.
There certainly IS certain Christian language that should not be used... but I can't give you a list because it depends on the heart of the person using it and his attitude. Even language that comes straight from Scripture or that is used for theological discourse can become immoral to use if done for the wrong reason, just as the failure TO USE Christian jargon could also be wrong once again depending on the heart of the person using it.
It's absolutely absurd to imply that you can lay down a bright line rule that certain language is ALWAYS acceptable and never wrong to use without knowing the heart of the individual using it.