The Challenge to All Theologians
Notice to all theologians: Our language is isolating us from the people we are trying to communicate to.
That’s a problem.
I posted this status on Facebook, “My tolerance for religious vernacular is reaching an all-time low. The challenge for theologians? Speak like normal people.” Look at the responses:
Why do you think this is? Why do so many people seemingly agree with my assertion? Do you?
Words like inerrancy, atonement, anthropomorphic, justification, sanctification … Yeah, no one uses that language in their everyday, walking around lives. But yet, this is where God lives–in our everyday lives. Shouldn’t out language describing his work reflect this “earthiness” of God?
I realize that some theological dialogue must be “smartified” in order to convey weighty concepts in a word or two, but that’s the exception, not the rule.
I'm with you here. One (and maybe only one) counterpoint is that if we strive only to use “simple” language, the result is a diluted language. Precision, Concision, Description. These are important in communication. Maybe I'm only saying something you comment on your last sentence.
I propose we use the weighty language, taking care to explain it. Propitiation is an extremely important word. No one understands it, but it is in most modern Bible translations, and should be.
We should help people understand what it means.
Bingo. Being in seminary, even a good seminary, the temptation I see (in others as well as myself) is to use weighty language in order to feel “better than.”
I cannot think of a more egregious sin!
I like your point about precision. Precision is key, to minimize misunderstanding. However, precision must not need be confusing. Look at the scalpel–never a more simple instrument there was with the same amount of precision power.
Imagine if Apple – who makes products that everyone can understand, appreciate, and use instantly – decided that all their engineers needed to speak in everyday language all the time. No programming terms, no engineering lingo, no mathematics whatsoever. Everything would fall apart and look like Microsoft's ridiculous Visual Basic programming language.
What Apple does well is let the engineers use all their technical language and mathematical precision, but also employ experts at translating and communicating those truths into experiences that every day people can use. It's almost like they are a body with different parts good at different things, all working together
So, I think the Church should also have people doing work that is highly technical (theologians) as well as those who can translate that work into the language of every day people (pastors). Computer companies have problems with the UI people can't work with both people and computers, and the church has a problem when pastors can't work with both theology and people.
Yup, we agree here. I think the academic language is often used (at least, I am often tempted to use it) as a way to “Lord it over” others. “See how smart I am?”
Comprehensibility is at the essence of precision. If I'm disagreeing at all, it is because I feel that we need to teach others some of the more obscure and useful corners of our language.
Good post. Fun to see how 140 characters can elicit such a reaction
Yup, we agree here. I think the academic language is often used (at least, I am often tempted to use it) as a way to “Lord it over” others. “See how smart I am?”
Comprehensibility is at the essence of precision. If I'm disagreeing at all, it is because I feel that we need to teach others some of the more obscure and useful corners of our language.
Good post. Fun to see how 140 characters can elicit such a reaction
It totally depends on the context in which your speaking.
If I'm speaking to some of the pastors at our church or some folks at Bethel, I feel I have the freedom to use words like sanctification, justification, etc because those folks know what those words mean.
If I'm talking with some friends, especially friends who don't have a relationship with Christ, using those words is going to continue to push them away for wanting to explore Christ because they can't understand what he is about.
Paul does a great job in explaining hard concepts in relevant language and we should take a note from that and speak in ways people can understand the Gospel message. If we can't do this, we shouldn't try.
Martin Luther (I think) said something along the lines of… if you're not preaching a gospel that's relevant, then you're not preaching the gospel. I think that can be applied to language for sure. I often think about the flouting words Christians use; if someone had never heard those words before, like the ones you mentioned (atonement, sanctification, etc…), they would just be confused, put down a little, weirded-out maybe… I think it's incredibly important to make sure this message of love is able to be understood by all His loved children… otherwise, it's been turned into a game of spouting phrases to make oneself seem superior almost.
I do agree though, that that type language has a time and a place… the example with Apple is great.
Pride – plain and simple. Theologians want to feel better than the average Christian.
Dude. You just blew my mind. I'm stealing this for a sermon sometime.
Tim … What's a more life-giving way to bring the wisdom of seminary into an everyday context?
Glad I could help
This is totally it.
Arrogance and pride.
I agree that we need the knowledge, but when the knowledge is more important than meeting people on their level, we're in trouble.
Sometimes I wonder if the mark of true intelligence is being able to present complex ideas in tangible, real ways.
Anything less? Useless knowledge.
While I understand your point, and agree that oftentimes people will use “pastor language” to make themselves feel better than or wiser than. However, I think rather than abandoning it we have to rescue it. We need to take the time to teach people what the “pastor language” means. Those Biblical terms carry significant meaning, meaning that I think oftentimes leads to a greater appreciation of what God has done and continues to do in our lives. If we abandon those words because not everyone understands them I think we cheat ourselves.
My pastor does this every week in his sermon. He does it in a way that people enjoy, that doesn't make them feel dumb, that isn't condescending. People in our church comment that they like that, they like learning the meaning behind those words. If they're going to come across them in Scripture, why not help them better understand it?
Katie
Totally agree with you. Your pastor sounds like an awesome person and gets what it means to educate instead of instigate!
As long as we can unpack those words with humility and precision, then we're in the clear. Once we use the intellect as a badge of honor, we sin.
The key is understanding.
While I understand your point, and agree that oftentimes people will use “pastor language” to make themselves feel better than or wiser than. However, I think rather than abandoning it we have to rescue it. We need to take the time to teach people what the “pastor language” means. Those Biblical terms carry significant meaning, meaning that I think oftentimes leads to a greater appreciation of what God has done and continues to do in our lives. If we abandon those words because not everyone understands them I think we cheat ourselves.
My pastor does this every week in his sermon. He does it in a way that people enjoy, that doesn't make them feel dumb, that isn't condescending. People in our church comment that they like that, they like learning the meaning behind those words. If they're going to come across them in Scripture, why not help them better understand it?
Katie
Totally agree with you. Your pastor sounds like an awesome person and gets what it means to educate instead of instigate!
As long as we can unpack those words with humility and precision, then we're in the clear. Once we use the intellect as a badge of honor, we sin.
The key is understanding.