BetweenReligiousRocksQ&A
9/26/06
10:50 AM
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CHRISTIAN JARGON
Do I need to learn and use
“Christian-ese”?
I’m finding it hard to communicate with some of the
Christians I have met. No one I know talks the way
people do in the church I am attending. Can you help?
Q
There are several schools of thought about in-house
Christian vocabulary. On the one hand, there are technical terms, as with any discipline or endeavor, needed to accurately define Christian belief and practice. Using specific
terminology enables us to be concise and accurate, and to avoid
misunderstanding.
Here’s a few technical terms that are necessary to accurately explain some of the complexities of the Christian faith:
A
Atonement
Eschatology
Hermeneutics
Incarnation
Justification
Sanctification
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On the other hand, if we wish to reach a wider audience
than our own holy huddles, then we will attempt to contextualize Christian faith and practice into the common language of
our day and age. Many people, Christians and non-Christians
alike, do not relate to the technical terminology of Christianity.
There might be times when they need to learn it, but there are
times when its use might be a negative, for the terms simply fly
over the top of their heads and little or no real communication
takes place.
There are also times when imprecise clichés gain a wide following and become a barrier for anyone who is outside of the
particular Christian “club” that favors the use of such terms and
phrases. “Christian-ese” is an appropriate description of this
sub-language, and while it may have meaning for insiders and
initiates, to others it represents a communication barrier rather
than a bridge. Here are a few examples of “Christian-ese” that I
personally find unnecessary and perhaps even elitist:
Ask Jesus into your heart
Claim the blood
Coming up alongside
Feeding on the word
Having a burden
Journeying mercies
“Just”—as in “Lord, we “just” thank you for. . .
Lift Jesus up
Share your testimony
Witness
Finally, there are obsolete terms which come primarily
from the King James Version of 1611 that seem to make people
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feel more religious if they use them. But once again, they are
dated and have meaning only for a select few, and certainly do
not communicate with 21st century humanity. Along with the
obvious “thees” and “thous” here are a few additional examples:
Admonition
Backslide
Concupiscence
Doleful
Kindred
Mammon
Smite
Surety
Using a modern Bible translation can help with the obsolete language. As far as “Christian-ese,” I believe it helps to
explain to others that the terminology they are using seems
narrow and provincial, and that “normal” vocabulary will
enhance effective communication. In terms of technical terms,
we have to understand that there are accurate and precise terms
that must be used to avoid misunderstandings.
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