'Christian-ese' - What do we do with it?

[ImaginaryDay2]

I just finished reading an article from a blog that I get in my FB news feed. The blog is from a conservative evangelical site ("Crosswalk") that's famous for what I call "Christian-ese" - language that is shrouded in some sort of gobbledy-gook that suggests I ought to understand, but just leaves me scratching my head. The article in question contained this 'snippet' of a sentance:

"...if you are seeking to be a believer who lives out Christ authentically seven days a week..."

Leaving aside the subject matter of the article (it really isn't important to the thread, trust me), what am I to make of statements such as "lives out Christ authentically"? What does "lives out Christ" mean? Have we lost the ability to speak plainly; to be understood?

This is often the same reaction I have when I try to read a bible version popular with evangelicals. I will be reading along just fine, but then will come to a statement or verse that makes no sense, and I have to look it up in another version to understand what the heck is being said. Just baffling

 

[MoreCoffee]

I just finished reading an article from a blog that I get in my FB news feed. The blog is from a conservative evangelical site ("Crosswalk") that's famous for what I call "Christian-ese" - language that is shrouded in some sort of gobbledy-gook that suggests I ought to understand, but just leaves me scratching my head. The article in question contained this 'snippet' of a sentance:

"...if you are seeking to be a believer who lives out Christ authentically seven days a week..."

Leaving aside the subject matter of the article (it really isn't important to the thread, trust me), what am I to make of statements such as "lives out Christ authentically"? What does "lives out Christ" mean? Have we lost the ability to speak plainly; to be understood?

This is often the same reaction I have when I try to read a bible version popular with evangelicals. I will be reading along just fine, but then will come to a statement or verse that makes no sense, and I have to look it up in another version to understand what the heck is being said. Just baffling

Christian jargon is annoying. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has its own variety. I've seen it in Systematic Theology books from Reformed people too. It is a kind of semi-secret code language for use by members of the group. It is a kind of gibberish. The "sober" version of speaking in tongues.

 

[tango]

The great thing about Christianese is that it lets the speaker sound incredibly spiritual (one might say anointed) by using lots of fine sounding words while actually saying nothing of any substance.

On another Christian board I used to use some years ago we had a resident atheist who was really very good at cutting through the waffle and asking direct questions that made a lot of people start spinning wildly. If someone gave helpful advice like "plead the blood of Jesus" he'd typically ask them to describe just how one goes about doing such a thing. Needless to say the person couldn't say anything because it's a catchphrase that doesn't actually mean much of anything at all.

It is a problem because it's very easy for the young and impressionable to be swept up by the tidal wave of fine sounding rhetoric, only to eventually realise that there's actually nothing behind it all. Along the way they get administered a heavy dose of Jesus serum that makes them largely immune to the real deal.

 

[Rens]

We always got taught in church to talk normal and not christianese but it's almost impossible not to. Especially when talking to atheists I notice how stupid I talk. Lololol once on an atheist forum there was a guy who got so mad at me, the atheist mods almost wanted to ban him. I was so enthousiastic. I said: God will send the fire in Holland! He thought I meant: God is gonna burn the place with real fire. Then I realized he'd never been on a Catch the fire meeting. Once Snerfle said something unkind about the Toronto blessing and I was listening to their music so I said: ah take another drink!
(get filled with the Holy Spirit, soaky soaky)
LOL he said: that was uncalled for!

 

[Lamb]

I was once told that some of my wording was Christianese and yet some of the words I said to that friend was actual Latin that he didn't know! I had been talking about the liturgy. He said don't use those words. But yet they best described what was happening and I told him if I went to a baseball games I needed to know the terminology and couldn't expect others to dumb down those terms all for me.

I agree that some of the more modern phrases of Christians isn't found in the bible or history and puts people off. But people repeat what they hear at church thinking it's normal. Kind of like people in neighborhoods repeating what others around them are saying like, "Chillax!"

 

[Brighten04]

I get into trouble a lot because I quote scripture when I talk. It just bubbles out while i am speaking.People look at me sometimes like I have grown a second head. LOL!

 

[Lamb]

I get into trouble a lot because I quote scripture when I talk. It just bubbles out while i am speaking.People look at me sometimes like I have grown a second head. LOL!

Especially if it's the KJV you're using to talk to them :rotfl:

 

[MoreCoffee]

I get into trouble a lot because I quote scripture when I talk. It just bubbles out while i am speaking.People look at me sometimes like I have grown a second head. LOL!

I allude to or quote from holy scripture a lot in my posts but sometimes I am not sure if that is noticed or not.

 

[Brighten04]

Especially if it's the KJV you're using to talk to them :rotfl:

:lol: Yep!

 

[Lamb]

:lol: Yep!

I think on April Fools Day we should all speak to each other in KJV speak ONLY KJV type of talk! LOL

 

[Brighten04]

I think on April Fools Day we should all speak to each other in KJV speak ONLY KJV type of talk! LOL

I thinkest thou hast a good idea. LOL.:rotfl:

 

[MoreCoffee]

I thinkest thou hast a good idea. LOL.:rotfl:

Me thinks thou art naughty!

 

[psalms 91]

I thinkest thou hast a good idea. LOL.:rotfl:

Me thinkest maybe to much time on your hands lol

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

The funny thing is I was raised on KJV (Thanks Grandma Ketels! ), and it makes more sense to me than some 'modern' versions. It just seems that in an effort to make things palatable to the masses (i.e. sound the best to the most people ) there's been a whole culture shift to a language that engages in euphemism as a primary way to communicate.

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

The great thing about Christianese is that it lets the speaker sound incredibly spiritual (one might say anointed) by using lots of fine sounding words while actually saying nothing of any substance.

On another Christian board I used to use some years ago we had a resident atheist who was really very good at cutting through the waffle and asking direct questions that made a lot of people start spinning wildly. If someone gave helpful advice like "plead the blood of Jesus" he'd typically ask them to describe just how one goes about doing such a thing. Needless to say the person couldn't say anything because it's a catchphrase that doesn't actually mean much of anything at all.

It is a problem because it's very easy for the young and impressionable to be swept up by the tidal wave of fine sounding rhetoric, only to eventually realise that there's actually nothing behind it all. Along the way they get administered a heavy dose of Jesus serum that makes them largely immune to the real deal.

Resident Atheists are good for discussions, I've found - especially if respect is given and returned. On another board, there was one who posted frequently in the married couples forum, and I was often left thinking that he had better insight and advice than most Christians who were posting there. Advice from Christians (not that it was wrong, but it was typically the same) usually fell into categories of 1) Get Christian counseling; 2) Talk to the Pastor; 3) Pray with him/her and read the bible; or 4) Separate/divorce. All good advice, and sometimes it fit, but it didn't address issues. The Atheist member would address issues - "Here's what my wife and I do...". I wondered about the strength of his marriage often, because he came with strategies instead of 'fix it' answers.

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

Christian jargon is annoying. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has its own variety. I've seen it in Systematic Theology books from Reformed people too. It is a kind of semi-secret code language for use by members of the group. It is a kind of gibberish. The "sober" version of speaking in tongues.

Sometimes Jargon can be helpful - if it captures an idea to the point it can be easily explained. Then, if it's not clear, it can be expanded on. An example might be (In A.A.) "One Day at a Time!". It's a neat reminder that those in sobriety only have one day at a time to take care of themselves and do what they need to do to stay sober. It's a good little reminder. So it makes sense, and can be explained. But I'm not going to end a conversation with someone who wouldn't know that with "Well, Joe, good to see ya! One day at a time!"

"Living out Christ authentically seven days a week" might have a similar meaning, but for those not in the know, does it really belong in a blog going to thousands of people?

 

[Brighten04]

Me thinkest maybe to much time on your hands lol

Oh, don't be a spoil sport. It could be fun.

 

[psalms 91]

perhaps:;-D:

 

[Lamb]

The funny thing is I was raised on KJV (Thanks Grandma Ketels! ), and it makes more sense to me than some 'modern' versions. It just seems that in an effort to make things palatable to the masses (i.e. sound the best to the most people ) there's been a whole culture shift to a language that engages in euphemism as a primary way to communicate.

It's definitely an easier version to memorize verses! That's the version that comes to mind when someone mentions a verse I know well (unless it's a verse from a choir song!).

 

[MoreCoffee]

It's definitely an easier version to memorize verses! That's the version that comes to mind when someone mentions a verse I know well (unless it's a verse from a choir song!).

For me any version that uses unusual phrasing and striking phrases is easy to remember. The bible that Jehovah's witnesses produced is easy to remember because its English is very clumsy - though the 2013 edition is considerably improved over then 1984 edition - the KJV, Douay Rheims Bible, some of the Jerusalem Bible are examples of English bibles that are easy for me to remember.