The percentage of Americans fluent in "church speak" or the insider language used in many Christian faith communities has been waning for multiple generations. Realistically, we should expect even fewer people to understand this insider language in the future. Barbara Bush Yesterday I watched a good portion of Barbara Bush's funeral service. I immediately noticed the production effort involved in making the occasion fully accessible to a broad audience that may not be Read More …
speaking Christian
Review: Days of Awe and Wonder (#1674)
Marcus Borg (1942-2015) was one of the wisest sages and clearest voices in progressive Christianity. His work has greatly influenced my understanding of the Way of Jesus. Since I have been publishing an annual list of the top ten books published each year, only a handful of authors have appeared on the list more than once. Marcus Borg is the only author to appear four times 2010 – Putting Away Childish Things, 2011 – Speaking Christian, 2012 – Evolution of the Word, and 2014 – Read More …
Remembering Marcus Borg (#1517)
I knew Marcus Borg primarily through his writings. He is the only person to be featured on my top ten books of the year list four times (the following links are to the annual listings and to my specific book reviews when available) 2010 - Putting Away Childish Things, 2011 - Speaking Christian, 2012 - Evolution of the Word, and 2014 - Convictions. Patheos has created a page featuring remembrances of Marcus Borg by a long and diverse list of folks including Brian McLaren, Jenny Read More …
Speaking Christian (#1114)
Tripp Crosby and Tyler Stanton created a two minute video, Shoot Christians Say, that offers a humorous look at just how out of hand and awkward Christian-speak can be. If you have been a part of any faith community that utilized contemporary Christian religious language you will catch on quickly. So What? When people of faith rely on insider language and contemporary religious buzzwords, it confuses newcomers and often adds unnecessary complexity. Take a few minutes and Read More …