Taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ (2 Cor. 10.5)

Disciplines
Language
“You keep on using that word. I’m not sure it means what you think it means.” So the Spaniard accosted the Sicilian in the classic film, The Princess Bride, on his frequently exclaiming, “Inconceivable!” whenever he was presented with a troubling situation.

In 1692 John Ray published a book entitled The Wisdom of God manifested in the Works of Creation. Ray was the greatest biologist of his day. He pioneered the work of identifying and classifying the various flora and fauna of Britain and Europe. In the process, he established foundations for taxonomical work in biology and botany on which scientists still stand today. In his book he sought to demonstrate the many ways that the individual works of creation demonstrate the existence of God and encourage faith in and worship of Him.

I draw attention to Ray in order to suggest the power of language in shaping worldviews and culture. What Ray referred to as “creation” is today known as “nature.” Even among most Christians, the world around us of trees, birds, stars, sky, flowers, insects, and seas is typically thought of as “nature” rather than “creation.” And in exchanging those terms, we have exchanged an entire worldview, one that is transcendent, mysterious, majestic, and sublime for one that is sensual, pragmatic, and centered on man and his wants.

This change of terminology is the result of the secular and scientific revolution, and of the change of thinking about the world that accompanied that 19^th century movement. For the naturalistic scientist, the cosmos is not creation but nature. It is merely stuff – all “naturally” occurring – carrying no implicit meaning or significance. It is nature, and it awaits the work of men to define its parts and explain their proper use.

The language of materialism has replaced the language of theological reflection in the sciences. As I pointed out in the March 19 edition of The Week, referring to the “Creator” or “creation” is strictly verboten these days in scientific circles. Thus the scientific community strictly enforces the materialistic worldview within which its work proceeds, unfettered by any divine standards of right or wrong.

Control the language, and you can control not only thought but culture as well.

Language can be a somewhat fragile thing, as Ryan Bradley discovered in an interview with linguist Sarah Thomason (“Language Leakage: An Interview with Sarah Thomason,” The Paris Review, March 30, 2016). Languages can become overwhelmed, transformed, even eliminated when they clash with other, more powerful, languages. “Cultures shift, languages change, and there are a lot things other than force that make people give up their language and start speaking somebody else’s.”

Very often, when languages change or die, the worldview and culture they support changes, too, and can even be lost.

The language of Christian faith has suffered from dilution, addition, and redefinition over the past hundred years, so that what believers in previous generations took for granted when they used certain terms is no longer regarded with the same understanding. Most believers today may still use the language of “creation,” but they do not hold to the same ideas as our forebears in the faith. For most Christians, God does not actually rule the cosmos; nor did He specially create it. The cosmos is the result of natural processes which God may or may not have harnessed, but which He is bound to abide by, at any rate.

Similar changes of language – whether of omission, addition, or redefinition – in the areas of Biblical studies, pastoral ministry, and ethics have changed the ways Christians today understand and pursue these areas of church life.

The result is a lack of clarity on even such foundational Christian ideas as discipleship, shepherding, preaching, worship, and the Kingdom of God. The language we use in referring to such ideas has lost clear definition because of the pervasive influence of relativism, pragmatism, and narcissism. We keep on using the terms, but I’m convinced we no longer have the slightest idea of what they mean. Most church leaders assume that such terms have only vague or general definitions, and that we are therefore free to interpret them as we see fit, given the circumstances of our congregation and the needs of our community.

Forfeit the language of the faith, or dilute it with the brackish waters of relativism, materialism, narcissism, and commercialism, and you lose the faith once for all handed down to the saints, leaving, in its place, a pale reflection of the true faith, garbed in contemporary adornments, and devoid of Biblical and spiritual power. Having given up our own language, and embraced the vernacular of our contemporaries, we have lost sight of the true nature of the faith and are languishing in a form of near Christianity, using all the familiar terms, but without any of the historic meaning or power.

For reflection
1.  How does your church define the term, “discipleship”? Or “Kingdom of God”? Or “worship”? Are these terms we’re free to define as we see fit? Explain.

2.  How confident are you that the worship of your church is conducted according to the pattern of Scripture and not just the temper of the times?

3.  Does it matter whether we think of the cosmos as “creation” or “nature”? Explain.

How does the language of secularism – relativistic, narcissistic, individualistic, pragmatic, and materialistic – affect the way we talk about and live our Christian faith? Are we giving into the language of the world rather than holding fast to the language of Scripture? Talk with some friends about these questions.

The Week features insights from a wide range of topics and issues, with a view to equipping the followers of Christ to take every thought captive for Jesus. Please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.