Today I received a book for a study on the history of the church movements as pertains to our denomination. I joined the study late so have 6 chapters plus the one for the beginning of the month to do. "Piece of cake" I thought as I am a speed reader. Not so, says the book!I have found more words in the first 30 pages that I do not know the meaning of than I have found in the last 2 years. The dictionary is just a smoking!!
This is "The Concise English Dictionary " C 1984. Fortunately the words are in it, but sometimes refer to another word which boils down to an easy meaning. Words like "glossolalia, hermeneutics, exegesis, eschatology, and soteriology". All these in just the first 30 pages!
My point is "Why not use the easy to understand, non-conbumbulated meaning?" Is it to make the authors look educated? Seriously, can anyone talk these words on a daily basis?
I think it is mainly to make the reader suffer! It's working!!
Now I have to get off this rant and get on with the next hundred pages, then try to do a historical (read- hysterical) graph of the history presented so that finally, maybe, I can understand what these folks are saying!
Do you ever get frustrated with things like this? If so, let me know, as misery loves company.
Thanks for the opportunity to vent!
Ian, I come from the other side of the coin. There are so many great theological words that we no longer use that we have dumbed down the bible and each time that we do we loose rich and precious meaning. For example, we rarely use the word expiate or propitiate but these contain and convey such rich meaning. Words mean something and we need to know their meaning. Exegesis is a good work, so is hermeneutics, etc. They convey specific things that we are allowing to go by the wayside for ease and convenience sake.
ReplyDeleteHang in there. Take your time. Keep the dictionary handy. I would advise you to get a Theological Dictionary, or a Dictionary of the Bible or a Bible Encyclopedia in order to really learn biblical terminology.
You gave five examples of words. Everyone of them is needed to be understood today in order to help people see the truth about them, know the error attached to them and to not be taken captive by those who ignore, abuse, redefine, or otherwise teach incorrectly about them. Not one of those words are extraneous.
Ian, oh yeah! Some books are beyond me. I agree it's good to know the theology, but put it in laymans terms to understand. Hope you get a big blessing for persevering!
ReplyDeleteIt looks overwhelming now but, you'll be so happy once you get really smart and know big answers! :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a neat study!
My got a headache just reading the big words in this post! Like glossolalia, hermeneutics, exegesis, eschatology, and soteriology and of course let's not leave out... non-conbumbulated. Say what!!!
ReplyDeleteI believe books are written with a goal in mind. That goal is to get people to read the book. When I pick up a book I read the first couple of paragraphs ( sometimes the first page ) and make up my mind whether I want to buy it or not. If the writer uses big words to prove he is smarter than me, he probably is. Therefore, I don't buy the book. It is not that I don't want to improve myself, it is that I don't have time for egotistic writers.
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