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What Language Shall I Borrow?: God-Talk in Worship, A Male Response to Feminist Theology
264 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 30, 2024
I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to read this book. I think I was worried that, since it was published in 1989, that it would be somehow superseded by more recent books I have read. Well, I was wrong. This remains an excellent and very relevant book about how we name God in public worship, particularly in song. But it is not limited to this - it also includes much good theology about the nature of God, and the key message of liberation that comes from Christianity.
There are some aspects that are dated (e.g. the very present threat of nuclear war, gender being simply binary) but the work is still very relevant because sadly, we still live in a very hierarchical and patriarchal society (both in and outside the church).
Wren begins by stating his conviction that male dominance and the construction of masculinity are theological problems for all of us. This is still true, and because language is so limited (and limiting) it is important that we keep experimenting with new ways to describe the nature of God, and God's impact on us within our human experience. Sadly, Wren's analysis of the hymnal of his time is still pretty accurate about most hymnals and many worship services.
Wren provides good background reading on why the search for new, and more inclusive, ways of speaking about God is important. His introductory chapters provide a great overview of thinking about the constructs of “masculine and feminine nature”. The language we use shapes our behaviour, and that of our community. Church language has been used to reinforce hierarchies, and although the language is "Biblical", the insistence of using "Biblical" language (i.e. masculine language) entrenches the hierarchies that Christ worked to dismantle. Parts of it are a bit dry, and overly detailed and read a bit too much like a PhD thesis, but many parts are excellent and thought-provoking. I liked Wren's assertion that Jesus' call to name God as Father was a subversive act, but that continuing to use that term no longer has the same impact; now it simply reinforces patriarchal thinking.
I think the main message for me is to use a variety of metaphors for God, in prayer and song. For me, this will include sometimes shifting the order in which I speak about the Trinity (if they are not a heirarchy, why do we always say their names in the same order?).
Ultimately, removing patriarchal language and behaviour from worship is still worth doing. Since language is inadequate, we need many metaphors to save us from falling into familiar patterns that reinforce society’s cultural norms rather than expressing the challenge that Christianity brings to the dominant culture. I worry that in trying to limit the use of masculine language for God, I have ended up choosing images that are "bland", and need to think about this more.
There are some aspects that are dated (e.g. the very present threat of nuclear war, gender being simply binary) but the work is still very relevant because sadly, we still live in a very hierarchical and patriarchal society (both in and outside the church).
Wren begins by stating his conviction that male dominance and the construction of masculinity are theological problems for all of us. This is still true, and because language is so limited (and limiting) it is important that we keep experimenting with new ways to describe the nature of God, and God's impact on us within our human experience. Sadly, Wren's analysis of the hymnal of his time is still pretty accurate about most hymnals and many worship services.
Wren provides good background reading on why the search for new, and more inclusive, ways of speaking about God is important. His introductory chapters provide a great overview of thinking about the constructs of “masculine and feminine nature”. The language we use shapes our behaviour, and that of our community. Church language has been used to reinforce hierarchies, and although the language is "Biblical", the insistence of using "Biblical" language (i.e. masculine language) entrenches the hierarchies that Christ worked to dismantle. Parts of it are a bit dry, and overly detailed and read a bit too much like a PhD thesis, but many parts are excellent and thought-provoking. I liked Wren's assertion that Jesus' call to name God as Father was a subversive act, but that continuing to use that term no longer has the same impact; now it simply reinforces patriarchal thinking.
I think the main message for me is to use a variety of metaphors for God, in prayer and song. For me, this will include sometimes shifting the order in which I speak about the Trinity (if they are not a heirarchy, why do we always say their names in the same order?).
Ultimately, removing patriarchal language and behaviour from worship is still worth doing. Since language is inadequate, we need many metaphors to save us from falling into familiar patterns that reinforce society’s cultural norms rather than expressing the challenge that Christianity brings to the dominant culture. I worry that in trying to limit the use of masculine language for God, I have ended up choosing images that are "bland", and need to think about this more.
December 8, 2024
A great introduction to considering the language used in Christian worship. Still relevant!
March 19, 2015
Though now 25 years old, this book remains a thoughtful and viable reflection on the whole question of inclusive language. I particularly appreciate Wren's insistence that attending to matters of gender in our God-talk does not mean that we have to reduce everything to neutral or non-personal language.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews