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SEASON 2

Words don’t have meaning, they have function. They signify something beyond them. A “chair” is a “chair” because we call it a chair. If, for the rest of this conversation, I refer to a chair as a “snoggledorf,” you would know that I am still talking about a piece of furniture on which you sit. The word “chair” means nothing; it merely signifies something else. “Chair,” functions as a pointer to the object.

The language we use in faith is the same way, but when discussing the mystery of the divine and our interaction with it, we are limited by words. Those de-/re-constructing from toxic evangelicalism are left in a challenging position as they come to terms with such limits of language in the discussion about faith, trapped by the old and often poorly informed sentiments of American-brand Christianity. What words can we use to talk about our experience with things beyond our ability to describe them? How do we relate concepts of faith and religion that allow us to broaden our imaginations without feeling harmed in the process by the trauma of past experience?

This season of The Pilgrim House podcast will explore the the limits of language in conversations about faith by tearing down such cliched expressions as “are you saved?” or “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle” or “have you prayed about it?” and re-tool our words toward something good, broad, and imaginative.