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The following
guidelines are to assist students in meeting the Seminary's policy
on the use of inclusive language. This statement is adapted
from a brochure "The Use of Inclusive Language in the Worship of the
Church" produced by Wesley Theological Seminary (1982).
Rationale for Inclusive Language
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
is a message to all people in all places. Jesus reached out to men
and women, poor and rich, to bring all
people into God's fold. The kingdom of God includes all types of
people;
therefore, our language should reflect this inclusivity and equality
among the
people of God. Traditional language is often sexist in that the
ideal person
or the universal person is male. Thus, people often say "a man" when
they mean "a person." Sexist, limited language can cause
great harm in a church committed to unity and equality.
Moravian Theological Seminary endorses and requires the use of inclusive
language (which intentionally includes men and women) in all written
work.
Principles and Examples of Inclusive Language
Freedom to adapt materials
a. Students are expected to use inclusive language in all original
compositions (i.e., papers and sermons).
b. Hymns in the public domain (materials not protected by copyright)
may be freely adapted for inclusive language, such as one may translate
a hymn into another language. It is wise to see if a piece is under
copyright, and, if it is, to request permission of the author. This
holds true whenever a hymn is reproduced, even if no changes are
made.
c. Direct scriptural quotations should be altered only if allowed
by the original language. In other words, be prepared to translate
a passage
from the original Greek or Hebrew before changing the language.
It is helpful to consult several versions (RSV, NIV, TEV, etc.);
however,
one should use a single version throughout a worship service.
d. Liturgies and responsive readings which paraphrase scripture
may be altered for worship purposes.
e. Quotations from other documents or writers should not be altered,
but may be paraphrased if desired.
Use of language for human beings
a. Alternative terms for mankind/sons of God/brothers
- people of God
- people
- sons and daughters of God
- humanity
- heirs of God
- persons
- the family of God
- everyone
- the family of faith
- all
- kindred
- folk
b. Use of plural pronouns instead of singular ones
Exclusive: The preacher who uses exclusive language will soon discover
that he is in hot water with some of his listeners.
Inclusive: Preachers who use exclusive language will soon discover
that they are in hot water with some of their listeners.
Inclusive language concerning God
In using language about God, we must hold to two basic theological
principles regarding God. One, God is personal. Two, God is beyond
human characteristics and limits; therefore, God is not a sexual being.
This is sometimes difficult to do. If one uses the neuter pronoun "it" to
describe God, one depersonalizes God in the process. However, to use
the pronoun "he" makes God male. Some people solve this dilemma
by never using pronouns for God at all. This however, may be awkward
and impersonal.
One acceptable approach is to reduce the number of pronouns while
increasing the number of feminine images for God. Traditionally,
churches have
failed to use the feminine images for God contained in the Bible
(e.g. Deut. 32:18, Isa. 42:14, Isa. 46:3-4, Matt. 23:37).
Aesthetic Concerns
While inclusive language and theology are certainly important considerations,
concern for aesthetics and clarity should not be lost. Students
are expected to respect the rules of grammar while using inclusive
language.
This requires much work in some cases. Some hymns or liturgies
may have to be discarded or completely rewritten while others
may be
simply adapted to fit current needs.
The Bookstore generally stocks inclusive language resources, and
instructors are always willing to help students find inclusive
means of expression.
There are no uniform answers to the problem of sex-biased language,
but through concerted efforts workable solutions can be found.
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