It’s late spring as I write this, and Billy Graham has recently died and the United States is having a national reckoning with sexual abuse and exploitation. As it happens, there is a Christianese phrase that touches on both those points: the Billy Graham rule.
The January/February 2018 issue of Christianity Today hit newsstands this week, so let’s see what interesting Christian jargon and Christianese slang can be found in its pages.
Read moreChristianese analysis of Christianity Today magazine, January/February 2018 issue
A “god shot” is when God miraculously causes something beneficial to happen to you or for you.
Back in February I was interviewed by Alina Simone, a producer for the public radio program World in Words. We talked about Christianese in general and about my Dictionary of Christianese project in particular.
Read moreinterview on the “World in Words” radio show (aired 3/29/17)
Christians sometime say that God is a “God of second chances.” Where did this saying come from, and what does it mean?
A “baby Christian” is a person who has recently converted to Christianity.
Does your church count “nickels and noses”?
In a 7-11 song, you might sing “Oh, thank heaven,” but hopefully you’re not praising a cherry-limeade Slurpee. The truth is that “7-11 songs” are contemporary worship songs with repetitive, simplistic lyrics.
What sorts of Christianese words and phrases appeared in the June issue of Christianity Today? Let’s find out.
Read moreanalysis of Christianese in Christianity Today’s June 2015 issue
The Christianese word “evana” has been making the rounds on a few Christian news websites. The term “evana” is a blend of the terms “evangelical” and “anabaptist.” It refers to a recently re-organized network of conservative anabaptists.