I ran across a blog maintained by Wartburg Theological Seminary called “The Persistent Voice” that has many interesting posts. The blog’s subtitle is “Addressing issues of gender and justice across the globe.” Wartburg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which I knew absolutely nothing about, but I found it interesting. The ELCA has been having their own interior battles over inclusion, especially in regard to GLBT folks, but they seem to be ahead of many churches who take the label “evangelical.” By ahead, I mean they are making progress toward full inclusion, much to the dismay of their more conservative members.
Anyway, here are a couple of excerpts from an article entitled “Inclusive Language: Images for God and Humanity” by Alan Dreyer:
“Inclusive language to me is about being able to proclaim God and the gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that no one will feel that they are excluded. Or to put it another way, in such a way that everyone may have not one, but multiple images that help them to know God and the gospel.”
and:
“The use of inclusive language in regard to both humanity and God is not a restriction or a law. Rather it offers freedom to proclaim welcome to all of us who have our own broken realities and freedom to experience the multifaceted attributes of God in new and meaningful ways.”
You can read the whole thing here: Inclusive Language: Images for God and Humanity
other links:
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Wikipedia on ELCA
Wartburg Theological Seminary
The Persistent Voice