Revision matters because language matters.

The House of Deputies Special Committee on Sexual Harassment and Exploitation, called into being back in January to examine the impact of sexism and misogyny in the church, has released its report. In addition to issues of structural equity, training, social justice and truth and reconciliation, the report also addresses theology and language, saying in part,

“We began our work by exploring how theology and language perpetuate sexism and misogyny within and outside the Church. We discussed the power of language to shape reality, the resultant need for inclusive language about humanity, and the challenges created by the preponderance of masculine language about God in liturgy and in other contexts in the Church.”

They offer several resolutions addressing liturgical language, including D036, which calls on the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to begin a revision process immediately, “recogniz[ing] the urgent pastoral and evangelical need for revision of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, particularly in regard to the use of inclusive and expansive language for humanity and divinity”; broadening our freedom to use inclusive- and expansive-language liturgical texts, including “replacing masculine-gendered language for God with feminine or neutral language” in Book of Common Prayer liturgical texts; and a resolution on bias-free langauge that includes, in the Explanation section, some very helpful suggestions for writing bias-free text.

The explanation for the resolution on expansive language states (emphasis added):

“Language shapes reality. Use of expansive God-language enables Christians to claim freedom and dignity as human beings created in the image and likeness of God. The predominantly masculine language of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer limits our vision and creates a context in which male dominance and power is considered normative… There is an urgent pastoral and evangelistic need to address the disconnect between our theology and the exclusively male God-language in our liturgies.”

After hearing so many say that we shouldn’t be wasting time and resources on liturgical revision, I find it incredibly refreshing to see this report name clearly and fiercely that our liturgical langauge is far too important not to fix.

Commenting on the Report on the Crusty Old Dean blog, Tom Ferguson writes:

“ Language matters, the language we use about God matters, and the language we use in worship matters…. We need a universally authorized BCP that reflects inclusive language. For almost a generation we have treated inclusive language as the kids’ table to the real table of the official BCP. For nearly 40 years. For a church that talks about how praying shapes believing, how can we not realize that if we are fully to dismantle systems that privilege maleness, how can we have the current Prayer Book as normative?”

Amen. I will be watching these resolutions closely — and advocating for them, when I have the opportunity.

If you’re in Austin, say hello! I have Revision Matters buttons to share!

Read the full Special Committee report and resolutions here.