Doing Theology, No. 20 August 2007
A bi-monthly theological reflection from the
School of Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
The ACC means what?
In these dog days of August, it’s easy to seek entertainment in front of a computer. It doesn’t involve much energy and certainly doesn’t require that I go outside in 100 degree weather.
Actually, it all started back in June, when I went to Credo, the Church Pension Group’s excellent program in which clergy are encouraged to reflect upon personal issues of vocation, spirituality, finances, and health. In preparation, I needed to consult my ancient submissions to the Church Deployment Office, known for years as the CDO. So I quickly typed CDO into my internet search, confident that our Episcopal Church site would show up.
That’s where the entertainment comes in. I first got the College of Dietitians of Ontario, then came Collateralized Debt Obligation, and next was Chromosome Deletion Outreach, which I don’t want to even think about. Kind of fun to see what acronyms turn up. Try it sometime. It reminds me that when I’ve written about Anglicanism and typed ACC for the Anglican Consultative Council, the thought immediately has come to mind that most folk around here won’t think of that when they see the ACC. ‘The ACC means what?’
But there’s a serious point to all this – at least by August standards – and that is how we may exclude by the language we use. Every organization or group does it; it’s natural to find shorthand ways to talk about common subjects. But terminology declares, loud and clear, that you are ‘in’ or ‘out.’ I’ve never liked the shorthand for the Episcopal Church Center in New York for that reason; calling our national offices ‘815’ (for 815 Second Avenue) may be easier, but it sure gives the message that you’re not in the know if you don’t recognize it.
‘God talk’ is especially prone toward an ‘in’ language… maybe not more than others, I admit; maybe I just notice it more. With the contribution the School of Ministry is to make to Christian education and formation, I recognize that there are some things we need to learn. Probably not abbreviations so much, but words that have meanings we need to grow to understand. A bunch of ‘ologies,’ like soteriology, come to mind. Even then, conversations among people of faith about salvation may not require technical terms in order to be valuable. I like what seems to me to be the thoughtfulness of Education for Ministry (see, I didn’t just say EfM!), where they encourage mastery of key aspects of our faith language while trying to keep their use from being barriers to understanding. Α and Ω may be important theological concepts, but they lose the power of Christ the alpha and omega if we don’t bother to name it in words we all can understand.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Spencer
