Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies (Audible Audio Edition) Marilyn Chandler McEntyre Jessica Schell Wm B Eerdmans Publishing Company Books
Download As PDF : Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies (Audible Audio Edition) Marilyn Chandler McEntyre Jessica Schell Wm B Eerdmans Publishing Company Books
Like any other life-sustaining resource," says Marilyn McEntyre, "language can be depleted, polluted, contaminated, eroded, and filled with artificial stimulants." Today more than ever, language needs to be rescued and restored. Drawing on a wide range of sources, both critical and literary, Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies is an engaging address to everyone concerned with preserving the vitality and precision of the spoken and written word.
Written with modesty, keen insight, and grace, Marilyn McEntyre's Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies proposes a revolution of human expression that would bring precision, honesty, and felicity to the spoken and written discourse of contemporary culture.
Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies (Audible Audio Edition) Marilyn Chandler McEntyre Jessica Schell Wm B Eerdmans Publishing Company Books
From “fake news” to “alternative facts,” we’re facing a crisis when it comes to the value and believability of words. I’m troubled by this on a number of levels. I’m troubled as a writer and editor who handles words for a living. I’m troubled as a reader and subscriber of various publications, running the gamut from news to opinion, right to left, “religious” to “secular,” high-brow to low. And, perhaps most of all, I’m troubled as a citizen, who is seeing confidence in the possibility of truthfulness vanishing from the public square before our very eyes.A few years ago, on the recommendation of a friend who stewards words as well as anyone I know, I read Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, who with remarkable prescience seemed to anticipate the coming storm before most of us did. The book was timely then. It’s even more so now.
McEntyre calls upon us to think a little more deeply than our typical reflexive selves normally do. She invites us to slow down, take a deep breath, and honestly assess the ways we make sense of the world around us – and particularly the ways in which we decide what we believe to be “true” in any given area of life.
In one especially poignant passage, McEntyre posits a series of questions – not about the other, but about ourselves – that I think would serve us well at this pivotal cultural moment:
What are my responsibilities as a citizen?
As a person of faith?
As a consumer?
As a leader?
As a parent?
As an educator?
What am I avoiding knowing?
Why?
What point of view am I protecting?
Why?
How have I arrived at my assumptions about what sources of information to rely on?
What limits my angle of vision?
Have I tried to imagine how one might arrive at a different conclusion?
How much evidence do I need to be convinced?
What kind of persuasion works most effectively for me?
How do I accredit or challenge authority?
She goes on to conclude: “The answers to these questions are not simply personal. Some of them involve serious theological reflection on the relationship between the Kingdom of God and the state, what it means to give Caesar what is Caesar’s and God what is God’s, and whether and how to participate in the conduct of worldly affairs. If you’re Mennonite or Amish, that boundary is drawn pretty clearly. But most of us, I think, are navigating the murky middle ground marked out between not-so-separate church and state, trying to resist manipulation, seek truth, and act on it justly in the ways that remain open to us.”
Resisting manipulation. Seeking truth. Acting justly. These pursuits, it seems to me, are unassailable for those of us who are troubled by “post-truth” developments in any sector of society – not least for those of us who claim to follow the One who is “the way, the truth, and the life.”
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Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies (Audible Audio Edition) Marilyn Chandler McEntyre Jessica Schell Wm B Eerdmans Publishing Company Books Reviews
McEntyre knocks it out of the park with her words
Insightful and delightful.
McEntyre's words are as persuasive as they are poetic, timely as they are trustworthy. A lyrical explanation of the value and significance of language. This may be the best book I read in 2018.
The book makes some great points about the diminished use of good words and vocabulary. No doubt our modern world uses too much hyperbole, figures of speech and slang which are often poor substitutes for proper grammar. Ms. McEntyre is obviously a very learned English professor and is passionate about this subject. She uses many examples from classical literature. I agree with most of her points but found her book to be a difficult read. I am accustomed to and prefer more concise and focused writing typical of business communications and non fiction literature.
I especially liked her section on conversations. Good conversationalists show a keen interest in what others are saying and ask probing questions. One thing I learned in sales training many years ago was that the best salespeople are always good listeners. Unfortunately, she is correct that this is a dying art form.
She really lost me in the section on falling in love with the long sentence. That may work with some people in fiction but is a non started in communications forms I use and am familiar with. I believe I would have had a much shorter career if I had fallen in love with long sentences.
A great read for anyone who considers words as valuable and powerful tools. It's helpful to strengthen ideas and offer substance to discussions as you share values with others to promote caring. Her own use of language in the writing of it is a fun journey to take with her.
I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone who loves language and words. It's a very challenging book insofar as it pushes one to consider the words they use and why the use them. There is a call to bring our speech back to the kind that gives life, but also be people who are slow to speak and quick to listen. Can't recommend it enough!
Wonderfully written and I can see author's careful choice of words throughout the book. However, the version has numerous grammatical errors. This book is about the words, thoughts, life and much more! So, please update the version to reflect the quality this book fully deserves) I thoroughly enjoyed it and will re-read the book to appreciate the words and well-crafted sentences!
From “fake news” to “alternative facts,” we’re facing a crisis when it comes to the value and believability of words. I’m troubled by this on a number of levels. I’m troubled as a writer and editor who handles words for a living. I’m troubled as a reader and subscriber of various publications, running the gamut from news to opinion, right to left, “religious” to “secular,” high-brow to low. And, perhaps most of all, I’m troubled as a citizen, who is seeing confidence in the possibility of truthfulness vanishing from the public square before our very eyes.
A few years ago, on the recommendation of a friend who stewards words as well as anyone I know, I read Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre, who with remarkable prescience seemed to anticipate the coming storm before most of us did. The book was timely then. It’s even more so now.
McEntyre calls upon us to think a little more deeply than our typical reflexive selves normally do. She invites us to slow down, take a deep breath, and honestly assess the ways we make sense of the world around us – and particularly the ways in which we decide what we believe to be “true” in any given area of life.
In one especially poignant passage, McEntyre posits a series of questions – not about the other, but about ourselves – that I think would serve us well at this pivotal cultural moment
What are my responsibilities as a citizen?
As a person of faith?
As a consumer?
As a leader?
As a parent?
As an educator?
What am I avoiding knowing?
Why?
What point of view am I protecting?
Why?
How have I arrived at my assumptions about what sources of information to rely on?
What limits my angle of vision?
Have I tried to imagine how one might arrive at a different conclusion?
How much evidence do I need to be convinced?
What kind of persuasion works most effectively for me?
How do I accredit or challenge authority?
She goes on to conclude “The answers to these questions are not simply personal. Some of them involve serious theological reflection on the relationship between the Kingdom of God and the state, what it means to give Caesar what is Caesar’s and God what is God’s, and whether and how to participate in the conduct of worldly affairs. If you’re Mennonite or Amish, that boundary is drawn pretty clearly. But most of us, I think, are navigating the murky middle ground marked out between not-so-separate church and state, trying to resist manipulation, seek truth, and act on it justly in the ways that remain open to us.”
Resisting manipulation. Seeking truth. Acting justly. These pursuits, it seems to me, are unassailable for those of us who are troubled by “post-truth” developments in any sector of society – not least for those of us who claim to follow the One who is “the way, the truth, and the life.”
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