Saturday, May 12, 2012

"I Never Knew That!"

Except, I did.

Growing up in the Christian church, the language of evangelism is spoken from the pulpit. The phrases are usually direct quotations from the Bible, and reference specific theological ideas. Which of course, makes them what French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu called the habitus.

An example of habitus is the scene in Inglorious Basterds where the English spy betrays himself to the Germans by using the wrong three fingers to order drinks. It's how the "in crowd" recognizes you as an outsider, because for that group, the gestures and language are as natural as breathing.

I find myself shying away from using these terms because to me they sound fake. Though I believe in the concepts they refer to, I've heard them used so often that they feel like glib and easy ways to discuss difficult or profound truths.

This video is amazing. It was created by the Bel Air Presbyterian Church, and I love when Christians can poke gentle fun at ourselves.


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