Today we tend to use the word ‘professor’ to mean “a teacher of the highest rank in a university department” (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English). Mind you, Americans often apply the title to any teacher at college level, and, in Aussie English, ‘professor’ can be used jokingly of anyone who either has, or pretends to have, a lot of knowledge. So today the word ‘professor’ is linked to this notion of having a great deal of knowledge. (more…)
Category Archives: Language
The ever-flowing river of language
Couldn't Help Noticing
As a linguistic pedant, I’ve grown to love the precision of Kel Richards and his WordWatch column. As a Bible-believing evangelical, I can see the merit in calling myself a ‘fundamentalist’ in the more literal sense of the word. So imagine my horror when Kel Richards took such a term to task some time ago (Briefing #301, 2003). But he was right that “words don’t stand still… in the ever-flowing river that is the English language”. Hence I have reluctantly relinquished the label—at least for now. (more…)
On the dangers of Christian shorthand: ‘The gospel’, ‘gospel work’ and ‘gospel workers’
Pastoral Ministry
Continuing our series of articles on Christian shorthand and its dangers, Christopher Ash explains why we should be careful of talking about the ‘gospel’ too much. (more…)