*Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies by Marilyn McEntyre

Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies makes readers think through how to be better stewards of words.

*Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, 2nd edition by Marilyn McEntyre. Eerdmans, 2021. 248 pages.

Reading Level: Adults

Recommended For: Teens and adults, ages 15 and up

Words are entrusted to us as equipment for our life together, to help us survive, guide, and nourish one another…. Stewardship of such riches is a weighty responsibility, perhaps never more so than now, because as venues for the spoken and written word abound, so do the varieties of language abuse: propaganda, imprecision, clichés, and cant.

McEntyre, p. 2-3

Rarely have I read a book that has made me think—really think—about words and communication the way McEntyre’s book has. If you’ll forgive another (lengthy) quotation, read how McEntyre sets up our calling as wordsmith, or word-stewards:

To maintain usable and reliable language—the be good stewards of words—we have at least to do these three things: (1) deepen and sharpen our reading skills, (2) cultivate habits of speaking and listening that foster precision and clarity, and (3) practice poesis—to be makers and doers of the word. For these purposes we need regularly to exercise the tongue and the ear: to indulge in word play, to delight in metaphor, to practice specificity and accuracy, to listen critically and refuse clichés and sound bites that substitute for an authentic analysis. Such deliberate focus on language is not to be simply dismissed as an elitist enterprise. With over 26 million functionally illiterate people in this country, those of us who voluntarily and regularly pick up books, newspapers, and Bibles do, in fact, belong to a privileged group. Our job is not to eschew that privilege, but to use it for the sake of the whole.

~McEntyre, p. 10

After this inspirational opening, McEntyre unpacks various arenas in which we must practice stewardship: long sentences, poetry, and silence each get their due. She unapologetically champions hard reads even as she simultaneously challenges readers to find the beauty and interest in modern, colloquial, or unique forms of speech.

McEntyre writes from a mainline Protestant perspective, and she frequently uses phrases or highlights areas in today’s culture that are different from what I often think about (or hear discussed at my more conservative church). It is refreshing to read a book that challenges me to think about what I believe, to wrestle with what God calls us to as stewards of words, and to meditate on the applications of these ideas. There are ideas in this book with which I quibbled or outright disagreed; there are ideas in this book that made me read with pen in hand, underlining and commenting in the margin. Indeed, I had a veritable discussion with the author (metaphorically) as I read.

If you are a “word nerd” like me, someone who spends much time thinking about how our culture is mis-using language or intentionally twisting language, or simply a reader who enjoys a thought-provoking read, this book is for you. A bit esoteric in places, Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies is nonetheless highly readable, even for those who aren’t in academia or an author.

Considerations:

• Some of the author’s phrasings and ideas are not typical of more conservative Christian denominations; as such, if you consider your family as more conservative, this would be a book to read with your teen (as opposed to simply handing it off). Then again, we always advocate for reading with discernment!

Overall Rating: 4.75 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 5 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here. *indicates a starred review.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Review: Echoes of Eden by Jerram Barrs is a thought-provoking look at analyzing art (particularly literature) from a Christian perspective.
• A Resource:The Literary Nightstand is our collection of reviews of “books about books.”

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By Marilyn McEntyre / Eerdmans

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