Master 241: Writing style

I'm a pretty self-conscious writer, I think. That may not be a good thing. That often means that it takes me an inordinately long time to write things. The process of writing and revising and revising and revising can be rather arduous. Because of this, it's interesting to notice patterns in my writing--especially patterns that I didn't consciously adopt, but which seem to reflect very definite values and ways of seeing the world.

The pattern that I want to highlight here is a tendency to couple things together a lot. A-and-B. C-and-D. Take, as an example, the following excerpt from the essay from my application to teach at APU.

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I believe, not only that studying philosophy is worthwhile as one way of loving God and living with Him in His kingdom and world, but also that it is helpful and relevant to the general task of growing and maturing disciples. (Connected with this second point) I think that one strong impetus for philosophical inquiry comes from the experience of cultures and worldviews in conflict. Anyone presented with such a plethora of perspectives and value-systems as we find in contemporary western culture must wonder, as many have wondered throughout history, whether there is a way to know the truth about what is most real, what is good, and how best to live life. In most cases, I fear, failure to engage intentionally with these questions results just in one's unreflectively accepting some jumbled assortment of answers received from the loudest and most pervasive cultural voices. For many who would be disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, then, part of that journey will consist in taking some time to carefully consider these foundational questions. Careful study of the long tradition that has engaged with these issues and the exercise in critical thinking that comes from such study are both extremely useful for equipping students to engage with these topics; and they are both central focuses of philosophy courses.

If, as I think, both philosophy and Christian discipleship have to do with training in how to think about and approach life and the world, what does an integrated approach to such training, carried out in the philosophy classroom, look like and consist in? Some of it will consist in direct engagement with the 'big questions' and their various answers, many of which have been articulated by men and women seeking to honor God and walk in the way of Jesus Christ. Some of it will consist in my displaying an integrated approach to philosophy and academic scholarship. Prayer, for instance, has become an increasingly important part of my own approach to studying and writing philosophy. So it would make sense for me to open lectures by praying and invoking the Holy Spirit. But underlying all of these particular means, I take it, is the truth that the extent to which my students will encounter Jesus in my classroom depends, to a significant degree, on the condition of my own walk and relationship with God. As I seek to grow and abide increasingly in the love of the Father, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, my students will come to know Him better and better.

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At least some of the couples are importantly contentful. For instance, "(1) Careful study of the long tradition that has engaged with these issues and (2) the exercise in critical thinking that comes from such study". That I list two rather than one item here is important for the point that I am making in the essay.

On the other hand, I was able to identify at least seventeen couples that are not or are less contentful. The point, in other words, could be made using one rather than two elements and sometimes the coupling might appear to be something like inconsequential repetition or qualification:

loving God and living with Him
kingdom and world
helpful and relevant
growing and maturing
cultures and worldviews
perspectives and value-systems
loudest and most pervasive
disciples and followers
think about and approach
life and the world
look like and consist in
honor God and walk in the way of Jesus Christ
philosophy and academic scholarship
studying and writing
praying and invoking the Holy Spirit
walk and relationship
grow and abide

Why mention two things when only one seems like it would suffice. Why talk about perspectives and worldviews? Why distinguish between walk and relationship? Is the really a difference between being helpful and being relevant? And why crowd the essay with all these extra conjunctions?

Maybe you think that having the two actually does make a significant difference. If that's the case, then you're probably seeing things along the same lines as myself. I take it that this pattern reflects a tendency in my own thought-life to envision things as always being more and richer than we can capture with words. Some people might think that loving God just is the same thing as living with Him, but if I were to use only one of those designations, I would be left with the unhappy sense that I had inadequately or inaccurately represented the thing that I was trying to talk about. How can you capture the idea of "loving God" with just that phrase. Those two words are clearly inadequate. The solution? Add more words. Identify every phenomenon or activity with two expressions--closely related but slightly varied in meaning so that the reader comes away with the sense that we are talking about something that is related to both but not identical with either of them.

Does the point come across? What do you think? Are there other patterns in my writing that you see? Fun stuff.

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God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.