An important component of last year's assessment of gender and language issues in the PCUSA was a pair of surveys sent to seminary folk: one to the faculty of Presbyterian-related theological institutions, the other to Presbyterian M.Div. students at these twelve schools plus Fuller and Gordon-Conwell. The results provide interesting information on the language environment in which pastoral candidates train, and intriguing hints on how the issue may (or may not) evolve in congregations.
Personal Opinions. Faculty (96%) and students (88%) overwhelmingly agree that "our language about God should be varied and diverse, reflecting the wide range of terms to describe God that are found in the Bible and the Reformed tradition." Such consensus does not always translate to support for the use of gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language when specific issues are raised, however. The general consensus contrasts with noticeably smaller majorities (faculty, 68%; students, 52%) who agree with the statement, "I prefer that people use nouns [e.g., God] rather than pronouns [e.g., He] when referring to God." And even fewer--55% of faculty, 46% of students agree that "it's fine with me for people to substitute functional terms like 'Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer' for 'Father, Son, and Holy Spirit' when referring to the Trinity." When the Lord's Prayer is prayed in worship, large majorities of both faculty (72%) and students (70%) prefer traditional language ("Our Father").
Individual Practice. In private and personal prayers, large majorities of students and faculty at least occasionally address God as "Father," but comparatively few--faculty, 6%; students, 30%--do so always. In their public prayers over the prior year, 60% of faculty and 40% of students report that they always used gender-inclusive or gender- neutral language to address or describe God. Most of the rest used gender-inclusive or gender- neutral language either often or occasionally, although 3% of faculty and 11% of students report never doing so. Interestingly, when asked to compare, a third of faculty and four in ten students report they are more likely to use gender-neutral or gender-inclusive language in their public than in their private prayers.
When asked about the use of gender and language "in your own practice of ministry," just under half of students (49%) report that they definitely try to use gender-neutral or gender- inclusive language "all or most of the time." Another 26% report that they probably do. Similar percentages of students plan "as a general practice" to use gender-neutral or gender- inclusive language in their first call after seminary although a third do not plan to do so. (These questions were not asked of faculty.)
Chapel Practice. The picture of language use in chapel is very similar whether painted by faculty or students. Most recall gender-inclusive or gender-neutral terms for God predominating, with a balance between male and female images of God. Majorities believe that the general chapel practice is to avoid male pronouns when referring to God.
Classroom Practice. Most students see variety in the gender and language practices of others on their campuses, with 46% believing that most students preferentially use gender inclusive/gender-neutral language, and another 46% believing that some students do. At the same time, as the table shows, students generally perceive more instructors than fellow students routinely using inclusive language.
Faculty share these relative perceptions. While a third of faculty believe that they (faculty) "support the use of inclusive language to a greater extent than most students do," only 4% of faculty believe that "most students support the use of inclusive language to a greater extent than I do."
| How Students Perceive: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fellow Students |
Their Instructors |
|
| Use of gender-neutral/gender-inclusive language: | ||
| all use it preferentially | 5% | 39% |
| most use it preferentially | 46% | 42% |
| some use it preferentially | 46% | 15% |
| none use it preferentially | 4% | 5% |
Changing Perspectives. A majority of students (51%) indicate that they are more supportive of the use of inclusive language now than when they first entered seminary. Only 11% are less supportive; a quarter report no change.
Next Time. Clearly, gender-inclusive and gender-neutral language are commonly used on Presbyterian campuses, especially in public worship and classrooms, but there remains a variety of individual preferences and practices. In a future essay, I'll explore how the views of these ministers-to-be compare with those of current pastors and of the people they will serve in congregations.
For comparison, a report on the February 1999 Presbyterian Panel Survey on Inclusive Language (#65100-99259) is available for $5 from PDS at (800) 524-2612. The summary is available on-line at: Presbyterian Panel Summary: Language and God
Email the author: Jack Marcum
Research Services