Language
2020
In the beginning was the Word. Human beings, made in the image of God, share in this utterance, this Logos. Language, then, is foundational to our humanity. We are born into it, already attuned to the rhythm and syntax of our mother tongue. In our first years, we learn it almost miraculously, without a thought. Language is that uniquely human art form of the incarnate spirits we are; for it is only with words—sensuous symbols—that we can speak of the world. Through words we are united to the community of inexhaustible beings in the world and to the inexhaustible community of the One who made it. This four-part series begins with an exploration of what language it is and how it is acquired, moving on to how contemporary language—“Newspeak”—reflects modernity’s rebellion against reality itself. The third issue of the series takes up the weight of words, whether in the context of the liturgy or political discourse. Lastly, we turn to the use of language in reference to myth and literature.