A Theology of Profanity

Here's a good set of links about the issue of profanity or swearing with a particular eye to Christian responses. Unhappily it misses my posts and so the perspective that I outline in relation to the sociolinguistics of the matter are not there.

A couple of the posts referenced seem to me to be worth a further look. One of them, from a Reformed perspective, usefully reminds us

these words began to cause negative reactions in some people because they considered them to be offensive. However, there is nothing magical/spiritual in the sounds or meanings of the words themselves that caused this association. Rather, it was the contexts in which these words were generally used. For nearly every profane word usage, there is another non-profane way to say the same thing that does not cause the same negative reactions in those who are more sensitive to profanity. But this does not mean that the words themselves are somehow evil sounds. ... I say this as someone who formerly used profanity extensively, but who now feels uncomfortable even to hear it used. I don't use that language because in my current society people don't appreciate it, and they take it as greatly offensive. I am among those who don't use it, so I don't use it. However, if my situation were reversed, it might be less offensive to use it than to appear "better than" the people whose company I was keeping.

Which pretty much lines up with my own posts.

A more novel, to me, approach is put forward by Richard Beck in Texas.

my analysis is this: Verbal profanity is "vulgar" because it goes from this:
Romantic Love = (Spiritual overlay (physical act of sex = animal reminder = disgust)) = Mixed but generally positive feelings
to this:
F**king = (physical act of sex = animal reminder) = disgust/profanity/vulgarity
where the spiritual overlay is ripped away by the vulgar reference, exposing two animals having intercourse. The vision is insulting (for the reasons I've outlined), thus the F-word is profane.

However, he hasn't factored in the matter of the plain use of 'sacred' words or religiously charged words nor the power dynamics of the sociolinguistic contexts. Nevertheless, I think it does expose one vein of the psychological dimensions -even without having joined that up with class and power dimensions.
two or three . net: A Theology of Profanity
Filed in: profanity, swearing, language, linguistics, sociology, theology