Talking the Walk (PDF)

"Talking the Walk provokes us to repent of twisted beliefs that trip us in our walk as believers. It restores the glory and power of religious language so commonly corrupted. In the current climate of thought, it's an upside-down theological breviary. Its seventy-two brief, lucid essays on key theological words like Father, Trinity, creation, atonement, and hell could generate spirited weekly discussions for the brave and the free who desire to know and speak of God and faith more truly. This book is a rich offering 'of praise to God, the fruit of lips that confess his name' (Heb. 13:15)."
--Willard M. Swartley, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary

"Words serve as the 'coin of the realm' in the Information Age. As such, they sometimes get dropped in the dirt and wear out. They also get spent on the wrong things. Sometimes, considered worthless, they get thrown away. In her latest book, Talking the Walk, Marva Dawn bemoans the underuse, misuse, overuse, and abuse of theological words. In this theological wordbook, Dawn's concern is not with abstract concepts, but the lived experiences of faith. Her considerable learning shines through, but she speaks more from her heart than her head. As one who has traveled across many geographical and denominational boundaries, she has observed frequently and firsthand the shabby treatment accorded the traditional language of the church. She recoils with pain, and pleads for the restoration of words that carry deep meaning for the Christian faith. Although I am one of her erstwhile teachers, I do not agree with all of Dawn's answers. But I do appreciate the questions she raises about the meaning of the words we use and don't use in the contemporary church. This is a book worth reading... and thinking about."
--Wayne McCown, Northeastern Seminary, Roberts Wesleyan College

"Words, all words, are holy: 'God said... and it was so' and 'The Word was made flesh' are the foundation pillars of language. But these world-making words and salvation-shaping words are also vulnerable to corruption. Christians have an enormous stake in purifying the language, in maintaining the accuracy of words on which so much depends. Marva Dawn in Talking the Walk keeps us alert and thoughtful lest we inadvertently use God's words to tell the Devil's lies."
--Eugene H. Peterson, The Message

"'Rescue a word...discover a universe,' Sir Edwyn Hoskyns once said to his hearers. In this book Marva Dawn undertakes such a rescue mission and discovers a universe of meaning in some of the most cherished, provocative, and enduring words in our religious vocabulary. Talking the Walk is great writing and great theology held together in perfect equipoise. A joy to read!"
--Timothy George, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

"'Calling things by their proper names,' as eighteenth-century writer Hannah More put it, is one of the obligations of faithfulness. Marva Dawn likewise calls us to reconsider the theological language we use, abuse, and take for granted. Her book introduces an examination of conscience for the contemporary church that is timely and vital for coherence in the community of faith."
--David Lyle Jeffrey, Baylor University

"For many Christians, the great vocabulary words of the church have too often been like great-grandmother's silver--tucked away in the attic, tarnished and forgotten, relics of another day. In this wonderfully written book, Marva Dawn recovers these neglected treasures, polishes these old words until they gleam, and returns them to us ready to use in the life of faith. Read this book with gratitude and joy."
--Thomas G. Long, Candler School of Theology, Emory University