A Classical Christian Dictionary

For ACCS schools . . .

I have argued many times, and in numerous settings, that all of our current cultural battles and conflicts are actually battles for editorial control of the dictionary. Virtually every new outrage that is imposed on us from above provides additional confirmation of the point.

It has come time, I believe, to try to do something about it. I believe that we may be in a position to crowd source something like this, and in this venture I am willing to serve as general editor. I have discussed this with George Grant and he is willing to serve on an editorial board that will be built out—Lord willing—as we go. If we succeed to the point of getting to two thousand words, I will look into the prospect of publishing what we have done, while keeping the project open for continued growth.

The examples posted below provide the template we are going to use, and those who read this are invited to respond in three possible ways: 1. Suggested edits to posted definitions; 2. Suggestions for words that need to be placed on a list for future definitions; and 3. Submissions of proposed words together with their definitions. The submissions should follow the example of the templates below.

Submissions in the third category need to be accompanied by your real name, which will be included in the list of contributors. In addition, the submission needs to contain the following statement. “This/these definitions I have submitted are genuinely my own work—not lifted from any other source, and not the product of generative AI, so help me God.” If this turns out not to have been the case, then our remedy will simply be to have the definition removed, along with the contributor credit.

We want to begin with words that are at the flash point of our current woes, words like woman, or history, or race. We will eventually get to shoelace, and peanut, and rug.

We shall see, and Lord willing . . . The dictionary will be built out, month to month, in this space, which is to say, the free Substack version of Educator in Residence. Thank you, and a few examples are below.

Creation, n. kree-AY-shun

1. According to Genesis, the divine will and Word brought “all that has been made” into existence. Creation is therefore everything that exists that is not God Himself. This act of creation was ex nihilo, from nothing, and is simply the result of God speaking. Creation is therefore the cosmos and all it contains. 2. Created in the image of God, man was endued with the power of creating or assembling things out of preexisting materials. While not the same as God’s act of creation, it is analogous to it, and thus we call various artifacts—paintings, inventions, novels—the creation of the person behind it.

God, n. gahd

1. The triune Reality, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Supreme Being, Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of all that is, the one in whom we live and move and have our being. Between God and the cosmos He created is an infinite gulf called the Creator/creature divide. This God alone is worthy of our worship. 2. On this side of the Creator/creature divide are various beings and powers of sufficient majesty to be called gods, and this can even include some men, so long as the divide is remembered, and no worship is offered to anyone or anything on this side of the divide.

Love, n. luhv

1. An essential characteristic of the triune God of Scripture. “God is love” (1 John 4:8). 2. A sacrificial commitment to a person, family, nation, institution, or cause 3. A strong bond between persons; deep affection 4. Strong affection for someone of the opposite sex coupled with erotic attraction.

Man, n. mæn

1. In its generic sense, the word represents the entire human race. “Man has even landed on the moon.” 2. In its specific sense, an adult human male, one with XY chromosomes. 3. an individual man who displays characteristics befitting a man. “He was quite the man.”

Marriage, n. MARE-ij

1. A covenanted relationship for life between an adult male and an adult female that is sexually consummated in a one-flesh union. 2. As a result of hardness of heart, marriages that were formed illicitly (e.g. after an unjustified divorce) are still recognized as true marriages, even when formed sinfully. 3. As a result of rebellion and confusion, some partnerships are called marriages which are not (e.g. homosexual pairings). The word marriage should not be used in reference to such travesties, but rather an alternative phrasing, like “same-sex mirage.”

Scripture, n. SKRIP chər

1. The special revelation of God to man, consisting of the 66 books of the Bible. The books commonly called the Old Testament, Genesis to Malachi, were held in trust by the people of Israel. The books of the New Testament, Matthew through Revelation, are held in trust by the new Israel of God, the Christian Church. The Scriptures are the only ultimate and infallible rule for faith and practice, to which all other spiritual authorities must submit.

Truth, n. trooth

1. That which is the final and ultimate ground of all reality, which is to say, Christ. 2. Actuality. Reality. 3. A statement is said to express the truth when it corresponds to the actual state of things in the world.

Wisdom, n. WIZ-duhm

1. An attribute of Almighty God, by which He made the world and all that it contains. A knowledge of all parts and all their relationships. 2. Among created beings, wisdom consists of a fear of the Lord, together with a ready willingness to walk in His ways.