The Metaphor of War
and
The Salvation Army

Conclusions

     Lakoff and Johnson (in their book "Metaphors We Live By") list some of the vocabulary associated with war such as "attack a position, indefensible, strategy, new line of attack, win, gain ground." (7) Elsewhere they extend the list: "issuing challenges for the sake of intimidation, of establishing and defending territory, attacking, defending, counterattacking, retreating, and surrendering." (62) These words and others similar to them, as well as the ideas they represent, appear in the Songbook and the language of The Salvation Army in abundance.

     Later in the book, Lakoff and Johnson speak of categorization as a "natural way of identifying a kind of object or experience by highlighting certain properties, downplaying others, and hiding still others." (163) Militarization of the organization and its language, enhanced by nonlingual supports, serves The Salvation Army in a categorical manner.

• Adoption of the war metaphor (see Scriptural Support) allows them to talk about spiritual matters and social injustice in a way they feel will be readily understood. The use of such language conveys stance, opponent and battle. This is an example of "highlighting."
• That war is carried on by supplying material needs like food or housing, or providing rehabilitation and counseling seems contradictory. Yet these are also at the heart of The Salvation Army. The creation of a new means of manufacturing matches and the establishment of their own match-factory illustrates of the mix of service, evangelism and social justice. That it too comes under the umbrella of waging war is, perhaps, be understood to be an instance of "downplaying".
• What is hidden by the metaphor is revealed by the resistance of the metaphor. It is my conclusion that both Salvation and Holiness as key concepts/doctrines are resistant as represented by the inability or reluctance of The Salvation Army to associate war or military language with either the Penitent Form or the Holiness Table.

It is my belief that repentance, faith and consecration are too fundamental to what The Salvation Army believes for them to be represented as anything but what they are -- without metaphor*.

For Melissa Wiley's (a fellow student) take on this project ==>

Quotes are from Metaphors We Live By, Lakoff and Johnson, The University of Chicago Press, 1980.

* I am deliberately not engaging in a discussion of the Pentitent Form or the Holiness Table as metaphors in themselves. They are, in fact, pieces of furniture with names associated by usage.