Religious Signing: A Comprehensive Guide for All Faiths

by Elaine Costello

Book Overview

Since the fourth century, when Spanish monks first started signing to communicate during their vows of silence, sign language has been used in religious communities of all faiths. Present-day American... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553342444
• ISBN13: 9780553342444
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.7" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Resource

This text, like others from Elaine Costello, is comprehensive concerning religious signs. I did not say exhaustive. There is no such thing. The geographic and cultural variations are too great to fully document in one text. Contrary to another reviewer, there are not wrong signs in this book. The reviewer mistook geographic variation with which she was not familiar for mistakes. But Elaine Costello isn't going to offer wrong signs! She's an expert and it's just not going to happen. This text, along with the medical sign dictionary, should be used with the American Sign Language dictionary she published in the early 90's, which is also comprehensive. There are many other sign books out there, and many have come to think that "The Joy of Signing" is about the best. But it's far from it. It's good, but it doesn't actually present American Sign Language; rather, it presents Signed English. One is better off just grouping together Costello's comprehensive resources for referencing signs and then buying ASL grammar books to supplement. If, on the other hand, one wants to learn Signed English--which is not accepted in the Deaf community--then buy all the sign dictionaries you want and skip the grammar books.Costello has set the standard for sign language dictionaries and there's really no need for others to produce their own competitive versions. Costello should just continue to expand her current works and also produce other specialized dictionaries as she did with the religious and medical field. The next one she should produce is a legal dictionary. Others should consider writing books which better explain the grammar of the language of the Deaf community. Those who use Signed English aren't speaking another language; they're speaking coded English, just like writing and morse code and fingerspelling is just coded English. The Hearing community needs to learn to speak ASL, not coded English; and Costello, not Reikohoff, leads much more in this direction.

*Excellent!*

This book has proven quite helpful... many signs that we could not find anywhere else were in this book. Although some signs were different than what my signing friends have been doing, most were helpful, and the variances may reflect geographic differences. Over all, very helpful. (I also found that some words that were not listed in the index WERE used in the texts of the prayers in the back of the book... so don't hesitate to check the prayers for needed words!)

FINALLY - THE BOOK I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!

I have searched Christian bookstores, libraries and the web to find the Lord's Prayer in sign language. Finally a book that has that and so much more! I am teaching kindergarten religious education and thought it would be fun to teach them the prayer in sign language. This book is so helpful!

Religous Signing

Sounds Wonderful! I think everyone should have this book! It teaches you how to say basic chuch-related words and actual prayers! It also teaches you some words in Signed English, a form of signing where you sign each phrase word for word!) ( It's good to know a little bit of Signed English in addition to ASL.) Oh did I mention that there are signs in this book you can't get in other Signing Books? Try it!

Very informative

I found this book on relilgious signing very informative. My desire is to be able to sign in the church, of all different denominations, and this book has a wealth of information as to the signs and even why they are signed that way. There is even a section in the back showing well known prayers and how they are to be signed! I highly recommend it to anyone who desires to work in a church setting.