Product Description

The bond between sign language and religion dates to the 11th century where it was developed by French monks. This totally new guide contains all the vocabulary and information you need to communicate effectively with the deaf in any religious setting.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #71552 in Books
• Published on: 1997-01-01
• Released on: 1997-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780553342444
• BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

About the Author
Dr. Elaine Costello has been an educator and author associated with the field of deafness for more than twenty years. For ten years she was a classroom teacher and supervisor in schools for the deaf. She is now the director and editor in chief of the Gallaudet College Press at Gallaudet College in Washington, D.C., the world's only liberal arts college for the deaf.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
SIGN ENTRIES

ABIDE (A)

This sign indicates a place where one is to remain or stay for a period of time.

Formation: Move the right Y hand, palm facing down, downward in front of the right side of the body with a deliberate movement.

Same sign for STAY

ABIDE (B) See LIVE

ABOVE, OVER

The hand moves to a position above the other hand and symbolizes the area on high from where God rules the world.

Formation: Starting with the palm of the right open hand lying on the back of the left open hand, elbows out and palms facing down, bring the right hand upward in a spiraling movement.

ABRAHAM, IBRAHIM (Hebrew)

The formation of this sign represents God staying Abraham’s arm as he raised the knife to slay his son Isaac.

Formation: The right A hand, palm facing left, is brought deliberately down at a forward angle from in front of the right shoulder. The left C hand, palm up, moves upward to clasp the right forearm and stop it abruptly as it descends.

ABSOLUTION (A)

This sign is a combination of ANNOUNCE and FORGIVE signifying the declaratory statement that sins are forgiven after confession or penance.

Formation: Start with both extended index fingers touching each side of the mouth, palms facing in. Twist the wrists to bring the fingers outward past the shoulders, palms facing forward and fingers pointing upward at an angle. Then brush the fingers of the right open hand across the palm of the left open hand from heel to the fingers with a repeated movement.

ABSOLUTION (B) See BLESS (A)(B), FORGIVE

ABSTAIN See FAST (A)

ABUNDANT (A), BOUNTY, PLENTY

The hands indicate a cup that is full and overflowing.

Formation: Push the palm of the right open hand, palm down and fingers pointing forward, across the thumb side of the left S hand, palm right, curving the hand downward as it goes over the left index finger.

Related forms: ABUNDANCE, ABUNDANTLY, BOUNTIFUL, PLENTIFUL

ABUNDANT (B), BOUNTIFUL

The hands in this sign seem to hold a large quantity.

Formation: Beginning with the fingertips of both curved hands touching in front of the body, palms facing each other, bring the hands outward to in front of each side of the chest.

Related form: ABUNDANCE

Same sign for A LOT

ACCOMPLISH See FULFILL

ACCUSE, AT FAULT, BLAME

This is a directional sign that seems to push responsibility or blame at whomever it is directed.

Formation: Move the right A hand, palm left and thumb extended upward, in a downward arc toward the referent across the back of the left open hand, palm down.

Note: If you are the one being accused, direct the right thumb back toward oneself. The left hand may be an S hand instead of an open hand.

ACKNOWLEDGE See CONFESS (A)

ACQUIRE See OBTAIN

ADAM (A)

This is an initialized sign in the masculine position and signifies Adam’s position as the first man.

Formation: Touch the right temple with the thumb of the right hand, palm facing forward.

ADAM (B)

This is the Islamic sign for Adam, the father of humankind and God’s first prophet. In Islam, Adam is considered God’s ?vice-?regent (caliph) on earth.

Formation: Move the right B hand, palm facing left and fingers pointing up, upward in front of the right shoulder.

ADMIT See CONFESS

ADMONISH, WARN

The sign represents a slap on the wrist as a warning.

Formation: Slap the back of the left open hand with the fingers of the right open hand, both palms facing down.

Related forms: ADMONITION, WARNING

ADORE See WORSHIP

ADULTERY (A)

This is an initialized sign and the movement indicates the alternating attention that an unfaithful married person gives his or her spouse and then another person outside the marriage

Formation: Tap the heel of the right A hand, palm facing forward, alternating on each finger of the left V hand held in front of the chest, palm facing in and fingers pointing up.

ADULTERY (B)

The sign seems to show someone slipping around the corner or behind someone’s back for an affair.

Formation: Move the palm side of the right open hand, palm facing right and fingers pointing forward, around the ?little-?finger side of the left open hand, palm facing right and fingers pointing up.

ADVENT, COMING

This is a directional form of COME and signifies the birth of Christ and the preparation period of four weeks before His Coming at Christmas.

Formation: Beginning with both extended index fingers pointing up in front of the head, palms facing in, bring both hands down simultaneously.

ADVERSARY See ENEMY

ADVOCATE, FOUNDATION, SUPPORT

The action of the right hand pushing the left hand upward shows active support for a cause.

Formation: Bring the knuckles of the right

S hand upward under the little-finger side of the left S hand, both palms facing in, pushing it upward in front of the chest.

Same sign used for ADVOCACY, IN FAVOR OF

See also HELP and VICAR for signs formed in a similar manner.

AFFILIATE See UNITE

AFFLICTION, PATIENT, SUFFER

The movement of the hand in this sign indicates a person keeping quiet or without complaint while enduring suffering.

Formation: Move the thumb of the right A hand, palm facing left, downward from the mouth to the chin.

Same sign for BEAR, ENDURE, TOLERATE

AFRAID See FEAR (A)(B)(C)

AGAPE

This sign is a combination of GOD and LOVE signifying the Greek word meaning “selfless love.”

Formation: Move the right B hand, palm left, from above the front of the head downward in an arc toward the forehead and down in front of the face. Then with both palms facing the body, hold the right S hand across the left S hand, which is held on the chest over the heart.

AGONY See SUFFER (B)

AISLE, WAY

The hands outline a passageway, such as between rows of seats in a church.

Formation: Move both open hands forward simultaneously, palms facing each other and fingers pointing forward and held several inches apart in front of the waist.

Same sign for PATH, ROAD

ALIVE See LIVE

ALLAH, GOD

This is the foremost name for the supreme being according to Islamic belief. Humans are called to worship and devote their faith only to him; hence he is the object of Islam (“submission”).

Formation: Move the extended right index finger, palm facing left and finger pointing up, upward in front of the right shoulder.

ALLELUIA, HALLELUJAH

As an expression of praise of thanksgiving to God, this sign is a combination of PRAISE and CELEBRATION.

Formation: Bring both open hands, palms facing each other and fingers pointing up, together in front of the chest. Then raise both modified A hands near each shoulder, moving them in small circles outward.

ALMIGHTY (A), OMNIPOTENT

This sign is a combination of ALL and POWER, an attribute referring to God’s unlimited universal power.

Formation: With the right open hand, palm facing forward, near the left shoulder, make a large loop to the right ending in the upturned palm of the left open hand. Then move both S hands, palms facing in, from near each side of the chest forward with a deliberate movement, ending abruptly.

See also POWER and MIGHTY for alternate signs.

ALMIGHTY (B) See POWER (A)(B)

ALONE

The single finger moving in a circle is an emphatic form of the sign ONE.

Formation: With the right extended index finger pointing up, palm facing in, rotate the arm and hand in a counterclockwise circle.

ALTAR

The sign is an initialized form of TABLE. The hands outline the shape of the altar, the structure before which the divine offices are recited and upon which the Eucharist is celebrated.

Formation: With the thumbs of both A hands touching each other in front of the chest, palms facing forward, move the hands apart to about shoulder width and then downward a short distance without changing orientation.

ALWAYS, CONSTANTLY, EVER

The circular motion of this sign shows something never ending.

Formation: Move the extended right index finger, palm angled up, in small clockwise circles near the right shoulder.

See also ETERNAL for an alternate sign.

AMAZE See ASTONISH

AMEN See PRAY

AMISH See MENNONITE

ANGEL, CHERUB, SERAPH

The hands represent the movement of wings traditionally attributed to angels, the immortal spiritual beings attending to God’s will.

Formation: Touch the fingertips of both bent hands to the shoulders, palms facing down and elbows close at the sides. Turn the wrists outward and bend the hands up and down.

Same sign for WINGS

ANGER, FURY, RAGE, WRATH

The tense fingers represent angry emotions rased up in the body.

Formation: Bring both claw hands, palms facing in and fingers pointing toward each other, upward from near each other at the waist and out toward each shoulder.

ANGLICAN CHURCH, THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

This sign is a combination of ANOINT (A) and CHURCH and refers to the form of Christianity that was shaped when, during the reign of Henry the VIII, England broke away from the Catholic Church by dissolving allegiance to the Pope.

Formation: Draw the thumbnail of the right A hand, palm down, first downward on the forehead a short distance and then from left to right. Then tap the thumb side of the right C hand on the back of the left open hand, palm facing down.

ANNOUNCE, ANNUNCIATION, CONFESS (FAITH), DECLARE, EVANGELISM,

NOEL, PROCLAIM

The fingers indicate taking words from the mouth and declaring them broadly.

Formation: Start with both extended index fingers touching each side of the mouth, palms facing in. Twist the wrists to bring the fingers outward past the shoulders, palms facing forward and fingers pointing upward at an an...

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.

A Great Source
As a certified sign language interpretor who started interpreting services six years ago, this book has proved an invaluable resource to me personally and an excellent teaching tool for church service interpretors.

The illusrations and written instructions for each sign are excellent. The range of signs given is impressive.

However there are a few drawbacks.

First the appendixes of prayers are given in Signed English and NOT ASL

Secondly there are many, many signs which are not universally recognized. (I am thinking specifically of Presbyterian - which I have never seen signed in the manor discribed. And alternate form of Christian given is "JESUS" + Person Marker. Again I have never seen Christian signed any other way but "CHRIST" + Person Marker.

But all-in-all the book is a wonderful resource to anyone ineresed in deaf minisitry.

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!