"the" (2)

[Salinas17 at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/30/04 11:18:46 AM, hstahlke at bsu.edu writes:
<< I'm not sure that "the Christ" fits in with the other examples.  The
article is used there to make a particular theological point, in part, that
"Christ" is not a name but a title, although there's more to it. >>

I'm sure you're correct.  But consider how often that theological point could
have been made in the media and elsewhere when "Christ" has been mentioned in
the past.  The departure in the name of a film is striking and may have
filtered into other uses or perhaps reflect an on-going trend.  I think it is more
popularly "understandable" today than it would have been in, say, the '50's in
America.  And in that sense, the "title" is used to refer to what is usually
treated as a proper name and altered to connote a status.  In that, it has the
same connotation as something as profane as "The Shaq."  (Or in a version
just recently heard -- "...The Albert Einstein of rap music.")

Regards,
Steve