What Madness Is This?

What madness is this? What unholy and devilishly complex word could contain such a multitude of meaning?

Merriam-Webster, “Words at Play” on the etymology, history, and meanings of “nice.”

    Post authored by:

  • R. Scott Clark
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    R.Scott Clark is the President of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, the author and editor of, and contributor to several books and the author of many articles. He has taught church history and historical theology since 1997 at Westminster Seminary California. He has also taught at Wheaton College, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Concordia University. He has hosted the Heidelblog since 2007.

    More by R. Scott Clark ›

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One comment

  1. The etymology of “nice” is stupid, foolish, ignorant and unaware. Ironically, those words might well describe “nice” people today who are either ignorant of the truth or are willing to compromise doctrinal truth for the sake of getting along and being agreeable. Machen was not nice, in both the past and present meanings of the word. He was more concerned with faithfully preaching the Word than with avoiding controversy by accommodating false teaching by smoothing over differences, than with being “nice.”

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