The Pseudonym

It occurred to me that I really should let y'all know something about me...

Evangeline is a pseudonym. This isn't a deliberate deception, by the way. I assumed people would look at the name, look at the 'first-generation Salvationist' bit in my profile, and click that it wasn't my real name!

I feel a bit strange calling it a 'pseudonym', though. To me, a 'pseudonym' is simply an assumed name used for the purposes of disguise, whereas 'Evangeline' has more meaning for me. First of all, there's the actual meaning of the name - "Good News". I'm not sure that I'm good news, but I certainly have good news to share!

Secondly, the name has more significance for me after reading a little about the life of Evangeline Booth... and of course our own Eva Burrows, for whom I harbour a quite a bit of affection, despite not knowing her personally. The best analogy I can think of is a woman assuming the name of a saint when she takes her vows and becomes a nun. She takes the name of a human being whose spiritual example she'd like to follow. And while both Evangeline and Eva would doubtless be horrified at the idea, they're the closest to female saints I think the Salvation Army has - in the sense of high-profile Christian women whose devotion to God and exploits are seen as good examples to follow.

Whew... I'll leave that interdenominational, quasi-heretical concept alone now, I think! Anyway, my real name is Naomi. Call me whichever!