Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

RS RRC Philosophy > 4.1 Religious Language: Symbol and Analogy > Flashcards

4.1 Religious Language: Symbol and Analogy Flashcards

1
Q

What are potential problems with talking about God and religious language?

A
  • Religious language may be meaningless as RL **is not objective truth **
  • RL may be non- cognitive meaning logical positivists would say that it’s meaningless as it is unverifiable
  • RL anthropomorphises God
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Features of cognitive (realist) language

A

Factual statements that can be proven
e.g the king is head of the state

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Features of non-cognitive (anti-realist) langauge

A

Deals with statements that are meant to be taken factually but are to be understood in different ways

Statements that express a religious truth within a religious community but may not be meaningful to someone outside the community

e.g ‘Jesus is the son of God’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Argument for RL

A

It would render a lot of what we talk about as measningless if we didn’t use non-cognitive languag; goes beyond physical experience

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Argument against RL

A

Non-cognitive language cannot be universally understood or proven

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What does Via negativa mean?

A

The truth about God can be discovered by speaking of ‘What God is not’

e.g not physical…

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Advantages of Via Negativa

A

Avoids the pitfalls of using adequate human language (easier to say what God is not rather than assuming what he is)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Disadvantages of Via Negativa

A

Becomes atheism- to asy that God can only be spoken in negatives means denying the existence of God altogether

Fails to say anything meaningful about what God is

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is univocal language?

A

Languag meaning the same thing in all situations
e.g black hat, black cat, black shirt

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is equivocal language?

A

Language meaning different things in different situations
e.g tree bark, dog’s bark

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Advantages of univocal language

A

Makes God accessible and understandable

We know the nature of God’s love because we understand human love

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Disadvantages of univocal language

A

It anthropomorphises God

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Advantages of equivocal language

A

Stresses the distincitveness of God’s qualities

Doesn’t anthropomorphise God

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Disadvantages of equivocal language

A

It makes God so different that it is difficult/ impossible to understand God

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Who comes up with analogic language?

A

Thomas Aquinas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is analogic language?

A

Rejects univocal and equivocal language and instead offers a comparison- anaolgy

  • a comparison between 2 things in which the first simpler thing is used to explain the second more complex thing
17
Q

What are proportional similarities and dissimilarities?

A

analogy of attribution: God is the cause of all good things in humans (but God’s attributes are at a much higher level than our own)

analogy of proportion: all good qalities infinitely to God and in proportion to humans

18
Q

Advantages of analogic language

A

Helps us understand something outside our experience

solves the problem of univocal/ equivocal language

allows us to discuss God meaningfully

19
Q

Disadvantages of analogic language

A

we may dispute whether humans were really created in the image and likeness of God (theory of evolution)

Evil in our world also an analogy to God

the object we are drawing an analogy to (God) cannot be verified

20
Q

Who uses models and qualifiers?

A

Ian Ramsey

21
Q

What are Ian Ramsey’s model and qualifier?

A

Model: we know what ‘good’ means in human terms; we apply it to God- gives us a model to understand the goodness of God

qualifyer: we can adopt/ qualify model to improve our understanding by putting God’s attributes on a greater level. Adding a qualifyer ‘God is infinitely good’

22
Q

Who uses symbols?

A

Paul Tillich

23
Q

What does Tillich say about symbols?

A

Symbols are not signs. Both point to something beyond themselves but only symbols ‘participate’ in what they point to

e.g flag, points to a country but participates in its history and patriotism

24
Q

How do symbols convey more than the factual information that they identify?

A

shouldn’t be interpreted literally, go beyond factual and objective information

Point to an invisible reality and participate in it

25
Q

Why are symbols so powerful?

A

Symbols have special significance in religious tradition

Express the nature of God in terms of ‘the ground of our being’ or ‘that which concerns us ultimately’

26
Q

What is a sign?

A

points to factual information

27
Q

How do symbols convey more than the fatual information identified by signs?

A

a symbol ‘opens up’ levels of reality which otherwise would be closed to us

go beyond the physical, external world to what Paul Tillich calls an ‘internal reality’ which would otherwise be closed to us

28
Q

4 main features of symbols

A
  1. Point to something beyond itself
  2. participates in what it is pointing to
  3. opens us levels of reality
  4. opens us dimensions of the soul which correspond to those aspects of reality
29
Q

Why is religious language symbollic?

A
  1. RL points to an invisible metaphysical reality & participates in it
  2. can be metaphors, similes, signs and myths
  3. non-cognitive
  4. able to express ‘the ultimate reality’
30
Q

What are the main problems with symbols?

A
  • Truths behind symbols cannot be verified- Paul edwards
  • Symbols can be inappropriate- don’t know which symbols appropriately translate the ultimate truths
  • Symbols cannot point beyond themselves, can’t point outside the human experience
  • symbols can be trivialised- Symbols may lose its importance
  • Symbols can become the focus of worship- e.g icons
  • Symbols can become outdated- ‘It is necessary to rediscover the questions to which christian symbols are the answers, in a way that is understandable to our time’- Tillich
31
Q

Arguments for religious language as symbolic

A
  • Religious language stirs strong emotions- J.H Randall:
    Motivational- inspires emotion
    social- binds people together
    communication- can express beliefs and experiences that literal language cannot
    indicative- show truths about God
  • Religious language conforms to archetypes- Carl Jung. particular symbols occur time and time again and are part of the human psyche, e.g the heroe’s journey
32
Q

Arguments against religious language as symbolic

A
  • John Hick’s criticism of symbols- little difference b/w a symbol and a sign
  • Tillich’s view that RL is symbollic means that many religious statements are not literally true- only cognitive aspect is God’s existence but all other judgements seem to be based on subjective human judgement

RS RRC Philosophy (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions