Challeghes To Religious Language As Non-cognitive And Symbolic Flashcards
What does understanding religious language and non-cognitive symbols allow humanity to do?
It allows humanity to step outside the confines of cognitive language and empirical disciplines, providing a wider appreciation of how we convey meaning in communication.
How does Erika Dinkler-Von Schubert define a symbol?
A symbol is defined as ‘a pattern or object which points to an invisible metaphysical reality and participates in it.’
What was John Herman Randall’s focus in his studies?
He concentrated on the forms of communication within religion and suggested that believers have the greatest insight into their commonly held beliefs, ideas, and cultural identities.
What relationship did Randall highlight between religion and Ancient Greek philosophy?
He highlighted Augustine’s view that philosophy was central in the twin pillars of faith and reason.
How did Randall view the relationship between religion and rational thought?
Unlike Freud, Randall did not see rational thought as a threat to religion and believed that religious ideas needed to develop alongside science.
What insight did Randall believe religion provided to humans?
Randall believed religion gave humans valuable insight and enhanced our experience of existence.
What did Randall say about the role of religious symbols?
He stated that religious symbols have a primary role in providing the revelation of truth in a non-cognitive way.
What unifying role do religious experiences and symbols play according to Randall?
They provide a common way of communicating and a shared set of values, giving people identity on individual, corporate, cultural, and national levels.
What does the cross symbolize in Christianity?
The cross symbolizes God’s love for humanity, forgiveness, worship, and Jesus’ sacrifice.
What does a light burning in a Catholic Church represent?
It represents the presence of Christ, as Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world.’
What does the Sikh gurus Khalsa emblem signify?
It signifies God’s spiritual power and assumes a resemblance between the mystical experience of the divine and those experiencing it.
What distinction did Randall draw regarding symbols?
He distinguished between symbols in scientific fields and those in art and religion, contrasting cognitive and factual knowledge with non-cognitive and emotional responses.
How do religious symbols influence actions?
Religious symbols act as motivators and hold unique characteristics that reveal information about the world.
What parallels do symbols hold with Platonic ideas?
Symbols function to make us see something that would not otherwise be apparent.
What are the four main features of religious symbols according to Randall?
- Motivating: firing up emotions and inspiring action. 2. Socially binding: uniting people with the same understanding. 3. Communicating non-literal meanings. 4. Disclosing: revealing hidden depths about spiritual matters.
How did Randall describe God in relation to symbols?
He called God an intellectual symbol, describing it as ‘a ripple of imagination.’
Who was Paul Tillich?
Paul Tillich (1885-1965) contributed to the understanding of symbolic language in his work ‘Dynamics of Faith’.
What did Tillich believe about symbols?
Tillich believed that ‘There are within us dimensions of which we cannot become aware of except through symbols’.
What role do symbols play in faith according to Tillich?
Symbols contribute to the understanding of faith, a state of being ultimately concerned with God.
What additional needs did Tillich identify beyond Maslow’s hierarchy?
Tillich identified spiritual concerns (cognitive, spiritual, aesthetic, etc.) as additional needs.
What is humanity’s ultimate concern according to Tillich?
Humanity’s ultimate concern is God.
What are the 6 characteristics of symbols identified by Tillich?
- Symbols point towards something beyond themselves.
- Symbols participate in the reality of which they point.
- Symbols open up levels of reality that are otherwise closed to us.
- Symbols unlock dimensions and elements of our soul.
- Symbols cannot be produced intentionally.
- Symbols, like human beings, grow and die.
Can you give an example of a symbol that points beyond itself?
The Eucharist meal is an example of a religious symbol where the bread and wine are integral.
Corinthians: ‘Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you’.
What does it mean that symbols participate in reality?
For example, a flag participates in the power and dignity of that nation.
How do symbols reveal levels of reality?
Symbols like poems, songs, and art reveal things which science cannot. Tapid said that ‘Art should strangle the viewer into thinking about the meaning of life’.
What does it mean that symbols unlock dimensions of our soul?
Symbols unlock dimensions and elements of our soul that correspond to the dimensions and elements of reality.
How do symbols grow and die?
Symbols can change and die out due to time and culture. For example, the ichthus symbol was used by early Christians to signify a safe meeting place but was associated with the Great Mother goddess in Pre-Christian times.
What did Jung say about symbols?
Jung highlighted that symbols come from the deepest unconscious mind and express collective unconscious individuation.
What is the language of symbols for Tillich?
For Tillich, the language of symbols was the language of power.
How does Tillich view God in relation to symbols?
Tillich viewed God as the fundamental symbol for ultimate concern, ‘the ground of our being’.
Why is symbolic language sufficient to express faith and God?
Since God is infinite and ultimate, only symbolic language is sufficient to express faith and God.
What is the emotional impact of symbolic language according to Tillich?
Tillich states that the language of symbols evokes a response at the deepest emotional level, ‘a symbol unlocks something in our souls and expresses something about the ultimate’.
