Hannah's Religious Language cards

Question 1

What does cognitive mean?

Answer 1

true or false; factual

Question 2

What does non- cognitive mean?

Answer 2

not true or false

Question 3

what does equivocal mean?

Answer 3

more than one meaning in different contexts e.g. cricket

Question 4

what does univocal mean?

Answer 4

word has one meaning in all contexts

Question 5

What is the cataphatic way?

Answer 5

using positive language to speak of Gods qualities and nature e.g. god is loving

Question 6

how has god revealed himself to humans?

Answer 6

scripture, religious experience, creation or the sacraments

Question 7

what is the via negativa (apophatic way)?

Answer 7

roots from neo-platonism of the second century, arguing we should say nothing positive of God, because we cannot begin to comprehend him. all we can say is what he is not, preserving his dignity

Question 8

what does pseudo dionysius say?

Answer 8

god is ‘beyond assertion’ and beyond description.

Question 9

what does Gregory of Nyssa say?

Answer 9

describes spiritual life as a ‘mysticism of darkness’, there comes a point at which a believer enters into an ‘outer darkness and enter into the apophatic way of Gods ineffable transcendent reality’. at this point, there are no words to describe god, it is completely beyond words and images

Question 10

what does meister eckhart say?

Answer 10

he talked about ‘finding light in darkness’. in other words true enlightenment only happens when you have left all human language and concepts behind

Question 11

what did moses maimondes say?

Answer 11

a medieval jewish theologian; ‘god cannot be the object of human comprehension, that none but himself comprehends who he is, and that our knowledge consists in knowing that we are unable truly to comprehend him. all we understand is the fact he exists, that he is a being to whom none of his creatures is similar’. uses the example of describing a ship by saying what its not

Question 12

How does B davies criticise moses maimondes?

Answer 12

argues you could just as easily end up with a wardrobe by describing what something is not- the via negativa leaves us with limited understanding of god

Question 13

why do religious believers see weaknesses in the apophatic way?

Answer 13

most believers describe the love of god, and speak of him in a positive way rather than a negative way. it is an unnatural way to talk of god

Question 14

another weakness of the apophatic way?

Answer 14

to say what god is not in a way implies the positive. to say god is not limited by time tells us something about god still

Question 15

what is an analogy?

Answer 15

a way of talking of god by comparing him to something else

Question 16

What is the analogy of attribution?

Answer 16

We attribute a characterisitc that we can experience, to reflect something that is beyond experience. For example, healthy urine reflects a healthy bull; good bread is attributed to a good baker. Not using “good” in the same way.

Question 17

what is the analogy of proportion?

Answer 17

God, as the sum of all perfections is proportionally much greater than humans. Therefore God’s goodness is proportionately much greater than our goodness.

Question 18

how does hick support analogy?

Answer 18

hick supports analogy by since it enable us to speak of god whilst remaining mysterious. he offers the incarnation as a way to show gods attitudes and character are shown through the stories of jesus. therefore, allowing us to make statements of god

Question 19

what does don scotus say of analogy?

Answer 19

its too vague and leaves us unable to understand god or his actions

Question 20

a major problem of analogy…

Answer 20

is that it assumes a similarity between god and humans, which becomes difficult if there are proportional differences and god is completely different to humans. there is no point of reference to judge the appropriateness of the analogy

Question 21

What is a symbol?

Answer 21

participates in to which it points. a flag is a symbol of a nation, also participating in the power and dignity of a nation

Question 22

How is a sign different to a symbol? (according to tillich)

Answer 22

a sign simply points to something outside itself

Question 23

how does Tillich see symbols?

Answer 23

symbols ‘work on a deep and powerful level a symbol unlocks something within our soul and expresses something about the ultimate’.