Religious Language 1 Flashcards
What is the issue with religious language?
Philosophers often think it is impossible to speak of God meaningfully as he is beyond our knowledge and vocabulary.
This is referred to as the epistemic distance being too far.
What are the four suggested ways of speaking of God meaningfully?
The four suggested ways are: Apophatic way, Cataphatic way, analogy, and symbols.
What is a cognitive sentence?
A cognitive sentence is one about which it is appropriate to ask whether it is true or false.
What is a non-cognitive sentence?
A non-cognitive sentence is one about which it is not appropriate to ask whether it is true or false.
What is analogy in the context of religious language?
Analogy is a comparison made between one thing and another to aid understanding.
What is the analogy of attribution?
It describes a causal relationship where we attribute qualities based on the source. For example, we call a bull’s urine ‘healthy’ due to the health of the bull.
This is based on the belief that God is the creator of the universe.
What is the analogy of proportion?
It relates to different objects in proportion, such as describing a clever toddler and a clever scientist.
What is a criticism of using analogy to speak of God?
Some argue it is unhelpful because we must translate analogies into univocal language before they hold meaning.
How does Aquinas respond to the criticism of analogy?
Aquinas argues that it is acceptable to acknowledge God’s mystery and our limited knowledge as long as it allows for worship.
What is the Apophatic way?
The Apophatic way (via negativa) speaks about God using only terms that indicate what God is not.
What does Maimonides warn against in his writings?
Maimonides warns against anthropomorphizing God, which is treating God as human.
He uses a ship reference to illustrate this.
What concern did W. R. Inge express regarding negative descriptions of God?
Inge was concerned that denying God descriptions could lead to an ‘annihilation’ of both God and humanity.
What is a potential issue with speaking of God only negatively?
It may not help someone with no experience of God to understand what is meant by negative descriptions.
What does Anthony Flew argue in ‘Theology and Falsification’?
Flew argues that describing God as invisible or soundless may lead to a definition of God that is indistinguishable from nothingness.
What does the Bible say about God?
The Bible contains many positive statements about God, describing him as a king, judge, father, shepherd, and rock.
What is Ramsey’s view on speaking about God?
Ramsey suggests using ‘models’ to speak of God, with reference points from human experience, and ‘qualifiers’ to indicate God’s uniqueness.
What is the Cataphatic way?
The Cataphatic way (via positiva) involves speaking about God using terms that describe what God is.
What did Aquinas argue about positive statements regarding God?
Aquinas argued that we cannot say anything literally true about God using ordinary language, as it limits God.
What is Paul Tillich’s view on symbols?
Tillich argued that symbols help us understand God and religious experience by unlocking deeper realities.
Symbols point beyond themselves towards an ultimate reality.
What is a striking example of a symbol used differently in cultures?
The swastika serves as a symbol of good luck in Hindu cultures but represents fascism in modern Europe.
