Religious language Flashcards
What is univocal language?
when a term is used in exactly the same way and to mean the same thing
why did aquinas reject univocal language?
it anthropomorphises god and restricts him to human language
what is equivocal language?
when the same term is used in a completely different and unrelated sense
why did aquinas reject equivocal language?
we have no idea what we are saying about god
what is analogical language?
when the same term is used in a similar or related sense
what is the analogy of attribution?
where there is a causal link between two terms. What God has created must reflect God in some way
why did aquinas consider the idea of god being morally good nonsensical?
this would imply god is in time and has potential to act in one way rather than another - which is impossible if God is fully actual, wholly simple, timeless and spaceless.
how does aquinas respond to ‘god is evil. peter vardy is evil’?
For Aquinas, evil is a privation of good - something is evil to the extent that it falls short of what it should be. It is impossible for God to be evil as it is logically impossible for God to fall short of what it is to be God
what is the analogy of proportion?
where terms are related in accordance with the nature of the term
what did Evans say supporting analogy?
believers only need to understand enough to be able to worship God
what did Ramsay say supporting analogy?
use analogy but also qualifiers. Qualifiers allow God’s mystery to be maintained e.g God is infinitely powerful, perfectly good.
what did kenny say against analogy?
dead men do not resemble their murderers - causes do not always reflect their effects
what is tillich’s first characteristic of symbols?
they point beyond themselves to something else
what is tillich’s second characteristic of symbols?
participates in that to which it points
what is tillich’s third characteristic of symbols?
Opens up levels of reality which are otherwise closed to us
what is tillich’s fourth characteristic of symbols?
unlocks dimensions and elements of our soul which correspond to the dimensions and elements of reality
what is tillich’s fifth characteristic of symbols?
cannot be produced intentionally
what is tillich’s sixth characteristic of symbols?
can grow and die
what are conventional symbols? (macquarrie)
where symbols are arbitrarily chosen eg maths symbols
what are intrinsic symbols? (macquarrie)
where there is a connection between a symbol and what it represents
what are the 2 benefits of symbols for macquarrie?
similarity of relation and existential response
why did pseudo-dionysius come up with the via negative?
he believed god is unknowable and beyond human comprehension,, therefore can only be talked about in terms of what he is not
what did maimonides say?
In 10 negatives, we can know what a ship is. If you dont refer to god using negatives then you will lose faith in god
what did tertullian say?
our very incapacity of fully grasping Him affords us the idea of what He really is…
what is flews weakness of the via negative?
little difference between our definition of god and a definition of nothingness
what is davies’ weakness of the via negative?
could arrive at very different ideas through negation
what are the strengths of analogy? (2)
it allows believers to talk of god while maintaining his mystery and transcendence, and it must be meaningful or we would not continue to use it e.g. in poetry
what are the weaknesses of analogy? (3)
- How meaningful is analogy if the words are related but we don’t know how they are related? Analogy is only meaningful if it can be reformulated using literal and univocal language - swinburne
- analogy leaves us with an unclear answer to what God is like,
- causal relationship could mean God caused evil
how do symbols help us understand god? (tillich)
Tillich argues that symbols help us understand God, by taking us into the internal reality of a symbol, unlocking dimensions in our soul. The language is accessible to humans but also shows us the ultimate reality which is God. God is existence itself.
what are the strengths of symbols?
overcome univocal and equivocal problems, and are accessible and understandable for all, can be personal
what are the weaknesses of symbols?
could anthropomorphise god, can be subjective, can be culturally/historically determined eg is it good to call god a king when some kings are bad?, tillich never said how things participate in what they point to
What did Bultmann believe?
It was too much to ask people to read the Bible literally - we no longer believe in a three tiered universe. Science has moved on and so people should not be expected to believe that Jesus’ miracles actually happened. He said that believers should look at what the saving message was behind the miracle (the kerygma), instead of the supernatural - demythologisation.
How did Hick support Bultmann?
He said that the incarnation should be read as a myth
