Religious Language Flashcards
What is meant by “religious language”?
Religious language refers to how we speak about God, faith, worship, and spiritual concepts.
Why is religious language considered problematic by some philosophers?
Because religious language often refers to metaphysical or transcendent realities that cannot be verified empirically.
What is the Verification Principle?
A theory developed by Logical Positivists that states a statement is only meaningful if it can be empirically verified or is a tautology.
Which philosophical group is associated with the Verification Principle?
The Logical Positivists.
What challenge does the Verification Principle pose to religious language?
It suggests that statements about God or religion are meaningless since they cannot be empirically verified.
Who was a prominent advocate of the Verification Principle?
A.J. Ayer.
How did A.J. Ayer apply the Verification Principle to religious language?
He argued that statements about God are non-cognitive and meaningless because they cannot be tested or proven.
What is a tautology?
A statement that is true by definition, such as “all bachelors are unmarried men.”
What is strong verification?
The idea that a statement is only meaningful if it can be conclusively proven by observation.
What is weak verification?
A softer version of verification allowing for statements to be meaningful if they can be shown to be probable through observation.
Who criticized the Verification Principle for being self-refuting?
Critics argue the principle itself cannot be empirically verified and thus fails its own test.
What is Falsification Theory?
A theory proposed by Karl Popper stating that for a statement to be scientific or meaningful, it must be falsifiable.
How did Antony Flew apply Falsification to religious language?
He argued that religious believers often refuse to allow anything to count against their beliefs, rendering them meaningless.
What example did Flew use to illustrate his argument?
The parable of the invisible gardener.
What was Flew’s main critique of religious language?
That religious statements are not falsifiable and thus meaningless.
How did R.M. Hare respond to Flew’s argument?
With the concept of “bliks”—non-rational beliefs that shape how we see the world, not open to falsification.
What is a “blik” according to Hare?
An unverifiable and unfalsifiable worldview or perspective that guides behavior and understanding.
What example did Hare use to explain a “blik”?
A university student convinced all his professors want to kill him.
How did Basil Mitchell counter Flew’s view?
By arguing that believers accept that their faith can be challenged but maintain trust in God despite this.
What example did Mitchell use?
The partisan and the stranger during wartime.
What does Mitchell’s parable illustrate about faith?
That faith involves trust in spite of conflicting evidence, making religious statements meaningful.
What is the Via Negativa (Apophatic Way)?
An approach that attempts to speak of God only in negative terms, saying what God is not.
Why is the Via Negativa used?
To avoid limiting or misrepresenting God using human language.
What are the strengths of the Via Negativa?
It avoids anthropomorphism and respects the mystery of God.
What are the weaknesses of the Via Negativa?
It gives no positive understanding of God and may lead to agnosticism.
What is analogy in religious language?
A way of speaking about God by drawing comparisons between human attributes and divine attributes.
Who developed the theory of analogy in religious language?
Who developed the theory of analogy in religious language?
What are the two types of analogy Aquinas described?
Analogy of attribution and analogy of proportion.
What is analogy of attribution?
When attributes in humans reflect those in God because God is the cause of all things.
What is analogy of proportion?
When we compare human qualities to divine ones in proportion, recognizing God’s attributes are infinitely greater.
What is univocal language?
Language that has the same meaning in all contexts.
What is equivocal language?
Language that has different meanings in different contexts.
Why do some reject univocal and equivocal language for God?
Univocal limits God to human terms, while equivocal makes statements about God meaningless.
What does symbolic language do in a religious context?
Uses symbols to convey spiritual truths or concepts beyond literal meaning.
Who wrote about symbols in religious language?
Paul Tillich.
What did Tillich say about symbols?
That they participate in the reality they represent and open levels of reality otherwise closed to us.
What is an example of a religious symbol?
The cross representing sacrifice and salvation in Christianity.
What is a strength of symbolic language?
It allows for deeper spiritual engagement and connection.
What is a weakness of symbolic language?
Symbols can be misinterpreted or lose meaning over time
What is language games theory?
A theory by Ludwig Wittgenstein that suggests the meaning of words depends on their context and use in a particular “game.”
How does Wittgenstein’s theory apply to religious language?
Religious language has meaning within the context of religious practice and community.
What is a benefit of language games for religious language?
It validates religious statements within their own framework, making them meaningful to believers.
What is a criticism of language games?
It may isolate religious language from rational critique or interfaith dialogue.
What is non-cognitive language?
Language that does not express facts but emotions, values, or commitments.
What is cognitive language?
Language that expresses facts and can be proven true or false.
How does non-cognitive language relate to religion?
Many argue that religious statements are expressions of belief, not factual claims.
What is an empirical statement?
A statement that can be tested through experience or observation.
Why might someone argue religious language is still meaningful
Because it plays a crucial role in forming moral values, identity, and culture.
How does the Verification Principle affect ethical or aesthetic statements?
Like religious statements, they are seen as meaningless because they cannot be empirically verified.
What is one major takeaway from debates about religious language?
That the meaning of religious language depends heavily on one’s philosophical perspective and criteria for meaning.
How does the Verification Principle threaten traditional theology?
By rendering theological claims meaningless unless they are empirically verifiable.
How did A.J. Ayer describe religious language under the Verification Principle?
As emotionally expressive but devoid of factual meaning.
According to Ayer, what type of statement is “God exists”?
A non-verifiable and therefore meaningless statement.
What is a key criticism of the Verification Principle?
It is not verifiable by its own standard, making it self-defeating.
What is the difference between factual and value statements under Logical Positivism?
Factual statements are meaningful if verifiable; value statements are considered emotive and meaningless.
In Flew’s invisible gardener parable, what do the two explorers represent?
One represents the believer, the other the skeptic.
Why does Flew reject religious assertions as meaningful?
Because they are immune to any counter-evidence.
What does Hare’s concept of “blik” imply about religious belief?
That it is a foundational, unfalsifiable way of viewing the world.
What distinguishes a blik from a factual claim?
A blik cannot be tested or proven true or false.
Why might analogy be preferred over literal language when talking about God?
It allows for meaningful talk without limiting God to human terms.
Why is univocal language problematic for describing God?
It equates God too closely with human attributes, reducing His transcendence.
Why is equivocal language problematic for religious discourse?
It results in ambiguity, making religious claims unintelligible.
How does analogy avoid the extremes of univocal and equivocal language?
By maintaining similarity without claiming full equivalence.
In analogy of attribution, why can we say God is good?
Because humans reflect God’s goodness as the source of all being.
In analogy of proportion, what does it mean to say God is wise?
That God possesses wisdom in a proportion appropriate to His nature.
What is a criticism of analogy in religious language?
It may be too vague or abstract to provide concrete understanding.
How does Tillich define a symbol?
As something that participates in that to which it points.
What is the difference between a sign and a symbol in Tillich’s theory?
Signs are arbitrary, while symbols participate in the reality they represent.
What is an example of a religious symbol Tillich might consider powerful?
The Eucharist symbolizing communion with God.
What is a limitation of using symbols in religious language?
Symbols can lose relevance or be interpreted differently over time.
What does Tillich mean by symbols “opening up levels of reality”?
Symbols reveal deeper truths that cannot be expressed literally.
Why might someone reject symbolic religious language?
Due to concerns about subjectivity and ambiguity.
How does Wittgenstein’s “language games” idea challenge verificationism?
It suggests meaning is context-dependent, not based on empirical verification.
What does Wittgenstein mean by “forms of life”?
The shared cultural and social contexts that give language its meaning.
In religious language games, what determines a statement’s meaning?
How it is used within the religious community.
What is a benefit of Wittgenstein’s approach to religious language?
It protects religious statements from scientific critique by reframing their context.
What might critics say about language games and religious belief?
That it shields religious claims from rational scrutiny.
How do religious language games differ from scientific ones?
They operate under different rules, aims, and criteria for meaning.
Why is falsifiability important in scientific language but not in religious language?
Science seeks testable truth, while religion conveys belief and value.
What does apophatic theology aim to protect?
The mystery and unknowability of God.
What is the main idea behind Wittgenstein’s theory of Language Games?
That the meaning of language depends on its use within a specific form of life or context.
What does Wittgenstein mean by a “form of life”?
A shared human activity or way of living that gives language its context and meaning.
How do language games relate to religious language?
Religious language is meaningful within the “game” of religion, even if it doesn’t make sense outside of it.
Why is religious language meaningful to believers according to Language Games theory?
Because it is used in a particular context (faith, worship, prayer) that gives it meaning.
What does Wittgenstein’s approach suggest about disagreements between science and religion?
They may be talking past each other since they are part of different language games with different rules.
How does Wittgenstein’s theory protect religious language from Logical Positivist critiques?
By arguing that religious language doesn’t have to meet scientific criteria of verification to be meaningful.
What is a criticism of applying Language Games to religion?
It may make religious beliefs immune to rational scrutiny or external critique.
In Wittgenstein’s view, can outsiders fully understand religious language?
Not entirely, unless they participate in the form of life where that language is used.
What role does community play in Language Games?
The religious community establishes and understands the rules that give religious language meaning.
What is a key takeaway from Language Games for understanding religious discourse?
That religious statements are meaningful within the practice of religion, not by external standards like science.
