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Religious Language Flashcards

1
Q

What is the core claim of Via Negativa (Apophatic theology)?

A

We cannot meaningfully say what God is, only what God is not.

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2
Q

Who is the key thinker behind Via Negativa?

A

Pseudo-Dionysius.

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3
Q

What is the difference between positive and negative language in philosophy?

A

Positive language states what something is; negative language states what something is not.

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4
Q

What is the spiritual purpose of Via Negativa according to Pseudo-Dionysius?

A

It helps us move beyond intellectual attempts to grasp God, freeing us for spiritual union.

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5
Q

What does the ‘Cloud of Unknowing’ refer to?

A

A mystical idea where God is beyond human understanding and must be approached through unknowing.

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6
Q

How does Maimonides support Via Negativa?

A

Through the ship example, by hearing what a ship is not, one gets closer to knowing what it is- likewise for God.

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7
Q

How does Brian Davies critique Maimonides?

A

He argues negation only helps when the possible options are limited- unlike in the case of God.

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8
Q

What’s a flaw in Maimonides’ view according to critics?

A

Listing what God is not doesn’t neccesarily bring us closer to knowing what God is.

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9
Q

How is Pseudo-Dionysius’ approach more defensible than Maimonides’?

A

It avoids intellectualising God and encourages spiritual connection through unity and surrender.

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10
Q

How does Viia Negativa help everyday Christians?

A

It helps avoid anthropomorphising God (e.g., thinking of God as a bearded man in the clouds.)

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11
Q

What is Aquinas’ main criticism of Via Negative?

A

It doesn’t reflect how Christians actually talk about God- they use positive language.

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12
Q

What examples from the Bible conflict with Via Negativa?

A

“God is love,” “God is spirit,” and “I am a jealous God”- all positive statements about God.

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13
Q

How does Aquinas explain religious language?

A

Through analogies- Christians speak about God in ways proportionate to human traits, acknowledging God’s greatness.

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14
Q

What does Aquinas argue about what we can say about God?

A

We cannot say exactly what God is, but we can say what God is like using analogical language.

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15
Q

Why might Aquinas’ view be more accurate in practice?

A

Because Christians use and accept analogical language that expresses something real, though limited, about God.

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16
Q

What is the main difference between Aquinas’ view and standard cataphatic views (via positiva)?

A

Aquinas rejects univocal and equivocal language, proposing that language about God should be analogical.

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17
Q

Why does Aquinas reject univocal language?

A

Univocal language assumes that God and humans are the same, but they are not, so we can’t use the same words in the same way.

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18
Q

Why does Aquinas reject equivocal language?

A

Equivocal language assumes that God and humans are totally different, which would make the language meaningless.

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19
Q

What is Aquinas’ solution to the problem of religious language?

A

He proposes the use of analogy- humans are not the same as God, nor totally different, but analogous to God.

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20
Q

What does Aquinas mean by saying that we are “analogous to God”?

A

We share qualities with God, but these qualities are not the same in both humans and God- they are analogous, with God’s qualities being greater.

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21
Q

How does Genesis support Aquinas’ theory of analogy?

A

Genesis states that humans are created in God’s image and likeness, implying an analogy between human and divine qualities.

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22
Q

What is the analogy of attribution?

A

We can say that God has a quality of love that is like our human quality of love, but God’s love is not identical to human love.

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23
Q

What is the analogy of proportion?

A

God’s qualities are infinite and greater than ours. So, God’s love is analogous to our love but is proportionally greater.

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24
Q

How does Aquinas’ theory manage to speak meaningfully about God?

A

By using analogy, we can meaningfully describe God’s qualities while acknowledging that God’s nature is beyond full human understanding.

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25
What does analogy mean in the context of Aquinas' theory?
Analogy is the communication of meaning by comparing something familiar to something that is greater or different.
26
What is a strength of Aquinas' theory?
Its foundation in natural theology.
27
According to Aquinas, where does reason come from?
Reason is a gift from God, resulting from being made in His image.
28
What did Aquinas believe about the power of reason?
God designed our reason with the power to know something about God, particularly about the analogy between our attributes and God's.
29
What is Aquinas' argument for natural theology?
If original sin had destroyed the image of God in us, we would be just like animals, but we aren't, so we must still retain some ability to reason about God.
30
Why is reasoning about God's attributes and speaking about God analogically valid, according to Aquinas?
Because of natural theology, reasoning about God's attributes and using analogy is valid.
31
What did Karl Barth reject about natural theology?
He rejected natural theology, believing it placed a dangerous overreliance on human reason.
32
What did Barth believe about the effect of original sin on reason?
\barth believed original sin corrupted reason, making it unreliable, even if it didn't completely destroy it.
33
What did Barth mean by "The finite has no capacity for the infinite"?
Our finite minds have no capacity to understand God's infinite nature.
34
Why does Barth argue we should not use reason to know God?
because reason is corrupted, and using it could lead to a false view of God and potentially idolatry.
35
What does Barth warn could happen if we use reason to know God?
We could end up worshipping the wrong thing, like human things (nations, fatherlands), which he argued contributed to Nazism.
36
What did Barth conclude about how we should know God?
He concluded we should solely rely on faith in the Bible and not reason.
37
Why does Barth believe any attempt to understand God through reason is misguided?
Because reason is corrupted and unreliable.
38
Why is Barth's argument against Aquinas considered unsuccessful?
Because Aquinas isn't claiming that reason can grasp God's infinite being, but rather that reason can help us understand attributes of God that are analogous to ours.
39
How does Aquinas approach succeed in addressing the issue of reason?
Aquinas' approach succeeds because he is careful not to claim too much about God based on reason and acknowledges that reason is limited.
40
How does Aquinas address the potential corruption of reason?
he acknowledges that reason may be corrupted at time, but with God's grace, human reason can still know something about God.
41
What problem does Aquinas' theory of analogy try to solve in religious language?
it avoids the problems of univocal (too similar) and equivocal (too different) language by offering a middle ground: analogy.
42
Why does univocal language fail in religious language, according to Aquinas?
Because humans are not the same as God, so the words can't mean exactly the same thing.
43
Why does equivocal language fail in religious language?
because we are not completely different from God, so the words can't mean entirely different things.
44
What is Aquinas' solution to the problems of univocal and equivocal language?
Human attributes like love an d power are analogous to God's- similar but not identical and proportionally greater in God.
45
What biblical support is there for Aquinas' view of analogy?
Genesis says humans are made in God's "image and likeness," suggesting a real similarity.
46
What is Brummer's main objection to the analogy of proportion?
It fails because saying God is loving in proportion to His infinite nature tell us nothing understandable- only that God is loving in a way we cannot grasp.
47
What does Brummer mean when he says the analogy of proportionality "takes us no further than a negative theology"?
It doesn't help us say anything positive about God, only that God's attributes are not like ours.
48
How does Aquinas' analogy of attribution attempt to address this problem?
By suggesting that human qualities come from God, so we can speak of god having qualities analogous to ours.
49
How does Brummer critique the analogy of attribution?
It tells us God is the source of human qualities like love, but not in what way God has those qualities.
50
What is a major evaluative challenge to analogical language?
If we don't know what the likeness between us and God actually involves, we aren't saying anything meaningful via positiva.
51
Why might Aquinas' analogy fail to say anything meaningful about God?
Because it claims a likeness without explaining what that likeness is, leaving us with vague or empty assertions.
52
What is Brummer's alternate evaluation using the analogy of electricity and water?
Analogies are only meaningful if we understand both elements being compared- something we lack in the case of God.
53
Why, according to Brummer, can analogical language about God not be accurate or meaningful?
Because we don't truly now God's nature, so we can't verify the accuracy or meaning of the analogy- it doesn't go beyond the Via Negativa.
54
What does Tillich say about the nature of religious language?
Religious language is not literal; it is symbolic.
55
What is the purpose of symbolic language according to Tillich?
To connect a person's mind to something beyond themselves.
56
How does religious language function for the believer, according to Tillich?
It connects the religious person's mind to God, similar to a religious experience.
57
Why is a phrase like "God be with you" meaningful in Tillich's view?
because it creates a feeling of connection to God, not because it literally describes God.
58
How is religious language similar to looking at a crucifix, according to Tillich?
Both are symbolic experiences that connect the believer's mind to God emotionally or spiritually.
59
What is the role of symbols in religious language?
Symbols connect the soul or mind to God and make spiritual connection possible.
60
What does Tillich say about the word "God" itself?
God is a symbol for the "ground of being".
61
What does religion symbolise, according to Tillich?
Religion symbolises our "ultimate concern"- what matters most to us.
62
Why can't religious language be literal, according to Tillich?
Because God is beyond human comprehension and cannot be described literally.
63
What is the "ground of being" in Tillich's theory?
The mysterious source of all existence, which the symbol of God points to.
64
How is religious language meaningful in Tillich's theory?
it is meaningful through the emotional and spiritual connection it creates, not through literal description.
65
What does Tillich's theory of religious language focus on?
the spiritual and emotional connection created by religious symbols.
66
How does Tillich's theory align with Christian practice?
It reflects how Christians experience spiritual connection through prayer, religious phrases, or symbols like the crucifix.
67
Why might Tillich's theory be seen as successful in capturing religious meaning?
Because it emphasises the spiritual feelings religious language evokes, which are often more important to believers than factual claims.
68
What is William Alston's main objection to Tillich's theory?
That religious language must also express factual beliefs, not just spiritual feelings.
69
According to Alston, why can't religious language be purely symbolic?
because doctrines lie heaven and hell involve objective, factual claims essential to Christian belief.
70

Philosophy (3 decks)

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