religious language-analogy Flashcards
what were aquinas’ 3 types of language?
equivocal, univocal and analogy
what is univocal language?
language that means the same thing in all situations
what is equivocal language?
language meaning different things in different situations
what is analogical language?
a comparison between two things, based on worldly experience
what are the two ways of understanding analogy according to Aquinas?
analogy of attribution- worldly things are compared to god because he is their efficient cause. e.g god is good because he caused it
analogy of proportion- worldly things are compared with god, but must be understood according to scale e.g gods goodness is greater than our goodness
why does aquinas argue that analogy is cognitive?
it states proportions about god that are accurate if not comprehensive
why did Ramsey say all experience is religious experience?
all experience is a continual encounter with god and his creation
what is disclosure?- Ramsey
where something is made known where previously it was hidden or unknown
what are models?-Ramsey
the word which we are familiar and can be used to recognise features in an unfamiliar situation e.g we say ‘god is good’ the model is good as it is familiar
what are qualifiers?-Ramsey
this word is added to adapt the model and provide disclosure. it helps us understand it better, develops in a useful direction e.g ‘god is infinitely good’ leads to deeper understating of god
what are the key challenges to analogy?
- analogy rests on the assumption that god exists which is not verifiable or falsifiable
- god is too different from humanity to be able to make any comparison, can’t know if they are reasonable
- there are too many ways in which analogies can be understood for them to be considered truth
what intrinsic attribution?
rests on idea of cause and effect, aquinas uses analogy of bull to demonstrate this.
it is possible to determine health of a bull by examining its urine, if its healthy then we can determine the bull is healthy
what is the order of reference?
if these qualities apply to god first and foremost, then to other things secondly and analogically. because we are created in the image of god, it is possible to say we have these attributes analogically, whilst god has them perfectly
what is intrinsic attribution?
when the cause is both the cause and effect e.g if one did a self portrait the painter would be both
this is biblically acceptable as god created us in his own image
what is a literal comparison?
where it is real with characteristics of god, that he actually has
