Religious Language: Negative, Analogical Or Symbolic

Question 1

Words which are equivocal

Answer 1

(Have different meanings in the same context) e.g cricket can mean a game or an insect. To say God is a creator is very different to saying the designer of a wedding dress is a creator

Question 2

Words which are univocal

Answer 2

(Have the same meaning in different contexts) e.g God can be described as faithful, good or loving, but so can my dog, boyfriend and sister.

Question 3

Weakness of using words univocally

Answer 3

To use words univocally anthropomorphises God, bringing him down to a human level

Question 4

The cataphatic way

Answer 4

Uses positive language to describe the qualities and nature of God. Eg. God is loving, wise and powerful

Question 5

The apathetic way or Via Negativa

Answer 5

All we can do is say what god is not, thus preserving the dignity of god

Question 6

Pseudo Dionysius

Answer 6

Suggests God is beyond ‘assertion’ or description

Question 7

Gregory of Nyssa

Answer 7

Described the spiritual life as a ‘mysticism of darkness’. There comes a point in which a believer enters into an outer darkness and enter into a apothatic way of gods ineffable, transcendent reality

Question 8

Meister Eckhart

Answer 8

Talked about finding ‘light in darkness’, true enlightenment about God only happens when you have left all human language and concepts behind

Question 9

Moses Maimonides

Answer 9

In ‘the guide for the perplexed’, ‘god cannot be the object of comprehension……. all we understand is the fact he exists, that he is a being to whom non of his creatures are similar’

He uses the example of describing a ship in 10 steps only using negative terms

Question 10

B.Davies criticises Maimonides

Answer 10

Arguing that you could easily end up with a wardrobe instead of a ship. At best the via negative leaves us with a limited understanding of God

Question 11

Weaknesses of the Via Negativa

Answer 11

B. Davies argues it leaves us with a limited understanding of God, religious believers seek positive knowledge of God and speak in positive rather than negative terms, to say what God is not; to some extent implies the positive rather than negative terms

Question 12

Analogy

Answer 12

Aquinas rejected both univocal and equivocal language when talking about God. He introduced two types of analogy- of Attribution and Proportion

Question 13

Analogy of attribution

Answer 13

E.g. the bulls urine indicates the health of the bull, Davies uses the example of the baker and the bread. The baker is good; does not mean the goodness in the same way as the bread is good. But since the bread is good, goodness is attributed to the baker

Question 14

Analogy of proportion

Answer 14

When we say ‘god is good’ we are using analogy of proportion. God as the sum of all perfections is proportionately much greater than our goodness. Eg. Compare the piano playing of a 5 year old to a concert pianist.

Question 15

Support of analogy

Answer 15

Hick supports the use of analogy since it enables us to make statements about God but also preserves a degree of mystery. Hick also offers the incarnation :Gods attributes are shown through the stories of Jesus

Question 16

Weaknesses of analogy:

Answer 16

Don Scotus argues that analogy is too vague and leaves unable to understand God or his actions, it also assumes there is a similarity between god and humans.