Religious language- via negativia anaogical or symbolic

Question 1

uses of religious language?

Answer 1

religious language can be used in many different ways- 
to make truths 
to evoke feelings of worship 
to express emotion
to solemnise occasions 
to pray

Question 2

two ways religious believers might use positive terms to communicate ideas about God?

Answer 2

through the use of analogy or symbol.

Question 3

the via positiva/ cataphatic way?

Answer 3

the cataphatic way states that God can be understood by human mind, this understanding can be showed using our language. - the cataphatic way is a use of positive language to say something of God.

Question 4

what did st francis say about via positiva language?

Answer 4

st francis; nature mystic God knowable through creation

- all created things point beyond self to the wonder of God.

Question 5

limitations of via positivia language

Answer 5

• cant use language of finite creatures to express truths of an infinite being.
• issue of univocal use: words do not necessarily mean the same when applied to God as other things.
• Issue of equivocal use; if word means something different when applied to God, how can we know the meaning?

Question 6

How is analogy used to describe via positiva/ the cataphatic way?

Answer 6

Analogy is a comparison made between one thing and another in an effort to aid understanding.

Question 7

analogical language contrasts with what?

Answer 7

contrasts with univocal language (where words are used in the exactly the same way) and equivocal language (where words have completely different meanings).

Question 8

what does Aquinas argue, in relation to analogy?

Answer 8

He argues that whenever we speak to God we use analogy, whether we mean to or not.

Question 9

Aquinas thought that recognising that we are using analogy helps to avoid what?

Answer 9

the problem of making God too small.

Question 10

what are the two kinds of analogy?

Answer 10

analogy of attribution and analogy of proportionality.

Question 11

what is analogy of attribution?

Answer 11

• where there is a casual relationship between the two things described. when we speak of God as loving we should remember that God is the cause of Love. When we speak of God as wise we should remember that God is the cause of wisdom.

Question 12

what is the analogy of proportionality?

Answer 12

This is when analogy relates two things that are different in proportion. we need to remember when we speak of God that his attributes are on an infinitely greater scale.

Question 13

who was Ian Ramsey and how does he relate to analogy?

Answer 13

in 1957 he wrote about analogy using ‘models’ and ‘qualifiers’.
we can take an idea from this limited physical world and use it as a model.- we can use other words such as ‘infinitely’ or ‘holy’ to indicate that the word is being applied analogically to an infinite being who will always remain beyond human comprehension.

Question 14

what is via negativa or apophatic way?

Answer 14

the supporters of vi negativa say that in order to say things that are literally true of God, it is important to use only negative terms.

Question 15

example of negative terms?

Answer 15

things like ‘ invisible’, ‘ incorporeal’ and ‘timeless’.

Question 16

Why do people choose via negativa to talk about God?

Answer 16

because using positive terms of God makes God seem too small, as if God is like a human father or judge and as if God has only human wisdom or strength.

Question 17

who was Pseudo- Dionysius?

Answer 17

• the Areopagite lived in the sixth century and was influential in developing the via, negative, arguing that people need to go beyond the need for understanding and enter a ‘ cloud of unknowing’.

Question 18

Who was Moses Maimonides?

Answer 18

he lived in the twelfth century- gave an example of describing a ship by explaining what it is not, to illustrate how knowledge of God could be communicated.

Question 19

The via negativa approach can what?

Answer 19

It can produce statements which are literally true rather than requiring interpretation.

Question 20

statements made using via negativa can be what?

Answer 20

• meaningful across different times and cultures.

Question 21

However, what could be argued about via negativa?

Answer 21

• it is not of much help to someone who knows knowing abut God.

Question 22

also people criticise via negativa, how?

Answer 22

defining God in negative terms might be not very different from saying God is nothing at all.

Question 23

The bible uses what?

Answer 23

positive terms of God, and so does Jesus in the Bible.

Question 24

What is a symbol?

Answer 24

A symbol is a word or other kind of representation used to stand for something else and to shed light on its meaning.

Question 25

what do religious believers use symbols as?

Answer 25

They use symbols to discuss relationships with God as convey meanings are different to put into words and that evoke feelings.- All language is symbolic- words= symbols that stand for something else.

Question 26

What do people say we use metaphors for?

Answer 26

we use metaphors in many contexts to aid understanding and add vividness.- using symbolism can be a way of saying positive things about God without making God too small.

Question 27

Where does the Bible use symbolic language?

Answer 27

The bible uses symbolic language of God, for example saying that ‘ the lord is my shepherd’ (psalm 23:1) or that God is a ‘father’.

Question 28

Who was Paul Tilich and what did he say about symbolism?

Answer 28

• he argued- all religious language is symbolic- signs, points to something beyond itself; a shared meaning.
• symbols signs that participate in the reality& have some power& of that which it represents eg. a flag.

Question 29

limitations of symbol

Answer 29

Hick-the idea of symbol participating in reality is flawed; if flag burned- no actual harm to country.
Alston- symbols don’t necessarily point to realities beyond self- ‘God is loving’ doesn’t guarantee salvation.

Question 30

criticisms of analogy and symbol as ways of speaking about God.

Answer 30

• using ideas from the limited, imperfect physical world to express ideas about God might make God seem too small.

Question 31

criticisms of analogy and symbol- ways of speaking about God?

Answer 31

Using positive terms to talk about God- might wrongly suggest that human beings can come to an understanding of God.
- If we use analogy and symbol knowing that the terms we use are only a, partial smaller shadow of the greatness of God, then we still do not come to a very clear understanding.

Question 32

criticism of analogy and symbol- both analogy and symbols require what?

Answer 32

they require interpretation- and we do not always know if we are interpreting them correctly.
- some symbols can change in meaning over time or between different cultures- for example the swastika symbol.