Religious language

Question 1

Why is religious language a problem?

Answer 1

We do not know if words can be used to accurately describe God

Question 2

What is univocal language?

Answer 2

When a word is used in the same way but in different contexts- it holds its meaning

Question 3

What is the issue with using univocal language to describe God?

Answer 3

Using words that we use in the same way to describe them to god anthropomorphises God, bringing him down to human level

Question 4

What is Equivocal language?

Answer 4

When a word has different meanings in different contexts

Question 5

What is the problem with using equivocal language to describe God?

Answer 5

We cannot know what the words mean in the context of God

Question 6

What is cognitive language?

Answer 6

A statement that is subject to being true or false
Can be checked analytically or synthetically

Question 7

What is non cognitive language?

Answer 7

A statement that is not subject to being true or false

Question 8

What is the Apophatic way?

Answer 8

• Via Negativa
• Negative statements made about god
• God is not

Question 9

What is the reasoning behind the Apophatic way?

Answer 9

• Words are inadequate in describing God
• When we say ‘God is good’ we understand good in terms of human goodness- we cannot experience it any other way
• Only negative statement can be made about God

Question 10

What is analytic proof

Answer 10

Proven through reason alone, e.g mathematical truths

Question 11

What is synthetic proof

Answer 11

Proven through observations

Question 12

What did Brain Davies critique about the apophatic way?

Answer 12

• Knowing what something is not does not lead to knowledge of what is is
• We need to know the different possibilities about what something could be before the apophatic way is applied

Question 13

What does Maimonides say about the Apophatic way?

Answer 13

• Positive statements other than God exists cannot be made as they are improper and disrespectful
• By combining negative statements about God we can become closer to knowledge of God

Question 14

What are some positives of the apophatic way?

Answer 14

• God cannot positively described without using human terms- this reduced God to a human level
• Fits with how religious experiences are described by those who had them- they are ineffable

Question 15

What are some negatives of the apophatic way?

Answer 15

• There is an infinite number of things God is not. No matter how many negative attributes we assign, we will not be closer to knowledge of God
• Not a true reflection of how believer speak of God
• If we cannot know what God is, then surely we cannot know what he is not

Question 16

What did Inge say about religious language?

Answer 16

Any description of God leads to annihilation of God where we lose the connection between God and the world

Question 17

What is the cataphatic way?

Answer 17

• Also known as via positiva
• Positive statements made about God
• Aquinas theory of Analogy
• ‘God is like…’

Question 18

What are Aquinas two analogies in his cataphatic theory?

Answer 18

• Analogy of attribution
• Analogy of proper proportion

Question 19

What is the analogy of attribution?

Answer 19

• The words we apply to humans are related to how words are applied to God as there is a causal relationship between the two sets of qualities
• For example, we have the quality of love which reflects qualities of love in God
• Hence, we can speak of God in terms of human attributes

Question 20

What is the analogy of proper proportion?

Answer 20

• The extent to which a being can be said to have certain properties is in proportion to the type of being.
• For example, saying a human is good is talking about a finite being, when describing God we are speaking of an infinite being so the goodness is in proportion to that.

Question 21

What did Aquinas conclude about religious language?

Answer 21

The language used to talk about god will always be limited because god is ultimately incomprehensible

Question 22

How did Hick develop Aquinas’ analogy of proper proportion?

Answer 22

• Used example of faithfulness
• In the same way that human faithfulness is greater than a dog’s faithfulness, God’s faithfulness is greater still than humans

Question 23

What are some positives of the cataphatic way?

Answer 23

• Avoids both univocal and equivocal language
• Method of analogy similar to how Jesus spoke of god
• Aquinas is right that if no language can be used for God then theology is useless

Question 24

What are some negatives of the cataphatic way?

Answer 24

• Swinburne suggests all religious statements are univocal. The meaning of world still remain in contact with everyday meaning, even if used for God
• It’s not clear how far different the meaning for a human word should be when using it with God
• Results in individual interpretations

Question 25

How does Ian Ramsey support Aquinas’ cataphatic?

Answer 25

- Uses models and qualifiers - For example, ‘shepherd’ is a model we understand from experience. Adding a qualifier of ‘good’ shows that god is the same but also different to our language.

Question 26

What does Don Scotus argue about the cataphatic?

Answer 26

Analogy is too vague and does not allow us to understand god or his actions

Question 27

What would Karl Barth argue about the cataphatic?

Answer 27

- We can know nothing about God from our experiences as they are too limited. We must use revelation.

Question 28

What does Paul Tillich argue about religious statements?

Answer 28

They are not literally true but rather non cognitive. We cannot make literal statements about God because he is beyond our world and understanding Religious language should be understood symbolically

Question 29

How does Tillich differentiate between a sign and a symbol?

Answer 29

- A sign communicates a message, but a symbol participates in that which it points to - A symbol becomes associated with what is represents

Question 30

What type of religious language does Tillich support?

Answer 30

Symbolic language

Question 31

How does symbolic language allow us to have a relationship with God?

Answer 31

Symbols evoke emotions in believers. When a Christian hears or sees a symbol, their mind feels connected to God in that moment This gives symbols their meaningfulness