A Level RE- Philosophy > Religious Language > Flashcards

Religious Language Flashcards

(47 cards)

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1
Q

What are the 3 main challenges for religious language

A
  • How to uphold God’s transcendence
  • Contradictions/paradox
  • How to avoid reducing God to human terms
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2
Q

Why is God transcendent?

A
  • God is outside time and space
  • At epistemically distance from humans
  • Beyond our sense experiences
  • Unavailable to experiment and testing
  • Our language is limited to things in time and space
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3
Q

Contradictions/paradox

A

-Jesus is 100% human and 100% God

  • God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
  • God is a Father and Son? To himself?
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4
Q

How to avoid reducing God to human terms

A

Genesis describes God as ‘walking in the Garden of Eden’ - does this mean that God has legs?

God spoke to Moses…. does this mean God has a mouth?

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5
Q

What is Via Negativa

A

The only meaningful way to talk about God is what he is not

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6
Q

Examples of via negativa

A

Not temporal (rather than ‘is outside time’)
Not finite (rather than ‘infinite’)

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7
Q

What type of ‘way’ is via negativa

A

Apophatic Way

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8
Q

Reasons for using Via negativa

A

Because our language is incapable of expressing accurate knowledge of God without misleading or anthropomorphising God. Via negativa solves this issue

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9
Q

Which theologian proposed the idea of Via negativa

A

Moses Maimonides (1135-1204)

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10
Q

What does Maimonides claims about using the Via Negativa

A

Maimonides claims that if we can describe a ship by saying what its not, within 10 steps we will find out its a ship

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11
Q

Who challenges this ‘ship’ analogy

A

Brain Davies

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12
Q

What does Brain Davies say

A

We can easily end up with a wardrobe instead of a ship, we are no closer to understanding God

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13
Q

Who supports Via negativa other than Maimonides

A

Pseudo-Dionysius (500 CE)

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14
Q

What does Pseudo-Dionysius say

A

God is too transcendent to talk about in human terms and until people realise this, they will end up with an idea that God is too small

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15
Q

Who rejects via negativa

A

St Thomas Aquinas

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16
Q

Why does Aquinas reject via Negativa

A

Says : when we call God ‘the living God’, we mean much more than just God is not dead.

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17
Q

What are the 2 languages we can’t use

A

Univocal
Equivocal

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18
Q

What is univocal language

A

The word means the same thing in any context.

E.g “the oven is hot” and “the desert is hot”

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19
Q

Why can’t we use univocal language

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A

This would place God in the same category as humans, anthropomorphising him

20
Q

What is equivocal language

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A

Using words that have different meaning

E.g “Cricketers hit the ball with a bat” and “A bat lives in a cave”

21
Q

Why can’t we use equivocal language

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A

Because they have completely different meanings, it can lead to misunderstandings and make it impossible to understand God

E.g describing God as strong could be seen as God having strong muscles or strong health or strong opinions etc

22
Q

What solution does Aquinas come up with

23
Q

What is analogy

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A

An explanation of an idea by comparing it to something else thats similar

E.g in Psalms 31, the author describes God as his ‘rock’

24
Q

What 2 types of analogy can be used to describe God

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A
  • The analogy of attribution
  • The analogy of proportionality
25
What is the analogy of attribution
Back in the day, doctors would examine a bull’s urine to check on the bull’s health. This urine would tell you something about the bull. This is because the urine is attributed (causes by) the bull. In the same way, the world around us can tell us more about the creator
26
What analogy does Brain Davies use for the analogy of attribution
He uses the analogy of bread. We can tell something about the skill of the baker from the bread. This is because the bread is attributed (causes by) the baker.
27
What does analogy tell us?
Because we are similar to God, our language about God is meaningful and true, but limited
28
What must we remember if we are making meaningful statements about God
God is the CAUSE of it. E.g if we say “God is good” we need to remember that God is the cause of all goodness so he is higher in goodness than we can comprehend
29
What is analogy of proportion
Humans experience characteristics in proportion to how God has them E.g an English international football player is proportionally better than a 10 year old More specific e.g: love is finite and jealous, wheras God’s love is proportionally greater than human love as his is infinite and unconditional
30
Criticims with Aquinas’s Analogy
Analogy can only give us a limited understanding because we can’t come close to accurately describing God E.g the bull’s urine only tells us an incomplete version of the bull
31
How does Hick add to Aquinas’s proportion
Says we are made in the image of God so his qualities are in us. However, since God is perfect, the qualities are in lesser proportion to us. E.g a dog’s faithfulness is smaller than a humans faithfulness
32
How does Ian Ramsey build on Aquinas’s proportion
Uses models and qualifiers. ‘Shepard’ is a model that we can understand from our experience. But by adding a qualifier like ‘good’, it takes ‘Shepard’ from a human understanding to a quality possessed by God.
33
What does Tillich talk about
Signs and Symbols
34
What is a sign
A sign points to something but has no connection to that thing. E.g A road sign
35
What is a symbol
Points to the thing it represents. Must participate in. E.g the cross points to Jesus and participates in Jesus’ crucifixion
36
Strengths of symbols
Symbols are used in non religious contexts also, proving their usefulness Symbols remind people of their promises like in a marriage (wedding rings being the symbol) Symbols are used in many religions: - Christians use baptism - Muslims perform wudi - Jews use the Mikveh (ritual bath)
37
Criticims of symbols
John Hick says that Tillich is unclear when he talks about symbols ‘participating in’ something E.g burning a flag doesnt actually damage the sacrifice made by soldiers
38
Where does the meaning of symbols come from- Tillich
Comes from society + culture. Therefore, symbols can change E.g the Hindu symbol of peace became a symbol used by Nazi’s
39
Can symbols be destroyed- according to Tillich
No. And if you attempt to destroy it, it just becomes stronger E.g the ICHTHUS symbol used by Christians mark protection
40
Is symbolic language the best way to talk about God
Tillich argues all religious language is symbolic
41
Is symbolic language the best way to talk about God
Tillich believes all language is symbolic. God not part of the literal world so using non symbolic language gives no understanding of God. Words we use dont just point to God like a sign but are symbolic. This means religious language participates in that which it points to God, something deep inside of us that connects with God unlocks
42
Tillich says theres only 1 literal statement that can be made, what is it?
God is the ground of all being. This means God is the reason for everything. Everything else however (like God is love) must be seen symbolically
43
What religious examples does Tillich give when talking about language participating in us that connects with God
‘God is love’- the word conveys something deep and symbolic about God ‘Jesus is the lamb of God’- Jesus symbolically died for our sins
44
What examples does Tillich give when talking about language participating in us that connects with God
Music- it connects with us in a deeper way. Creates symbols for reality that cannot be said or reached Art does the same
45
What is affirmation and negation
Tillich says all religious language affirms statements but also negates them at the same time
46
Examples of affirmation and negation
God is love- affirms the belief that God is actually love BUT negates as in its more than humans can express God is just- affirms belief that God is actually just BUT negates as it means more than the human understanding of just
47
Anthony Flew’s criticism of via negativa
By continually defining God by what he is not, religious believers effectively argue God out of existence
A Level RE- Philosophy
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