Symbolic Language

What does Tillich argue about Religious Language?

Religious Statements are not literally true

• almost all religious language that attempts to express ideas about God is to be understood symbolically

• we can only speak about God/religion symbolically

What is a Sign?

e.g. red traffic light to another road sign that points to something

What is a Symbol?

participates in that to which it points

• a flag does not merely act as a sign; for many people it represents the nation involved

What is a common Christian symbol?

Cross

• not just these objects or events that represent truthful statements including literal sounding statements (e.g. “God is good”) are to be understood symbolically

What is Tillich saying when he states that: we cannot speak literally of God?

not apart of the empirical world and so can’t be represented by literal language

• only statements that can be used of God is the ‘Ground of being’ or the ‘Being itself’ - the source of everything

all other statements should be understood symbolically

What is Tillich saying when he states that: symbolic words we ascribe to God cannot be random or invented?

(influenced by Jung) - they may emerge out of a collective unconscious

• certainty symbols function on an unconscious level as much as a conscious level

What is Tillich saying when he states that: symbols may have a limited life span?

e.g. Hindu symbol of the Swastika - lost its meaning due to Nazi use

• words we use to describe God may change overtime as some words and pictures become more helpful or unhelpful

What is Tillich saying when he states that: a symbol opens up levels of reality that would otherwise be closed to us?

didn’t unlock ‘hidden depths of our own being’

• Analogy of Art - like art, symbols enable us to grasp deep truths about the world and about ourselves

What quote does Tillich say?

“Every symbol is double edged. It opens up reality and it opens the soul”

What is Ramsey’s view of models and qualifiers?

(development of Ramsey’s theory)

we may design a model to help us understand something, like religious language is a model to help us understand God

• also have qualifiers with them; these are words that show us how to use the model or specify under what conditions that model may apply

How is Ramsey’s view of models and qualifiers applied to the phrase ‘Heavenly Father’?

• the word ‘Father’ is a model that helps us to understand the concept of God

• the word ‘Heavenly’ is a qualifier; we must not understand God as an earthly father, he is a different kind of father

What are the strengths of Symbolic Language?

• preserves the transcendence and mystery of God in a way that analogical language does not

• can be changed with time - ensures that the message remains relevant to its changing cultural context

What is Tillich’s insight of why Symbolic Language is successful?

Symbols are able to communicate deeply in a way that ordinary language cannot

• accurately reflects our sense that most important things in life are beyond words (ineffable)

How does J.H. Randall criticise Symbolic Language?

Happy to accept that religious language is symbolic, but believes that the symbols are non-cognitive and provide no information about God

How does Alston criticise Symbolic Language?

Objects that religious language must involve facts

• “there is not point in trying to determine whether the statement is true or false”

How does Hick criticise Symbolic Language?

Philosophical language about God is not symbolic

What is a Christian criticism of Symbolic Language?

Some beliefs in Christianity are taken as facts - reducing statements about these beliefs to ‘symbolic’ may not be a true Christian belief

How can Symbolic Language be criticised as vague?

it is unclear how a symbol participates in that to which it points

• to burn a flag might be seen as an insult, but would it really weaken the nation?