Theology P1 - Religious Language

Cognitive language

Truth apt descriptions attempting to communicate something about the world

Non-cognitive language

Descriptions attempting to communicate something about the reader, not truth apt

Why is religious language an important issue? (4)

• No talk about God = no talk about religious truths;

• Illogical to debate truth of scripture

• Arguments for existence of God can’t prove God

• Raises other issues on metaphysical entities/issues in general

Cataphatic Way (via positiva)

Language which uses positive terms in order to convey the meaning/beliefs about God, e.g analogy, myth, symbol

Apothatic Way (via negativa)

Language which conveys meaning/beliefs about God using negative terms to describe what God isn’t (truth-apt, cognitive approach); negation

Positives of apothatic way

• Respects transcendence/ineffability of God (William James)

• True knowledge lf God only achievable by abandoning our finite language to describe Him (Eckhart)

• Prevents anthropomorphism

Criticisms of apophatic way

• Can’t convey God’s attributes/characteristics solely through negation

• Can be vague

Univocal

Sharing same literal meaning across multiple uses (Lloyds Bank & Barclays Bank)

(Catophatic)

Equivocal

Having two unrelated uses (Lloyds bank vs river bank)

(Catophatic)

Analogical

Having related, but not identical, meanings (Lloyds bank & sperm bank)

(Cataphatic, Aquinas)

Aquinas’ twofold analogy