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SYMBOL AND ANALOGY
Religious Language
Discussion
According to the theories we’ve looked at so far, what problems are there with interpreting religious language literally?
Symbols
What do these symbols mean to religious people? Height
Light
Water
Symbol
A symbol is something that stands for something else
A symbol evokes the experience it tries to describe
Tillich argues that religious language is symbolic
He argues that religious language is more like poetry than prose
Booklets, p.13
Non-literal truth
Symbols express a truth that cannot be stated literally
This is similar to the way that we can never exhaust the meaning of a poem by translating it into literal language
The symbol expresses something that cannot be fully captured in literal language
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
What symbols are used in this Psalm?
What do you think they mean?
Key points
Explain the significance / meaning of: Symbols and community
Transcendence and immanence
The difference between symbols and signs
New levels of reality
The collective unconscious
God as the ground of beingBooklets, p.13-14
Viewing religious language as symbolic
Strengths Weaknesses
Analogy
‘A comparison of two or more things in terms of their likeness, in a way that also recognises their differences’ (Owen)
Introduction – p.19
Aquinas(Aristotle)
God is wholly simple, timeless
and spaceless
God is pure actuality
The problem Aquinas addresses
with his ideas on analogy
Five key analogies
Religious texts claim that God is: A father
A lion
A warrior
A master
A husband
Task – 10 minutes
e.g. a father
List all the qualities a father possesses
Which of these qualities
should be applied to God?
How do you know which qualities are relevant to
God?
Religious Language
Quiz
Task – 30 minutes
Complete the questions on the handout reviewing our previous learning about symbol and analogy
Extension task: Read the additional handout and make notes
about the differences between symbol and analogy
Which theory (symbol or analogy) helps us express human understanding of God more successfully?
Key terms
Analogy
Univocal language
Equivocal language
Analogical language
Analogy of attribution
Analogy of proportion
Upwards and downwards analogies
Qualifiers and models
Univocal or equivocal?
The man is tall The building is tall
The ball is blue The curtains are blue
He hit the ball with a bat The bat flew around the room
The team enjoyed playing cricket He accidentally stepped on a cricket
Viewing religious language as analogy
Strengths Weaknesses
Symbol and Analogy
Both symbol and analogy look at religious language in a non-literal way.
How are they different?
Which theory helps us express human understanding of God more successfully?
Homework
Critically compare the use of symbol with the use of analogy to express human understanding of God (35 marks) Introduce the idea of looking at religious language
in a non-literal way Explain Tillich’s ideas about symbol Evaluate them Explain Aquinas’ ideas about analogy Evaluate them Assess which view is stronger / more convincing
and explain why you think this is the case
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