RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE: Religious Language as Symbolic Flashcards
Who is Paul Tillich?
German Christian theologian
What is the importance of talking about God in a symbolic way for Tillich?
Talking about God in any other way means that we end up saying nothing cognitive about God
What is a symbol?
Self transcending: Points beyond itself and participates in the power to which it points e.g. Tillich uses an analogy with the arts: through the musical, poetic and artistic symbolism of Wagner’s the ‘Ring Cycle’, the soul can find new perspectives on life
What do religious symbols open up?
Unopened levels of reality
What does Tillich argue can’t be described about God using religious language?
God as ‘being itself’
Strengths of using symbolic language
Can relate religious ideas to everyday experiences like love
Reflects what is known through religious experience
Weaknesses of using symbolic language
Hick called it unclear- little difference between a symbol and a sign
Symbols are meaningless according to Paul Edwards because they can’t be verified/falsified
