religious langauge : negative, analogical or symbolic
- Created by: Jessica Ocran
- Created on: 04-04-19 13:08
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- Religious Language: neagtive, analogical or symbolic
- Uses of religious langauge
- to make truth claims
- to evoke feelings of worship
- to express emotion
- to solemnise occasions
- to pray
- The via negativa or apophatic way
- Supporters of the via negativa claim that in order to say things that are literally true of God, it is important to use only negative terms.
- Negative terms might include things like 'invisible', 'incorporeal' and 'timeless'
- this is becuase using positive terms of God makes God seem to small, as if God is like a human father or judge and as if God has only human wisdom or strength
- Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite lived in the sixth century and was influental in developing the via negativa, arguing that people need to go beyond the need for understanding and enter a 'cloud of unknowing'
- Moses Maimondes lived in the twelfth century and gave the example of describing a ship by explaining what it is not to illustrate how knowledge of God could be communicated
- The via negativa can produce statemants which are literally true rather than requiring interpretation
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- Uses of religious langauge
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