Welcome to Religious Language!

In this chapter, we are going to explore one of the biggest "head-scratchers" in philosophy: How can we use human words to describe God?
If God is infinite, all-powerful, and beyond our physical world, then our "human" words—like good, wise, or loving—might not actually fit Him. It’s like trying to explain the internet to a goldfish; the goldfish just doesn't have the concepts to understand it!

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first. Philosophers have spent centuries arguing about it, and we are going to look at three main ways they try to solve the problem: the Via Negativa, Analogy, and Symbol.

1. The Apophatic Way (Via Negativa)

The word Apophatic comes from a Greek word meaning "to deny." This approach, also known as the Via Negativa (the negative way), argues that the best way to talk about God is to say what God is not.

Why use the negative way?

Think about it: if I say "God is good," I am using my human understanding of "good." But God’s goodness must be totally different from a human being's "goodness." By using positive words, we might actually be "limiting" God or accidentally making Him sound like a "super-sized human."
Instead, proponents of the Via Negativa say we should use negative terms to preserve God's transcendence (the idea that God is above and beyond everything).

A Real-World Analogy

Imagine you are trying to describe a sculpture that is hidden inside a block of marble. You can't see the sculpture yet, but you can describe it by the pieces of stone you remove. You are clearing away what the sculpture is not to reveal the truth of what it is.

Key Example: Maimonides and the Ship

The philosopher Moses Maimonides used the example of a ship. If you describe a ship by saying it is not a plant, not a mineral, not a flat surface, and so on, eventually, you get closer to the concept of a ship without ever using a positive word that might be misleading.

Quick Review Box:
Main Idea: We can only say what God is NOT.
Key Term: Via Negativa.
Goal: To avoid "limiting" God with human language.

Key Takeaway: The Via Negativa is the safest way to talk about God because it doesn't try to cram God into limited human definitions.

2. The Cataphatic Way (Via Positiva): Analogy

The Cataphatic Way is the opposite. It says we can use positive language, but we have to be careful. Thomas Aquinas argued that while we can't speak about God univocally (where words mean exactly the same thing) or equivocally (where words mean totally different things), we can speak analogically.

What is an Analogy?

An analogy is a comparison between two things to help us understand the more difficult one. Aquinas suggested two main types:

A. Analogy of Attribution

This is based on the idea that a cause leaves a "signature" on its effect.
Example: If a baker is "good," the bread they bake will also be "good."
Because God created the world, the world must reflect God's qualities. When we say "God is good," we mean that God is the source of all goodness we see in the world.

B. Analogy of Proper Proportion

This means that a quality is used "in proportion" to the nature of the being.
Example: A "faithful" dog and a "faithful" husband.
The dog is faithful in a "dog-way," and the husband is faithful in a "human-way." Similarly, God is "wise" in a proportionate way to His infinite nature, even if we can't fully grasp what "infinite wisdom" looks like.

Did you know?
Aquinas believed that there is a "middle ground" in language. We aren't just guessing when we call God "loving"—there is a real connection between our love and God's love!

Key Takeaway: Analogy allows us to use positive words about God by recognizing that those words reflect God's nature in a limited but truthful way.

3. Religious Language as Symbol

Some thinkers argue that religious language isn't meant to be a literal "fact" or even a direct "analogy." Instead, it is symbolic.

Paul Tillich and the Power of Symbols

Paul Tillich argued that religious language is almost entirely symbolic. He made a very important distinction between a sign and a symbol:

  • A Sign: Simply points to something else.
    Example: A "Stop" sign tells you what to do, but you don't feel "connected" to the red octagon.
  • A Symbol: Participates in the thing it points to. It carries deep meaning and power.
    Example: A national flag isn't just a piece of cloth; it represents the identity, history, and "soul" of a country. People might die for a flag, but they wouldn't die for a "Stop" sign.

How Symbols Work for God

Tillich argued that symbols "open up levels of reality" that are usually closed to us. When we say "God is a shepherd," the word "shepherd" is a symbol. It points to a reality (God's care) that we can't express in plain, scientific words.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't think "it's just a symbol" means "it's not real." For Tillich, symbols are the only way to reach the "ultimate reality" of God.

Quick Review Box:
Scholar: Paul Tillich.
Key Concept: Symbols participate in the reality they point to.
Benefit: They communicate things that literal language cannot.

Key Takeaway: For Tillich, religious language is symbolic, meaning it uses human images to connect us to the "Ground of All Being" (God).

4. Evaluation: Which way is best?

Now that you know the three ways, you need to think about the "big debates" for your exam. Don't worry if you find this part a bit "wordy"—just focus on the pros and cons!

Is the Via Negativa helpful?

Pros: It keeps God "mysterious" and avoids making Him sound like a human.
Cons: Can you actually know anything about God if you only say what He isn't? If I tell you "My pet is not a cat, not a dog, and not a fish," you still don't know what my pet is!

Does Analogy work?

Pros: It gives us a positive way to talk about God that still feels respectful of His power.
Cons: Some critics argue we are still just guessing. How can we know the "proportion" between a human and God if we've never seen God?

Is Symbolic language comprehensible?

Pros: It explains why religious people find language so moving and meaningful.
Cons: If everything is symbolic, is anything "factually" true? If I say "God is my rock," and it's just a symbol, does God actually exist, or am I just talking about my own feelings of security?

Memory Mnemonic:
Use N.A.S. to remember the three types:
Negative (Via Negativa)
Analogy (Aquinas)
Symbol (Tillich)

Final Key Takeaway: Whether we use the Via Negativa, Analogy, or Symbol, the goal is the same: to find a way for limited human minds to communicate with an unlimited God.