RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE IS METAPHORICAL AND

SYMBOLIC

RE-CAP

•Have looked at two cognitive theories of meaning- verification and falsification

•Two theories are a response to the logical positivists movement in early 20th century

• They equate knowledge with observation and linked philosophy with science

• We looked at criticisms to these theories

• Started to look at theories which take a more sympathetic approach to the meaning of religious statements

•These theories presume that Rel. Lang. Is meaningful and instead focus on HOW rel.lang. is best interpreted.

•The interpretations we look at are:

analogysymbolmythmodels/qualifiers

SYMBOL

• Paul Tillich – 1886-1965• Believes that religious

language best understood as symbolic.

• Not to be taken as a set of literal assertions about the world.

• Tillich makes a clear distinction between a sign (e.g. traffic light) and a symbol ( e.g. a national flag)

• Both signs and symbols ‘point beyond themselves’ and refer to the world and both can be words, objects or actions.

SIGNS• He says signs

are arbitrary representions of something

• They have no ‘connection’ to that thing.

• According to Tillich although they have things in common they are very different.

• Red light on traffic lights is a sign for ‘stop’

• Green light is a sign for ‘go’

But there is no real connection between ‘red’ and ‘stop’ and ‘green’ and ‘go’ and any colour might have been chosen.

• On the other hand symbols might begin by being chosen arbitrarily but they gradually become associated with the thing they represent.

• Words, actions, objects, events may all be interpreted symbolically.

SYMBOLS• E.G. The United

States Flag• When they see

the flag it is a symbol, for a whole nation

• They associate it so closely with the country that it evokes:

• Passionate feelings

• Some salute it• Other countries

burn it• Some are

arrested if it is treated badly

• Because it has become more than a flag!

• This association Tillich thinks of as the sign’s coming to participate or share in the reality of what it represents and so it becomes a symbol.

• For Tillich belief in God can only be truly expressed through the use of symbolic language.

• He says, “ the language of faith is the language of symbols”.

• And in this way it, “points beyond itself whilst participating in that to which it points”.

• For Tillich the phrase' Jesus is the lamb of God' is best understood as having a symbolic meaning

• ‘lamb’ is a traditional symbol of sacrifice and represents Jesus’ sacrifice for sins.

• Other e.g. of religious symbols (incl. words, actions, objects etc) have various associations with things like:

• Humility• Worship• Love • Sacrifice• Forgiveness• Repentance• Etc • Central

features of the Christian faith

• For Tillich in particular Religious symbols point towards the Holy

• What Rudolf Otto called the ‘numinous’.

EXERCISE

•Find out what the following religious symbols mean to Christian believers:

1. A crucifix2. The use of water in baptism3. Father4. The last judgement5. The colour blue on Mary's dress6. Shepherd7. Kneeling in church 8. The resurrection9. Rosary beads10.Making the sign of the cross.