John Herman Randall Jnr.

Another writer who wrote on the symbolic character of religious language was Tillich’s friend and colleague, John Herman Randall Jnr. The difference between them is very substantial, despite their agreements. For Randall, religious symbols were non-cognitive. They were socially necessary but not ‘true’ in the sense that the overwhelming number of religious people would assume. … Read more

Tillich on Religious Language

‘Faith‘, for Tillich was the state of being ultimately concerned. Everyone, he said, has an ultimate concern – that which they take for granted without thinking, something they would not surrender for anything. An ultimate concern could be the nation, a person’s scientific honesty, a political party, a pet, or God. All of these, with the … Read more

The Nature of Religious Language

This theme will cover two views of the nature of religious language: i) that religious language is SYMBOLIC; and ii) that it is ANALOGICAL. Religious Language as Symbolic One of the most famous and subtle theologians of recent times to write at length on the symbolic nature of religious language is the German born Paul Tillich (1886-1965). Tillich was … Read more

D. Z. Phillips and the Wittgensteinian View

D. Z. Phillips is probably the most prolific writer in Philosophy of Religion representing the Wittgensteinian view. He has applied the approach to a whole range of Christian themes including prayer, eternal life and God. He has attempted to show that religious beliefs are ‘pictures’ in the sense that they provide the framework for what … Read more

Wittgenstein and The Language Game View in Response to the Empirical Challenge

In response to the empirical challenge, Wittgenstein had grown dissatisfied with his earlier book (Tractatus Logico-Philosophus) and in the second half of his life, he developed a different approach to language. In this later period, he stressed how varied language was, rather than attempting to develop an ideal language. What are Wittgenstein’s Language Games? The … Read more

What Ethnicity is God?

This week, a student asked me the question (via Quora) ‘What ethnicity is God?’ This is definitely a question to be answered in terms of religious language – how can we describe God? To ask ‘What ethnicity is God? is a personification – you cannot apply human qualities which is a non-human form. The same … Read more

Logical Positivism and the Vienna Circle

What is Logical Positivism? Logical positivism is essentially the challenge of science. During the enlightenment period, the main challenge of science presented itself to religion, with its origins in questions of logic and how we could know what was true. Logical positivism as a term was first associated with a group of empirical philosophers in Vienna … Read more

What is the Via Negativa?

What is the Via Negativa? The Via Negativa (also called the Apophatic Way) focuses on explaining the nature of God by focusing on what God is not (‘apophatic’ comes from the Greek term ‘to deny’). The via negativa is based on the fundamental belief that ‘God’ is beyond human understanding and description – ‘He’ is … Read more

Analogy – What is an Analogy?

What is an Analogy? An analogy is a tool that is used to help us describe something that is difficult to explain. This is done through comparing it to something simpler. We might make an analogical bridge between the human brain and a computer. Some examples of analogy are similies and some examples are metaphors. … Read more