Summary

Summary Religious Language OCR A-level A* notes

1 purchase

Course
Philosophy

Institution
OCR

Extremely high-detailed and comprehensive A* philosophy notes including not only the content but also a whole range of relevant scholars, responses and pros and cons of the different arguments. Everything you would need for this topic!

[Show more]

Preview 1 out of 4 pages

View example

Uploaded on September 24, 2023
Number of pages 4
Written in 2023/2024
Type Summary

religious language
ocr
a level
philosophy

Study Level
A/AS Level
Examinator
OCR
Subject
Religious Studies
Unit
Philosophy

roberte-s

Member since 1 year 7 documents sold

$8.87

Add to cart

Save

100% satisfaction guarantee
Immediately available after payment
Both online and in PDF
No strings attached

The apophatic way, or via negative, as a way of speaking about God.

If we try and use normal language to describe God, we are always going to misrepresent him. If
people speak of God as a ‘judge’ or a ‘father’ we think of people and things we know and these are
not comparable. We anthropomorphise God and bring him into our contingent and more simplistic
world.

Descriptions that try to give God positive attributes are always misleading and should be avoided. If
we say ‘God is love’ or ‘God is good’ we start thinking about our own human experiences of
goodness and love when these human characteristics are so temporary and flawed that it is belittling
to apply the same concepts to God.

The apophatic way involves speaking of God using only negative to emphasise the difference
between God and humanity. God is described as ‘immortal’ ‘timeless’ ‘incorporeal’. These
descriptions of ‘what God is not’ are regarded as plain statements of fact.

Psuedo-Dionysius argued that the via negativa is the only way in which we can speak truthfully
about God, because God is beyond all human understanding and imagination. As contingent beings
we are limited and not capable of fully comprehending God. It is only through recognition of the
limits of humanity and acceptance of God’s mystery that spiritual progress can be made.

Moses Maimonides uses the example of a ship. After slowly eliminating all the things a ship is not,
you will have almost arrived at the correct notion and understanding of one.

Positives:

- It is a way of conveying the otherness and mystery of God, and underlines the belief that
God is not like us.
- It does not place any limits on God and prevents us from anthropomorphising or
misrepresenting him.
- It can be seen as a means by which we can say something about God which is literally true.
The statements do not require interpretation and avoid the need for people to guess what
an analogy or symbol might mean. They are understandable across all ages and cultures.

Negatives:

These are not facts but still assumptions.

Brian Davies argues that only saying what something is not gives no indication of what it actually is.
In Maimonides’ example it is unreasonable to suggest that someone through negation will arrive at a
ship and not, say, a wardrobe or a coffin. Suppose I say there is something in my room and I reject
every suggestion you make as to what is there. In that case, you will get no idea at all about what is
in my room.

While it might be successful in conveying the mystery of God it is less successful in helping someone
who has no idea of God towards any real understanding of what religious believers mean when
talking about God.

When we try to arrive at something by a process of elimination, we need to know before we start
what the different possibilities are.

Anthony Flew argued that if we try to explain God by saying he is invisible, soundless, incorporeal etc
there is very difference between our definition of God and our definition of nothingness.

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller roberte-s. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for $8.87. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

66184 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 15 years now

Start selling

Summary

Summary Religious Language OCR A-level A* notes

Document information

Subjects

Written for

Seller

Reviews received

Content preview