"Tillich's symbolic approach is more satisfactory than via negativa." Discuss. (Essay plan)
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Course
G581 - A2 Philosophy of Religion
Institution
OCR
This is an A* essay plan critically comparing Tillich's symbolic approach with the via negativa.
Scholars mentioned:
- Maimonides
- Pseudo-Dionysus
- Tillich
Tillich’s claim that religious language is symbolic is more satisfactory than via negativa.
What would be a “satisfactory approach” to religious language?
- Allow us to understand God?
- Have a profound impact on us as humans?
- Allow us to get closer to God?
LoA: Overall, a symbolic approach to religious language is more satisfactory than the via
negativa as although it is not perfect, it allows us to have some sort of individual
relationship with God, while the via negativa does not as we cannot connect with a God we
know nothing about. Moreover, while it could be argued that Tillich’s approach can allow
for invalid interpretation, this is not a huge problem because any interpretation that has a
spiritually transformative effect on an individual can be taken as true and it is a better way
of gaining some sort of understanding of God than the via negativa.
A symbolic approach allows us to have some sort of individual relationship with God,
while the via negativa does not allow us to.
A01:
- Tillich: symbols have a profound impact on humans, evoking particular feelings and
emotions
- Can transform the way we think
A02:
- E.g. the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats could be seen as a symbol.
- Could be interpreted as a symbol for the afterlife, or could be interpreted for
metaphors for our life on earth
- It could also be interpreted as call to have a preferential option for the poor
- The specific language such as “being under God’s curse” used within the parable
A01:
- Via negativa: Pseudo Dionysus. Experiences of God cannot be expressed in words
using the human language (ineffability)
- Using positive language diminishes the unknowability of God.
- E.g. St Teresa can’t articulate her experience into words, she uses contradictory
language (saying that she felt simultaneous joy and fear) and language that doesn’t
make sense (“all of fire”)
A02:
- While it could be argued that making positive assertions about God diminishes his
unknowability, we need some sort of positive assertion to have an individual
relationship with God
- We can’t have a relationship with God that we can’t assert anything about
- If St Teresa had not expressed her experience in terms of positive assertions and just
kept it to herself
- Moreover, it could be argued that the mysterious mess and ambiguity of religious
language (including symbols) encourages us to engage with it more and be more
spiritually transformed by it. St Teresa’s ambiguous language encourages us to try
and understand her experience
- If we did not engage with it at all we would not likely be affected by it.
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