Religious Language

• Via Negativa: Using negative language to discuss God - 'not evil'. Can't say anything meaningful unless using it.
• Via Negativa (pros): Avoids anthropomorphisising God.
• Via Negativa (cons): Complex/long-winded. Method not used in bible (unlike positiva).
• Via Positiva: Speaking of God through symbolic/metaphorical/positive language (God the father)
• Via Positiva (pros): Used in the bible. Easy to understand.
• Via Positiva (cons): Implies everyone has the same idea of God - may be miscommunication.
• Univocal Language: When a word has one meaning - e.g. 'dog'.
• Equivocal Language: When a word has multiple meanings - e.g. 'bat' for sports/animal.
• Analogical Language: When a word has a similar meaning, used in a similar way - e.g. 'blanket' of snow/of wool.
• Analogy of Proportion: Aquinas. Ballerina; a good child obviously not as good as an adult. Same with God. His qualities are infinately greater.
• Analogy of Attribution: Aquinas. Bulls urine; if urine unhealthy, bull unhealthy. Our qualities reflect God's qualities.
• Aquinas' Analogical Approach Evaluation: Manages to discuss meaningfully without anthropomorphisising. Surely our bad qualities reflect on God (we're bad so God is bad).
• Ramsey's Models: Language we use which represents God's attributes in a small way - 'good', 'loving'.
• Ramsey's Qualifiers: Language we use which depicts God's attributes - 'eternal', 'omnibenevolent'.