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• What is the main focus of religious language?

  It is about God or religion.
• What is the problem with religious language according to theologians?

  God is beyond human understanding.
• What do religious theories of language aim to solve?

  They aim to address how to talk about God.
• What are the three classic theories of religious language?

  1. Via Negativa (apophatic way)
  2. Aquinas’ theory of analogy (via positive/cataphatic way)
  3. Tillich’s symbolic approach
• What does the Via Negativa argue about talking about God?

  We can only say what God is not.
• What does Aquinas’ theory of analogy suggest about God?

  We can say what God is like.
• What does Tillich’s symbolic approach claim about religious language?

  It connects our minds to God.
• What does positive language refer to in philosophical terminology?

  Talking about what something is.
• What does negative language refer to in philosophical terminology?

  Talking about what something is not.
• What did Pseudo-Dionysius argue about God and language?

  God is beyond every assertion and language.
• How does Pseudo-Dionysius differentiate between negation and privation?

  Negation means beyond distinctions, not absence.
• What does saying 'God is not living' imply in the Via Negativa view?

  God is beyond the living/lifeless distinction.
• What does Pseudo-Dionysius mean by 'darkness of unknowing'?

  It refers to renouncing all mental concepts of God.
• What does Pseudo-Dionysius suggest about knowledge of God?

  Trying to understand God is counterproductive.
• How does Pseudo-Dionysius illustrate his point about knowing God?

  Through Moses’ ascent of Mount Sinai.
• What does Pseudo-Dionysius mean by 'unity' with God?

  It is gained by knowing nothing about God.
• How does the theme of the fall relate to Pseudo-Dionysius' ideas?

  Desire for knowledge separates us from God.
• What is a strength of the Via Negativa approach?

  It emphasizes God’s transcendence and otherness.
• How does Maimonides view biblical descriptions of God?

  They should refer to God’s immanence.
• What is the distinction between God’s transcendence and immanence?

  Transcendence is unknowable; immanence is knowable.
• What is a weakness of the Via Negativa approach?

  The Bible describes God in positive terms.
• How does Maimonides argue for the Via Negativa view?

  Through the ship example using negative attributes.
• How does Pseudo-Dionysius' approach differ from Maimonides'?

  It emphasizes shutting down intellectual grasping.
• What does Aquinas argue about negative language in religious discourse?

  It is not what people want to say about God.
• How does Aquinas view the religious language used in worship?

  It is inconsistent with Via Negativa.
• What does Aquinas believe about the analogy of attribution?

  It captures how humans attribute qualities to God.
• How does Pseudo-Dionysius' view of unity with God challenge Aquinas' perspective?

  It emphasizes spiritual relationship over rational understanding.
• What is the main critique of Aquinas' view on religious language?

  It does not capture the spiritual role of language.
• What does it mean when Christians say 'God is love'?

  God's love is beyond human understanding
• How does Pseudo-Dionysius view understanding God through reason?

  Unity with God comes from giving up reason
• What is the average Christian's view on religious language?

  They likely do not see it as analogical
• What did Aquinas propose about religious language?

  Aquinas proposed it can be meaningful positively
• What is an analogy according to Aquinas?

  An analogy explains difficult concepts through comparison
• What is univocal language?

  Language with one meaning applied to all contexts
• Why does Aquinas reject univocal language for God?

  God is beyond our understanding and different
• What is equivocal language?

  Language with completely different meanings in contexts
• Why does Aquinas reject equivocal language for God?

  It would make God's qualities meaningless to us
• What is Aquinas' middle ground between univocal and equivocal language?

  We are like God, thus using analogy
• What does the analogy of attribution suggest?

  Creator's qualities can be seen in their creations
• How does Aquinas illustrate the analogy of attribution?

  By comparing a healthy bull to its urine