Analogy

Thomas Aquinas considered the function of language and how we can know God through it

He said God was unknowable, but is is possible to dig deeper into who he is by reflecting on his teaching.

Language is used in two ways:

UNIVOCALLY-Same meaning and word regardless of context

EQUIVOCALLY-Same word, different meaning depending on the context.

Univocal language can't describe God because God is too different.

Equivocal language means that we would not have the context to explain the meaning of God.

Aquinas used analogy. It was accepted because it is possible to fully understand one thing which enables use to understand the other that previously, is not understandable, through comparison.

An analogy is successful with a link or relationship between 2 comparable things.

There is a link between us and God because humans are made in the image of God.

Analogy of attribution

God is the cause of all good things in humans.

Because we are created in his image, we reflect the qualities that he has.

Say if we describe a human as wise.

We are wise but only because God himself is wise and the source of that attribute. We are not independently wise. We can't be wise on our own if he is not wise first.

Let's use this example that Brian Davies used:

Bread is nice right? It's good

The baker made the bread. He is the source

So his goodness is spread to the bread.

The bread can't be good on its own without the baker.

Analogy of proportion

Words like just or good can be used for humans. But there is a natural hierarchy.

You can't say that a dog is good on the same level you would a human (sorry doggo.... just the first example that sprang to mind...) It will do stuff that means that it is no longer a good boy, and it doesn't know that. but we as humans do.

In the same way, we cant say that a human is wise in the sense that it is just as wise as God. this is because of the hierarchy. God over humans. We say that our attributes are proportionate to where we our in the hierarchy.

Ian Ramsey

Ian Ramsey wrote the book 'Religious Language' (creative) which wanted to see how we use language and how it should be understood.

Religious Language for Ramsey came from religious situations. These were revelatory (they are revealed to us) and are called disclosures. These are words that talk about what God is like. Such as wise, loving.

But Ramsey said you can't just use these *basic* sort of words that just put God on the same level. He used the ideas of qualifiers, or models.

They add quality )who knew?) and a sense that these words to describe God are greater than what their normal quality represented.

For example, wise now becomes 'All-wise' (omniscient) and loving, 'All-loving' (omnibenevolent)

This qualifys them in relation to God.

Ramsey said that by using this 'the penny drops, the light dawns'.