Symbols

In this , I will be talking about how religious language is non-cognitive and symbolic.

So basically, symbols are pictures from everyday life that represent or mean something. They can have different meanings depending on our experiences and cultures. Sometimes their meanings can also change as society changes, our priorities and even our selves.

There are two thinkers that I will be looking at.

Paul Tillich and John Randall.

Randall

John Randall was a guy who wanted to look at how religion gives us knowledge. He wanted to see how language gave believers their most commonly held beliefs. He also believed that there was no competition between religion and science

Randall also said that reliigon was not independent of man's secular knowlegde. Religion was an experience that demanded careful observation. He believed that all religious beliefs were mythological and symbolic. He said that symbols contain truth but not in am empirical or realist sense. Therefore, his ideas comply with the coherence theory of truth and anti-realism.

Furthermore, he said that religion helps us to understand our purpose and place in the universe.'It is like art'... It opens whole worlds to be explored'.

Randall said that signs and symbols were different; signs stands for or represents something else. however a symbols serve to provoke a response and was not representative'. As well as this, he made sure to say that there was a difference in symbols being used in arts and science. Scientifice symbols were empirical however, the ones in art such a religion were not.

He identified 4 main functions of religious language as symbolic

1) Language had the power to motivate people to take action or do something

2) It could also unify people into communities. We can say that it gives people an identity.

3) Provides a common vision of the values that hold people together.

4) Disclose information about existence, provide revelatory truths.

Randall said that religion was something that needed 'careful observation and description, explanation reflective understanding and intelligent criticism'. He saw religious beliefs as mythology. This was because he believed that religion was basically just a symbol for people. It's nothing more than symbols. They have power but the beliefs do not actually convey anything factual.

Tillich

Tillich on the other hand said that faith was the ultimate concern.

Just as there as needs such as those in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, so are there spiritual needs. These spiritual needs all lead to the ultimate concern that is faith.

He said that there are 6 characteristics of symbols:

1) Symbols point to something else.

2) Participate in what it is pointing too, i.e the Cross does not just symbolize the death and resurrection of Jesus but also actively acts out the story. Symbols are part of the concept.

3) Symbols open up new levels of reality that would otherwise be closed. This is because new ideas that go beyond the physical are being expressed.

4) Symbols open up new levels of the soul that correspond with the symbol. For example, a person might be emotional at a certain symbol.

5) Symbols cannot be produced intentionally our of a person's unconsciousness.

6) Symbols can like an living thing, die.

Tillich said that the language of faith was basically the language of symbol. This is because he said it is impossible to talk about God without using symbol because he is way way beyond our understanding. We cannot use language literally. He said that the ultimate symbol was God. For Tillichm the langugae of symbols was the language of power.