Metaphor and Religious LanguageChristian theology has suffered in modern times by an inability to explain its traditional reliance on metaphor to an audience intellectually formed by empiricism. The author argues that what is needed is not a more literal theology but a better understanding of metaphor. The account of metaphor and religious language offered here not only illuminates the way in which the clergy speak of God, but also contributes to our understanding of the workings of metaphor in scientific theory and other disciplines. |
Contents
PROBLEMS OF DEFINITION | 15 |
THEORIES OF METAPHOR | 24 |
METAPHOR AMONGST TROPES | 54 |
Copyright | |
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analogy applied argued argument associated become belief Black causal Chapter Christian cited claim clear cognitive comparison concern consider context critical definition describe discussion distinction empiricism empiricist example existence experience explanation explanatory expression fact figures follows function give given hence human idealist important individual interest interpretation John kind knowledge less linguistic literal literary logical London meaning meta metaphor mind models nature necessary noted notion object original Oxford particular Paul Philosophy phrase physical position possible problem properties Putnam question realist reality depiction reason reference referential regarded relations religion religious language Rhetoric Richards scientific seems Semantics sense sentence significance similar simile simply sometimes speak speaker speech statement structure substitution suggest symbol texts theological theoretical theory things thought tradition trans true truth understand University Press utterance wish