The cataphatic way (via positive) – Aquinas and analogy
Cataphatic way - argues that positive statements can be made about God.
Aquinas’ theory of analogy sits between univocal and equivocal theories of
language.
Univocal language: words when applied to God, have the same meaning that they have in
their normal context. Therefore, risks making God sound human. Univocal terms are terms
that have exactly the same meaning no matter when or how they are used.
Language about God cannot be univocal (can only be interpreted in one way) e.g.,
love, because God is not human so human love is different to God’s love.
Equivocal language: words when applied to God, have a completely different meaning from
their normal use. Therefore, no knowledge of God. Words that sound the same, but have
different meanings e.g., bat (baseball bat) and bat (the animal).
If language about God is equivocal, then we can know nothing about God as there
would be no connection between, for instance, what is means for God to love us and
what it means for me to love my wife. Human ‘love’ and God’s ‘love’ have no
connection. So, talking about God’s love is meaningless if there is no connection
between human love and God’s love – there is some connection between the two, so
we cannot use equivocal language because these words normally have no connection
(like bat and bat).
Therefore, we should use analogy instead
Analogy: a comparison between two things in order to help us understand the less familiar
thing.
For example, we might explain to a younger student that revising for A-levels is like
revising for GCSEs but is harder and requires more time.
Likewise, when describing God’s goodness, it is like human goodness but at a greater
level.
Aquinas argues that language applied to God is not literal but is analogical. He
understands this as happening in two ways:
1. The analogy of attribution: The words that we apply to human beings are related to
how words are applied to God because there is a causal relationship between the
two sets of qualities. Our qualities such as love and wisdom are reflections of those
qualities of God.
Aquinas’ example: In medieval times, it was believed that if a creature’s urine was
healthy then the creature that produced the urine must also be healthy. An animal’s
urine is described as healthy because it is caused by, and can be attributed to, the
health of the bull. We can therefore understand something of the cause, when we
Cataphatic way - argues that positive statements can be made about God.
Aquinas’ theory of analogy sits between univocal and equivocal theories of
language.
Univocal language: words when applied to God, have the same meaning that they have in
their normal context. Therefore, risks making God sound human. Univocal terms are terms
that have exactly the same meaning no matter when or how they are used.
Language about God cannot be univocal (can only be interpreted in one way) e.g.,
love, because God is not human so human love is different to God’s love.
Equivocal language: words when applied to God, have a completely different meaning from
their normal use. Therefore, no knowledge of God. Words that sound the same, but have
different meanings e.g., bat (baseball bat) and bat (the animal).
If language about God is equivocal, then we can know nothing about God as there
would be no connection between, for instance, what is means for God to love us and
what it means for me to love my wife. Human ‘love’ and God’s ‘love’ have no
connection. So, talking about God’s love is meaningless if there is no connection
between human love and God’s love – there is some connection between the two, so
we cannot use equivocal language because these words normally have no connection
(like bat and bat).
Therefore, we should use analogy instead
Analogy: a comparison between two things in order to help us understand the less familiar
thing.
For example, we might explain to a younger student that revising for A-levels is like
revising for GCSEs but is harder and requires more time.
Likewise, when describing God’s goodness, it is like human goodness but at a greater
level.
Aquinas argues that language applied to God is not literal but is analogical. He
understands this as happening in two ways:
1. The analogy of attribution: The words that we apply to human beings are related to
how words are applied to God because there is a causal relationship between the
two sets of qualities. Our qualities such as love and wisdom are reflections of those
qualities of God.
Aquinas’ example: In medieval times, it was believed that if a creature’s urine was
healthy then the creature that produced the urine must also be healthy. An animal’s
urine is described as healthy because it is caused by, and can be attributed to, the
health of the bull. We can therefore understand something of the cause, when we
