Metaphors, religious language and linguistic expressibility

This paper examines different functions of metaphors in religious language. In order to do that it will be analyzed in which ways metaphorical language can be understood as irreducible. First, it will be argued that metaphors communicate more than just propositional contents. They also frame their t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hesse, Jacob 1988- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Springer Nature B. V 2023
In: International journal for philosophy of religion
Year: 2023, Volume: 93, Issue: 3, Pages: 239-258
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Metaphor / Philosophy of language / Religious language / Concept formation / God
IxTheo Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
HA Bible
VA Philosophy
Further subjects:B Belief de re
B Panmetaphoricism
B Religious Language
B Metaphor
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Summary:This paper examines different functions of metaphors in religious language. In order to do that it will be analyzed in which ways metaphorical language can be understood as irreducible. First, it will be argued that metaphors communicate more than just propositional contents. They also frame their targets with an imagistic perspective that cannot be reduced to a literal paraphrase. Furthermore, there are also cases where metaphors are used to fill gaps of what can be expressed with literal language. In order to clarify this function of catachresis the notion of de re metaphors will be introduced. With those metaphors we can convey contents that we cannot conceptualize independently from a certain context of utterance. Hence, with such metaphors we can reach beyond the limits of our conceptual repertoire which is a crucial function for religious language. Finally, the consistency and plausibility of the radical position that all assertions about God are irreducibly and necessarily metaphorical if they are supposed to be true will be discussed on the basis of the results of the former considerations about the irreducibility of metaphors.
ISSN:1572-8684
Contains:Enthalten in: International journal for philosophy of religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s11153-023-09865-2