hij Teacher Resource Bank GCE Religious Studies Unit 3B: Philosophy of Religion Explanation of s The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company number 3644723) and a registered charity (registered charity number 1073334). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX. Dr Michael Cresswell, Director General.
Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Religious Studies / Explanation of s Unit 3B: Philosophy of Religion/ / Version 1.0 EXPLANATION OF TERMS analogical view of religious language Anselm Augustine Augustinian tradition blik body / soul relationship Descartes, Rene eschatological verification The view, associated with St Thomas Aquinas, that descriptive terms when applied to God mean neither the same, nor something completely different than when they are applied to humanity. For example, human love may be seen to be a limited and imperfect shadow of the love God has for humanity, but there are similarities in what the word love means in both contexts. Medieval Italian theologian and philosopher (1033-1109) who was once Archbishop of Canterbury; he proposed a famous version of the ontological argument. St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) is regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in Western Christianity. He proposed a famous theodicy based on the idea of original sin. Theodicies in this tradition follow the lead of St. Augustine in identifying free will or God s deliberate decision to give up control of the universe and some of the beings within it as the source of all. used by R. M. Hare to denote a frame of reference within which everything is interpreted. The relationship between these two is much debated. For example, they are sometimes seen as two separate substances linked only during life, but in other traditions the soul needs a body in order to function. French Philosopher (1596-1650) important in this context for his version of the ontological argument. A phrase coined by Hick for the idea that some statements will be proved true after death, e.g. there is a life after death. That which is contrary to God s will; cause of suffering. Evil is often divided into natural and moral although the distinction may be blurred in cases where intentional human actions (e.g. knowingly building on a fault line) exacerbate the effects of natural disaster (earthquake). Natural causes of suffering within the natural world including disaster, disease, decay and death. Moral intentional human action (commission) or inaction (omission) that results in suffering, e.g. murder or arguably, failure to have children vaccinated. klm 1
Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Religious Studies / Explanation of s Unit 3B: Philosophy of Religion/ / Version 1.0 evidential problem of existential claims faith This is to be distinguished from the logical problem of and remains even if the logical problem is solved. It exists in several forms, e.g. as proposed by William Rowe. The amount of suffering in the world makes it improbable that God exists, or unreasonable to believe that God exists. The likelihood that pointless suffering exists counts most strongly against God s existence. Those relating to existing things, i.e. about the real world. 1 A belief in something or somebody. 2 Attitude of trust (faith in God). 3 Assent to unproved assertions (belief that). 4 A religion. falsification principle free will defence Hare, R. M. Hick, John Hick s vale of soul making theodicy immortal(ity) Irenaean theodicy language games A rule, associated particularly with Antony Flew, that the meaningfulness of a statement lies in the method of its falsification. This would mean that any statement that could not, even if only in theory, be falsified, was empty of meaning. The principle is used by Flew in his attack on the meaningfulness of religious language. The view that human free will, and the context in which it can be meaningfully used, explain and justify the existence of in a world created by God. Moral Philosopher (1919-2002) important in this context for his use of the idea of a blik (see above). An internationally renowned contemporary philosopher of religion and theology with many published works. A modern presentation of the Irenaean theodicy, this argues that both natural and moral are essential to soul making so they have a good purpose and an all-loving God is therefore justified in making a world such as this and in allowing humanity to perform acts. An immortal being or soul is not subject to death and cannot die. Theodicies in this tradition follow the lead of the second century Bishop now Saint Irenaeus. The key theme of the theodicy is that humanity develops through encountering, so has a good purpose. Also, following Hick, known as the soul-making theodicy. The name given by Wittgenstein to his claim that the uses of language are governed by rules, as games are governed by rules. 2 klm
Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Religious Studies / Explanation of s Unit 3B: Philosophy of Religion/ / Version 1.0 logical problem of non-cognitive ontological argument predicate personal existence personal identity post mortem problem of proof reason rebirth reincarnation religion replica theory The view propounded by J. L. Mackie, and also found in the work of David Hume among many others, that the three statements: God is all powerful, God is all loving, and there is in the world, are logically inconsistent and cannot all be true. Since one of the three ( exists) appears to be true, at least one of the other two must, logically, be false. A view of religious language which argues that its function is not to inform. The arguments for the existence of God based on the idea that the very fact that we have a concept of God must mean that he exists. That part of a statement that makes assertion about a subject telling you what something is, does or has. The criticism is that the ontological argument incorrectly uses existence as a property or quality that God possesses. In the context of the afterlife, this is the continuing existence of the individual with continuing consciousness, memories and personality. It can be contrasted with ideas such as we continue to exist in our children or the effect we have had on others in which no personal continuity is claimed. What makes you you, and what would establish that the person who lived on after death was the same person as the one who died, e.g. memory, personality and / or physical continuity may be considered to be criteria of personal identity. After death. The challenge that the existence of poses for faith in God. Two forms of the problem are generally recognised: the logical problem of based on the inconsistent triad; and the evidential problem of based on the existence of pointless suffering which, it is argued, makes it probable that God does not exist. A proof of the existence of God would demonstrate that the statement God exists is true. The ontological argument has the form of a deductive proof. The use of logic to come to a conclusion. A continuing process of change from one life to next and arguably from one moment to the next. The transfer of a soul or spirit from one body at death to a new one at birth. An organised faith system. The term may relate to both a person s identity with, or actual practice. A theory proposed by John Hick which argues that the same person would both die and live on after death if a perfect replica of the dead person were to be created in the afterlife. klm 3
Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Religious Studies / Explanation of s Unit 3B: Philosophy of Religion/ / Version 1.0 resurrection 1 The belief that, after death, an individual will be brought back to life (raised again) by an external power often assumed to be God. 2 Jesus rising from the dead after dying on the cross. One of the key beliefs in Christianity. soul symbolic theodicy verification principle The essence of the person. The nature of the soul is much debated but it is generally considered spiritual rather physical and it is usually distinguished from the body and the mind. In some traditions, soul preexists the body and in many traditions it continues after the death of the body. A view of religious language which sees the words representing a reality to which they point, and in which they participate, but which they cannot describe. An analysis of religious language as symbolic is found in the work of Paul Tillich. A defence of the justice of God in the light of. The idea that the meaning of a statement lies in the method of its verification and so that any statement that cannot, even if only in theory, be verified, is meaningless. This principle is associated with the logical positivists and their attack on the meaningfulness of religious language. 4 klm