| Understanding the way language refers to, describes and makes predications about God lies at the heart of this inquiry into the meaning of religious language. I contend that an interdisciplinary approach, utilizing the methods, theories and insights of Jewish philosophy, analytic philosophy and cognitive science, engenders an integrated approach to understanding meaning. My integrated approach identifies six issues that impact meaning: semantic flexibility and inexactitude; use and context; mental representation and the mind; physical experience and orientation; metaphor; and truth and correspondence to the facts. Meaning is the product of these.; This integrated approach emerges from a survey of the theories of meaning and metaphor developed in cognitive science and analytic philosophy, and parallels ideas that surface in Maimonides' and Spinoza's discussions of language. These sources reveal that linguistic meaning is often fluid which allows us flexibility in our conception of God. The meaning of a word depends upon how it is used and its context. Mental representation, which includes our interaction with our environment, our motor skills and cultural habits, is indispensable in creating meaning. Our bodies and experiences serve as references that allow us to construct the categories we use to conceptualize divinity. Metaphor is a common feature of language use and is instrumental in helping us talk about familiar and unfamiliar things; metaphorical truth does not always correspond to historical fact. Metaphors are grounded in our experiences and physical orientation, and therefore we often talk about God using metaphorical descriptions that are shaped by reference to our experiences and bodies. For instance, descriptions of God as a father are enduring and meaningful because they encompass images of God as creator, life-giver and authoritarian figure. They also evoke the notion of a protective and nurturing figure. This metaphor maps onto the relationship between parents and children and suggests a two-way relationship between volitional beings.; Language draws upon familiar resources when confronted with the elusive nature of God. We know ourselves and use that knowledge to know and describe God. My aim is to initiate more collaboration between these disciplines which, together, help us understand linguistic descriptions of God. |
