1. Welcome back to Religious Studies

2. A Level Religious Studies
Christianity
1 Religious figures and sacred texts
2 Religious concepts and religious life
3 Significant social and historical developments in religious thought
4 Religious practices that shape religious identity
Philosophy of Religion
1 Arguments for the existence of God
2 Challenges to religious belief
3 Religious experience
4 Religious language
Religious Ethics
1 Ethical thought
2 Deontological ethics
3 Teleological ethics
4 Determinism and Free will

3. Inherent problems of religious language: Limitations of language for traditional conceptions of God such as infinite and timeless; challenge to sacred texts and religious pronouncements as unintelligible; challenge that religious language is not a common shared base and experience; the differences between cognitive and non-cognitive language.

4. What is religious language?
Recap what religious language includes:
Descriptions of the nature and aspects of God, such as ‘omnipotence’
Descriptions of religious belief, such as the ‘Last Judgment’
Technical terms, such as ‘sin’, ‘blessing’ and ‘grace’
Ordinary words that have special religious meaning such as ‘good’ and ‘love’
Check your answers on page 4

5. What are the problems with religious language?
“I am the good shepherd”
“I am the bread of life”
“I am the light of the world”
“I am the resurrection and the life”
These are all statements recorded in the Gospel of John that Jesus made about himself.
I am the resurrection
Questions
1. Would any of these help you to understand Christian ideas about God?
2. What are the problems?

6. What is the problem with religious language?
When discussing what God is, we need to define God. However, because God is meant to be transcendent – beyond us – it is really difficult to put God into human words that fully defines God’s character and captures his power.
Class Discussion – What is the biggest problem facing religious language

7. Non-cognitive statements
The religious language debate is not concerned with whether or not God exists, or what God is like or why there is evil in the world. It is solely concerned with working out whether or not religious language means anything.
Cognitive statements
Factual
You can speak and write about God, because God is a reality.
Non-cognitive statements
Not true or false
Statements about God have no meaning because they don’t relate to anything that is real.
Some philosophers have argued that religious statements, such as ‘God exists’, ‘God is love’ and so on are neither true nor false, but meaningless. There is no point, according to some thinkers, of even raising these questions, because there is nothing to talk about. Philosophical discussion about meaning often identifies two different ways in which a word or phrase might mean something.

8. What are the problems with religious language?
Complete the A3 summary sheet without your booklet

9. ‘God is timeless’ is difficult for humans to understand as . . .
1. The words used are contradictory to our logic.
2. Some of the words are abstract, metaphysical or puzzling. They are difficult to understand.
3. Human language is inadequate to describe God.
4. God can not be described.
5. There is a risk that we anthropomorphise God.
6. Words might have different meanings in religious and non-religious contexts.
7. Religious stories can be interpreted literally and non-literally, this could lead to problems if people believe different interpretations.
8. Some words used in religions have different meanings with different religious systems and when used in other contexts.
‘God is timeless’ is difficult for humans to understand as . . .
Phrases such as ‘God’s hand guided me’
The term karma is used with slightly different meanings in both Buddhism and Hinduism
An example could be the concept of the Virgin Birth or an omnipotent God and truly free humans
God’s love and human love
Using everyday language to talk about God can lead to misunderstanding
The Biblical stories of Creation and The Fall in the book of Genesis
Any attempt to describe God will fail or be so partial that we are saying nothing meaningful.

10. Pyramid activity on the problems with religious language
Which is the most serious problem with religious language?
Most serious
Suggestions
Cognitive
Non cognitive
Anthromorphises
Emotions/feelings
Interpretation
Transcendent God
Least serious

11. Extended writing You will be given one of the problems
Use it to write an AO1 paragraph that helps to answer the question ‘ Explain the problems facing religious language’
Success Criteria
Key terms
Explanation
1. Limitations of language for traditional conceptions of God such as infinite and timeless;
2. challenge to sacred texts and religious pronouncements as unintelligible;
3. challenge that religious language is not a common shared base and experience;
4. the differences between cognitive and non-cognitive language.

12. Essay skills
Explain the problem of religious language Read Tom’s answer (on the A3 sheet) (A2 textbook) Add three improvements Read Seren’s answer Think about Why is each highlighted issue a problem for religious language? What is meant by problem in this context? Who might it be a for?

13. Watch the video on the problems of religious language