The Analogy of Signs : Rethinking Theological Language with Charles S. Peirce

The longstanding debate over how God-talk is intelligible gravitates around how we should understand the putative answer, “by analogy.” For some contemporary Christian theologians, analogy involves an ontological claim about creaturely and divine being (i.e., an analogy of being). For others, it involves a semantic or syntactical structure that legitimates the linguistic performances associated with analogy (i.e., a grammatical analogy). Still others appeal to faith in God’s self-disclosure in Jesus Christ (i.e., an analogy of faith). Rory Misiewicz argues that all of these approaches fall flat in their explanatory efforts. He draws upon the work of American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce to rethink the relation between God and human beings. He argues that Christian theologians may view that relation as being established by an “analogy of signs”: both God and human beings are univocally involved in semiosis, or sign-process, and the confirmation of God’s semiotic identity is found in the revelation of God in the person of Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. Therefore, ordinary analogical language is intelligible, for divine signs are commensurate with human signs. Cover The Analogy of Signs The Analogy of Signs: Rethinking Theological Language with Charles S. Peirce Copyright Dedication Contents List of Figures and Table Figures Table Acknowledgments Abbreviations Chapter 1 Introduction The Challenge: Intelligible, Christian God-Talk The Philosophical Roots of Analogical Unintelligibility: Essentialism and Dualism The Theological Problems Resulting from Greek Essentialism and Dualism A Peircean Alternative: The Analogy of Signs Structure of the Book A Brief Excursus on Theological Commitments Notes Part I Guidelines for a Successful Analogy Chapter 2 How Analogy Works Introduction What Allows for Intelligibility? The Aristotelian Backdrop Medieval Interim Developments, Cajetan, and Clarifying Proportionality Mary Hesse’s Commentary on Aristotle Hesse’s Models and Analogies in Science Scholarly Approaches to Analogy after Hesse Taking Stock: Guidelines for an Intelligible Analogy Notes Part II Influential Positions on Theological Analogy and Their Inadequacies Chapter 3 Analogia Entis Introduction Erich Przywara Hans Urs von Balthasar Karl Rahner Critiquing the analogia entis Conclusion: Assessing the Accounts according to the Guidelines Notes Chapter 4 Grammatical Thomism and Analogy Introduction Ralph McInerny David Burrell Critiquing McInerny and Burrell Victor Preller Critiquing Preller Conclusion: Assessing the Accounts according to the Guidelines Notes Chapter 5 Analogia Fidei Introduction Karl Barth on the Analogia Entis Barth’s Kantian Presuppositions and Theological Departure from Kant Faith in CD I/1 Analogy of Extrinsic Attribution in CD II/1 Analogia Relationis in CD III/1 and 2 Critiquing the Analogia Fidei Theological Defenses of Barth’s Analogia Fidei Conclusion: Assessing the Account according to the Guidelines Notes Part III The Peircean Alternative for Theological Analogy Chapter 6 Peirce’s Philosophy and Intelligibility Introduction Science and Empirical Method Architectonic Conclusion Notes Chapter 7 Analogia Signorum Introduction Peircean Obstacles: An Assessment Analogia Signorum: Structure and Peircean Elements The Analogia Signorum in Application Reflections on the Bible and the Analogia Signorum Some Philosophical Reflections on the Analogia Signorum The Analogia Signorum as Superior Model of Intelligibility Conclusion: Assessing the Account according to the Guidelines Notes Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index About the Author "Utilizing the philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce, Rory Misiewicz argues for a new approach to the problem of theological language in Christian theology. This approach, the "analogy of signs," serves as a critical alternative to influential models of theological language based upon an analogy of being, grammatical analogy, or an analogy of faith"-- Provided by publisher