Marquette University
e-Publications@Marquette
Books by Marquette University Faculty
2014
Without Metaphor, No Saving God: Theology after
Cognitive Linguistics
Robert Masson
Marquette University, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/marq_fac-book
Part of the Religion Commons
Recommended Citation
Masson, Robert, "Without Metaphor, No Saving God: Theology after Cognitive Linguistics" (2014). Books by Marquette University
Faculty. Book 176.
http://epublications.marquette.edu/marq_fac-book/176
WITHOUT METAPHOR,
NO SAVING GOD
THEOLOGY AFTER COGNITIVE LINGUISTICS
by
ROBERT MASSON
PEETERS
LEUVEN - PARIS - WALPOLE, MA
2014
~
T ABLE OF CONTENTS
Xl
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OVERVrEW BY CHAPTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
XTII
Part One: The Hypothesis
1: MAPPING THE HYPOTHESIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3
Initial Hypotheses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conceptual Mapping and the Emergence of Cognitive Linguistics
How Are Linguistic Structures Mapped to Meanings? . . . . . . . . .
Does Metaphorical Mapping Leave Room for God ? . . . . . . . . . . .
Further Dimensions of the Hypothesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lakoff on God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gerhart and Russell' s Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Final Reasons for Speaking Hypothetically. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
10
13
15
17
19
22
24
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
2:
How EMBODrED MIND CHANGES THE RELIGIOUS AND
THEOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
Foil & Framing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conventional View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Embodied Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Image Schemas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Prototypes & Categories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Metaphorical Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Literal and Metaphoric Truth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .
Questions That Remain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29
31
32
34
36
41
44
52
55
CHAPTER 3: NEW MAPS FOR OLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
59
New Worldviews and Higher Viewpoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Jesus Is the Messiah" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reception ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Science and Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Metaphoric Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
60
67
68
72
74
- -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- - - -- -
- -- -
VI
CHAPTER
WITHOUT METAPHOR, NO SAV ING GOD
4:
DIFFERENT M APS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cross-Domain Mapping & New Meaning. .
Lakoff and Johnson's Examples. . . . . . . . . .
Sin As Burden and Sin As Debt . . . . . . . . .
Different Territories? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Concluding Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
77
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82
83
86
89
92
R EMAPPING CONCEPTUAL SPACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
95
Conceptual Blending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Integration, Compression & Simple Blends ...... .. .. . .....
Mirror Networks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Single-Scope Networks .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Double-Scope Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Blending & Metaphoric Process ... .. ....... .. ..... ... . ... .
96
96
100
102
102
106
CHAPTER
5:
MApPING & G OD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
111
Fourteen Theses .. ........ . ...... ...................... ,
Lakoff's Interpretation of Metaphors for God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Confusing the Map for the Territory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Metaphors for God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aquinas on God 's Simplicity and Being . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
111
115
115
119
120
CHAPTER
6:
Part Two: Further Elaborations of the Hypothesis
ANALOGY As TECTONIC M APPlNG IN AQUINAS. . . . . .
129
The Insufficiency of Pesch's Proposal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Metaphor & Analogy in Aquinas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rikhof on Metaphor & Analogy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
A More Complete and Generalized Explanation. . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Fifteenth Thesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
131
132
136
141
146
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
7:
8:
THE CROSS B ETWEEN ANALOGY & M ETAPHO R: AN
ECUMENlCAL POSS[BlLITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
147
Jungel ....... ... .. . ........ ....... .. . . ... ... ...... ... ,
Pivotal Theological Assumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Critique of the Catholic Doctrine of Analogy. . . . . . . . . . . . ..
148
151
152
VII
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Possibilities at the Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Sixteenth Thesis . . ........ : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
157
159
Part Three: Applications
CHAPTER
9: How TECTONIC THEOLOGICAL MAPPING CHANGES THE
COGNITIVE LANDSCAPE: THE COGNITIVE SCIENCE OF
RELIGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
The Cognitive Science of Religion.
Key Coordinates Briefly Described.
Inept Plotting ...... ... . .. . . .. ..
Theological Correctness . . . . . . . . . .
Rhumb Lines in Flatland. . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER
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165
167
170
175
177
181
10: GOD Is NOT A METAPHOR: ELIZABETH JOHNSON &
THE AMERICAN BISHOPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
189
The Controversy over Quest for the Living God. . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Analogy as Tacit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Transference, Mapping, Proprie & Literal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Theological Rhumb Lines in Johnson's Account? . . . . . . . . . .
Johnson ' s Tacit Assumptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Theological Rhumb Lines in the Committee on Doctrine ' s
Account? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
How Tectonic Mapping Changes the Theological Landscape . . . .
She Who Is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Cognitive Linguistics on Metaphors for God . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
The Tectonic Mapping of SHE WHO IS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
190
192
196
199
201
203
205
207
208
213
11 : THE GOD DISTINCTION & THE NEW ATHEISTS. . . . ..
217
Folk Model of God as Creator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Tectonic Disclosure of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
A Universe from Nothing: A Scientific Question? . . . . . . . . . . ..
Common Roots of the Folk Model of God & the New Atheism . .
Deaf to Tectonic Prompts & Inferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aquinas & the Grounds for Belief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Aquinas'S Tectonic Conception of Creation from Nothing. . . . . ..
McCabe on Creation ex nihilo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
218
221
222
226
228
230
234
235
CHAPTER
VIII
WITHOUT METAPHOR, NO SAVING GOD
Sokolowski on the Distinction between God and the World ..
Sokolowski on Dimensional Differences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Divine Causality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Causal Explanations Are Not Literal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Tectonic Disclosure of God as Creator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
CHAPTER
12:
240
242
245
246
248
SAVING GOD: SHEEHAN'S ATHEOLOGICAL READING OF
& RAHNER . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
251
A Train Ride. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
T. S. Eliot Express .. . .......... . ... .. ...... '.' . . . . . . ..
Feuerbach-Strauss Line? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Philosophical Baggage ... .. ......... .. .... . ............ . ,
Locating Heidegger's Topic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Theological Baggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Atheological Tum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Aletheia or God? A False Dilemma Prompted by Different Tectonic
Mappings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
Tectonic Blend in Sheehan's Thought-Experiment. . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Tectonic Alternative to Sheehan's Thought-Experiment. . . . .
253
254
257
262
263
267
270
JESUS
CHAPTER
13:
273
275
276
THE CLASH OF CHRISTOLOGICAL SYMBOLS: ROGER
HAIGHT
& THE VATICAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
281
Conflation of Tillich ' s and Rahner's Theologies of Symbol. . . .. 285
Symbolic and Tectonic Readings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
The Tectonic Character of Rahner's Thought .... . . . .... . ... . , 291
Hermeneutical Implications of a Tectonk Reading. . . . . . . . . . . .. 294
Conclusion
STRANGE FRUIT: STAPLE OF CHRISTIAN DISCLOS URE.
303
A New Mapping for Theological Exploration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
308
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
315
ILLUSTRATIONS ... .... ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . .. . . ,
325
INDEX . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . .. . ... .. . .
327
CHAPTER
14: