Semantics of divine names: Tabatabai’s principle of ‘focal meaning’ and Burrell’s grammar of God-talk
In the present paper, I investigate the ways in which the grammar of God-talk in David B. Burrell’s philosophical theology comes to meet Muhammad Husiyn-i Tabatabai’s account of divine names, which has been developed in his theory of religious language. I begin the first part of the paper by introdu...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2023
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| In: |
International journal of philosophy and theology
Year: 2023, Volume: 84, Issue: 2, Pages: 157-177 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Burrell, David B. 1933-
/ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Muḥammad Ḥusain aṭ- 1892-1981
/ Language
/ Name of God
/ Attributes of God
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| RelBib Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism BJ Islam NBC Doctrine of God TK Recent history |
| Further subjects: | B
Wittgensteinian Thomism
B via analogia B Muhammad Husiyn-i Tabatabai B Religious Language B focal meaning B comparative philosophy of religion B David B. Burrell |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | In the present paper, I investigate the ways in which the grammar of God-talk in David B. Burrell’s philosophical theology comes to meet Muhammad Husiyn-i Tabatabai’s account of divine names, which has been developed in his theory of religious language. I begin the first part of the paper by introducing Tabatabai’s innovative articulation of the concept of Mental Construct and its relevance to his account of language and meaning. I, then, clarify how he proceeds to elucidate his conception of religious language in terms of what he calls ‘focal meaning’, i.e. his idea of a true sense underlying the application of a word. In the second part of the article, Burrell’s methodology of God-talk is introduced and briefly discussed, before proceeding with interlocutory explanations as well as an examination of Tabatabai’s semantics of divine names. On the basis of Burrellian reading of via analogia, I propose a novel interpretation of the principle of focal meaning. This interpretation is particularly concerned with the most appropriate manner in which we can comprehend the literality of religious language. I conclude by explaining the way in which Burrell’s analysis is useful and elucidating for a contemporary interpretation of Tabatabai’s work. |
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| ISSN: | 2169-2335 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: International journal of philosophy and theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/21692327.2023.2169743 |