Religious Language and Communication

In contemporary philosophy of religion, there is a lively debate about interreligious disagreement and interreligious dialogue. Likewise, reflections in the philosophy of language on the semantics of the word "God", on the possibility of adequately describing a transcendent reality with our human languages, and on the fundamental nature of religious language in general form central topics in the philosophy of religion. Up to now, however, these areas of inquiry have rarely been systematically connected, even though they are in fact closely intertwined on a substantive level: both the possibility of genuine disagreement in the religious domain and the possibility of genuine understanding in dialogue depend on certain assumptions in the philosophy of language concerning the semantic content and referential properties of religiously used expressions. By deepening the linguistic dimension of the discussion about disagreement and dialogue, the conference aims to help close this gap in research. Central questions to be addressed include: Is there something distinctive about religious language? If so, what is the nature of religious language and discourse? What does the word "God" mean, and how do assumptions about its meaning shape religious dialogue? What consequences do apophatic approaches have for religious dialogue? How should we respond to the fact that some of our religious or scientific peers do not share our beliefs? What consequences do fictionalist, expressivist, or realist interpretations of religious language have for interreligious dialogue? What role do the semantics of religious language play in conversations between adherents of religious and secular worldviews?

Speaker:

Amber L. Griffioen

Jacob Hesse

Lorraine J. Keller

Winfried Löffler

Eva Schmidt

Michael Scott

Mikael Stenmark

Åke Wahlberg

Oliver J. Wiertz

Participation is free. Please register via email by September 3rd: [email protected]