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62 International Multi. J. of PURE LIFE. 9 (30): 51-89, Spring 2022
In sum, the early Therefore, we have no way
Wittgenstein regarded religion but to transform concepts into
as non-cognitive, meaningless symbols. Hence, any expression
and nonsensical; the later about the ultimate concern
Wittgenstein, however, rejected and his attributions must be
the second and the third ideas; symbolic. So, the “language
but continued to maintain the of faith is the language of
first idea. symbols.” (Ibid: 45)
The only non-symbolic
The next thesis according statement about God is that
to which religious language is God is being-itself . (Tillich,
meaningful but noncognitive 1951: 238-9)
is Paul Tillich’s thesis of What makes a symbol so
symbolic language. Tillich’s powerful to play such a role is
thesis is mainly concerned with that a symbol (a) “participates
propositions that are about in that to which it points”.
God and His attributions. Hence, contrary to a sign that
According to Tillich, God is points to something by arbitrary
the ultimate concern of the convention, (b) symbols are
believers, and at least in not produced arbitrarily and
Abrahamic religions this is intentionally, but “grow out
the case. (Tillich, 1957: 2-3) of the individual or collective
On the other hand, since unconscious”.
the true ultimate transcends Furthermore, this “growing
the realm of finite reality out of the unconscious”
infinitely…no finite reality means that symbols (c) “unlock
can express it directly and dimensions and elements of
properly. (Ibid: 44)
