1. Starter Activity Rejecting the use of univocal language
TASK- Draw and annotate a copy of the chart below to show your understanding of Aquinas’ thinking process.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Rejecting the use of univocal language
Analogy of proportion
Analogy of attribution
Rejecting the use of equivocal language

2. Date How effective is the use of analogy to describe God?
Learning Objectives:
To outline Ian Ramsey’s approach to analogy.
To assess arguments for and against using analogy to describe God.
To evaluate whether you regard an analogical approach to describing God a credible one.

3. How is a Barbie doll similar and different to humans?
It’s similar in the sense that they are the same shape (the model helps us to understand our characteristics)
It’s different in what they are made out of (e.g. plastic vs skin) (the qualifier helps us to recognise the limitations of the origin model)
LO: To outline Ian Ramsey’s approach to analogy.

4. Why did Aquinas believe analogy could be used to describe God?
Ian Ramsey ( ) offered a ‘models’ and ‘qualifiers’ approach to analogy.
A model is an analogy that helps us to express something about God.
For example, if we say ‘God is good’, the model is the word ‘good’.
We have a human understanding of good, and when applied to God, it is a model for understanding God’s goodness.
LO: To outline Ian Ramsey’s approach to analogy.

5. Why did Aquinas believe analogy could be used to describe God?
Ramsey says that if we want to understand God’s goodness we need to adapt the model.
We need to qualify it, so that we realise that is not literally what God is like.
To the statement ‘God is good’ you need to add the qualifier that God is ‘infinitely’ good.
This makes us think about God’s goodness in more and more depth, until eventually we have insight of God’s goodness.
LO: To outline Ian Ramsey’s approach to analogy.

6. Why did Aquinas believe analogy could be used to describe God?
TASK- Choose one statement that could be used to describe God. Explain how this would work using Ian Ramsey’s approach to analogy.
Ideas Bank:
‘God is king’
‘God is a warrior’
‘God is a father’
Ian Ramsey:
Model – helps us to understand God’s characteristics.
Qualifier – helps us to recognise the limitations of the model (e.g. infinitely, eternally, all, non-physical)
EXTENSION- Do you think adding ‘qualifying’ statements such as ‘God is infinitely good’ help us to achieve insight of God’s characteristics? Explain your view.
LO: To outline Ian Ramsey’s approach to analogy.

7. ‘The use of analogy allows us to talk meaningfully about God’
TASK- Working with your partner to come up with a set of strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths
Weaknesses
What problems does using analogy avoid?
Why are analogies helpful to humans when describing God?
How does it help preserve God’s mysterious nature?
What is the big advantage of this approach over the Via Negativa?
How much of an understanding of God does it give us?
Can a comparison be made between God and human concepts?
Is it even possible to describe a transcendent God?
LO: To assess arguments for and against using analogy to describe God.

8. LO: To assess arguments for and against using analogy to describe God.
Strengths
Weaknesses
It avoids the problems of using univocal and equivocal language to describe God.
It can help humans to speak meaningfully about God by comparing him to contingent things.
It helps to preserve the mysterious nature of God.
It more closely resembles how theists speak about God (as oppose to the Via Negativa).
It leaves us with a limited understanding of God.
It may not be possible to make a comparison between a necessary and contingent beings.
Wouldn’t it be easier to just accept that God’s transcendent nature means that not even analogy could describe him?
Theists normally make religious claims literally, not analogically.
Strengths: 2. Contingent things = human concepts that we can more easily understand, 3. God’s transcendent nature 4. In a positive manner
LO: To assess arguments for and against using analogy to describe God.

9. What are the scholarly arguments for and against the use of analogy?
TASK- Produce a detailed mind map explaining the key scholarly arguments against the use of analogy to describe God.
Scholarly opinion towards analogy
LO: To assess arguments for and against using analogy to describe God.

10. Do you think the use of analogy allows us to meaningfully describe God?
TASK- Explain your personal view to the statement above. In your answer you should include:
One scholarly argument in favour (assess the strengths of this argument)
One scholarly argument against (assess the weaknesses of this argument)
LO: To evaluate whether you regard an analogical approach to describing God a credible one.

11. Date How effective is the use of analogy to describe God?
Learning Objectives:
To outline Ian Ramsey’s approach to analogy.
To assess arguments for and against using analogy to describe God.
To evaluate whether you regard an analogical approach to describing God a credible one.