A Critical Study on Aquinas` Doctrine of Analogy Regarding Divine Attributes

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Professor at Shiraz University

Abstract

The Problem of Divine attributes that are common between God and His creatures is a common concern between theologians and philosophers. A problem that has led in one hand to agnosticism (about God) and in the other hand to anthropomorphism. There are many ways enable them to solve this problem: being meaningless, Negative theology, metaphor, Univocal, Equivocal and causal attributes.  Analogy is the specific solution that Thomas Aquinas has put forward to deal with this problem. This solution goes beyond both Univocal and Equivocal ways and the basis of this solution is causality and likeness. The doctrine of analogy opened new ways for Christian philosophers and theologians to solve aforementioned problem and problem regarding some Christian concepts like trinity and incarnation. This paper deal with this problem and attempts to articulate the fundamental basis of doctrine of analogy, its dimensions, its functions, its divisions and its relation to Divine names. Then it will criticize the content and advantages of this theory by declaring its correct consequences and its weaknesses.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Ontological Researches
Volume 8, Issue 15
August 2019
Pages 21-42

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