What can I say?
Philosopher Simon Blackburn reviews Karen Armstrong’s book The Case for God.
A key question he examines is whether or not we can talk about God or remain silent. Shades of James on mystical experiences, right? There’s even a little Prof. Pam there. And you thought I was the only one “talking” about the aphophatic tradition. Actually, Blackburn gets the tradition wrong, doesn’t he? Blackburn writes:
So what should the religious adept actually say by way of expressing his or her faith? Nothing. This is the “apophatic” tradition, in which nothing about God can be put into words. Armstrong firmly recommends silence, having written at least 15 books on the topic. Words such as “God” have to be seen as symbols, not names, but any word falls short of describing what it symbolises, and will always be inadequate, contradictory, metaphorical or allegorical. The mystery at the heart of religious practice is ineffable, unapproachable by reason and by language. Silence is its truest expression.
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