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Document Details : Title: Geloof, waarheid en referentie Subtitle: Ricoeurs filosofische hermeneutiek in dienst van een theologische epistemologie Author(s): BRABANT, Christophe Journal: Tijdschrift voor Theologie Volume: 48 Issue: 2 Date: 2008 Pages: 182-198 DOI: 10.2143/TVT.48.2.3203494 Abstract : Religious truth’s existential meaning distinguishes it from scientific truth. Ricoeur uses a hermeneutical circle to describe a condition that today must guarantee the credibility of Christian faith. One need not believe to think, nor think to believe. Next, the article relies on A. Vergote’s thinking to discuss involvement in the position of faith as formulated in the hermeneutical circle. This article focuses on Ricoeur’s thinking and the question whether he offers keys for satisfying the condition of his hermeneutical circle. A first step in answering the question is to understand the language of faith as Ricoeur develops the metaphor. The article then shows that the language of faith is a special type of poetic language because it bears a claim to truth. Religious language is like descriptive language, but is distinct from it because it ‘rewrites’ reality. The first referent of the language of faith lies within its own discourse. Only in the second instance does the language of faith point to a reality outside language. The second step is to use Ricoeur’s concept of symbol to understand credibility. Its singularity becomes apparent in the way it differs from Ratzinger’s somewhat analogous approach to credibility as symbol. For Ricoeur, reflection is an essential part of understanding a symbol’s meaning. The consequence for credibility is that it does not abandon its meaning without integrating a critical dimension. |
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