Naming God
Addressing the Divine in Philosophy, Theology and Scripture

A powerful and ground-breaking contribution to religious philosophy that argues for a return to the venerable tradition of naming God.

Janet Soskice (Author)

9781108834469, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 July 2023

258 pages
22.2 x 14.7 x 1.9 cm, 0.46 kg

'Naming God is a 'charting of the way', weaving Soskice's previous contributions on religious language and creatio ex nihilo together with sympathetic readings of the tradition and an impressive range of secondary literature. Her book succeeds in defusing severe criticisms of the divine names tradition. … [It] offers a provocative account of how the divine names and apophatic sensibilities can fit within a religiously warm, philosophically cogent practice of theology.' Joshua Bond, International Journal of Systematic Theology Review Publication

Generations of Christians, Janet Soskice demonstrates, once knew God and Christ by hundreds of remarkable names. These included the appellations 'Messiah', 'Emmanuel', 'Alpha', 'Omega', 'Eternal', 'All-Powerful', 'Lamb', 'Lion', 'Goat', 'One', 'Word', 'Serpent' and 'Bridegroom'. In her much-anticipated new book, Soskice argues that contemporary understandings of divinity could be transformed by a return to a venerable analogical tradition of divine naming. These ancient titles – drawn from scripture – were chanted and sung, crafted and invoked (in polyphony and plainsong) as they were woven into the worship of the faithful. However, during the sixteenth century Descartes moved from 'naming' to 'defining' God via a series of metaphysical attributes. This made God a thing among things: a being amongst beings. For the author, reclaiming divine naming is not only overdue. It can also re-energize the relationship between philosophy and religious tradition. This path-breaking book shows just how rich and revolutionary such reclamation might be.

1. Introduction
2. Naming God at Sinai. The gift of the name
3. Philo on knowing and naming God
4. Creation ex Nihilo as a revolution in Christian metaphysics… and in naming God
5. Is 'God' the name of God?
6. Gregory of Nyssa – naming and following God: from mystic vision to ethics
7. Augustine, Moses and God as being itself
8. Aquinas: philosophical theology as spiritual practice
9. Conclusion: calling and being called.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of religion [HRAB]