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

256 pages
22.2 x 14.7 x 1.9 cm, 0.46 kg

'Janet Soskice brings together a professional philosopher's analytical skills with those of an intellectual historian: both strictly in the service of a core theological preoccupation with how, and on what conditions, a theologian may name God. This is an essential book – wonderfully rich and challenging – and the author herself is one of the major philosophical figures of our time.' Denys Turner, Yale University

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]