Garth L. Hallett 
Theology within the Bounds of Language 
A Methodological Tour

In this wide-ranging work, Garth L. Hallett offers a guided tour through fundamental issues regarding the use of language in theology. His preliminary discussions—on language and thought, language and truth, the authority of language, making sense, the relationship between sense and possibility—prepare linguistic reflection on such topics as inference and argument, universal factual and moral claims, defining and saying what things are, verbal versus nonverbal agreement and disagreement, interfaith dialogue, theological language, and metaphor. Hallett employs a wealth of distinctly Christian examples in these considerations, including love, faith, God, religion, the Eucharist, the afterlife, divine law, evil, the Incarnation, the Trinity, the holy, and many others. In the course of this fascinating exploration, readers should learn to find their way more surely in a vast, complex terrain, and mystery will emerge both diminished and deepened. In addition, at the end of each chapter Hallett provides a series of intriguing quotations that invite further reflection.

Table des matières

Preface



1. The Terrain Ahead



2. Language and Thought



3. Linguistic Spectacles



4. Linguistic Truth



5. Truth’s Norm



6. The Norm’s Feasibility



7. Making Sense



8. Sense versus Possibility



9. Inference and Analogy



10. Universal Claims (Factual)



11. Universal Claims (Moral)



12. Privileged Senses



13. Defi ning and Saying What Things Are



14. The Need of Examples



15. Important Linguistic Distinctions



16. Verbal Disagreement



17. Verbal Agreement



18. Interfaith Dialogue



19. Interfaith Identities



20. Theological Language



21. Metaphor



22. Mystery



Epilogy

Notes

Works Cited

Index

A propos de l’auteur

Now retired,
Garth L. Hallett was Dean of the College of Philosophy and Letters at Saint Louis University. He is the author of many books, including
Linguistic Philosophy: The Central Story and
Essentialism: A Wittgensteinian Critique, both also published by SUNY Press.