Learning from Each Other's Strengths and Weaknesses in Analogies

The concept of learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses is rooted in the idea that analogies can be drawn between different entities, whether they be human beings, creatures, or even divine and human actions. This notion is present in various Christian traditions, as well as in Jewish Rabbinic thought.

In the Jewish tradition, the Babylonian Talmud discusses the use of verbal analogies to derive laws and principles from the Torah. It emphasizes that a verbal analogy must be based on superfluous terms in their context, making it logically irrefutable ^[2]. This approach highlights the importance of careful analysis and comparison in deriving insights from analogies.

In Christian theology, the use of analogies is a common practice. The early Church Fathers, such as Origen and Tertullian, employed analogies to explain complex theological concepts. For instance, Tertullian uses the analogy of a person mastering a skill or art to illustrate the nature of defection or falling away ^[5]. Similarly, Origen draws parallels between human life and the struggles of this world to understand divine providence ^[3].

The Scholastic tradition, represented by Thomas Aquinas, also employs analogies to explain theological concepts. Aquinas discusses how creatures participate in the Divine goodness and diffuse it to others, illustrating the concept of one creature moving another ^[4]. He also explores the idea of one person teaching another, arguing that a teacher can cause knowledge in another person by directing them to the intelligible species ^[6].

The Reformed tradition, as represented by Charles Hodge, emphasizes the importance of analogy in understanding the relationship between the external and spiritual worlds. Hodge argues that the analogy between matter and mind is assumed and sanctioned in the Word of God, and that it is a fundamental aspect of human thought and language ^[7].

The Protestant academic tradition also highlights the importance of humility in learning from others. A commentary on Proverbs notes that haughtiness cultivates pride, while humility leads to the honor of success, as it allows for learning from others and adapting to criticism ^[8].

In the Lutheran tradition, the commentary on Ecclesiastes by Keil & Delitzsch notes that wisdom has an advantage over folly, just as light has an advantage over darkness. This analogy is used to illustrate the superiority of wisdom and the importance of seeking knowledge ^[9].

The use of analogies across these traditions demonstrates a shared recognition of the value of comparative analysis and learning from others. By examining the strengths and weaknesses of different entities, whether human or divine, these traditions aim to gain a deeper understanding of complex concepts and principles.

The patristic writers, such as Gregory Thaumaturgus and Dionysius, also employed analogies to refute certain dogmas. They argued that the complexity and order in the universe cannot be attributed to chance, but rather to the deliberate design of a creator ^[1].

The various Christian traditions represented in the sources demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the role of analogies in theological inquiry. While there are differences in their approaches and emphases, they share a common recognition of the importance of learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses.

The historical development of this concept can be seen in the way that different traditions have employed analogies to explain complex theological concepts. From the early Church Fathers to the Scholastic and Reformed traditions, the use of analogies has been a persistent feature of Christian theology.

The concept of learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses in analogies is not without its challenges and potential pitfalls. However, by examining the ways in which different traditions have employed analogies, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of theological inquiry.

Sources

Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 6: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius, Julius Africanus, Methodius, Arnobius — II. A REFUTATION OF THIS DOGMA ON THE GROUND OF FAMILIAR HUMAN ANALOGIES. (part 1): How, shall we bear with these men who assert that all those wise, and consequently also noble, constructions (in the universe) are only the works of common chance? those objects, I mean, of which each taken by itself as it is made, and the whole system collectively, were seen to be good by Him by whose command they came into existence. For, as it is said, "God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good."(6) B”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 40b.4: The Gemara explains: This is not an association based on conceptual similarity alone; rather, we learn one from the other based on a verbal analogy employing the words “diligently” and “diligently.” “Diligently” is used in all three verses. The Gemara comments: And this verbal analogy must be free, i.e., these terms must be superfluous in their context. The Torah included them for the express purpose of establishing the verbal analogy. A verbal analogy that is based on otherwise extraneous terms cannot be logically refuted. This is because if these terms are”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. II.--ON' THE OPPOSING POWERS. (part 6): impartial consid- 331 eration either of size or age, this individual with that--boys, e.g., with boys, men with men, who are nearly related to each other either in age or strength; so also must we understand the procedure of divine providence, which arranges on most impartial principles all who descend into the struggles of this human life, according to the nature of each individual's power, which is known only to Him who alone beholds the hearts of men: so that one individual fights aga”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), How One Creature Moves Another, Art. 4: Article: Whether the superior angel enlightens the inferior as regards all he himself knows? I answer that, Every creature participates in the Divine goodness, so as to diffuse the good it possesses to others; for it is of the nature of good to communicate itself to others. Hence also corporeal agents give their likeness to others so far as they can. So the more an agent is established in the share of the Divine goodness, so much the more does it strive to transmit its perfections to others as far as p”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP, IV.--ON DEFECTION, OR FALLING AWAY. (part 1): 1. To exhibit the nature of defection or falling away, on the part of those who conduct themselves carelessly, it will not appear out of place to employ a similitude by way of illustration. Suppose, then, the case of one who had become gradually acquainted with the art or science, say of geometry or medicine, until he had reached perfection, having trained himself for a lengthened time in its principles and practice, so as to attain a complete mastery over the art: to such an one i”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), Of Things Pertaining to the Action of Man, Art. 1: Article: Whether one man can teach another? I answer that, On this question there have been various opinions. For Averroes, commenting on De Anima iii, maintains that all men have one passive intellect in common, as stated above (Question [76], Article [2]). From this it follows that the same intelligible species belong to all men. Consequently he held that one man does not cause another to have a knowledge distinct from that which he has himself; but that he communicates the identical knowle”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 140: a moral suasion, but the simple volition of Him whose will is omnipotent. Argument from Analogy. 2. A second argument, although most weighty, is nevertheless very difficult adequately to present. Happily its force does not 691 depend on the clearness or fulness of its presentation. Every mind will apprehend it for itself. It is founded on that analogy between the external and spiritual world, between matter and mind, which pervades all our forms of thought and language, and which is assumed and sanctioned in the Word of God. We borrow fr”
Proverbs (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Proverbs 18:12: 18:12 Haughtiness cultivates pride. It leads to failure because it does not allow for change in the face of criticism. Humility learns from others and leads to the honor of success.”
Ecclesiastes (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Ecclesiastes 2:13: "And I saw that wisdom has the advantage over folly, as light has the advantage over darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness." In the sacred Scriptures, "light" is generally the symbol of grace, Psa 43:3, but also the contrast of an intellectually and morally darkened state, Isa 51:4. To know a thing is equivalent to having light on it, and seeing it in its true light (Psa 36:10); wisdom is thus compared to light; folly is once, Job 38:19, directly called "darkness." Thus wisdom stands so much higher than folly, as li”

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