Analysis of the Meaningfulness of the Language of Religion from the Trans-Positivistic Point of View

Analysis of the meaningfulness of the language of religion is one of the most important issues concerning the language of religion. Despite the multiplicity and variety of viewpoints common in this field, the prevailing common ground in these viewpoints is the implicit acceptance of the positivistic standards of the meaningfulness of language. The existence of basic criticisms to these standards and the collapse of logical positivism bring up the basic question as to how and on the basis of what questions the analysis of the meaningfulness of the language of religion is examinable. Reviewing briefly the theories concerning the meaningfulness of the language of religion, this article first presents a definition of the meaningfulness of language, and then, on the basis of this definition, examines the meaningfulness of the language of religion on three pivots, i.e. the possibility of the meaningfulness of the language of religion; the possibility of incorporating the revelatory meanings into human words and propositions; and the possibility of understanding the revelatory meanings by the addressee.