The Use of Analogy in Theological Discourse: An Investigation in Ecumenical Perspective

The Przywara-Barth-Balthasar debate on analogy has led to the emergence of several new analogies such as analogy of love (H.U. von Balthasar), analogy of freedom (W. Kasper), analogy of advent (E. Jungel) and analogy of man (K. Rahner). The post-modern recourse to analogy signals an ontological, epistemological and linguistic renewal of both analogy and theology in such a way that analogy is no more a principle of natural theology at the forecourt of theology, but the key hermeneutical principle of theological discourse itself. The study shows that analogy is unavoidable in theology because all theological statements are necessarily analogical.