volume Number 9، number In Volume 3، Fall 2016 ، issue Number 33

Mawlavi and Two Approaches to the Nature of Religious Language: Univocality and Equivocality

Mirsaeid Mousavi Karim, Hamideh Tehrani Haeri

Abstract
The aim of this paper is to investigate Jalalu-’d-din Muhammad Mawlavi’s view in his Masnavi about the univocality or equivocality of religious language. We first briefly explain the main theories about the nature of religious language. Then, some paradigm examples of Masnavi in which Rumi has expressed his views about religious language will be interpreted. Finally, it will be shown that, according to Rumi, religious language should be considered as mainly univocal than equivocal. This research also helps us to understand how Mawlavi has been influenced by his predecessors, and moreover shows his influence over the later religious and theological doctrines.

Keyword
Mawlavi; Religious Language; M