Dear Joe,
This is an issue of etymology – the history of words.
I did not “throw down the God card” or “evoke the term God.”
The Greek root words “the” and “theos” refer to God. These root words appear in many English words – not simply “theory”, “theology”, and “enthusiasm”, but “theism”, “monotheism”, “deism”, “atheism”, “polytheism”, “theocracy” and more.
Keith asked me to describe the connections between the word “theory” and the word “God”. This connection traces back to the ancient Greeks.
While I am describing an etymological connection anchored in the history of a word and its early Greek root form, I am not “evoking God” or “throwing down the God card.”
I am stating the meaning of an early root word that gave early shape to words that descended into English with changes and shifts in culture, concept, and meaning along the way.
The reason for a careful and accurate explanation is that this is a research list. The early Greek root words “the” and “theos” were linked to the pagan Greek concept of the gods and to the Hellenic Jewish and Christian concept of God. In answering Keith’s question, it would be inaccurate and irresponsible not to state this. That is why I explained this as I did.
This is not “evoking” the term God. Rather, it involves describing a concept linked with the history and evolution of a word. While some who have used that word evoke the concept of God, my report of their usage does not mean that I am “evoking” the concept they used.
Best regards,
Ken
Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS | University Distinguished Professor | Swinburne University of Technology | Melbourne, Australia | University email [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> | Private email [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> | Mobile +61 404 830 462 | Academia Page http://swinburne.academia.edu/KenFriedman About Me Page http://about.me/ken_friedman
Guest Professor | College of Design and Innovation | Tongji University | Shanghai, China ||| Adjunct Professor | School of Creative Arts | James Cook University | Townsville, Australia
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Joe Kinkel wrote:
—snip—
Then why evoke the term “God”? All of the terms that have their origins in the term “Theo” not withstanding is it accurate to throw down the God card in this context?
—snip—
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