The poetics of the sacred and the metaphorical function of religious language

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the decisive role of metaphor in the interpretation of religion, structured around the poetic approach proposed by Paul Ricoeur, especially in his concept of "excess of meaning" in The Rule of Metaphor. First, the article reviews Ricoeur's theory of metaphor, exploring how the poetics of metaphorical language enables an expansion of meaning, opening new dimensions of understanding for the sacred. This poetics is crucial for representing transcendent realities that escape literal description. The study then examines the use of metaphor within religion, analyzing how it facilitates the understanding of boundary concepts such as God, eternity, and salvation, while preserving the essential mystery these concepts entail. Finally, the article addresses the implications of metaphor for the field of Religious Studies, arguing that metaphor serves as an interpretive key that translates the ineffable into something experiential, renewing our understanding of the sacred. It concludes that metaphor, through its poetic function, enables a religious language that not only communicates but transforms, opening a path to new experiences of faith and the sacred.