What is Symbolism?

For a high level explanation, see The Recovery of Symbolism

Symbolism is the union of Heaven and Earth, with humans as mediators between the two. The purpose of symbolic interpretation of the world is to reveal how this pattern unfolds in our lived reality. In the symbolic view, combining heaven and earth in the correct way furthers Creation. These concepts of heaven and earth should not be confused with what we usually associate with it; the atmosphere/ outer space or dirt underneath ones feet. Instead, consider the following simplified examples

Notice how moving from earth to heaven implies a change from "multiple" to "few". many ink particles make up one letter. multiple letters make up one word. multiple words make up a sentence, etc... Compare this to the base of a mountain which has many rocks, and the peak of a mountain, which has fewer rocks. Compare this then again to stories where guidance is received on the peak of a mountain: Moses receiving the ten commandments, The people on the mountain of Sinaï listening to Jesus, and even the protagonist of the video game Skyrim climbing the seven thousand steps to reach High Hrothgar. It's the reason mountains are sacred to many religions.

Symbolic interpretation seeks to find examples of our experience with the world, and applies that to religious texts, seeking a deeper meaning in them. It assumes an christian worldview and is not opposed to the scientific discoveries, instead, it tries to encapsulate science as the "study of the earth". Science tries to explain all material phenomena. The word material comes from mater, latin for "mother", and has a strong connection to what we call "mother earth".

The word symbol comes from the Greek words sun (with, together) and ballo (I throw, put). Symbolism therefore is not a metaphor, but the very joining together of two concepts, like two rivers joining to become one.

Symbolism attempts to explain how we fish out the facts that are important to us from a sea of unlimited facts.