Subproject B06 [C01]

Number as Religious Metaphor

Subproject B06 investigates numbers as religious metaphors. Building on the former subproject C01, which explored grammatical concepts as a source domain for religious metaphors, the project now turns to numbers and mathematical concepts as carriers of religious meaning. In doing so, it shifts the focus from the linguistic knowledge of the medieval trivium to the mathematical disciplines of the quadrivium.

At the center of the project is the question of why certain numbers acquire special significance in religious traditions. B06 examines how numbers were interpreted in religious terms in texts from Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the early modern period, and what metaphorical functions they fulfilled. Particular attention is paid to the number 40, which appears repeatedly in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, as well as to the numbers one and zero, which raise fundamental questions about unity, being, and nothingness.

The project traces these ideas across Latin, Arabic, Greek, and biblical sources, with special emphasis on the interaction between mathematical thought and religious interpretation. By investigating numbers as abstract metaphors, B06 contributes to a deeper understanding of how religious meaning is shaped through concepts that extend far beyond the realm of language.