Mathematical models in theology. A Buber-inspired model of god and its application to “Shema Israel”

Mathematical models representing religious issues can be seen as far-reaching logical examples of theological metaphors. They have been used since at least Nicholas of Cusa. Although rarely appreciated today, they are sometimes invoked by modern theologians. A novel model is presented here, based on projective geometry and inspired by an idea stated by Martin Buber. It models God and transcendence, especially in the framework of one central Jewish prayer. Actually, it models our relation to God rather than God as such, which is more in keeping with the approach of Judaism as well as negative theology in general. Models can help us understand some theological concepts and aspects of the traditional vision of the relationship of the world and its creator. The model presented here can also be used for the purpose of visualization in prayer: it can be used as a tool assisting meditation during the Jewish prayer involving the well-known verse Shema Israel “Hear, oh Israel, . . . ” (Deut. 6:4), often designated as the Jewish credo. Yet, mathematical models can be as misleading as every other metaphor. Is the model presented here a model of the Biblical God, the God of Judaism, or just of the “Buberian God”? Do the shortcomings of mathematical models annul their usefulness?