What does Elizabeth Johson mean by "The symbol of God functions"?

The
phrase used by Elizabeth Johnson is both a critique of religion in general and a commentary on
the sociological idea of religion and deity. Her quote "The symbol of God functions"
is intended to say, first, that God is inherently a symbol and nothing more. This lines up with
the ideas of many philosophers from the 1700's and 1800's, that God is simply a human construct,
designed to give us something towards which to strive and to keep us in line morally.

The second point is the identify that that symbol serves a purpose, as was similarly
stated. The symbol andof God serves a purpose in this world, and the way we use that symbol
shapes our worldview, which religion...