Apophatic theology
Apophatic theology, also known as negative theology, is a form of theological thinking and religious practice which attempts to approach [God], the Divine, by negation, to speak only in terms of what may not be said about God. It forms a pair together with cataphatic theology (also known as affirmative theology), which approaches God or the Divine by affirmations or positive statements about what God is.
The apophatic tradition is often, though not always, allied with the approach of mysticism, which aims at the vision of God, the perception of the divine reality beyond the realm of ordinary perception.
Apophatic theology, or negative theology, is an approach to understanding God by focusing on what cannot be said about the divine, rather than what can. It emphasizes the limitations of human language and reason to describe an infinite, transcendent being by using negation (e.g., “God is not a body”). This tradition, which is often associated with mysticism and figures like Dionysius the Areopagite, is balanced by cataphatic theology (affirmative theology).
Key aspects of apophatic theology
- Via negativa: The “negative way” involves stripping away positive descriptions to point toward God’s ineffable nature.
- Complementary to cataphatic theology: It works in tandem with cataphatic or affirmative theology, which uses positive statements like “God is loving”. This allows for a more complete view, recognizing both God’s immanence and transcendence.
- Emphasizes mystery: The core idea is that God is beyond complete human comprehension. Apophatic theology acknowledges this mystery, which is often described as a form of “unknowing” that is a form of knowledge, as seen in the works of mystics like Meister Eckhart.
- Rooted in scriptural tradition: The approach is supported by scriptures that describe God as unseeable, living in “unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:16) and having “unsearchable and unfathomable” ways (Romans 11:33-36).
- A practice of negation: It involves a process of denial, not to be confused with agnosticism, but to avoid imposing finite human categories onto an infinite deity. The goal is to deny creaturely attributes to God because human language is insufficient.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://biblehub.com/q/what_defines_apophatic_theology.htm
[2] wikipedia/en/Apophatic_theology
[4] https://www.quora.com/What-is-apophatic-theology
[5] https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-examples-of-the-apophatic-nature-of-Orthodox-theology
[6] https://www.gotquestions.org/apophatic-theology.html
[7] https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episode-57-janet-williams-what-we-can-and-cant-say-about-god/
[8] https://philarchive.org/archive/BROAAR-8