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Apophatic theology

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'''Apophatic theology'' - '—also known as ''negative theology'' - —is a [[theology]] that attempts to describe [[God]] by negation, to speak of God only in absolutely certain terms of what may be said about God and to avoid what may not be said. In Orthodox Christianity, apophatic theology is based on the assumption that God's essence is unknoweable unknowable or ineffable and on the recognition of the inadequacy of human language to describe God. The apophatic tradition in Orthodoxy is often balanced with [[cataphatic theology]] - —or ''positive theology'' —and belief in the [[incarnation]] , through which God has revealed himself in the person of [[Jesus Christ]].
==Apophatic descriptions of God==
*From [[Holy Scripture|Scripture]]
**No one has seen or can see God ([[Gospel of John|John]] 1:18).
**He lives in unapproachable light ([[I Timothy|1 Tim.]] 6:16).
**His ways are unsearchable and unfathomable ([[Book of Job|Job]] 11:7-8; [[Romans]] 11:33-36).
*By [[saint]]s
**The true knowledge and vision of God consists in this—in seeing that He is invisible, because what we seek lies beyond all knowledge, being wholly separated by the darkness of incomprehensibility (''The Life of Moses'', [[Gregory of Nyssa]]).
**God is infinite and incomprehensible and all that is comprehensible about Him is His infinity and incomprehensibility (''On the Orthodox Faith'', [[John of Damascus]]).
*No one has seen or can see ==History and Development in the Eastern Church==One of the first to articulate the theology in [[Introduction to Orthodox Christianity|Christianity]] was the [[Apostle Paul]], whose reference to the Unknown God in the book of [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] (John 1Acts 17:1823)is the foundation of works such as that of [[Dionysius the Areopagite]].*He lives The [[Cappadocian Fathers]] of the 4th century, exemplars of this ''via negativa'', said that they believed in God, but they did not believe that God exists, at least in unapproachable light the same sense that man exists (1 Timnotwithstanding the Incarnation). 6:16In contrast, making positive statements about the nature of God, which occurs in most other forms of Christian theology, is sometimes called [[cataphatic theology]]. Adherents of the apophatic tradition hold that God is beyond the limits of what humans can understand, and that one should not seek God by means of intellectual understanding, but through a direct experience of the love (in Western Christianity) or the [[Energies of God|energies]] (in Eastern Christianity)of God. Apophatic theology can be also seen as an oral tradition.*His ways are unsearchable "It must also be recognized that 'forgery' is a modern notion. Like Plotinus and unfathomable (Job 11the Cappadocians before him, Dionysius does not claim to be an innovator, but rather a communicator of a tradition." [http:7//plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-8; Rom. 11:33dionysius-36).areopagite/]
==History Apophatic theology played an important role early in the Early [[Timeline of Church==One History|history of the first to articulate the theology in [[Christianity]] was the . The [[Apostle PaulThree Holy Hierarchs]] whose reference to all emphasized the Unknown God in the book importance of Acts (Acts 17:23) is the foundation negative theology to an orthodox understanding of works such as that of [[Pseudo Dionysius]]. This is as Pseudo Dionysius so describesGod. Exemplars of the ''via negativa'', the Later [[Cappadocian Fathers]] John of the [[4th centuryDamascus]] said that they believed in God, but they did not believe employed it when he wrote that God exists. In contrast, making positive statements about God reveal "not the nature of God, which occurs in most other forms of Christian theologybut the things around the nature." In addition, is sometimes called '[[kataphatic theologyMaximus the Confessor]]'. Adherents of the apophatic tradition hold maintained that God is beyond the limits combination of what humans can understand, apophatic theology and that one should not seek God by means of intellectual understanding, but through a direct experience [[hesychasm]]—the practice of the love (in Western Christianity) or the keeping stillness—made [[Energies of God|Energiestheosis]] (in Eastern Christianity) of or union with Godpossible. Apophatic All in all, apophatic statements are crucial to much theology can be also seen as an oral tradition. "It must also be recognized that "forgery" is a modern notion. Like Plotinus and in [[Orthodox Christianity]]; the Cappadocians before him, Dionysius does not claim opposite tends to be an innovatortrue in Western Christianity, but rather though there are a communicator of a tradition." [http://plato.stanfordfew exceptions to this rule.edu/entries/pseudo-dionysius-areopagite/]
==History in the Early Church and Further DevelopmentSee also==Apophatic theology played an important role early in the *[[history of ChristianityHesychasm]]. Three theologians who emphasized the importance of negative theology to an orthodox understanding of God, were [[Gregory of Nyssa|Gregory the Theologian]], [[John Chrysostom]], and [[Basil the Great]]. [[John of Damascus]] employed it when he wrote that positive statements about God reveal "not the nature, but the things around the nature." In addition, [[Maximus the Confessor]] maintained that the combination of apophatic theology and [[hesychasm]] - the practice of keeping stillness - made *[[theosisMysticism]] or union with God possible.
It continues to be prominent in [[Eastern Christianity]] (see [[Gregory Palamas]]), and is used to balance cataphatic theology. Apophatic statements are crucial to much theology in [[Orthodox Christianity]]. ==Role in the Western ChurchSources and external links==Negative theology has a place in the Western Christian tradition as well*[http://www.seop.leeds.ac.uk/entries/god-necessary-being/ God and Other Necessary Beings], although it is definitely much more Stanford Encyclopedia of a counter-current to the prevailing positive or cataphatic traditions central to Philosophy*[[Western Christianityw:Apophatic theology|Apophatic theology]]. For example, theologians like Meister Eckhart and St. John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz), mentioned aboveWikipedia*Toon, exemplify some aspects of or tendencies towards the apophatic tradition in the WestPeter. ''The Cloud of UnknowingOur Triune God'' . Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 1996.*[[Kallistos (author unknownWare) and St Johnof Diokleia|Ware, Timothy]]. 's 'The Orthodox Church'Dark Night of the Soul'' are particularly well-known in the West==See also==London: Penguin Books, 1997.
[[Category:Theology]]
[[Category:Hesychasm]]
==Sources and external links==*'''General'''**[http[ro://www.seop.leeds.ac.uk/entries/god-necessary-being/ God and Other Necessary BeingsApofatism], Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy**[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_theology/ Negative Theology], Wikipedia**Toon, Peter. <u>Our Triune God</u>. Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 1996.
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