Negation as Infinite Affirmation
Negation as Infinite Affirmation
The Apophatic Theology of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite
Author(s): Grigore Dinu MoşSubject(s): Philosophy, Metaphysics, Theology and Religion, Systematic Theology, Eastern Orthodoxy
Published by: Editura Eikon
Keywords: apophatic theology; Dionysius the Areopagite; Eastern Orthodox Tradition; alterity; transcendence; infinity;
Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to identify the meaning of negation in Dionysius the Areopagite’s apophatism: how and towards which reality does it orient contemplation and what does it actually say about God who reveals Himself? My fundamental thesis is that, in fact, the apophatic negation in Dionysius the Areopagite’s teachings, as well as in those of other Eastern fathers conceals a super-affirmation, it indicates an infinite affirmation, beyond any determination. The meaning of the apophatic negation can be grasped at the confluence of three specific supra-intelligible terms: the alterity, the transcendence and the excess (the infinity).
Journal: Diakrisis Yearbook of Theology and Philosophy
- Issue Year: 2/2019
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 25-36
- Page Count: 12
- Language: English