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>>I think we can agree that God is essentially unknowable<<

We are apophatic. I guess I never knew you guys were not.

The early church as a whole confessed that a negative approach was "indispensable," because it "sweeps away the idols of the mind, the systems, the intellectual concepts, along with the images of sense exerpence." [8] The Fathers affirmed, in the eloquent words of Saint Maximos, that: "The infinite is without doubt something of God, but not God himself, who is infinitely beyond even that." [9] To contemplate infinity is impossible for man, how much more impossible is it for man to contemplate and understand that which is beyond infinity? A human being trying to understand God "would be like a blind person trying to count the grains of sand on the sea shore."

Clearly not a heresy. Just something you have not grasped, I would think. It can be tough, that is not meant to offend you.

"The western world in general does not understand that sometimes knowing less really can, paradoxically, lead to a greater understanding."

" We deny in order to affirm. We say that something is not in order to say that it is. The way of negation turns out to be the way of super-affirmation. Our laying aside of words and concepts serves as a springboard or trampoline, from which we leap into the divine mystery.

Apophatic theology, in its true and full meaning, leads not to an absence but to a presence, not to agnosticism but to a union of love. Thus apophatic theology is much more than a purely verbal exercise, whereby we balance positive statements with negations. Its aim is to bring us to a direct meeting with a personal God, who infinitely surpasses everything that we can say of him, whether negative or positive." Even (then) Lutheran scholar Jaroslav Pelikan comments: "Throughout the history of patristic theology, Eastern but also Western, this accent on the apophatic had functioned as a check, and one that was often necessary, on the pretentions of the theologians."

Jaroslav of course recently converted to the Orthodox church, at 80 something, as I recall, along with his wife.

ping

Now you're really going to confuse them! I was thinking of quoting the Cappadocian maxim "God does not exist. I believe in God." but thought better of it. Oops! :)

I do like Pelikan.

MarMema, I love you my sister in Christ.