Negative Theology: A Short Introduction

by Johannes Aakjær Steenbuch

Publisher:

Cascade Books

, 2022

Overview

How do we speak about God if God is ineffable? This paradoxical question lies at the heart of one of the strangest traditions of philosophical and theological thought: negative theology. As a tradition of thought, negative (or apophatic) theology can be traced back to the convergence of Greek philosophy with Jewish and Christian theology in the first century CE. Beginning with a seemingly simple claim about the ineffability or unsayability of God, negative theology evolved into a complex tradition of thought and spirituality. Today, together with a growing interest in patristic and medieval studies, negative theology enjoys renewed attention in contemporary philosophy and theology. This short introduction presents an overview of how the tradition developed from antiquity until present.

Praise for Negative Theology

“An inspiring and inviting tour of this sometimes rather desertic, forbidding theological territory. From its very first epigraph quoting Gregory of Nyssa, the book prodigally pours forth gems of apophatic wisdom. The principal source springs are narrated in coherent order and concise language that renders luminous this all too often impenetrable terrain. A precious compendium of what is most worth retaining from this inexhaustibly rich tradition. To be recommended most highly to the widest readership.”

—William Franke, Vanderbilt University



“This fine book displays a rare combination of breadth, depth, and clarity. Written in a lucid expository style, it covers the origins of the via negativa in Judaic transcendentalism, through the advent of Christian Platonism, the medieval tradition, to modern philosophy and theology. It is unusual to find such a command and intellectual grasp applied to so many different periods and contexts. Serious thinkers, be they philosophers or theologians, will find it indispensable in the future.”

—Raoul Mortley, Bond University, emeritus



“Negative theology is a form of both theology and philosophy that talks about the divine or the first principle of reality by using negations. As such, negative theology has origins in Judaism, Christianity, and ancient philosophy, but has continued to be influential until the present, having an impact on thinkers as diverse as Anselm, Luther, Kierkegaard, and Levinas. Steenbuch’s book is a succinct, responsible, and philosophically sensitive introduction to this way of thinking.”

—George Karamanolis, University of Vienna

Product Details

• Title: Negative Theology: A Short Introduction
• Author: Johannes Aakjær Steenbuch
• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Print Publication Date: 2022
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9781666742183, 9781666742176, 1666742171, 9781666742169, 1666742163, 166674218X
• Resource ID: LLS:9781666742183
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-10-23T08:11:59Z

About the Author

Johannes Aakjær Steenbuch received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Copenhagen with a dissertation on negative theology and ethics in Clement of Alexandria and Gregory of Nyssa.