Silence and the Word Negative Theology and Incarnation [Paperback]

Studies the history of apophasis and examines its relationship with secular philosophy.Negative theology or apophasis--the idea that God is best identified in terms of what we cannot know about him, in terms of 'absence', 'otherness', 'difference'--has been influentiual in modern Christian thought, resonating as it does with secular notions of absence, otherness and difference developed in recent continental philosophy. Leading Christian thinkers now offer a range of important new perspectives on this tradition, both historical and contemporary, to show how a dimension of negativity has characterised not only traditional mysticism but most forms of Christian thought over the years.Negative theology or apophasis--the idea that God is best identified in terms of what we cannot know about him, in terms of 'absence', 'otherness', 'difference'--has been influentiual in modern Christian thought, resonating as it does with secular notions of absence, otherness and difference developed in recent continental philosophy. Leading Christian thinkers now offer a range of important new perspectives on this tradition, both historical and contemporary, to show how a dimension of negativity has characterised not only traditional mysticism but most forms of Christian thought over the years.Negative theology or apophasis--the idea that God is best identified in terms of what we cannot know about him, in terms of absence , otherness , difference --has been influentiual in modern Christian thought, resonating as it does with secular notions of absence, otherness and difference developed in recent continental philosophy. Leading Christian thinkers now offer a range of important new perspectives on this tradition, both historical and contemporary, to show how a dimension of negativity has characterized not only traditional mysticism but most forms of Christian thought over the years.Preface; Notes on contributors; Introduction Oliver Davies and Denys Turner; 1. Apophaticism, idolatory l#-