apophatic

Apophatic refers to apophatic theology, or negative theology, a method of speaking about the divine by negation rather than by positive assertion. It emphasizes what God is not in order to avoid limiting the divine reality with human concepts and language. The term derives from the Greek apophasis, meaning 'a denial' or 'negative statement.'

In practice, apophatic theology seeks to describe God by negation of ordinary predicates, arguing that God transcends all finite categories. This approach is often contrasted with cataphatic or via positiva theology, which describes God through positive attributes such as omniscience, goodness, or power. Proponents argue that human language cannot adequately capture the fullness of the divine nature.

Historically, apophatic theology has strong roots in early Christian and Eastern Christian thought. Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite developed a systematic form of via negativa in the 5th–6th centuries, teaching that God is beyond names and concepts. It remained influential in Orthodox spirituality and reappeared in medieval Christian mysticism. In Western theology, apophatic elements appear alongside more positive approaches, particularly in contemplative traditions that stress mystery and reverence.

Outside Christianity, negative theology also appears in other religious traditions, notably in certain strands of Islamic theology where God is described by negation of human attributes. Overall, apophatic discourse serves to preserve the transcendence and ineffability of the divine, highlighting the limits of human speech in the face of ultimate reality.