EXAMINATION:

APOPHATIC THEOLOGY LEADS NOT TO KNOWLEDGE, BUT TO UNION.

IT PRESUPPOSES A SERIES OF GENUINE CONTEMPLATION AND INWARD
PURIFICATION – EXPLAIN WHAT THIS MEANS.
WHY IS TOTAL IGNORANCE NEEDED BEFORE WE CAN ENTER INTO A
COMMUNION WITH THE ONE WHO TRANSCENDS ALL KNOWLEDGE?

By

Barry Neufeld
#16- 45589 First Ave
Chilliwack, British Columbia Canada V2P 1X5
Telephone (604) 793-9053
Email: ocoi@telus.net

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

course of

Doctrine I

St. Stephen’s Course of Studies in Orthodox Theology

July 18, 2012

Approved by _________________________________________________

Father Joseph Antypas

6940 Dakota Drive
Troy, MI 48098
 Neufeld: Apophatic Theology page 2

The New WEBSTER Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language defines Theology as the “The

science of divine things or the Christian religion; the science which treats of God and man in all their known relations to each

other.” 1 Indeed, Theology once enjoyed the title of “the Queen of Sciences.”

God’s Science? Theology is therefore an impossible task. Just as it is impossible to adequately describe

to another person in human language the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, it is infinitely harder to describe

the essence of God: he is ineffable: above and beyond human words! Thomas Aquinas, the proponent of

positive or cathaphatic theology and many Western scholars who followed after him, thought it was

possible to describe God by the principle of analogies: God is “like” a Father, God is “Love,” God is “a

Rock.” This is an easy way to explain God to those outside the church who like to take things in easy-to-

swallow, bite (byte?) sized pieces.2 But all the deep mystery of the Godhead is lost due to the limitations

of language as Dionysus the Aeropagite states in his prayer for guidance to the Holy Trinity:

“to the supreme height of mystical writings, which is beyond what is known, where the mysteries of theology, simple, unconditional,

invariable, are laid bare in a darkness of silence beyond the light.”3

Anyone who has the slightest experience of the Divine, knows that analogies quickly break down, for

God's Fatherhood is far more profound than our human experience of a father, and God's Love is so

much wider and deeper than we have ever experienced, and His strength and durability far exceeds any

rock or even any colossal heavenly body we can imagine. By using analogies, we risk the danger of

identifying the transcendent God with our finite concepts of father, love or even a rock. This amounts to

the creation of a god in our own image, which is nothing less than idolatry. If we firmly believe that God

created us in HIS own image, then we must heed the words of the cherubic Hymn which prepares the

Faithful for Communion:

“Lay aside all earthly care, that we may receive the King of all. 4

1 Virginia Thatcher, ed. The New WEBSTER Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language, (Chicago, Il: Consolidated Book Publishers, 1971),

868.
2 Alister E. McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction (Oxford: Blackwell, 1994), 194.
3 Vladimir Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, 2d ed. (Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1976), 27.
 Neufeld: Apophatic Theology page 3

If God were capable of being understood by our finite human intellect, then he would not be truly

God. To truly know God, we must humbly admit the limits of our intellectual and creative powers: which

since the days of the Tower of Babel have often been the source of humankind's sinful pride. A more

fruitful way to begin to understand God is to acknowledge what we do NOT know about him. This

method, termed apophatic, or negative theology is what Lossky calls

“An ascendant undertaking of the mind that progressively eliminates all positive attributes of the object it wishes to

attain, in order to culminate finally in a kind of apprehension by supreme ignorance of Him who cannot be an object of

knowledge.” 5

In other words, we need to humbly acknowledge our consciousness of intellectual failure. This begins at

the Sacrament of Baptism, when the catechumen is initiated into the body of Christ by a ritual depicting

his death and burial.

“…buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him

from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12)

The new believers’ entry into the Church begins with a negation of all that is self. But they do not lose their identity.

They begin a process: NOT of dialectic, but of purification, a . 6

So what about sacred art? Is not a picture worth a thousand words and does not art communicate at a

deeper more affective level (some would argue a spiritual level) than the written word? But even in the art

of the iconographer, we can see the deliberate effort to depict the learned ignorance of the theologian. It

is one of history's paradoxes, that in the East, with this great commitment to apophatic theology by the

iconoclasts, that the Orthodox faith triumphed in allowing Our Savior, His Mother, the Apostles and

Saints to be depicted graphically. The techniques of the iconographer are a call to detachment and

purification of the senses, in order to contemplate the Divine who had come to live amongst us. Prior to

4 Stephen Upson and Dimitri Nicholas, A Pocket Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians, 7d ed. (Egnlewood, NJ: Antiochian Orthodox Christian
Diocese of North America, 1980), 77.
5 Vladimir Lossky, In the Image and Likeness of God, ed. John H. Erikson and Thomas Bird, (Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press,

1974), 13.
6 In Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, 27.
 Neufeld: Apophatic Theology page 4

the Incarnation, the Jewish nation forbade any form of art depicting the Divine (with the notable

exception of cherubim), but since God has been made manifest to us in the person of His Son, it was

finally agreed that it was right and proper to portray “that whom we have seen and heard.”

The incarnation was an action of all three members of the Holy Trinity with the consent of the Virgin

Mary. God the Father sent the Holy Spirit, who caused the human body of His Son, our Savior to be

born. Yet, although Mary is the Theotokos, or God-bearer, her Son the Logos was begotten of the Father

before all time, and he was present and participated in the creation of the world.

So the Great Creator God has now come down to us in the form of a helpless babe in a manger. Such

an awesome event, that the Almighty should deign to stoop to such weakness! And how ineffable for

such Love to condescend, fully knowing the tragic and awful end of his ministry! This so boggles the

mind that one can only begin to want to shed the Emperor's clothing of presuppositions and self pride to

start all over again by acknowledging our almost total ignorance about God. As Lossky says: “The source of

true Christian Theology is thus the confession of the incarnation of the Son of God.”7 St. Athanasius taught that the

incarnation and divinization were closely related:

“This [divinization] comes about when created men, as the Apostle says, receive the Spirit of His Son crying “abba

Father” in their hearts.”8

The word “Abba Father” can be understood as an intimate greeting to one’s male parent, as in saying

“Daddy!” or “What’s next Papa?” In other words, one must approach the Divine with the simple

devotion of a child.

In order to prepare for this, we must begin a journey and look to the ancient Fathers to point the way.

The Patristic Fathers have variously described the stages of contemplation which enable the sincere

seeker to undergo a gradual process of purification.

7 Vladimir Lossky, Orthodox Theology, an Introduction, 1d ed. (Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1978), 34.
8 J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, Revised ed. (New York: Harper & Row, 1978), 379.
 Neufeld: Apophatic Theology page 5

Their method was Apophatic Theology which starts with a series of negations, culminating in the

transformation of the philosopher into the mystic. Like Moses, the true pilgrim enters into a truly mystical

darkness of ignorance, disregarding all preconceived notions and reaches what cannot be seen or touched:

that which belongs only to El Shaddai.9 The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to acquire the Holy Spirit.

There are various ways to begin this acquisition: fasts, vigils, prayers, alms and all virtuous works done in

the name of Christ. However, these virtues are not the ends but the means: a symptom of a soul which

aspires to acquire Grace and the Holy Spirit.10

St. Maximus the Confessor calls this the stage of praktiki, or practice of the virtues.11 Here one soon

experiences what St. Paul did in his letter to the Romans:

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do...O wretched man that I am! Who shall
deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7: 19, 24)
Good works, although a great start are simply not enough to grasp the ineffable mystery of the Godhead.

Purification is a step towards perfection, and the more the Saints have approached this they like Paul

become aware that they can agree with St. Paul: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am

chief.” (1 Timothy 1:15) We thus negate all self righteousness within ourselves: as “filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6.

Awareness of sin leads to darkness, when the goal of union is to experience the divine light: the soul must

quickly move on from here. The mystical experiences of the Western Saints who feel they must descend

into dark valleys of despair in order the experience God may be related to the difference in understanding

the role of the Holy Spirit, who is the source of holiness.12 The stages of the Orthodox approach to union

with God are always increasing: a ladder of ascent, or a climb up Mt. Sinai, like Moses.13 St. Isaac the

Syrian teaches that this is the stage that calls for repentance: the gateway to grace, with the caveat that this

is a stage that no true believer ever fully completes: it is an endless journey that must be continual for

9 Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, 28.

10 Ibid., 197.
11 Ware, Timothy (Metropolitan Kallistos of Diocleia), The Orthodox Way, Revised ed. (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1995),

105.
12 Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, 227.
13 Ibid., 27.
 Neufeld: Apophatic Theology page 6

those who genuinely aspire to union with God.14 A basic principle of asceticism is to voluntarily

renounce one’s personal will and the chimera of personal freedom: in order to discover true personal

freedom, which is freedom in God.15

Following this stage, one moves into physiki, or the contemplation of nature, where one begins to

sense the presence of God in all his creation16 and begin to understand the Psalmist who said: “The heavens

declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork!” (Psalm 19:1) God the creator created the

universe as an indication of who He was, a deliberate work “excogitated”17 by the divine counsel.18

Contemplation of the wonders of nature begins to calm the spirit and prepare it for the ascetic struggles

to come. But the soul seeking salvation must be converted and renounce the world! How can we

reconcile this paradox? St. Isaac the Syrian explains that the “world” is the collective category of our baser

passions.19 Conversion is actually a constant effort of the will turned to God.20

I recall the story of a young woman who purchased a book, and found it rather trite and boring. Then

she met a fine young man and fell deeply in love with him. Upon a visit to her home, he noticed the book

on her coffee table and asked if she enjoyed it. She admitted that it didn't interest her much. Then the

young man admitted that he was the author of the book and had written under a pseudonym.

Embarrassed, she began to read the book hungrily, and was fascinated with it, looking for the hidden

mysteries of her lover's personality and character. The book revealed much...but she learned a deeper

understanding by being in a relationship with the creator of the manuscript and the book enriched her

relationship with her lover. In a similar manner, appreciation of God's revelation (both in His creation

and the Holy Scriptures) is insufficient to fully experience his energies, but it opens the door to the next

stage which eliminates contemplation of all creation, “even the cosmic glory of the heavens and the intelligible light of

14 Ibid.
15 Lossky, Orthodox Theology, an Introduction, 137.Lossky intro 126)
16 Ware, Timothy (Metropolitan Kallistos of Diocleia), The Orthodox Way, 106.
17 Definition: to think out; devise; invent.
18 Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, 241.
19 Ibid., 199.
20 Ibid., 200.
 Neufeld: Apophatic Theology page 7

the angels”21 in preparation for communion with the divine. God is not Nature: our faith is not Pantheism

(the Greek (pân) meaning “all” and the Greek (theos) meaning “God”: implying ALL is God.) but it is

closer to Panentheism (from Greek πν (pân) “all”; ν (en) “in”; and θεός (theós) “God”; “all-in-God”).

Panentheism is defined as a belief system which posits that the divine exists, interpenetrating every part of

nature and but timelessly extends beyond it. The Christian God is the Creator, over and above nature

which is His handiwork and bears His signature. All creation will someday find their fullness in union

with God.22

By ascetical struggles and eliminating all distractions, one may embrace the experience of quiet solitude

the frontier of prayer: the quietness that results from the practice of the Prayer of the Heart. Here the

purification is happening in the deepest recesses of the heart: an inward purification. This is the final stage

of theologia: the negation of all being and pure contemplation of God Himself.23 This stage can be

described as “pure prayer, spiritual prayer, or contemplation”. Gregory Palamas called prayer the “leader

of the choir of virtues.”24 This is the essence interior or spiritual prayer known as ‘hesychasm’, the

treasure of the Orthodox Church.25 This is not a dark abyss of nothingness that completely absorbs the

seeker, but a relationship of union with the Holy Trinity. The heart is uniting in harmony with the spirit. It

is not an unconscious process. St. Isaac the Syrian reminds us that in this struggle, we must keep our

attention focused on God. We must remain watchful and beware of the danger of being weighed down

by sleep:26 bodily postures and studied breathing rhythms are aids to achieving this, but they are of

secondary importance: the ultimate goal is union with God.27 Here is where a “divine ignorance”

must be carefully cultivated. The spirit must be on guard against imagining any depiction of the Godhead.

God is known only by his energies, in this case, the divine light, not by his essence.

21 Lossky, Orthodox Theology, an Introduction, 32.

22 Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, 241.
23 Ware, Timothy (Metropolitan Kallistos of Diocleia), The Orthodox Way, 106.
24 Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, 207.
25 Ibid., 202.
26 Ibid., 202.
27 Ibid., 211.
 Neufeld: Apophatic Theology page 8

St. Gregory Nazianus likened this relationship to the Lover and the beloved in the Song of Songs

where he compares it to the mystical marriage of the soul (and the church) with God.28 The Latin mystics,

such as Teresa and John of the Cross used erotic conjugal imagery to describe how they experience

“knowing God”, in the same sense as the King James Bible uses the word “know” or “knew” to indicate

sexual intercourse.29 Although gnosis and love are closely connected in Eastern asceticism,30 this is a

inadequate understanding of the Orthodox use of the word “know.” Sexuality is essential for the

continuation of the human race due to the inevitability of death. While sexual intimacy is one of the most

profound of human experiences, it cannot be compared to the Divine relationship between the creator

and His created, for the Old Testament also uses this term to indicate incest31 and even violent rape.32 It is

painfully obvious that sexual intimacy and agape love are not synonymous and therefore not an allegory

of mystical union with the Divine. St. Gregory Palamas taught that in this relationship of union with the

Divine, the soul is at the same time penetrated with the divine presence, yet there is a continual pursuit: “a

distance which calls forth love.”33 St. Gregory of Nyssa said that “Love is the very life of the divine nature.” 34

The final goal of union with God brings supernatural spiritual grace and strength. However, the

authorities on this process, the monks of Mt. Athos teach that what is perceived is altogether above both

sense and intellect...a light known only to God and those who have the experience of His grace.35 St.

Isaac the Syrian says: “This is the ignorance that passes all knowledge”36 --a profound but simple experience that

is beyond the ability of all words, elements, images, colors and pictures to express or depict.

Through the Incarnation, the transcendent is made immanent in Christ and opens the door for

humankind to see in Christ the shining forth of the divine nature. For St. Maximus, the incarnation and

28 Lossky, Orthodox Theology, an Introduction, 33.

29 Sam Torode, Christopher West, and John Paul, Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body in Simple Language (South Wayne, Wis.: Philokalia Books,
2003), 153.
30 Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, 207.
31 Story of Judah & his daughter-in-law Tamar Gen 38:26
32 Story of the violent men of Gibeah in Judges 19:25
33 Lossky, Orthodox Theology, an Introduction, 33.
34 Lossky, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, 213.
35 Ibid., 222.
36 St. Isaac Hom XXII in Ibid., 231.
 Neufeld: Apophatic Theology page 9

deification are reciprocally related, and they mutually imply each other.37 St. Athanasius summed up the

Orthodox Doctrine of divinization (theosis) when he said:

"The Word was made flesh in order that we might be made gods. . . . Just as the Lord, putting on the body, became a
man, so also we men are both deified through his flesh, and henceforth inherit everlasting life."
Negative, or mystical, or Apophatic theology has as its’ object the knowledge or gnosis of God, who is totally in

comprehensible. But God is not an object that can be grasped with either the senses or the intellect. To KNOW

God requires union with God. Negative theology is therefore a way to be purified of all perceptions and

misconceptions and ascend to mystical Union with God, “whose nature remains incomprehensible to us.” 38

37 Ibid., 136.
38 Ibid., 28.
 Neufeld: Apophatic Theology page 10

Bibliography

Kelly, J. N. D. Early Christian Doctrines. Rev ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1978.

Lossky, Vladimir. Orthodox Theology, an Introduction. 1 ed. Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1978.

Lossky, Vladimir. The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. 2 ed. Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press,
1976.

Lossky, Vladimir. In the Image and Likeness of God. Edited by John H. Erikson and Thomas Bird. 1 ed. Crestwood,
N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1974.

McGrath, Alister E. Christian Theology: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994.

Thatcher, Virginia ed., The New WEBSTER Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language. Chicago, Il: Consolidated
Book Publishers, 1971.

Torode, Sam, Christopher West, and John Paul. Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body in Simple Language. South
Wayne, Wis.: Philokalia Books, 2003.

Upson, Stephen, and Dimitri Nicholas. A Pocket Prayer Book for Orthodox Christians. 7th ed. Egnlewood, NJ:
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of North America, 1980.

Ware, Timothy (Metropolitan Kallistos of Diocleia). The Orthodox Way. Revised ed. Crestwood, NY: St.
Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1995.