"God in Himself" and "God as revealed to us": the impact of the substance concept
The static space metaphysics of the Eleatic school (Parmenides) is continued by Plato, Aristotle and subsequently followed up by Thomas Aquinas. Concurrently a negative theological approach surfaced, claiming that one can only say what God is not. It runs from Plato’s dialogue Parmenides and is con...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of the Free State
2010-06-01
|
| Series: | Acta Theologica |
| Online Access: | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/2305 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823858718335303680 |
|---|---|
| author | D. F. M. Strauss |
| author_facet | D. F. M. Strauss |
| author_sort | D. F. M. Strauss |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The static space metaphysics of the Eleatic school (Parmenides) is continued by Plato, Aristotle and subsequently followed up by Thomas Aquinas. Concurrently a negative theological approach surfaced, claiming that one can only say what God is not. It runs from Plato’s dialogue Parmenides and is continued via the Cappadocians, Plotinus, Pseudo-Dionysius and certain elements in the thought of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. What is constant is elevated into the unknowable essence of God. There are two options. The first option (theo-ontologically) duplicates (accommodates) the creational diversity into the communicable (appearance) part of God — as the counter-pole of the esse(nce) part (namely “God-in-Himself”). In the second option, still as the counter-poleof the esse(nce) part (namely “God-in-Himself”), God accommodated Himself to the creational diversity in order to explain the “appearance” (revelation) of God to creatures. The distinction between conceptual knowledge and concept-transcending knowledge provides an alternative approach.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b5be3a811c2e42dfa6bf09f7107faa94 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1015-8758 2309-9089 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2010-06-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Theologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-b5be3a811c2e42dfa6bf09f7107faa942025-02-11T10:04:37ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Theologica1015-87582309-90892010-06-0130110.38140/at.v30i1.2305"God in Himself" and "God as revealed to us": the impact of the substance conceptD. F. M. Strauss0University of the Free State, South Africa The static space metaphysics of the Eleatic school (Parmenides) is continued by Plato, Aristotle and subsequently followed up by Thomas Aquinas. Concurrently a negative theological approach surfaced, claiming that one can only say what God is not. It runs from Plato’s dialogue Parmenides and is continued via the Cappadocians, Plotinus, Pseudo-Dionysius and certain elements in the thought of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. What is constant is elevated into the unknowable essence of God. There are two options. The first option (theo-ontologically) duplicates (accommodates) the creational diversity into the communicable (appearance) part of God — as the counter-pole of the esse(nce) part (namely “God-in-Himself”). In the second option, still as the counter-poleof the esse(nce) part (namely “God-in-Himself”), God accommodated Himself to the creational diversity in order to explain the “appearance” (revelation) of God to creatures. The distinction between conceptual knowledge and concept-transcending knowledge provides an alternative approach. https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/2305 |
| spellingShingle | D. F. M. Strauss "God in Himself" and "God as revealed to us": the impact of the substance concept Acta Theologica |
| title | "God in Himself" and "God as revealed to us": the impact of the substance concept |
| title_full | "God in Himself" and "God as revealed to us": the impact of the substance concept |
| title_fullStr | "God in Himself" and "God as revealed to us": the impact of the substance concept |
| title_full_unstemmed | "God in Himself" and "God as revealed to us": the impact of the substance concept |
| title_short | "God in Himself" and "God as revealed to us": the impact of the substance concept |
| title_sort | god in himself and god as revealed to us the impact of the substance concept |
| url | https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/at/article/view/2305 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dfmstrauss godinhimselfandgodasrevealedtoustheimpactofthesubstanceconcept |