What is the apophatic way of speaking about God?

To understand the apophatic way (via negativa), you must first understand the cataphatic way (via positiva).
The cataphatic way claims that the best way to speak about God is to make positive claims, such 'God is great'. This way of talking about God claims that we can say something about God and his nature. However, there are problems with this method mainly stemming from in the idea that God is too great and 'other' to be constrained by human language. so in comparison:The apophatic way claims that the best way to speak about God is to make negative claims (also known as negation), such as 'God is not evil'. You may have come across this before in words such as 'incorporeal', which literally means NOT a body, or 'ineffable', meaning cannot be captured in words. This way, we acknowledge the inadequacy of human language to speak about God, and use negation to help us paint a picture of God and God's nature. By saying what God isn't we are able to uncover what he is, without confining him to the limits of our language.

CC
Answered by Ciara C. Religious Studies tutor

7315 Views

See similar Religious Studies A Level tutors

Related Religious Studies A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is the difference between Absolutism and Relativism?


“One person’s experience cannot prove God’s existence” Discuss.


Explain the argument and/or interpretation in the passage – 30marks


Explain the main themes of theodicies in the Augustinian tradition


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning