God is one, simple, transcendent, divine principle. We talk about God with many names, but all of them, even the name of God, indicates a concept which is less than what God is in himself. He is called “God of gods” (cf. Deut. 10:17) because the notion of Godhood is something which can be shared with and participated in all who unite themselves with him. He is the source and foundation of the divine energies which deifies creation. With such... Read more
How can we know God if he transcends us? In the Kabbalah, the answer comes from the distinction between God as he is in himself, Eyn-Sof, and God as he reveals himself to us in his actions through the establishment of ten emanations, the ten Sefirot. There is perfection in God, as Rabbi Azriel says: “Eyn-Sof is perfection without any imperfection.”[1] Imperfection is secondary to him. But it can be said that he can work and engage on the level... Read more
Lactantius, talking about those who were honored for virtuously seeking the highest good in truth, said that although they labored well, they could never attain what they wished. This is because the truth is found in God, and it infinitely and absolutely transcends human comprehension: At the same time they spent labor and industry, because truth, that is, the secret of the supreme God who made all things, is not able to be comprehended by [human] ability and its proper... Read more
God neither lives, nor is life, though Dionysius indicated in the Divine Names that God is life.[1] Just as he is said to be light, so he is said to be life (cf. Jn. 1:4) in that He is the source and foundation of life, establishing it and its contours. Life is something which is predicated upon existence, demonstrating not only its conditional state, but the composite nature required for something to possess life. Living beings are, once they are... Read more
When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he told them that by becoming Christian, they were now to set themselves apart from the customs which they once followed that ran contrary to the Christian faith. They were not to live like the Gentiles they had been: Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life... Read more
God in Scripture is called the light as it declared him to be the light of the world which knows no darkness: “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all” (1Jn. 1:5 RSV). In this way, Jesus can be shown to be proclaiming his divinity when he called himself the light of the world: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the... Read more
On Mount Tabor, Peter, James and John saw Jesus transformed in glory. “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light” (Matt. 17: 1-2 RSV). For Peter, this was a fundamental event in his life; he passed down his experience so that it would later be... Read more
Many Christians read Scripture, and dogmatic teachings of their church, misunderstanding the means by which such texts should be interpreted. They think there is one simple meaning to the text, and when they find it, that is all they have to believe. Usually, this interpretation comes from the most simplistic, most literalistic reading of the text, ignoring basic hermeneutical questions in the process. Those with some scholarly inclinations will recognize that they must research the past, seek out the meanings... Read more
The news media plays an important role in that it helps form and spread public opinion. As Inter Mirifica exclaimed, it must do so with both justice and charity: Since public opinion exercises the greatest power and authority today in every sphere of life, both private and public, every member of society must fulfill the demands of justice and charity in this area. As a result, all must strive, through these media as well, to form and spread sound public... Read more
In the Divine Names, Dionysius explained how power is often used as a name for God. In the Mystical Theology, he indicated that power is not properly attributed to God himself in any absolute sense by saying God neither has power, nor is power. Power can be designated as attribute or energy of God, which is why it can be conventionally predicated to God because it is how we come to know him in his activity towards us. Kataphatic theology... Read more
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