“God in Himself” and “God as revealed to us”: the impact of the substance concept
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Date
2010
Authors
Strauss, D. F. M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State
Abstract
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-pole
of 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.
Description
Keywords
Substance, Negative theology, Theo-ontology, Conceptual knowledge, Concept-transcending knowledge
Citation
Strauss, D. F. M. (2010). “God in Himself” and “God as revealed to us”: the impact of the substance concept. Acta Theologica, 30(1), 123-144.