Apophatic theology

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Gregory Palamas
History Hesychast controversy Fifth Council of Constantinople Synod of Jerusalem Neo-Palamism
Theology Essence–energies distinction Hesychasm Theoria Theotokos Theosis Tabor Light Hypostatic union Apophatic theology
Influences and precursors Plato Paul the Apostle Plotinus Neoplatonism Basil of Caesarea Gregory of Nazianzus Gregory of Nyssa John Chrysostom Pseudo-Dionysius John of Damascus Photios Symeon the New Theologian
Palamites Gregory Palamas Nicodemus the Hagiorite Sophrony Stevan Dimitrijević John Meyendorff Christos Yannaras Seraphim Rose Hilarion Alfeyev
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Apophatic theology, also known as negative theology,^[1] is a form of theological thinking and religious practice which attempts to approach God, the Divine, by negation, to speak only in terms of what may not be said about the perfect goodness that is God.^{[web 1]} It forms a pair together with cataphatic theology, which approaches God or the Divine by affirmations or positive statements about what God is.^{[web 2]}

The apophatic tradition is often, though not always, allied with the approach of mysticism, which aims at the vision of God, the perception of the divine reality beyond the realm of ordinary perception.^[2]

Although it can be described as "to speak only in terms of what may not be said" a more proper understanding is saying nothing at all. This consists of turning off a person's internal dialogue (self talk) and sitting with internal silence. This is difficult to do because a person's thoughts will continue to come back so it takes constant negation. This practice takes the names of; emptying the wineskin, binding the strong man (the mind), watching at midnight. In this place a spirit will start speaking- the Holy Spirit.

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