In this video, Professor Thorsby discusses the problem of reason and faith. First, the lecture reviews Boethius' evaluation of the trinity, followed by a discussion of theological mysticism, as espoused by Pseudo-Dionysius.
To break it down : babies have it all figured out in a way, it can't be attained by will or intelligence. Only by abandoning yourself absolutely and coming to God in purity . Forget what you think you know and just be.
8:14 10:04 12:21 18:00 18:35 19:04 19:31 20:25 Form / matter 22:47 Divine substance 23:56 24:33 26:34 27:17 37:42 40:04 40:55 43:46 Abandon the object seen and the subject who sees 44:44 The inactivity of all knowledge is a contemplation of the divine essence 46:10 46:48 48:37 52:34
To say that God is not thought, or that God is not Intelligible, is to contradict oneself and deny the involvement of God with His creation. In fact runs contrary to the fact that He created the Universe, because by it there is necessarily some kind of contact and intrinsic communication as we are (rational creatures) since God created us as we are. Rather, it is compatible saying that God is beyond our intelligence and grasp of His attributes while yet saying that God is intelligible analogically, not exhaustively. Otherwise, no one could have ever said that God is beyond all thought, etc, because in order to say it God had to be thought aright. In order to say what God is not, you necessarily show to have a prior positive knowledge of what God is, nay, in every negation there is affirmation. I think the connexion was made right when Mark said something like "the knowing that I do not know..." Here there is some knowing which is necessary to get to realising its shortcoming. Thus all rational knowledge of God whether positive or negative is not univocal but analogical, true if it is right but not exhaustive. In Classical Theism, this via afirmativa is right and even decreed by God throughout the Scriptures, precisely because He is the Creator. It is right to the extent of our limitations, since by it we are knowing the God who reveals Himself by His acts and speech which are accommodated to His creation. Thus, it is taught that although this via should not be taken as exhaustive of God, it gives us true knowledge of Himself as He is and reveals Himself. Therefore, the statement cited makes sense with this discernment. Otherwise even saying "God" is cheating, plus the enterprise of the via negativa, which is only possible by having the via afirmativa a priori. What is key in the practice of mystical theology that is unique to the Christian is that in order to enter into the Unknown God, is through the via afirmativa, yet aware that it is not exhaustive, because without it, not a step is given towards the superintelectual knowledge of the Unknown God. This is what Paul did in the Areopagus. And the more accurate the via afirmativa the greater superintelectual insight will be on the one side, and the greater harmonious manifestation in this world will be, even Jesus Himself. Understanding this, will help discerning the difference between the Christian experience and the eastern meditations, which can be classed in the two graces of divine revelation: common and general, and special and particular.
