THE GREEK RELIGIOUS APOPHATISM

Abstract

The Greek genius showed a preference for tragedies over comedies in presenting the reality of human. life, because the vision of the hero standing up for his convictions and ideals against all odds helped to reveal the ideals and principles in their sublime and naked reality more effectively than all the ridicule that could be heaped on the mistakes of men through their comic caricature. Similarly, in spiritual life, the negative method held a fascination for the Greek religious thinkers over the affirmative approach. All that could be affirmed comes more or less within the grasp of human imagination, while what lies beyor,d human capacities can be indicated only through negation. Hence the Christian theologians and spiritual writers attached great importance to apophatic theology in describing the object of supernatural religious experience. But theirs was P.o empty negativism, but an apophatism that was strongly affirmative in meaning