Divine Incomprehensibility
The mind can know that God is, yet never wrap itself around what God is
Divine incomprehensibility holds that God's very essence overflows and outruns the grasp of any created mind. As John Chrysostom argued in his homilies On the Incomprehensible Nature of God, creatures may truly know God through his works and revelation, yet can never fully comprehend his being. To know God is real, but it is always knowing the inexhaustible One who remains greater than every thought we form of him.
How it traveled
- Against Heresies: Book IILyons · 202explains
- Against Heresies: Book IVLyons · 202explains
- The Octavius of Minucius Felix.Rome · 250explains
- A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity.Rome · 258explains
- The Life of Constantine with Orations of Constantine and EusebiusCaesarea · 339explains
- The LettersCaesarea (Cappadocia) · 379explains
- The Catechetical Lectures of S. CyrilJerusalem · 386explains
- Select Orations of Saint Gregory NazianzenNazianzus · 390explains
- Answer to Eunomius' Second BookNyssa · 395explains
- Against EunomiusNyssa · 395explains
- The Great CatechismNyssa · 395explains
- On the Soul and the ResurrectionNyssa · 395explains
- Exposition of the Christian FaithMilan · 397explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. JohnConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and ThessaloniansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on First CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The ConfessionsHippo Regius · 430explains
- City of GodHippo Regius · 430explains
- On the Holy TrinityHippo Regius · 430explains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · 430explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Against the Epistle of Manichæus, Called FundamentalHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Soul and its OriginHippo Regius · 430explains
- Two Books of SoliloquiesHippo Regius · 430explains
- On Christian DoctrineHippo Regius · 430explains
- Reply to Faustus the ManichæanHippo Regius · 430explains
- The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of TheodoretCyrrhus · 458explains
- John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox FaithDamascus · 749explains
- MonologiumCanterbury · 1109explains
- ProslogiumCanterbury · 1109explains
- Treatise on The One God (QQ[2-26])Paris · 1274explains
- Treatise on The Most Holy Trinity (QQ[27-43])Paris · 1274explains
- Treatise on Man (qq[75]-102)Paris · 1274explains
- Treatise on the Angels (qq[50]-64)Paris · 1274explains
- Discussion: First PartWittenberg · 1546explains
- Book First. of the Knowledge of God the CreatorGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · 1564explains
Key passages(20)
The Pillar and Ground of the Truth · Pavel Florensky
The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon · John Chrysostom
Homily XVIII. 1 Timothy vi. 13–16 “I give thee charge in the sight of God, Who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep t
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A Treatise of Novatian Concerning the Trinity. · Novatian
Chapter II. Argument.—God is Above All Things, Himself Containing All Things, Immense, Eternal, Transcending the Mind of Man; Inexplicable in Discourse, Loftier Than All Sublimity. And over all these
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What then means that unnameable name concerning which the Lord said, “Baptizing them into the name,” and did not add the actual significant term which “the name” indicates? We have concerning it this
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Learning these things, then, from the lofty words of the Apostle, we argue, by the passage quoted, in this way:—If His judgments cannot be searched out, and His ways are not traced, and the promise of
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Book X. §1. The tenth book discusses the unattainable and incomprehensible character of the enquiry into entities. And herein he strikingly sets forth the points concerning the nature and formation o
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Against Heresies: Book IV · Irenaeus of Lyons
1. As regards His greatness, therefore, it is not possible to know God, for it is impossible that the Father can be measured; but as regards His love (for this it is which leads us to God by His Word)
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Answer to Eunomius' Second Book · Gregory of Nyssa
For it is not the case that, while the intelligence implanted in us by the Giver is fully competent to conjure up non-realities, it is endowed with no faculty at all for providing us with things that
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Answer to Eunomius' Second Book · Gregory of Nyssa
Well, then, if God did not exist formerly, or if there be a time when He will not exist, He cannot be called either unending or without beginning; and so also neither inalterable, nor incorporeal, nor
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Answer to Eunomius' Second Book · Gregory of Nyssa
It will presently be time to bring to their own recollection the method of this argument. Suffice it first to say this. There is no faculty in human nature adequate to the full comprehension of the di
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Answer to Eunomius' Second Book · Gregory of Nyssa
Psalm lxxxiv. 5, “in whose heart are thy ways;” but LXX. ἀναβάσεις ἐν τῇ καρδί& 139· αὐτοῦ διέθετο. Gen. xviii. 27. Gen. xv. 6; Rom. iv. 22. Rom. viii. 24. Heb. xi. 27. Ps. lxxxix. 6. Ecclesiast
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Answer to Eunomius' Second Book · Gregory of Nyssa
While, however, we strenuously avoid all concurrence with absurd notions in our thoughts of God, we allow ourselves in the use of many diverse appellations in regard to Him, adapting them to our point
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Sect. CLXV. — AND if you are concerned about this, — that it is difficult to defend the mercy and justice of God, seeing that, He damns the undeserving, that is, those who are for that reason ungodly,
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John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox Faith · John of Damascus
Or, such as are said to exist in the case of God, or in relation to God. The Greek is, ὅσα περὶ Θεοῦ, ἢ περὶ Θεὸν εἶναι λέγεται. Greg. Naz. ut supr. Greg. Naz., Orat. 32, 34. The Greek is, οἰκειότερ
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John of Damascus: Exposition of the Orthodox Faith · John of Damascus
When, then, we have perceived these things and are conducted from these to the divine essence, we do not apprehend the essence itself but only the attributes of the essence: just as we have not appreh
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Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John · Augustine of Hippo
8. Behold, again we humble ourselves to carnal notions, and descend to you, if indeed we had at any time ascended somewhat from you. Thou wishest to show something to thy son, that he may do what thou
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Though this truth is inexplicable, it demands belief. IT seems to me that the mystery of so sublime a subject transcends all the vision of the human intellect But what is so incomprehensible, so ine
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How real truth may be reached in the discussion of an ineffable subject. BUT again, if such is the character of its ineffability,—nay, since it is such,—how shall whatever conclusion But how shall w
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On Christian Doctrine · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 6.—In What Sense God is Ineffable. 6. Have I spoken of God, or uttered His praise, in any worthy way? Nay, I feel that I have done nothing more than desire to speak; and if I have said anythi
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This is the unapproachable light wherein he dwells. TRULY, O Lord, this is the unapproachable light in which thou dwellest; for truly there is nothing else which can penetrate this light, that it may
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Divine Incomprehensibility. These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Pavel FlorenskyThe Pillar and Ground of the Truth(1914)View on Amazon→