Via Negativa
The theological approach, developed by Pseudo-Dionysius and Thomas Aquinas, that God can be known through negation: describing what God is not rather than what God is. God is beyond human categories; only negative statements avoid misleading anthropomorphism. Positive statements must be complemented by negations to approach accurate understanding.
Real World
Maimonides, the medieval Jewish philosopher, applied via negativa to describe God: rather than saying 'God is powerful,' he argued we should say 'God is not weak' — a method still influential in Jewish and Islamic theology today.
Exam Focus
Always name both Pseudo-Dionysius and Aquinas when discussing via negativa; failing to credit both thinkers costs marks in knowledge questions.
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