The incomprehensibility of God: Reciprocal interdependence between mystery and knowledge

Verbum et Ecclesia

 
 
Field Value
 
Title The incomprehensibility of God: Reciprocal interdependence between mystery and knowledge
 
Creator Van der Merwe, Dirk G.
 
Subject Theology incomprehensibility of God; knowledgeable; experience; mystery; interdependent; new enquiries; never-ending-venture
Description This research investigates the theological concept, ‘The incomprehensibility of God’, from a Johannine perspective. The primary objective is to discern the ‘incomprehensibility of God’ from a reciprocal interdependence between knowledge (understanding) and mystery. It explains how the endeavour to understand the divine, continuously prompts mystery. Humans can only know, communicate with, relate to and talk about God, in terms of human perspectives and conventions within the human idiom. Therefore, the modus operandi starts with an articulation of how this dualism (knowledge versus mystery) relates and should be interpreted. This is followed by a discourse analysis of the Johannine prologue to point out various semantic networks to facilitate dualistic reasoning in this research. Thereafter, the incomprehensibility of God is discerned from the following four perspectives: the ‘identity’, ‘articulation’, ‘activities’ and ‘involvement’ of God in God’s creation as formulated according to the Prologue of the Gospel of John. Finally, the investigation of and contemplation on the incomprehensibility of God becoming a spiritual, cognitive and discerning never-ending event.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The contribution of this research endeavours to point out that, when believers meditate about God, examine scripture, experience and worship God in everyday life, the proximity and tension between knowledge, experience and mystery about God will always be present, evident, experienced and will continue to evolve.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2024-10-04
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Theologicaal analysis
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ve.v45i1.3227
 
Source Verbum et Ecclesia; Vol 45, No 1 (2024); 12 pages 2074-7705 1609-9982
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/3227/7761 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/3227/7762 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/3227/7763 https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/3227/7764
 
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Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Dirk G. van der Merwe https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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