"Often, when we talk about the Prime Principle, about Absolute, or God, according to each one's tradition, we realize we can never define precisely these notions" says Michel Cazenave. "We found it appropriate to question about the origins and the significance of negative theology (apophatic), that is to say that ideology which implies that of "God we can't say anything" and if we try to define it, it is saying what He is not".
Indeed, the word "to define" includes in its etymology "fin" (end) : in a metaphysical and theological point of view, as inserting the word "fin" to any tentative to get closer to the divine or deity ? Impossible mission because of post modernity ?
To answer this question, we gathered Bertrand Vergely, Géraldine Roux and Isabelle Raviolo who will respectively try to define what is apophatic theology and to place it in perspective respectively with Orthodox Christianism (Bertrand Vergely), between the Greek thought and the Judaic thought (Géraldine Roux) or within the frame of Rhenish mystic of which Master Eckhart is indisputably the figurehead (Isabelle Raviolo).
Do you want to discover the spiritual filiation between Aristotle, Augustin, Denys l’Aréopagite, Master Eckhart … or even Martin Heidegger ? And thus understand that negative theology is like the negative process in photography (analogical) a unique matrix from which we can establish different "positives": positives of which Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianism and Sufism can be the reflexions...
Since as recalls Bertrand Vergely, in the Zen, it is said: "if you think you understand, it means you haven't understood anything... but if you understand you haven't understood anything, IT MEANS YOU ARE BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND!"
Explanation of our three participants, gathered around Michel Cazenave, in this 57-minutes debate, filmed at the Forum 104.
