The sacred fire: Wittgenstein, Pseudo-Denys, and transparency to the divine
In order to explore what it means to pursue philosophical investigations for theological reasons, this paper argues that Ludwig Wittgenstein continues and corrects Pseudo-Denys’ project in The Divine Names. I first argue that The Divine Names should be interpreted as attempting to render human thoug...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
2021
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| In: |
International journal of philosophy and theology
Year: 2021, Volume: 82, Issue: 2, Pages: 136-154 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Dionysius, Areopagita, De divinis nominibus
/ Wittgenstein, Ludwig 1889-1951
/ God
/ Unity
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| IxTheo Classification: | KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history NBC Doctrine of God |
| Further subjects: | B
Neo-Platonism
B Unity B Mysticism B Pseudo-Denys B Ludwig Wittgenstein |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In order to explore what it means to pursue philosophical investigations for theological reasons, this paper argues that Ludwig Wittgenstein continues and corrects Pseudo-Denys’ project in The Divine Names. I first argue that The Divine Names should be interpreted as attempting to render human thought transparent to the divine by relativizing our concepts. The success of this project is compromised because the concept of ‘unity’ is not relativized. I then develop the claim that Wittgenstein does relativize unity in a similar way and for similar religious reasons to Pseudo-Denys. As such, he can be read as continuing and correcting the Pseudo-Dionysian project. I conclude by reflecting on several of this argument’s implications for the relationship between philosophy and Christian systematic theology. |
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| ISSN: | 2169-2335 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: International journal of philosophy and theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/21692327.2021.1911674 |