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Runtime: 19 minsAndrew Louth continues his discussion of Byzantine theology. Byzantine theology is characterized by three major themes: apophatic theology, ascetical and mystical theology, and the liturgy. Apophatic theology, originating from the Greek word meaning "to deny," emphasizes knowing God by denying human concepts rather than affirming them. This theology asserts that God is ultimately unknowable and beyond human comprehension, a view developed during the Arian controversy and further by figures like Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. Dionysius expanded this with a vocabulary distinguishing between knowing God through denial (apophatically) and affirmation (cataphatically), integrating it with Neoplatonism and angelology. Later, in the 14th century, Gregory Palamas defended the mystic monks' vision of the uncreated light, emphasizing the distinction between God's unknowable essence and knowable energies, reaffirming the experiential knowledge of God.
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Produced in May 2015. Provisional captions.
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