Negative Theology
What is "Negative Theology" (NT)?
The concept of "Negative Theology" seems to be rarely discussed in the current Orthodox world but it is an essential component of Torah theology that was well known to the medieval rabbis.
Negative Theology is a method of describing Hashem's essence (as opposed to His relationship with the world) using language employing only negative attributes such as "Hashem does not have a body", "Hashem is not a man", "Hashem does not occupy space", etc.
These types of descriptions are necessary because Hashem's "essence" does not resemble anything in the Universe He created so we have no positive language to describe Him.
Our understanding is limited to Hashem's relationship with the world, not to Hashem's essence. For example "aveinu malkeinu" does not mean Hashem is a father as we know it, it means Hashem relates to us as a father does to children. For those who might believe that "Kabbalah" has replaced the medieval concepts of Negative Theology, please see Section 46 of the Ramchal's Daas Tevunos where he strongly emphasizes the basic concepts of Negative Theology. The Ramchal was certainly a rabbi who was knowledgeable in "Kabbalah".
The hashkafacircle site provides some of the best available shiurim on the subject of Negative Theology. www.hashkafacircle.com/category/moreh-nevuchim/page/2/
Negative Theology
Suggested Torah Sites
Chovot HaLevavot - Duties of the Heart
Facebook Group for Torah Metaphysics
Torah Metaphysics Book
Torah Metaphysics is a new book intended to present brief discussions of “classical” concepts in Torah theology and cosmology that have often been ignored in Torah observant communities in recent centuries.
Such “classical” (and essential) Torah concepts as “yichud Hashem”, creation ex-nihilo, unity of Torah and science, and man’s free will, etc. are too often being ignored in Torah observant communities.
Or we sometimes observe erroneous materialist/atheist doctrines such as Neo-Darwinism being artificially grafted onto classical Judaism.
This new book, available on Amazon, attempts to present "classical" Torah viewpoints on the above issues. (Note: The paperback version is about 173 6x9 pages. The number of pages displayed on the Amazon site may be inaccurate.)
