cataphatic
- adjective
- /ˌkætəˈfætɪk/
- Specialized
:
catapático
- In the Orthodox Christian East, there has always been a close relationship between cataphatic and apophatic mystical experience.
Examples
-
The integration of both the apophatic way and the cataphatic way is the best method of attaining the true vision of the divine light.
Academic text (2015) -
In the cataphatic way, consisting of a ladder of hierarchies of theophanies, we see God's wisdom as manifested in the created world.
Academic text (2015) -
However, in practice, these Buddhist traditions remain surprisingly similar to their cataphatic cousins despite their negating rhetoric.
Blog text (23) -
Cataphatic theology emphasizes understanding God through positive attributes, such as love and compassion.
-
Many religious scholars prefer a cataphatic approach to describe God's nature, highlighting His kindness and grace.
-
In a cataphatic framework, believers articulate their faith by making affirmative statements about divine qualities.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
cataphatic = cataphasis (opaque) = cataphasis + ic
Formed by derivation from the rare theological noun 'cataphasis' with the adjectival suffix '-ic'; the components are specialist Greek-derived elements unfamiliar to most learners, so the meaning is not readily deducible.
Etymology
Cataphatic comes from Greek parts kata- and -phatic, where the -phatic part comes from a root meaning 'to show' and also appears in the word emphasis. So a cataphatic approach is about 'showing' or saying positive things about God, rather than only saying what God is not.