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Glite Dictionary
cataphatism

cataphatism

9.9
A belief that God can be described by saying what God is like, for example loving or wise
  • noun
  • /ˌkætəˈfæˌtɪzəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : catapatismo
  • The theologian emphasized cataphatism as a way to understand divine attributes through affirmative statements.

Examples

  • Many religious traditions utilize both cataphatism and apophatism to discuss the nature of the divine.

  • In his sermon, the priest favored cataphatism by describing God in terms of love and wisdom.

  • Cataphatism is fascinating.

  • Don't underestimate cataphatism!

  • In his sermon, the priest favored cataphatism by describing God in terms of love and wisdom.

  • The theologian emphasized cataphatism as a way to understand divine attributes through affirmative statements.

  • Many religious traditions utilize both cataphatism and apophatism to discuss the nature of the divine.

Antonyms

apophatism
  • Formal
9.9

A belief that God cannot be known and can only be described by saying what God is not

Surface Forms

cataphatism singular
cataphatisms plural

Morphology

cataphatism = cataphatic (opaque) = cata + phat + ism

Forming a doctrinal noun from the adjective 'cataphatic' via the regular suffix '-ism' is a straightforward derivation.

Etymology

The word cataphatism comes from Greek parts kata- meaning 'down' and phasis meaning 'statement', and the phasis part is like the English word phrase. So cataphatism is the idea of making positive 'statements' about God, saying what God is, not just what God is not.