The metaxology of the divine names
pp. 95-111
in: Dennis van den Auweele (ed), William Desmond's philosophy between metaphysics, religion, ethics, and aesthetics, Berlin, Springer, 2018Abstrakt
Metaphysics is the lifeblood of theology, and metaxology has been a spectacular instrument for contemporary theologians to escape the clutches of deconstructive and other anti-metaphysical ways of thinking (see, also, Simpson and Sammon, William Desmond and Contemporary Theology. Notre Dame University Press, South Bend, 2017). In that spirit, reflection on this aspect of metaxology opens with a contribution by Brendan Sammon, who points out the similarities between Desmond's philosophical theology and the divine name tradition of Dionysius the Areopagite. These names have a tendency to name and un-name at the same time, appreciating the constitutive difference between God and creation.
