via negativa

Negative theology, also known as apophatic theology, is a way of understanding the divine by describing what it is not, rather than what it is. This approach recognizes that ultimate reality transcends human comprehension and language.12

Mystics using this method focus on the absolute unknowability of God, suggesting that true connection involves moving beyond all positive descriptions, even traditional concepts like the Trinity, to a "God beyond God". This can be seen as a divine "darkness" or "desert" where distinctions are lost. While this "mystical atheism" might seem unorthodox, its adherents often emphasize the necessity of affirmative approaches to God alongside the negative ones. Early proponents like Pseudo-Dionysius distinguished the "super-essential Godhead" from all positive attributes of God. This tradition continued through figures like Meister Eckhart and Jakob Böhme, who spoke of God as an "Ungrund" or abyss, a hidden mystery beyond all description.3