Catherine Keller's process theology take on God's transcendence really comes through in her book "Cloud of the Impossible: Negative Theology and Planetary Entanglement". Your post reminds me of some of what she writes there. She quotes Nicholas of Cusa at length. The whole apophatic strain of theological thinking across multiple religions helps explain why God seems so hidden to many of us. God may be interacting with us deeply but we simply can't grasp it (until we spiritually evolve dramatically). My main problem with appealing to God's transcendence is that, for God, anything goes and God is still considered good. God could do horrific things - for example, consign the majority of sentient beings in the universe to eternal conscious torment because they failed to grasp some essential aspect of faith or practice. Causing such unending torment is impossible for humans to understand as good, and yet some would say, yeah God does that but we simply can't understand God's ways. If we could, we would realize that God is good no matter what.
I struggle with God’s Holiness, I think, because I’ve spent so many years trying to build intimacy with the Father and with Jesus and in many ways, that is antithetical to viewing God as Wholly Other. How can I be intimate with Wholly Other? And if we are created in His image, why are we so unholy? I think I’ve probably swung too far in my efforts to make God relatable to ME but it’s a challenge to find the balance. Or is there a balance? Our 21st Century conception of marriage and intimate relationships (not sexual of course) probably obfuscates our vision of what our relationship with God should be like. We are the bride. He is the Groom. That relationship was VERY different 1975 years ago when Paul wrote about it, using that analogy to describe our relationship with God. He is the Master, and yet, a Friend. God help us understand!
Thank goodness that God is [not just] “Wholly Other”. And that his very Being is fully and completely invested in us corporally. In Isaiah 64:8 God says, "I am the potter; you are the clay." This is such a beautiful analogy because God puts himself into the very clay as he makes it; as we are thrown into this world. He condescends from his ‘Otherness’ by lovingly stepping down into humanity, so that we can eventually step up. He is both Maker and that which was made. He is in effect, ever distant as he is ever present. “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” – So Magnanimous! The real requisite question then is: “What do we actually see when we see Him?”
Catherine Keller's process theology take on God's transcendence really comes through in her book "Cloud of the Impossible: Negative Theology and Planetary Entanglement". Your post reminds me of some of what she writes there. She quotes Nicholas of Cusa at length. The whole apophatic strain of theological thinking across multiple religions helps explain why God seems so hidden to many of us. God may be interacting with us deeply but we simply can't grasp it (until we spiritually evolve dramatically). My main problem with appealing to God's transcendence is that, for God, anything goes and God is still considered good. God could do horrific things - for example, consign the majority of sentient beings in the universe to eternal conscious torment because they failed to grasp some essential aspect of faith or practice. Causing such unending torment is impossible for humans to understand as good, and yet some would say, yeah God does that but we simply can't understand God's ways. If we could, we would realize that God is good no matter what.
I struggle with God’s Holiness, I think, because I’ve spent so many years trying to build intimacy with the Father and with Jesus and in many ways, that is antithetical to viewing God as Wholly Other. How can I be intimate with Wholly Other? And if we are created in His image, why are we so unholy? I think I’ve probably swung too far in my efforts to make God relatable to ME but it’s a challenge to find the balance. Or is there a balance? Our 21st Century conception of marriage and intimate relationships (not sexual of course) probably obfuscates our vision of what our relationship with God should be like. We are the bride. He is the Groom. That relationship was VERY different 1975 years ago when Paul wrote about it, using that analogy to describe our relationship with God. He is the Master, and yet, a Friend. God help us understand!
Thank goodness that God is [not just] “Wholly Other”. And that his very Being is fully and completely invested in us corporally. In Isaiah 64:8 God says, "I am the potter; you are the clay." This is such a beautiful analogy because God puts himself into the very clay as he makes it; as we are thrown into this world. He condescends from his ‘Otherness’ by lovingly stepping down into humanity, so that we can eventually step up. He is both Maker and that which was made. He is in effect, ever distant as he is ever present. “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” – So Magnanimous! The real requisite question then is: “What do we actually see when we see Him?”