The Affective Knowledge of God
Abstract
The affective knowledge of God is this kind of knowledge that follows human affection. This knowledge comes about on two levels: on the natural human inclination to God and on the religious level of man’s orientation towards God.
What is the nature of the affective knowledge of God? What does the passage of ex affectu circa divina in intellectum consist in?
It seems that there are three matters:
– firstly, since there is a natural inclination towards God in man (desiderium naturale vivendi Deum), man will be “restless” as long as he does not recognise or find God,
– secondly, who loves God gains a new and more profound knowledge of Divine matters through con-naturalness and inclination,
– thirdly, as a result of meeting with God and unification with Him, man experiences certain subjective states that cannot be expressed in words.
References
Johnston W.: Mystical Theology. The Science of Love, wyd. 5, Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books 2004.
Maritain J.: On Knowledge through Connaturality, „The Review of Metaphysics” 1951, vol. IV, 4 June, s. 473-481.
Maritain J.: The Degrees of Knowledge. Przekład z 4 wyd. franc. pod kier. G. B. Phelana, wyd. 3, Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press 2002.
Ratzinger J.: Wiara – prawda – tolerancja. Chrześcijaństwo a religie świata, przeł. R. Zajączkowski, Kielce: Wyd. „Jedność” 2004.
Św. Tomasz z Akwinu: Komentarz do Ewangelii Jana, przeł. T. Bartoś, Kęty: Wyd. „Antyk” 2002.
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