Augustine on music as the harmonious language of spirituality: An apophatic theological study
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi April 23, 2024 Godfrey T. Baleng 1 citation
Apophatic theology, or via negativa, refrains from describing what God is, focusing instead on what God is not, and acknowledges that religious language is inadequate for capturing divine nature or numinous experiences. This article draws on Augustine of Hippo to argue that music serves as a transcendental language bridging the physical and metaphysical, overcoming the limitations of ordinary language. Through Augustine's Confessions, his theory of music, and his apophatic theology, the article posits that music, with its unchanging mathematical properties, offers a harmonious and truthful way to understand God's immanence and mystery. Music is presented as a universal spiritual language that can transform cognitive abilities and revitalize spirituality.