The “open country whose name is prayer”: Apophasis, deconstruction, and contemplative practice
Modern Theology 2005 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0025.2005.00279.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that contemplative practice, as found in authors like Evagrius Ponticus, closely relates to postmodernism's critique of ontotheology by deconstructing the epistemologically constituted self that knows itself as knowing and God as known. |
Abstract
While much has been written on the dialogue between postmodernism and the Christian apophatic tradition, there has been little focus on the role of what lies at the heart of this tradition: the practice of contemplation. By looking at contemplative authors such as Evagrius Ponticus and others, this article shows that contemplative practice, situated in a life of contemplation, relates closely to postmodernism's critique of ontotheology. Contemplative practice deconstructs the epistemologically constituted self that knows itself as knowing and God as known (to paraphrase Mary-Jane Rubenstein).