The Inconceivable God

God: ineffable, inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible. These words are from the Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom. I've been thinking for a week about that word inconceivable. It's kind of an oxymoron isn't it? To say something is "inconceivable", is to say it can't exist. But to name it, is to acknowledge it's existence. So does inconceivable mean cannot possibly exist, a kind of nothingness? Or is it just so far beyond our comprehension we can't conceive of it? Like God. Except that we do conceive of the idea of God, though He is so transcendant we can't conceive of him.

I'm confusing myself here.

Which leads me to another fascinating contemplation: the nada of God. One thing that draws me so much to Orthodoxy, and Eastern thought in general, is the idea of an apophatic way. In the west, we try to define everything, intellecualize it, outline it and describe it in detail. Even God. But remember, He's inconceivable. He's beyond knowing. He is unknowing. To know Him is to unknown what we think we know of Him. To learn his way is to unlearn.

Gotta read Gregory of Nyssa sometime, or Pseudo-Dionysius, sounds like great stuff.