Thursday, March 27, 2025

Apophatic and Cataphatic Orientations in Spiritual Companioning

Embrace the World or Renounce the World? 

How do you experience the Sacred? Is it through the beauty of the world around you, or through moments of stillness and unknowing? In spiritual care, we meet seekers who walk both of these paths—and everything in between. Understanding these paths helps us meet each person where they are, offering the deep companionship they need.

In spiritual care, we encounter a wide variety of ways to engage the Sacred, both in our own practices and in the lives of those we companion. Two of the most profound approaches are apophatic and cataphatic spirituality. These two paths offer rich insights for spiritual companions. Understanding them helps us nurture deeper connections with seekers of all temperaments, honoring their unique spiritual needs.

These orientations are deeply intertwined with the tension between world-embracing and world-rejecting spiritualities—each offering its own invitation into the Sacred. For some, the Divine is woven into the very fabric of life itself, while others emphasize detachment or renunciation as a means to encounter the Sacred. Each path is valid, yet cultural biases often nudge us toward one or the other. In some religious circles, especially within Christian traditions, there is the belief that true spirituality must somehow be opposed to the world—often equating it with austerity, detachment, and even renunciation of possessions or societal involvement. On the other hand, world-embracing practices are often more visible in modern spiritual landscapes, where connection with the material world is seen as a gateway to the Divine.

Spiritual companions can be a gentle presence that challenges these biases, helping seekers honor the sacredness of both paths. We can affirm that neither is more spiritually advanced than the other, but each offers a unique way of encountering the Divine and finding meaning in our lives.

Dharma Lyon Yogi- NY Public Library CC1.0

See also this post about Spiritual Companioning: https://abeltaine.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-heart-of-spiritual-direction.html

Apophatic and Cataphatic: What Do They Mean?

These terms come from Christian mystical traditions but resonate across many spiritual paths:

  • Cataphatic (via positiva): This is the way of presence, imagery, and affirmation. It includes prayers, visions, symbols, and experiences of the Divine that have form—like a loving deity, sacred texts, rituals, or felt encounters with the Sacred.
  • Apophatic (via negativa): This is the way of unknowing, silence, and letting go of images. It acknowledges that words and concepts ultimately fall short, emphasizing mystery, emptiness, and the Divine beyond comprehension.

These orientations appear across traditions. Paganisms, for example, tend to embrace cataphatic spirituality. By contrast, many monastic or ascetic traditions lean toward apophatic spirituality. (See also this post on Mysticism: https://abeltaine.blogspot.com/2025/03/mysticism-and-spiritual-direction.html)

While apophatic spirituality emphasizes unknowing and letting go, and cataphatic spirituality engages the senses and imagination, these are not opposing paths. As Gerald May suggests, deep spiritual practice often weaves both together—silence and word, emptiness and vision—rather than rigidly adhering to one alone.

Via Positiva / Via Negativa: Paths to find the Sacred

In Latin languages the word "via" means way, or road. I like to think of it as a path. In spiritual care, the Via Positiva and Via Negativa offer two distinct, yet complementary, paths for engaging the Sacred, each shaped by its own journey of discovery and unknowing. The Via Positiva focuses on engagement with the world through imagery and presence, where the Divine is manifest in the tangible. In contrast, the Via Negativa emphasizes silence and unknowing, where the emphasis is on detachment from the material.

Via Positiva (The Path of Affirmation)

The Via Positiva is the path of engagement with the Sacred through presence, immanence, and affirmation. Those on this path seek the Divine through the world around them—through nature, art, relationships, and the richness of life itself. Images, symbols, and rituals are often central to this orientation, with seekers finding the Sacred in the tangible and the manifest. It celebrates life as a reflection of the Divine and invites us to experience the world with awe and gratitude.

This path is world-embracing, understanding all that is as inherently sacred. Those who travel the Via Positiva often find connection to the Divine through the beauty and complexity of the world. They may engage in practices like prayer, dance, communal worship, and celebration—expressing reverence through the very acts of living and being present in the world.

For those interested in exploring the traditions of mysticism, works like Starhawk's The Spiral Dance or Matthew Fox’s Original Blessing offer rich insights.

Spiritual practices associated with this path include: Ritual, Ecstatic dance, Lectio Divina, Ignatian imaginative prayer, Embodied practices, Community song, and Devotional art

Via Negativa (The Path of Absence and Renunciation)

The Via Negativa, on the other hand, emphasizes detachment, renunciation, and the Sacred found in emptiness, silence, and absence. Seekers on this path are drawn away from the material world and its distractions, turning inward or into the depths of mystery. The Via Negativa emphasizes that the Divine is not something that can be contained by words, concepts, or images. It calls us to let go of the forms and symbols that shape our experience of the world, leading us to encounter the Sacred in the ineffable, the unknowable, and the unseen.

This path is often understood as world-rejecting, not in the sense of negating the world entirely but in the sense of detachment from attachment to its fleeting forms. The seeker is called into deeper states of stillness, solitude, and contemplation, where they can experience the Divine beyond all images and concepts. Practices such as silent meditation, fasting, solitude, and centering prayer are often part of this path, guiding the seeker to encounter the Sacred in the silence and emptiness that transcends the visible world.

Via Negativa can be an orientation that helps you simplify life and shed attachments to false happiness. Apophatic spirituality isn't just about mystical experience but also about practical, everyday detachment from illusion. Fasting, silence, or voluntary simplicity are ways to engage in via negativa in daily practice.

Spiritual practices associated with this path include: Centering Prayer, Silent meditation, Breathwork, Fasting, Contemplative retreat, and Koan practice.

Dag van de Dans CC2.0

Matthew Fox's Four Paths of Faith

Matthew Fox expands on the ideas of Via Positiva and Via Negativa and offers a holistic view of spiritual paths. His framework for understanding different spiritual orientations through his four "paths" of faith can help free us from binary thinking. These paths—the Via Positiva, Via Negativa, Via Creativa, and Via Transformativa—provide a lens for recognizing how seekers engage with the Sacred, whether through joy, mystery, creativity, or justice. Fox's work offers a broader vision for how spiritual companions can support seekers on their diverse paths.

  1. The Path of Joy (Via Positiva): Like Cataphatic or traditional Via Positiva, this path celebrates creation and life itself as a reflection of the Divine. Seekers on this path often find the Sacred in the world—nature, art, relationships, and the beauty of life itself. This path aligns with world-embracing spiritualities, where the Divine is in all.

  2. The Path of Absence (Via Negativa): Like Apophatic or traditional Via Negativa, here seekers are drawn to silence, unknowing, and mystery. The Via Negativa invites us into the unknown and to embrace the sacredness of absence, which is not necessarily a rejection of the world but a deep listening to the Divine beyond all images and forms. It is world-rejecting in the sense that it often moves away from attachment to the visible, tangible world.

  3. The Path of Creativity (Via Creativa): Fox emphasizes that creativity is a path to the Sacred, connecting to both apophatic and cataphatic elements. The seeker on this path might find the Sacred through artistic expression or through experiencing life as a co-creator with the Divine. This path transcends traditional categories, embracing both world-embracing and world-rejecting aspects depending on how it is approached.

  4. The Path of Transformation (Via Transformativa): This path focuses on activism and social justice, understanding the Sacred in the movement toward healing the world. It calls for a radical involvement in the world’s suffering and healing. Seekers on this path might feel the call to transformative action as a form of spiritual practice.

Recognizing a Seeker’s Orientation

Now that we’ve explored these orientations, let’s look at how they manifest in practice. When accompanying someone, paying attention to their natural spiritual leaning can be helpful. Some seekers find great meaning in symbols, prayers, or encounters with the Divine (cataphatic), while others are drawn to stillness, paradox, or the unknowable (apophatic). Some feel closest to the Sacred through touch, movement, and community, while others find it in silence, emptiness, and retreat. One of the first ways of attending to a seeker as a friend or companion is to find shared vocabulary. These paths can help.

  • A seeker in a cataphatic orientation might describe their relationship with the Sacred through metaphors, visions, or deeply personal experiences. They may connect through rituals, iconography, nature, or poetic language. You may have many rich metaphors, descriptions, and words for the sacred or divine.
  • A seeker in an apophatic orientation might resist images of the Divine, instead finding meaning in silence, absence, or paradox. They may speak of the ineffable or feel closest to the Sacred in wordless contemplation. You may need to speak of the sacred or divine as "beyond words."
  • A seeker used to stillness or solitary practices like silent meditation might start to feel a renewed longing for connection with others or a sense of wonder in nature. Their spiritual companion could gently guide them to explore rituals or artistic expression, helping them discover the Divine through engagement with the world. Or vice versa.

Some seekers are drawn toward world-embracing spirituality, finding the Divine in the sensuality of life, the joy of communal dance, or the cycles of nature. Others lean toward world-rejecting paths, drawn to solitude, simplicity, or stripping away attachment. Neither is more advanced or pure—each expresses a different way of being with the Sacred.

Holding Space for All Paths

A skilled spiritual companion can hold space for all paths, gently honoring when a seeker is drawn to one orientation and when they’re being invited into another. Sometimes, a seeker will experience a shift—what once felt like a rich, vibrant connection with the Divine may quietly fade into silence, or a long season of spiritual emptiness may unexpectedly bloom into new images and meanings.

Not knowing and surrender (apophasis) can foster humility and openness to multiple ways of being, beyond Western binaries. These two (or four) paths are not the only paths. They are also not just personal spiritual paths but are also ways to engage with a complex, uncertain world.

For example:

  • If a seeker who leans toward immersion in the material feels dryness or a loss of imagery, they may start to feel like they’re “losing their faith.” A companion can gently affirm that this might be an invitation into deeper mystery rather than a loss, a call to rest in the unknowing.
  • If a seeker with a more detached or ineffable orientation suddenly experiences a presence or vision, they may feel unsure, even resistant, thinking it’s a distraction. A compassionate companion can help them explore whether this is an unfolding of grace rather than something to fear.
  • If a seeker feels pressured to follow a renunciative path because it’s often seen as the “higher” or “more spiritual” way, a companion can affirm that laughing with friends under the stars or dancing in the full moon are just as sacred as sitting alone in a cave.
  • If a seeker feels out of place in a tradition that embraces joy and embodiment, a companion can hold space for them to trust their longing for solitude, stillness, and simplicity. It’s all part of the sacred journey.

A spiritual companion might ask questions like, “What is drawing you into silence right now?” or “What is your soul longing to express today?” These open-ended questions create room for reflection, helping seekers discover where they are on their journey and how they might move toward a balance or integration of both world-embracing and world-rejecting elements of their spirituality.

(See also this post on early ascetics' influence on spiritual direction: https://abeltaine.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-roots-of-spiritual-direction-desert.html)

Some seekers need permission to explore the other orientation when their usual approach no longer serves them. Others might feel deeply rooted in one and find great spiritual nourishment there.

Try It: Exploring Your Own Orientation

  • Names for God: Reflect on a time you felt most connected to the Sacred. Did it involve images, words, or presence (cataphatic)? Or was it marked by silence, unknowing, or absence (apophatic)? Journal on these experiences and notice what words you use for the sacred, divine, deep meaning, or holy. These names (or lack of names) are not written in stone, but may help you to talk about what is most important to you with others as you explore what fits best for YOU.
  • Playing with Paths: Consider experimenting with a practice from the other orientation. If you are drawn to imagery and words, try sitting in silence. If you prefer stillness and emptiness, try engaging a sacred symbol or text. If you are accustomed to cerebral spirituality, try celebrating something physical. If you are accustomed to complexity, tangibility, creativity, and action in spirituality, try sitting with emptiness. What do you notice? Journal about your feelings or challenges when trying a practice from the opposite orientation.
No matter where we find ourselves, whether in silence or in the celebration of life, we are always invited into a deeper connection with the Divine.

Beloved, you are whole, holy, and worthy,

Rev. Amy

————-

For Further Exploration

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)