Apophaticism

The theology of St Dionysius grows out of a recognition of two aspects of God's relation to us: His Superabundance and Transcendence.

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The Superabundance of God is the idea that while God may contain attributes similar to us, He overflows our conception of those attributes in abundance beyond comprehension. This best symbolized for us in sun- the sun is full of light, but blindingly so. St Paul gives us an example of this in 1 Cor 1:25 when he says "the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." In this way we can say God is beyond wisdom and strength, since the Creator overwhelmingly surpasses the creature.

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The Transcendence of God is the idea that God, as Creator, is outside of certain categories to which we, as creatures, are bound. For example, we don't have the words nor concepts to positively assert that an existing being is not created, so we will simply say that God is Uncreated. The word "Uncreated" places God outside of our conception of order and time, further into the mystified darkness that the mind cannot comprehend.

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This is the basis of what is called an apophatic approach toward God. Apophatic Theology is a theology by negation rather than by affirmation (cataphatic). It uses language that is intentionally laconic to speak about the ineffable truths of God, and as such is necessarily mystifying. St Dionysius calls this task the "abstraction of all existing things" and likens it to one making a statue who "brings to light, by the mere cutting away [of stone], the genuine beauty concealed in it." In this way, we carve away the concepts that are known to us and yet dissimilar to God, and He that remains is the Unknown God.

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While this may sound tedious, it is sown throughout Orthodox Liturgy and prayer in such a way to grow genuine awe at the limitlessness of God. As the priest says in the Divine Liturgy, 

"O Lord our God, Whose dominion is indescribable, Whose glory is incomprehensible, Whose mercy is infinite, and Whose love for mankind is ineffable: 

Do Thou Thyself, O Master, according to Thy tender compassion, look upon us."