The Name of God in Judaism and Christianity – a Mystical Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/ROOTS.2024.2.1Keywords:
Tetragrammaton, Divinity, Revelation, Mysticism, TranscendenceAbstract
This study explores God's names' meaning and role in Jewish and Christian traditions. In Judaism, the divine name, including the Tetragrammaton, is perceived as a mysterious and creative entity essential to understanding the Torah as a sacred language. The Tetragrammaton is seen as an expression of divine power, having a mystical nature that allows for a deep relationship with divinity. In Christianity, the name of God is seen as a personal and intimate revelation of divinity that transcends human knowledge and sensory experience. Christian thinkers such as Dionysius the Areopagite, Maxim the Confessor, and John of Damascus explore divine names to understand God's workings and as means of spiritual communication. The study emphasizes the importance of the calling of God's name in Eastern mysticism as an act of communion and transfiguration, pointing to the connection between the divine name and the essential presence of God in the lives of believers.
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