Volume 15, Issue 1, Autumn 2010
Maciej Manikowski
Pages 161-174
The Unknown God and His Theophanies
Exodus and Gregory of Nyssa
The analysis, which aims at the interpretation of the three theophanies from Exodus presents – from the metaphysical and epistemological points of view
– three fundamental ideas. First, the idea of the absolute unknowability of the essence of God; second, the idea of the real difference between essence and energies in God’s Being; and third, the idea of the real difference between the one essence, three persons (hypostases) and many uncreated divine energies (the powers or names) of God. One must say that the absolute unknowability of the essence of God means that God is forever the unknown God.