Conclusion

This chapter highlights the broader theoretical points that can be made on the basis of the analysis made in the previous chapters. It engages with contemporary philosophical and theological discussions beyond Islamic studies, criticizing the reduction of negative theology to paradoxicality, and the modern association of apophaticism with mysticism, critical thinking, and morality. It further argues that “negative theology” does not address a sui generis category or an enduring, well-defined group of intellectuals; it is rather a conceptual construct with debated meanings in changing historical settings. The chapter reminds that there were numerous negative theological positions regarding but a single question in a rich field of intellectual activity. These positions could and did transcend disciplinary boundaries as they were adopted by scholars with diverse orientations and backgrounds. Thus, construction of singular and distinct Christian, Jewish, or Muslim “negative theological traditions” not only overlooks the diversity, and sometimes conflicts, among various theological positions within religious traditions, but it also misses the historical fact that the negative theological positions among intellectuals from different religious backgrounds had strong overlaps. The rich theological networks highlighted the intellectual porosities between not only disciplines but also religious traditions.