Thinking God in the experience of nihilism

Abstract

Nihilism always raises the question of God, either by denying Him or by overcoming a certain concept of God through openness to another way of thinking about divine reality. This article discusses how to talk about God in the context of nihilism. First, it describes the evolution of the nihilistic experience, recognising that contemporary nihilism hides meaninglessness and thus avoids the question of God. Given this cultural situation, it argues that in order to think about God, one must confront the experience of nothingness and emptiness. Theology includes the experience of metaphysical and existential nothingness in the act of thinking about God. Thus, passing through nihilism, a conception of God is drawn that does not approach the divine with pre-established concepts, but rather from open categories that welcome the personal revelation of God. For this reason, a theological reflection on God is proposed from the categories of mystery, freedom and love.